Liverpool Banter Archive January 19 2014

19 Jan 2014 22:02:18
Still believe if the right players can be found and are attainable we could see upto three players coming in in this window.

I'm not saying they will be 15-20 million players, more say one or two 10-15 million players and a youngster or fringe player (young keeper springs to mind to add competition).

Our main positions to trengthen seem to be

Number 2 keeper. This is to provide Mignolet competition. Preferably a youngster for me. However this could be addressed in the summer.

Left back. Seems to be our problem position in recent years, but good to see Enrique could be back in a couple of weeks. This is another that could wait until the summer, but with players like Coentroa available as loan to buy or straight transfer I'd look into this.

Right back. Is starting to become another problem position for us this season. I doubt Johnson will be still there by the summer. We do have Kelly and Flannaghan as cover however whether Rodgers fancies either as first choice is yet to be seen. The ideal signing would be Montoya of Barca whether he's willing to sign for us is another matter. His contract expires this summer and would love us to be able to sign him on a free. Very promising player who I've watched in many youth tournaments.

Centre midfield. We seem to be lacking in this area quite worryingly of late. To me Coutinho looks tired and needs a rest, but at present we can't afford to. I think this is an area we will look to add in this window. There's a host of players available in this role. Some will cost a high sum and others possible loan deals.
Off the top of my head I can think of Pastore, Grenier, Banega, Defour, Fernando and Cabaye to name a few.

Winger. This is the other position I think we will add to this window we are quite weak in this position. Again off the top of my head there's a host of players possible such as Salah, Tello, Vadillo, Yarmalenko, Riberio and Vellon.

Anyone's guess who it will be but I have complete faith in the management we have come on leaps and bounds in the last twelve months and the staff should be proud of their achievements. Hopefully the board will sanction two deals at leats this window and that we get them. This should give us the added depth to fight for a top four place.

Has to be Mohamed Salah and Yann M'vila, if not M'vila then Mvuemba on loan at least as we need cover in defensive mid.

We can't possibly do all this in january

19 Jan 2014 20:45:02
I have heard that Sala has said to his friend that Liverpool is the only place he wants to move to. Is this true I really hope that this is the truth and we do get him. watching him against Chelsea he tore Ashley Cole to shreds, I mean I know he Is getting old and isn't as good as he used to be but he is still good at what he does. Is there any chance any more about him coming to the pool this window? or will it be in the summer? thanks
Y.N.W.A

{Ed002's Note - Who?}

He means salah, ed.

{Ed002's Note - Who?}

19 Jan 2014 21:27:09
Ed 002 is a chelsea fan apparently lads pardon his ignorance its because you mentioned ashley cole being torn apart.

Was prob talking about Luigi Sala. The italian defender who played for Inter and who has since retired. He must be in his 40`s at the moment.

It's got nothing to do with loyalties to what ever team, it's the amount of abuse the Eds have taken and the unreasonable amount of times they've been asked about Salah. They've said on numerous occasions that they will no longer be answering any questions regarding Salah.

He means he who? should not be named ed.

Ed what is Slaah's favourite flavour crisp?

20 Jan 2014 00:04:47
The Eds have said already they do not wish to discuss Salah anymore.

They weren't, they were discussing sala, a forty something yo ex italian defender who apparently is still good enough to rip ashley cole apart. how did we miss him all those years ago!

Good one, Marshy. You must be as old as I am because like me, you must have seen Sala play for Inter w/ Ronaldo and Zamorano in the 90`s.

19 Jan 2014 20:27:35
Eds, is there any particular reason why Aspas, Alberto and Ilori are hardly getting a look in?

Also, what did you make of the performance yesterday?

Cheers

{Ed002's Note - That is a Dear Brendo question. Surprisingly I don't pick the team.}

They're not good enough.

Aspas. has Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling to compete with. Squad player when needed.

Alberto. has Henderson, Coutinho and Allen to compete with. Still young and adapting to a different country/game. Got all the skills to make it, lacks a bit of pace. didn't do Xabi no harm.

Ilori. has Toure and Skrtel to compete with. Still young, not ready for the prem yet.

Should they have been purchased in your opinion? I understand our squadis still thin with them in it but i'm not still convinced by any of them.all though a good run of games is maybe all they need

Ilori hasn't played a first team game yet you say he's not good enough, Ozone? Strange how not many here believe you're a supporter, eh?

19 Jan 2014 20:05:26
REALLY hope lucas is k
In my opinion he is our best dm player gerrard is too risky to play there he has never been a defensive player rafa was right to never use him in that position either play gerrard in centre ahead of lucas or leav him out and play lucas allen and hendo

Coutinho is a player who has been poor last few games really needs to spend tym in gym and shooting practice!

