Downing, once again, just didn't deliver today - and as one of the senior players. Really poor, he shouldn't see game time until January really. Not sure why people are saying Suso played poorly, he was ok. A few good runs and touches, some really fast footwork at times and for the most part, kept the ball moving. Lacking awareness defensively (same as Sahin) but really didn't do badly, I thought. Wisdom, if he plays that that on the next step up, will be fighting for a spot soon. Really impressed with him. Shelvey grabbed hold of the game like no one else did on the team and really changed the way we controlled the game. He just looked the part.
I thought Suso and Sahin were both solid, but I was hoping for them to take over the game which didnt quite happen. Solid but not spectacular. I would give both 6/10
Sahin surely gets more than a 6 with 2 assists to his name? His corners alone are woth £10million don't you know
It was a bit of a car crash of a game lets be fair, and we could get punished by better organised opposition. But it was a good run out for some of our youngsters, and we have the big guns fresh for the game on sunday. Some of the defending by Carragher and Enrique in particular was shocking. A serious lack of communication there, and that is a certainty.
Suso's touch and the weight of his passes were spot on. He looked confident enough to turn and run at the opposition. Good signs.
Negatives first = Enrique has morphed into Dossena - how did that happen?; Carragher is an old man, he's like Emlyn Hughes @ 1980. Pacheco just isn't going to make it. Borini? Hmmm. Suso, Sahin, Coates are all promising, but wait and see. Downing okay but is still crossing for Carroll. Positives, Henderson was EVERYWHERE, Wisdom - well let's not get carried away but wasn't there to like/ pace, control, strength - a possible jewel. Shelvey looks more accomplished with every game. Let's see how this competition turns boys into men. Overall, two messages for me - don't give up on Hendo yet Brendan, and that boy Wisdom has brightened my mood no end.
Agree. I do think people need to look at Borini's overall play. He created both of Shelvey's goals. One with good link up with Henderson and the second with a briliant run which dragged the defender away which created all the space for him to smash in the second. Give him time and he'll get a few goals. won't be prolific but will get 10 or so in the Prem but his movement and work rate will create chances for others.
Suso's balance and his ability to hold onto the ball whilst avoiding challenges for someone so young was remarkable. Nuri Sahin has superb technique, but he does have a tendency to not look up and attempts to play dangerous passes. He needs to be more aware of whats around him. I thought Jordan Henderson performed very well. Andre Wisdom is a beast and what a way to mark your senior competitive debut? His goal was fantastic. I would like to see more of that from Jonjo Shelvey, running past the forwards and getting onto things in the box, he's a clever player and could be a decent goal-scorer. Maybe those two goals will give him confidence.
Borini isn't replacing Torres - he's replacing Kuyt. Remember that. He's a faster Kuyt, with nicer hair too. He did well when he came on - involved in 3 goals (Coates and both of Shelvey's). On the defence - Enrique seems to need the direction and calm of Agger beside him and Lucas in front of him. He was bad tonight. Carra showed again why he should become a coach fast - 4 seasons ago he would never have lost a challenge on the half-way line like that. He was turned inside out. Remember also that the combination of Jones, Wisdom, Carra, Coates and Enrique may NEVER happen again - of course there were gaps and issues, there's no consistency. The highlight was Shelvey's first goal - believe in the system and it will work. 4-3, lovely passing move, and we went on to get another.
Henderson looked like a player who knew what tonight was all about for alot of the players. He looked like he wanted to prove that he could be a part of the 1st team (and squad). shame not all the players had that mentality. Pacheco for one is a player who should have taken tonight as a chance to show his game, frankly he needs to do this after a year out on loan (and loaned out again) and a summer of nearly being sold. This is his 2nd chance and really needs to buckle down and do it. But looks like he's not the player who has the mentally, which is why he hasnt fulfilled his potential. He wasnt the only one, Downing had another anonymous game.
