I think we should start thinking about putting Gerrad back on the right again. I know he plays well behind Torres but maybe playing Aqua there instead might be a good shout. He'll still see plenty of ball and has the intelligence to come in when necessary Reina Johnson Agger(if fit) Carra Insua Masch Lucas Gerrard Aqua Babel Torres
I really don't think it matters what team we put out. The tactics stay the same and the reigns are put on all over the pitch. Stevie G is getting slated on here but I don't think you can blame him, it's the style of play that creates the problem. Too many players asked to do things that they aren't good at. Asking Benayoun, Babel, Maxi, Aquilani, Riera to work back and be disciplined just doesn't work. They need to be able to express themselves in the areas of the pitch that matter. These creative players have not been allowed to express themselves and that is down to the manager! You may as well have a bloody team of Carraghers because as it stands that is what we have. We are clueless in advanced positions and don't create enough or score enough goals. Kuyt has been used constantly as a winger since his arrival and bar the odd spurt of goals he goes missing every game. Rafa is asking him to do things he has never done before. Now unfortunately Rafa has bought this lot and with a team overweighed with attacking players who can't express when you play a rigid formation you simply don't get the best of them. The problem with this team is the manager, fact! The players don't look like they know what they are supposed to be doing on the pitch. He is unable to inspire a performance from his half time team talks. He has left us short up front and possibly one of the least attractive football sides in the PL. We have been continually out played, out thought, out battled and tactically found wanting. Just look at the bottom of the table and you'll see the likes of Wigan, Sunderland, Wolves, Portsmouth and Stoke we have struggled against every one of them. Now when you look at the difference in players this doesn't make sense so Rafa what's the score then? I'll not make any predictions for a line up against Lille because I know how we will play and it will be exactly the same. Until Rafa changes the tactics we will continue to lose every week. It is depressing!!
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/melwood-photo-special-2 Ahead of this evening's flight to France, the Liverpool players were today put through their paces at Melwood in a final training session before the Europa League clash with Lille - and our photographer was there to take some snaps but not while bibs on.
I reckon the team in blue would beat us on present form!! They have more movement on the ball than our lot.
Surely you have realised by now, he doesn't follow Liverpool he is just being a WUM on the site. Look at all 300 odd posts of his, everything negative in all them even when he first joined. He must have a $hit life.
It's really difficult to say how we will play and how this game will end up after the Wigan match.All I know is there is no point being so negative,I'm so sick of this season. let's get behind our team and hope the team(that look to be showing togetherness in those training pics)finally give us something to at least enjoy and hopefully entertain us.Fingers crossed til tomorrow evening lads.
Honestly lads wake up and smell the coffee. I am not saying anything that isn't true. However if we deliver a good performance I'll be the first one to come on and praise. For christ sake grow up and stop being a couple of kids. You are clearly happy with the season so far, were are the positives lads?
I'm not happy with the way the season has gone, or the underperformance by the players, the manager and the owners. It annoys me yet I try to be positive as much as possible However I'm not negative 100% of the time like you, all your posts are negative you don't have a good word to say and I'm sure your like that in person so I pity you.
What is so wrong with highlighting everything that has gone wrong. So if you ask me am I still a Liverpool fan still the answer is yes that won't change. There is absolutely nothing positive to post about this season whatsoever. That starts from the owners, to the players to the manager. if there has been positive news this season then I've missed it! Football is a game of opinions and everyone is entitled to one regardless of what you think. My posts on the whole are long and detailed and I try to explain my opinions. I don't just come on and say that's shite, they're crap blahblahblah like so many. If I didn't care about the club I wouldn't bother my time writing. Christ if I had the time I would go through every player and mark them out of ten, that's been done before. I think most would get 5 and less. What i cannot do is criticise Pepe Reina who has been immense this season and has shown all the commitment and effort you would expect to see from others. Mascherano has picked up recently and does what is expected of him but I think that is it. Injuries to Torres have affected his season and Gerrard carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now this is a Lille thread so it should be topical. I don't think it matters what team rafa sends out he expects them to play the same way. What I am saying is the likes of Babel, Riera, Benayoun, Aquilani and Maxi are not going to shine in a defensive formation if they are restrained from getting forward. I hope we see something different tomorrow but based on previous performances it is unlikely. I am not going to get involved in childish name calling on her so will refrain from replying to your attack on me personally! I think most will find my threads contain footballing matters and issues whether you like them are not. From what I've seen on here yours appear to have no football content on this thread only to slate. I will search the site and dig out some other posts you made and get back to you. Enjoy the game.
Think Rafa will go with ..Reina Glen Cara Agger Insua Masch Lucas Kuyt Gerrard Babel Torres I would like ..Reina Glen Cara Agger Insua Masch Gerard.........Aquilani Babel........................Riera Torres
hard to know how this one is gonna pan out tbh - its not a competition that i think the players take taht seriously, they really see it as a 'poor-mans Champions League'...some fans do too. it could be used to give some youngsters a bit of european experience like kelly (if fit), pacheco etc coz the senior players' body language in every match lately looks like they've their eyes on the WC or on their summer hols..at least some youngsters would put up a bit of fight. not expecting the wigan match to be a catharsis and we sudenly turn up with top class attitude and pass the ball brilliantly - we have neither the players or the inculation to do that. if we win it'll be a scrappy dogfight...but i'm not expecting it to be easy on the eye. the problems with the current team, their attitude, their body language, their standar of football etc cant be rectified in just a few days...the problems are much deeper than what a little tweaking can fix. that said i'd still like us to win a trophy and we are at least still in this one...and most of our players would do well to realise we'll prob be in it again next season. fancy a 1-1 tonight
Hope Reira is starting ........ And both Torres and Aquilani Maybe Rafa has done away with the white bibs and replaced with the blue dummies if your starting
I just hope that Insua isn't marking that blue dummy Gerrard is resting against, he'll be roasted again! I'm going to miss the game tonight unfortunately but I just feel like we've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere else for us to go but up. Start with our strongest team: Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua (no one else) Masch Babel Gerrard Aquaman Riera Torres If we go with a stong attacking team like that we will win tonight, get out from the first minute and let them know that they are playing liverpool football club! No excuse for Aquaman not starting, Lille aren't particularly rough, i don't think there's any excuses about the pitch and he seems to be dying to get involved! Kuyt needs to be dropped (or put down) and Babel has looked a little bit more interested lately!
my team would be magic, carra, greek, agger (gotta be better than insua), masch and aquaman in midfield, babel, gerrard, riera and torres. first sub pacheco, and have maxi and i suppose lucas on the bench. dont c it happen tho
Went for the same with the same formation { want to see us playing only 1 defensive midfielder } and team... but think Rafa will go with the first selection .. but maybe Reira instead of Ryan ...