Commentary on the games through the season....

[barticus]

Agreed ASI, Juan and Ed....good result considering steaua are no mugs...
the best thing about the game, apart from the pretty good 2nd half performance was it put the 'first team' on notice that they'd better play well all the time...or they'll be out...like liverpool of old with no favourites...
nice to see ngog begin to gain confidence, thought spearing and merieles were pretty good...kelly also wasnt out of place and can only grow with confidence...with the youngsters actually playing this then also sends messages to the reserves who if they also up their game might get a look in as well...
glad cole can play in the league again...cos on tonights performance he added a little bit of difference and excellence to us...

[subsy]

Did anyone notice the commentary slip up after Joe scored at 'arsenal' instead of anfield :doh:

[Tes]

Kelly has looked like a regular first team player every game he has played for us and considering he's supposedly a centre half is no mean feat.

In the past under Rafa, when we've had a second string out, who you would think would be trying to prove a point to the manager, anything but always happened. It's good to see that players now seem motivated to prove a point to the manager, as though it actually makes a difference and they feel there is a chance of their effort being rewarded.

Good to see us come through a sticky patch at the end of the first half and come out looking a better team after half time. Congratulations to the manger and coaching staff for that.

Felt sorry for Babel getting a chance but yet again not as a central striker. I thought he put in a shift despite the position he was being played in.

[the dude abides]

great result against Steau.

And by eck, the sky didn't fall in when we had no captain marvel in our team.

[the dude abides]

overrun in the middle of the park (nothing new there).  Scholes ran the show.

and our defence.....what a shambles.  Who would you consider worst - johnston, carragher or konckesky?  Where do you even start with a defence like that.  More holes than a mafia victim.

the first goal - grrrrr......useless defending.

similar for the third goal.

Roy is a gentleman, someone you want to succeed in life.

But I'm sorry, he is tactically nowhere near the quality of Rafa.  We are gonna struggle away from home.  He doesn't have the tactics I fear.

[wittsy]

After a dire 25 minutes we really started to improve against UTD and then they got the first goal, must say I thought we would have collapsed but we came back harder after HT. Second half was the best we've played this season IMO. Meireles looks a very good player so far, really looking forward to seeing him through the rest of the season. Gerrard started looking like an attacking threat again and even Torres lifted his head a bit more as the game went on.

If we can carry that on for a few games we'll get some wins and much needed points in the bag, not perfect but getting better. Still think they should have been down to 10 men but can't complain too much.

We lost 3-2 but to be honest I'm happyish with that, Berda was great (god that hurts) but we atleast looked a side who wanted to win again and that is a good result to me on passed performances.

Jas

[wittsy]

Dude raise some good points there, our defense will never be strong with Johnson  and (I hate to say this) Carra in the side. Johnson just doesn't understand how to defend, he must surely be used as a winger not wing back. Carra just isn't as quick or as sharp these days and will always be the week link at the back, teams aim for him every game these days. Thought Koncheski ? was not to bad and atleast closes players down unlike Johnson.

Our midfield are starting to form some good passing and I'm confident if we use the three we had today with Lucas used for resting players we will get there. Would still like to see one holding MF and Gerrard, Meireles, Cole etc used infront of Poulson.

I think we will fight for 4th by the end of the season but whether we get it is another story.

Jas

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Having gone 2-0 down our heads could have dropped but I thought we showed some character to come back the way we did. Two forwards against Man Utd at OT? It was a brave decision (one Rafa wouldn't have taken) and it almost worked.

If we hadn't dropped off and tried to defend after coming back to 2-2 we could have nicked it. Every goal conceded can be attributed to a defensive mistake. We kept Rooney quiet and if Berbatov hadn't played a blinder we could have come away with a draw or even 3 points.

It's the first time Meireles and Cole have played together and I thought they did okay. And given we've now played Arsenal, City and Manure in 5 games no-one has had a harder start. With 2 home games against lower-rated sides to come we should progress up the table nicely.

[Juan]

Wittsy I commend you for being able to give the glass half full outlook but I cant take many positives from that game.

There were more negatives than anything else. In fact that score line completely flattered us and almost suggests we were deserving of something.

Most of the team was poor. Johnson as usual was exposed at right back, what is the point in having a defender that can get forward if he cant defend. I agree he needs to be pushed up to right wing and get someone more solid in at right back. Johnson was skinned by Giggs at one point whos about 12 years older.

Konchesky was shown up for being exactly what he is, a mid table player. Nanny ran rings around him and exposed his lack of pace. And his position on the goal line for Berbatovs first goal was amateurish. Why stand directly behind your keeper and not on the post. If hes on the post that ball is easily headed off the line. What did he expect the ball to come through Reinas hands?

Defensively I saved the best for last. Carragher is living on borrowed time. Two goals were potentially his fault. The third hes out muscled and out jumped by Berbatov. The second was a super finish by Berbatov but if you watch it again Carragher gave him all the time in the world. Had Carragher been tight and made his presence felt there is no way Berbatov is controlling that ball and flicking it over his head.

