Liverpool v Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[Lecter]

LFC: we will pay you more.
Falcao and Mata: Deal.

FLMAO the suggestion that we would pay more than Chelsea

What planet are you living on?

[RichC]

We need a finisher, simple as that. Today we were superb on the whole and played Arsenal off the pitch but yet again our inability to put the ball in the back of the net has cost us dear.

In the summer we need to make sure we bring in someone that knows where the back of the net is. I don't care if he's current fashionable name out there that we bring in or someone not as well known but knows how to pop the ball in the net!

[Mattshark]

If Suarez could finish as clinically as RVP, he'd be the outstanding talent in Europe, let alone the Premier League.

That game was very, very annoying. We are a wasteful team and I wasted another afternoon getting agitated by mediocrity. In many ways, this was the most infuriating game of the season because Arsenal offered nothing and we had so many chances to win the game.

Can't disagree with anyone who has said he have invested wrongly.

This was the sort of result I find difficult to take - it backs up all the fears I had about the investment and the Carling Cup win. A cup win that masks the massive deficiencies we have. Such a shame.

We didn't create a thing for him today, he always has to much to do by himself.

[cream]

FLMAO the suggestion that we would pay more than Chelsea

What planet are you living on?

Agree with you to a certain extent, Mata is on relatively low wages. You have to take into account what players are already on and there are some fantastic players out there earning what we would call low wages.

[Mattshark]

Suarez had a couple of them today and missed (well hit the post with one)

Nope, we had one he made himself, the one were he hit the post from a tight angle and one where he was rather wider but isolated that went into the side netting.

[Muddled]

We're not though and neither are they.

The point is that we're competing against several sides with squads costing far far less than ours, and that is a complete and utter failure. We should be nowhere near them and far closer to the top than 27 points. Its a disgrace.

No, I didn't claim it was fact, I was giving an example to make a point.

We are competing with nineteen other sides in the Premier League, some squads cost more, some cost less - that's football. Yes, I would love us to be closer to the top, but why can't people see the bigger picture and look objectively at the performances in front of our very eyes as apposed to looking at the table.

New manager, new owner, new players - there are going to be glitches in our performances (Bolton and Spurs away spring to mind), but there are also 21 other reasons why we are 27 points off, amongst many other factors.

Just look at the performances we have produced for the majority of this season and then think about where we were when we last played Arsenal at Anfield.

[Exiled_red]

Camolli just passes the pen when they sign the contract...

That's what it looks like so far.

...Well that and getting in on photos when we win something

[Daniel 7]

We didn't create a thing for him today, he always has to much to do by himself.

Agreed there wasn't much created for him specifically, but we did create chances. Suarez's Messi-like slalom into the box was only missing the finish. On the positive side, we haven't seen him looking to do that for quite some time.

[Mattshark]

We need a finisher, simple as that. Today we were superb on the whole and played Arsenal off the pitch but yet again our inability to put the ball in the back of the net has cost us dear.

In the summer we need to make sure we bring in someone that knows where the back of the net is. I don't care if he's current fashionable name out there that we bring in or someone not as well known but knows how to pop the ball in the net!

We need more intelligent and more capable of scoring midfielders. Our best team chances today were created by our forwards, Kuyt to Henderson and Kuyt to Kelly.
We didn't do enough to create good enough chances for Kuyt (bar the pen and a tricky one that hit the post) or Suarez (who made his best chance himself).

[Mattshark]

Agreed there wasn't much created for him specifically, but we did create chances. Suarez's Messi-like slalom into the box was only missing the finish. On the positive side, we haven't seen him looking to do that for quite some time.

We need better players in and around him. Henderson is not dangerous enough in the final third in general and Downing just can't get it right when it matters (the easy ball to set Suarez up for example, straight to the keeper). Adam is sadly not intelligent enough and Spearing is no attacking threat (not sure why anyone thought he was MOTM either, did very little).

It is also a little shocking that we haven't won a single prem game that Gerrard has started this season.

And regarding Maxi and Bellamy, these two offer us so much more goal threat than Downing and Henderson and I understand Bellamy can't always play, but Maxi deserves more time on the pitch.

[Suarez]

No, I didn't claim it was fact, I was giving an example to make a point.

We are competing with nineteen other sides in the Premier League, some squads cost more, some cost less - that's football. Yes, I would love us to be closer to the top, but why can't people see the bigger picture and look objectively at the performances in front of our very eyes as apposed to looking at the table.

New manager, new owner, new players - there are going to be glitches in our performances (Bolton and Spurs away spring to mind), but there are also 21 other reasons why we are 27 points off, amongst many other factors.

Just look at the performances we have produced for the majority of this season and then think about where we were when we last played Arsenal at Anfield.

I know it wasn't fact and that you were making a point but its not really valid is it, its like saying if we won more games we wouldn't all be talking about it now.

I really don't know what the bigger picture is? The league table really doesn't lie and we can keep talking about the odd performance here and there but there have been many woeful performances too. I would agree to an extent about a new manager and players, but Kenny has been here for a while now and the players brought in are all Premiership players, so no longterm bedding in needed. The fact of the matter is that the majority of his purchases are simply very average and over priced. He's spent poorly and that is why we're struggling in the league and finding ourselves with another season out of europes elite competition. This could become a bad habit.

[vonk]

One MASSIVE positive from today...Luis looks like his old self again. He was a threat every time he got the ball and was genuinely unlucky not to have scored a couple himself today. What a run that was and it deserved a goal.

