Liverpool vs Fulham post mortem

[Dhav]

We're more than a 3rd of the way through the season and sitting 2nd only on goal difference.

If nows not the time to stop judging Rafa and trusting his motives when is? Will we ever be happy?

Sorry mate, I love Rafa as much as the next person but he will always leave himself open for criticism when he makes ludicrous decisions like persisting with an average player like Lucas while leaving Alonso, who has been outstanding for us this season, on the sidelines.

The line-up was overly cautious.

[Dhav]

Nahh Fulhams away record is **** because Danny and Bullard are light weight and get man handled .. we were utter ****e against a pretty ordinary team on their travels ..

Yet they completely bossed Lucas - would they have done the same to Alonso? Rafa took them lightly and we paid the price.

[Nicey]

Yep spot on mate .. that obviously was the case .. that must of been like a ****ing red flag to the Bull to those 2 .. good players but not the most physically demanding of players ... notice how fulham had there striker drop off and mark Xabi ...Also I notice in the first half when a ball came out of the box from a corner .. thinking if Xabi was on he'd be latching on to that right about now ... alas nobody there .. 2nd half on comes Xabi and sure enough hes always there to pick up the lose balls around the box

[Dhav]

Yep spot on mate .. that obviously was the case .. that must of been like a ****ing red flag to the Bull to those 2 .. good players but not the most physically demanding of players ... notice how fulham had there striker drop off and mark Xabi ...Also I notice in the first half when a ball came out of the box from a corner .. thinking if Xabi was on he'd be latching on to that right about now ... alas nobody there .. 2nd half on comes Xabi and sure enough hes always there to pick up the lose balls around the box

[Scratch]

Lucas was ok I thought.

I thought so too, rarely gave the ball away (yes, there were a couple of occasions, and it was lovely to hear the crowd get on his back straight away...great support...), always looked to play the simple ball and keep it moving...Mascher was poor for me, and a non-entity in the second half so i'm not surprised he came off...besides, i'm not convinced by a Mascher and Alonso pairing if i'm honest, not without Gerrard on the pitch. It's solid, but unspectacular.

Keane was disppointing again...tries to hard...maybe he should take a leaf out of Lucas' book, and try to keep it simple.

[Scratch]

What about Mascherano? He was as poor if not worse, at least Lucas came into it in the second half. It was a poor performance all round.

The booing was a disgrace by the way.

Ditto that thought, which is way Mascher came off for Alonso. Not a difficult decision in my mind, especially as his tackling was not needed at all second half.

[Nicey]

Some people are deluded .. I have supported Lucas many times .. but that was dreadful .. got a little better 2nd half but only because he was so **** the first .. he was ****e utter ****e .. did almost everything wrong .. his passing was woeful

[shanks69]

i'm not going to pick on any single player today becuase we were poor as a team today.i said to a mate of mine a couple of weeks back that i can see this being a season were ourselves and chelsea match each other for long spells,and sadly today was one of them days chelsea drop points so we do.

[Roboklopp]

Not seen anything of the games, but it does annoy me we dropped Xabi.

[Gazmo1]

I think the biggest problem today is that we didn't have a player who could carry players who weren't upto stratch. Much like in the way Gerrard can. Masch is alot better today then his performance suggested but you can't expect him to play a holding role and compensate for Lucas at the same time. Had Alonso been in the first 11 I think we would have been looking at a different result all around.

Keane is a tough one. He is snatching at shots etc. I'm sure had he have been sat on 20 goals for the season he'd have slotted that chance today. Instead he has hit it as hard as he can to make sure. I really hope he comes good.

As for the boo's. I expressed my opinion in the game thread. They have no place at Liverpool.

[vonk]

Lucas did nothing. He does himself no favours strolling around the pitch like he owns the place when the play is passing him by. I watched him closely and he seems to put himself in a position where he can only receive the ball in non dangerous areas. Instead of steaming forward in the box and letting Masch or Xabi cover he is hanging back! Really was his chance at home to a so-called weaker team today and he blew it. Never offered anything to the game. Babel was poor also but at least he tried things. Send him out on loan, get Owen back in Jan and bench Robbie Keane.

[Reece]

Villa 0-0 Mancs

Wow, when was the last time the "big four" all failed to score on a day/set of fixtures?

[Nicey]

Next weekend .. 2 big derbys .. London and Manchester ... we could go top next week if we get our ****ing act together ,,,

Still Rafa called it straight ... a lot of tired legs out there today .. Xabi had 90 minutes with Spain a couple of days ago and we have an important CL match mid week ... could have been a lot worse

[Roboklopp]

Villa 0-0 Mancs

Wow, when was the last time the "big four" all failed to score on a day/set of fixtures?

Stupid jinxin commentator kept going on about that all game- 16 or 17 years I think.

[Reece]

Stupid jinxin commentator kept going on about that all game- 16 or 17 years I think.

Had the commentary turned down but wasn't going to post it until the final whistle had gone