Liverpool v Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[Eric Swindler]

We definitely don't need a garcia type. We need a single minded striker who knows where the net is. Like Defoe, only good.

[Kenneth]

I think we do. Top teams seem to have settled on a holding player and flair player combo in MF, at least one of each in the middle. Henderson, Adam and a deep lying Gerrard don't fit into either category. We need another DM and a real AM in my opinion.

[Alex]

I think we do. Top teams seem to have settled on a holding player and flair player combo in MF, at least one of each in the middle. Henderson, Adam and a deep lying Gerrard don't fit into either category. We need another DM and a real AM in my opinion.

Henderson, Gerrard and Lucas would be so much better than that 3. Moving forward, I think a replacement for Gerrard is needed. Charile will be a bench player next season.

[Redshadow]

Peekay? "What we need is a 22-24 year old versions of Kuyt and Maxi who may not be Van Persie level finishers but can contribute atleast 10 goals per season each" - What you mean like say Jovetic, Soldado, Higuain & Pedro to name but a few? Maybe but since the cost of such would be prohibitively high? I think we should go the other route & do just what the Mancs did when They (and they Did!!) assembled their 'jigsaw' of an attack as you put it all those years ago. That way is? Simple - find the One player who will unlock our frontline; Sort of like a forward version of Gary Mac whose on everyone's wavelength & sees the passes that will unlock our forward line & allow us to flood in the goals we can all see they're capable of with a Bit more luck - Just to recap on something that's struck me about us of late? You really Don't remember the mancs BPL? Before they became the Premier League Monstrosity that's been in place for 2 decades now do you?

They were excellent defensively, controlled most of pretty much every game they played & yet? Got nowhere most of the time - Why? Simple, they just Could Not score goals to save their lives - Everyone said about their forward line that "it needed changing wholesale/is useless/should be shipped out etc" Now stop me & tell me where you've heard all That recently? But in the end? The Manc's found the key to the lock that unlocked All their latent goal power & possibilities for scoring goals & winning games in just the One (not very dear) signing. A man who came from Leeds by accident - I speak of course of Cantona - He changed the very History of that club (who until then had spent 20 plus years Miles away from the title after thinking it would be Their year every year & with more goalscoring problems than even We have now by that point stopping them getting anywhere like the rewards their play merited - Again - sound familiar?);

But not only did he do what he did in order to finally Break the cycle of United failure - Cantona also? Almost single handedly bestowed them with the calmness in the penalty area, the confidence in their game no matter what & the 'aura' of champions that belonged to Us for 2 & a half decades before 1991. After he came & they won the damn thing? They took off - Never looking back & growing eventually into the abomination we know today; Now we? Stand roughly where they did back in 1992 just before the advent of the Premier League & their current dominance. It might not be clear to many but we Do stand at a similar crossroads to what They once did IMO. In short? We've been so good at times this season I honestly think that add a finisher or the Key to that damned stubborn goal-lock we currently have upfront? And We would be contesting the heading of the table into March with City & not the Mancs or not only them. We've battered Every team in this league at least once this season (and that includes the Top 2 & Spurs) yet had virtually nothing to show for our efforts all to often due to a lack of calmness in possession, clinicality in the penalty area & ruthlessness in general in front of goal. I don't think a great finisher would change all that much really - Yes they'd give us more goals but they wouldn't solve All that's wrong on their own.

