Morning all, It's a shame we're going through a period without arguably our two best players in Suarez and Lucas. Luckily, it hasn't hampered our performances just yet and we seem to be coping well. A key contributor to our performances and success is our high pressing and closing down of opposition. However, I have noticed how the opposition seem to be having more time on the ball recently, coincidently since Lucas has been out of the team. In addition, they seem to be getting in behind our midfield more often which allows them to have a go at our defenders. Not only this, I believe we also miss Suarez's constant pressure high up the pitch. We see him always closing down defenders, forcing mistakes and also his annoyance at his teammates who aren't close enough to their respective opposing player. There was a moment just before HT last night when City were on the halfway line and Andy Carroll just didn't bother to close down the defender despite being only yards away, and I think I heard Kenny shouting at Andy. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this?
Henderson was the one chasing down as gerrard no longer can last night... did a good job for the team and this is going un noitced... by some. Andy was absolutely lazy at times last night... sure conserve engergy but come on andy half of it wasn't even enough to make a show of closing down.
The high pressure game is supposed to be a team effort. Many times this season, I have seen Suarez get frustrated as he chases down defenders only to look back and notice Downing strolling deep in our half or Adam ball watching. Funnily high pressing works well when playing against big teams as most of the time they are used to having the ball against smaller teams who will just sit back. Andy Carroll is his worst enemy!!Period. Like it has been alluded on another thread, when the chips were down Lucas fought and fought hard he did. Carroll needs to redefine his style. Lucas cam as a box to box midfielder and is now a holding midfielder. Carroll cannot wait for Liverpool to start playing wing play and hoofballl for him to perform, he needs to look at how we play and adapt to it otherwise he will be a failure.He needs to start the pressing high up and there will be less pressure on the defense.
I agree... suarez works very hard, downing doens't really.... kuyt used too, If carroll puts in the shift of work like oh i dunno morientes tired to do when he strgguled the andy will get a lot more leeway.
Watching last night I did see Andy pressing in fits and starts, usually just after Hendo and/or Bellers snapped in at the Citeh backline. Otherwise, he lumbered about at a high jog, rather than going for it all out. In his defence, we didn't really press until the ball crossed the halfway line, so for him to have been pressing hard in their before it crossed would have been a waste of effort on his own, he'd have simply been passed around.
there is a bit of that but.... he was really not trying very hard even when a midfielder got it.. he stood off 5 yards and really only jogged... I found it a bit silly seeing henderosn ran about 10-20 yards at a sprint form his position to close down.
Kuyt still works hard, He's just gotten ****ter, that's all. Andy drives me mad. You can tell he's a Wayne Bridge type and loves the life of a footballer rather than the game itself. He's unfit and, even worse, lazy. He never puts the effort in and it shows. If he did everything possible to improve himself and the way he plays I could perhaps try and forget the fact he is a useless sack of crap on the pitch.
Yesterday was actually quite embarrassing - I wouldn't mind if it was like Berbatov with the **** effort but will pop up with something special. Andy has none of this - I am not joking when I say this I can control a ball coming at me better than this guy, its just getting beyond a ****ing joke. I've defended him all the way but last night his pass completion must have been below 10% and everytime he thought he's travel with the ball he'd trip up or something. he was that bad.
Talking of how things used to be, what happened to the Liverpool that used to have midfielders flooding into the box? We have none of that now.
I know!! Do people not want to score goals!? Surely wingers should be at the back post EVERYTIME when the ball is on the opposite side but this doesn't happen. EDIT: Maxi actually is the only one who does do this and gets goals because of it but can't seem to buy a place in the team, whats that all about?
Maxi has very good positional sense, not the best player about but that positional sense does give us something different to downing.
Max is an intelligent player unlike others in our team, that's why he links up so well with Suarez and certain long haired, unshaven, geordie players can not. I loved Heskey despite his flaws because he worked so hard for us, I love Kuyt and Lucas because of it also. Carroll, however, ****ing winds me up at how little he works/cares. Kenny refuses to swallow his pride though and just keeps playing him when it's painfully obvious he's a waste of space on the sheet.
i agree o nthe point about wingers... i am sick and tired of downing and kuyt and whomever wnadering about leaving their wing and doing what seemingly they like. i find that in the prem especially holding your position and stretching a back line is vital to create space ofr the players like dare i say it suarez.... join the back stick for the goals too... maxi knows this but is still an wanderer. best example i can think of is nasri who time after time wanders about ineffectually cutting insde and was laughed at in our 1-1 earlier in the year and last night too.
Might get your wish On kuyt, Galatassary offering i think 10 mill. Could be useful in getting in a proper right winger.
Will be sad to see Dirk go if he does, but just feel we need a bit more of an option up front than what he can give us. i think we are badly lacking pace. When a team is on top of you like Man City were in the 2nd half you need a pacey forward as an outlet, We have nothing at the moment. Aforward/winger who can do what babel did, but regularly and without running straight into dead ends.
I don't think its solely Kenny's shout. You have to bear in mind a 35mill nonperforming player is embarassing for the whole club. We have to give him a chance by giving him a proper run of games. He was like a conference player on a dayout at a Liverpool player last night though!
Been thinking similar for a while now! Looks like he won a raffle to play in a testimonial match, sadly the rest of the players seem be feeling the same level of confidence in him than us fans!
I've been saying this about Andy Carroll for a while now. I can understand a play being low on confidence and I don't mind it when a striker can't score goals but only as long as he's contributing to the team through hard work and effort. With a player like Henderson who hasn't been amazing but we have all seen glimpses of potential which gives us confidence that he can develop. With Carroll, basic things like his touch and control are unbelievably poor. There is no excuse for it. People keep pointing to lack of matches etc but these are the basics - this is bread and butter for a footballer. He has given me more confidence whatsoever that he can develop into a top striker.
Sadly have to agree. Our next two league games are against Stoke and Bolton, if he can not improve I think his 'run of games' has to end because playing like he is playing now he wouldn't get into a league 1 side.
