Liverpool vs Swansea post match thread

[G]

You can use stats to prove anything,40% of people know that.

Homer Jay Simpson!

[Neil Young]

We don't play as a team, that is the big problem.

It is up to the manager to correct that. I read in another thread that we only had one goal threat a couple of years ago. That is simply not true.

Gerrard and Torres was injured a lot but we still scored a lot of goals. The reason was that we played as a team. No other team on the planet played as organized as we did. Like Rafa's Valencia but scoring more goals.

Can anyone really say that we play organized football this season? I can't.

We don't play as a team. We are back to the Houllier days when Owen made all the difference. Now it is Suarez.

We must start playing as a team or we won't stand a chance.

Time.

[little dave hedgehog]

neil, you're not playing as a team there.

[Arn]

Agger: Liverpool's 'headless chickens' can forget Champions League if we carry on like this
By Dominic King

Daniel Agger delivered a withering assessment of Liverpool’s latest wasteful Anfield performance and has warned their Champions League ambitions will evaporate with further repeats.

The Denmark defender is usually economical with his words but he did not hold back following a 0-0 draw with Swansea, a result which means Liverpool have already squandered eight points on home territory from six games this season.

‘Sometimes we looked like headless chickens running around after the ball,’ said Agger, before cryptically adding: ‘I think everyone was angry and disappointed, some more than others, but that is the way it is.’

Certainly there was no disguising Agger’s fury. Kenny Dalglish selected the same side that had dismantled West Brom seven days earlier but the display was far removed from the one they had produced in the Black Country.

Therein lies a key point. Despite the significant overhaul that took place this summer, all the old problems that have stymied Liverpool in recent years remain. They fall down against sides they should beat, there is an over-reliance on certain individuals and consistency is frustratingly elusive.

Faces may change in the dugout and on the pitch but everything seems to stay the same at Anfield. The more Liverpool fail these type of examinations, the more restless the crowd becomes. Teams arrive at the fabled old ground sensing their hosts are vulnerable.

‘We were really, really bad,’ said Agger. ‘When we got the ball we lost it straight away. We were not sharp enough. We did not press well enough. There were so many things that were really disappointing, especially after we played okay last week.

‘We have to win these types of games, no matter which kind of team we put out. We are Liverpool Football Club.

‘If we play like this, we won’t (get back into the top four). We have got to move up a level or two. I won’t say it is not possible, because it is but it is up to the players. We are the only ones who can make a difference. We definitely have to do a lot better.’

While Liverpool were poor, it would be wrong to overlook a terrific effort from Swansea. They played the better football, should have won the game had Mark Gower shown some composure when he had the Kop goal at his mercy and never flinched in the face of a late rally.

‘This is a difficult place to come, so for us to play how we played, get a clean sheet and a point was a fantastic,’ enthused Swansea’s impressive manager Brendan Rodgers. ‘I like my teams to be technical and tactically organised and understand their job, but psychologically this was important.

‘To stand there when You’ll Never Walk Alone was going around the ground was a real tear-jerker. Ultimately, I am judged to do a job and I thought psychological this point was a step forward to us.’



Clicky

[Arn]

Time.

He had almost a year now. He didn't need to change anything but he decided to change to 4-4-2.

That means that it will take time before the players understand the new system because almost no one of them have played that system before.

If he hadn't changed system then the players would most probably already gelled because they would play a system they know inside out.

[Arn]

The players didn't need time. They needed to play a system they know.

[dom9]

The players didn't need time. They needed to play a system they know.

That's bollocks. How many of Rafa's players started on Saturday?

Stop ****ing pining for him. It's his system you want us to play.

[Darkon]

He had almost a year now. He didn't need to change anything but he decided to change to 4-4-2.

That means that it will take time before the players understand the new system because almost no one of them have played that system before.

If he hadn't changed system then the players would most probably already gelled because they would play a system they know inside out.

What are you on about?? Seriously, have you forgotten about the 8 months with Hodgson in charge before that (including off-season and friendlies) where he implemented a new system and playing style? Many of those games we did play 4-4-2 even. Kenny took over in the middle of a season, less than a year ago and of course he is implementing his ideas with new as well as old players.

