Normal service resumed?

[rurikbird]

It's starting to feel like it. After a really worrying period where the team has seemingly lost all cohesion and identity it had in such abundance last season, in the last 3 games or so we seem to be getting back to our style of play from last season. The opening half hour against Swansea was the best of the lot and even reminded me of the Spurs home game last season, where we played a very controlled and efficient possession game.

The difference, of course, was that here we didn't have enough cutting edge to make our dominance translate into the scoreline, so we started to grow frustrated, gradually let Swansea back in the game and almost lost – but still had enough in the tank to win it at the death. This team's problems and shortcomings are still there for everyone to see, but at least we seem to have the foundation coming back into place. Now it's "here is where we need to improve" whereas a couple of weeks back it was "nothing is working and I don't recognize this team" – even in games we ended up winning somehow.

Don't want to jinx it obviously, but this is a trend I see based on our quality of play starting from the Real game rather than on the results, which are still lukewarm (the last 3 games were L-D-W). If this trend continues and we keep playing better, the results should eventually improve too.

 

[Athens]

It doesn't feel like it to me...

 

[gkmacca]

There's more cohesion, still very little confidence.

 

[Judge Jules]

Good post and much needed on here. Even last season it took us a while to get motoring fully - the Studge and Suarez pulled our chestnuts out of the fire quite often in the first half of the season. Rodgers' preferred style of play is hugely demanding on player fitness and commitment, and I suspect the team will continue taking a while at the start of each season to get fully into its stride as long as Rodgers is our manager.

 

[Modo]

Normal service isn't resumed, because against Newcastle probably five of the players who started the last game will be on the bench or left out.

 

[nealmac]

Not trying to cast a dampener, but beating scrambling from behind in the dying minutes to salvage a 2-1 win at home to Swansea is not "normal service resumed".

Now take into account we're on the back of a 1-1 draw with Hull and a 3-0 mauling from Madrid. That just takes the piss really.

 

[Mystic]

Not trying to cast a dampener, but beating scrambling from behind in the dying minutes to salvage a 2-1 win at home to Swansea is not "normal service resumed".

No, losing 1-0 would have been.

 

[mom]

I don't think it has. At all. And playing the barcodes worries me as the difference in ability is hugely in our favour, but the difference in form and confidence is certainly with them.

 

[localny]

Hull was 0-0. Maybe Rurik overstates, but Swansea are a good side, we also are coming back from behind - and not shipping goals.

It's a plus. Fingers crossed it continues.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Hull was 0-0. Maybe Rurik overstates, but Swansea are a good side, we also are coming back from behind - and not shipping goals.

It's a plus. Fingers crossed it continues.

As mentioned in the other thread - the Swansea game was the first time this season we actually came back from trailing to an opponent. We've actually lost in the 5 other games we've been in that position, so that's a huge positive.

I think "normal service" is a misnomer because "normal" for last season was scoring for fun, playing at a high pace and murdering opponents in the first 20 to 25 minutes of a game... and leaking 1.3+ goals per game. We're certainly getting the second part "normal"! 😀

I do agree that overall, we seem to be improving in the last 2 games. The flow is better, Coutinho is in better form, Balotelli is getting into the box more, Lambert's link up has been good though not his goal threat, etc. The pace is still not close to what we're used to from last season though, so we're still far from "normal" in that crucial area.

Also, last season, we were a threat from setpieces - I think we led the league in goals scored from them.

 

[Hansern]

Not trying to cast a dampener, but beating scrambling from behind in the dying minutes to salvage a 2-1 win at home to Swansea is not "normal service resumed".

Now take into account we're on the back of a 1-1 draw with Hull and a 3-0 mauling from Madrid. That just takes the piss really.

I think he's talking about performances though. 0-0 vs Hull but we were much better in that game. Second half was step up. We werent that bad against Madrid but losing 3-0 to one of the best teams in the World means its not really open for comparison. Real would be beat just about anyone bar Bayern.

The performance vs Swansea was a step in the Hull direction imho. Decent passing game and possession but lacked the killer Instinct. The difference is that we won in the end.

I'm expecting to see a further improvement on Saturday.