Blackpool post match

[Fredo]

The tactics are 100% spot on, the problem is the players have had 6 months of Hodgson being drilled day in day out to sit in, keep 2 tight backs of four, everyone staying on the 'piece of string' as it's known.

Suddenly switching back to a pressing, high tempo game with no time for training isn't going to work straight away, might not work properly against Everton but it will come right.
From last night put Aurelio at LB, Gerrard in the midfield, Cole in the front 3 and we immediately carry a much much greater threat going forward.

Leaves us Babel, Maxi, Ngog plus Shelvey etc... to come on from the bench.

The more I think of it the more I attribute our defeat to general fitness and getting 'unused' to the catastrophic tactics/training from the previous regime. Kenny's already had a massive impact.

[lancinleeds]

I've not read through this so don't know if it has been mentioned but just realised we have lost 4 of the last 6 league games (Newcastle, Wolves, Blackburn and now Blackpool). Granted 3 have been away but they are all games we should have won and if we had would be sat in fourth

[PTP]

- well i've calmed down slightly after last night - having a fe beers didn't help

I still don't think i was too kneejerk - we were ****ing dreadful - i accept that, it's going to take a bit of time to turn things round - and i am still pleased we got rid of the hodge, and kenny is in -

I am hoping that maybe the issue last night is, to be fair it looked like we tried to play football....the problem being we didn't have enough footballers on the pitch

Our technique is poor - we seem unable to string together 10x passes of between 5yds and 10yds in a row.

A typical piece of liverpool possession this year

It's starts with say agger, good footballer, nice easy pass to lucas, who first touch won't be great, he'll then play a pass a yard behind meireles who streches to control, he's now under pressure and will pass it back to johnson - he'll try and steam forward but got nowhere to go, so passes it to kuyt - kuyts first touch is abysmal, so bad he's got two men up his arse, he plays a dreadful pass back to anyone and they now either just go long with a hopeful ball to torres or we just give it a way.

I'm not asking for barcelona esque super football – but come on lads, keep the ball, don’t panic, get ur first touch in, when passing to a team mate make it as easy as you can.....basics of football – something that due to either lack of confidence or lack of ability we just can’t manage.

We have (on paper at least ) 5 footballers in the squad imo which is nowhere near enough – agger aurelio gerrard cole and torres, and we have question marks over fitness with all of them!! – maxi and meireles (at a push lucas) aren’t bad, tidy enough and for now can do a job – and you can add carragher in as every team needs someone with his character and fight – Kelly/shelvey/ngog are excused because they are young kids coming through – oh obv reina excused too because he’s a superstar

The rest though – look clueless footballers, either lacking brains, pace, technique, no threat, no guile, no fight, not strong, can’t head it, or in dirk kuyts case....all of that

[Cormack74]

Hi all – Happy New Year. Sorry I’ve not posted a while but my system was knackered circa November 2010 until January 2nd this year. Anyway my view is this; I'm disappointed by the defeats as Many of our fans are however what I am feckin' Happy to see is us TRY and take the game to the opposition with what if I'm not mistaken looked VERY like a version of the 'high pressure'/penning them in game that both Kenny's Double Winning side for us (the one he inherited Before The Footballing Mega Machine he built circa' '88 not to mention All Liverpool sides between Shankly and him) and his later rather more prosaic Blackburn employed – This was also of course the main strategy we employed under Rafa’ and which he did so well with up until last season. THAT for any Roy Hodgson lovers reading this is what we did to well nigh perfection under Rafa' and That is of course what we've missed so very, very badly since he was pushed last June.

Basically I’m just happy to see us consistently attack the opposition for long periods in 2 games running now and ask THEM questions instead of sitting, waiting for (and answering wrongly) Their own questions of our suspect defences – Although I’m probably in a minority of thinking that the ‘pressing’ game done correctly negates problems even for a bad defence – I think IF we had played as we did under Rafa’ All this season or even still Had him as coach? We’d have conceded Far less goals as teams Can’t attack you when under constant pressure or penned in their own half with their attacks stopped 60 odd yards from goal no? And That is the secret of Ferguson’s United side to come to think of it – They don’t Need a great defence when they foul and stop attacks on the halfway line and pen their opponents in their own half by hunting in packs do they? This btw is Something WE also did so well under Rafa’ until 2010. And then? Came Roy – A statement of mediocrity if ever there was one.

