Southampton (H) - Post Match

[DannyMan2006]

Nothing said about any knocks on Enrique before the game and he was well enough to come off the bench.

I don't buy it to be honest. Don't blame Rodgers for saying it in defense of his decision but I don't buy it.

he has enrique on the bench. he must be ready to start. rodgers says he is 'trying to manage enrique knee injury' so limiting his playing time.
if enrique isnt good to go then why pick such a defensive, negative line up and play our best striker on the right wing.

and the lack of encouraging/berating arm waving is a major disappointment from our manager

You don't have to like it, but he's hardly making things up is he. That would soon come out. And I have known hundreds of players be on the bench in their time when not fit enough to start. It happens all the time. Players coming back from injury often find themselves on the bench and come on late on for match fitness.

[RichC]

Pretty honest assessment tbh

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

I agree but that happened last season, do we not get motivated for these type of games? Get a bit of a run going then take it for granted? I just think we struggled under pressure again from a side that get about you quickly.

[DannyMan2006]

Lets at least get what he said right, he has a slight problem we are going to manage and in his own words, he chose today to do it. If he was injured he would have gotten 0 minutes, I'd have preferred to give him him a game off when we have another full back fit but I suppose Rodgers thought today was best.

Well the other Full Backs are not coming back anytime soon but I see your point. But my main concern was how poor we were, and a lack of all our full backs, our best player and our most creative player probably explains a bit.

[rodo]

utter ****e from start to finish

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Well the other Full Backs are not coming back anytime soon but I see your point. But my main concern was how poor we were, and a lack of all our full backs, our best player and our most creative player probably explains a bit.

Kelly must be close now, maybe next weekend? Either way Rodgers made his decision today and it hasn't worked out but it wasn't the only reason. As you say without Coutinho the back up players don't seem good enough, maybe letting Suso go out on loan is a mistake? Aspas isn't the answer so I'd have liked him to put some faith in Alberto but they are the 2 players he brought in so its not like he has an excuse there. If Suarez was playing today I think we'd have probably won, a bit more fire dragging us forward.

[DannyMan2006]

I agree but that happened last season, do we not get motivated for these type of games? Get a bit of a run going then take it for granted? I just think we struggled under pressure again from a side that get about you quickly.

When teams press you need a player to knit it all together to keep options open. That used to be Gerrard, he'd always be on for a pass but today I think he and Lucas hid slightly. If they'd had Coutinho in front of them I they'd have showed more often as they'd have a pass on.

The quick feet of Phil means he can get himself a bit of space and suddenly the pitch opens up.

In general we will also have Glen and Jose offering width and showing for the ball. Look at the one or two occasions Toure bombed on. Created havoc in the Soton defence. Normally we have Glen doing that all game. Instead Toure was hesitant and instead was dominated by Luke Shaw, who was the best attacking threat for Soton. GJ plays and Shaw isn't in the game.

[Hemingway]

Time to shake things up a bit, looked like we lacked ideas. Suarez coming back will take care of a lot of that, but would like to see a bigger role for Sterling on the wing too.

Oh, and can't help but think Johnson-Kolo-Sakho-Cissokho will be our best back four when they're all fit.

[Mark79]

Nothing said about any knocks on Enrique before the game and he was well enough to come off the bench.

I don't buy it to be honest. Don't blame Rodgers for saying it in defense of his decision but I don't buy it.

I can't remember which, but either Soccer Saturday or the stream I watched mentioned it at the outset of the match.

[DannyMan2006]

Kelly must be close now, maybe next weekend? Either way Rodgers made his decision today and it hasn't worked out but it wasn't the only reason. As you say without Coutinho the back up players don't seem good enough, maybe letting Suso go out on loan is a mistake? Aspas isn't the answer so I'd have liked him to put some faith in Alberto but they are the 2 players he brought in so its not like he has an excuse there. If Suarez was playing today I think we'd have probably won, a bit more fire dragging us forward.

I think we have come to the same conclusion. We just lacked too many players in key positions today. That allied to a pressing/passing side and we struggled.

All said we had the Gerrard FK, should have a had a pen and Moses was unlucky all at 0-0. Then late on Sterling should be doing better. And the goal we conceded was a corner. So we weren't too far of getting away with it. Just too many things went wrong today.

[rodo]

southampton home sunderland away palace at home 9 points please... oh its us and we know what that brings and as usual we deliver

[Fredo]

I agree but that happened last season, do we not get motivated for these type of games? Get a bit of a run going then take it for granted? I just think we struggled under pressure again from a side that get about you quickly.

Why would you be motivated to play against Southampton?

[RichC]

Yeah I was watching Sentana and it was mentioned on that

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

I think we have come to the same conclusion. We just lacked too many players in key positions today. That allied to a pressing/passing side and we struggled.

All said we had the Gerrard FK, should have a had a pen and Moses was unlucky all at 0-0. Then late on Sterling should be doing better. And the goal we conceded was a corner. So we weren't too far of getting away with it. Just too many things went wrong today.

I'm just looking at how we could have done better given the situation, I missed the penalty appeal but that would have changed it a bit for us as well. We've ridden our luck at times this season though so it was coming from that point of view, you can't always get decisions because the refs in this league are ****, you cannot depend on them for results and we shouldn't at home to Southampton no matter how decent they are.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Why would you be motivated to play against Southampton?

Its probably too much to ask I know, GTA did just come out so they will all have personal commitments to be worrying about.