Tempers are high, blood pressures are through the roof, but I think it's time some sanity was brought back to this board. Swansea are a team with momentum at the moment, they are still undergoing their new manager honeymoon and came to us off the back of a few fantastic performances, one of which being a great 0-0 and team performance against Napoli. This was never going to be an easy game and anyone who said it should be is suffering from a little over-arrogance. So now let's look at it from a post-match perspective. We came away with a win. 3 crucial points when all of our immediate rivals got results yesterday (except Everton). Our defence is looking shaky again. We need to isolate why exactly this is. I disagree with those of you suggesting Johnson was the cause of it, and I certainly disagree with anyone suggesting we should have kept Cissokho in the side (side topic: is he the worst player to have had a consistent run of games for us in a long time?). Agger and Skrtel do not work as a partnership. We all know this, and we have known it for a while. Whilst they have had fleeting moments in time of brilliance and solidarity, over the last 3-4 years where they have been our main centre backs we have been defensively fragile. We are unlucky in that Kolo has suffered a dent in confidence at the same time as Sakho has been suffering from injury. Flanagan today also put in an excellent shift for me personally. On occasion he looked beaten for pace against Routledge but his strength and determination in the tackle, along with his newly improved eye for a splitting pass down the wings, made him a standout player for me today. He looked confident, assured and was a real positive from today. Further up the pitch I have seen a bizarre amount of criticism levelled at Suarez and (even more bizarrely so) Henderson. Forget his two goals, both of which he did tremendously well to procure, he was the only one of our midfield trio who was an absolute nuisance to Swansea. If a pressing game is only played by a few players in the side then the whole system suffers. Hendo was the only one really going for it when Coutinho looked leggy and complacent and Gerrard looked a bit tired. Our problems in midfield today weren't due to anybody in our first XI, they were due to the fact that Coutinho and Gerrard must play every game because we simply don't have the backup, I don't blame them for looking a little tired today against a very mobile Swansea side. Up top now. Suarez was superb today in absolutely every department except finishing off his chances. It happens. The majority of his chances always come from his own industrious play and he is often off balance by the time he gets to the shot. This is probably an after-effect of Coutinho and Gerrard both having a bit of an off day and so he was forced to create his own chances again. Just thought we needed a reality check. We are 4 points off the top and (at the time of writing) 5 points clear of Tottenham in 5th. We won yet again with some brilliant attacking play and we had 2 hours of solid (nerve-wracking) entertainment too. Enjoy the ride we're on. I'm tired of seeing so much criticism levelled at the side when they have by far surpassed everything expected of them so far this season. Let's give them their due. Well done lads on getting another 3 points. Make us dream. please log in to view this image
Crumpet, Gratitude for the win and optimism are all good and we all have them, but facts are facts and shouldn't simply be dismissed on their backs. Firstly, clearly, we stepped onto the pitch without any legit pressing and compactness and with a bloated shape which left Gerrard a long way behind the rest of the midfield , a space easily exploited by Swansea again and again. Gallant possession football we wanted to play? Sure, but where's the ball winners and ball passers? Allen came on to save Rodgers tactics.
This time last season: We were 7th with 39 points with a +15 goal difference having scored 49 goals. This season – 4th place, +35 goal difference having scored 70 goals. I reckon we are doing fine, and in a season or two we might be in a position to challenge for the title. We had a bit of a bad game, but we won. Meh. We had a cracker against Ar5ena1. Football’s like that.
Look at the big picture Livtor. We are 4 points off top spot and it is nearly March. Something about the system Rodgers has employed is working and slight off-days like today shouldn't be grounds for large scale criticisms and change. I agree with you that today our pressing wasn't up to scratch. But in the vast majority of games our pressing has been superb. Your statement at the end confused me too. Allen was an incredibly effective substitution (although maybe Cou should have come off). He shored up our midfield, added a much needed boost of energy and helped us to retain possession, whilst offering a legitimate attacking threat. To use such an effective turning point in the game against BR seems paradoxical. You have to chalk games up like this to statistical inevitability. Games happen where we don't quite click, the difference is that now we are winning those games. I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement, but the largely negative sentiment from today's game seems a little out of touch with the reality of our current position.
