Liverpool v Sunderland post match thread

[TheElephantMan]

Adam, Downing and Enrique played well - very encouraging. Lucas was the biggest disappointment for me today, his passing was atrocious at times. Flanagan needed some protection, Kuyt should have started instead of Henderson. Suarez was very ineffective and I think he should have been brought on for the last 30 minutes. We really need Johnson and Gerrard back and I believe that we do need another striking option (assuming N'gog is leaving). Our play in the second half was laboured, we weren't closing them down quick enough and there rarely seemed to be a positive outlet. Lumping the ball up to Carroll is predictable and if that's our gameplan then we need someone to feed off him - it was so frustrating the amount of times he flicked the ball on into empty space. If Suarez had been firing on all cylinders and if Adam had taken the penalty then it would have been a different result.

[danperkins]

I still don't get the Henderson signing, i just don't see it with him. What exactly does he do? Looked run of the mill at Sunderland and has looked run of the mill pre season, was average again today. Kuyt Ahead of him every time for me.

[little dave hedgehog]

i do rate flano, but it was clearly evident that he was giving away possession over and again while we were chasing a winner. i will never for the life of me understand why he wasn't hauled off. nothing personal and i'm sure he's a better player than that, but he ****ed things up for us big style at the end.

[billy_mac]

We have something lacking on the mental side with a 1-0 lead. The longer we didn't get a second, I just knew we were going to ship one. I thought we would get a winner though, but not with the route 1 stuff.

Dirk should have started and taken the peno.

[TheElephantMan]

Another positive from today - the delivery of corners was superb, Adam and Downing must continue to take them. Carroll was the main target today, but I think Gerrard will get loads of headed goals this season from corners.

[Exiled_red]

We have something lacking on the mental side with a 1-0 lead. The longer we didn't get a second, I just knew we were going to ship one. I thought we would get a winner though, but not with the route 1 stuff.

Dirk should have started and taken the peno.

I never really had Suarez down as a penalty taker for us, I assumed Gerrard, Kuyt and Adam would all have been ahead of him. Adam was on the pitch, he should have taken it IMO.

[Mostar]

Adam, Downing and Enrique played well - very encouraging. Lucas was the biggest disappointment for me today, his passing was atrocious at times. Flanagan needed some protection, Kuyt should have started instead of Henderson. Suarez was very ineffective and I think he should have been brought on for the last 30 minutes. We really need Johnson and Gerrard back and I believe that we do need another striking option (assuming N'gog is leaving). Our play in the second half was laboured, we weren't closing them down quick enough and there rarely seemed to be a positive outlet. Lumping the ball up to Carroll is predictable and if that's our gameplan then we need someone to feed off him - it was so frustrating the amount of times he flicked the ball on into empty space. If Suarez had been firing on all cylinders and if Adam had taken the penalty then it would have been a different result.

It thought too that Lucas had a very poor game. I'm not his biggest fan but I do think that Kenny played him too early. He looked extremely slow, very sluggish, not fit enough for 90 minutes, couldn't close the opposition quickly leaving Carra, Agger and Flanagan without proper support.

Personally I'm not sure the partnership with Adam will work but it's early days so we'll wait and see.

Made the same point about carroll and the predictability factor. I think he really tried his best but I said before that we need one more difference maker and it was clear after Suarez was subbed that we didn't have a player that can finish what he started.

[little dave hedgehog]

It thought too that Lucas had a very poor game. I'm not his biggest fan but I do think that Kenny played him too early. He looked extremely slow, very sluggish, not fit enough for 90 minutes, couldn't close the opposition quickly leaving Carra, Agger and Flanagan without proper support.

Personally I'm not sure the partnership with Adam will work but it's early days so we'll wait and see.

Made the same point about carroll and the predictability factor. I think he really tried his best but I said before that we need one more difference maker and it was clear after Suarez was subbed that we didn't have a player that can finish what he started.

for the moment, we actually do. his name is aquilani.

[Exiled_red]

for the moment, we actually do. his name is aquilani.

I couldn't understand why Aquilani wasn't on the bench.

[BootRoom]

It thought too that Lucas had a very poor game. I'm not his biggest fan but I do think that Kenny played him too early. He looked extremely slow, very sluggish, not fit enough for 90 minutes, couldn't close the opposition quickly leaving Carra, Agger and Flanagan without proper support.

Personally I'm not sure the partnership with Adam will work but it's early days so we'll wait and see.

Made the same point about carroll and the predictability factor. I think he really tried his best but I said before that we need one more difference maker and it was clear after Suarez was subbed that we didn't have a player that can finish what he started.

1. Lucas didn't have 'a very poor game'; he was quite good in the first half but faded in the second due to all the work he got through.

2. Where the **** was the rest of the midfield? Do you seriously think it's up to Lucas to cover three quarters of the defence? Flanagan and Carragher both had poor games but it wasn't down to Lucas.

[doogle]

Although disappointed we never won today and I was hoping we would blow everyone out the water straight away and win every game 3-0 I have calmed down a bit, it is like everyone playing with a new team, all the debutants, Suarez and Carroll still relatively new, Flano still a kid and Pepe, Carra, Agger, Lucas playing with new players, Maybe we should of played a few more players who new each other a bit better but if we are going to go forward then they will have to play with each sooner or later so get them bedded in, I think Henderson had a very difficult game to start with being young and playing against his old team must of been hard for him and I cant remember him giving the ball away to often which when he gets more confident I feel we'll see a player who plays intelligently and provides the threaded ball through whereas Downing will be the player who attacks the defence and obviously Carroll and Suarez doing what they do best

[Mostar]

for the moment, we actually do. his name is aquilani.

not for long as it seems.

Sadly he clearly seems to be on the way out.

I'm afraid he'll go and we won't bring anybody with the similar set of skills as we are waiting for Stevie to gets healthy and I think that may cost us dearly.

[TheElephantMan]

1. Lucas didn't have 'a very poor game'; he was quite good in the first half but faded in the second due to all the work he got through.

2. Where the **** was the rest of the midfield? Do you seriously think it's up to Lucas to cover three quarters of the defence? Flanagan and Carragher both had poor games but it wasn't down to Lucas.

Lucas kept giving the ball away, he was easily our worst player today. He was excellent last season, hopefully today was just a one-off.

[Norbs]

I couldn't understand why Aquilani wasn't on the bench.

Same reason that Fabregas and Nasri weren't on Arsenal's would be my guess

[BootRoom]

Lucas kept giving the ball away, he was easily our worst player today. He was excellent last season, hopefully today was just a one-off.

Bollocks.

He made a bigger contribution than the likes of Henderson, and got through a lot of work.