Liverpool v Unirea Post Match

[Shanks]

I'll tell what Rafa would be better doing in training is to try and teach every single one of the players how to tackle, and this isn't a joke I'm being serious.

Perhaps he was worried about needless injuries and didn't expect Unirea to draw that many challenges from us.

[Mattshark]

I actually thought last night was very reminiscent of a lot of last seasons games, which is think is quite a good sign, while it was not the best, it will do well for getting more fitness to Riera and Aquilani (who has started just 7 games I think and we have won every league game he has started I believe) who have both been in and out recently after long term absences.

I think personally that there is a lot of over reaction to the last nights game.

[Armchairkopite]

I actually thought last night was very reminiscent of a lot of last seasons games, which is think is quite a good sign, while it was not the best, it will do well for getting more fitness to Riera and Aquilani (who has started just 7 games I think and we have won every league game he has started I believe) who have both been in and out recently after long term absences.

I think personally that there is a lot of over reaction to the last nights game.

Thats a fairly loose statement Matt. That team where absolutely shocking and where there for the taking.

Simple things like passing & tackling need to be improved on, movement off the ball.

Did you enjoy the game last night?

[badpiggy]

i'm caught somewhere between "**** it, we won and we have a more important game on sunday" and "**** this, we look so limited and we're playing our biggest rivals this season on sunday". i'm really glad we've tightened up defensively and are on a decent run in the league but looking at the big teams in the europa league and our unispired play there are more reasons to be concerned than happy. we're going to lose more matches.
re aquilani - he was hopeless but there was one volleyed pass he made that was ****in sweet and made me think he has something to offer. have to wonder if babel was played like ngog, would we score more? wish i could be more inspired by gerrards's demeanour. he looks seriously pissed off. i think torres has made him more aware of the limitations of some of his teammates and he can't hide it.

[Mattshark]

Thats a fairly loose statement Matt. That team where absolutely shocking and where there for the taking.

Simple things like passing & tackling need to be improved on, movement off the ball.

Did you enjoy the game last night?

No doubt things need to be worked upon movement especially, but they were very well organised defensively and set out not to attack at all and they are not actually that bad a team and that can be very difficult to breakdown.

I found the game interesting, if not exciting.

[Taxi]

No doubt things need to be worked upon movement especially, but they were very well organised defensively and set out not to attack at all and they are not actually that bad a team and that can be very difficult to breakdown.

I found the game interesting, if not exciting.

They also haven't played a competitive game for 2 months I think?

We cannot complain about teams being setup not to win when Rafa has done this time and time again away in europe.

[Mattshark]

They also haven't played a competitive game for 2 months I think?

We cannot complain about teams being setup not to win when Rafa has done this time and time again away in europe.

That is just not true.

[Exiled_red]

We knew from the start that they would come and defend, it was a first leg away from home and at a big club. If they'd have come to play football we'd have torn them apart.

It was one of the games where the sooner the first goal came the better we'd have done. We got a win and didn't concede an away goal, the second leg will be a different game, they will have to play a more open game which will suit us.

[Taxi]

That is just not true.

What!

[Mattshark]

What!

Aye it is absolute bollocks, we may set up for counter attack away from home, but to say we are set up not to win is just silly.

[Craig_H]

That is just not true.

It's very true. Nothing to criticise though, there are some games where you need to do that.

Are you actually Rafa?

[Mattshark]

It's very true. Nothing to criticise though, there are some games where you need to do that.

Are you actually Rafa?

Going out not win is not the same as going out not to lose.

[Craig_H]

Going out not win is not the same as going out not to lose.

I misread the original post, my mistake. He obviously doesnt go out to 'not win' That's ludicrous. I do think he sets up to avoid defeat as the main priority and hope to pinch the win, rather than proactively seeking to win.

[Armchairkopite]

No doubt things need to be worked upon movement especially, but they were very well organised defensively and set out not to attack at all and they are not actually that bad a team and that can be very difficult to breakdown.

I found the game interesting, if not exciting.

They looked well orgaised because we didn't move the ball around quick enough and exploit the obvious holes in their defense.

It was intersting that Rafa dropped a more offensive left back for a defensive one particularly as he would have had plenty of knowledge about the opposition.

We knew from the start that they would come and defend, it was a first leg away from home and at a big club. If they'd have come to play football we'd have torn them apart.

It was one of the games where the sooner the first goal came the better we'd have done. We got a win and didn't concede an away goal, the second leg will be a different game, they will have to play a more open game which will suit us.

They where hardly throwing bodies if front of shots now where they?

Look its all very easy to say they had eleven men behind the ball BUT there where gaps in that defense that we didn't exploit and our movement of the ball was laboured.

We didn't ask enough questions against a far inferior opponant.

[Skillz]

The only game i can think of away in Europe that Rafa did not try to win is vs Juve in '05.