Yes saw whole game, yes we did dominate for large parts ESP first half. Yesil looked ok worked hard but up against big experienced defenders . Assaidi looked terrific,very confident,quick good crosses and gave their full back a torrid time,so much so that by the end he was resorting to fouling him. Sahin was outstanding completely ran the game. Some good crosses from dead ball situations too. Reasons to be optimistic? Most Definately the only ones who looked crap were downing and carra and I can forgive carra....but not downing.
Pretty much what KPH said. But once again, we find ourselves a goal behind but we pick it up and fight back. There is a lot of character in this team. Can we play our youngsters every week? They showed how to press high up the pitch, win the ball quickly and not give the opposition time on the ball. Credit to Rafa, Dalglish, Borrell, Segura, McParland and anyone else who played a part in the youth set up. It was a very shaky start but we recovered well. The passing, movement, pressing was top notch. We dominated a decent WBA side and we were away from home. Our line up was a mix match of players who had rarely played together but they looked like a team. Sahin showed his class - dominated the midfield whilst Henderson played a good supporting role. Assaidi was brilliant as well - confident with the ball, has the speed, acceleration and skills to beat his man and he owned the WBA right back all game. Not only could he run with the ball and beat his man, but his final ball was brilliant as well. He got the assist for Sahin's second goal, but he deserved another assist for when he crossed it to Yesil who should have scored. Wisdom made a couple of mistakes but apart from that, he looked confident going forward and defensively. Same applies to Robinson who I think will have a big future at the club. Coates was pretty much flawless in my opinion - read the game well, timed his tackles brilliantly and did well to offset Lukaku. Pacheco - I felt he went missing at times but then would explode into life in spurts. He did well and he hit the bar with a cracking effort. If I'm honest, I was expecting more but I think he did a very good job and linked well with the front 3. What he adds to the team is another person who can actually control instantly and find a quick pass. We need these types of players if this system is going to succeed. Suso came on for a cameo perforance and didn't disappoint - great run and picked out Assaidi for the second goal.
I sat up and watched the full game on LFV TV at midnight, regretting it now mind, I'm knackered! Sahin needs to be involved in the first team and I'm not just saying that because he scored two. He controlled the game very well and if we had him and Allen in the middle that opposition would find it very difficult to get the ball from us, they both keep the ball very well with Sahin being more offensive minded too, add Gerrard to that mix and that is quite a trio IMO Assaidi needs to be more involved too. Okay, so I have only seen him twice but he has stood out both times and is a hundred times a better option then Downing! My only concern would be that, at the minute, our front three players in terms of form would be Sterling, Suarez and Assaidi, there isn't much passing and potential link-up play in that trio Coates was outstanding and, for me, is starting to challenge for a first team spot, I'd be happy to see him pair up with Agger rather than Skrtel
Good lad! The highlights on BBC1 didn't tell the whole story ... Completely agree - Sahin and Allen are the perfect combination (on paper). Allen sitting back, winning possession whilst Sahin can really attack and pick the forward, incisive pass. I do like this lad - he seems to have game intelligence to match his technical and physical attributes. Unlike Downing, Assaidi actually has a final ball! I saw two crosses that actually met the player it was intended for!! Shock! I'm not sure why you would think there isn't any potential link up? I could see Sterling and Suarez looking lively against Utd so there are signs of a good relationship, and Assaidi looks to be an intelligent footballer. Intelligent footballers can link with most players. Of course it's early days but I am extremely excited at seeing those 3 play together. Fantastic performance from the big man! Looks to run with the ball as well and played his part in our second goal.
Why was I left out? "Stable beams in the LHC. Looks like a win for us tonight". Posted on two separate threads. Credit where it's due. Some rep will ease the pain
Not watching it live also gave me a few hours on FIFA 13 I don't think there would be zero link up play, my concern is that all three like to put their head down and run with the ball. I can see this being frustrating for both the fans and the other players on the pitch. Will the CM's be as willing to make that run into the box if they think they won't get the pass...? Not that Borini is a modern Dennis Bergkamp though
Second goal is a beauty. So positive from Suso, driving forward, the weight on the pass... I am getting excited about him making it properly for the first time! Never dared to hope before. So I feared. The shot off the bar was some hit though. Did he float in and out of the game?
The shot was a decent effort but had it gone in it would have given a false impression of his performance IMO. He did float in and out, he didn't do anything wrong but, other than the crossbar, didn't really do anything spectacular either. He did track back and gain possession a couple of times though so he is working hard
I'd like him to become a worth-while squad member - partly because of the fuss over him a few years back and partly to save us £10M or so on a replacement striker/winger.
I used to be a big fan, I really wanted him to come good and I was excited about the prospect of him developing. It turned out to be a learning curve for me that any player that looks a world beater in the reserves or youth teams means absolutely nothing when it comes to the first team. If Pacheco comes good it would be fantastic news, there won't be a happier LFC fan around than me. IMO, he needs to sort his attitude out and get some games under his belt. I was very disappointed about is loan (on a loan) last year, I thought he would get minutes and his confidence would be regrown. the only question mark I had was why he was loaned to a Spanish side. If we want him to be part of our future plans then loan him to a English club, preferably in the Premier League, that plays passing football.
Oh you lucky sod! I ordered mine on Tuesday but then I had problem with my card details and Amazon didn't notify me until today! Re-ordered and it won't be getting to me until early next week Hmm I'll have to disagree - I think Assaidi and Sterling are both clever players who have the ability to run with the ball and then pick a pass
