Commentary on the games through the season....

[Tes]

Not a great performance and we could be vulnerable to an away goal next week. But I've got a feeling its going to be one helluva atmosphere and could be a European classic. The kops been waiting in the wings to give the team a European night boost and next thursday we won't let anyone down

Braga don't travel well, but are strong at home. So far they've lived up to that, let's hope their normal away form continues. An early goal and everyone will be settled. The longer it goes before we score the more the nerves will set it.

Our passing and off the ball movement was poor last night. They pressured us well when we had the ball, but the players need to learn that if the opposition are pressuring the man in possession quickly, then the movement needs be be sharper accordingly, giving the man in possession obvious options before he's closed down totally.

It looked like we opted for the cautious approach so we didn't lose too much shape if our attacking move broke down and we wouldn't have too many players out of position which would then be taken advantage of with their ability to counter attack.

All things considered 1-0 isn't the end of the world. We know what we need to do.

The need for a long term, first choice, centre back signing in the Summer was highlighted again. We need one.  Badly.

[Juan]

The need for a long term, first choice, centre back signing in the Summer was highlighted again. We need one.  Badly.

Agreed Tes I think its priority.

Games like thursdays must be very frustrating for Kenny. A large proportion of that team took United apart 4 days previous. And its not just the players coming into the team that can be held accountable for such massive inconsistency because even the likes of Kuyt who got the hattrick last weekend didnt perform.

Maybe certain players are just too comfortable in knowing that there isnt enough quality to replace them in the starting line-up even if they do play badly. Also some players probably are too comfortable in knowing we have to home leg to come where we will beat anyone. If they are thinking like that then we will eventually get caught out. Hopefully some more quality additions should shake things up and increase competition.

It could be worse though, we could be much further down the road in our redevelopment of the team, have spent hundreds of millions on players in every position and still be 2 nil down going into to the second leg against Dinamo Kiev :-)

[the dude abides]

It could be worse though, we could be much further down the road in our redevelopment of the team, have spent hundreds of millions on players in every position and still be 2 nil down going into to the second leg against Dinamo Kiev :-)

 

man city, and chelsea too, are full of mercenaries.

I'd like to see us have half the team at least, made up of the best of these islands....scots, irish, english, welsh.

That way, our lads are in it for the long term.

man city's mercenaries will hang around ten minutes and jump ship, when more wages are offered somewhere else.

[Tes]

Agreed Tes I think its priority.

Games like thursdays must be very frustrating for Kenny. A large proportion of that team took United apart 4 days previous. And its not just the players coming into the team that can be held accountable for such massive inconsistency because even the likes of Kuyt who got the hattrick last weekend didnt perform.

Maybe certain players are just too comfortable in knowing that there isnt enough quality to replace them in the starting line-up even if they do play badly. Also some players probably are too comfortable in knowing we have to home leg to come where we will beat anyone. If they are thinking like that then we will eventually get caught out. Hopefully some more quality additions should shake things up and increase competition.

It could be worse though, we could be much further down the road in our redevelopment of the team, have spent hundreds of millions on players in every position and still be 2 nil down going into to the second leg against Dinamo Kiev :-)

Excellent points, Juan. No player, whatever their name is, should ever feel comfortable.

Not good news about Gerrard's groin again. Out for four weeks following another op. We need  to start thinking 'the unthinkable' and seriously considering his replacement. This long standing groin problem of his is only going one way, despite another op.

[Tes]

man city, and chelsea too, are full of mercenaries.

I'd like to see us have half the team at least, made up of the best of these islands....scots, irish, english, welsh.

That way, our lads are in it for the long term.

man city's mercenaries will hang around ten minutes and jump ship, when more wages are offered somewhere else.

Exactly, Dude. People can say what they want about the likes of Dirk and Lucas, but at least they give their best for the club and play for the shirt, as opposed to their bank balances.