Well, I lost count of just HOW many times we sat in our own half - defended cluelessly, shat ourselves going forward and just ended up freezing meekly for the kill to occur from our opponents in Roy's ill-starred and thankfully oh so brief reign as our boss. It wasn't that we Couldn’t take the intiative - We showed that briefly when dismissing Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham with such ease, when Holding (and intially Pressing) Arsenal on the opening day as well as when recovering from 2 - 0 down at the Dump up the M62. I don't think either that it's a coincidence that A) We won All those games bar the last when we DID press teams or that B) All bar the final one mentioned were at OUR ground. I don't know, It's almost not so much we couldn't Win games away from home - rather we (and by extension our then boss) were Afraid to even Try and attack, never mind win - The single aberration to that rule; Us inflicting Bolton's only home loss of the season back on Halloween demonstrates the rule since only twice in that match - Once in each half - did we get forward and one of those two attacks led to the winner.

Come to think of it - I don't think it's a coincidence that Kenny was in the background but prominent if you know what I mean during the time those games were played either - If I didn't know better I'd say under Roy we had 2 different teams. The dynamic, flowing, destructive unit in the games mentioned that briefly tantalised us with it's unexpected appearances and equally rapid disappearances and then? The clueless, vapid shadow of an outfit who did nothing, sat back and grumbled on their hands whilst meekly accepting execution in game after game after game after...........You get the idea - Home AND Away like lambs to the slaughter and who accepted such defeats as inevitable with nary a fight. I wonder if during the games we DID take the initiative under Roy if ‘someone’ had a word – That someone with maybe a ‘K’ in their name perhaps? Who knows? Either way it didn’t last long with Roy’ did it? Since inevitably the ‘B’ Team (for ‘Bad and then some’) would soon rear it’s head to ruin a promising string of results or turn a good performance or two to so much wasted time by conceding a game we had looked like winning due to sitting back.

Pathetic didn't even BEGIN to describe that meek excuse for a team Nor their awful excuse for a manager and such occasions had begun to occur with increasing regularity Long before Roy's dismissal - Anyone forgotten that we were dismal at Newcastle nearly a Month before he went? Anyway - the nadir of such a disgraceful, apology for a tactical system arrived at Blackburn on the road when we were 3 - 0 down within just over half an hour to what is comfortably one of THE worst sides I've seen in this league for a good few seasons (and they are worse than the Ince version of Blackburn we comfortably dismantled on the same ground 2 seasons back - THAT is how bad they are).

Of course the TRUE nadir of Roy's reign came at home, just a week Before his dismissal no? You know surely - Right at the end of the awful, utter disgrace that was 2010 when we showed less invention, spark, fight and cussed ability to scrap for a win than an ice-cream would in the height of summer to a pathetically bad Wolves side; One who nevertheless had spirit in spades, outfought us to an embarrassing degree and found it easy to hold on against an LFC side not INTERESTED in attacking once they snatched a (by then) deserved lead early into the second half - And this great (ha ha) LMA manager of the year? During this game - did he A) USE a side that (never mind all the victories we had v big 4 sides in 2008/2009 OR finishing second) Instead Remember the Comebacks we had that season, from a goal or more down - Against, Hull, Wigan, United, Arsenal, City, Boro' etc for That is what is relevant here) to recover our desperate state or B) Sit there cluelessly, (try) and look knowledgeable whilst doing precisely nothing except scratch his chin which is even More annoying than back when Houllier was falling as our manager waaay back in '04 with his habit of standing up encouraging us when we were winning and then sitting down, muttering to himself and doing nothing in particular when we started losing?

Well, What do you think the 'peoples' (read Media) champion, the London Anointed for Anfield, champion of the LMA - Keeper of the bosses Flame - The one, the only, the great Royston did? Precisely - Not so much B) as B) with bells on - **** all, nada, nothing; That little lot doesn't even start to describe his pathetic lack of fight/action - We missed our one Real chance through Meireles and never got or looked like forcing another one. What's more? The awful destruction such repeated capitulations of his duty as our manager wrought on our sides ability to perform such fightbacks or even basically Play football and put teams under consistent pressure (as they so briefly showed under him v Villa et al) can't even BEGIN To be described. I think he HAD to go and not so much only because of the defeats but the fact that to much MORE of what was going on? And then we really Would have to begin from below bottom with a side who didn't know How to make comebacks, fight for a win/the shirt or even play basic football on the pitch - i.e. a Fulham under Roy MK II, the physical embodiment of his abysmal lack of fight if you will.