Rodgers has got most things right dia season but his buys of aspas alberto are a joke and before any1 says anyfin rodgers does not even trust dem so what was d point of spendin that 15 mil on dem could have bought 1 decent playa wit that money
Cissoko is just awful and moses has been awful
Glen fat blob jhonson needs to go

Ilori should have been given a chance
Cant wait for flannagan enrique and sakho to come bk

Really frustrated bwt yesterday rodgers better learn u can not play gerrard in that role he's not up to it

Abbas lfc

Ya r are partially correct BUT I would say that Alberto looks a very tidy player while Aspas who needs to be braver and stronger in the challenge, is a very smart player whose touches of brilliance would be recognized if players who run on to them actually finish them. They would need more time but BR has to play them if he thinks they`re good enuff.

19 Jan 2014 19:55:50
Ive been more of a straight poster and have taken this site for granted for about 3 years now, but I will say thank you to the eds, very addictive site and I have learnt a lot about football following you guys. Macca too, I know very little about him other than he seems to know more info than anyone else who has visited this site in the time i've been reading. Thank you.

As for our football, Villa seem to be our new bogey team, the setup of both the fomation and starting 11 were not the best choice but the singling out of individuals is getting tiresome to read.

I will agree some players might not be quite good enough for us or in Johnsons case, painfully uninterested.

Still, a few seasons ago we would have lost that game, we are gradually turning losses into draws and draws into wins. And that is how you stake yourself in the top 4. Our football is lovely to watch, we are sat on our target position (for now) and that for me is enough to be happy about.

I hope the club has taken notes of what lucas brings to our team and over the next couple of weeks has a final push to find cover for lucas. Gerrard should be fighting henderson for a place, i'm a big fan of gerrard, his trademark 20 - 30 yard screamers are probably my favourite times as an lfc supporter, but right now there are people better suited to our tempo and formation. Brenden may not drop him but surely 45 mins of full pace Gerrard is better than 90 mins of half pace when we have plenty of cover now people are back from injury.

People will still trash Lucas even though its clear for all to see how much we struggle when he doesn`t play. He`s an easy target for the haters because they cannot critisize BR overall because of the results and good football he has deployed so they attack his signings and the usual suspects. A huge sign of cowardice IMO

19 Jan 2014 18:48:58
Ed's or reds is toure free to leave when ever or Has he a contract if so how long?

{Ed002's Note - 2015.}

19 Jan 2014 18:11:08
Edd, do you know when sako/agger/enrique due back? Thanks

{Ed002's Note - Kirikou will be available for full training in the next few days both his groin and hamstring are stretching with some regularity. Enrique might make Everton - his knee is in pretty good shape and his groin is not as tight as it was - stretching nicely. Agger still two weeks away - stretching his groin instead of working on his calf.}

19 Jan 2014 17:42:02
Ed02 I would like to apologise on behalf of the abusive Liverpool supporters I hate that some "fans" are giving the others a bad image.

{Ed002's Note - You are very sweet RT, thank you. They have turned on the players ad the manager again rather than me after the 7-0 thrashing Liverpool got yesterday.}

19 Jan 2014 17:32:52
Have to admit it lads that boy Januzaj for Utd is a smashing player, would love have him on the wing or in Coutinhos role, he is firing balls across the goal and SAS would have a field day with that service and a great eye for a goal too.

He is pure class. Pains me to see him with that shower.

19 Jan 2014 17:13:52
Why don't players that feign injuries get into trouble like Bacuna did yesterday?

19 Jan 2014 15:20:58
After having seen Aly Cissohko in a few games now I'm a little confused as to what the scouts would have recommended to BR as his strengths or how he would fit in to the way Liverpool are trying to play. Signed as a backup I know and if we had a injury free squad he wouldn't get a look in but why in the first place did we sign him?
His technical ability is questionable as can't move the ball quick enough as he has to get his feet sorted before he looks up to play.
His defending qualities aren't great for the level we need, (Sahko is not a great technical player either but he makes up for it in with his aggression and tackling ability), and as an attacking full back he doesn't have Enrique's/Johnson's ability going forward.
His athleticism I thought would be the trait that would stand him apart from others but he looked dead on his feet yesterday after 60 mins.
This is not just about yesterday I just can't see why he would of been recommended for his attributes. When BR was at Swansea he had Neil Taylor and Ben Davies as backup both technically better than Cissohko and in my opinion better defenders. I can't believe its a case of 'we can get this player on loan he's been at Lyon, Porto and Valencia so he's going to be of a standard.' That standard might be okay for a side that play a different way but I don't think it benefits us going forward.

