Hull (H) Post Match

[~LFCHistory~]

We haven't though. Still to play Utd, Arsenal, City etc... Even at home it's not as if we've had them out of the way. False sense of security here.

Think we had an easier opening half of the season compared to the other teams. Now is crunch time for us.

We've played Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Newcastle, Everton and Spurs away those ARE the season's most difficult fixtures. Yes we have still to play them at Anfield but our home record is so good under BR that we'll go into those games with genuine confidence.

[Bernardicus]

Delighted with how we dealt with set pieces, corners in particular. We must have worked on it a lot.

[Leyton388]

Additionally, here is a list of things that Steve Bruce looks like:

- a middle aged cleaning lady
- that talking silage heap from Fraggle Rock
- the mashed potato mountain from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
- a burst vacuum cleaning bag
- Sarah Millican
- a heart attack

[scully]

He also looks like a smiling bowl of porridge.

[G]

No Alberto today again,not looking good for the lad if he doesn't play against Oldham.

[Chazza]

No Alberto today again,not looking good for the lad if he doesn't play against Oldham.

Think you are reading too much into that mate.

He is a young inexperienced lad being eased into a new country and new league, exactly as it should be.

[Daniel 7]

I can see the logic in not using Alberto today, but there's going to be a snowball effect the longer he doesn't get minutes (after the Chelsea game).

I don't think we'd even be questioning it if the squad was deeper. I'd imagine there would have been loads more opportunities for him if there had been a Carling Cup run. I reckon he'll get some game time in the FA Cup though - I think he has a bright future, he has some guile and finesse.

[G]

I hope so,paid a fair amount of bunce for him,would like to see him get some game time when games are put to bed and defo start next week.

[RedAndWhite]

I hope so,paid a fair amount of bunce for him,would like to see him get some game time when games are put to bed and defo start next week.

Hopefully him and a few of the fringe players will get a run out in the FA Cup to get them game time, and like you said some time once games are put to bed both for the experience and to rest the senior players.

[Darkon]

Nice win today, well deserved and even seemed to manage to save some energy in the second half when we got the second goal.

In control and dangerous throughout.

Not much else to say really, other than it was good to get back on the winning track after the two most difficult away games of the season. And nice to have a clean sheet, we don't do to many of them this season.

[Rigadon]

Comfortable win without too much exertion. Should have scored three or four more goals. Good to see Agger and Gerrard. Most important thing - 3 points!

When our midfielders start scoring, we'll be title contenders

[peekay]

We looked a bit flat initially but slowly grew into the game.

Henderson was boss today. He is slowly growing into a very good midfielder.

Need to give a break to most of our first teamers for the Oldham game.

Glad to see Gerrard back. Hopefully Sturridge will be up and running by the Stoke game also.

Good win. If we keep winning these games, given the number of unexpected results in the PL (like Mancs losing today), we should be in the top four at the end of the season.

[Fredo]

Lifted this off The Guardian's comment section for the report of our match and thought it was an excellent assessment of our season so far.

Well my first turn in the Centenary Stand for a few months, and what a cold, wet day on Merseyside to remind me why watching it in the pub with mates is regrettably so attractive these days!

A strange old atmosphere in the ground: talk in the Arkles prior centred on how enjoyable this festive congestion of fixtures can be for the average supporter, but how it always comes back to haunt England in the World Cup summer post-mortem. Can't disagree, this congestion definitely impacts the freshness of players, too many quality foreign coaches have noticed the difference over many tournaments now. Oh well, enjoy it now, and remember it when we're out on penalties to the first decent nation.

As for the game, it was hardly the vim and vigour of recent home performances, however for a thin squad we're doing exceptionally well. I'm in two minds on Aspas: clearly out of his depth, and regularly bodied off the ball: but I somehow sense Rodgers can see something in his positioning that we can't, it's noticeable how much of our attack first half (a disjointed showing, it must be said) arose down the right, with Aspas going very wide and Henderson, Coutinho, etc using the space left to speed up the play. This is a common observation now I find, many of Liverpool's best movements appear like training ground plans, and are clearly the benefit of Rodgers having so much time (without European distractions) to work with the players.

Henderson's development astounds me, what a player he might become. Equally Coutinho would be cemented in the Brazil squad if he just converted a few more of his lovely moves. Hard to say anything about Gerrard's return (and its implications), given he played in a high position where Lucas and Henderson were mostly undisturbed. Fine for 30 mins, but the elephant in the room remains. I remain firmly of the view his career will progress into his late 30s if he is eventually moved to centre-back, but that is a big, political topic for another day.

Season So Far: As I'm not on these forums much anymore due to other commitments, I thought I'd remark on the season as a whole. On days like today, it's worth remembering how far we've come: how sound an appointment Rodgers appears to have been; and how most supporters can turn up to the ground, or turn on the TV, and know they're going to see a team play stirring, unpredictable, watchable football. Consider the number of clubs up and down the land condemned to far worse.
Most of all, I think we're lucky to have a manager who's demonstrated his ability to teach, and train methods and systems to players. He's not closed to changing his opinion on any player (witness the turnarounds of Henderson, Skrtel and others) and in time, whether we reach the Champions League this season or not, we'll attract some fine players from around Europe. Our movements and goals have not gone unnoticed in Europe, and though wages and European football are important to players, so is playing somewhere fun. Performances this season have rejuvenated the club's image, and Rodgers should take a great deal of the credit for that.

[Bender]

The Wizard

[BigChief]

Fk yeah. Any other season and we would have dropped points here. I agree with Brendan, most important victory of the season so far