v Sparta Post Match

[Lecter]

We didn't play counter-attacking football under Rafa either.

Well we sometimes we did

Quite often actually particularly in Europe - Juventus home & away, Barcelona away, Chelsea home and away immediately spring to mind

[Shaggy]

Well we sometimes we did

Quite often actually particularly in Europe - Juventus home & away, Barcelona away, Chelsea home and away immediately spring to mind

Yeah when the occasion demanded it...there were some fantastic, classic counter-punching away performances in Europe. But on the whole his idea was built around possession-based football.

[Lecter]

We played a controlled short passing game.

No longer convinced of that

I thought that prior to watching Kennys system now but they are completely chalk and cheese

Rafa played a Sacchi-esque system, ie when the opposition plays the ball backwards / sidewards then the team pushes up and presses the ball, when the opposition plays the ball forward you sit off and control the spaces and pick up the ball that way hopefully

Kennys teams press irrespective of ball direction

Kennys teams play short passing game with loads of movement

Rafa was more about controlling the opposition with the passing almost like a boxer using his jab to keep the big hitting opponent out of reach.

[Rowan]

Completely disagree, Johnson gets off extremely lightly IMO, considering how poorly he's played this season.

Don't know if it's because he's English, or whatever, but he seems to escape criticism when it's fully justified.
People continually make excuses for him and find it almost impossibly to give him any stick whatsoever. even when it's clear as day he's 100% a liability.

Yeah, it's amazing the bias towards our English players. I mean, look at the good will towards PFK. I can only imagine that the high praise and numerous plaudits he got on here were due to his nationality.

Then there was all the support Roy got on here. If he hadn't been English he'd have been slaughtered.

[Chris]

Completely disagree, Johnson gets off extremely lightly IMO, considering how poorly he's played this season.

Don't know if it's because he's English, or whatever, but he seems to escape criticism when it's fully justified.
People continually make excuses for him and find it almost impossibly to give him any stick whatsoever. even when it's clear as day he's 100% a liability.

You are so out of touch with reality its frightening.

[Lecter]

Yeah when the occasion demanded it...there were some fantastic, classic counter-punching away performances in Europe. But on the whole his idea was built around possession-based football.

But again there is no comparison between Rafa's possession based game and Kenny's

Kenny's is the ultimate system the one the club lived and breathed on during the 70's & 80's. Lots of passing with lots of movement

Rafa's system we passed the ball but we seemed to stay in position & shape whilst doing that

After watching us the last few weeks I'm more inclined to say Rafa WAS defensive and looking to counter more than I thought

[Mostar]

Get it right. I said his defending in the first half against Prague was worse then any display PFK put in for us.

Which it was.

Totally untrue.

I understand that you don't rate him, which is fine as anyone is entitled to its opinion, but to compare his defensive display against Sparta (what exactly did he do wrong there, did he cost us a goal?) with anything Konk did over the course of his short LFC career is nothing more than the silly overstatement.

I will be first to admit that his defensive skills are shaky at times but it is really getting tiresome to use him time and time again as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong with our defense 'cause that is not what facts show.

[Rudo]

Well we sometimes we did

Quite often actually particularly in Europe - Juventus home & away, Barcelona away, Chelsea home and away immediately spring to mind

Juve at home, we didn't play counter-attacking football at all. we pressed them high up the pitch and got in their faces early, unsettled them and got a two goal lead as a result.
In the away match, i suppose we did play on the break but tbf we were up 2-1 from the first leg and it's Juve away, so hardly a surprise. Nearly did get a goal against the run of play, Baros missed a sitter when through one on one.

As for the Chelsea games, they were tight and tense with both sides reluctant to give anything away. Defo didn't play counter-attacking football against them.

Barca away, well what else do you expect?

[Craig_H]

Might wanna let it go rudo mate, Lecter's forgotten more about football than you'll ever know.

[Rudo]

Yeah, it's amazing the bias towards our English players. I mean, look at the good will towards PFK. I can only imagine that the high praise and numerous plaudits he got on here were due to his nationality.

Then there was all the support Roy got on here. If he hadn't been English he'd have been slaughtered.

I said i don't know if it's because he's English he gets off lightly, if you actually read what i said.

[Drago]

Totally untrue.

I understand that you don't rate him, which is fine as anyone is entitled to its opinion, but to compare his defensive display against Sparta (what exactly did he do wrong there, did he cost us a goal?) with anything Konk did over the course of his short LFC career is nothing more than the silly overstatement.

I will be first to admit that his defensive skills are shaky at times but it is really getting tiresome to use him time and time again as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong with our defense 'cause that is not what facts show.

Once he stood still like a plank and let his man walk past him. Should have resulted in a goal.

Another time he was caught hopelessly out of position and again could/should have resulted in a goal. Kuyt gave him a glare for that one.

They were the two worst cases. PFK never put in a half as poor as that.

[Lecter]

Lecter's forgotten more about football than you'll ever know.

That wouldnt be difficult though would it

[Rowan]

I said i don't know if it's because he's English he gets off lightly, if you actually read what i said.

And I clearly demonstrated that it isn't, if you actually read what I said

[Mostar]

Once he stood still like a plank and let his man walk past him. Should have resulted in a goal.

Another time he was caught hopelessly out of position and again could/should have resulted in a goal. Kuyt gave him a glare for that one.

They were the two worst cases. PFK never put in a half as poor as that.

Even you know that cannot be further from the truth..

[Lecter]

PFK never put in a half as poor as that.

Not a chance PFK's performances have been some of the worst performances from a fullback I've seen at Anfield

I'm not a big fan of Johnson myself but hes miles better than PFK and even at his worst hes streets ahead of PFK