Remember? Torres had one of his last really effective periods in front of goal briefly before leaving us & Suarez was a dead-eyed forward assassin in Holland yet both? Have struggled immensely since Kenny was in charge & we've played better football at times than I've seen for years particularly with Suarez in the team. No I think what we Really need? Is someone to Teach this squad the attributes of calmness, clinicality, ruthlessness in order most of all to help them acquire the 'aura' that Cantona effectively took from us once & gave to United all those years ago. So in other words? While a finisher would help no doubt? I believe we have other deeper underlying problems However & What do we really need right now to transform potential into reality? Well, as I said above? We need Precisely what They needed & found all those years ago if you ask me; In short? As I've implied thus far & said earlier - We need our Own Cantona. It's a damn shame it was a decade ago but actually? We once Had just such a player at the club once who would have been utterly Perfect for this but he was criminally first marginalised & then later driven out by Houllier - His name? Jari Litmanen. Now? We need to find his modern day successor then? Our goalscoring worries will be done with & so will our terrible league record & we'll finally start to regularly garner the points our play (which has been outstanding at times this season) deserves. It's not a matter of revolution - Just evolution which I think you Seemed to forget somewhat there mate - We only need that One player to unlock our potential IMO. The question is Where to find him? That? Is the hard part. Over to you Kenny & management team..........

NB Oh & one other thing - Given his performance in the Wrong position on Saturday & his recent performances in his favourite position in general bar the final? I think we could do worse than bin Adam for now from the middle & replace him with Henderson. Henderson's a young player yes but they? Only get better with experience & IMO? He did very well on Saturday in an unfavoured postion & has already shown (including Saturday) that he can create goals & make cute passes/prompt the team from the middle of the park - He also defends a bit more than Charlie right now who seems to think such effort beyond him. No I'm Not saying Henderson will become our next Alonso (Though God knows we need one with Lucas out) but Jordan might just? Become another Michael Carrick given time which with the current parlous state of our midfield passing wise? Would be More than enough for us there..............

[Craig_H]

Redshadow? Your Posting style Makes my eyes Bleed.

[Redshadow]

Sorry mate is habit; Here you go;

"Peekay? "What we need is a 22-24 year old versions of Kuyt and Maxi who may not be Van Persie level finishers but can contribute at least 10 goals per season each" - What you mean like say Jovetic, Soldado, Higuain & Pedro to name but a few? Maybe but since the cost of such would be prohibitively high? I think we should go the other route & do just what the Mancs did when They (and they Did!!) assembled their 'jigsaw' of an attack as you put it all those years ago. That way is? Simple - find the One player who will unlock our frontline; Sort of like a forward version of Gary Mac whose on everyone's wavelength & sees the passes that will unlock our forward line & allow us to flood in the goals we can all see they're capable of with a Bit more luck - Just to recap on something that's struck me about us of late? You really Don't remember the mancs BPL? Before they became the Premier League Monstrosity that's been in place for 2 decades now do you?

They were excellent defensively, controlled most of pretty much every game they played & yet? Got nowhere most of the time - Why? Simple, they just Could Not score goals to save their lives - Everyone said about their forward line that "it needed changing wholesale/is useless/should be shipped out etc" Now stop me & tell me where you've heard all That recently? But in the end? The Manc's found the key to the lock that unlocked All their latent goal power & possibilities for scoring goals & winning games in just the One (not very dear) signing. A man who came from Leeds by accident - I speak of course of Cantona - He changed the very History of that club (who until then had spent 20 plus years Miles away from the title after thinking it would be Their year every year & with more goalscoring problems than even We have now by that point stopping them getting anywhere like the rewards their play merited - Again - sound familiar?);

But not only did he do what he did in order to finally Break the cycle of United failure - Cantona also? Almost single handedly bestowed them with the calmness in the penalty area, the confidence in their game no matter what & the 'aura' of champions that belonged to Us for 2 & a half decades before 1991. After he came & they won the damn thing? They took off - Never looking back & growing eventually into the abomination we know today; Now we? Stand roughly where they did back in 1992 just before the advent of the Premier League & their current dominance. It might not be clear to many but we Do stand at a similar crossroads to what They once did IMO. In short? We've been so good at times this season I honestly think that add a finisher or the Key to that damned stubborn goal-lock we currently have upfront? And We would be contesting the heading of the table into March with City & not the Mancs or not only them. We've battered Every team in this league at least once this season (and that includes the Top 2 & Spurs) yet had virtually nothing to show for our efforts all to often due to a lack of calmness in possession, clinicality in the penalty area & ruthlessness in general in front of goal. I don't think a great finisher would change all that much really - Yes they'd give us more goals but they wouldn't solve All that's wrong on their own.

