Sunderland vs Liverpool Match Thread

[vonk]

We are running around a lot. We have had a lot of efforts off target. There is no-pne playing up front as Kuyt is dropping deep. We look shaky at the back and they are controlling midfield as far as I can see.

[Lee]

We lost our midfield linchpin in the summer and never replaced him with someone as good if not better as well as not strengthening up front. We are **** this season. So let down after the superb season last year.

Stark contrast isn't it?

Though it's still early doors. If we can turn it around today and get a result against Lyon & United next week then it could really get our season up and running.

Big 'if' though.

[vonk]

Lucas and Spearing need to get a grip fast.

[vonk]

Babel's first touch is almost as bad as Kuyt's

[Rich]

Johnson is like a Rolls-Royce going forward

[fin7]

dreadful decision not to bring someone to replace alonso who could play from the first day

[focusedonfootball]

FIFA rules states

Extra balls on the fi eld of play
If an extra ball enters the fi eld of play during the match, the referee must stop
the match only if it interferes with play. Play must be restarted by a dropped
ball in the position where the match ball was at the time when the match
was stopped, unless play was stopped inside the goal area, in which case the
referee drops the ball on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point
nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped.
If an extra ball enters the fi eld of play during the match without interfering
with play, the referee must have it removed at the earliest possible opportunity.

If it was a beach 'ball' then it was an extra 'ball' and it was clearly interfering with play the goal shouldn't have been allowed and then should have a dropped ball on the edge of the goal area.

I thought referees were also were always creaming themselves for chance to flaunt their knowledge of the rules of the game. What happened here?

[Mattshark]

dreadful decision not to bring someone to replace alonso who could play from the first day

Wouldn't be an issue but for some poor defending.

[lickedlollipop]

**** man. this is not liverpool we use to see...

[Rich]

We're second to every single 50/50

[Slim]

They have totally out-muscled us in the middle of the park.

[fin7]

Wouldn't be an issue but for some poor defending.

and that too. you dont think we've been poor at central midfield this year so far?

[Kenneth]

**** man. this is not liverpool we use to see...

Look at the starting lineup, says it all. For a Liverpool starting XI, it's ****.

................Lucas....Spearing
.....................Yossi

About 2 bollocks between them.

[Mattshark]

and that too. you dont think we've been poor at central midfield this year so far?

I think we have, but sloppy defending has been what has really cost us.

[vonk]

We are simply not creating any chances. Can't see where a goal is coming from. Bennyoun, Babel and Kuyt are pretty impotent really. Aurelio has been very poor. Johnson is at least trying. Lucas has done ok. None of our players can beat a man. I'd settle for a point.