Liverpool FC

[dwayne110]

Malt Vinegar's  offering was banter, hardly inflammatory... No worse than Baron's 'getting to laugh at United', no? A big part of football is banter, and being able to take it as well as you enjoy giving it out.

Today was a Mourinho masterclass fwiw, perfect example of how to play against a high tempo, in your face team like Liverpool. Whatever you think about him off the pitch he's the best big game manager in the game by a distance.

[mulhuzz]

correct me if i am wrong but if Liverpool had taken a point today their destiny would still be in their own hands. With that knowledge, and the knowledge that Jose was going to set up with 10 behind the ball and the odd counter attack, why not just set up exactly the same and take a boring nil-nil. Maybe it's not 'the Liverpool way' but it'd have been a better result than what transpired. A touch of naivety i think.

problem with that is Jose is really good at knicking a goal.

Think Liverpool needed a better plan today, but trying to draw 0-0 wasn't it.

[redarmi]

Another thing I think is relevant is that after his slip that led to the goal Gerrard took 8 of Liverpools 16 shots and they were almost all of a bad quality, outside of the box kind.  He was trying way too hard to redeem himself and it cost his team in terms of quality build up play.

[dwayne110]

Aha, just read the Man U thread, see where you're coming from Tighty

[malt vinegar]

still think the scousers win the league - city are not to be trusted

[Waz1892]

still think the scousers win the league - city are not to be trusted

Your first joke was funnier

[The Baron]

Disagree with a few posts.

Ofc Brenda knew the Chelsea set up. You could pick the team easily with the cup ties/suspensions. They've 100% started to play against a tight centre 3 with Sterling and Coutinho starting wide.

Ofc Jose was playing the Jose way.

Both guys stick to their philosophy. The vastly more expensive team won (yet remain 2 points behind). If Brenda changes it he's bottled it. Did Pep change to a plan B at Barca? Or LVG against Inter?

Brenda went for it and the team wasn't good enough to get a result vs a side lacking Cech Terry Cahill Oscar Hazard and Etoo. IMO it's very little to do with his plan.

[jakally]

Another thing I think is relevant is that after his slip that led to the goal Gerrard took 8 of Liverpools 16 shots and they were almost all of a bad quality, outside of the box kind.  He was trying way too hard to redeem himself and it cost his team in terms of quality build up play.

I thought this. Would've been a brave call, but think Rodgers should've hooked him with about 30 mins to go, as it was clear his head wasn't right.
Having said that, he wasn't the only one playing below his best. Tough to knock them though, given how good they've been over the season.

[mondatoo]

Just seems really results orientated analysis imo.

Liverpool are a better team than the 11 that Chelsea put out, if they'd played as well as they did vs City,Utd or Arsenal at Anfield they'd have have won today as well.

Both teams played a style that was expected and Liverpool were big favourites for a reason.

For whatever reason they just didn't perform today, I certainly wouldn't blame it on Rodgers.

If Gerrard didn't make the mistake it would've finished 0-0, not just his fault though, had more than enough time to resolve it.

Also, I doubt this is the end of the twists in the Title race, City 4/5 Liverpool 5/4 at most places, wouldn't be giving up just yet as a Liverpool fan.

[kinboshi]

Just seems really results orientated analysis imo.

Liverpool are a better team than the 11 that Chelsea put out, if they'd played as well as they did vs City,Utd or Arsenal at Anfield they'd have have won today as well.

Both teams played a style that was expected and Liverpool were big favourites for a reason.

For whatever reason they just didn't perform today, I certainly wouldn't blame it on Rodgers.

If Gerrard didn't make the mistake it would've finished 0-0, not just his fault though, had more than enough time to resolve it.

Also, I doubt this is the end of the twists in the Title race, City 4/5 Liverpool 5/4 at most places, wouldn't be giving up just yet as a Liverpool fan.

Good post imo.

[redarmi]

Just seems really results orientated analysis imo.

It is results orientated but then so is all of the "we're gonna score one more than you" stuff which is very sexy but ultimately celebrates the fact that a team is defensively poor and, for an elite team, this is a very poor defensive team that has already conceded one more goal than every premiership winner in the modern era.  All of the fluid movement and pace in the world isn't going to create many opportunities against a Chelsea team that has 9 men in the penalty box and everyone that bemoans Mourinho for doing that ignores the fact that that is very likely to get all three points against a team that, since the beginning of February, has conceded 3 goals against Swansea and Cardiff and 2 goals to Fulham and Norwich.  When that is your defence you better come up with a way to score because the chances are you aren't stopping Torres, Ba, Lampard and Schurrle. 

All that said I am not sure that I would have known what to do if I was Brendan Rodgers because he doesn't have the kind of physical players up front that you are going to need to create opportunities and space against a Chelsea team playing like that but that is a failure of recruitment.  Even City who play a similar game have Dzeko for those games when that is needed.  Irrespective I am not sure Rodgers doesn't have to take some of the blame for their defensive failings if not today then over the entire season.

[Ironside]

i am sorry but how come there was no one behind gerard i know you had possession but gerard is a midfielder normally he plays in front of the defence who could of mopped up his mistake

i am genuinely gutted liverpool lost today even though i dont support them just praying that man city drop points now

[mondatoo]

Just seems really results orientated analysis imo.

It is results orientated but then so is all of the "we're gonna score one more than you" stuff which is very sexy but ultimately celebrates the fact that a team is defensively poor and, for an elite team, this is a very poor defensive team that has already conceded one more goal than every premiership winner in the modern era.  All of the fluid movement and pace in the world isn't going to create many opportunities against a Chelsea team that has 9 men in the penalty box and everyone that bemoans Mourinho for doing that ignores the fact that that is very likely to get all three points against a team that, since the beginning of February, has conceded 3 goals against Swansea and Cardiff and 2 goals to Fulham and Norwich.  When that is your defence you better come up with a way to score because the chances are you aren't stopping Torres, Ba, Lampard and Schurrle. 

All that said I am not sure that I would have known what to do if I was Brendan Rodgers because he doesn't have the kind of physical players up front that you are going to need to create opportunities and space against a Chelsea team playing like that but that is a failure of recruitment.  Even City who play a similar game have Dzeko for those games when that is needed.  Irrespective I am not sure Rodgers doesn't have to take some of the blame for their defensive failings if not today then over the entire season.

They just weren't supposed to be were they're at, I'm sure he knows there defence isn't good enough but just didn't have the funds available to strengthen as was needed.

As for Mourinho, GOAT.

[Kmac84]

Not so sure I buy into the arguement of aftertiming.  Now for some afteriming and this is proper I was on unders and Chelsea today, not because I wanted them to win but because I knew Mourinho was going to play exactly the way they did and I felt it would be near impossible for Liverpool to play the way they have done and break them down. 

Had I believed the match would have unfolded any otherway I would have But at 1 - 0 down I still couldn't see Liverpool scoring by persevering with what they had on the pitch.  I would have taken the risk at that stage and instead of bringing on Sturridge who looked way short of his best I would have fired Skirtel up-top.    He has shown a prowess for goals this season and he would have caused problems in the box, he seemed the only one offering anything when set pieces went in.

[Waz1892]

Suarez PFA Player of year

Hazard Young Player