whats up with us?

[Welhung]

After that game on Sat. I was shocked. Can we really be playing that bad?

Should Xabi be dropped and get Stevie back into centre with Momo? Get Pennant out on the wing and lets use that speed that we have needed for so long.


Everton were playing with 1 bloody striker up front and cahill roaming around wherever he liked (**** he is a dangerous player). Yet they looked so much more deadly when attacking. Our boys didn't look like they knew what eachother was doing. And Aurelio at the back is not working so well.

We need more from our midfield that everyone HYPES up so much. The Blue****es made us look crap.

Regardless that we were saving ourselves for the PSV and chelsea games. We still needed to be more competitive. I was never convinced at all in the game, even after 20 shots on goal, that we were ever going to score.

[Howard_lfc]

After that game on Sat. I was shocked. Can we really be playing that bad?

Should Xabi be dropped and get Stevie back into centre with Momo? Get Pennant out on the wing and lets use that speed that we have needed for so long.


Everton were playing with 1 bloody striker up front and cahill roaming around wherever he liked (**** he is a dangerous player). Yet they looked so much more deadly when attacking. Our boys didn't look like they knew what eachother was doing. And Aurelio at the back is not working so well.

We need more from our midfield that everyone HYPES up so much. The Blue****es made us look crap.

Regardless that we were saving ourselves for the PSV and chelsea games. We still needed to be more competitive. I was never convinced at all in the game, even after 20 shots on goal, that we were ever going to score.

That result has been coming. We haven't played well at all so far in the games we've played. Maybe it's a hangover from the World Cup......who knows? But whatever it is - it'd better get sorted asap or our chances of winning the prem will be over before we've even got going.

[Rich]

That result has been coming. We haven't played well at all so far in the games we've played. Maybe it's a hangover from the World Cup......who knows? But whatever it is - it'd better get sorted asap or our chances of winning the prem will be over before we've even got going.

Agreed, we have to get into our stride and fast. Too many players are underperforming so early in the season, we need to find consistancy and quickly.

The nice thing about all this, is if we win in Eindhoven and then beat the Russian Blues, it will give us a completely positive spin.

[Sadgeek]

Regardless that we were saving ourselves for the PSV and chelsea games. We still needed to be more competitive. I was never convinced at all in the game, even after 20 shots on goal, that we were ever going to score.

Trouble is, I can't see us turning it around within a week. We looked dismal at the best of times on Saturday and it is too much of an ask to get back into winning form within a few days of that debacle.

I still live in hope though.

[Redspin]

After that game on Sat. I was shocked. Can we really be playing that bad?

Should Xabi be dropped and get Stevie back into centre with Momo? Get Pennant out on the wing and lets use that speed that we have needed for so long.


Everton were playing with 1 bloody striker up front and cahill roaming around wherever he liked (**** he is a dangerous player). Yet they looked so much more deadly when attacking. Our boys didn't look like they knew what eachother was doing. And Aurelio at the back is not working so well.

We need more from our midfield that everyone HYPES up so much. The Blue****es made us look crap.

Regardless that we were saving ourselves for the PSV and chelsea games. We still needed to be more competitive. I was never convinced at all in the game, even after 20 shots on goal, that we were ever going to score.

I can't agree with your view of them looking "deadly". I can rarely remember a game at their place where we've been under less pressure. Reina was a spectator for most of the game, so the scoreline flatters them massively and is just one of those periodic freak results that come through from time to time.

We got nothing for 90 minutes and I was still confident we'd pull it round at half-time as they were rarely crossing the half-way line and we'd been in control but were somehow 2 down.

We were certainly below our best but I wouldn't say we played badly. Certain players in key positions let us down ay key points in the game, notably a clearly unfit Carragher, 100% at fault for the second goal - and Reina for the third obviously. But even thought we dominated midfield possession only Sissoko played anything like his normal game. Gerrrard had the two efforst that hit the post, but his midfeild play was as lacking as Xabi's.

Up front Crouch worked hard but never threatened. Fowler might as well have been watching it on TV, so little was he involved.

Anyway now is not the time for knee-jerk reactions. On another day we'd have won by a couple. They will finish midtable at best and be many points behind us.

[alunevans]

I might be the only one who didn't think we were THAT bad.

We carried too many. Our defence made terrible errors and so did Reina.

But I've seen us play that way and win.

I think the difference is that their defence didn't buckle under minimal pressure, and ours buckled under even less pressure.

I thoroughly agree that Gerrard should be centre mid and Xabi should be on the bench at the mo instead of Pennant. I rate Xabi but he's off the pace at the mo.

Al

[Dhav]

What worries me is that we have been indifferent all season - it's not like you can say we've been playing well and Saturday was just a blip. We haven't hit our stride at all.

I think Tuesday night and Sunday could be the making of our season if we get the right results as we really need to turn it around now. defeat in these two games does nto bear contemplating.

Personally I'd like to see us play with 2 wingers - Pennant and Gonzalez given a run in the side with Stevie and Momo in the middle. I'd rest Luis and Xabi, although I'm pretty certain both will play against PSV. I liked the link up between Kuyt and Bellamy in the West Ham and would like to see this blossom, even though Crouchie has been banging them in ofor fun. Having said that this line-up is proabably far too conventional for Rafa, I think he feels we get the best out of Stevie when Momo and Xabi are sitting deep protecting him.

[Red_Polo]

What worries me is that we have been indifferent all season

I agree, although that can be seen as a good thing from the point of view that maybe it just means we're still finding our feet rather than a serious underlying problem having reared it's ugly head.

[G]

We were the same after the last world cup,Expectations sky high,then we flopped.I'd give Xabi a rest,he took ages to get in the groove last season too.Start with speedy and pennant and give them a run.I'm not understanding why these players who were bought to solve longstanding problems aren't starting games.Same with Kuyt,he's match fit and raring to go yet he's benched.We had probs last season,they were identified as areas that need addressing,we buy these lad's to solve said problems and then we start with the same players we had last year.Dosen't make sense.Anyway I think we'll be fine once we cut out the mistakes at the back,Jamie ain't fit,if he's going to play it should be with a pacey man beside him so I'd give Agger a run.

[Redspin]

I agree, although that can be seen as a good thing from the point of view that maybe it just means we're still finding our feet rather than a serious underlying problem having reared it's ugly head.

I think that "...indifferent all season..." is a bit alarmist as it's only three weeks old I believe.

[Dhav]

I think that "...indifferent all season..." is a bit alarmist as it's only three weeks old I believe.

Point taken, and I suppose we did play well in the Charity Shield, which I think is the only decent performance we've had so far.

In any case, I expect us to find our feet in Eindhoven tomorrow, as we know - this is ours and Rafa's stage