Post match thread

[FatTony]

he werent alone today though mate. Quite a few players made a cunt out of themselves IMO.

i`m still waiting for lucas to have one game where he impresses me, how the **** he won brazilian footballer of the year is baffling me at the moment. he has plenty of time yet to prove me wrong though.

my point is, kuyt was diabolical, yes, but to single him out is giving the other useless pricks that played with him an easy ride

Yep, they were all dire today, I just can't recall a single match when Kuyt has had a defence worried. He's just too consistently average.

[Kopite_Colin]

Yep.

Just shows that without Gerrard and Torres we really look hopeless going forward.

That's the most worrying apsect - that we seem so wholly reliant on 3 players: Torres, Gerrard & Carra.

[FatTony]

youd be a crap spin doctor fella

[Sir Bob]

Difficult to know where to start after that. Lucky to get a draw, only Carra and the keeper showed anything. Team looked disorganised, demotivated, all in all a total shambles. I was almost glad they equalised, they deserved it and it will help them keep afloat.

I feel the off the pitch stuff is really effecting the team now. The players know like we do that Rafa's in serious trouble. Masher doesn't look like staying and the whole team looked totally brassed off today.


On a different note what did Mike newell say on Sky about Rafa at the start?

[BobTheCharmer]

Babel should play up front.
Riise should never wear the shirt again.He is a joker.
Kuyt is really gone bad and i'm a fan.
Crouch scored but was terrible.
Sami has to go if we are to move forward sadly.

Even if it stinks of desperation we should put a third of the squad up for sale.
Carson,Riise,Hyppia,Pennant,Kewell,Momo,Guthrie,Vo ronin,Crouch and Kuyt.
Blood Insua and Spearing now.
Rafa will lose his job putting his trust in these players.
Time and time again they have let him and the fans down.

if we had played spearing today I'm sure he would have given 100%.

[PaulLinehan]

Charlie: didn't have much to do....hard to assess....some dodgy kick-outs towards the end (6/10)

Finnan: Over exposed by having either kuyt (useless) or benny (walkabouts) in front of him... Made a **** up in the first half that could have been dodgy (5/10)

Carragher: I think (and have been thinking for a few weeks now) that maybe he has peaked. Has been putting in tired performances for a while now and maybe needs a break / rest cos he looks as if he is constantly on the back foot....little control. Has that lung injury ****ed him up???? who knows but something aint right.... 4/10

Hyypia: Past it. I am sorry cos he is a legend but the truth hurts. He was skinned on more than one occasion and the yellow he picked up was actually an admission that he doesnt ****in have it anymore. 2/10

Riise: Unlucky for the og but ****e none-the-less. Offered little in attack. Constantly hoofed the ****in ball to no mans land. 3/10

Alonso: very little of his control n the centre of the park and although he is one of my favorite players on his day, when was the last time we have seen him play well. I honestly cant remember. Living on his reputation.... 4/10

Lucas: Didn't really do a whole load. Played one or two decent passes (15 yarders...wow) in the 1st half but he needs to impose himself a bit more if he is going to break into our team... 4/10

Benny: Didn't do much....right or wrong! Does he even have a proper position for us?? I remember him playing some great crosses for west ham in his days there but he hasnt provided that for us.... needs to take more responsibility... 4/10

Babel: Good effort in the 1st minute....did **** all else really after that..... 4/10

Kuyt: Actually counter-productive.....in that maybe if we started with 10 men without him, then we'd have been better off.... must have been spending time with momo cos he cant ****in pass the ball 5 yards. He wastes pretty much all the balls that are played to him..... 0/10 (thats being generous)

Crouch: Is he much better than kuyt.....maybe better but MUCH better??? I dont think so. Was nearly embarrasing to see him celebrate so wildly with a flukey tap-in against luton.... if we could get our money back for him then we should cos he was useless today.... i reckon bellamy should have been kept in the summer and crouch sold. Crouch maybe believed his own hype cos he got a few games for england over the last few years (when owen or rooney was injured) but he is at best a mid-table team striker. 3/10


Subs:

Voronin: Waste of space. Total ****e. Viduka was on a free last summer as well you know!!!! I know who i think is better and that's not to say that i rate viduka that much....