Remember? Torres had one of his last really effective periods in front of goal briefly before leaving us & Suarez was a dead-eyed forward assassin in Holland yet both? Have struggled immensely since Kenny was in charge & we've played better football at times than I've seen for years particularly with Suarez in the team. No I think what we Really need? Is someone to Teach this squad the attributes of calmness, clinicality, ruthlessness in order most of all to help them acquire the 'aura' that Cantona effectively took from us once & gave to United all those years ago. So in other words? While a finisher would help no doubt? I believe we have other deeper underlying problems However & What do we really need right now to transform potential into reality? Well, as I said above? We need Precisely what They needed & found all those years ago if you ask me; In short? As I've implied thus far & said earlier - We need our Own Cantona. It's a damn shame it was a decade ago but actually? We once Had just such a player at the club once who would have been utterly Perfect for this but he was criminally first marginalised & then later driven out by Houllier - His name? Jari Litmanen. Now? We need to find his modern day successor then? Our goalscoring worries will be done with & so will our terrible league record & we'll finally start to regularly garner the points our play (which has been outstanding at times this season) deserves. It's not a matter of revolution - Just evolution which I think you Seemed to forget somewhat there mate - We only need that One player to unlock our potential IMO. The question is Where to find him? That? Is the hard part. Over to you Kenny & management team..........

NB Oh & one other thing - Given his performance in the Wrong position on Saturday & his recent performances in his favourite position in general bar the final? I think we could do worse than bin Adam for now from the middle & replace him with Henderson. Henderson's a young player yes but they? Only get better with experience & IMO? He did very well on Saturday in an unfavoured postion & has already shown (including Saturday) that he can create goals & make cute passes/prompt the team from the middle of the park - He also defends a bit more than Charlie right now who seems to think such effort beyond him. No I'm Not saying Henderson will become our next Alonso (Though God knows we need one with Lucas out) but Jordan might just? Become another Michael Carrick given time which with the current parlous state of our midfield passing wise? Would be More than enough for us there.............. "

There you go - Second time I've done that for you in the past week. That Is rare - A poster I actually enjoy reading. Keep up the good work mate...............

[Craig_H]

I'm flattered, honoured and touched.

[Redshadow]

Thanks mate appreciated but I Meant it - I normally am a right anti-social so & so on Forums & find something to row about from Every poster but not you - Not yet anyway LOL. As to from now on? We shall see.............................

BTW what do you think of my points CraigH? I genuninely believe we only need a bit of fine tuning here & there to see the chances we're squandering by the week now start to go in & BG1973? It's really Not the case that we're only occasionally doing that - It's been every bloody week virtually since August against Sunderland & nothing's changed in All that time..............

[Alex]

Open letter to LFC from Arteta.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their help and friendship towards me on Saturday.

After my accident on the pitch, the Arsenal medical staff did a great job, together with everyone at Liverpool Football Club.

From Anfield, I was taken straight to the Aintree University Hospital, where they checked me, just as precaution.

Everything was fine and I was able to travel from the hospital and join up with my teammates for the train journey back to London.

I've since looked back at the TV images of when I was being taken off and just want to show my appreciation to the Liverpool fans at Anfield. It is touching to receive that response from the fans of a great club when I am leaving the pitch injured. Thank-you.

I also want to thank Pepe Reina and the Liverpool players who have sent me messages of support and friendship, this again is really touching and just shows class from a great football club.

And very importantly, a message to all the fantastic Arsenal fans, not only all those at Anfield on Saturday who were brilliant, but also those who have sent me many messages since Saturday. It is hugely appreciated. I cannot tell you how much this means to me.

It must have looked very serious to everyone as I left the pitch on a stretcher, but I'm pleased to say that I'm fine now and hope to be back on the pitch very soon.

