Todays game and our recent results have been absolutely awful, as a Liverpool fan it really hurts to see our team playing the way they have been in recent weeks. There seems to be a theme developing, we dominate possesion, have the most shots on target and hit the post / have legal goals disallowed, or get penalty decisions turned down. So what is our problem, are we employing the wrong tactics? Attacking Play Playing with one striker at home means we dominate possesion, our play in the final third is actually very poor, the result of our possesion usually results in a bad cross into the box, where there is hardly any players. Also I dont see Suarez as a great lone forward, he likes to drop deep, this may explain why we fail to get players into the box when we attack. Suarez as great as he is also likes to go on dribbles, which can slow down our attacks. We play to many crosses into the box and don't get on the end of them and players Like Adam and Henderson often take bad long shots from outside the box. Defence Pepe Reina has a reputation as one of the finest keepers in the league, but his recent form has not been to the high levels we have come to expect of the usually relaible Spaniard, It is difficult to remeber any great saves from him of late, this culminated in his sending off last week, a clear sign of his frustration. Our poor defensive record of late has coincided with the Injury of Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel does not look the same player without the classy Dane by his side. Perhaps Carragher and Skrtel are too similar. Having Johnson and Kelly injured at the same time only contributes to the problem. Midfield We have lots of midfielders, but without Lucas there seems to be a lack of quality. Gerrard is simply not effective in a two man midfield. Benitez spotted this ages ago, he commeted at the time that Steven did not have the tactical disipline, hence why we saw him play behind Torres, with two holding midfielders giving him the freedom to push further forward. Adam, Henderson, Spering and Shelvey are fine squad players, but are not of the high calibre required. We really need Lucas and a new addition in the summer would be most welcome. Strikers It is a complete puzzle to me, why Andy Carroll is not starting consistently, he is a player that needs a consistent run, to build match fitness and confidence. The season is over league wise, so why not give Carroll an extended run of games. Suarez looks a bit frustrated, the players around him are not on his level. In conclusion, there seems to be problems in all areas. Tactics, Bad luck, Injury problems costing us in key positions and just a general lack of confidence. It is sad to watch Liverpool play with out any real urgency, grit or determanation. When we went behind today, I really could not see us recovering, the players looked resigned to defeat. What are your thought on current situation?
Good thread Baz! Our problems are everywhere. Getting a world class striker would really help. If you can't score then you put heavy pressure on the defenders.
Agree, the kind of striker who takes a high percentage of chances, could have a field day. We do create a lot of chances, that appears not to be the problem. A goalscorer is a priority. But where does that leave Carroll. Should we keep him and hope he develops, or should he be moved on?
It would be intresting to hear sensible comments from fans of other clubs. Sometimes it is hard to spot your own problems. I find it difficult to find fault with our players, because i find it hard to be over critical of them because they are ours.
Pretty good thread Baz. As an opposition fan, the thing that stands out to me is the amount of times Liverpool have hit the post/crossbar this season.
We should practice trying to hit the post/crossbar in training,more than likely that tactic would improve our goals for count.
Leaving all the bluster aside, you need decent width on both flanks and 2 CF's; one of whom is a goal poacher. Also get rid of KD. Not trying to be smart, it's just he's not up to the task.