19 Jan 2014 14:22:11
If Lucas is actually injured I would love to see the Lucas haters make up BS excuses as to why we aren't half as good as we are with Lucas in the side

How bad is his injury surely the club must be looking for another DM or are we going to hope Allen puts 3 stone in weight on. My 10yr old is available brendan.

{Ed002's Note - It is a great pity that you cannot even give the club the opportunity to evaluate the injury.}

Hi ed2 my comments were put at Allen being too lightweight for that position nothing to do with the club and eevaluating the extent of lucas injury. Allen in my eyes is a mediocre player certainly not good enough for LFC. Sorry re rant ed x

{Ed002's Note - Nobody cares - you are moaning about Liverpool players.}

Suarez, you must not have been watching us play during the xmas period and did not watch last night`s game. Allen has bulked up and seems to be getting his confidence back from the start of last season where he was awesome to the point of dominating YaYa Toure at Anfield. He might not e what you want BUT he was great during the holidays when SG was out. Stop moaning and support the team, period!

Allen is playing really well right now. Please give players with some room to breathe. Always complaining when not needed.

19 Jan 2014 13:49:42
Ed do u think Liverpool will go after a DM if Lucas injury is serious?

{Ed002's Note - I think it unwise to discuss injuries before the club have the opportunity to assess them.}

19 Jan 2014 13:10:21
We obviously need to reinforce this window, still hoping someone with pace and work rate will sign, someone who can rotate with sterling, as long as we don't buy for the sake of it i'd rather give Ibe a fair chance, also not having significant cover for Lucas is scary we seem to turn to jelly when he isn't playing it's either stick it out with Gerrard and hope he gets used to being more defensive (he doesn't need to burst forward hendo does it well) or try and bring someone in now.

19 Jan 2014 12:51:42
Hi all

I really think it was a fair point yesterday first half we was poor, bear in mind last season we would of lost this game.
What I can't understand is why so many people slate our players get behind them not against them everyone makes mistake.
I'm remember most saying lucas is not good enough and now he is injured you can't wait to have him back
It's one of those things we aren't going to win every game I do understand we need to win our home games but we are a lot better then last season
Watch Gerrard in the derby he is the one that will make the difference
Sorry to bore you but had to let it out ynwa
Also hope salah deal happens
YNWA

Is that you Brendan?

Ozone, you done that streak yet? I believe we are currently in the top 4 and have been since the start of the season.

It's Brendon's son
Ynwa

NSF, I said if we were in top 4 come the new year I'd streak. At 12:01 1st Jan we were 5th as predicted.

I'll go further and say we won't get top four come the end of the season. Either Spurs or Everton will nudge us out.

Mig to many basic mistakes. Atrocious full backs, comedy sketch centre halfs, the Gerrard problem, Phil doesn't know a pass or how to shoot and a load of rubbish on the bench. Too many holes in the squad and a horrendous transfer policy.

Well said Ozone. The defence is a shambles. Lukaku should have a field day in two week's time.

19 Jan 2014 12:31:21
A reality our club is going to have to face soon is can Liverpool FC continue to run at such a loss. This isn't a knee jerk reaction to last nights game but if champions league football is a step too far this season how many more years can the club be run like a champions league team with out its revenue. The owners have done a fantastic job reducing the debt but the finances are a long way from being in the black, if Liverpool don't get in the top four in the next two season including this one the owners will be forced to cut their cloth to suit.

Yes Alberto, Ilori, Aspas, Borini, Sahin, Assiadi, Moses. Complete waste of money. No impact on the first team whatsoever. Whoevers been involved in scouting this shower should be held accountable.

I would still think Ilori will have a big future at the club. The others? No comment, but no manager gets every signing right. The premier league was and still is littered with players that haven't cut it. Some that cost more than the total value of the ones mentioned.

19 Jan 2014 14:36:09
i personally would not write off alberto, borni, ilori just yet, but we all have r own opinions my opinion is we all dive on players who don't hit the ground running with motm performances, the likes of lucas should make us sit back a bit and see what can happen with a bit of patience his importance to the team was highlighted last night and I pray his injury is not serious.Borini especially for me is very intelligent player if he got a chance down the middle i'm sure he would be good enough to be r 3rd choice striker but for now in his development as he is still very young game time is what he needs.

Totally agree Tommy

Borini seems to have found some form at Sunderland, I believe he has 6 goals for them now, which isn't too bad at all given he's playing at Sunderland and they're not exactly filled with intelligent creative players like Coutinho, Gerrard, Suarez, etc.

I personally think his future is bright.

