Benitez questions Everton tactics

[Tee]

Our way of playing is so easy to defend against, it's unreal. Extremely pedestrian, extremely methodical and sometimes, it really is painful to watch.

2 mins before the end today, Carra and Skrtel are piddling about knocking the ball across the edge of their own box, exchanging little passes. I mean seriously...

The problem is mainly that we dont actually have another way of playing, we dont have a plan B and we dont have the capability to inject some proper tempo into our play. We're predictable and easy to play against at the moment.

[Matt]

That's true, and it is a worry. There simply aren't enough players in the team weighing in with the odd goal at the moment, we could do with one or two just flying in from distance at some point soon to give some of them the confidence to actually shoot.

Exactly - Riera has said that he'll have a crack from distance whenever possible and I applaud that; most of them won't go in but it's something else for a defence to think about.

When we're methodically moving the ball around in a straight line between our midfielders 30-35 yards out I wish someone would take the bull by the horns and try to create something, take a player on etc. He might get tackled but at least its an alternative to lumping the ball into the box and hoping for the best.

What happened to the Mascherano that was megging Giggs on the byline?

[Craig_H]

Everton got what they wanted. We were unlucky not to win but should have created more than what we did. Having said that, Had Howard not made a tremendous save from Stevie, Torres shooting staright at Jagielka and Kuyt not being useless we would have been looking at it from a different angle.

To often we slowed the pace down and allowed Everton the time to organize. All the chances created came from when we went hurtling towards their goal as opposed to passing it side to side. We are not Barca, we lack the craft of Xavi, Messi, Iniesta et all, so we should not be trying slow possession football.

When we go for the throat we are a top attacking team. We should stick to what we are best at. However this normally only happens when we are loosing a game or playing counter attack to the best sides.

That's the frustration, the fact that we CAN do it and CAN be a top attacking team, but it's not in Rafa's makeup to allow that to be our normal way of playing.

It says an awful lot that we only really start playing and attacking, when we're behind in a game.

Look all through the season and that's generally evident. There are rare exceptions to the rule, as there are with all such things, but the general mentality of our side isnt an attacking one, unless we go behind.

It's devestating to see that whilst we're capable of reaching all the heights we want, the team is IMO being held back by a manager who operates with a 'just do enough' mentality and simply wont change.

[kev776]

It is a poor team that resorts to time wasting BEFORE halftime , they did yesterday. Absolute pits, no respect for Everton at all.

[Darkon]

I don't know why Rafa tries to blame Everton for wrong tactics, when they clearly got what they came for - that would indicate succesfull tactics for me...

The problem is, that at the moment it is to easy for opp. to sit back and get a result at anfield, and Moyes knows that so he puts down the tactics for it. If they tried to outright play football against us, they would most likely have lost.

To me is sounds more like frustration from rafa, that he can't get the team to create enough on the attack, and far to much is down to gerrard and torres atm.

Oh, and the bitters have not been an attacking minded team for ages now, so what's the suprise in yesterdays approach??...

[Fan65]

Now, I am a die hard Rafa fan but I think he shouldn't criticise others who copy him!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7848091.stm

He said ""One team was trying to win and the other team was trying not to lose," said Benitez, whose team have drawn five of their last eight games."

Moyes used the same tactics he's been employing at Anfield against Stock, Hull, etc. The difference is the Blue****e were justified in being terrified of Gerrard and Torres.

I dont see stating a fact is a criticisim ?

[Elvoz]

coming out with this type of bollocks does rafa no favours
its a throw back to the houllier days
next minute he will be telling us all that we had more corners than the opposition i,m not a happy chappy

[Reece]

He should have called them a small club

[Elvoz]

He should have called them a small club

i dont think he needed to after this last week
they had ****in balloons in their end yesterday ffs
cunts

[Baldemort]

Behave, Rafa. With the amount of money you've had to spend and the quality of squad you had out there yesterday and last Monday, I don't give a shiny ****e what tactics the other team uses. You should still be able to beat them. It wasn't a bad result or two as Everton are good at grinding out results, but don't moan about their tactics.

[bipjohn]

I dont think he was moaning, he was stating a fact, they were awful, their game consists of long punt forward and then a Pieenar or Anichebe dive.

Moyes is the first one to criticise opponenets for diving, yet he clearly coaches them 2 to do it.

Other thing is, no matter what Rafa says certain posters here will have a pop at him. He has to answer questions about a game and he says it how he sees it, and to be honest if you dont agree with his comments after yesterday you really must have it in for him, because from where I was sitting in Anfield, he got it spot on, they played for a draw and didnt cross the half way line with any intent, ever.

And lastly, those 'fans' (I use the term Loosly) who were criticising Skrtel after last week, where are you now?

You know who you are, nobheads.

[Elvoz]

I dont think he was moaning, he was stating a fact, they were awful, their game consists of long punt forward and then a Pieenar or Anichebe dive.

Moyes is the first one to criticise opponenets for diving, yet he clearly coaches them 2 to do it.

Other thing is, no matter what Rafa says certain posters here will have a pop at him. He has to answer questions about a game and he says it how he sees it, and to be honest if you dont agree with his comments after yesterday you really must have it in for him, because from where I was sitting in Anfield, he got it spot on, they played for a draw and didnt cross the half way line with any intent, ever.

And lastly, those 'fans' (I use the term Loosly) who were criticising Skrtel after last week, where are you now?

You know who you are, nobheads.

they came to draw and did so its up to us to break teams down
dont give me all the rafa has done nothing wrong our form right now is ****e and i dont see where a win is coming from
i was there too mate and dont have it in for rafa but he is judged on performances and results and right now we arent doin great on either front that is a fact

[Matt]

Frustrating as it was to watch, when Everton come to Anfield with one fit striker (played out of position) it doesn't take a master tactitian to work out their gameplan and you can't really have a pop at them for it.

[Elvis]

Complaining about how the other team play is lame. If we get drawn against Barca in the CL we'll have Torres up front on his own and ten men behind the ball......all things are relative.

[Jack D Rips]

At this stage I just wish Rafa would shut tf up. Its embarrassing and is nothing more that covering up our own shortcomings.