Fortunately we binned that criminal (football wise) blueprint and him JUST in time. Therefore as it is, I think we Do consequently still - as we showed in patches last night, have a side in there SOMEWHERE that can play fairly decent quality football when used properly, one capable of putting large amounts of pressure on the opposition and scoring when on top; Not to mention a World Class striker capable of converting that threat into goals when played properly - A man further who unsurprisingly with one of The best former withdrawn strikers of world football as his coach has now looked threatening And scored in 2 games whereas he took HOW many to do both under Roy? He scored in Roy's 3rd game v West Brom' but was in No way threatening until the Sept' debacle at OT and even then he never scored. Either way re the team, as I was implying; Basically, All it needs is a little warmth, tenderness, TLC, motivation and time with the new boss who is clearly unafraid to try different players Or positions And to switch tactics when it all goes horribly wrong for the team unlike when they wore Royston straitjacket and were suffocated/choking in it.

In short and even after only 2 games? It is very clear that we are attacking teams now. Non-stop and repeatedly as you Should in this league – pressing them back as much as is possible. Don't forget, Kenny of all people knows that attacking inferior sides in this league is not just the way to wins but THE way to win the league itself in the long term – He’s won it More times than ANY recent PL boss (including Wenger) other than Ferguson with Four League titles to his name in England whilst managing two different clubs – A testament to his own ability if nothing else and along with the fact that HE was the last man to do it as OUR boss? The one thing that should make him bombproof as our manager now. In England – quite simply? If you try Attack, attack and attack again? Or even press, press and press again in order to 'control' games as Rafa' so loved? Well, do either and you WILL eventually reap the rewards as we should to in the not to distant future.

Our team just need to get used to commanding games again rather than sitting back and waiting for the worst to happen which is a relief after what went on under Hodgson. A little longer under Roy and we really WOULD have had to start from scratch – As it is? We only now need to reimmerse our team in a ‘pressing the pitch’ style VERY familiar to any watchers of Liverpool circa 1973 – 1992 and more recently (under Rafa’ basically) 2005 – 2010 with cameos this season against Aston Villa, Chelsea, West Ham, Blackburn and Bolton at Anfield. Any longer and we’d have forgotten how to play like that Completely and That would have been unforgiveable so well done on NESV to seeing this and acting promptly – **** the media and what they think – Do you think they REALLY care for what’s good for LFC as against their ‘pet’ Roy? I think not – In fact I believe quite the opposite is correct as regards Liverpool FC and the very special level (and depth) of hatred that most of the media in England hold for this club but That is another story entirely for another time.

Anyway – the team’s ‘pressing’ DNA Is still in there somewhere – Rescued Just in time. So maybe there Is hope for the future after all and with due care? The above mentioned TEAM that was so prominent under Roy's predecessor will under a Proper Liverpool manager (maybe The proper Liverpool boss given just Who we speak of as our current boss) emerge blinking, surprised but (crucially) unbroken in it’s methods into the light of the league again in the next few months to come ready to shut a few critics up - We shall see but one things for sure – Despite 2 losses in 3 days; Performances HAVE improved in terms of tactics, fight, Pressing the opponents in their own half (which takes time to perfect - remember Rafa's early days in 04/05 using this very system?) even if results have not yet - they will given time and crucially what Roy Never had (and what Kenny's honours and proven ability as a manager entitle him to) faith/confidence in the system now being (re)worked at Melwood. Give him time pepole, it WILL come.

