Liverpool Vs Chavski post match thread

[red g]

Some good points mate, but let's be realistic. We're out.

if we can score 2 goals in the first hour, which is more than possible we have every chance!!

[BFG]

Played poorly, looked tired as the game went on and Chelsea played really well. Nothing else to say about the game really, take the rough with the smooth.

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

We did look tired out there, problem is put a half rate team out there for Blackburn and face a draw or getting mauled?

[Will]

I thought Riera was non excistant lastnight! he had a shocker again! Id start throwing a few spanners in the works and start with the likes of Benayoun and Babel rather than Riera and or possibly Kuyt. At the bridge go two up top, Babel and Torres start with Benayoun. Yossi has deserved it in my opinion. Riera against United was the same just not at the races. Hes new to the league and perticuly the top of league and the pace and power has caught up with him. Give Yossi a go and Babel. Daniel Agger we need back desperatly, we have no centre half who can carry the ball when Carragher and Skrtel play who i thought both had verry poor games, perticuly Skrtel. Carragher launces it to much the ball falls to him and nobody is around him and he punts it long why? We dont have Peter Crouch anymore. Aurelio had a poor game so many misplaced passes or a poor first touch. Lucas and Alonso are not the quickest and are similar. Whats Lucas? a holding midfielder? an attacking midfielder? i dont think hes neither. Lampard, Ballack and Essien compleatly dominated the middle of the park. They arnt the quickest in the world but when you have a powerhouse midfielder like Essien and all we have is Alonso and Lucas then there will be trouble. Zonal marking i dont like i never really have but i dont think Rafa will budge on it. So i say go zonal BUT pick the dangermen up like Terry, Alex and Ivanovic (whos naturally a centre half and a tall one at that!) and go man to man on the biggest threats. Chelsea unfortunatly where brilliant lastnight and we cudnt live with them. If they qualify lets hope Barca can beat them. Il be supporting Barcelona if we dont get through. 3 points against Blackburn might soften the blow somewhat.

[saveferris]

Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say they were better the other team were just plain better than us.

Credit where credit is due Chelsea played very well and we were poor. We need to take this defeat on the chin and move on to Saturday.

3 points is a must.

totally agree with you.

I think we missed Mascherano's positional play as Lampard had space behind Drogba and Lucas doesnt have the awareness of that role that Mascherano does.

It's a tough call moving forward, are some players feeling the effects of the season, there has been less rotation.

Fair play though Hiddink is an excellent manager and his team showed the desire to win.

[Oberon]

chelsea were the bettter side, end of

Absolutely gutted.

It's the first time we've lost this season where we've actually been outplayed and deserved to lose. Fair play to Chelsea, Hiddink knew how we'd play and did a great job of nullifying our threats. We didnt perform and perhaps believed a bit of the recent hype and with the early goal got complacent.

No complaints though, the best team won and we move on. It could be the reality check we need or it could severely dent our confidence. Our game against Blackburn is now the BIGGEST game of the season so far and by mid-afternoon we'll know if we've still got a chance of a trophy this year.

I think the tie is pretty much over but an early goal next week and you never know.

I've just watched that game from pitch level and Chelsea gave us a lesson in high-tempo pressing and high-tempo footbal (on the day)l. They were ****ing awesome, Essien and Lampard especially.

We didn't put our chances away though, it cost us big time

Everyone was stunned to be honest. First time I've been and seen us lose at Anfield this season. Playing at home in the 2nd leg definitely suits us

Looking back and now sober, I have to say that Hiddink taught Rafa a tactical lesson there. Alonso & Gerrard taken almost totally out of the game and were pretty ineffective, which makes us ineffective.

In reality they could've score 5 or 6...Our back line was awful, I really think we need Agger back in place of Skrtel. Skrtel for me has poor awareness, is quite bad under pressure, not good with the ball at his feet and many, many times he seems to stay rooted to the ground on crosses. He's aggressive in the tackle and has a decent engine, but thats pretty much it. Not the best display from Aurelio and Arbeloa either.

Fair play the the chavs, they were cracking last night, Hiddink is first class and I hope he buggers off at the end of the season.

We were out played, simple really. I can only agree with the above posts.

You can't blame one player for that last night, for the most part we looked flat, un-interested even. They had a plan, worked their socks off to get it.

Defeat aside, the worst part was we conceded the same goal twice the players are to blame for that.

It's now up to Rafa and his staff to pick 'em up, dust 'em down and send them out for the rest of the season with the belief that they remain as good as they were when they beat Madrid, utd and Villa.

