Liverpool vs Swansea Post Match

[Reece]

Anyone know why Colin was doing all the pre/post match interviews?

[Darkon]

I thought we played decent yesterday all things considered. The game at the weekend and this one show IMO that we are perhaps working on the organisation right now, and how to be more compact defensively. The chains have looked closer, and the units are also pulling more in the same direction I've noticed. It's perhaps costing a bit focus on the stuff up front, but it's needed really.

We only gave away 2? chances of note yesterday, and created a decent amount.

Thought Borini played very well, would like to see him get a starte in the weekend.

[RichC]

I thought we played decent yesterday all things considered. The game at the weekend and this one show IMO that we are perhaps working on the organisation right now, and how to be more compact defensively. The chains have looked closer, and the units are also pulling more in the same direction I've noticed. It's perhaps costing a bit focus on the stuff up front, but it's needed really.

We only gave away 2? chances of note yesterday, and created a decent amount.

Thought Borini played very well, would like to see him get a starte in the weekend.

[kev776]

Anyone know why Colin was doing all the pre/post match interviews?

Probably because BR is contracted to blather to the press during PL matches but not the red paint cup, so fancied a night off.

Why have a dog and bark yourself when the doorbell rings.

[Muddled]

I thought we played decent yesterday all things considered. The game at the weekend and this one show IMO that we are perhaps working on the organisation right now, and how to be more compact defensively. The chains have looked closer, and the units are also pulling more in the same direction I've noticed. It's perhaps costing a bit focus on the stuff up front, but it's needed really.

We only gave away 2? chances of note yesterday, and created a decent amount.

Thought Borini played very well, would like to see him get a starte in the weekend.

Spot on.

You can see we've been more compact in our last two games and it's obviously something we're working on in training. This is to the detriment of our attacking football, but I believe that will develop with time. I don't know what people are expecting? We're not playing well and we played a changed side; Why all of a sudden should we be like the Liverpool of last year?

We won, we're through to the Quarter Finals and it will be another opportunity to give our second string some game time. It's about getting results at the moment, the performanced will come later.

Oh, and a doff of the cap to Manquillo, he was up and down that right flank like a whippet all game.

[rodo]

Pascoe was still in shorts below the suit jacket

[Darkon]

Spot on.

You can see we've been more compact in our last two games and it's obviously something we're working on in training. This is to the detriment of our attacking football, but I believe that will develop with time. I don't know what people are expecting? We're not playing well and we played a changed side; Why all of a sudden should we be like the Liverpool of last year?

We won, we're through to the Quarter Finals and it will be another opportunity to give our second string some game time. It's about getting results at the moment, the performanced will come later.

Oh, and a doff of the cap to Manquillo, he was up and down that right flank like a whippet all game.

I think that is one of the major points, it's really more about peoples expectations than about the team right now. The same with Balotelli, he is being judged on the expectations/merits of Suarez last season (as his 'direct' replacement) rather than on what he offers the team as I read it.

[frank the tank]

i thought we were very good. I like Lucas in front of the 2 centre backs - pity he and Gerrard can't play together (Lucas holding with Gerrard and Henderson in front of him)

Borini looked very good. I hope he does keep his place for the weekend - in reality if we had a front two of Sturridge and Balotelli - with Borini backing up Sturridge and Lambert backing up Balotelli - then we have enough to keep playing 2 up front. We look so much better with two up front.......if Brendan brings back Balotelli on his own up top against Newcastle, then i will not be a happy camper. I reckon he might though....

[captainfog]

I thought Lucas was rubbish last night, a real low light in an otherwise decent performance.

[dww]

I think that is one of the major points, it's really more about peoples expectations than about the team right now. The same with Balotelli, he is being judged on the expectations/merits of Suarez last season (as his 'direct' replacement) rather than on what he offers the team as I read it.

I tend to agree about the team part but I think the judgements of ballotelli have largely been reasonable. He has not been as good (so far) as any of the realistic alternatives talked about in the summer - etoo, Remy and bony.

[Darkon]

I tend to agree about the team part but I think the judgements of ballotelli have largely been reasonable. He has not been as good (so far) as any of the realistic alternatives talked about in the summer - etoo, Remy and bony.

