Benitez questions Everton tactics

[el matador]

ive said it in the past and im saying it again. This type of mentality of getting 10 men behind the ball just doesnt exist in spain and didnt when rafa won the liga titles with valencia.

they were the best counter attacking side by a mile and picked the lesser teams off easily. This wont happen in england because the smaller teams dont come to take us on and see a point as a moral victory.

until rafa understands this and changes the formation of the team, we wont win the league because we will drop too many points against the lesser teams that united will open up because of their approach to games.

FFS - Five seasons as manager of liverpool and he still cant accept that teams come to anfield to defend. It happened yesterday and it will happen for another 50 years.

[Kenneth]

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.

I wish Rafa would just shut up. He's coming accross as a complete cock at the moment with his media interviews. Getting cringeworthy, like it was when Houllier would mouth off with silly comments.

[The Birdman]

He isn't whinging he's telling the truth.
No-one is slating Gerrard for saying exactly the same thing in his post match interview.
Let's see how they get on at home playing 4-6-0 and playing for set pieces.
I'm not going to knock Everton for doing it and neither is Rafa he is stating the truth.

[MrMichael]

He isn't whinging he's telling the truth.
No-one is slating Gerrard for saying exactly the same thing in his post match interview.
Let's see how they get on at home playing 4-6-0 and playing for set pieces.
I'm not going to knock Everton for doing it and neither is Rafa he is stating the truth.

[Kenneth]

He isn't whinging he's telling the truth.
No-one is slating Gerrard for saying exactly the same thing in his post match interview.
Let's see how they get on at home playing 4-6-0 and playing for set pieces.
I'm not going to knock Everton for doing it and neither is Rafa he is stating the truth.

Don't agree. One team came to draw is not a statement of facts, or the truth. They played defensively, or they had 10 men behind the ball, they are the facts. They can for a draw is a criticism of Moyes and is unecessary and makes Rafa look more bitter than the bitters. He's whinging, and it's not a good sign.

[dww]

He isn't whinging he's telling the truth.
No-one is slating Gerrard for saying exactly the same thing in his post match interview.
Let's see how they get on at home playing 4-6-0 and playing for set pieces.
I'm not going to knock Everton for doing it and neither is Rafa he is stating the truth.

That was the way I heard it when Rafa said it in the post match interview. It wasn't so much an attack on Everton as a critique on how the match went.

[Craig_H]

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.

People were pointing out that as teams WILL do what everton did, it's upto us and rafa to work out how to beat them. That's his job mate.

As for those 'fans', is someobody only a fan if they never dare criticise anything or anyone?

ive said it in the past and im saying it again. This type of mentality of getting 10 men behind the ball just doesnt exist in spain and didnt when rafa won the liga titles with valencia.

they were the best counter attacking side by a mile and picked the lesser teams off easily. This wont happen in england because the smaller teams dont come to take us on and see a point as a moral victory.

until rafa understands this and changes the formation of the team, we wont win the league because we will drop too many points against the lesser teams that united will open up because of their approach to games.

FFS - Five seasons as manager of liverpool and he still cant accept that teams come to anfield to defend. It happened yesterday and it will happen for another 50 years.

100% on the money mate.

He isn't whinging he's telling the truth.
No-one is slating Gerrard for saying exactly the same thing in his post match interview.
Let's see how they get on at home playing 4-6-0 and playing for set pieces.
I'm not going to knock Everton for doing it and neither is Rafa he is stating the truth.

He was being fairly selective with the truth in order to get a bit of a dig across.

If he was just stating the facts for the sake of it, he should've added "But it's our job to find a way through their defence and we werent good enough"

[Kenneth]

They didn't play for a draw. They played very defensively and hoped to nick it, which they would have done if it wasn't for one magical piece of play by Torres and Gerrard. They were never going to go at us considering the players they have available. "They didn't try to win it enough", fair enough, but to say they played for a draw is not a fact, not a fair approximation of the match as we saw it etc, it's a criticism and it's unecessary.

