Why are we so negative?

[anfieldreds]

Just want to get my thoughts out of the way. After the game against Hull, I stayed clear of all forums till all the results over the weekend is completed. Not that I had expected it but hey, we are still top of the league!

The world is about ifs and buts and football is no exception. People expect us to win against Stoke, Fulham, Hull, etc...then again, I'm sure chelski, manure or gooner fans expect their own clubs to be winning against the so call "lesser teams" or mid to bottom table teams. Surprisingly, results have not quite gone this way which is probably not a bad thing. Or else, we just need the top 4 to play each other each season and assume they win against all other clubs! Bottomline is no game is a sure-win and each victory is a combination of effort from the back room staff, the players AND the FANs. We need to get behind every player that is on that pitch wearing the Red jersey. Are we helping if we moan at Dosenna which may cause him to make more errors during the game, like what happened to Eboue?

Funny how people in the forum was screaming for Keane to get on the pitch when I think the same people have asked Rafa to dropped him just 5 games earlier for his lack of goals or contribution and how he is not worth $20m GBP. Maybe Keane is really not himself yet and Rafa is trying to blend him back in? Who knows but Rafa, Sammy Lee and the staff see him everyday and they can decide. I watched the PSV game and Keane was moaning at every pass that gone wrong, he don't look himself at the moment.

At the end, all I wanna say is that no doubt this maybe a BIG year for us but there is alot of work to be done from now till May. We need to get behind the team and not moan and groan during matches. That is counter productive!

Let's enjoy that we are top and take each game at a time.

[slimbimjim]

You are exactly right. I can understand some moaning as we are in a great position and we sorely want to win the league. Every dropped point makes it harder for us and you would expect us to beat the lesser teams but as you said, football is a funny old game!

If we win then even better of course!

[Guest]

That's a great post mate. People have been vilifying Keane, now he's been dropped and they think he'll be the solution. The journos are the same. Same ****e being spilled over broadsheets all the time and we're still top of the ****ing league.

There are plenty of frustrated people in there (not just football wise but probably they have a ****ing dull life also). Rafa will never win with them; but as we sit on top of the CL group mini league and the PL, he's having the last laugh.

If's and but's count for nothing in football. It's about being there and at the moment we're first. What do some people want?

On that same line of thinking the same dull fans going to Anfield week in week out and who can't bring on a decent atmosphere with them and who moan and abuse players at every occasion should scrap their tickets and give them to people with more motivation and who probably deserve it more than them. Go and support the team FFS. Leave the moaning for after you've had 100 pints of beer after the match.

[Darkon]

Good post mate

I agree with what you are saying, and it is funny how people tend to forget that every team drops points every season. And what really gets me is the stupid question "woulden't you like to be 9 points clear now?"... Well of course I would, for that matter I would like to be 20 points clear by now...

We are top of the league by mid-december now, and it is fantastic. We need to enjoy this.

I also tend to avoid readinf fora's after a dissapointing result because of the negativity that comes out, just takes some of the fun out of football at times. I especially avoid it after a narrow win or such, when I am happy we won but some focus on the missed chances instead...

[reds123]

But if we expect to win the league we can't draw against teams like Fulham, Hull and Stoke at Anfield.

That's why supporters are so negative!!

And when you see a formation 4-5-1 vs Hull, what can you say more?

We are first only because Manure drew away vs Villa, Chelsea, Spurs and Everton but I can't expect them to draw home vs Stoke, Fulham and (they won already vs Hull playing 3 youngsters)

Still I really think that if by January we remain first, we still have a good chance of winning the league.

[EwarWoo]

But if we expect to win the league we can't draw against teams like Fulham, Hull and Stoke at Anfield.

As I've posted a few times before either that's bull**** or go and tell the scummy fake reds this so they didn't get the title last season!

[Mad_Red]

true mate .u speak my mind there, im really disapointed with our fans this year we should get behind the team like always do .....
Come On bucklle up boys and lets ride this until may
this is the Year

[Guest]

But if we expect to win the league we can't draw against teams like Fulham, Hull and Stoke at Anfield.

That's why supporters are so negative!!

And when you see a formation 4-5-1 vs Hull, what can you say more?

We are first only because Manure drew away vs Villa, Chelsea, Spurs and Everton but I can't expect them to draw home vs Stoke, Fulham and (they won already vs Hull playing 3 youngsters)

Still I really think that if by January we remain first, we still have a good chance of winning the league.

Most teams play 4-5-1 nowadays. Arsenal play that way at home and they're not a defensive team so your theory is unfounded. 4-5-1 is a system and the way the players express themselves within it is the key. That doesn't mean it's defensive.

[Reece]

Most teams play 4-5-1 nowadays. Arsenal play that way at home and they're not a defensive team so your theory is unfounded. 4-5-1 is a system and the way the players express themselves within it is the key. That doesn't mean it's defensive.