Aside from a 10 - 15 minute period in the second half after going 2 down I thought we were appalling again today.

The sad part about it is that I dont think United were that much better aside from Berbatov and maybe Nani ( diving c*nt).

Reina looks shot of confidence, Cole drifted in and out of the game. Maxi was anonymous. Meireles looks he could be a good addition when he gets going. Nando is living on scraps. His body language looks to be one of a player thats not happy. Saying that the two half chances he was presented with he won us a penalty and won the free kick for the second ( if Webb had balls he would have sent John O'shea off there).

Gerrard does what he always does, steps up when it matters.

Judging Roy on a game by game basis this was once again an occasion where his team didnt perform and they looked a mile off the pace. Its the same old story setting up a team not to lose than sending out a team to win. united were there for the taking but it was only when we were two goals down did he decide to make the team open up and play.

On the away games so far this season you can possibly see why Fulham recorded two wins in two seasons on their travels.

[Tes]

Maxi was anonymous.

With no World Cup squad place to play for, I think that's what we'll get from all season now. I was hopeful that with the other technical players, Torres, Gerrard, Cole and Meireles all in the team, we'd see something more from him than we've seen so far this season. Back to his Atletico form.

[Juan]

With no World Cup squad place to play for, I think that's what we'll get from all season now. I was hopeful that with the other technical players, Torres, Gerrard, Cole and Meireles all in the team, we'd see something more from him than we've seen so far this season. Back to his Atletico form.

He has shown very little for us since signing from Athletico.

At the time it was a no brainer, little or no transfer fee. 8 months in to his time at Liverpool though hes not producing the kind of form i had hoped. I'm not sure he will either

[the dude abides]

Quote from: Juan on Today at 04:41:33 PM
<blockquote>Defensively I saved the best for last........The second was a super finish by Berbatov but if you watch it again Carragher gave him all the time in the world. Had Carragher been tight and made his presence felt there is no way Berbatov is controlling that ball and flicking it over his head.

good point, Juan.

And you have to ask why Berbatov had the nerve to even try that manoeuvre. 

I used to play upfront and I tried that same type of thing on a couple of occasions.   Well actually mine was more like Gazza's flick over the Scottish defender in euro 96.  Back to defender, dink the ball over his head.....run round the far side of him, and volley the ball at the goal.  Though, unlike Gazza, both my efforts hit the bar.

But I tried it because I noted that the particular defender, in both instances, was giving me more space than he should have been.  He wasn't getting tight. 

And I suspect that is what happened today.  The United striker saw Carra was not getting tight enough and that encouraged him to try his flick for the second goal.



Gerrard does what he always does, steps up when it matters.

I thought Gerrard was very poor.  United bossed the middle of the park.  Thus we were overrun the whole time.  Scholes was exceptional.


</blockquote>

[barticus]

weak defending on all 3 berbatov goals...though the 2nd was class...but still closer marking would have made the difference...should be skrtel and agger in central def....sorry carra but you aint doing it...step up...can we clone tommy smith?? skrtel might look like he could eat your liver but he didnt act it...the whole team need to be shown a leeds game in the 70's and even if they can get to be as 20% harsh then at least it'll be an improvement...
john oshea should have gone though...
evans push in 1st half...penalty? seen em given...
but hey...it's the theatre of dreamsTM
and carra nearly gave one too....
konchesky looked snail like tbh....

maxi was no use whatsoever....enough of this 'he plays for the argies' so what...why not play johnson there?...as he's no defender...17 mil hideously spent...
can't understand why aquilani went to juve, he surely would have been some use...plain weird...
meireles looks good...needs a few games to settle...as does poulson...2 of the few positives...

torres looked better but needs backup....sick to death of him being a lone striker ...even when we're linked with another striker its to replace torres if injured...surely to feck we can play a different system than rafa's...
we looked completely different when maxi went off and ngog came on to back up torres...4-4-2

we have until nov 7th and chelsea to start playing that system...home and away...feck naivety we're getting walloped anyways....

is it me....or am i enjoying the europa league team more than i am the 'proper' squad?

   

[Tes]

is it me....or am i enjoying the europa league team more than i am the 'proper' squad?

Bart, it's funny, I was thinking exactly the same the other night. It was refreshing to see all 11 players looking like they cared and were determined to make an impression on the manager.

[Ed]

overrun in the middle of the park (nothing new there).  Scholes ran the show.

and our defence.....what a shambles.  Who would you consider worst - johnston, carragher or konckesky?  Where do you even start with a defence like that.  More holes than a mafia victim.

the first goal - grrrrr......useless defending.

similar for the third goal.

Roy is a gentleman, someone you want to succeed in life.

But I'm sorry, he is tactically nowhere near the quality of Rafa.  We are gonna struggle away from home.  He doesn't have the tactics I fear.

Yeah, you know it's a huge step backward when Gerrard assumes the saviour role, like watching reruns of the A-team and then going off to fight in Iraq....