[dww]

On a general note - I think that the post match comments of managers seem to be magnified beyond all sense. You have to think that they are probably caught up in the game and not going to give their most thoughtful analysis and generally they are asked either leading or unbelievably tedious questions.

[Kinell]

No one likes to see a team play the way Everton did but we are a better side they have a few key players injured. With the option of a replay at Goodison I couldn't see em playing any other way.

[bipjohn]

As for those 'fans', is someobody only a fan if they never dare criticise anything or anyone?

Criticism is fine mate. Slating one of our best players with comments like 'I never thought he was good enough' and 'hes overrated' after a shaky, one off, 90 minutes is over the top, for me anyway. As he was excellent yesterday it was a point I wanted to make.

Craig, its plain to see your opinion, and that is what a message board is for, clearly, but have you got anything good to say about LFC, Rafa, the team?

Im not happy we drew yesterday but for gods sake, we were all over them and played well I thought, we did 'open them up' on a few occasions but didnt finish, which if you look at pretty much all of the 0-0's we have had this season is a regular occurance, so, is that the fault of Rafa that chances are being created but not finished? I dont know, really I dont?

Many moaners asked for Babel to be given a chance, he was and he again, failed to grab that chance.

To be honest, the way I see it is, Mancs have got 4 or 5 'matchwinners' Chelsea have 3 or 4 'matchwinners' we have 2.

By this I mean that when they are in a drab 0-0 at home, which there have been lots of examples this season, they have more players that can produce 1 flash to get a breakthrough goal. Other than that there is no real difference between the top 3, we all have to try and break teams down and in the main they do it better than us because tevez, Berbtov, rooney, ronaldo, etc can get that goal from nothing.Stats from last season and this prove that, we draw far more games than the others. In reality thoguh there is little to choose between us other than what I have mentiond.

[Kenneth]

On a general note - I think that the post match comments of managers seem to be magnified beyond all sense. You have to think that they are probably caught up in the game and not going to give their most thoughtful analysis and generally they are asked either leading or unbelievably tedious questions.

This is true, which is probably why Rafa, when his command of English was poor, would avoid saying anything of interest in them. There is no benefit in having these interviews so playing a straight bat is the only answer. I preferred the Rafa without the confidence tbh.

[Elvoz]

Criticism is fine mate. Slating one of our best players with comments like 'I never thought he was good enough' and 'hes overrated' after a shaky, one off, 90 minutes is over the top, for me anyway. As he was excellent yesterday it was a point I wanted to make.

Craig, its plain to see your opinion, and that is what a message board is for, clearly, but have you got anything good to say about LFC, Rafa, the team?

Im not happy we drew yesterday but for gods sake, we were all over them and played well I thought, we did 'open them up' on a few occasions but didnt finish, which if you look at pretty much all of the 0-0's we have had this season is a regular occurance, so, is that the fault of Rafa that chances are being created but not finished? I dont know, really I dont?

Many moaners asked for Babel to be given a chance, he was and he again, failed to grab that chance.

To be honest, the way I see it is, Mancs have got 4 or 5 'matchwinners' Chelsea have 3 or 4 'matchwinners' we have 2.

By this I mean that when they are in a drab 0-0 at home, which there have been lots of examples this season, they have more players that can produce 1 flash to get a breakthrough goal. Other than that there is no real difference between the top 3, we all have to try and break teams down and in the main they do it better than us because tevez, Berbtov, rooney, ronaldo, etc can get that goal from nothing.Stats from last season and this prove that, we draw far more games than the others. In reality thoguh there is little to choose between us other than what I have mentiond.

we didnt play well and had very few chances
it was a piss poor game and performance imo
i have been going for 30 years and it pains me to say it but i am becoming so disillusioned with us these days
i couldnt tell you the last time i went to a home game and came away feeling like i have been entertained
its doing my ****ing head in right now

[Kenneth]

As he was excellent yesterday it was a point I wanted to make.

Easily impressed I feel.

[Roboklopp]

Nonetheless, he and the team yet again have failed to score more than 1 goal at home & yet again have conceded a ridiculous set piece goal. These are systemic faults with our play & have been so a looong time. They really MUST be remedied for any further progress to be made.