2013-2014 Season

[the dude abides]

one up after 24 mins.

and we could have been 2 up - the linesman gave Sterling offside  a few mins earlier, when he was clean through (the lad was 2 or 3 yards onside)

as I was about to hit SEND, City equalise.   Barstewards.

I will take 3-3

We have to take the game to City - or else we will get rolled over.

[the dude abides]

A couple of draws against City and Chelsea would see our momentum continue and the New Year off to a solid start. Whilst our defending still keeps the Cardiac units in employment, Rodgers seems to have instilled a more reinforced type of confidence and we are at least able to score, even we're not not firing perfectly.

I think that Rodgers is starting to grow into the role more and is beginning to understand that talk is meaningless, and the only way to convince anybody is by proving it with action. Nice backing of Malky McKay before the Cardiff game. It sounded sincere, considered and heartfelt, rather than a spot of LMA back slapping.

As for (Steamin') Steve Clarke being sacked, there won't be another decision by any owner/chairman, in any league, for the rest of the season, that will top that for sheer stupidity. Come home Steve and tighten up the defensive aspect of our game. Rodgers and Clarke could an interesting combination, though I doubt we'll ever get to see it.

great to see you back, Tes.

yes, sacking Clarke was madness.  The only plonker madder is that Tan guy, owner of Cardiff. 

As for Liverpool, nostradamus dude strikes again.  I quote, from ancient manuscripts - "only when Captain Marvel has a much reduced role, will Liverpool once more threaten to win the title"

[Tes]

great to see you back, Tes.

yes, sacking Clarke was madness.  The only plonker madder is that Tan guy, owner of Cardiff. 

As for Liverpool, nostradamus dude strikes again.  I quote, from ancient manuscripts - "only when Captain Marvel has a much reduced role, will Liverpool once more threaten to win the title"

Cheers Dude, it's good to be able to find the time.

As far back as Rafa's first season, or even maybe earlier, we've seen many games where if Gerrard wasn't bang in form, he could be a hindrance, other times he's seen us through almost single handedly, and as you say, many times we've looked a more balance team, with greater contributions from a greater array of players emerging from Gerrard's shadow and into their own spotlight.

Priority one this Summer is his replacement(s), so a proper transition can be made and hopefully his contribution can be more selective and in turn effective, especially if he doesn't call it a day with Hodgeson's rabble after the Summer.

[the dude abides]

City win 2-1

but we look the business.

if our chances had fallen to Suarez, and the linesman knew the rules of the game, and our keeper hadn't thrown their goal into our net, we'd have won by a couple of goals.

impressive Liverpool.  We could/should have won.

we need to believe and develop mental courage, that we can win games like this.

[the dude abides]

Cheers Dude, it's good to be able to find the time.

As far back as Rafa's first season, or even maybe earlier, we've seen many games where if Gerrard wasn't bang in form, he could be a hindrance, other times he's seen us through almost single handedly, and as you say, many times we've looked a more balance team, with greater contributions from a greater array of players emerging from Gerrard's shadow and into their own spotlight.

Priority one this Summer is his replacement(s), so a proper transition can be made and hopefully his contribution can be more selective and in turn effective, especially if he doesn't call it a day with Hodgeson's rabble after the Summer.

life after Gerrard will be good.  It was the same as life after Owen.

as the saying goes - the graveyards are full of indispensable people.

the Sevilla lad (Ratkick, Ratmik, or whatever it is) looks impressive.

[barticus]

We played some pretty good stuff...just wasn't our day..bad mistakes from the linesmen and Mignolet cost us...overall though i didnt see much wrong and if we can further strengthen in january...we can get top 4 at least...
we went for the game and overall we were easily as good as city...
hard luck lads...

[Martinmarx]

Very proud of the team and the manager. No other team has come close to a performance like that at the Etihad. For the second top-game running we had decisive calls from the ref against us. Never thought Mason was up for games like this. Should've been Marriner, Webb or Clattenburg.

Althought there were a lot of positives to take from this game there were quite a few negatives.

* Skrtel really really has to learn and start doing things a bit more streetwise. Incredibly easy goal for Kompany while, at the same time, you have to be mighty impressed by his physical strength to keep Skrtel at arms length to head home.