I can't comment on Ilori as I think I've only seen him play once, but guys, Lucas took time, so too did Henderson, so give them a break and let them get accustomed to the club, squad and manager.

19 Jan 2014 11:58:42
Morning Eds,

I wrote a post back when Rodgers took over as Liverpool manager that what he does and how he fazes Gerrard out could be the difference between success and failure during his Liverpool career. Whilst that statement may be a bit strong, I feel that the issue is becoming more prevalent as time goes on due to Gerrards mobility decreasing and his lack of tactical awareness (which he never had an abundance of, especially without the ball) becoming more apparent.

I know in theory it's easy to say 'stick him on the bench' or 'use him as a super-sub' but in practise, it just doesn't seem that easy for a number of reasons. Number one is he is on £130k (or so I've heard), secondly is that he is England captain and 'has' to play as there is a World Cup coming up and lastly is that he wields far too much influence behind the scenes - and dropping 'Mr. Liverpool' would upset the apple-cart behind the scenes.

I may be over-reacting, but this isn't a knee-jerk reaction - more a feeling that I've had for a while now.

I'd be interested in what Ed001 thinks (due to the Liverpool connection) particularly or any other Ed or poster who would like to give an opinion.

Ash

{Ed001's Note - it is an issue, he is the captain and he wants to play, he is never going to be happy sitting on the bench. That isn't a bad attitude, in fact it is the attitude you want from your players. You don't really want a player to be happy watching most of the game from the sidelines. But it is a problem, with him being captain and very influential within the club, with the ear of the owners etc. I don't see Rodgers as feeling safe enough in his position to be able to do anything about it, to be honest. Even though people are wondering why he doesn't act, I don't think he can. The same thing happened to Ferguson when he took over Man Utd with Robson. He was able to get rid of the drinking culture, but he had to hold onto Robson, he just couldn't afford to turn him against him.}

Great post ash and agree totally with your comments ed001. I have said the same thing over the past few years only to be told by fans" he is still our best player" " he's our captain and you can't replace him"
BR must know that unfortunately he will upset a lot of LFC fans who seem to think that SG's past performances warrant his automatic selection.
There is no doubt of his legendary status at the club and all he has done for us.
But this decision could be the difference in us moving forward as a club.

Very astute assessment editor especially with the comparison to Robson at United. It is clear to most fans that Gerrard is operating below the accepted standard but due to the influence he has at the club Rodgers cannot really afford to lose favour with him. If nothing else I just hope that Rodgers doesn't play him in that holding midfield role - he cannot play that position and the first 45 minutes against Villa yesterday underlined that. If he must play then i'd prefer him as an advanced midfielder were he cannot negatively impact on our defensive efforts as much.

In my mind there is no doubt that we looked a better TEAM without Gerrard in it and, since his recovery from injury, we look more fragile. How Rodgers manages the situation I don't know, but it is concerning that there is no easy/obvious solution.

I fully agree with these various, but similar, comments about SG. I think
the club MUST bite the bullet at the end of the season at the latest

Valid points.
The counter argument could be what Souness did.
Perhaps Rodgers is being pragmatic, let Father Time take its course.
Don't forget, as well, Rodgers hasn't totally won the crowd over. Dropping a club legend is just ramping the pressure up on himself.

I think you've nailed it there Ed001. It's clearly a problem.

19 Jan 2014 13:26:43
Totally agree with these posts . look at AVB when he was at Chelsea. didn't hesitate to drop Lampard and Terry.
Brendan needs to play his best team.with or without Gerrard, who was, quite frankly abissmal, especially in the first half!

Do you think that with Gerrard being a local lad makes the issue more difficult ed?

Quite simply you keep playing Gerrard as AM until he's not performing IN THAT POSITION anymore. At the moment he's still the best attacking midfielder we have

Yep, agree completely with Ed001. I think he feels he needs to achieve something before he has the balls to drop Gerrard. Otherwise if things don't go according to plan it'll be bad news for him. We saw while he was injured in the period in December where he was able to play his favoured set up which worked extremely well.

As an aside, we should just bin this 4 attackers business. We've struggled with Gerrard-Lucas-Henderson this season nevermind just having two mids in there.

My concern has always been the way Gerrard is being used. When Lucas and later Allen came on, Gerrard was more mobile and did not play that holding role. It was more than visible that he was enjoying playing with that freedom to attack, even more relevant considering his poor tactical sense. Have no problem with Gerrard playing games, but rather where he plays. Some of his long balls were amazing and when he's up the pitch during our attacks I am always hopeful. But when he's back, trying so desperately to break down attacks, its really sad to watch him, since he could do so much damage up front. Feel Lucas/ Allen MUST play every game as that holding player rather than Gerrard and that decision from BR must be a no-brainer. Use him as an attacking threat for the first 45 or last or maybe 60, and I'm sure he'll give us everything he's got and win us games on his own. The things which made me love Gerrard, well, I'm not seeing them a lot lately, apart from those delicious long balls!