Hmm, I agree to a degree, but it's hard to talk about Bony or Remy merits in other teams compared to how they would have hypothetically fit in to our team. Who knows if they would have clicked, and scored straight of?

Etoo I think would have fit in well because of his movement, but I honestly don't see neither Remy or Bony offering us much more in terms of movement of pressing tbh. They are quite static strikers as well, needing players around them to make the movement.

I agree that Balotelli at large have been disappointing, but I also believe that some of the criticism comes from him not giving us what Suarez did, and the same would have been true about any other signing.

[Kenneth]

The red card has to be overturned doesn't it?

[alonso14]

I watched the whole match and Lucas played really well. Apart from markovic who still needs more time the rest of them did ok.

[dww]

Hmm, I agree to a degree, but it's hard to talk about Bony or Remy merits in other teams compared to how they would have hypothetically fit in to our team. Who knows if they would have clicked, and scored straight of?

Etoo I think would have fit in well because of his movement, but I honestly don't see neither Remy or Bony offering us much more in terms of movement of pressing tbh. They are quite static strikers as well, needing players around them to make the movement.

I agree that Balotelli at large have been disappointing, but I also believe that some of the criticism comes from him not giving us what Suarez did, and the same would have been true about any other signing.

I think a lot of the Suarez comparisons come from a few people who do indeed have unreasonable expectations. Most people seem to be judging him by reasonable standards I and still see him as under performing.

I take your point about the style of the players we were after. But the fact we looked at that those players, and bought Ballotelli, suggests we were willing to deviate from our previous approach. I think there is a case for saying that Bony plays a similar role for Swansea to what Ballotelli does for us. He's just been scoring more goals.

Whether the player comparisons are fair we need strikers who either a/ make the team click (I'm thinking about early LFC Crouch here) or b/ score more than one goal per three games. Balotelli has thus far met neither criteria.

Unlike some I think he will improve and that at least part of the problem has been systemic and the issue lies with a variety of choices made by Rodgers. We have seen before that Rodgers has the ability to adapt and accept when he is wrong. Consequently he has the benefit of the doubt, something that we have no real reason to give Mario IMO.

I hope that Rodgers is thinking about what players who have been on the fringes like Lucas and Borini can offer after last night. I think tweaks to other areas of the team (not just up front) could have a big impact on Mario's effectiveness.

[Darkon]

I think a lot of the Suarez comparisons come from a few people who do indeed have unreasonable expectations. Most people seem to be judging him by reasonable standards I and still see him as under performing.

I take your point about the style of the players we were after. But the fact we looked at that those players, and bought Ballotelli, suggests we were willing to deviate from our previous approach. I think there is a case for saying that Bony plays a similar role for Swansea to what Ballotelli does for us. He's just been scoring more goals.

Whether the player comparisons are fair we need strikers who either a/ make the team click (I'm thinking about early LFC Crouch here) or b/ score more than one goal per three games. Balotelli has thus far met neither criteria.

Unlike some I think he will improve and that at least part of the problem has been systemic and the issue lies with a variety of choices made by Rodgers. We have seen before that Rodgers has the ability to adapt and accept when he is wrong. Consequently he has the benefit of the doubt, something that we have no real reason to give Mario IMO.

I hope that Rodgers is thinking about what players who have been on the fringes like Lucas and Borini can offer after last night. I think tweaks to other areas of the team (not just up front) could have a big impact on Mario's effectiveness.

There is no denying he is under-performing, and for a number of reasons

I think the players we were looking at were just as much out of what was possible as anything else. Not much on the market in the price bracket, and not least when looking at proven strikers (Balotelli is/were that after all).

To extend that a bit further, we also have to accept that a change were bound to come no matter what, as there are to my knowledge no striker like Suarez on the market. He is quite unique in the way he does things. Changes were coming, and perhaps we had adapted quicker with another player - but then again maybe not.

We do need more prolific strikers, and we still have 1 - he's just been injured for most of the season :/ Half our goals have been stripped from the team in the first quarter of the season, and any team facing that is bound to suffer a bit. I hope we give Borini a run now, or perhaps Lambert to see if we can get them going a bit, as something is needing to happen.

Rodgers have undoubtetly learned a lot from this, and I think we are seeing the changes being done now. Both in terms of defence but also in terms of accomodating Balotelli and Lambert as strikers.