Why is our away form so bad?

[Exiled_red]

I know that people are saying that the reason for our poor season is just that we are crap. But I've just been looking at our record at home and away from home.

.........Pl..W...D..L..F....A....PTS
Home 14..10..2..2..33...12..32
Away 15...4...4..7..12...17..16

While our home record isn't amazing an average of 2.28 points per game is good, whilst an average of 1.06 points per game away from home is awful.

Despite our current poor run of form we have won our last 6 home games, in contrast we have only 1 win in our last 8 away games during which time we have scored only scored 2 away goals (and none in our last 4).

Is there that much of a difference in the way we line up at home compared to away from home? We pick more or less the same team and formation, do we play a faster paced game at home? do people play further up the pitch at home? Do the fans make a difference? What is it?

[wiw]

I honestly don't know, but we've been here before haven't we? A season or two ago our away form was absolutely dreadful and the season after we seemed to sort it. We don't seem to be learning from our mistakes

[red g]

i think in Rafa's tenure we have only had 1 good season away from home and that was last year.

it also took rafa 4 years to register a victory at one of the top 4 as well i think.

although we do seem to be able to beat Scum with regular ease which is nice

[Exiled_red]

I honestly don't know, but we've been here before haven't we? A season or two ago our away form was absolutely dreadful and the season after we seemed to sort it. We don't seem to be learning from our mistakes

I remember that season, but I don't really remember how we sorted it out. As I recall, for ages it was poor, then without any noticable changes it was sorted out.

People keep mentioning the two defensive midfielders and negative approach as a reason for our poor form, but we adopt similar systems and styles of play in both home and away games. Likewise if our poor run of form shows Rafa has lost the dressing room as people claim, why is this only effecting our away record and not everything?

[Craig_H]

I know that people are saying that the reason for our poor season is just that we are crap. But I've just been looking at our record at home and away from home.

.........Pl..W...D..L..F....A....PTS
Home 14..10..2..2..33...12..32
Away 15...4...4..7..12...17..16

While our home record isn't amazing an average of 2.28 points per game is good, whilst an average of 1.06 points per game away from home is awful.

Despite our current poor run of form we have won our last 6 home games, in contrast we have only 1 win in our last 8 away games during which time we have scored only scored 2 away goals (and none in our last 4).

Is there that much of a difference in the way we line up at home compared to away from home? We pick more or less the same team and formation, do we play a faster paced game at home? do people play further up the pitch at home? Do the fans make a difference? What is it?

All of those things and more.

The onus is on the home side to make the play, visiting sides sit back and invite us onto them, we have more of a sense of looking for the win, unlike away from home, where we play the 'keep it tight and pinch a goal' theory - against everyone.

[Exiled_red]

All of those things and more.

The onus is on the home side to make the play, visiting sides sit back and invite us onto them, we have more of a sense of looking for the win, unlike away from home, where we play the 'keep it tight and pinch a goal' theory - against everyone.

The thing is while I'm not disagreeing with as such these effects aren't that much more noticable in home games than away games, if we do assume we play a more attacking game at home it's only slightly more attacking, slightly faster, and slightly further up the pitch.

In previous years we have struggled against teams that come to defend and invite us on including last season when we were playing well, dominating games and having much more attacking play, this season we are posing much less of a threat but our (home) record can't be that much worse.

To me it seems that there has to be something else that I'm missing, something significant, and I can't figure out what it is!

[Craig_H]

The thing is while I'm not disagreeing with as such these effects aren't that much more noticable in home games than away games, if we do assume we play a more attacking game at home it's only slightly more attacking, slightly faster, and slightly further up the pitch.

In previous years we have struggled against teams that come to defend and invite us on including last season when we were playing well, dominating games and having much more attacking play, this season we are posing much less of a threat but our (home) record can't be that much worse.

To me it seems that there has to be something else that I'm missing, something significant, and I can't figure out what it is!

In previous years, we didnt have Torres.

In home games, the opposition sit back much more which encourages us to be more adventurous. Law of averages says if you dominate possession and territory, combined with the class of a Torres, you're bound to break through sooner or later.

[kingfunk]

Its simple, When playing away we are set up not to concede first, which invites on pressure and we concede anyway and then IF we happen to score well then great, its a bonus. I seem to remember one game we started with 7 registered defenders on the pitch, that tells you all really.

[Guest]

i think in Rafa's tenure we have only had 1 good season away from home and that was last year.

it also took rafa 4 years to register a victory at one of the top 4 as well i think.

although we do seem to be able to beat Scum with regular ease which is nice

That's absolute bollocks mate sorry. We did badly in his first season then we were excellent the subsequent ones, apart this year. What you're talking about?

[Guest]

In previous years, we didnt have Torres.

In home games, the opposition sit back much more which encourages us to be more adventurous. Law of averages says if you dominate possession and territory, combined with the class of a Torres, you're bound to break through sooner or later.

Mourihno is adventurous as ****.

[Craig_H]

The Mourinho myth is hilarious.

He wasnt unadventurous in the sense you mean. He just got Chelsea 2-0 up and then shut up shop. Whaddya know, it won him league titles. We cant even go 1-0 up half the time.

It's already been established that you love Rafa, not LFC. You'd want a successor to fail (and LFC to fail) just to make him look good. That's not a Liverpool supporter.

[Craig_H]

That's absolute bollocks mate sorry. We did badly in his first season then we were excellent the subsequent ones, apart this year. What you're talking about?

What is your idea of excellent, just to clarify?

In 2006-2007, our away record wasnt anywhere near excellent. It was ****.

[Guest]

What is your idea of excellent, just to clarify?

In 2006-2007, our away record wasnt anywhere near excellent. It was ****.

It was Rafa's third year in charge and we went on to the final of the CL. We beat Barca away, Chelsea away etc ... Whilst it was probably still our weak point, we still finished third. But we got much better after that. It's been a steady progress in the league with Rafa, yes it's gone bad this year but there are glaring explanations for that, which you fail to acknowledge.

[peekay]

This is the shots on goal statistic for our away games since December. These are obtained from soccernet.com

Wigan 0
Man City 1
Arsenal 4
Wolves 1
Stoke 1
Villa 4
Portsmouth 1
Blackburn 2

14 shots on goal in away games in the PL since December. The opposition may as well not have a goalkeeper and play an extra man in attack.

We are slow, no urgency in build up. No enthusiasm to get the ball into the box. Even if we move the ball to the opposition half had any striker in the box to convert them.

Our DM are pulled out of place to cover Insua. Our strikers are pulled out of place to cover the DM. Our defenders seem unable to handle anything which comes high, or someone with even moderate amount of flair and pace and the ability to do something remotely threatening.

Or away is so awful because we have showed no desire to win. 14 shots on goal in 8 games is just that.

[Craig_H]

By the way fredo, our 'excellent' away campaign of 2006-2007 compares to others, as follows:

Liverpool - 22 points (P19 W6 D4 L9)

Man Utd - 42
Chelsea - 40
Arsenal - 26
Spurs - 21
Everton - 21
Bolton - 24
Reading - 20
Portsmouth 16
Blackburn - 22
Villa - 21
Boro - 13
Newcastle - 15
Man City - 21
West Ham - 15
Fulham - 11
Wigan - 19
Sheff United - 11
Charlton - 8
Watford - 10

Bettered or equalled by Bolton and Blackburn, and only 2 more away points than Reading...

That's your idea of 'excellent', is it?