I'm convinced that Now, All We need is just a little patience. Which makes a change from under Roy, where we needed not so much patience as a bloody downright Miracle - See that was Roy's REAL crime - the loss of hope - We could see, the media could see, our foes could all see (and the last two LOVED this following point - hence their desperation for him to remain at our helm) and of course Roy himself knew after a short while - I'm convinced; He knew that even with Six months at the helm inflicting his 'methods' upon us, that the team would NEVER improve under him but he was Far to stubborn to go and clung on like a limpet to what could have been his Crowning Appointment if he'd been a bit more flexible with his pathetic 'methods'. In fact I’d go so far as to say our previous manager before Kenny? Was managing a team so much the opposite and diametrically opposed in it's former training to just about Everything he stood for as manager that the improvement graph in our performances and the correlation in results didn't so much get worse as drop off the map so bad did things get. Still as they say no? ''Things can only get better'' - And our Next opponents? Not just our neighbours but one of the King's Favourite all-time targets as both manager And player (his win percentage v them bordered on the ridiculous in BOTH cases) so maybe some Long overdue luck will come our way no?

I believe I’ll finish now by saying this. Many of you may not be old enough to have seen this and I only really remember it from what my Dad told me as a youngster when I Just missed out on that time in our history but things DID start off Much worse than a 0-1 and 1-2 defeat in 2 matches for one of Roy’s predecessors at Anfield and HE went on to become our greatest manager of them all. There was indeed once another occupant of the Anfield hotseat a few decades back whose reign began even Worse than Kenny's second spell here has - He started by being CRUSHED 0-4 at Home to Cardiff City and his side were than whacked 0 - 3 at Charlton Athletic a week later before beating them 2 - 0 at Anfield in his 3rd match. You don't either thanks to the incredible longetivity of ALL our managers bar the most recent have to go to far through the list to find this man either on the list of our permanent bosses - Only 3 and a half decades or so since he last managed us.

What was that man's name? Why, one William Shankly of course better known as 'Bill' and we all know what HE went on to build at Anfield no? Who better to replicate that or better than The king? Our best manager of recent years and a Proven winner both on the pitch AND in the dugout? It will take time though and us being united on and off the pitch. Fortunately we at least have both of those boxes ticked now after so long torn asunder amongst ourselves. Give it time though? And who knows? - The value of time in the modern game is best illustrated using Fergie at OT and the ‘Mark Robins/Nottingham Forest’ story yes? Well, use that along with what Shankly's start all those years ago and you can soon see given what those two eventually DID achieve as managers? That vast turnarounds of just the type we require now? Are indeed possible and given time here? Who knows just What might happen? Something tells me the fun is only just beginning.........................

NB Topscorer - I don't think Kenny changed it around the hour as what we really NEEDED was a 'holding' midfielder to fill up and block out the midfield and since Masch' went and as we started with one (laughably described as such) in Poulsen along with another in Lucas firefighting all over the pitch? He COULDN'T make that change as there was nothing left for him to bring on. Shows how frighteningly light our options are ATM in my view. Still, I think that lack will be glaringly obvious to Kenny to and he should do something about it - If nothing else it's a terrible indictment of the previous regime who were supposedly So defensive that what is the One position we don't have cover to hand in when we Really need it? Yep, you guessed it, a defensive midfielder - Pathetic doesn't even begin to describe THAT; I guess it's just yet another example of Roy's glaring lack of coaching ability and football vision at the very highest level. In view of all that? I've said it before and I'll say it again - Thank God he's gone..........................

Blimey, you look like you've got some time on your hands or maybe you're related to Tomkins?

[Pablo]

Hi all – Happy New Year. Sorry I’ve not posted a while but my system was knackered circa November 2010 until January 2nd this year. Anyway my view is this; I'm disappointed by the defeats as Many of our fans are however what I am feckin' Happy to see is us TRY and take the game to the opposition with what if I'm not mistaken looked VERY like a version of the 'high pressure'/penning them in game that both Kenny's Double Winning side for us (the one he inherited Before The Footballing Mega Machine he built circa' '88 not to mention All Liverpool sides between Shankly and him) and his later rather more prosaic Blackburn employed – This was also of course the main strategy we employed under Rafa’ and which he did so well with up until last season. THAT for any Roy Hodgson lovers reading this is what we did to well nigh perfection under Rafa' and That is of course what we've missed so very, very badly since he was pushed last June.