Mascher: Not enough playing time to assess. Did okay in that he didnt do anything wrong... 5/10

El Zhar: On for a couple of minutes and contributed nothing really - still more than kuyt though..... made a useful run down the left and won a throw..... 5/10


Rafa: Should have had gerrard (injured me arse) and torres on the bench in case...... 3/10

[carlton]

Maybe the squad is just not as good as we like to think it is? very little leadership on the field to day. how does a kuyt miss such a straight forward chance? he had the whole ****ing goal at his mercy and blasts it over the top.

[kurtangle01]

Today should have been a formality but we were poor and Luton played well. I've no doubt we'll beat them at Anfield but I see DJS and the gang have the knives sharpened again.

It's amazing how much they seem to revel in us not playing well, eh?

Behind Rafa my ****ing arse all they do is slate him.

[dww]

The problem with the 'team' today was that they played like a bunch of strangers. There was no understanding whatsoever. Blame the manager?blame rotation? blame the size of the squad ?

The midfield was total ****e, out worked and out fought and gave the defence no protection. Sami and Carra worked their proverbial bollocks off today but none of the others - with the possible exception of Finnan can say the same.

With better finishing on their behalf they'd have gone thru.

I thought we lacked a leader in midfield or attack. I think this is a problem in general with our squad lacking that sort of character but Alonso can take the mantle on at times (for example the Everton game when Gerrard got sent off) but when patently not match fit like today that was always unlikely.

The only good thing to come out of today was him getting a run out and hopefully closer to fitness. Playing two players who have played <20 games combined in CM was always a gamble IMO.

Sami and Carragher get a mention in dispatches for remembering to tackle like you mean it, as does Itanje for another decent display.

[BigChief]

I thought we lacked a leader in attacking areas and Alonso didn't look to dictate the game which was a problem as he can do the job. Without one we looked directionless and the result was a piss poor performance.

I think Rafa knows we lack a leader, without Gerrard and Masch, and a goalscorer. Today's game was a simple training exercise to see who would step up...Alonso can't be boss with his style of football (Mascha was boss for the 10 mins he played) and Lucas is a youngster finding his feet. So Rafa hasn't found his answer yet, so will keep looking.

As for a goalscorer, this was Rafa's chance to show the Americans how much we're lacking. Arsenal have Eduardo, Bentner, Adebayor who can all cover for Persie and manure have a very expensive loan signing to cover Rooney. We have no one to cover for Torres and today showed that. Playing Crouch only triggers Finnan, Carra, Hyppia and Riise into hoof mode so the team suffers when Crouch actually does play, ironically.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Today should have been a formality but we were poor and Luton played well. I've no doubt we'll beat them at Anfield but I see DJS and the gang have the knives sharpened again.

It's amazing how much they seem to revel in us not playing well, eh?

Behind Rafa my ****ing arse all they do is slate him.

To be honest he deserves a slating for today. No excuses.

[JPK]

if we had played spearing today I'm sure he would have given 100%.

You better believe it.He would have bollocked a few aswell.

[RedProf]

I still support Rafa 100&#37; but he is frustrating me...........probably my biggest frustration 4 years on is WHY DON'T WE EVER LOOK LIKE PLAYING THE FOOTBALL THAT RAFA HAD VALENCIA PLAYING? Ok at times in games we can produce it but it is in fits and starts. When I read Rafa was the new boss I was excited at the prospect of LFC being transformed into the new Valencia in terms of football style and play. Yet it still has yet to materialise and so often we see spiritless and gutless performances. On that point I'd love to really hit some of our players where it obviously hurts them - ie. money.

Too many of them are there for the cash and cant be arsed to put in a performance on days like today. They should earn their money. Wouldnt it be great if they only got their fabulous pay cheques if they won games..should they lose games it may actually hurt them and spur them on to perform. Pussies.

[andyinswinton]

We were without 1st choice fullbacks as well in Aurelio, Arbeloa & Mascherano was on the bench. So that's 6 1st teamers out.

Since when has it been a problem playing Finnan or Riise at fullback?

Swap Gerrard for Lucas, Torres for Crouch or Kuyt and swap Itandje and Reina and that would be a team playing premiership matches.

We were just ****.

[BobTheCharmer]

On that point I'd love to really hit some of our players where it obviously hurts them - ie. money.

I'd love to hit them where it hurts, in their face.