Liverpool v Sunderland post match thread

[Fredo]

Charlie Adam managed to make a piercing run deep in the second half. His fitness is improving.

[saj]

I didn't watch the game but if it's true the players are not totally fit then:

• EITHER the fitness coaches are crap and lots of people on here could obviously do a better job;
• OR It's nowhere near as simple as some people choose to believe.

It's the first game of the season, it's frustrating and a bit disappointing but that's all.

First half we seemed to win everything. In the second, Flannagan was totally poor and kept giving the ball in the second half. It seems harsh to blame one person but had we had more experienced RB today, we would have won. I have not seen a worse performance at FB from a player since Skrtel played there a few years ago. It's not his fault he's young - he was decent in the first half though.

[Mostar]

We threw that away, should have been wrapped up in first half. We looked bolloxed in teh second half, Downing,Adam & Lucas disappeared. Flanagan clearly is not ready, why on earth Kelly didn't start or at least come on in the second half i don't know.

Perfect time for us to get the 3 points in our first game at Anfield and show a sign of intent, get the good vibes going but alas same old same old. Shocking delivery to Carroll all game, he was isolated and Brown (was immense)had him in his pocket.

Carra looked ropey, thought Enrique looked decent, although his passing wasn't great. All in all a very meh performance and IMO a really bad result, regardless if it's the first game of the season. Early doors but disappointing.

Agree on Carra and would like to see him being phased out immediately. His still has a very good positional sense but his agility and ability to cover is getting very limited.

Enrique, on the other hand, to me looked good but reserved. Didn't want to go forward much and preferred to pass as soon as he would touch the ball rather than dribble with it as he has quite a few opportunities to make some good runs inside and out.

I think he'll be a great player for us but needs little bit of time to get comfortable with the players around him.

Absolutely gutted by this result.

We just threw away 2 points that we will have tough time getting back.

[Exiled_red]

Very good point.

As soon as they scored we completely lost our composure and had no idea of how to connect or attack.

Raul coming in didn't make any difference whatsoever.

Adam tried and tried but we need one more creative player to tie thing up for Suarez and Carroll.

I think Downing will be a very good player for us and I personally like him more on the right as on more than occasion we had Suarez, Downing and Enrique getting in each other way.

I'd have liked to have seen Aquilani on the bench and have come on in place of Meireles, when Suarez went off and with no Gerrard, Aquilani is the only other player who could offer something creative in the hole.

[danperkins]

Feels like i have gone back in time here as it was the same against Arsenal last season. Disappointing is an understatment here.

a bit of a let down alright when it should have been the 3 points.

[McDermotX]

Charlie Adam managed to make a piercing run deep in the second half. His fitness is improving.

He saw someone in the Kop with a Big Mac

[Icon]

I'd have liked to have seen Aquilani on the bench and have come on in place of Meireles, when Suarez went off and with no Gerrard, Aquilani is the only other player who could offer something creative in the hole.

[red g]

I have a feeling that carroll is going to have to score a hat trick every week or he will be given grief.

I thought he played very well, and dont give this bull**** about just lumping it upto the big man, its not his fault and Carra has been doing it for 15 years regardless who is up front.

I think the long balls in general were more a fitness issue than anything else.

We were excellent in that first half and they should have been down to 10men.

All the new players showed enough today to show they are going to be great aquisitions for the future imo.

aprt from Carra and flanagan today everyone showed they can play pass and move just need to get that fitness up.

[Tee]

Yes it was only the first game of the season but it really is 2 points dropped. We desperately needed a win today, not only for the points but for the confidence it would have given the team.

I hope we can regroup quickly and play more like we did in the first half. FWIW I also fancy us to nick it at the Emirates next week.

[kingfunk]

We need another striker.

[Fredo]

In terms of the football and the encouraging signs, this was much better than the ones mentioned IMO

No, this wasn't better. Playing attacking football at home is a given but today second half was pretty much flat.

[JohnDoe]

I have a feeling that carroll is going to have to score a hat trick every week or he will be given grief.

I thought he played very well, and dont give this bull**** about just lumping it upto the big man, its not his fault and Carra has been doing it for 15 years regardless who is up front.

I think the long balls in general were more a fitness issue than anything else.

We were excellent in that first half and they should have been down to 10men.

All the new players showed enough today to show they are going to be great aquisitions for the future imo.

aprt from Carra and flanagan today everyone showed they can play pass and move just need to get that fitness up.

Well said, people should get off Carroll's back. He's one of the last players I could criticize for today's game.

[Mostar]

I'd have liked to have seen Aquilani on the bench and have come on in place of Meireles, when Suarez went off and with no Gerrard, Aquilani is the only other player who could offer something creative in the hole.

Raul cannot make things happen for us and he almost didn't play at all during the pre-season and Aquilani, given the pre-season, could've been a difference maker.

I was very surprised by some of Kenny's decisions today (Flanagan for Kelly, Aquilani not even on the bench, Raul for Suarez etc.)and I hope happy days are ahead of us

[Neil Young]

First half we seemed to win everything. In the second, Flannagan was totally poor and kept giving the ball in the second half. It seems harsh to blame one person but had we had more experienced RB today, we would have won. I have not seen a worse performance at FB from a player since Skrtel played there a few years ago. It's not his fault he's young - he was decent in the first half though.

It sounds to me more like Sunderland made tactical changes at half-time that we failed to deal with. Perhaps Flanagan's youth was part of the problem there, although I can't see how Kelly's slightly greater experience would definitely have made all the difference.

Arn's idea though that Bruce won the tactical battle is wrong IMO. We won the first half, they won the second; Dalglish won the first half tactical battle, Bruce won the second. After all, it was a draw.

[Arn]

Haven't seen the game yet, but it sounds like exactly as I expected. Giving Poulsen/Cole/Ngog all those preseason games was always gong to haunt us. Without Suarez starting I quietly expected us to lose 2-0. Bruce always starts the season strongly.

So, all in all, with players that have only just met each other and haven't got match fitness yet a 1-1 result was a point gained in my mind. One game more for these players to gel, I fancy us against Arsenal.