Chelsea v Liverpool - post match thread

[Bender]

although it was devastating to lose to chelski yesterday lets look at the positive side. we're only 6 points off top. other teams ( chelsea manure included ) are not as strong as used to be as has been shown in defeat against wigan and a lucky draw with sunderland. there are still 32 games to go and a lot of points to be won. we have to now hope rafa steps up to the plate and makes the big bollock decisions - which IMO are dropping carra and lucas. carra has been at fault for most of our goals conceeded so far and lucas / mash partnership doesn't work at all. out of the 2 he must get dropped as mash proved he was invaluable yesterday to our team. again IMO we should really go for a 3 -5- 2 formation and just bombard teams.

but we still lost to chelsea.......and i'd have loved a lucky draw......fact is were playing catch up already and have lost 3 games .....this season will be tough to say the least..there seems to be alot of problems on the pitch for us

[Kenneth]

Chelsea are away to Villa next. They won't win. Beat Sunderland and suddenly we're back in the picture, then we've got a chance to close down on the mancs as well.

It's not the end of the world.

But it is nigh.

[Bender]

Chelsea are away to Villa next. They won't win. Beat Sunderland and suddenly we're back in the picture, then we've got a chance to close down on the mancs as well.

It's not the end of the world.

yesterday was a chance to close on utd and we blew it....we won't get many more chances

[Craig_H]

Chelsea are away to Villa next. They won't win. Beat Sunderland and suddenly we're back in the picture, then we've got a chance to close down on the mancs as well.

It's not the end of the world.

Love the way you're so definitive about that, whilst in reality, you're just guessing. I'd guess they're as likely to beat Villa (if not more) as we are to beat Sunderland.

[Craig_H]

although it was devastating to lose to chelski yesterday lets look at the positive side. we're only 6 points off top. other teams ( chelsea manure included ) are not as strong as used to be as has been shown in defeat against wigan and a lucky draw with sunderland. there are still 32 games to go and a lot of points to be won. we have to now hope rafa steps up to the plate and makes the big bollock decisions - which IMO are dropping carra and lucas. carra has been at fault for most of our goals conceeded so far and lucas / mash partnership doesn't work at all. out of the 2 he must get dropped as mash proved he was invaluable yesterday to our team. again IMO we should really go for a 3 -5- 2 formation and just bombard teams.

So what are we then, with 3 defeats? Stronger than ever? They may not be 'as strong as used to be', but they're winning consistently and we're not. They've got the points in the bag. And then there's City and Arsenal too.

Oh - and there's 30 games to go, not 32.

Very little chance of Lucas being dropped.

[the rev leeroy brown]

but we still lost to chelsea.......and i'd have loved a lucky draw......fact is were playing catch up already and have lost 3 games .....this season will be tough to say the least..there seems to be alot of problems on the pitch for us

but man utd consistently play catch up for first few months of season. they are notorious slow starters. whats to say we cant emulate them?

So what are we then, with 3 defeats? Stronger than ever? They may not be 'as strong as used to be', but they're winning consistently and we're not. They've got the points in the bag. And then there's City and Arsenal too.

Oh - and there's 30 games to go, not 32.

Very little chance of Lucas being dropped.

my bad. 30 games to go. still a lot of points to be won. hypothetically,, if we beat the arse twice, manure twice and chelsea at home we'll be right in the mix.

[FatTony]

It's not like we've not done it before, but by the same token, it's also not something you'd put your mortgage on. The point is that we're giving ourselves a massive problem whereby every game in the 2nd half of the season may end up being a tightrope. With the increased quality of sides like Spurs & City, it makes going on such a run even harder, because we'll be facing harder games against very capable and strong teams, more frequently.

Put simply, yes we've done it before, but you wouldnt choose to be in the position where we'd need to do it again.

The Alonso argument peddled by the media might seem lazy, but the stats and manner of our defeats tells its own story.

One of the biggest problems we've had, is exactly what Alonso solved.

Thats my main concern. Whilst its still early days and we'll have a better understanding come January, Citeh have a lot of depth now and a handful of of match winners.

People have spoken of the threat of Citeh, Villa and Spurs on our top 4 status, and we've already lost to two of them.

Man Utd have weakened, but they've weakened a side with title winning experience. We've weakened a 2nd place side (our highest finish for years) and Chelsea are as they were (but also have title winning experience).