I believe Chelsea also used that formation at home against West Ham yesterday.

[The_weatherman]

Most teams play 4-5-1 nowadays. Arsenal play that way at home and they're not a defensive team so your theory is unfounded. 4-5-1 is a system and the way the players express themselves within it is the key. That doesn't mean it's defensive.

Our 4-5-1 has four offensive players against Hull: Benni, Riera, Gerrard and Kuyt plus the full backs going forward and Xabi pulling the strings -> I can't class it as negative.

[The_weatherman]

At the end, all I wanna say is that no doubt this maybe a BIG year for us but there is alot of work to be done from now till May. We need to get behind the team and not moan and groan during matches. That is counter productive!

Let's enjoy that we are top and take each game at a time.

Definately. When the fans start moaning and booing it leads to hurried attacks and nervous finishing, the fans have a part to play as well and as it is they are not doing their job.

Funny, don't remember many time where the team has been booed as much, and their top of the league If we won't win the league the fans should shoulder some of the blame by putting way too much pressure on the team.

[Darkon]

Our 4-5-1 has four offensive players against Hull: Benni, Riera, Gerrard and Kuyt plus the full backs going forward and Xabi pulling the strings -> I can't class it as negative.

And this is basically the same formation we won so many games with in the spring last season, with torres alone on top. This is also the formation some have screamed we needed to revert back to because our 442 isen't working and creating enough...

It is very hard to please everyone!

[Matt]

Some good posts in this thread. I was as frustrated as most others on Saturday but luckily we've managed to lose no ground. Despite that you can't help thinking that it's an advantage squandered but we've a massive game next week which could be exactly what we need.

As for 4-5-1, I think it's a great formation with the right personnel but it lacked a bit of dynamism on Saturday. Easy to say in hindsight, of course.

[dww]

But if we expect to win the league we can't draw against teams like Fulham, Hull and Stoke at Anfield.

That's why supporters are so negative!!

And when you see a formation 4-5-1 vs Hull, what can you say more?

We are first only because Manure drew away vs Villa, Chelsea, Spurs and Everton but I can't expect them to draw home vs Stoke, Fulham and (they won already vs Hull playing 3 youngsters)

Still I really think that if by January we remain first, we still have a good chance of winning the league.

I don't think 4-5-1 is intrinsically a negative formation. I really think that people are under the mistaken impression that if you don't have a front two you are playing defensively. Played well I think that a 4-5-1 based formation allows more flexibility and greater freedom for more players to join attacks without the team loosing it's shape.

The thing is though that for all the excuses put up for United and Chelsea's performances the bare fact of the matter is that they have dropped more points than us. It doesn't matter where you drop them at the end of the day, they are still points you can never win. I think that all the top teams have had a pretty fair sampling of the different standards of teams in the league.

Some people seem to feel that points at home are some how more valuable which seems odd.

We have had a bad run of form at home but haven't been beaten. I'll take that as a starting point. In fact we are top of the PL form doodad at the minute which is interesting given the moaning: link

We are likely to have to improve to win the league, but then so do all the other teams. I'd personally much rather have to improve in a position with the most points.

[From here on I diverge from any specific reply to the above post. I realised half way through that it seemed a bit like an attack on reds123 and it isn't meant to be at all.]

There is an arrogance to a lot of people's idea that we 'should' be 9 points clear in my opinion. The teams we have drawn with have put in splendid performances. Fulham and West Ham have beaten Arsenal and drawn with Chelsea they are not the mugs some make them out to be. Hull certainly aren't given their league position.

Chelsea and United 'should' also have more points. If we are honest going on the should metric we 'should' be third and we 'should' never win the PL. Bollocks to that. The whole way of looking at things seems flawed. I know on occasion it can be illuminating but in general I think much too much stock is put in it.

I'm going to reserve my right to be positive about our chances. I'm not saying we have no problems to deal with and I'm not saying we will win the PL or anything of the sort but we are exceptionally well placed and there are easily as many things to be pleased/happy about as there are to be annoyed/depressed about. A few people make out as if taking a positive attitude is somehow delusional and I'm getting a bit tired of it to be honest. It has some how started to become the prevalent atmosphere on the site despite the fact that I don't feel it is a view held by the majority.

On the flip side it gets boring when every negative point gets shouted down as if it is a heresy and in particular when all points made by certain posters are viewed through a lens of them being perceived as negative.

[-V-]

Because everyone is so desperate to win this year. Majority of us love Rafa and back him all the way but saturday was just so frustrating. When your chasing a game and you leave a £20m striker on the bench and only give Ryan Babel 8 minutes to do something then you will get criticism and deservedly so.

We praise Rafa for the good work he is doing but sometimes his decisions can drive you crazy because you are so desperate for victory