I think I'm the only one that thinks...

[AFII]

Of course, but you get my point?

It took us 41 minutes to have an effort on goal.

Where was the attacking intent?

Football's all about scoring goals and winning games. We didn't seem to be bothered about either in the first half.

I get your point but if you look at the available players then we really couldn't go out and play an attacking game from the start. Crouch don't work as hard as Kuyt and that means that Blackburns defense would have been fresher the last 20-25 minutes, that means less mistakes at the end of the game and better attacking play. You build your attacks from the back.

Crouch got the chance against a tired defense thanks to Kuyts hard work.

[JPK]

Of course, but you get my point?

It took us 41 minutes to have an effort on goal.

Where was the attacking intent?

Football's all about scoring goals and winning games. We didn't seem to be bothered about either in the first half.

True we seem to want to sit and kill the game and sneak one.
The game the other day was like watching Juve against us in Turin.
They had to win the game but did'nt go for it and hoped to sneak one.
Horrible mentality.Go and have a go and try to win by being the better side I say

[Biff]

We don't have enough guile other than Benny.

Blackburn are no mugs - 7 straight wins going into the game - and people need to get a grip if they thought we were gonna waltz into town, show them our European Cups and have them bend over and take it up the arse for 90 minutes

I thought they played some excellent stuff in the first half and were unlucky not to go in ahead at the break.

Having said that, I don't think we played too badly. We are missing THREE key players from that starting line-up.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I get your point but if you look at the available players then we really couldn't go out and play an attacking game from the start. Crouch don't work as hard as Kuyt and that means that Blackburns defense would have been fresher the last 20-25 minutes, that means less mistakes at the end of the game and better attacking play. You build your attacks from the back.

Crouch got the chance against a tired defense thanks to Kuyts hard work.

Oh come off it mate. Kuyt ran them ragged did he?

The reason the tide turned was because Rafa decided to be positive and go two up top and let the team be more positive.

For the first hour of the game we decided to sit back and wait for the mistake instead of making things happen ourselves. And low and behold Blackburn were the better side.

Is Rafa going to learn that Blackburn, while a decent side, aren't Arsenal?

[Craig_H]

Yeah, but where those tactics fall apart is that we could have easily been 2-3 behind by the hour mark.

What's the point of only attacking when you've already lost the game?

[Craig_H]

As I pointed out. We really can't play an attacking game from the start with Hyypia on the pitch. He is to slow for that.

I think Rafa would have changed our tactic if they had scored

So what if they'd scored after 5 mins?

You say we cant play attacking from early on, because of Hyypia.

Yet, if they'd scored, you feel Rafa would've gone attacking.

But, we apparently cant play attacking football from early doors.

So how would it work?

[Craig_H]

We should be looking to score the first goal. Not sit back hoping teams dont score and then look to win the game at the death. Dangerous tactics if you ask me.

[dww]

...that Rafa got his tactics spot on against Blackburn.

We kept things tight the first 60-65 minutes and then when Blackburn got tired and ran out of ideas then Rafa decided to start to attack them.

We couldn't play an attacking game from the start with Hyypia playing but we could do that when Blackburns strikers got tired and slower.

Sissoko and Mascherano took out all energy from Blackburns midfield and it would have paid off if we had not missed chance after chance the last 15-20 minutes.

Kuyts hard work made the Blackburn defenders scared and in the end they hoofed away the ball because he were everywhere. That gave us more possession and better control of the game. Blackburn also made a few rushed mistakes because they got tired at the end of the game.

Kewell has been out a long time and Rafa can't take any chances with him so he couldn't let him in earlier.

Blackburn away is a difficult game and even more difficult with Agger, Alonso and Torres out injured.

I agree with you to a great extent. I think that the only place he could have done better is having faith in Crouch ahead of Kuyt. I agree that Kuyt did a lot of work and made it hard for Blackburn to get into the game but his lack of threat allied to the fact that Benayoun and Babel are only intermittent threats on goal and don't support the striker consistently meant we were too toothless IMO.

The midfield trio of Gerrard, Momo and Mascher worked well and provided the platform. Our attacking players need more confidence though and a fresh Crouch may have given us that edge.