Shelveys 2nd goal was the system in full flow, we need to see more of that please, especially when the big guns return. As bad as we were defensively, and we had an excuse, it was a second string back-line, they were diabolical. We should have slammed the door shut and controlled the game and probed and ensured that we didn't let them back in. We did show a lot of character when they were 3-2 up and threatening to run riot, we calmed things down and looked what we were, and that was the better side. There is room for improvement, but overall the signs are encouraging.
^^This^^ I think were seeing positive signs in Borini's game.I agree he will never be prolific,but his movement and energy in and around the box will pay dividends. As for the rest,I agree with most of whats been said.Suso had a decent debut for me with the standout's being Shelvey(gets better and better)Hendo and Wisdom of course. Poor from Carra,Enrique and bloody Downing did nowt.(running out of patience with him) All in all,a win is a win and were top of the group early on. One other thought,who in that starting XI would start on sunday? With the exception of Sahin (who did OK),no one.That was a real second XI team tonight.
Thought Sahin's use of the ball in tight situations was very good - showed his class in a quiet way. He hasn't got forward like he can, yet, however. Hope he starts vs United, but it would be at the expense of Shelvey or Gerrard. The team also looks more comfortable with the system as time goes by.
Assaidi may not start on Sunday, but he will get games in the league, he does look a real hand-ful. Sahin out of the first 11 as you've said may get a start on sunday. However, I'm more inclined to think Brendan Rodgers will go with a trio of Shelvey, Allen and Gerrard.
This is precisely why Rodgers wont play them in the premier league. He plays an international right back at left back to keep Enrique out of the side. He's obviously seen something that we may not have, (or maybe we have, as he's been **** since xmas). My respect for Rodgers is going up all the time, as he's not scared to make a tough decision when needs be. I think Coates, Kelly and Wisdom are all in front of Carra to play in the back four now, but Rodgers knows he needs Carragher at the club to provide the local influence, and help with the younger players.It will be interesting to see what happens with him in the next couple of years, as I personally think he is past it on the pitch.
Unfortunately so am I - I'd reluctantly drop Gerrard, or play him on the wing. He's a legend but does he deserve to play right now? The flip side is he is always driven in the big games and must provide some sort of belief to his team-mates. Oh and welcome to the forum - get yourself an avatar!
He was a definate improvement when he came on. Thing is though like you say he's never going to be prolific and when you play with only 1 striker they have to be prolific, so I dont see him making it as anything more than a squad player. I would start with Coates over Skrtel, too many mistakes from Skrtel lately so he deserves to be dropped. I'd have wisdom on the bench too. Don't see Sahin starting ahead of Allen, Gerrard or Shelvey
Enrique has just got sloppy since January. Its a lack of competition in general that has made him become complacent. He's not performed in any way like he did from August '11 until December '11.
Poor Dani Pacheco. No one ever came up to support him/help him out and he was isolated like Torres under Hodgson/ Carroll under Kenny. Yet to many people online (twitter, here) he was **** and not good enough, etc. He's too lightweight, not strong enough... ffs, he's not Andy Carroll, Edin Dzeko or anyone of that type. He's technically gifted. If that's the striker you have, you need to play to his strengths, which no one has done in around 2 years. That's why our strikers don't score. The midfield (while it is very talented and played well today) always does the minimum. They pass from deep, to the player instead of through the defence. Pacheco for example, was starved of any passes, no one connected to him because he's the type of player that needs to sit on the shoulder of the last defender and the midfield can't seem to comprehend that he needs them to play close behind. I think that's mostly because our link up play happens very far back, around the half-way line. If the midfielders were forced to run higher and deeper before they were allowed to pass it, we'd get much better service to anyone on that front line. As it is, the only one passing FORWARD in the final third is Downing and that isn't going to help anyone on the end of his "crosses". Borini played well when he was on, as did Shelvey. Though after I posted this, I realized i'm a bit too much of an apologist. Pacheco should have taken his chance a little better and at least outshone Downing.
