Post match wash-up/reaction/moan thread

[G]

Spoken like a true supporter...

I should have said I'd give him next season,not I'll give him next season.I think he's an excellent player and I don't believe I will be saying he's not good enough next season or ever.My point,perhaps not well made, is that people are too quick too comment on the lad and should give him next season at least to prove his undoubted worth and class.

[ElRobbie]

i cant be assed reading most of the crap in this thread.

so i'll make it short and sweet.

We murdered the geordies in the first half, we should have been 3 up

People cant fault Pepe for that goal....he has done that countless times, and saved us many goals by doing so......this is one unlucky time where it didnt come off. Give him a break.

Bellamy was terrific today, he revelled in that atmosphere, and looked hungry. He should of had a second, but those conditions didnt help.

Kuyt....well what can i say....some of the responses ive read on him are deluded and laughable. He has been one of our best players this season. When he scores, you lot love him. When he doesnt, "he's got a terrible first touch, and his finishing is terrible" is often said. JOKE. He is a very very good player.

Riise= ****e. We need a new LB desperately, he is becoming a liability.

Pennant looked quite good today, he took Babayaro on, and beat him most of the time. Good to see.

Gerrard, was he even playing? he could learn a thing or two from Sidwell on how to be a box-to-box midfielder. He needs to get forward more.

Overall we were very unlucky, as is so often the case.

One ray of hope is that we are only a couple of players away from being a very very good football team.

Pretty much agree with most of that.

I was at the game and really didn't think we played that badly at all especially in not ideal condisiotns, it was a decent attacking game of football overall.

Was one of those games where we should have been 2 or 3 up at half time and a mistake let us down.

In terms of players, agree with what you said about Bellamy, he really worked his socks off and you should have seen the Geordies faces when we went one up and he was causing them problems, they were gutted, fair enough they had the last laugh and started the songs about him, but that was only in relief cause they were ****ting themselves really, I live in the NE so believe me.

Kuyt didn't have a particularly good game fair enough, but overall this season I think he's been a good player for us, he really worked his socks off for the team, anyone who is slating him must be deluded, and anyone who was expecting him to come over and score 20+ goals in his first season in the Premiership is being a little unfair. He's had some great games for us and his qualities and work rate are there for all to see.

Zenden I thought was a complete waste of space, fair enough he's been injured, but he was really poor, you've got to question playing him.

Riise looked out of sorts.

Gerrard I didn't think was that bad, not one of his most influential games but steady enough, one of our better players on the day I thought, remember if you've only seen highlights on TV it can look different.

I thought the new lad Arbeloa looked alright when he came on, got involved and wanted the ball, looked comfortable on the ball, drew in a couple of fouls, at the end of the day, cold winter away days are the games that sort good foreign buys out from the bad ones.

Overall I think we were let down again by having no quality wingers and one real TOP quality striker who would have taken his chances today. Pennant had a decent game but never actually got down the wing and caused problems for their full backs.

[The Glove]

far enough for some to think that fter we beat chelsea we still had a chance of winning the league. Obviously it was wrong but before he came when was the last time that the majority of people were optimistic? He has risen expectations so he must have done something right.

We progressed far enough to have our highest points tally in premiership times last season. Granted we did not win it but you asked how far had we progressed and our points tally suggest that the answer would be "quite a bit".

The last season before Rafa we finished in 4th with 60 points. This "poor" season, if we carry on the average points per game that we have to date (1.85) we will end with 70 points, 10 points higher. Again the answer must be "quite a bit"


The fact of the matter is that the bar has been raised. Yes we are 16 points behind but if I use the average again then the Mancs will end up with 92 points. As mush as I had to say it that is an incredible tally. That follows up Chelsea's 91 points last season. This is getting harder and harder.

In my opinion our best two sides were the 78/79 tea and the 87/88 team. Using 3 points for a win and averaging points over 38 games then those teams would have amassed:

78/79 89 points
87/88 86 points

So, even those great teams in points terms would have had a fight.

Great post.

[The Glove]

i cant be assed reading most of the crap in this thread.

so i'll make it short and sweet.

We murdered the geordies in the first half, we should have been 3 up

People cant fault Pepe for that goal....he has done that countless times, and saved us many goals by doing so......this is one unlucky time where it didnt come off. Give him a break.

Bellamy was terrific today, he revelled in that atmosphere, and looked hungry. He should of had a second, but those conditions didnt help.

Kuyt....well what can i say....some of the responses ive read on him are deluded and laughable. He has been one of our best players this season. When he scores, you lot love him. When he doesnt, "he's got a terrible first touch, and his finishing is terrible" is often said. JOKE. He is a very very good player.

Riise= ****e. We need a new LB desperately, he is becoming a liability.

Pennant looked quite good today, he took Babayaro on, and beat him most of the time. Good to see.

Gerrard, was he even playing? he could learn a thing or two from Sidwell on how to be a box-to-box midfielder. He needs to get forward more.

Overall we were very unlucky, as is so often the case.

One ray of hope is that we are only a couple of players away from being a very very good football team.

And so is that.

[Sir Bob]

i

Gerrard, was he even playing? he could learn a thing or two from Sidwell on how to be a box-to-box midfielder. He needs to get forward more.

.

[FowlerLeftFoot]

even the boss is getting angry

Rafael Benitez lamented a host of missed chances as he reflected on Liverpool's disappointing 2-1 defeat at Newcastle.
Despite dominating for much of the match, the Reds squandered a goal lead as the hosts came from behind to take all three points on a wet and windy afternoon on Tyneside.

Benitez was extremely frustrated to have seen his side come away from this fixture with nothing to show for their efforts but knew where they had gone wrong.

He said: "In the first half we should have been three or four nil up but we then conceded a stupid goal and a stupid penalty. It's difficult to explain how we got nothing from this match.

"We need to learn, when you create clear opportunities you need to take them and finish off the game.

"It's clear the conditions were not the best but I cannot complain about that because we dominated the first half. But we let them win the game in the second half."

[kurtangle01]

even the boss is getting angry

Who could blame him? He obviously prepared the team well for the match, that was plain to see with the way we played, but you can't legislate for the chances missed and the mistakes made.

[RedProf]

Typical of our away performances this season:

- Create a bag load of chances and dont take them
- Lose some sloppy goals due to defensive errors
- Lack of belief to fight back when behind and away from home

Don't worry it will be put right for next season. With a top top striker who buries the chances we create, games will have a whole new complexion to them as we wont be made to pay for the chances we miss.