[Juan]

Exactly, Dude. People can say what they want about the likes of Dirk and Lucas, but at least they give their best for the club and play for the shirt, as opposed to their bank balances.

I agree Tes Dirk and Lucas do give their best but again after last nights performance is that good enough for LFC? This team is proving to be way too inconsistent to challenge for anything. We dont need tweaks we need major redevelopment.

Its pointless having a team that can beat anyone but are consistently unable to recreate those inspired victories against sides like Braga. Anybody can get fired up for Man United or Chelsea but if you go missing for the games inbetween that whats the point.

Heres my take on what needs to happen to yesterdays squad, big changes are needed to compete.


Skrtel - far too inconsistent and mistake prone. Get rid.

Carragher - was sorely missed when he was injured but maybe time to start giving him less games by bringing in a new top centre half or two. last night he continuously seemed to play long ball after long ball to Carroll. Surely the addition of a big man in the team isnt going to change our football playing philosophy.

Rodriegez - Doesnt offer enough going forward, squad player at best but id cut our losses.

Leiva - Not consistent enough for me. Big performances in big games but again goes missing in between. No creativity. Squad player.

Cole - After last night i struggle to see where he will fit in. Not a winger, not showing enough creativity to take Rauls place behind the strikers. Expensive squad player at best unless a huge improvement.

Kuyt - works so hard for the team, at times gets vital goals and a big game player. But hes neither a winger or a striker and moves always tend to get slowed down when they pass through Kuyt. Definitely more to offer but I would like to see him start on the bench once a quality starter is found on the wing / striker.


After that Wilson hasnt shown the quality to win a first team place just yet and Johnson needs to either keep up the form hes shown at left back, be tried at right wing or be moved on. He is rubbish at right back.

As far as the subs go;

Kryiakos - keep as a squad player

pacheco - hopefully he hangs around for another season

Ngog - get rid

Spearing - hate to say i dont see him being good enough. Maybe one more season.

Poulsen - get rid

[Martinmarx]

I'm not gonna comment on the result other than it highlights the fact we shouldn't get carried away by a few good results from the underdog position.

[barticus]

After seeing the great football played by us against manure and the skill of Suarez running at people and beating them, then us lumping the ball up to Carroll was quite a contrast...

Bar a miracle, we aren't going to get anywhere near Europe next season and this summer will be a time of taking stock and rebuilding, there are shoots of recovery with Suarez and Merieles (the two best things about this season) but in order for us to challenge the top 5 then we will need to be canny in the transfer market and be willing to sacrifice certain players if good offers come in...Reina, Johnson and Aquilani spring to mind...

Lucas and Dirk are fine as squad players and on top form can do a job...but only Dirk would have a chance of being in the starting eleven because even though he gives the ball away a lot, he balances that with his workrate and can also make the difference in tight games as we've seen...
Thursday night was a perfect opportunity to see Lucas as the attacking midfielder he once was...and yet i can't remember one forward pass all game (it's not rugby lucas, you're allowed)
They might still be here next season, but as for the others?

Skrtel had some good tackles on thrusday night but still lacks confidence..
Carra would play brilliantly if he was 85 if it was against manure but for the future...Absolutely need a new centre back..

Maxi did nowt...Cole at least tried in the first half but faded badly.....Spearing is never going to be another Gerrard and hasn't got the quality... Poulsen is poulsen...

Kyriakos and Johnson might stay around...
but as for Ngog (who to be fair put some life into the game when he came on) i think its best for all concerned that he leaves...no matter how hard he tries, he'll never be of the required standard...lucas is pushing that required standard mark already)...

Wilson has much to learn..Pacheco will go in the summer, no manager trusts him it seems, Roy or Kenny..

So who does that leave? Suarez, Carroll, Merieles, Agger, Reina, Kelly, Gerrard and Kuyt...bench players lucas, skrtel, carra, kyriakos and johnson...maybe cole if he continues to improve vastly...