Another thing, our recent tactic seems to be to chuck the ball into the box, without any real attempt to hit anyone, Enrique and Downing seem to be the worst culprits. But the question is, if you are going to cross the ball, WTF is Carroll doing on the bench. When he had a consistent run in the team, we never crossed. Puzzling. This was written elsewhere, but explains what I am trying to put accross: "It's deplorable how many unimaginative crosses we attempt during games. We have missed a lot of really good chances this season - Kuyt today being a prime example - but there is no escaping the fact that, nine times out of ten, our players will try a percentage ball rather than try to beat a man or try something incisive like a one-two. There is also no telling movement or quick passing that commits defenders, limiting the opportunities for through balls that get defenders facing their own goal and vulnerable. Even when we were dominating teams early on in the season and had some intent about us (something we no longer have), it bothered me that a lot of our game revolved around getting it wide and tossing it into the box. When you consider that we had a great approach under Kenny last year that involved quick, short passing allied with freedom, support and mobility in the final third, it's bitterly disappointing that Kenny has consciously changed our approach to this by-the-numbers approach in the final third. And it is a conscious decision; our transfers hint at that, as does the fact that we haven't changed this tactic over the course of the season, the fact that Kenny has frequently declared himself happy with our approach, his constant bemoaning of bad luck and, puzzlingly, his recent assertion that we need to be more direct. We ponder, allow the defence to get settled, and then float crosses in on top of them, often from ridiculous areas like 35 yards back from the bye-line. If we do work it down to the bye-line, again it's done slowly, so the box is packed - and this doesn't really make much of a difference, really, because our crosses from the bye-line aren't aimed at anyone in particular either, just tossed in as part of the "get it in there" philosophy. We end up with tons of corners, but rather than coming from last ditch tackles or keepers turning shots around posts, they tend to be from maddening crosses thwacked straight into full-backs without a second's thought. It's soul-destroying to watch the likes of Henderson, Downing, Enrique etc dawdle on the ball for 3 seconds before ploughing the ball into a full-back that's standing 3 feet away from them. If Kenny really was bothered about that sort of thing, he'd stamp it out, it's as simple as that - but it's clear that he sees it merely as a failed attempt at the sort of attack that he wants (much the same way as Guardiola would see a poorly executed through-ball from one of his players merely as a mistake, rather than something that completely goes against his philosophy). As I watched us do ridiculous things like try to loft the ball at a snail's pace into a crowded Villa box from the halfway line in the latter stages of today's game, I'm afraid to say that it was a quote that I'd read recently from Wayne Rooney that flashed through my mind. He was talking about how, when he first joined United, if they were struggling to get a result in the final few minutes, he'd panic slightly and start telling his team-mates to stick it into the box. However, Ferguson quickly went about ironing that attitude out of him, ingraining in him the philosophy of playing football until the very last minute. I'm afraid that we have completely run out of ideas under Kenny. It was astounding how he turned us around last season, he got us playing such an exciting brand of football within weeks of taking over, completely at odds with the muck that we had been playing. Unfortunately, it's equally astounding that he decided to rip up that template, marginalize players like Maxi and Meireles who'd served him so well, and spend millions upon millions bringing in players who don't perform as well, to fit into a system which doesn't work nearly so well. I desperately hope that he can win the FA Cup, however I also think that it's imperative that we replace him in the summer. He will always be King Kenny to me (anyone who allows this spell - where he answered our call when we desperately needed him - to overshadow everything else he's done is an idiot), but we are in a dangerous state at the moment, and we need someone with fresh ideas and direction."
Dalglish is out of his depth. You can consider that a wind up if you want to but ultimately most Liverpool fans must know that it's the truth.
I heard a stat today on the commentary. Apparently you've had 60 more shots than Utd but scored 40 less goals.(I think?).Damning statistics. Saying that, you lot have been unlucky,but you make your own luck.And Downing..what is his job in the team? Can he put a decent cross in?
You bring up why Carroll is not starting as much as we (fans) thought he would. Reports are that Carroll is quite lazy in training and doesnt put the same effort in as other players, not to mention some of his lackluster performances. He strikes me as a player that gets complacent with his football and needs a huge kick up the arse throughout the season.