If he doesn't resolve the issue correctly he may lose the dressing room and disrupt the great work he has done so far.

{Ed002's Note - If the dressing room moves when they redevelop Anfield I can asure you they will put up little signs for Brendo - "Dressing Room This Way ------>" and the like. Try not to worry about it.}

19 Jan 2014 09:02:23
A question for Ed001, I've been reading yr posts with interest and agree totally with your view on Johnson. You have said he needs to be tested or pushed which is why he probably plays better at LB as he has to concentrate more there.

I would like to see him there as Cissoko unfortunately breaks up every attack down the left we have and maybe needs more time to settle.

So to my question. Would you personally like to see Johnson at LB, or even give young Smith a chance and would you risk Kelly at RB when he had not been playing for so long? Basically, what would you do to address the situation with the players we currently have?

Cheers,

{Ed001's Note - I would give the kids a chance, just look at Southampton, they have been doing it for years and are reaping the benefits.}

19 Jan 2014 10:54:24
Maybe Brenda could move Stevie G a little further back still. It would have to mean changing the colour of his shirt if he was to be tried in goal but hey, it couldn't be any worse than it is at the present. Bring on the derby.

And there lurking in the shadows is Daveyboy ready to pounce when Liverpool slip up, strangely quiet last week when we took three times as many point from Stoke as Everton managed but i'm sure that just coincidence. And now with the all powerful Gareth Barry scoring a goal what chance does the rest of the league have now, City must be regretting letting that superstar go.

I think you'll find if you check back last week that I did post a comment complimenting Stoke for their first half generosity in giving you two goals. I also marvelled at Sterling's arm control (handball) before launching himself to the ground under an innocuous Stoke challenge for the penalty that should never have been given.

And you're correct "always a red", Gareth Barry has been the find of the season. A loan signing that has worked (unlike Moses and Cissokho who've not).

19 Jan 2014 10:42:30
Any news on the extent of Lucas' injury? He completely changed the game when he came on and had he not come off injured think we would have won it, attack died when he came off? Also thought another forward was a necessity but think a proper DM who is positionally solid would be a must!

19 Jan 2014 10:20:41
We are in desperate need of two left backs, plus a winger or two and a centre mid.

Hopefully this week will see some progress on this regard. I can't really understand why we haven't attempted to sign Coentroa from Madrid. 12 million for an international left back is a good price. It's a world cup year and he's clearly not getting games and needs a move.

I've read of united's interest but I don't see anything happening with him. For such a problem position he would go some way to resolving that.

In regards to right back Montoya is the ideal choice. Fair enough he may not want to move this window or even the next or even to us, but you can only try.

My ideal centre mid would be Banega. With the fee being mooted as 8-10 million he'd be a steal and exactly what we need in the middle.

As usual my ideal choice for wide players are one of Shaqiri or Yarmalenko. But would improve our width it's just a matter of price and whether they would be sold by their clubs.

That should be full backs not left backs.

19 Jan 2014 10:09:10
I am finding it hard to see why Hendo is first choice over Allen to me. He misses more passes that he makes when we on the attack and he shies away from 50/50 challenges. 2 or 3 times he just stood and waited for ball to bounce first and Lucas had to comefrom behind to challenge for it. I think everyone is blinded by his running around the pitch shadowing players and not tackling them. For top 4 we need a more aggressive type of midfielder like Cabaye who gets stuck in with tackling players forcing them to hurry their passing and make mistakes.

Henderson has been great all season. Probably our most consistent performer along with SAS.

He is the least of our worries. Defence is where the problem lays.

Red Rum

He's been one of our better players all season and as a result is one of the first names on Rodgers team sheet. His assist yesterday was superb and further demonstrated his growing confidence. Having said that, I thought Allen did a decent job too when he came on.

Hendo is first choice, my question would be why is SG still first choice. Should be Hendo, Allen, Lucas as they all cover and compliment each other.

I would be dropping other players before Henderson myself.

19 Jan 2014 09:37:10
So Stevie is not a DM?

That's not a bad call from many of you after just one game.

And there's me thinking how Rafa was telling us all that he could play in any position with plans to eventually settle him at CB.

How wrong they both are.

Did you not watch the game?

I said before the match that he would get overrun in midfield. In this league it is very difficult to perform the holding role, especially if you don't have the legs to close down and keep on the pressure.

