3-5-2 is only at its best, when the wing backs have the quality to produce in the final third. With Flanagan & Cissokho in those positions you were never going to pose much threat out wide, it therefore made no sense playing that formation. Gerard looks lead legged at times these days, he simply can't produce a 90 minute high energy performance any more. He's getting to the stage where he should maybe be used from the bench IMO. Overall yesterday, I thought Arsenal had another gear at times & when at full throttle you couldn't live with them.
'Twas a strange game indeed - I'm unsure whether it was our formation or arsenal defending so well but we failed to link up from defence through thr midfield - with SAS dropping deeper than they should to get involved. I was actually demanding some long balls to be launched just to drop the Arsenal defence 20 yds and to give them something to think about. Strange game. Didn't deserve anything but certainly held our own. I thought Flanno had a good game considering he was thrown in Ahh well onwards and upwards folks - no babies need to be thrown out with this particular bath water - we go on.
Agree except that conclusion. what he needs is a high energy DM player in the mould of Mascherano to support him. Lucas doesn't cut it for me. he has one decent game in four and people talk about how he's improved. I'd even consider playing Agger or Toure there before Lucas. No pace, no passing and no positional sense.
Despite what the usually astute Neville said, I thought the link up between midfield and attack improved when Coutinho came on. Would have been interesting had he played him from the start with a back four.
Actually think Lucas has gone backwards this year. Doesn't seem to have recovered from his injury last year. He seems to be giving up too easily when players go past him, something Mascherano would never have done.
I think it is about time we took Stevie to the glue factory. It is hard to accurately evaluate the rest of the midfield, while there is such a big screaming hole in the middle of the park. I can't see what the problem is. It's not that he is so unfit, but he just doesn't seem to be bothered. Is it signs of a poor relationship with the manager? Does he not like the direction the club is going in? Whatever it is, Stevie just doesn't look like he cares that much anymore. I think the measure of Rodgers will be if he has the bollox to drop the captain and club legend, because he does not deserve his place at the moment. I would even consider giving Allen a chance, and that is saying something. I think Turtle should make way for Agger, and I'd like to know what is up with Kelly? It does make you start to wonder what is going on when I have so many questions over the manager's choices. Yes, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes at the club, but I would like to know what Rodgers is thinking. Overall, we made the arse look good yesterday, which is some mean feat in itself, they would pass into the space we gave them, we would pass to a player with a gooner on his shoulder and give it away. It frustrates me, as it is the age old problem of Jekyll and Hyde Liverpool, we know they can play sublime, but every now and again, out they come and play this badly. Bottom line, plug the Gerrard shape whole in the middle of the pitch and lets take it from there.
I obviously had an enjoyable day at the game yesterday except for a Liverpool "fan"throwing a bottle at me.It's a shame you'll always get the dickheads.Listening to the radio on the way home I couldn't believe some Liverpool fans were saying Rodgers should be sacked.I bet the vast majority of Liverpool fans are very happy with the way you've started this season.
Apologies for the 'fan'. Well played you deserved your win. It's up to us to learn from that experience.
Well let's compare our midfield (nominal) five with Arsenal's yesterday. Arteta, Rosicky (who I thought was excellent yesterday), Cardoza, Ramsay and Ozil. All one-touch passers with pace, who play with their head up. We had Henderson (energy with no control or vision), Cissokho (****, can't cross and criminally let Sanga have a free cross for the first goal), Lucas (dire), Gerrard (can still pass and get his foot in, but needs to be carried like Pirlo), and Flannigan (tried his best, but not really). We're light years away from Arsenal, but fortunately that applies to almost every other teams' midfield in the League. the only one of our midfield who even remotely looks in their class was Coutinho when he came on. Point is, if we ditch Gerrard there's absolutely no need for Lucas or, possibly, Henderson. Who do we realistically have to play in that midfield, and play that sort of football, except Coutinho?
Look again at your review of the Arsenal midfield. Without Flamini there is nobody there who can truly be said to be a DM. If Nobelox thinks Gerrard should go to the glue factory then I can't think of an equivalent for Arteta who was absolutely abysmal as a DM and added very little to the Arsenal attacking play. The problem Gerrard faces is that too many people still think of him as the box to box midfielder of yesteryear. However he is still by far and away the best deep-lying creative player in the Premiership. Therefore, the problem is to find a shape and the right personnel that supports and protects both Gerrard and Courtinho. We were our own worst enemies yesterday. Against Newcastle the accuracy of our passing was missing and the same applied at Arsenal. We can forgive Courtinho for being rusty but that does not excuse Henderson, Cissokho and the SAS
Is this then end of 3-5-2 now ? We cant do it without Johnson and Enrique Why cant Kelly get to match starting fitness? Whats wrong with him?
There's no need for the apology matey.I'm not going to tarnish 2,999 fans because of the actions of one dickhead
The lad next to ,me gave the bottle to steward.They later told us the police had been informed and CCTV would be used to try and catch the culprit
Good luck with that. If he is caught tell the courts to tell Anfield so that we can ban the ****er too.
Yesterday was the first time where I've bene really against the 352 formation. I'm made it pretty clear I'm happy for us to try new things and with Enrique & Johnson in the wing back roles and Coutinho behind the front 2 then it can work. However as Tobes says further up, Cissokho has looked poor since he's been here and although Flanagan wasn't too bad, he's never a wing back and certainly not in a team pushing for Europe. The obvious battle was in midfield and if we had any chance of winning we needed to control it against Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla & Arteta which is something we just didn't do. If we aren't going to do that then we need to hit them on the counter with pace, which again is something Johnson & Enrique provide. Overall, we played poorly and we were punished. Arsenal are the form team at the moment in the league with 25 from last 27 available so it's no shame in losing to them. We knew this "bloc of 4" would be tricky with Everton & Arsenal away, we just need to make sure we pick up 3 points at home to Fulham and try get something out of the Everton game to remain in the mix. Apart from Untied, we play all the "big teams" away first so as long as we're in the mix we have a good advantage going into the 2nd half of the season
606 always allow the 1% minority to air their moronic opinion. No half-way serious Liverpool fan wants Rodgers out