Basically I’m just happy to see us consistently attack the opposition for long periods in 2 games running now and ask THEM questions instead of sitting, waiting for (and answering wrongly) Their own questions of our suspect defences – Although I’m probably in a minority of thinking that the ‘pressing’ game done correctly negates problems even for a bad defence – I think IF we had played as we did under Rafa’ All this season or even still Had him as coach? We’d have conceded Far less goals as teams Can’t attack you when under constant pressure or penned in their own half with their attacks stopped 60 odd yards from goal no? And That is the secret of Ferguson’s United side to come to think of it – They don’t Need a great defence when they foul and stop attacks on the halfway line and pen their opponents in their own half by hunting in packs do they? This btw is Something WE also did so well under Rafa’ until 2010. And then? Came Roy – A statement of mediocrity if ever there was one.

Well, I lost count of just HOW many times we sat in our own half - defended cluelessly, shat ourselves going forward and just ended up freezing meekly for the kill to occur from our opponents in Roy's ill-starred and thankfully oh so brief reign as our boss. It wasn't that we Couldn’t take the intiative - We showed that briefly when dismissing Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham with such ease, when Holding (and intially Pressing) Arsenal on the opening day as well as when recovering from 2 - 0 down at the Dump up the M62. I don't think either that it's a coincidence that A) We won All those games bar the last when we DID press teams or that B) All bar the final one mentioned were at OUR ground. I don't know, It's almost not so much we couldn't Win games away from home - rather we (and by extension our then boss) were Afraid to even Try and attack, never mind win - The single aberration to that rule; Us inflicting Bolton's only home loss of the season back on Halloween demonstrates the rule since only twice in that match - Once in each half - did we get forward and one of those two attacks led to the winner.

Come to think of it - I don't think it's a coincidence that Kenny was in the background but prominent if you know what I mean during the time those games were played either - If I didn't know better I'd say under Roy we had 2 different teams. The dynamic, flowing, destructive unit in the games mentioned that briefly tantalised us with it's unexpected appearances and equally rapid disappearances and then? The clueless, vapid shadow of an outfit who did nothing, sat back and grumbled on their hands whilst meekly accepting execution in game after game after game after...........You get the idea - Home AND Away like lambs to the slaughter and who accepted such defeats as inevitable with nary a fight. I wonder if during the games we DID take the initiative under Roy if ‘someone’ had a word – That someone with maybe a ‘K’ in their name perhaps? Who knows? Either way it didn’t last long with Roy’ did it? Since inevitably the ‘B’ Team (for ‘Bad and then some’) would soon rear it’s head to ruin a promising string of results or turn a good performance or two to so much wasted time by conceding a game we had looked like winning due to sitting back.

Pathetic didn't even BEGIN to describe that meek excuse for a team Nor their awful excuse for a manager and such occasions had begun to occur with increasing regularity Long before Roy's dismissal - Anyone forgotten that we were dismal at Newcastle nearly a Month before he went? Anyway - the nadir of such a disgraceful, apology for a tactical system arrived at Blackburn on the road when we were 3 - 0 down within just over half an hour to what is comfortably one of THE worst sides I've seen in this league for a good few seasons (and they are worse than the Ince version of Blackburn we comfortably dismantled on the same ground 2 seasons back - THAT is how bad they are).

Of course the TRUE nadir of Roy's reign came at home, just a week Before his dismissal no? You know surely - Right at the end of the awful, utter disgrace that was 2010 when we showed less invention, spark, fight and cussed ability to scrap for a win than an ice-cream would in the height of summer to a pathetically bad Wolves side; One who nevertheless had spirit in spades, outfought us to an embarrassing degree and found it easy to hold on against an LFC side not INTERESTED in attacking once they snatched a (by then) deserved lead early into the second half - And this great (ha ha) LMA manager of the year? During this game - did he A) USE a side that (never mind all the victories we had v big 4 sides in 2008/2009 OR finishing second) Instead Remember the Comebacks we had that season, from a goal or more down - Against, Hull, Wigan, United, Arsenal, City, Boro' etc for That is what is relevant here) to recover our desperate state or B) Sit there cluelessly, (try) and look knowledgeable whilst doing precisely nothing except scratch his chin which is even More annoying than back when Houllier was falling as our manager waaay back in '04 with his habit of standing up encouraging us when we were winning and then sitting down, muttering to himself and doing nothing in particular when we started losing?