Each manager have their own ideas and the implement them and buy players for that system, and try to adapt old players to that system. We have few players left from the days of Rafa so that is hardly got anything to do with it. With your so called argument in hand, nothing should ever change. Rafa should have continued Houlliers style of play, I bet we then would have made top-4 in his first season - or does it not work that way around??

You are outdoing even the most devote catholic in morning the loss of someone, and it's getting ridicoulous. It's been 1½ years since Rafa left, and I honestly hope you can move on soon. Not for the sake of me being tired of reading the same 4 posts from you over and over again, but for your own sake. It must be miserable watching us play if all you can see is Rafa on the screen, and I hope you again someday can enjoy watching us and be less obssesive with this one idea.

[Roboklopp]

Aye Arn. You know I rate Rafa, but he had a full season here before his ideas even began to take shape in the league. KK has been out of management a long time, we need to give him a period of grace at least that.

[Nicey]

The players didn't need time. They needed to play a system they know.

Mate no bigger Rafa fan you will find than my good self, I might even shed a man tear or two but lets put things in perspective.

In the space of 12 months we have gone from likely relegation cannon fodder, a club in utter utter disarray staring down the double barrel shotgun of total destruction, with utterly ****e players at the club, ****e players joining the club, no money and no hope. To a club on the move, building for the future, looking to challenge for Europe, a club who scared the bejesus out of United so much they played 6 defenders when they came to play us and were very happy to walk away with a point, a club were instead of losing worldclass talent we are making worldclass talent again in Suarez. A club who is signing up the the best Domestic talent in the game, but we are also a club were week in and week out, more than half of the team is new, playing for a new manager getting used to a new system. Lets not forget this is Kenny's first full season in charge, with the exception of Spurs away, you could make a case that we were unlucky in the previous games were we dropped points.

Its not going to win win win win every month, there will be bumps in the roads and whilst I agree we needed to be much better out there and maybe there could have been a better tactical system in place, I like our chances in the long run of the Entire season to be there or there abouts come the final month of the campaign. Swansea will take points off other top 6 teams in the mix these season. Kenny is in charge and its not a ****ing rolling weekly contract .. lets grow a set, commit to the man who has earned the level of commitment and lets see what he can do in 3 Years not 3 ****ing months !!! You Will Never Walk Alone

[RichC]

well said Nicey

[BG1973]

I love how Rafa's spend is always "net" yet Kenny doesnt get the same treatment. Hypocrite.

You're confusing things though.

Did rafa ever outlay 100 million in 2 consecutive windows?

He never had that financial muscle and that is the point.

Over a couple of years you can talk about net spend but at the moment it's irrelevant.


And this is not saying kenny is ****ing up, it's just saying net spend is irrevelant and by saying it you're burying your head in the sand to the fact that we have spend badly.

[Resu]

one thing I noticed was how defensively minded Lucas was, even for a DM. A couple of times he broke up play high in our half and we had a chance to counter. But after he had passed the ball he just stopped running forward, and let the Swansea players get back in position. It looked so clear that his job is to win the ball, others should do something usefull with it. By the time Adam etc had gotten higher up the pitch the opponents had as well.
If the Lucas/Adam partnership is as limited in it`s roles at it looks like something has to be done.

[Chris]

You're confusing things though.

Did rafa ever outlay 100 million in 2 consecutive windows?

He never had that financial muscle and that is the point.

Over a couple of years you can talk about net spend but at the moment it's irrelevant.

And this is not saying kenny is ****ing up, it's just saying net spend is irrevelant and by saying it you're burying your head in the sand to the fact that we have spend badly.

Huh? I'm well aware of the problems or potential problems of our signings, im just pointing out his massive hypocrisy and asking why its different rules for Kenny and Rafa.

If these results were under Rafa it'd be "£40m net isnt a big enough spend to transform the club" but under Kenny its "£100m he's wasted". Would be nice to have a bit of consistency on the issue.

[Exiled_red]

You're confusing things though.

Did rafa ever outlay 100 million in 2 consecutive windows?

He never had that financial muscle and that is the point.

Over a couple of years you can talk about net spend but at the moment it's irrelevant.

And this is not saying kenny is ****ing up, it's just saying net spend is irrevelant and by saying it you're burying your head in the sand to the fact that we have spend badly.

How is net spend irrelevant?

If we hadn't sold Torres and Babel for ~£60m we wouldn't have signed half of these players.