Knee jerk central

[Craig_H]

I hope they do but i've reached the point now where i'm not even angry because i've now accepted that we wont win the title. It's just that familiar disappointed feeling of the last 20 or so seasons.

[anfieldanfield]

13 wins from 16 games now required.

I'd say 14.

Which wont happen to be honest. The last two results have blown it.

[Craig_H]

The only thing that can still swing it back in our favour is a major upturn in results starting at Wigan, and then winning at Old Trafford. Cant see it though.

[BFG]

The only thing that can still swing it back in our favour is a major upturn in results starting at Wigan, and then winning at Old Trafford. Cant see it though.

I can.

[Marky]

I'd say 14.

Which wont happen to be honest. The last two results have blown it.

Sad but true.

[Redspin]

so what exactly was it that rafa did so wrong tonight? the squad selection was great. keane was **** so he took him off. torres is still coming back from injury so couldn't last the whole game. if he played the whole 90 and got injured that would have been awful. he obviously is not fully fit. yeh, bringing on lucarse was too defensive, but many a manager would have done the same.

How was it defensive? It released Gerrard into a more attacking role, easily his best position. Despite his great goal, he was largely ineffective in the middle.

This game showed exactly why we shouldn't play 4-4-2. When we play 4-2-3-1 we have more balance, a better shape and more flexible attacking options. It also brings out Gerrard's brilliant qualities much more effectively and, when we attack, one of the nominal two defensive midfielders is able to play in a more advanced role and can drop back in front of the defence when the opposition has the ball.

We always, always play less effectively with 4-4-2. I really don't know why Rafa ever uses it. When he was asked about the merits of 4-2-3-1 in the past - which brought him great success in Spain - he said, countering the usual argument that two strikers is a more attacking approach, "it's not how many strikers you have on the pitch, it's how many players you get in and around the box at the end of a move". Made excellent sense then and makes excellent sense now.

[Gaz]

The only thing that can still swing it back in our favour is a major upturn in results starting at Wigan, and then winning at Old Trafford. Cant see it though.

A win at Old Trafford is essential now but lets not forget we've still only lost one game this season, unfortunately we've drawn far too many again just like last season. We can turn things around but we need to be more clinical in front of goal and some of these negative substitutions have just got to stop.

I think we'd find Keane scored a lot more goals if he was left on for the last half an hour in the games he plays, although i do think his substitution was merited last night, he was virtually invisible in that second half. Wrong choice in player to bring on though, should have been Babel instead of Benayoun, his threat on the break would have been a bigger problem for Everton rather than just simply dealing with Benayoun.

[Redspin]

It is mathematical impossible because we will struggle till the end of the season. I can see United breezing this title which was supposedly the closest in years.

For a WUM you spend an inordinate amount of time on Liverpool fan sites. If Man U are doing so well, how come they are only on level points with Liverpool, have scored fewer goals and are playing generally turgid football, although scraping six 1-0 wins and two 0-0 draws in the recent run. For example they only managed one shot at goal in the entire match after Rooney's first-minute goal against Wigan at home and were outplayed. If Liverpool had been on a similar run the media reaction would have been all about "winning ugly" and making unfavourable comparisons with the mythical free-flowing attacking football played by Man U.

I'm already looking at the upcoming Everton - Man U league game with less than eager anticipation. Two teams packing the midfield and a 0-0 draw looking the likely outcome - but no doubt if this transpires it will be seen as a vital point as they march relentlessly on and a great example of their never-say-die spirit, whereas Liverpool would be seen as struggling to overcome inferior opposition

[Craig_H]

For a WUM you spend an inordinate amount of time on Liverpool fan sites. If Man U are doing so well, how come they are only on level points with Liverpool, have scored fewer goals and are playing generally turgid football, although scraping six 1-0 wins and two 0-0 draws in the recent run. For example they only managed one shot at goal in the entire match after Rooney's first-minute goal against Wigan at home and were outplayed. If Liverpool had been on a similar run the media reaction would have been all about "winning ugly" and making unfavourable comparisons with the mythical free-flowing attacking football played by Man U.

I'm already looking at the upcoming Everton - Man U league game with less than eager anticipation. Two teams packing the midfield and a 0-0 draw looking the likely outcome - but no doubt if this transpires it will be seen as a vital point as they march relentlessly on and a great example of their never-say-die spirit, whereas Liverpool would be seen as struggling to overcome inferior opposition

Because they had a ****e start, yet stayed in the running because we're woefully inept at beating inferior sides at home. Now they're on the up and we're on the slide.

The results dont lie. 6 wins and 2 draws in their last 8? We're gagging for that kind of form.

[Redspin]

Nobody knows for sure of course, but it's probabilities. If you add to your attacking options on the park, the probability is that you'll stand more chance of scoring more.

Look at the difference:

Us away to Stoke. 0-0, needing a winner, striker stays on the bench.
Mancs away to Bolton, 0-0, needing a winner - and they have Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez ALL on the pitch. Rooney would've been too if he'd been fit.

The difference is they actively do all they can to find a winner, they go for the throat and inevitably they often get that late goal. We call it lucky, but the fact is, they're rewarded for having the balls to just go for it.

We stick with one striker and just hope to pinch a goal somehow.

It's no coincidence that we draw 0-0 quite a lot and they rarely fail to score.

Yes but Man U only played against Bolton with one striker. Tevez plays either wide or in the whole and Ronaldo's a right-winger, not a striker.

[Craig_H]

Yes but Man U only played against Bolton with one striker. Tevez plays either wide or in the whole and Ronaldo's a right-winger, not a striker.

They're top players who score goals mate and they represent the best attacking options they have.

Dress it up how you wish, when they need a winner, they put 4 attackers on the park, when we need one, we leave attackers on the bench.

[BFG]

Because they had a ****e start, yet stayed in the running because we're woefully inept at beating inferior sides at home. Now they're on the up and we're on the slide.

The results dont lie. 6 wins and 2 draws in their last 8? We're gagging for that kind of form.

But haven't we done the reverse of that in that we had a good start but are now having a ****e patch? Surely United going on this run shows that if any side puts a decent run together they've got a shot at it.

We are gagging for that kind of form but they were gagging for ours at the start of the season. Plenty more twists and turns until this is decided.

[Redspin]

I'd say 14.

Which wont happen to be honest. The last two results have blown it.

Why - aren't Man U, Chelsea etc going to drop any points?

[Craig_H]

But haven't we done the reverse of that in that we had a good start but are now having a ****e patch? Surely United going on this run shows that if any side puts a decent run together they've got a shot at it.

We are gagging for that kind of form but they were gagging for ours at the start of the season. Plenty more twists and turns until this is decided.

You're not getting the point mate. They HAD their **** spell, but remained in the race. We've had our best spell and are now going through a **** spell, exactly at the time that they're rattling off win after win. Yes, any side which puts a winning run together not only has a shot at it, but will win it. And guess what. While we're in ****e form, it's Man Utd who are putting that winning run together.

Give it 3-4 weeks, we'll be about 10 points behind and well out of the race.

[red g]

[QUOTE=Craig_H;1256948]You're not getting the point mate. They HAD their **** spell, but remained in the race. We've had our best spell and are now going through a **** spell, exactly at the time that they're rattling off win after win. Yes, any side which puts a winning run together not only has a shot at it, but will win it. And guess what. While we're in ****e form, it's Man Utd who are putting that winning run together.

Give it 3-4 weeks, we'll be about 10 points behind and well out of the race.[/QUOTE]

With negative support like that you may be right