* Coutinho continues to struggle and waste good chances. It's troublesome as it starts to cost us Points. We really need a competitor for his position to relieve him of responsibilities.

* Johnson haven't looked like his old self after that injury. In fact he's becoming almost a liability. I do fear some of it have to do with complacency as a consequense of no competition for his place.

On the flip side of things I actually think Cissokho had quite a good game after a nervous start. Sakho really deserves the nick-name "monster". Another brilliant game. Henderson was quite in the early stages of the game but got better and better. Allen, on the other hand, had a quite game when we needed him the most. Sterling I don't trust - he's just got to score a sitter like that. Inexcusable to say the least. Good in other parts but that counts for little if you don't turn up when it matters the most. 

I reckon Rodgers' blasting of the referees is an attempt at creating a "the world against us" feeling ahead of Sunday's game.

Come on you redmen!!!

[the dude abides]

I agree with most of that, Martin.

But like Bart, and you, I think we were excellent, and but for a stupid linesman, and our keeper chucking the ball into our net, and the chances falling to A N Other (as opposed to King Suarez), we would have won this game at a canter - maybe by 2 or 3 clear goals.

we were very unlucky not to at least have taken a point.

what I would be focussing on - is developing our players'mentality - to ensure that they can cope when playing the big teams.   City, last night, were there for the taking.   Maybe one or two players, with more maturity under their belt, will be better equipped in times to come.

[the dude abides]

a league cup final appearance two years ago, and then winning the Championship title last season, and then consolidating their premiership status this season, was clearly not good enough for Mister Tan, owner of Cardiff.

the Malayasian owner is clearly a hard taskmaster.....a man who is very difficult to please.

I need to rewatch the Bridge on the River Kwai. 

[Ed]

    Everton v Southampton 13:30
    Newcastle v Arsenal 13:30
    Chelsea v Liverpool 16:00
    Tottenham v Stoke 16:00

Interesting fixture list tomorrow.

If we lose and Newcastle, Everton & Spurs win it'll
begin to look awful congested up there with Utd.
also only 2 points behind.

Think we probably should be targetting a draw. I'd
almost celebrate a draw as a win.

I have the feeling a loss could affect our momentum at a key
stage of the season, as we may find it difficult to replicate some
of those emphatic wins in the New Year while other teams (United,
Chelsea) begin to hit their stride.

I think if we can grind out some results over the next month & stay
in the top 4, then hopefully pick things up again when the top sides
turn to Europe again.

[the dude abides]

Think we probably should be targetting a draw. I'd
almost celebrate a draw as a win.

I have the feeling a loss could affect our momentum at a key
stage of the season, as we may find it difficult to replicate some
of those emphatic wins in the New Year while other teams (United,
Chelsea) begin to hit their stride.

yes, will be tough today.

with everyone around us winning this weekend, we cannot afford to lose today.

but we may well do. 

Chelsea have won their 5 of their last 6 home games, and drew the other one. 

And away, over the last 6 games, we have won only one game, drawn two, and lost three.

the writing is on the wall.

Suarez has to have a blinder today, if we are going to take something from the game.  But to be honest, Suarez rarely performs against the bigger teams.

[the dude abides]

1-1


chelsea bossing the middle


we are dangerous going forward

[the dude abides]

2 - 1 to Chelsea


If we do not get our finger out in the middle of the park, we could take a pasting here.


Allen is way way way out of his depth.

[barticus]

In reflection perhaps these 2 games will have done us some good. We're badly in need of personnel and if we don't add some class in January then we have no chance of top 4 whatsover...we weren't as good as we were against City but in part we played ok.
Sakho injured now...we need good additions and no more aspas' of this world...
on paper city and chelsea were the toughest games we had to play and we only just lost out in both...lots to be positive about but we seriously need to strengthen....

[the dude abides]

very true, Bart.

one thing that concerns me, is our very limited tactics. 

We were a goal up in both games, and yet both chelsea and city scored twice before half-time, to win both games.   

no matter the scenario, we seem to always play end-to-end football.   

do top teams play such open end-to-end football when they are ahead?   Keegan's teams do, but beyond him, does anyone else have such flawed tactics.

we were over-run in the middle on many occasions.  And that left our defence very vulnerable. 

I thought of the 4 goals that we have conceded these past few days, possibly 2 or maybe 3 of them, were very poor.