Livtor, you wanted possession football against a team also reputed for possession football... Did you really expect something like 65% in your favour? If so, try watching some games that don't involve Liverpool because you'll be shocked that there are teams who will take Liverpool to a near 50/50 possession stat.
I didn't want possession football against you lot. I wanted to rip you to shreds through compact counterattack like we did Arsenal.
I'm with you mate. I'm not surprised there is a bit of criticism due to our conceding stupid goals but the does seem to be a slight lack of perspective. Suarez isn't banging them in but even so he was very good today....Henderson likewise looked a bit off colour but did get two goals (which everyone is usually slating him for not getting enough of), the defence looked awful but then they were ridiculously exposed by BR's wayward tactics first half leaving a hole in midfield the size of Birmingham It was far from perfect but who gives a ****. We won....again Swansea played really well so deserve credit too. I watched the chavs yesterday and they were as unbalanced as we were today just the other way round (solid at the back....**** going forward) and I know the type of game I'd rather watch every week, it certainly ain't Maureens drab, boring brand of smotherball. Give me a 4-3 over
Shouldn't confuse you. Simple: If Brendan wanted to play that expansive game against an expansive team like Swansea, he should have shored up our midfield with Allen from the get-go. Kudos to Brendan for fixing it later. However in my view, we should have applied the same compact counterattack scheme that served us well in our last home games. Anywho, Spurs lose!!! Chuffed.
Livtor is like muppet, just negative all the time. It's like people have never played football before.
Appetite comes with eating as they say. We should be happy but also aim for higher. As you say, Chelsea didn't convince you. City has been inconsistent lately as well. It's all there for the taking if we fix a few issues and understand/apply our strengths more effectively.
Crumpet - disagree on Cissokho. He is getting better defensively and has become solid. Probably our best full back at the club at this moment now which shows the state of the personnel we have at the club.
The improvement in our team over the last year is unbelievable. Yes, there's always room for further improvement, yes we can always see a few worrying shortcomings, but bloody hell, look where we are. We're not going to achieve near- perfection overnight, but why can't people be a bit more positive? Look how far we've come and look forward to us taking it further.
We have now amassed more points (at this stage in the season) than in any other PL season. That is an incredible achievement and as you say, in such a short space of time. The attack is truly world class and is amongst the best in the world (Only Real Madrid have scored more leagues goal than Liverpool).
I honestly think he is terrible. He can do an adequate job defensively but it is quite clear he is completely and utterly gash in possession, both in technical ability and in decision-making. His own team mates don't trust him in any way. I would say our full backs in order of ability on current form are: Enrique Flanno Johnson Kelly Cissokho
Oh I completely agree that he is awful on the ball. But defensively, he is the best full back we have. Enrique is poor defensively - he's only good at shielding the ball. Flanno is average, not done much wrong but nothing special - similar to Aly. Johnson is sh*t and has been for a year. I can;t wait for him to be sold in the summer. Kelly has not done anything of note to even be on the list. All in all, the entire list is shocking and we need two new full backs.
muppets are gullible sheep, willfully ignorant plebs, easy to please mugs, or people who throw a stone and hide their hand. You don't go anywhere worthwhile with muppets. I'm anything but one. Some here may be though.
He was comparing you to a fellow poster (extremely critical and negative and funnily enough hasn't shown his face this season) rather than calling you a muppet. I think we have become a victim of our performances - because we have been unbelievable in games such as arsenal, Everton and spurs we start to think that anything less than 3-0 isn't good enough and that simply is not football and we need to grow out of that right now and realise where we have been the last 3 years and what we are producing this season YNWA
I remember when our "off" days consisted of loosing games 2-1 at home to Stoke. If our "off" days now are beating an in momentum Swansea team and scoring 4 goals in the process then I must say I am delighted on the progress made! The funny thing is, if we take a step back... We are now criticizing out team for playing "all out attack" football. Something back in 2011 many of us would of given our front teeth to see! That said, our defending was a little too uncomfortable to watch. And I don't feel we will actually win the league until we show we can actually defend again. Still, 4 points from 1st Place, and 6 clear of 5th! Realistically in September: where did you think we would be by the end of this season?
