Sunderland - Post Match

[RedReet]

It's been said already but our biggest problem is lack of goals.

Johnson, Skrtel and Agger will chip in with a few this season. We'll get nothing from Lucas, Sahin and Allen. Suarez will score for us. Gerrard seems to have forgotten where the goal is, and who knows what Sterling, Assaidi, Borini and Downing will do.

We've got to get the groundwork done for the 1st January and bring a striker in on that day. Performances are fine but again we're struggling for goals.

Still think it's gonna click some day for Suarez and he'll score 4 or 5 against some team. That's not to say we still don't need a proper CF.

[Lee]

Still think it's gonna click some day for Suarez and he'll score 4 or 5 against some team. That's not to say we still don't need a proper CF.

He's got to hasn't he. It's bound to happen.

I don't like the idea of relying on a 21 year old as our main striker, but we've got to play Borini in the middle with Suarez on the left or right at the moment.

[BobTheCharmer]

Shearer is a boring cunt. But he is right in that Allen does have a habit of taking the easy option at times. Of course we want ball retention and at times it's important to slow the game and make the opposition work hard to get it back. But ultimately we need to score goals. It's no point Allen having a 99 percent pass completion stat if it's got us nowhere. At times by passing the buck to another player we lose the ball anyway. So we've made 30 sideways passes and the opposition have sat back and let us and we have nothing positive to show for it. He has to try and look up a little more and take responsibility for affecting the game ,signs look good and I like the look of him. But if we continue to struggle mark my words people willstart to get on his back. Nature of the beast I'm afraid.

[Slinky Skills]

Slinky scores more

[Chris]

I dont think he does take the easy option, he takes the right one. He's made plenty of excellent forward passes. One of Shearer's examples of where he "has to pass it forward" showed Suarez and Borini marked by about 5 players!!

Patience should be encouraged and yesterday was good in that respect. As shown by the goal, patient and a good forward pass by Joe the crab Allen.

[Eric Swindler]

If you compare gerrard with other number 10s like ozil messi silva aguero etc it doesnt do him any favours because those are all highly technical players who can operate in very tight spaces and still produce the goods.

Gerrard cant do that but what he does have is superb passing and very good vision. His best passes are often first time balls played on the counter for strikers to onto. Like he dis with torres. torres looked to get behind the defence at every opportunity whereas suarez looks to come short most times which is exactly into gerrards path.

I dont think they can work together as a front pairing. Whereas gerrard and carroll with suarez and sterling wide would be a different prospect.

If Gerrard didnt drop deep he'd be far more effective. Feeding and supporting the strikers from the 18 yard box area is where he can be very potent. He's just not patient or intelligent enough to play where Allen and Lucas excel.

[RedReet]

I dont think he does take the easy option, he takes the right one. He's made plenty of excellent forward passes. One of Shearer's examples of where he "has to pass it forward" showed Suarez and Borini marked by about 5 players!!

Patience should be encouraged and yesterday was good in that respect. As shown by the goal, patient and a good forward pass by Joe the crab Allen.

Rodgers says he is one of the bravest players he's ever seen and I'd say he's a slightly better judge that Shearer.

[Slinky Skills]

I thought there were a lot of promising signs. We played pretty well and unlike last season we kept going when we went behind doing the right things and playing our own game. Still lacking a bit of cutting edge but I actually think if we defended better we would generate more pressure and we would get more out of our attacks. A few stupid error cost us but I think it was overall a positive performance and a step in the right direction.

[Eric Swindler]

The second half was a huge improvement on the first. At half time i was convinced it was game over.

[dww]

The second half was a huge improvement on the first. At half time i was convinced it was game over.

My feeling was that we did well in terms of moving the ball around and tiring them out in the first half. In the second we started to see the benefits of that. They had one penetrative attack in the first half and scored from it. If we tighten up at the back I think we will see sides get more dispirited and us being able to turn possession into more pressure and consequently into more goals and points.

On Gerrard it is difficult to see how well the will fit - he clearly still looks for long passes to wide areas too much for the system but he does seem to be adapting to a new role (as he has with England). A bit of variety is probably no bad thing in our play. I think we'll get a better understanding once we have managed to get our patterns of play more set. He gave away possession a few times yesterday but his balls at other times put us in a better position to attack from.

[DannyMan2006]

People getting on the back of Borini......

His touch isn't always the best, but his movement is first class. He wasn't the only one, but on quite a number of occasions he would have been in with a clear sign of goal had the player in possession made one more pass instead of shooting.

It's annoying to see us take our time, only to get a rush of blood when presented with the opposition goal. To me, it's blatantly a lack of confidence and when we start winning games, people will see a more controlled LFC in the final third.

[Fredo]

What's the take on Sahin? His first game against Arsenal wasn't the best and I guess that's why he wasn't started last night?

[BobTheCharmer]

I dont think he does take the easy option, he takes the right one. He's made plenty of excellent forward passes. One of Shearer's examples of where he "has to pass it forward" showed Suarez and Borini marked by about 5 players!!

Patience should be encouraged and yesterday was good in that respect. As shown by the goal, patient and a good forward pass by Joe the crab Allen.

You are right with the example you mention but there were also other examples shown where he did just go back rather than a non risky 10 yard pass forward. Of course it doesn't take into account the whole 90 minutes of which I didn't see. As long as the team picks up results that's all that matters right now.

[Chris]

People getting on the back of Borini......

His touch isn't always the best, but his movement is first class. He wasn't the only one, but on quite a number of occasions he would have been in with a clear sign of goal had the player in possession made one more pass instead of shooting.

It's annoying to see us take our time, only to get a rush of blood when presented with the opposition goal. To me, it's blatantly a lack of confidence and when we start winning games, people will see a more controlled LFC in the final third.

Agreed, I like him, only 21 and think he'll be one who's a different player as soon as that 1st league goal goes in. He's made chances happen just by being a busy ****er v Hearts, City and yesterday and has laid on two great chances for Suarez v West Brom and City. He'll be alright.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

We need to bring in at least 1 more player in January.. Our squad is paper thin.

If we lost Suarez we'd be playing something like

Downing Borini Stering

Most if not every team in the league could put out a better strike force.