We need a left back, left winger, right winger, central defender and a creative midfielder...and they aint going to be cheap...
We've already got Aquilani as that creative midfielder and as Juventus seem to want him on the cheap and in debt for 40 mil or so, i'd not sell him for less than 15 mil euros... Suso will also be in the squad next season, from what i've seen...
Insua (4 assists) coming back might also mean that we have at least one proper left back...

so that leaves 4 players we need desperately and if we sell the following eleven players (Cole, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Konchesky, Pacheco, Aurelio, Maxi, Ngog, Spearing, Degen, El Zhar) and get them off the wage bill and maybe get 20 mil for the lot..
We can afford to have a smaller squad next season because of the lack of involvement in europe...we have the makings of an excellent squad and with Kenny at the helm, then i'm sure we will be reborn next season...

[Martinmarx]

I would agree with much of that Barticus. Most of all tho we need resolve and resilience. It's just not acceptable to play ManU off the park one week just to see us crash out to a mediocre team in Europe the next. If anything, that makes us look like the Villa's, Sunderland's or what have you of the footballing world.

This is why it's hard to fully enjoy victories against the Mancs or Chelsea - you just know we can perform to that level on a handful of occasions each season.

Resolve and resilience.

[Tes]

Every player needs to be motivated by playing for LFC, NOT by who we're playing against or in which competition.

[Martinmarx]

Every player needs to be motivated by playing for LFC, NOT by who we're playing against or in which competition.

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more. Problem is, that's how it should be, it's not how it actually is. My take on this is for a very very long time we haven't had an ideological code that dictates what players should be brought in. Instead, GH's and Rafa's scientifically driven stance on footy has left this club getting further and further away from its goal by each season despite two false downs in 2002 and 2009.

Take Lucas for instance. Brought in as a future prospect but was for various reasons thrown into the fire quite early on. For two and a half seasons now he's been playing regurarly week in and week out without developing one inch. Maxi, could you ever find a more indifferent and weak players walking a pair of footballshoes? I couldn't. The list goes on. It's not necessarily that these players are poor in quality (which they are often as well), it's that they're so poor mentally that see us play the champions to be off the park one week only to drop points against relegation fodder the next.

That's why I was so happy to see us linked with Charlie Adam last January. I so hope we get him and others with his attitude and mentality in during the summer window.

[Juan]

Martin your example of Lucas although I agree he isnt good enough to start week in week out  I dont agree that he hasnt improved. He has in fainress to the guy but my problem is that its just not to the consistent level where he will contribute massively to a title challenge.

Agreed on Charlie Adam he is a player that we could really do with. He seems to be the type of player that doesnt just want to get through 90 minutes but wants the responsibility and goal scoring burden to go with it. His second goal for Blackpool yesterday was top class.

Come the summer I think you could have United Chelsea Arsenal City and Spurs all after Adam and where I was reluctant to pay 10 million in january I would certainly pay it now. Get the deal done and dusted before it turns into an auction.

[Kopite999]

Always great to get a win away from home. I thought spearing and Lucas and the main man Suarez worked tirelessly throughout. We're no way near the finished article but we're heading the right way

[Juan]

Suarez is different class. Super finish.

Nice to get 3 points against a tricky Sunderland side. Looking forward to the inconsistent players being weeded out this summer and hopefully replaced with more quality like Suarez.

 

[Martinmarx]

Quite lucky with the penalty altho we sure as fcuk had our fair share of tough calls against this season. Other than that I'd say, in a way this was one of the better performances this season. For a change we displayed grit and resolve and bang on the points dropped in. It really isn't harder than that. True, the opening half our we were pretty dire but from the opening goal on there really was just a team on the pitch. Hope to see more of this over the coming months.

Suarez surely must be our best signing since, well, dare I say it, Kenny Dalglish. What a player he is!  Also think Kuijt deserves special mention. How strong he is. A hero indeed.