Thank you everyone.

Mikel Arteta

The bloke is class.

[cream]

Open letter to LFC from Arteta.



The bloke is class.

It what happens when you leave the blue****e.

[Craig_H]

Thanks mate appreciated but I Meant it - I normally am a right anti-social so & so on Forums & find something to row about from Every poster but not you - Not yet anyway LOL. As to from now on? We shall see.............................

BTW what do you think of my points CraigH? I genuninely believe we only need a bit of fine tuning here & there to see the chances we're squandering by the week now start to go in & BG1973? It's really Not the case that we're only occasionally doing that - It's been every bloody week virtually since August against Sunderland & nothing's changed in All that time..............

As i've said before, the amount of chances we are missing (hitting post, bar, missing so many penalties etc) is freakish, and not something that will continue forever IMO. I'm amazed it's gone on for this long. When you're hitting the post/bar so often, you're just tiny margins away from those shots being goals.

I'm not happy with our home form but i'd be far less happy if we werent creating chances, were being outplayed and not looking like scoring a goal - as was the case under Hodgson. Under Kenny, we're failing to reach our potential but you can see that the margins are fine. It's not an overhaul or major surgery that's needed, but a bit of tweaking and the addition of someone who can finish chances.

Furthermore, i'd be truly amazed if, come next season, we arent scoring penos and taking chances. This season has been freakish, but sometimes you get seasons where freakish things can happen. Sometimes they go for you, other times against you. It wasnt so long ago where we had a freakish season whereby tonnes of teams had players sent off against us. So it goes both ways.

[Le Chef]

I can't see that anyone has picked this up but its the first time I've seen the goals since Saturday and you can miss things at the game, but did anyone else think Reina should have got to at least the second the goal. Both time on Saturday he got beat at the near post, the header admittedly he was tough one but he was only a yard away, but there wasn't even a reflex. The second, in my opinion he should have got at least a hand on it and to be honest he should be saving those.

[Muddled]

Yup, it's a great hit from Van Persie, but Reina shouldn't be beaten near post.

I don't think he can do anything for the first, but it almost looks like he's tried to second-guess that Van Persie was going to go across goal like the one against Everton(?) and he's shifted his weight across and he can't re-adjust quick enough.

[Redshadow]

I agree broadly with Craig H - Our run of bad luck in front of goal? Can't go on forever - We are bound If we continue overall playing this well more often than not? To eventually get it right & start converting what we create - It reminds me a little of Rafa's side in 07/08 actually though not half as clinical as even that team which itself had plenty of problems at home (isn't it ironic that in Rafa's Final season we swept aside virtually every team at home barring Villa & Chelsea & beat nearly everybody at Anfield yet now with a much better balanced side? We struggle so much more in front of goal). Yet a year after those problems? That Rafa' side swept aside nearly everybody in 08/09 & especially towards it's end? Scored bucketloads of goals most particularly at Anfield.

Think it's the same here TBH - Think we're finding our range & setting our sights - Calibrating our forward line & learning How to play with so much possession right now which clearly takes a while after some of the turgid ****e we suffered under Hodgson & before him at the Very end of Rafa's tenure even back to Houllier - The last all-out attack manager we had? Was probably Evans & even he couldn't get the balance right despite being present during many of our former triumphs. Kenny managed us to some of those triumphs though - He knows what is required & we will get there under him - Mark my words & when we do? Things will change dramatically in the league both for us & everyone else. Why else do you think Ferguson fears us So much that he tries to sabotage us virtually every season bar when we hire ****e like Hodgson to manage us? There's a reason for that - He fears what we Will eventually become & He's right to..........

NB If it's any consolation - Read somewhere today that a certain Robin Van Persie was the Premier League's "woodwork king" who struck the posts/bar More than any other player the season before now & before Suarez took his crown. Look at Van Persie now - In view of that - Just maybe? The answer to our goalscoring problems? Lies in unlocking further potential from Suarez & making him into our Van Persie ahead of buying yet more expensive players? Or maybe the answer lies in our reserves with someone like Morgan, Sterling or Silva - We shall see.................

