Match Day Thread PL: Stoke City vs Liverpool FC

Ya bunch of negative nellies
We won.. at a ground where we don't often do well...
Clean sheet..
A few players making their debut!
I won't go OTT and over analyse the performance just yet, most of these players are still getting to know each others games!
If we look disjointed in a months time, then I may get a wee bit upset, right now... I'll enjoy the 3 points

 

I see

 

I'm guessing you missed a lot of my complimentary posts in this thread.

So it looks like you're the one with pre-determined opinions of me.

 

What I meant was that he wasn't tested with players running at him. I suppose that's credit to the unit for restricting that but I'm not gonna say he was amazing for simply heading the ball because it should be bread and butter for any defender.

Like I said, he didn't do much wrong and dealt with everything with ease - it was a good performance for him. He did a good job and I couldn't fault him really.

Skrtel on the other hand ...

 

To be honest, it is quite hard to give anyone MOTM - a lot of 'functional' performances and nothing standout.

But Clyne was brilliant defensively - going forward was another matter. But his primary job is to defend and he excelled. Read the danger well, stood up to his man, and there was a great header which prevented Diouf (I think) from having a free header. Looked like Diouf fluffed it but Clyne recovered well.

 

Up to United Game Away the fixture has not been kind to us. We cannot complain that much because Tottenham played their first
game away to United.
Fixtures H) Bourenemouth 3 points would do
( A) Arsenal. Wounded. Going to be happy with a point. 3 points icing on the cake.
(H) West Ham. Need the points. 3 points, but they surprised Arsenal.
(A) Man United. Brendan Rodgers have to break the jinx against his opposite manager. Yet to win against him.

 

In my view of next 4 games

Bournemouth = MUST WIN GAME
Arsenal... any positive result is a great one. a 0-0 would be a great improvement for us IMO.
West ham at anfield. MUST WIN GAME

that would give us 10 points out of 12. If we win the two we really shoudl be winning.. .at home... then we will have 9/12... that's tasty form IMO.

great bonus to scrape this first win.

Utd... again any potivie result will be good for us.

the sceond block starts with utd away but after that theres 3 games v norwich, villa and everton. if we take 8/12 in second set of 4... great form IMO.

 

....didnt have his best game but has yet another clean sheet to his name?

...was playing alongside 3 defenders he's hardly played with before and still we didn't concede?

...was playing behind a new look midfield and still didn't concede?

...had to adjust (again) in terms of formation he was playing last season?

...has room for improvement but that's a good thing knowing he can (and will) perform better...and we STILL kept a clean sheet anyway?

Are any of those the right answer?

 

I didn't miss them, I just scanned passed them

I saw you belittling certain players above and responded since they weren't justified

 

When visiting rival grounds, anything is a bonus. This applies to the Arsenal and Man Utd games. Only thing is, if we lose then winning the home fixture against the same team becomes even more important.

 

Agreed. I thought back 4 were solid defensively and Milner and Hendo although weren't fantastic, offered them plenty more protection. There was probably only 1 moment where I thought they were going to score and Clyne got back to make a great header.

Very happy with defence, hope @Jimmy Squarefoot is happy given e wanted us to be much more solid.... Or he's found something else to moan about in that benteke didn't score

 

I agree.

we need to hold par at least in the "top 6" games.

there will be 10 games we play against utd, cheslea, city, arsneal ,spurs..... we have to at least win as many as we lose if you get my meaning... when we played the old top 4 and people did a table if you one 2 and lost 4 that wasn't good enough.

those 10 games will swing the final positions... but winning the other 28 games = 84 points so.... bread and butter = lower teams... making par against the top teams will decide a lot.

 

Not counting Geln Johnson's missed sitter as a chance then?

 

The 3rd and 4th word of your sentence suggests why I wasn't

 

That ball has a kit clash with Stoke

 

Coukd be worse, could have been gash and drawn at home to a newly promoted team

 

If you look at our 'rivals' then we've had a great week. In comparison,

Arsenal lost at home to lower half team
Chelsea drew at home and have lost keeper for a game
Spurs lost away against tough opposition
Everton drew at home to promoted team
Saints drew away against Lowe half team

United were the only other team to win from last years top 7 and they by all accounts didn't look impressive and only scored from an OG!

Obviously lots of room for improvement but on the whole, given the game and hype after last years result, get 3 points and a clean sheet on the board early doors as the next 6 away games could see us not pick up many more

 

Also Lovren MOTM and Stones humiliated

 

I don't think Utd even managed a shot on target. At home. Same old Van Gaal.

 

Coutinho got MOTM on Sky sports. I've seen Clyne got MOTM in one of the tabloids too. Who gave Lovren MOTM