That was a tough tough match - i'd put it down to a number of things,
Standard Liege were underestimated(certainly by me and prob 99% of everyone else from reading the forums the last few days) - they were a very organised unit, worked ****ing hard and fought for their lives out there. They threw everything but the kitchen sink and at one point i'm sure the manager was in the kitchen trying to rip that out the wall to throw at us too. They came out the blocks like that Gay sprinter fella (u know the one Tyson is it?) and didn't give us a chance to settle. I was very impressed with Standard Liege, good little side and if they play like that at anfield we will HAVE to improve.
We seemed sloppy and lacked any real edge or sharpness - but iirc pretty much every CL qualifier the last 5 years or so we have looked of the pace in the first leg - it's almost a case of it's a competitve pre-season game that we just get what we can, and a week or so later the seasons started and we have gotten out of bed and woken up!
We missed Mascher, plus (and i am by far not his biggest fan) Babel would have been an option. In hindsight, as much as i think agger is a cracking player maybe skirtle would have been better starting - some real fight in the team with the lack of masher, that said tho i don't think benitez expected them to be so fierce and was probably hoping we would dominate possesion and with agger on the pitch we know how good he is as giving us another option going forward with the ball at his feet (he showed glimpses last night that was encouring to see)
Plessis struggled, but i thought Kuyt and Benayoun were anonymous and Alonso!! - well i have been to-ing and fro-ing over the Alonso/Barry, and i think Alonso is a good player, and i would be happy to keep him but i would have loved to have had Barry in that team last night - either in the centre alongside xabi or even left mid.
we also seemed to miss that link between attack and midfield - obv we had a half fit gerrard on the bench, but that must have been a horrible game for torres and keane to play in, zero service, fighting and chasing for every ball then getting ****ing whacked if they got near it!
All in all a bit of a wake up call for the lads, they will be feeling it today! - the seasons started, no harm or damage done, we got a draw they have to come to anfield, and we will be better prepared for both the start of the season on Saturday and the return leg
Standard Liege were underestimated(certainly by me and prob 99% of everyone else from reading the forums the last few days) - they were a very organised unit, worked ****ing hard and fought for their lives out there. They threw everything but the kitchen sink and at one point i'm sure the manager was in the kitchen trying to rip that out the wall to throw at us too. They came out the blocks like that Gay sprinter fella (u know the one Tyson is it?) and didn't give us a chance to settle. I was very impressed with Standard Liege, good little side and if they play like that at anfield we will HAVE to improve.
We seemed sloppy and lacked any real edge or sharpness - but iirc pretty much every CL qualifier the last 5 years or so we have looked of the pace in the first leg - it's almost a case of it's a competitve pre-season game that we just get what we can, and a week or so later the seasons started and we have gotten out of bed and woken up!
We missed Mascher, plus (and i am by far not his biggest fan) Babel would have been an option. In hindsight, as much as i think agger is a cracking player maybe skirtle would have been better starting - some real fight in the team with the lack of masher, that said tho i don't think benitez expected them to be so fierce and was probably hoping we would dominate possesion and with agger on the pitch we know how good he is as giving us another option going forward with the ball at his feet (he showed glimpses last night that was encouring to see)
Plessis struggled, but i thought Kuyt and Benayoun were anonymous and Alonso!! - well i have been to-ing and fro-ing over the Alonso/Barry, and i think Alonso is a good player, and i would be happy to keep him but i would have loved to have had Barry in that team last night - either in the centre alongside xabi or even left mid.
we also seemed to miss that link between attack and midfield - obv we had a half fit gerrard on the bench, but that must have been a horrible game for torres and keane to play in, zero service, fighting and chasing for every ball then getting ****ing whacked if they got near it!
All in all a bit of a wake up call for the lads, they will be feeling it today! - the seasons started, no harm or damage done, we got a draw they have to come to anfield, and we will be better prepared for both the start of the season on Saturday and the return leg
- i thought that just after i posted
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