Maybe he could be successful as a holding midfielder abroad, but not her in the PL. It just shows how vital Lucas is and has been for us.

Red Rum

So I take it you are saying that Lucas would have more mobility than Gerrard if he doesn't have the legs? I couldn't believe that for one second? What I will say is that a DM is a specialist job. It requires a lot of discipline and awareness. The only way I could see Gerrard playing so deep is if he has a partner there and he maybe plays the "quarterback" role, similar to Alonso but that what require us to be more counter attacking like under Rafa.

I would also like to point out that we played with Sturridge and Suarez and Sterling yesterday with Coutnho. Lucas was obviously dropped. Maybe that's why we were over run? Makes obvious sense to me. We tried to accomodate all 4 at the top and paid for it in midfield.

Look at how much teams respect Lucas, as soon as he came on for the first time in the game we had a shape that as a Liverpool supporter I was familiar with. we had centre backs split wide with the LB & RB in line with the DM.
In the first half when we were in possession we didn't have an anchor to start plays off and often had to go back to the CB's or GK which vexed me. Henderson was playing AM which was stupid as we only had 2 central mids and Gerrard isn't suited to dropping back to received to ball or willing to move into space to be able to relieve pressure off of the ball carrier, no he would rather just stay where he is.
Look how allen played when he came on with the energy he showed and the effort he put in to make himself available and then when he had the ball played it positively and looked to pass to players in front of him. you can't be the DM & still be the one that wants to create everything, so no Gerrard is not a DM and I thought that BR would know this from his first season in charge when we struggled without Lucas.

The problem yesterday was that BR got it wrong tactically. He should have continued his 3 man central midfield and changed it to accommodate all of Sterling, Coutinho and SAS.
Should have stuck to plan A all season and gone with Gerrard, Hendo and Lucas.
We have conceded far too many goals in the last few matches, we are now in a dog fight for 4th with Everton, Mancs, and Spurs. We all knew this would be the case at the start of the season so we shouldn't be too despondent.
However, we need to sign another CMF, and wide forward, and need Enrique back badly

Some also say he needs a good few games to bed into the new role.
I would question the thinking behind such an experiment half way through a very important and so far successful season though.

One game? Did you not watch Stoke? Him and Lucas looked lost, part of the reason why we leaked three goals. I don't understand half way through a season, Buck would change a formula that has worked so well thus far.

Imagine being slung in to that lot yesterday.
Claude Makalele on speed would have struggled there.
Couldn't keep hold of the ball up in front of him, outnumbered in midfield, some poor tracking back, both full backs tentative, centre backs falling off and nervy in bringing the ball out, Mignolet's distribution ahhhhh!
We never played well at all but came back, got a point and got out of jail.
It should give Brendan plenty to think about over the next few days.
ps let's have a look at Alberto at Bournemouth.

We had a look at Alberto against Oldham. He wasnt good but he will still play against Bournmouth because we can't keep putting out the same players, but Alberto is also slow and we need mibility I think.

Don't worry Irish Rover, in Brendan we trust!! Tactical genius.

Well Ozone. He must be doing something right. We are still top 4. I know you like the old 4-4-2 from the 90s. I think I will stick with Bredan tanks. :-)

19 Jan 2014 09:33:31
Good morning Eds and Reds.

I'm know everyone is thinking that we really should of won yesterday and I agree, however we were 2 down and battled back to a point. Should of started with Lucas hendo gerrard and then the SASAS as a forward 3.

Looks like we need Sakho and Enrique back quick as Toure and Cissoko don't look quite good enough or they are lacking confidence. We lack depth on the bench and need quality to come on and change the game.

Less than 2weeks left of the transfer window and I really hope we bring in at least one player to strengthen the team. I'm hoping we finally get Salah.

Its not just Toure and Cissokho, for me Toure and Cissokho played better than Skrtel and Johnson. Seeing our CB's against Stoke and Villa made me miss Soto badly. I actually think that Coates and Sakho would be an interesting partnership.

19 Jan 2014 08:40:08
Yesterday's game highlighted how much we need a real worldy of a DMC. The mvilla rumours seem to plod on - but having done good business last January I just hope we can do something similar.
Rodgers as some headaches at the moment as I'm not sure you can fit Danny, Luis, Philippe and Raheem in the same team. Not unless you go 3 at the back which I didn't like at all.
There's always been said that if the right "big" player comes available then we have the money to get him - mvilla would
For that role I suppose.

Good point in the end yesterday but another missed opportunity.

19 Jan 2014 04:42:33
Hi Eds, I think Fabian Delph has been brilliant for Villa all season! Has Liverpool or anyone showed interest in him? Thanks in advance

{Ed002's Note - Not that I am aware.}

I have!

