Bolton 0-1 Liverpool — Post match

[Craig_H]

Grabbo couldnt make it to the Reebok today, but here he is as news of Maxi's late goal filters through....

[DannyMan2006]

Game could have gone either way today. Still only one good performance this season where I can say we deserved to win. And that is where the problem is tbh.

I'll be honest, couple of games a go I was pretty much giving up on 4th place. These victories have only compounded the point that Roy has to go. Because the league is that much of a joke that anything like three wins on the spin will really fire a team into contention for 4th.

We won't get to that point where we can challenge under Roy. We'll easily come top 10, but we'd likely end up seeing Arsenal, Chavs and Mancs battle for the title, Spurs and City battle for 4th and we'd be there with Villa and Everton scrapping for the extra Europa spots.

I really believe now that if we can get a new man in soon enough we could actually yet jump up the next rung of the ladder and challenge for 4th. Had this change been made earlier enough we would already have been level with Spurs IMO.

[Craig_H]

Game could have gone either way today. Still only one good performance this season where I can say we deserved to win. And that is where the problem is tbh.

I'll be honest, couple of games a go I was pretty much giving up on 4th place. These victories have only compounded the point that Roy has to go. Because the league is that much of a joke that anything like three wins on the spin will really fire a team into contention for 4th.

We won't get to that point where we can challenge under Roy. We'll easily come top 10, but we'd likely end up seeing Arsenal, Chavs and Mancs battle for the title, Spurs and City battle for 4th and we'd be there with Villa and Everton scrapping for the extra Europa spots.

I really believe now that if we can get a new man in soon enough we could actually yet jump up the next rung of the ladder and challenge for 4th. Had this change been made earlier enough we would already have been level with Spurs IMO.

Totally agree. A new manager is so important, ASAP - while the damage is still repairable and the season still rescue-able.

[Craig_H]

After being 16/1 to be relegated, we're now 11/2 to finish in the top 4

Bookies are ****ing drama queens/pussies.

[TheElephantMan]

I'm questioning my support more with every game, I genuinely hoped that we would lose today to hasten Hodgson's exit. I have never felt so despondent before, this is the most tedious period of supporting my club that I have ever experienced. I can't get excited about games any more. I'm just speaking for myself, but until Roy Hodgson ****s off I just don't care much.

[Kronenburg1892]

I think this is hugely naive. Yes, they're American and into baseball and Nascar Racing, but **** me they have TV over there too

FLMAO, and if they have Andy Grey and Rodney Rednap as pundits, god ****ing help us.

[spanky]

Crazy thing is, with a decent manager and some goods buys in january, we could be steaming up the table. The league has been atrocious this season so far with even the top teams putting in real mixed performances.

[Eric Swindler]

In general in the league, Liverpool have been playing exactly like that away from home for the last ten years.

[Darkon]

That's exactly where I am. I have strong reservations about Hodgson but time and the owners will sort that out if needed. I want to follow LFC for pleasure not for angst, The former is so much more enjoyable.

[Darkon]

I also did a fist pump

But for much of the game I was thinking it was dire and that Hodgson needs to go. I still think that, and after the game I did wonder whether that would have bought him some time, and I don't want that

So I can understand the bitter sweet feeling and people perhaps not wanting us to win for that reason

I'm not a fan in any way of Hodgson, but in my view every fan should still be happy with a late win in a close match against Bolton, especially considering the situation we are / were in league wise. After the start to this season it was obvious that we would not go out and play fantastic football, the system and the confidence is simply not there yet.

This was an important win not just because we moved in to mid-table but also because we might get a lot of confidence from both a "winning streak" (a bit much I know), and from getting started away from home.

We are now only a couple of points of Europe positions and the team might get the confidence to go play better against napoli and chelsea in the coming matches, which to me can only be a good thing.

I cheered when we got the goal and the win, and I can only recommend other fans to try it

[Lecter]

I agree based on what we've seen so far, but I just don't think the plan is to leave him as isolated as he has been, or to sit as deep as we have been. On the latter, I think it's a confidence issue, and last season we had the same problem of dropping deeper and deeper when we were going through that bad run. On the former, Hodgson has usually produced footballing teams. OK, away from home in Europe last year he often played Zamora up front and resorted to long balls down the channel to relieve pressure and to secure a result, but then so did we under Houllier with Heskey, and under Rafa with Crouch. Most of the time though, Fulham played neat little triangles through Midfield with Murphy pulling the strings. On the whole they were known as a good team to watch. We were great for the first 20 mins against Sunderland, and for the first 70 mins against Blackburn playing exactly this kind of game, so I'm hoping it's just a case of players getting used to the tactics. If these are the tactics, then Roy will be gone by Christmas anyway, as you will be right that they don't suit our players and won't get the results we need.

After 10 games though, and after selling Mascher after he refused to play on the day of the game away at Man City, replacing good squad players with dross in a desperate attempt to make the yanks the money they needed to hold off the banks, after the most protracted and complicated takeover saga in football history, to be only 3 points of Spurs in fifth and 5 points off City in 4th isn't a complete disaster.

