Instead of being negative in this impeding crisis I thought it was time to highlight just a few individual objectives each player could take on board to improve the team's performance. If every player just deleivered that little bit more we would improve no end IMO. Mingolet: Release the ball earlier. If you can't kick, then throw the thing. Get an arrangement with sterling that he's the guy you look for at half way with a throw... React, come out faster, get on your toes, stay in line with the ball when its high up the pitch. be ready to sweep up. it'll get your line much higher Manquillo: stay on your feet more, its ok to just stall a guy rather than trying to win it. Focus on your cross delivery, you've no trick to us so you must hit the good areas and avoid the first man. Moreno: use your pace, but look up before delivering. get in behind and turn the opposition defenders Lovern: stride forward more with the ball. Start attacks, be prepared for west ham set pieces Sahko: pass it faster, but not so hard. give team mates a chance. Focus on sweeping up rather than attacknig the ball. Gerrard, face the opponents goal. Focus on covering lovern as he strides on. Don't get caught on the ball, don't cross halfway. Henderson: operate box to box, don't do gerrards job for him, move laterally across pitch too. Allan/Coutinho: Find space, move the ball quickly but precisely Sterling: us your pace, get in behind, don't go too deep. If you get a lad like hutton booked get otuthere and finish the job. turn defences, turn TOWARDS goal beyond balotelli Balotelli: Focus on getting on the shoulder of the CBs. run towards goal not away from it, stretch the play. Make the runs that others needs to get space and/or play balls in behind west ham..my first line is design to annoy those who are too lazy to actually read.... i predict a few "stopped reading after and a diatribe about how we don't have issues..... Do not pull wide (too much) do not drop off (too much) turst the ball will come if the run is made. Lallana: sit on the bench. bornini: sit on the bench Markovic: If you get a chance: be more proactive. You can't wait for the ball, you've got to make it come to you with movement. Get turned, take the fouls. Don't just lay it off. Play without fear. You can't f it up worse than your debut. Play without fear, try thing and run at the opposition. I feel if each player just gies that little more we can do better.
i think our main problem is if we havent scored in the first 20 mins or so we run out of ideas, if we get an early goal you can see instantly the boost the players get from it, but if it say is still 0-0 at ht, we just seem to struggle. fast start and early goal is key to how we play for me, stubborn teams we need early goals against etc or teams who should or can beat us we need to shock them early with a couple of quick goals ie arsenal game etc.
I would have liked to see us do thsi in the CL and get a little boost from it. I do think that having the early goal would help but i feel its more about each player focusing on the thing he can do to make that happen then it'll basically happen in its own time. If balotelli and sterling realise that if they get in behind others will find them and hunting ball on the half way line doesn't score them goals.. well we'll be more dangerous. I'll predict that when sturridge comes back he will do this.
This is exactly how I felt last season also, the longer the teams hold us off the more we start to fret
Bump I bet lfc players will not do what I've said and we will be cursing playing in front of west ham
Our team is based on creativity and fast attacking play... we definitely need an early goal against sides who stay compact. No surprise our best performance came against Spurs away.
Great point. This is what helped us last season - those blistering starts really set the games up for us. We haven't scored in the first half in the past 4 out of 5 last home games (I think that;s the stat). But then again - to play with such intensity for the whole season would be very difficult. If we can keep accumulating points til Jan, then start blistering teams ...
I think intensity is a whole other layer of performance. I each player simply focuses on delivering his own individual objectives I feel that level of performance starts to occur on its own. Like running in behind, facing gaol not running to your own half way line and so forth. The big team games have an upped level of effort i find also so again delivering on your own set of objectives will improve the team as a whole
Positive steps to take in the West Ham game: Step 1: Don't get injured Step 2: Don't Lose Step 3: Win! Seriously though, I expect us to be a better proposition away from home this season. Teams coming to Anfield have sussed that they can clinch a lead and park the bus because we cannot break teams down. Away from home, the home team is likely to be more positive and adventurous, giving us the space and opportunity to rip them to shreds with our pace on the counter. Now if our defenders could only weather the storm...