Oh go away with MOTD fever, he played well yesterday but hardly a regular occurrence.

19 Jan 2014 01:43:01
Defence should be priority this month.

I am not one to fire abuse at players and I don't agree with fans that do, but as a fan it is our right to criticise or praise both individual and collective performances.

Firstly, Johnson. How many times can he get away with it. Week in week out he performs like that and still manages to get selected. To be fair to Rodgers, Kelly has barely kicked a ball in 2 years and Flanno is injured. Therefore, Johnson is the best of what we have available, but the transfer window is open and the club have no excuse. I personally don't want a player in the side who isn't bothered. Maybe he is bothered and maybe he is trying his best. Who knows? Regardless of the reasons why, Rodgers can surely see we need to replace him for the benefit of the team.

Cissokho. He isn't confident on the ball, and offers very little defensively, but at least he is putting in the effort and trying hard. Unfortunately for him though, I can't see it working out for him at Liverpool and I can only see him returning to his parent club.

Lucas. He is the most underrated player in the team. He might not be the best defensive midfielder in the world, but it just shows us how important he is and has been for us and our defence. I said before the match that it would be suicide to play Gerrard in the holding role, and that was proven to be the case. You can't just play any player in that role. It is probably the most difficult role to play. God help us if Lucas picks up a long term injury.

Skrtel and Toure. You have to feel for them as they are getting no help whatsoever from their fullbacks. The only help they do get is from Lucas, and with him out they were constantly under attack. They were dragged all over the place, constantly covering for other players who were out of position. There has to be no blame attached to the 2 central defenders who are constantly doing the workload of 4 players.

Overall, this month, the absolute minimum we need to do is bring in another defensive midfielder and 2 new fullbacks. Forget Bringing in any forwards, we need to fully concentrate on strengthening our defence. We won't always be able to out score our opponents. I would rather we win every game 1-0 than have to score 3 goals per game to get the result.

Red Rum

I don't think signing fullbacks will solve anything, We need to learn how to defend as a team first

Enrique and Flanno back soon. I don't understand the point in spending on full backs maybe a utility full back in this window. I think a wide forward and a defensive midfielder is more important in this window.

I agree with the DM that we need to cover and compete with Lucas. The only time we looked like winning the game yesterday was when Lucas was introduced. When he got injured Villa came right back into the game.
The full backs are an issue but we do have players returning to fitness which should ease that problem a little bit.
Rodgers has to take responsibility for the 1st half performance.
My final issue is with the carp that was coming out of everyone's mouth before this game. Rodgers saying we can win the league etc etc.
We should be managing expectations and not getting carried away with the 1st half of the season.
Yes we can still achieve our ambitions but everyone should focus on what happens on the pitch and refrain from believing the smoke being blown up our backside by sections of the media.
Also well played villa, I thought they played really well and I thought Delph was absolutely fantastic.
I am not too depressed about the result. we have played ten games at home, won 8 lost 1 and drawn 1. That's a good record and we could well have lost that game. You could even say that the sign of our progress is that we were 2-0 down and are still disappointed that we did not win the game 3-2. Keep the faith people.

19 Jan 2014 00:57:55
Was anyone else subjected to David Pleat's commentary during our match (I'm in canada)?
Wow the guy is such a dinasaur in football! He had no clue on how to pronounce any names, no idea what the refs are doing! And seem to have a real anti Liverpool agenda today. It really makes watching the game almost impossible to bare!

Top post - couldn't agree more mate! we have him here in Aus, not sure if he is heard in the UK. He has for years made errors during the call. He won't correct himself nor will the other commentator!

I know its only a minor thing but its so hard to watch the game, wish you could just turn off all commentary and just listen to the pitch side microphone!

Yeah I also heard that commentator. He was really biased and didn't know rubbish about commentating

Unfortunately we had his commentary in New Zealand as well and I agree with what you're saying. The only upside was that his commentary gave me something other than our first half performance to moan about. Watched the second half with no commentary.

Completely agree David pleat is crap commentator

Wow - I just love the international feel to this thread. We are a worldwide family, that's why we never walk alone.

I actually think David Pleat is a very good commentator. I did not listen to it yesterday but he is normally very knowledgeable about the game.
Likes a lay by though:)

What was worse was listening to Stan Collymore on talk sh**e

Also had him here in SA yest. I muted the sound after 10mins. He gets everything wrong an clearly not a big fan of LFC.

19 Jan 2014 00:05:33
Stay behind the lads and not moan and slag the players off because of 1 bad result. Some of our fans are a joke.