NBB As I've said elsewhere? I think we could really do with some calmness in possession & composure in the penalty area - Just saw highlights of the United game Yesterday & watched a few of our old (80's games) on DVD earlier & the main difference between those teams & ours right now? They both Exude a sense of danger - You can tell there'll be trouble if they get to close to goal & most likely? They will score given half a chance - With us right now? You could virtually give us a penalty or watch the whole opposition stand to one side to give us a free tap in & we still might miss or hit the bar. I think composure & calmness as well as trust in our own ability to score is missing as much as ruthlessness in front of goal & the difference is stark between both us & the team we need to emulate to overtake & us & the team we once were & now? It needs addressing.............

NBB Muddled? Maybe Reina shouldn't be beaten at his near post but if enough power is used? Sometimes the keeper can do nothing. I very rarely play in fun games with my family now but I used to play a Lot at school - Mainly as defender & goalie true but one thing I did Very well? I never missed penalties - Took 19 & scored them all during my time playing at school. I was teaching my brother's boy How to take them the other day & he was playing keeper. I took 2 & scored them both - Each to either side of him & both from a standing start but even though I only sort of kicked forwards with either foot from a standing start on both penalties? I still belted both with Such power that when they were hit? They screamed past him before he could move almost; As I said? - I put one to either side of him & he didn't get near the first one though to give him credit? He was fast enough to have got a hand to the second one - Despite this? He didn't come near holding it due to sheer power; It rocketed between his hand & ribs & past him before he could do more than barely put a hand to it - Said I winded him as well with that second one bless him but those 2 kicks? Were only hit by me from a standing start - Imagine what I could have done regarding power had I used a run up before hitting it or had it been dropping from the sky beforehand to give me time to set myself & hit it full on?

Anyway - On Saturday? Van Persie's goal was from a similar distance but slightly further out & if he caught it half as sweet as I whacked those penalties? Neither Reina or any keeper on this Earth would have kept it out even if they got a hand to it - Sometimes? We just have to accept the shot's been hit far to hard to stop & I think Saturday was one of those occasions. My nephew was very quick as well the little sod - He said he knew nothing about penalties but then came out with the following after facing me from the spot - "You took it low both times & put it in the corners with plenty of power - No wonder I couldn't get near it Uncle Simon - That was like a German Penalty Kick wasn't it - Basically unsaveable?" LOL Such insight at 9 years old. Even I hadn't thought of that but guess I did base my peno' technique on them at school - Very rarely aimed high but Always whacked it with fearsome power & far to hard for the keeper to catch to either corner - Think I used to do what Andreas Brehme did IIRR since I loved watching That German team at World Cups & things & was very impressed by the way Brehme nearly Always scored penalties for them. Anyway? Not much has changed down the years in my technique even if I have quite clearly.

The fact my nephew caught on So quickly though? Bodes well for him in his schoolgames & further on in the future - Pity any goalies asked to face him from the spot LOL - Our dad was lethal at school with PK's as well & my brother's not to bad though I'm told by them I'm better than either since my dad missed 1 & my bro' 2 while I have a 100% record thus far. Judging by how I saw my nephew trying to copy my kicks down to the last detail after I'd shown him how I took them? Along with the fact my own son can kick a ball forward hard some distance even at only 2 years old? I think it's safe to say The family tradition of decent penalty takers is in safe hands for another generation. I just wish the Reds were as reliable from the spot & in front of goal right now - Then? We'd be laughing. Still we'll get there - Sooner or later? We will crack it & every day we don't? Brings us closer to the moment we will & eventually? That moment Will come & after it? We won't look back..........

[Mostar]

Tunnel Cam vs Arsenal


[ame="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xp8guu_tunnel-cam-v-arsenal_sport#from=embediframe"]Tunnel Cam v Arsenal - Video Dailymotion[/ame]