Yes, and he will probably be great until the end of the season. Then what? Is he going to stick around with no CL football? That'll be our biggest problem now. It's all about consistency in this league and we haven't had it for years. Downing and Carroll were bad signings, let's face it. These players have equal number bad games to good and are not taking us forward from last season. Henderson moans a lot, but he hardly sets games on fire. He's ok at best. Same with the infuriating Adam. Its really one of the poorest midfields we've had for years.

We're at a real crossroads after today. 4th is now gone so no CL next season. The first question is, will Suarez and Reina stay? Do they still believe in the project? After spending a lot of money we have not progressed in terms of the league, so will a Cup win convince the owners to stick with Kenny and invest heavily in the team again? I accept we are a work in progress, but there has to be signs of improvement and I don't think we've improved from last year.

I'd stick with Kenny, he has made a few mistakes, in particular substitutions and wasting a lot of money, but that's done now. He needs new players, but will he get the money and will top players come to us rather than Arsenal and Spurs, who can offer CL?

We've failed to get 4th because we didn't buy a proven goalscorer last summer or in Jan. It would have made a huge difference. Spurs last season had everything, but a poor keeper and no decent striker let them down. It was blatantly obvious to everyone. They got a great keeper and striker for virtually nothing, and it worked. Why, oh why, oh why, oh ****ing why didn't anyone at Anfield spot the enormous missing link in our squad?

Oh, and Coates needs to get game time now. Forget about giving Carra a chance to redeem himself. It's time to get the 'potential' into the team until the end of the season and try to move forward.

[Muddled]

I know it wasn't fact and that you were making a point but its not really valid is it, its like saying if we won more games we wouldn't all be talking about it now.

I really don't know what the bigger picture is? The league table really doesn't lie and we can keep talking about the odd performance here and there but there have been many woeful performances too. I would agree to an extent about a new manager and players, but Kenny has been here for a while now and the players brought in are all Premiership players, so no longterm bedding in needed. The fact of the matter is that the majority of his purchases are simply very average and over priced. He's spent poorly and that is why we're struggling in the league and finding ourselves with another season out of europes elite competition. This could become a bad habit.

But just because they have experience in the Premiership, it doesn't mean that they aren't undertaking new roles within a new set-up. For a ****ty analogy, you get a new job because you have the knowledge, but they train you anyway to ensure you do things their way - it's *kinda* similar - they can do the fundamental things, but need a year to understand their role fully.

Now I'm not talking results, just purely performances - but of all our performances this year, you can count on one hand the bad ones. Looking objectively at how we've played, we're resolute, we have a great defensive line, we have some promise and movement in the middle and a spark up front - there is a spine forming. So we start at the back and make sure we're hard to beat, we then look at how we can get the ball from the back to the front and how we can put the ball in to the back of the net - we try different things during a transitional season.

This years experience and the important cup games the players have played in, will put us in good stead for the future. The bigger picture means we need to look forward, take the positives from our performances and see how we are growing and the opportunities we will have to aid this growth in the summer.

We are the width of the woodwork and a couple of convincing penalties away from being closer than the 27 points we are off today.

[red g]

I know it wasn't fact and that you were making a point but its not really valid is it, its like saying if we won more games we wouldn't all be talking about it now.

I really don't know what the bigger picture is? The league table really doesn't lie and we can keep talking about the odd performance here and there but there have been many woeful performances too. I would agree to an extent about a new manager and players, but Kenny has been here for a while now and the players brought in are all Premiership players, so no longterm bedding in needed. The fact of the matter is that the majority of his purchases are simply very average and over priced. He's spent poorly and that is why we're struggling in the league and finding ourselves with another season out of europes elite competition. This could become a bad habit.

I think thats all that has to be said really.

Although ridiculous for anyone to be calling for his head. He has ****ed up, but then more than deserves his chance to rectify it.

Also we cant have it both ways, We dominated Arsenal today with some of Kennys **** buys playing to so he must be doing something right.

His use of subs were beyond baffling, hope there are reasons we dont know.

[vonk]

I haven't read all the posts.....

To be honest okay, I think all we are missing is ONE top player......one guy that can put chances away....imagine the goals fowler would have scored in this team.... I like the attacking mentality.....we were fockin robbed today to be honest......if we had a benzema, a Higuain or a Villa up front then we'd have ****in killed them.....

Also, everyone blows on and on about Suarez but for me he is more guilty than a lot of other players.....he causes havoc etc but his end product is as much use as tits on a nun....and has been for most of the season (the other part he has been banned) also, I don't like his attitude problem....he slated Kelly a few times today, but in reality what Martin needed was words of encouragement...... People think he is world class.....I'm no t so sure....he has unbelievable talent....that weaving run he made was brilliant but a truly world class player would have ****in buried it......

For the rest of the season, I think Kenny should use the games to assess if Carroll is ever going to make it.....I'd like to see Gerrard play on the right side of midfield, downing on he left, and Carroll up top.....basically whip ball after ****in ball into the box from good positions (as opposed to carra style lumps) and just give him the game time......I'd nearly play him pretty much every minute and rotate Suarez, Kuyt and Bellamy between the other striker position and also on the left of a front 3......

If andy is still **** at the end of the year, then cut the ****er loose in the summer....take the hit and sign someone else....

I know he is a cunt, but maybe el niño could make a comeback....we might be able to get him for a song . I think if he had a point to prove back at anfield you never know he mit be worth the risk

We need to make a decision on Carroll in the summer. Either he plays big games or ship him out and take the hit.