It's not obesa cantavit yet.

[Craig_H]

Looking back and now sober, I have to say that Hiddink taught Rafa a tactical lesson there. Alonso & Gerrard taken almost totally out of the game and were pretty ineffective, which makes us ineffective.

In reality they could've score 5 or 6...Our back line was awful, I really think we need Agger back in place of Skrtel. Skrtel for me has poor awareness, is quite bad under pressure, not good with the ball at his feet and many, many times he seems to stay rooted to the ground on crosses. He's aggressive in the tackle and has a decent engine, but thats pretty much it. Not the best display from Aurelio and Arbeloa either.

Fair play the the chavs, they were cracking last night, Hiddink is first class and I hope he buggers off at the end of the season.

See, i heard lots of this 'tactics' stuff on the radio and about how Hiddink 'out thought' Rafa, but i dont see that at all. End of the day, the players were simply not with it. They had a **** day.

Nothing to do with tactics, IMO. If we'd defended 2 corners better, i dont think anyone would be suggesting that Hiddink out thought Benitez.

[Reece]

To aid this cause, from now on any more personal or abusive posting will be summarily deleted.

[Craig_H]

Why not?? if they can score 3 at anfield and we can score 4 at old trafford.....why can't we score 3 at stamford? It ain't over yet.

He didnt say we 'cant' score 3 goals at Stamford Bridge, he said he couldnt see it - and that's hardly a controversial or radical thing to say.

[Rich]

See, i heard lots of this 'tactics' stuff on the radio and about how Hiddink 'out thought' Rafa, but i dont see that at all. End of the day, the players were simply not with it. They had a **** day.

Nothing to do with tactics, IMO. If we'd defended 2 corners better, i dont think anyone would be suggesting that Hiddink out thought Benitez.

I disagree I think on the night Hiddink's tactics nullified Gerrard completely, our midfield and attack were too apart for much of the game, and Alonso/Lucas struggled to stiffle Lampard.

It could have been 1-1 and Hiddink would still have got one over Rafa - ON THE NIGHT.

I'd expect a change of system next Tuesday from us.

[TheElephantMan]

If we'd defended 2 corners better, i dont think anyone would be suggesting that Hiddink out thought Benitez.

That was the difference, poor defending at two set pieces. They were the better team and deserved to win, but the way we conceded those two goals was very disappointing.

[Neil Young]

See, i heard lots of this 'tactics' stuff on the radio and about how Hiddink 'out thought' Rafa, but i dont see that at all. End of the day, the players were simply not with it. They had a **** day.

Nothing to do with tactics, IMO. If we'd defended 2 corners better, i dont think anyone would be suggesting that Hiddink out thought Benitez.

Perhaps. However I find it very hard to believe the players weren't trying so what exactly is the explanation? Tiredness might be part of it but I don't really see why our players should be so much tireder than Chelsea's.

I think it's possible it looks like our players "were simply not with it" - just like the old canard that players "lack passion" when playing for England - because most of us don't have a clue what losing a tactical battle really involves or even what it looks like.

[Craig_H]

I disagree I think on the night Hiddink's tactics nullified Gerrard completely, our midfield and attack were too apart for much of the game, and Alonso/Lucas struggled to stiffle Lampard.

It could have been 1-1 and Hiddink would still have got one over Rafa - ON THE NIGHT.

I'd expect a change of system next Tuesday from us.

To be honest, Gerrard was nullified from the off, but we still scored.

I just think we stopped playing after they scored. Maybe a combination of an early goal and the recent hype meant that the players thought it was job done.

Either way though, similar to Torres' goal at Old Trafford, their equaliser came at the perfect time and it took the wind out of our sails. If we'd stayed ahead longer and upto half time, we could've re-grouped and been alright.

[Craig_H]

The players were trying, but it was just a poor performance, that's all i put it down to. It can obviously happen and when you play a top side who's on their game, it becomes even easier to play poorly and make mistakes, because they're putting you under pressure and they're good at it.

[squaddie]

It's never over till its over, but I'm not holding my breath. Gutted not to see Liverpool pitched up against Barcelona. Proper European football and the top test.

But at least Rafa got one thing right, the team that loses this tie is the team that will challenge for the title. I got the feeling going into last night's game he was saying 'you can go for one but you can't go for both'. Given the game's coming up, the possibility of United going out to Porto and the difference in quality between our first choice and second choice players in the face of injury or suspension he's probably right.