Perhaps Dalglish is holding him back to try and inject some passion into his play. That's the funny thing with football, everyone talks about Dalglish as if he is some complete idiot without any idea about football. He was one of the most intellegent footballers ever to play the game, and as a manager he has won titles. People who are close to him say he is one of the most knowledgeable football men in the game. Football is a funny game, if 50% of the ball that hit the crossbar ended up in the back of the net, we may be hailing Kenny as some genius. When results go the wrong way, every fan has an opinion on how they could do better, when in reality, they would not. Hindsight is a great thing, Harry Redknapp was after Carroll, at Newcastle he was one of the hottest properties in the game. Downing player of the year, Henderson the caprain of England U-21 etc. and how many of these signings where down to Comolli remains to be seen, Besides, they could all come good yet. Carroll has looked tidy in the games he has played recently.
Striker that puts it in the net. Either one we already have starts doing it or we buy one that does it. That simple. For all the doom & gloom, we're creating 10-20 chances a game. Newcastle? 5 a game. Difference???? If we had a scary striker scoring one a game, opposition defenders spend too much time on him & our midfielders get the space to add their own. And the intangible? Confidence; no matter how much you get paid: seeing chance after chance not go in game after game would wear you down. This lot need to bugger off in the summer, take a reality check and come back clean slate. But striker, we need a striker. We don't have one.
It really hurts, that is the worst thing. Never saw this coming, H&G left, Kenny came in, our form was great, we brought in lots of new players, everything looked great. It got to the point today when I could not decide if I could watch the game anymore, too painful to see a bunch of overpayed players jogging around without any passion. Quite a black day for me.
We have the bones of a good squad imo, we just need a striker and a right winger imo. My theory does depend on the likes of Henderson, Carrol, Adam, Downing being good squad players.
It breaks my heart to say it, but I think Kenny is not the man. I think focusing on the individual positions is incorrect, we need a manger who csn bring the very best out of the players we already have, and then add one or two quality signing. I have been one of Kennys biggest fans, but things are just not right. I think it is too late for him to turn it around.
You may be right, I've ranted against the fans saying otherwise alongside you. I've never said Kenny is the man to lead us into the future or that he's the greatest manager, I'm not saying he's not either but I'll give him a chance and will give him the time and I will have the patience to wait and see if he can turn it around. I've always had faith that if Kenny is not doing the required job then he will step aside unlike some managers that just seem to hang on, the main reason for this is that however much we think we love Liverpool FC that man loves the club more. I'm not having a pro Kenny rant but just trying to explain my patience with him. I expect him to be there next season and I expect 2 or maybe 3 quality signings, if they don't work out Kenny will walk away with our blessing and thanks.
Agree Luv, despite the recent results, would be all up for giving Kenny another season, with all the injured players back, and a few decent signings, things could be a lot different. If I was in charge, I would spend £250 on a good carpenter to shave a few inches of the posts, and £400 to get a preist to bless anfield, to try and get rid of the curse. Or just do a fergie and throw brown envelopes everwhere.
I'm an opposition fan (man Utd) and here is my take on your problems. (NB I have no issues with LFC like some and have been to anfield with mates who are fans even when Utd werent playing and I have met Kenny an dspoken to him and he is a nice bloke) The problem you have at the moment IMO is two fold. Firstly I genuinely dont believe Kenny is the man to take you forward. He just seems to be out of ideas and focussing on making his own signings come good rather than putting the team first Second I think Suarez is your best player at the moment, but also the reason you have so many chances but no goals. I dont base this on the game against Villa alone. As I see it Suarez seems to be the kind of person who is always looking to score and shoot even when there is better options. I would genuinely like to see Kenny have downing and say Bellamy on the wings with Kuyt and Carroll in the middle. I can see these guys playing for each other whereas I see suarez playing basically for himself Now some of yoy will slate me for this but we have a similar problem at UTD in Rooney. Cant bench him but at times we need a striker that is in the 6 yard box not in midfield. We create chances but dont seem to be putting them away
I know what you are saying. Suarez does not score enough goals to be excempt from critisism. He adds to our problem, by droping too deep, and by not playing the simple ball when it is on. Carroll has problems, but is on the bench, Kuyt is poor, same as henderson and all our midfielders. We need to spend big in the summer.