Well, What do you think the 'peoples' (read Media) champion, the London Anointed for Anfield, champion of the LMA - Keeper of the bosses Flame - The one, the only, the great Royston did? Precisely - Not so much B) as B) with bells on - **** all, nada, nothing; That little lot doesn't even start to describe his pathetic lack of fight/action - We missed our one Real chance through Meireles and never got or looked like forcing another one. What's more? The awful destruction such repeated capitulations of his duty as our manager wrought on our sides ability to perform such fightbacks or even basically Play football and put teams under consistent pressure (as they so briefly showed under him v Villa et al) can't even BEGIN To be described. I think he HAD to go and not so much only because of the defeats but the fact that to much MORE of what was going on? And then we really Would have to begin from below bottom with a side who didn't know How to make comebacks, fight for a win/the shirt or even play basic football on the pitch - i.e. a Fulham under Roy MK II, the physical embodiment of his abysmal lack of fight if you will.

Fortunately we binned that criminal (football wise) blueprint and him JUST in time. Therefore as it is, I think we Do consequently still - as we showed in patches last night, have a side in there SOMEWHERE that can play fairly decent quality football when used properly, one capable of putting large amounts of pressure on the opposition and scoring when on top; Not to mention a World Class striker capable of converting that threat into goals when played properly - A man further who unsurprisingly with one of The best former withdrawn strikers of world football as his coach has now looked threatening And scored in 2 games whereas he took HOW many to do both under Roy? He scored in Roy's 3rd game v West Brom' but was in No way threatening until the Sept' debacle at OT and even then he never scored. Either way re the team, as I was implying; Basically, All it needs is a little warmth, tenderness, TLC, motivation and time with the new boss who is clearly unafraid to try different players Or positions And to switch tactics when it all goes horribly wrong for the team unlike when they wore Royston straitjacket and were suffocated/choking in it.

In short and even after only 2 games? It is very clear that we are attacking teams now. Non-stop and repeatedly as you Should in this league – pressing them back as much as is possible. Don't forget, Kenny of all people knows that attacking inferior sides in this league is not just the way to wins but THE way to win the league itself in the long term – He’s won it More times than ANY recent PL boss (including Wenger) other than Ferguson with Four League titles to his name in England whilst managing two different clubs – A testament to his own ability if nothing else and along with the fact that HE was the last man to do it as OUR boss? The one thing that should make him bombproof as our manager now. In England – quite simply? If you try Attack, attack and attack again? Or even press, press and press again in order to 'control' games as Rafa' so loved? Well, do either and you WILL eventually reap the rewards as we should to in the not to distant future.

Our team just need to get used to commanding games again rather than sitting back and waiting for the worst to happen which is a relief after what went on under Hodgson. A little longer under Roy and we really WOULD have had to start from scratch – As it is? We only now need to reimmerse our team in a ‘pressing the pitch’ style VERY familiar to any watchers of Liverpool circa 1973 – 1992 and more recently (under Rafa’ basically) 2005 – 2010 with cameos this season against Aston Villa, Chelsea, West Ham, Blackburn and Bolton at Anfield. Any longer and we’d have forgotten how to play like that Completely and That would have been unforgiveable so well done on NESV to seeing this and acting promptly – **** the media and what they think – Do you think they REALLY care for what’s good for LFC as against their ‘pet’ Roy? I think not – In fact I believe quite the opposite is correct as regards Liverpool FC and the very special level (and depth) of hatred that most of the media in England hold for this club but That is another story entirely for another time.

Anyway – the team’s ‘pressing’ DNA Is still in there somewhere – Rescued Just in time. So maybe there Is hope for the future after all and with due care? The above mentioned TEAM that was so prominent under Roy's predecessor will under a Proper Liverpool manager (maybe The proper Liverpool boss given just Who we speak of as our current boss) emerge blinking, surprised but (crucially) unbroken in it’s methods into the light of the league again in the next few months to come ready to shut a few critics up - We shall see but one things for sure – Despite 2 losses in 3 days; Performances HAVE improved in terms of tactics, fight, Pressing the opponents in their own half (which takes time to perfect - remember Rafa's early days in 04/05 using this very system?) even if results have not yet - they will given time and crucially what Roy Never had (and what Kenny's honours and proven ability as a manager entitle him to) faith/confidence in the system now being (re)worked at Melwood. Give him time pepole, it WILL come.