Fulham were shocking check some of their fan forums their is a wealth of relief that Roy is gone and that they have someone progressive playing football there

I actually do think it is a ploy to sit deep

Why go to all the hassle of retraining your goalkeeper if you intend to maintain a high line??

Pepe is one of the best sweeping behind a defence there is

IF it isnt a tactical ploy then Roy should be on his feet hollerring at them to push up (much like Rafa use to) but he doesnt he sits there like "The Thinker"

As for playing long balls I will quote Uncle Bob "its not the long ball or the short ball its the right ball that counts"

With Crouch we could play long balls to him and he could hold it up whilst the midfielders joined in but we played a much higher line with Benitez anyway so the play was far more condensed so the midfielders didnt have too far to travel

Houlliers tactics were more akin to Roys but Heskey was a beast upfront (****e with the ball) but for his first two seasons he was great at getting and holding the ball, but Houlliers tactics were mainly designed to draw the opposition onto him so they could knock balls in behind for the pace of Owen & Heskey to run into. Eventhough Houllier held a deep backline they pressed the opposition once they got into our half

This is my problem with Roy he holds a deep line defensively and gives the opposition ground, and possession even in our half. Its far too passive it invites the opposition to virtually walk into dangerous areas unopposed. Not only are we sitting deep but our play is far too stretched (again much more so than even in the Houllier era) Torres is way too isolated in fact hes so isolated that the man dropping off from him has to go deeper and deeper in search of the ball and to make contact with the midfield

We are playing far too many long balls to Torres a person who is less suited to winning the ball in the air and holding it up for midfielders who take an age to join in because they are so far away

To me it is clear we are playing styles and systems that not only conflict each other but also not only arent suited to the players we have but more importantly actually prey on their flaws

[Lecter]

I agree entirely that I was never worried under Rafa, and unlike now, you could see where Rafa was heading from day one. Too many of our performances so far have been woeful, and it's difficult to see where Roy is heading. On the 'we can't play better than we did against Blackburn' point though, I just don't buy the "reading every interview as if it's the gospel according to Roy" thing. The bloke's clearly got verbal diarrhea - ask him a question and hundreds of words come tumbling out, most of which don't seem to have passed through his brain en route to his gob. He's spent that long at weak underdog clubs that he spouts ****e about how the likes of Northampton will provide a tough test, and how a run of 7 wins from 9 is fantasyland, as if it's a nervous tic. That said, I think most of the time, the general point he's trying to make is usually right, it's just that people keep seizing on one line out of 20 or 30 which is clearly bonkers. He needs to stop doing this, obviously.

On Rafa, I wasn't addressing the point at you personally, and I'm sure you have moved on. But lots of people are continually posting as if Rafa's way was and is the only way of doing things. We must play 4-3-2-1 for evermore, with zonal marking, Gerrard behind Torres, and pressing all over the pitch (OK that's a caricature, I'll admit - but all of those views have been expressed individually, if not altogether). There are lots of ways to produce a winning team though, Ferguson's way is different to Rafa's, which is different to Mourinho's, which is different to Guardiola's, etc. etc. In any case, I just think it's futile to compare as it's not like we can get Rafa back (at least this season). Roy has to be judged on his merits, and I'm sure he will be. If results and performances don't improve then he'll be gone, these new owners aren't stupid.

Systems of Ferguson, Mourinho & Guardiolas are different but the general principles remain the same

They all involve pressing the ball and in general involve squeezing the play

This is what I do not see at all from Roy

Our play is far too stretched and that is a recipe for disaster because you cant support your forward, you invite pressure on you back four and you leave huge gaps "between the lines"

Roy claims hes been using the same system for 35 years, well I dont remember him winning anything over here with those tactics 35 years ago. In fact a certain Mr Paisley was trampelling over teams home and abroad by yes playing a high line and pressing the opposition and squeezing the play into as short a game as possible

[topscorer]

Thought we were lucky today

Poor performance, poor tactics

Someone needs to wake up the old duffer in the dug out he seems to be sleeping through 99% of the game

Exactly. Looked like he had missed a much needed siesta.

**** performance, for large parts of the game gave away possecion cheaply.

Almost all our players looked crap & I know they're not so it has to be the Manager.

Really happy for the 3 points, we needed them badly, but nothing to be proud of for ****s sake.

Hope the win does not cloud the judgement of the new owners.

unfortunately I think win, lose or draw against Chelski if the performance is good I think we are stuck with Roy until Christmas at least.

If we get battered then maybe they will make a move.

But honestly, do we really want to get battered to get rid of Roy? Is that how desperate we are?.....

I pray Henry can see straight without us needing to take a real thumping from Chelski.

[Bender]

Listening to the radio this morning as i was choking on the toothpaste and they said after the game all the Liverpool players went to applaud the fans and Torres just walked straight down the Tunnel

[Lecter]

Listening to the radio this morning as i was choking on the toothpaste and they said after the game all the Liverpool players went to applaud the fans and Torres just walked straight down the Tunnel

Dunno about that but I was speaking to my bluenose mate last night who expressed disgust that Hodgson just shook hands and went straight down the tunnel, particularly as my mate thought our support was excellent for the last 30 minutes of the game and that he should have applauded them

You see this is whats got me really worried even other supporters are starting to notice things and criticise Roy....