[Craig_H]

I get your point but if you look at the available players then we really couldn't go out and play an attacking game from the start. Crouch don't work as hard as Kuyt and that means that Blackburns defense would have been fresher the last 20-25 minutes, that means less mistakes at the end of the game and better attacking play. You build your attacks from the back.

Crouch got the chance against a tired defense thanks to Kuyts hard work.

You speak as if we started the game with a bunch of Accrington Stanley's reserve side...

We have Agger, Alonso and Torres out. THREE players. Not 30.

If the remainder of the squad isnt good enough, who's fault is that?

[Craig_H]

We don't have enough guile other than Benny.

Blackburn are no mugs - 7 straight wins going into the game - and people need to get a grip if they thought we were gonna waltz into town, show them our European Cups and have them bend over and take it up the arse for 90 minutes

I thought they played some excellent stuff in the first half and were unlucky not to go in ahead at the break.

Having said that, I don't think we played too badly. We are missing THREE key players from that starting line-up.

I think it's more the lack of INTENT to win the game that people are concerned about, rather than the fact that we didnt 'waltz into town, show them our European Cups and have them bend over and take it up the arse for 90 minutes'....

[willa1975]

As I pointed out. We really can't play an attacking game from the start with Hyypia on the pitch. He is to slow for that.

We can't play an attacking game because of Rafa's tactics. Two holding midfielders, and a lone striker with no pace and a 6 foot 5 inch defender marking him. What do you ****ing expect? Blackburn are a decent side and have been playing well, but they're not ****ing Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

And yes, Hyypia's slow, but on your reasoning, we can't play any attacking football until Agger's back in the side...that's a big problem, isn't it?

We can't play attacking football because Rafa can't/won't coach it. That's all I have to say about that.

[Craig_H]

We can't play an attacking game because of Rafa's tactics. Two holding midfielders, and a lone striker with no pace and a 6 foot 5 inch defender marking him. What do you ****ing expect? Blackburn are a decent side and have been playing well, but they're not ****ing Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

That's all I have to say about that.

Exactly.

It's not the result that bothers me, a point at blackburn in the current climate isnt a bad result.

It's the fact that we showed so little intent to actually impose OUR game on them and win. We approached it as if it WAS Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Rafa's been going into away games with the same mentality since he came here, changing our style to suit inferior opposition and placing a clean sheet as the main priority, ahead of winning.

That mentality isnt a winning one and we'll never challenge for the title unless he ups the ante a little.

[AFII]

I agree with you to a great extent. I think that the only place he could have done better is having faith in Crouch ahead of Kuyt. I agree that Kuyt did a lot of work and made it hard for Blackburn to get into the game but his lack of threat allied to the fact that Benayoun and Babel are only intermittent threats on goal and don't support the striker consistently meant we were too toothless IMO.

The midfield trio of Gerrard, Momo and Mascher worked well and provided the platform. Our attacking players need more confidence though and a fresh Crouch may have given us that edge.

but if Crouch had played from the start instead of Kuyt then Blackburns defense would have been fresher the last 20-25 minutes.

I think Kewell not being fit enough yet made a huge difference to when Crouch would come on and when we would start to attack them.

Kewell was the signal to when to start to attack Blackburn.

I doubt that we would have created as many clear cut chances as we did if we had played attacking football the whole game.

We could have won 3,4-0 with better finishes.

[Craig_H]

And we could've lost 3-0 with worse luck too.

[dww]

but if Crouch had played from the start instead of Kuyt then Blackburns defense would have been fresher the last 20-25 minutes.

I think Kewell not being fit enough yet made a huge difference to when Crouch would come on and when we would start to attack them.

Kewell was the signal to when to start to attack Blackburn.

I doubt that we would have created as many clear cut chances as we did if we had played attacking football the whole game.

We could have won 3,4-0 with better finishes.

I can see the Crouch/Kuyt argument you are making and it is valid to an extent but I would err on the side of starting more aggressively. I also kind of think that the substitutions and greater attacking intent could have been brought to bear earlier.

However I think ultimately we both think Rafa had a sound plan and the fault lies at the minute with the inability of our squad to be incisive at creating and clinical at scoring chances.