FC Basel vs Liverpool post match thread

[Tribute]

Okay. Just got in, pissed. Pissed off too. Yet to read any of the thread (I will do) but need to sound off with various random points.

I know there's more to it but no Suarez is killing us, especially with no Sturridge. At an albeit way lower level I've felt the benefits of stepping up and playing with better players. They make you play better. You look better, you feel better, you are better. Suarez going has had a hugely detrimental impact on everything about our attacking play. His perpetual motion - especially contrasted with Balotelli's static performances - is missed so much it's untrue.

I've defended Skrtel for years in the face of what I viewed as OTT criticism, but we just can't rely on the guy. Capable of epic performances, but just too erratic.

We can't keep the ball and it is a huge problem. I hate saying it but Gerrard is a part of that problem. People react badly to criticism of him but someone's got to drop him! Otherwise he'll still be playing when he's 50. When does that point come? Who's gonna drop him? It'll take a manager with balls - and I know Rodgers has balls the size of watermelons - but I'm not sure Brendan will do it. Not yet anyway. Part of the problem is who the hell replaces him. Not Lucas, he's done. Not Henderson, he's not a DM. Can? Emre Can is an appealing option at the moment - big, strong, athletic, GERMAN, can play....but can we really put all our faith in an essentially unknown U21 international? Dunno.

We have essentially a brand new back four, a brand new forward line and a midfield that has remained the same bar a vital component who is getting older fast.

I feel like we're certain to improve, but for now we find ourselves in a bit of a mess. It's ****ing depressing.

Bring back Biscan...

[danperkins]

I think the defence will come, but i'm more worried about the midfield and forward line.

[Tribute]

**** that......they'll have to change their town name.



Can almost hear Tyler and Alan Smith coming out with 'great play from Kalkan', 'Kalkan on the ball', 'Balotelli shoots from distance again, as Kalkan looks on dismissively'.

Hahahahaha....

[danperkins]

**** that......they'll have to change their town name.

Can almost hear Tyler and Alan Smith coming out with 'great play from Kalkan', 'Kalkan on the ball', 'Balotelli shoots from distance again, as Kalkan looks on dismissively'.

The way Balotelli's shots have gone the ball actually might have landed in Kalkan!!

[Le Chef]

I will bite, its nothing to do with Gerrard

Sterling, Markovic and Coutinho were dreadful. Absolutely terrible.

Last few games we have showed little positives other than Lallana & Moreno

Hats off to Gerrard very honest there to say they have been poor most of the season, hes bang on imo

Agreed in everything there, bar the Gerrard theme, he's looking lost/knackered at the moment, and teams are starting to target him. Would have liked to have seen Lallana for Gerrard, with Hendo sitting deep

[Tribute]

Ahhh...but is Gerrard's performance merely a symptom of others currently being so ****? If we were playing starting quickly, scoring and winning more would Gerrard's form be front and centre? Just seems to be more obvious when we're playing like a bunch of homeless geriatrics...

[Icon]

So bored of us right now...

[captainfog]

We lack cutting edge, we created far more opportunities than Basil but couldn't finish them off. When Balo wasn't scratching his arse in the middle of the pitch he was wandering offside and either ruling out his own finish or getting in the way of someone else and we had Sterling who looked like he had two left feet tonight, showed good movement but was through on goal a couple of times and fluffed his lines. Markovic had an opportunity or two too, so it's not as if we were played off the park. We just need Balo to improve and Sturridge to come back in goal scoring form. If that happens we'll be fine but if it doesn't then we're screwed because I'm not sure what else can snap us out of this malaise. Big pressure on Studge when he comes back.

[calvoboy]

3 big issues for me:

1) Formation

When Rodgers first came in he gave a long interview (was it to the Anfield Wrap?) about his preferred tactics, and how he preferred to play with a 1-2 midfield, with 1 holding and two ahead, but that sometimes you had to go with a 2-1. We went with a 2-1 in the early days under Rodgers and played a lot like we are now, nice passing but blunt and ineffective, even with Suarez up front. What changed us was Sturridge arriving, and the eventual switch to the diamond. It made us more dynamic, with more men ahead of the ball when we won it. It allowed us to put Henderson further forward where he could hassle and harry, and make late runs into the box. Henderson's energy meant that we had 5 attacking when we had the ball, with lots of players ahead of the ball, and 5.5 defending when we didn't have the ball (as he'd work his bollocks off to get back). At the moment we have a four man attack, and it's too easy to defend against unless at least a couple of them are having an absolute blinder.

