Fringe Players

[Leyton388]

Now the match is over i can take a calm look at it.

Our reserves came up against proven premiership players tonight and it showed big time, HOWEVER Arsenal's young players came up against proven premiership players last night but spanked them big time.

[rage]

Seriously, I think a lot of players looked worse than they are because we could not get a foothold in CM. El Zhar, Torres, Ngog and Babel all looked ****e. But seeing as how we got them no service that is not great surprise to me. At this point in time a Plessis + Lucas CM is not going to dominate anyone, neither is it going to provide enough quality possession to Torres et al to win a game. Xabi + Lucas or El Jefecito + Lucas, maybe.

el jef i know you rate lucas but just in casebyou needed my opinion of him. he is ****! a fake brazillian who needs selling as soon as possible. there is not one premiership team where this hairbanded panzy would ever get a game.

[Shaggy]

Thought El Zhar was woeful in the first half but he clearly isn't a winger. Much better 2nd half, especially after he'd moved inside.

Poor Dossena. He looks shot to pieces. No confidence to do anything whatsoever. He's obviously a good player but we ain't seeing it. Given his relative pedigree (current number one Italy left back!) I hope we stick with him rather than offloading him asap.

Degen looked utterly woeful. We could give him all the time in the world but I don't see him ever coming good.

[calvoboy]

Thought El Zhar was woeful in the first half but he clearly isn't a winger. Much better 2nd half, especially after he'd moved inside.

Poor Dossena. He looks shot to pieces. No confidence to do anything whatsoever. He's obviously a good player but we ain't seeing it. Given his relative pedigree (current number one Italy left back!) I hope we stick with him rather than offloading him asap.

Degen looked utterly woeful. We could give him all the time in the world but I don't see him ever coming good.

I really desperately hope that Dossena comes good. But how many millions have we spent looking for the answer at left-back, when we let one of the best in the premiership go for next to nothing (Warnock)?

[Mattshark]

I really desperately hope that Dossena comes good. But how many millions have we spent looking for the answer at left-back, when we let one of the best in the premiership go for next to nothing (Warnock)?

Because Warnock is never the best in league, he was hard working and average. His positioning was poor and he doesn't look like a worldbeater. He is just at his level in an average Blackburn squad.

[Shaggy]

I really desperately hope that Dossena comes good. But how many millions have we spent looking for the answer at left-back, when we let one of the best in the premiership go for next to nothing (Warnock)?

Take your point but I'm not so sure about Warnock. I really liked him but he was found wanting a few too many times for us, especially positionally. Although in fairness I don't recall him having such a shocker as the one Dossena had tonight.

Not sure if it's because of injuries but Warnock's been playing centre-mid for a while now, and playing very well.

[calvoboy]

Because Warnock is never the best in league, he was hard working and average. His positioning was poor and he doesn't look like a worldbeater. He is just at his level in an average Blackburn squad.

I never said he was the best, I only said 'one of'.

He's no world beater, but better than Ziege, Riise, Aurelio, Dossena (to date) et al. I can't think off too many that are much better than him in the premiership outside of the top four.

[El Jefecito]

el jef i know you rate lucas but just in casebyou needed my opinion of him. he is ****! a fake brazillian who needs selling as soon as possible. there is not one premiership team where this hairbanded panzy would ever get a game.

I know where you are coming from Rage. And I know that tonight proved that you are more right than I would hope. But seriously, I think that a real DM (i.e El Jefecito) + Lucas would have resulted in a different result.

I have to admit that as each day passes I am moving more towards Rage's position! If Rafa want's Lucas to succeed he needs to pair him with El Jefecito, how good is he going to look if he has to play with Plessis alll the time?

[calvoboy]

Take your point but I'm not so sure about Warnock. I really liked him but he was found wanting a few too many times for us, especially positionally. Although in fairness I don't recall him having such a shocker as the one Dossena had tonight.

Not sure if it's because of injuries but Warnock's been playing centre-mid for a while now, and playing very well.

He was solid, hard-working, and knew how to hold the ball. Three qualities that we haven't seen in a Liverpool left-back for a long long while. He made the odd mistake (particularly positionally) and wasn't that great going forward. At least it was only the odd mistake though.

[SERVO1]

I thought our midfield was too weak in the first half. There was nobody there who could keep possesion and with El Zhar on the right giving the ball away too much and Babel not coming back into our half to help his full back or give us shape we were all over the place. Plessis was pedestrian, Lucas looked lost, the forwards got nothing to feed off and when they got the ball they lost it.

It was a bad day all round but we did improve 2nd half and Xabi was different class compared to anybody else on the pitch. El Zhar improved 2nd half as did Ngog both showed some good touches. Dossena and Degen would probably resign tommorow if they worked in an office and were that bad at their jobs. Those two are major worries as they look extremely ordinary and even that description may be kind.

[Mattshark]

He was solid, hard-working, and knew how to hold the ball. Three qualities that we haven't seen in a Liverpool left-back for a long long while. He made the odd mistake (particularly positionally) and wasn't that great going forward. At least it was only the odd mistake though.

Sorry but he was **** and he just looks decent in an average side, no way is he better than Aurelio and he was never better than Riise.

[blacky]

really and what did lucas do?

Not a lot tbh but he was far from being our worst player. Dossena was beyond dreadful.

[Shaggy]

Seems a very long time since Plessis' imperious debut at Arsenal.

At one point in the first half, almost immediately after his booking, he vanished - completely. I don't think he touched the ball for about 15 minutes, allowed every ball and every player to run past him freely, attempted no tackles and didn't appear to be running very much either. Abysmal.

[El Jefecito]

Seems a very long time since Plessis' imperious debut at Arsenal.

At one point in the first half, almost immediately after his booking, he vanished - completely. I don't think he touched the ball for about 15 minutes, allowed every ball and every player to run past him freely, attempted no tackles and didn't appear to be running very much either. Abysmal.

Your are right. Our CM should have hit the strip clubs. We were completely over-run.

[calvoboy]

Sorry but he was **** and he just looks decent in an average side, no way is he better than Aurelio and he was never better than Riise.

Can't see how anyone could possibly think that, but hey ho - it's a game of opinions! Not much common ground here, so we'll have to beg to differ