I'm convinced that Now, All We need is just a little patience. Which makes a change from under Roy, where we needed not so much patience as a bloody downright Miracle - See that was Roy's REAL crime - the loss of hope - We could see, the media could see, our foes could all see (and the last two LOVED this following point - hence their desperation for him to remain at our helm) and of course Roy himself knew after a short while - I'm convinced; He knew that even with Six months at the helm inflicting his 'methods' upon us, that the team would NEVER improve under him but he was Far to stubborn to go and clung on like a limpet to what could have been his Crowning Appointment if he'd been a bit more flexible with his pathetic 'methods'. In fact I’d go so far as to say our previous manager before Kenny? Was managing a team so much the opposite and diametrically opposed in it's former training to just about Everything he stood for as manager that the improvement graph in our performances and the correlation in results didn't so much get worse as drop off the map so bad did things get. Still as they say no? ''Things can only get better'' - And our Next opponents? Not just our neighbours but one of the King's Favourite all-time targets as both manager And player (his win percentage v them bordered on the ridiculous in BOTH cases) so maybe some Long overdue luck will come our way no?

I believe I’ll finish now by saying this. Many of you may not be old enough to have seen this and I only really remember it from what my Dad told me as a youngster when I Just missed out on that time in our history but things DID start off Much worse than a 0-1 and 1-2 defeat in 2 matches for one of Roy’s predecessors at Anfield and HE went on to become our greatest manager of them all. There was indeed once another occupant of the Anfield hotseat a few decades back whose reign began even Worse than Kenny's second spell here has - He started by being CRUSHED 0-4 at Home to Cardiff City and his side were than whacked 0 - 3 at Charlton Athletic a week later before beating them 2 - 0 at Anfield in his 3rd match. You don't either thanks to the incredible longetivity of ALL our managers bar the most recent have to go to far through the list to find this man either on the list of our permanent bosses - Only 3 and a half decades or so since he last managed us.

What was that man's name? Why, one William Shankly of course better known as 'Bill' and we all know what HE went on to build at Anfield no? Who better to replicate that or better than The king? Our best manager of recent years and a Proven winner both on the pitch AND in the dugout? It will take time though and us being united on and off the pitch. Fortunately we at least have both of those boxes ticked now after so long torn asunder amongst ourselves. Give it time though? And who knows? - The value of time in the modern game is best illustrated using Fergie at OT and the ‘Mark Robins/Nottingham Forest’ story yes? Well, use that along with what Shankly's start all those years ago and you can soon see given what those two eventually DID achieve as managers? That vast turnarounds of just the type we require now? Are indeed possible and given time here? Who knows just What might happen? Something tells me the fun is only just beginning.........................

NB Topscorer - I don't think Kenny changed it around the hour as what we really NEEDED was a 'holding' midfielder to fill up and block out the midfield and since Masch' went and as we started with one (laughably described as such) in Poulsen along with another in Lucas firefighting all over the pitch? He COULDN'T make that change as there was nothing left for him to bring on. Shows how frighteningly light our options are ATM in my view. Still, I think that lack will be glaringly obvious to Kenny to and he should do something about it - If nothing else it's a terrible indictment of the previous regime who were supposedly So defensive that what is the One position we don't have cover to hand in when we Really need it? Yep, you guessed it, a defensive midfielder - Pathetic doesn't even begin to describe THAT; I guess it's just yet another example of Roy's glaring lack of coaching ability and football vision at the very highest level. In view of all that? I've said it before and I'll say it again - Thank God he's gone..........................

Does anyone and I mean ANYONE want to own up to having read all of that?

[GTi]

Does anyone and I mean ANYONE want to own up to having read all of that?

[Fernandinho]

Fat chance.

[Lecter]

Don't you think Kenny's tactics last night were a bit reminiscent of how we used to play under Rafa, Lecter? The team tried to be very compact and the general idea was to press from as high as possible and compress the play there. Even Poulsen, was at a certain point in the game, pushing forward and harassing their defenders. I've never seen us employ those tactics once when Hodgson was there.