Injuries have conspired against us. It's not just that Suarez is out (sold), but with Sturridge out too, and Lambert a shadow of his Southampton best, we haven't got the players to play 2 up front (though Brendan has even tried playing Borini there with **** results, despite being desperate to shift him on). We might even be able to live with that, and go with one up front, if it weren't for the fact that at the same time Allen is out, and Can is also out. It leaves Rodgers with little option but to move Henderson back alongside Gerrard (though again he has even tried Lucas there, with **** results) which means we lose his legs, pressing and attacking runs higher up the pitch.

2) Newcomers

Up front we currently have three fit players to choose from - not one of whom was here last season.

In midfield we have new players trying to bed in too, at least one of whom is way off the pace.

In defence we have two new full-backs and a new first choice centre-half.

It's going to take time for all of these players to settle into the club and to understand what Rodgers wants and expects from them. It'd be great if they all came in and clicked straight away but it doesn't work like that for most players. We will be much stronger in the second half of this season than the first.

Which leads me onto my third point

3) Selection

When all this **** is going on, wouldn't it really help if we had some kind of consistent selection policy at least in the short term? I appreciate that this is a long season and we're battling on four fronts, but just while we get some kind of understanding and form amongst the squad, can't we just stick with our best 11 for a few weeks and then start rotating?

For example, and most importantly, looking at the back four - on Saturday it looked like they were just about starting to develop an understanding. So why leave Moreno out tonight? Wouldn't it be better to stick with the same back four for a couple of weeks and then rest them once we're looking solid? We've been shocking at the back so far, but it can't have been helped by the constant chopping and changing.

In midfield, when you're trying to change so many things at once, why persevere with Markovic who is clearly struggling? Lallana has looked good since he's regained match fitness, why not go with him, Coutinho and Sterling for the time being, with Markovic to watch, learn, and use his pace from the bench?

In summary, I think we've got lots of issues, but I don't think it's as simple as Suarez leaving (great though he was, and of course he wouldn't have been eligible during this **** period anyway), and I don't think it's permanent. Once we start to get players back from injury and are able to tweak the tactics I think we'll start to show that we've still got it. But, this start has exposed the fact that for all the rebuilding in the summer, we still have a couple of important positions that are not fully covered, and injuries have conspired to expose them at the moment.

[Tee]

Have we continued the trend of cocking up the summer transfer window after finishing as runners up? This season reminds me of the team when Diouf et al were new in the team.

[Zapater]

Skrtel has been up and down since he's arrived. He's had rough patches and better patches, but overall he hasn't proven he is capable of being the number 1 choice. There's nothing to suggest anything will change in the future. Obviously our other players haven't done that yet either, but at least I'd have confidence that they may be able to in the future. Skrtel has been tried and tested and his output has been the same.

[captainfog]

I've consistently said that Skrtel isn't good enough for years. You lot are just bandwagon kneejerkers

[brightred]

I hate to say it but Gerrard was terrible and has been all season. It's great to see him being so honest by coming on sky and saying not enough effort has been put in.

But really, has he got the energy to do that?

[Chazza]

We should just terminate his contract and be done with it.

[MrMichael]

Have we continued the trend of cocking up the summer transfer window after finishing as runners up? This season reminds me of the team when Diouf et al were new in the team.

I don't actually think we cocked up the window completely, certainly not to Diao - Diouf - Cheyrou levels, just that we mucked up our attacking purchases (in the light of losing Suarez).

At the back, Moreno and Manquillo look like astute pick ups. Lovren has not shown much so far but his purchase made sense and I believe he'll improve.

In midfield, Can looks to have the attributes once he develops, and Lallana is an excellent footballer. Sure we have the Gerrard issue looming larger each season but overall I don't think this was a cock up either.

Where it seems we went wrong was in spending £40m on an aging Lambert, a ridiculously raw Markovic who was never going to hit the ground running, and Balotelli. Oh and another £10m on Origi which may have been astute but we could kinda do with him right now. The Suarez-shaped hole was always going to be enormous so we needed to plug it at least partially with forwards who could carry on our flowing, high tempo, pacey style and would need minimum time to adapt. There are few sure bets in football, especially when not everyone will come to your club, but with the amount we spent up top you would think we could have done better re. getting an immediate attacking return rather than a mix of punts, cheapies and unrealised potential.

I still think we'll be ok, but the process is going to be painful. We will buy another forward in Jan though imo.