18 Jan 2014 23:54:36
Banter please Eds,

Evening Gents,

I know you boys are not too happy with result/performance against Villa but i'm surprised nobody has commented on the pass Hendo made to Sturridge for your first goal.

World class.

Dagenham gunner I totally agree with your post. If that had of been Suarez, Gerrard or Sturridge who pulled that off we would all be raving about it. As it was Hendo(a player most on this site want to fail) it's not had a mention. I often read your posts and find you to be very honest in your opinion and up for the banter. Good luck for the rest of the season and I personally hope if we can't win the title Arsenal do. Rich clubs who buy the league piss me off. Arsenal have been torn to pieces over the years for investing in youth but it's now paying off as it will for us in the future. YNWA Gooner.

So Hsendo can do more100 bad thin.gs and may1 good thing and that makes him a good player

If you can't see Hendo has been one of our better players this season you watching the wrong games.

Scootinio,

Thank you Sir, you are indeed a Gentleman. Good luck for the rest of the season my friend.

18 Jan 2014 23:30:32
Is it just me that thinks for the next few weeks we should play Lucas, Allen and Hendo as a midfield three? Don't get me wrong if we played two holding midfielders then I'd play Gerrard, but Brendan seems to want to play one holding and two attacking, and Stevie simply can't play as the holding mid.
For me, I'd give Stevie a couple of weeks off, just so he can work on that role on the training ground. I think we look most comfortable in a 4-3-1-2, but then we can't accommodate Sterling. I think we would just be better playing a 4-3-3 with the front three flowing and inter-changing. That would be a nightmare for defences, plus if we play with one holding mid it would allow Hendo and Allen to drive forward and Lucas to anchor the midfield. For me our best team consists of:
Hendo
Agger
Suarez
Sturridge
Sterling
Lucas.

For me these are the players that are a must. Hendo has been one of our top 3 players this season, Agger we miss big time, SASAS for obvious reasons, and Lucas because he's the one to hold it all together. Johnson is another that needs a kick in the backside, Kelly should be brought in to replace him.

But one thing I will say is Villa is probably the worst team to play at home for a possession team. They are a superb counter attacking team and have one of the quickest front-lines in England. I was more hoping for three points today rather than expecting, and I posted that before the game. Is it a game we should have won? Yes, and it was a couple of stupid mistakes that cost us two points in the end. But we showed character to come back and in the end it was more 1 point gained than 2 points dropped.

Only problem is now we'll have to start looking over our shoulders. Hopefully the results go our way tomorrow, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.
Cheers,

I agree. However, I do sympathise with BR to a degree as he is in a no-win situation if he drops Gerrard. Damned if he does and we don't play well, damned if he doesn't. There's also the risk that dropping SG could cause some unrest behind the scenes in the dressing room, hopefully not the case at all though.

18 Jan 2014 23:19:20
General question to all (and particularly ed01 if your about). Over the next few years where do you see Gerrard in this Liverpool team.

Now this isn't based solely on today but just generally the last 12 months or so. I can only see Stevie now playing a sort of 'quarterback' role. I say that because his main contributions, apart from penalties, seem to be his long passing ability.

I just don't see him as an attacking mid anymore. Further up the pitch he gets hopeleslly outpaced far too often. Delph literally ran rings around him at times today and frankly that's just sad.

I also don't see him as a DM. Only time will tell if he can settle into this deeper role but I don't think that's his game.

Which leaves my comment about the 'quarterback' role (I hate the phrase but I can't really think of another way to describe it). If Stevie can settle into the DM role and ping balls to every corner of the park then brilliant. But what if he can't. Do you go with Stevie deep and a DM, therefore leaving only one cm/am? Do you do without the DM cover altogether? Or, the last option, do you leave him out completely.

It's still early to know the right answer but I just wanted to know what peoples thoughts where for the next 18 months or so.

{Ed001's Note - I think that he will continue to be shoehorned into the side somewhere, no matter what, but he has to work hard on the mental side of the game to become of any use in the deep role. He was caught out repeatedly today, that has to change or he needs to be an impact sub, coming on late to change games.}

What's a shame is that Henderson becomes a totally different player with Gerrard in the side. It's as though he becomes subservient and is nowhere near as commanding or does as many runs into the box.

JC made an interesting comment on a Sky last week when he implied that SG hadn't realised he could no longer be the player he was and may need to adjust. You could see SG desperately wanted to play further forward yesterday and it leaves everyone a little unsure of the system and places people will be in etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no expert like a lot of you on here, I love SG for what he has done and still wants to do for the team, I would personally just like to see Lucas, Hendo and Allen give the teaks for a few weeks if they can all stay fit.