We also have a couple of crucial long term injuries to key players within a squad without the depth of quality of the top 2 sides. Agger and Aqualani could be crucial to our challenge but it may be too late before they become established this season. The risk that Benitez has taken to sign a longterm sick Italian with no premiership experience is huge, and it could ultimately prove to be the biggest mistake of his Liverpool career or a stroke of genius.

Only time will tell, but being the pessimist I am and with the depth at Citeh now, I really do believe that we'll finish outside the top 4 this season.

[red g]

Thats my main concern. Whilst its still early days and we'll have a better understanding come January, Citeh have a lot of depth now and a handful of of match winners.

People have spoken of the threat of Citeh, Villa and Spurs on our top 4 status, and we've already lost to two of them.

Man Utd have weakened, but they've weakened a side with title winning experience. We've weakened a 2nd place side (our highest finish for years) and Chelsea are as they were (but also have title winning experience).

We also have a couple of crucial long term injuries to key players within a squad without the depth of quality of the top 2 sides. Agger and Aqualani could be crucial to our challenge but it may be too late before they become established this season. The risk that Benitez has taken to sign a longterm sick Italian with no premiership experience is huge, and it could ultimately prove to be the biggest mistake of his Liverpool career or a stroke of genius.

Only time will tell, but being the pessimist I am and with the depth at Citeh now, I really do believe that we'll finish outside the top 4 this season.

City have played Cannon fodder this season Bar scum which they lost and yes fair play they beat the arse which was a good result.
I am quite confident that they will not provide a significant season long threat and wouldnt be surprised to see them get beat tonight.

we have got a decent run till christmas.......and there are some big top 4 clashes in the mext month ot two, i will stay hopeful till then!!

Although i am very worried about the sunderland game

[Bender]

but man utd consistently play catch up for first few months of season. they are notorious slow starters. whats to say we cant emulate them?




my bad. 30 games to go. still a lot of points to be won. hypothetically,, if we beat the arse twice, manure twice and chelsea at home we'll be right in the mix.

well we failed in the first big game v chelsea.......yet they continue to win title after title.......this is turning out to be mission impossible........am not sure utd have been 3 games beaten so earl yin the season before and won the title......as fat tony said we have a select number of games coming up now which could define our season by november

[Shaggy]

Although i am very worried about the sunderland game

Me too, and if we don't win there it's all over.

[Craig_H]

I think we'll beat Sunderland, they're at home so they'll be more open and pushing forward. They're the kind of side Torrard can batter. We just need to continue defending well and not make a silly error.

[FatTony]

City have played Cannon fodder this season Bar scum which they lost and yes fair play they beat the arse which was a good result.
I am quite confident that they will not provide a significant season long threat and wouldnt be surprised to see them get beat tonight.

we have got a decent run till christmas.......and there are some big top 4 clashes in the mext month ot two, i will stay hopeful till then!!

Although i am very worried about the sunderland game

Yes they have, as have Chelsea and Man Utd, but they're also winning, not losing and have 2 games in hand on us. With the quality they now have I can only see them getting stronger as the season progresses, as I do us, but they edge it now on attacking options. Its early days yet for Citeh but he's spent a lot on bringing players from within the EPL and they'll not take long to settle.

Come the end of the season I think we'll be involved in a battle for CL footy next season with Citeh and Arsenal, and they will be too close to call.

[cream]

Hopefully Aquilani will be fit soon and one of Masch or Lucas will be thrown on the bench. We badly need someone who can dictate play and pass the ball around.

[Kenneth]

I think we'll beat Sunderland, they're at home so they'll be more open and pushing forward. They're the kind of side Torrard can batter. We just need to continue defending well and not make a silly error.

You going to persist with this Torrard thing?

For Sunderland, Jones and Bent can do some damage against our fragile defense, which is a worry. Can't see them not scoring, probably from a set piece.

[BigChief]

Lucas and Masch (apart from that suicidal run that ended the game) played perfectly to plan against Chelsea. We might even have sneaked a last minute winner when Chelsea would have been forced to open up a bit near the end. However, it wasn't to be.

No biggie, Essien and Drogba to go to African Nations and we should have our window of opportunity gaping again. The only concern is manure - and they're without Ronaldo AND Tevez. That's heartening too. You can only play for so long with ageing legends and overrated players like Nani/Valencia. And we've got our own Agent Owen doing his bit for scouse and country....hahahahaha.