Not so sure they were reminiscent of Rafas system but it was a world away from Roys

Kenny wont be as cautious as Rafa

[Havors]

Havors you are crazy if you think some of those kids, especially Ince and Amoo deserve to be anywhere near the first team...

I think you should actually go watch some of them kids play, especially Suso and Silva. Imagine if we had never let Owen, Fowler, Gerrard, Carragher anywhere near the first team... I bet half those kids would show more desire and effort than half the overpaid lazy wasters in the first team squad.

Im not saying throw them all in the starting 11 but they should be getting chances and I guarantee a couple of superstars will emerge.

[Fernandinho]

Maybe Suso and Pacheco sure but I think you are going a bit far considering some of the others just yet, they have barely had a run in the reserves yet... Except Amoo

[Shaggy]

Not so sure they were reminiscent of Rafas system but it was a world away from Roys

Kenny wont be as cautious as Rafa

I know it's ridiculously early days but I couldn't believe how open we were last night. After being so used to being 'compact', that openness came as a bit of a shock.

[Havors]

- well i've calmed down slightly after last night - having a fe beers didn't help

I still don't think i was too kneejerk - we were ****ing dreadful - i accept that, it's going to take a bit of time to turn things round - and i am still pleased we got rid of the hodge, and kenny is in -

I am hoping that maybe the issue last night is, to be fair it looked like we tried to play football....the problem being we didn't have enough footballers on the pitch

Our technique is poor - we seem unable to string together 10x passes of between 5yds and 10yds in a row.

A typical piece of liverpool possession this year

It's starts with say agger, good footballer, nice easy pass to lucas, who first touch won't be great, he'll then play a pass a yard behind meireles who streches to control, he's now under pressure and will pass it back to johnson - he'll try and steam forward but got nowhere to go, so passes it to kuyt - kuyts first touch is abysmal, so bad he's got two men up his arse, he plays a dreadful pass back to anyone and they now either just go long with a hopeful ball to torres or we just give it a way.

I'm not asking for barcelona esque super football – but come on lads, keep the ball, don’t panic, get ur first touch in, when passing to a team mate make it as easy as you can.....basics of football – something that due to either lack of confidence or lack of ability we just can’t manage.

We have (on paper at least ) 5 footballers in the squad imo which is nowhere near enough – agger aurelio gerrard cole and torres, and we have question marks over fitness with all of them!! – maxi and meireles (at a push lucas) aren’t bad, tidy enough and for now can do a job – and you can add carragher in as every team needs someone with his character and fight – Kelly/shelvey/ngog are excused because they are young kids coming through – oh obv reina excused too because he’s a superstar

The rest though – look clueless footballers, either lacking brains, pace, technique, no threat, no guile, no fight, not strong, can’t head it, or in dirk kuyts case....all of that

so typical of the way we have played for the last 2 seasons. We have some of the most technically woeful players in the premiership. Only a handful have any composure and awareness.

[Havors]

Maybe Suso and Pacheco sure but I think you are going a bit far considering some of the others just yet, they have barely had a run in the reserves yet... Except Amoo

I was just making a point they were the first names that popped into my head

Suso is the next Messi and i dont give a **** if that sounds ridiculous

[The_weatherman]

Very disappointed with the result yesterday, didn't see the game but I have to say it's very, very difficult start for Kenny to take over, I think the first team had a day off on monday after the game right? Which means he's had maybe a day, day and a half of training with the whole team. He's trying to use the squad and with a difficult game on sunday I can somewhat understand that.

Next week he'll have the whole week to work with the team so hopefully we'll see some more improvements in the team. Let's not give up on Kenny after two games in the middle of a fixture congestion in the middle of january.

[Havors]

Very disappointed with the result yesterday, didn't see the game but I have to say it's very, very difficult start for Kenny to take over, I think the first team had a day off on monday after the game right? Which means he's had maybe a day, day and a half of training with the whole team. He's trying to use the squad and with a difficult game on sunday I can somewhat understand that.

Next week he'll have the whole week to work with the team so hopefully we'll see some more improvements in the team. Let's not give up on Kenny after two games in the middle of a fixture congestion in the middle of january.

I dont think anyone will give up on Kenny. Im confident that with the right players being brought in and the crap shipped out he will get us back in the liverpool groove! pass n move!