Palace (a) post match thread

[BigChief]

it wont be long before he does a LVG and drops his kecks to prove otherwise

Only once Stevie ok's it first.

[baitman]

Liverpool have only had fewer points at this stage of a Premier League campaign on one occasion - 1992-93, when they had 13.

The Reds have only managed eight shots on target in their last three league matches.

They have conceded 21 goals in their last 10 league away matches.

Liverpool have failed to win in four league games for the first time since September 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30072811

[vonk]

FSG will give Rodgers time, they are partially to blame for this. Rodgers, FSG and this ****ing transfer committee made a conscious decision in the summer to buy a lot of potential rather than 3 or 4 huge signings. It was a gamble, a moneyball gamble, that hasn't paid off. I can't argue with Moreno, Can, Lallana, Markovic, Manquillo... all potentially very good. Balotelli was a risk-reward situation with his price. That didn't work.

Lovren has been a complete disaster. No positional sense whatsoever. Chasing around like a headless chicken trying to affect areas of the pitch he has no business being in. What on earth was he doing over by the wing trying to win that ball and getting beaten easily. I'd had it with him when he was beaten so easily by Ivanovic in his own box a few weeks ago. At least Sakho looks like there is a defender in there. Lovren gets so many of the basics wrong we need to sack the scout who watched him, and try to get about 10 million for him from Italy or somewhere in January. Write him off. I cant ever see it working.

The teams diamond is the issue for me - not the one further forward, the Mig - Lovern Skrtel - Gerrard one. I like Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Sterling. Henderson and Allen are average players who add work rate but not much else, but can do a job. The full backs, including Johnson, aren't that bad and are not the main weakness. We obviously are completely lacking in the striking department, but if the base of your side is conceding goal after goal, then the striking side becomes harder because the opposition can sit back and wait for our defence to hand them a goal or two. Palace had very little to do today other than sit back, allow no space, then pump balls forward to Bolasi and Gayle to terrorise our central defence.

Mignolet was poor last season, make no mistake about it. Sure, he makes the odd wonder save, but they are few and far between. He has lost confidence and gotten worse. He should have saved the second today, it was straight at him. He is rubbish at kicking and commanding his area. And worst of all, it appears the defence have no confidence in him, and it's spreading like a virus.

Skrtel - great last season, but is playing very poorly. He always makes it a battle. Never mind the game-plan. Sit deep and make it a battle with the striker. If the striker is pacey find ways to foul him and concede free-kicks. Reacted slowly today and is not even a goal threat now. Not as bad as Lovren, but not far behind.

Gerrard - Legend, etc. The point was made in a Podcast I listened to, and it was the best one yet for leaving him out. His legs don't allow him to cover as he should. He does win many last gasp tackles and help get the defenders out of jail, but including him is only worth it for his passing, and ability to switch the play. But he has nothing to hit now. We don't have pacey forwards. He's ended up hitting lobbed balls to Sterling out wide, most of them being cut out. If we don't have targets for him to hit, then his inclusion is not worth it. Better to play Lucas and try to concede less.

If we had to do the summer over, a world class goalkeeper, a world class CB, and a holding mid, as well as a pacey striker. Sadly we can't, and I can't see FSG giving Rodgers a lot in January. He's in a bind. He needs to find an answer with what he has. But what he has is Jones - Toure Sakho - Lucas. And even that would be better than what's playing right now.

[BigChief]

The blame is largely with Rodgers than FSG though. You mentioned all the players bought and you agreed most of them are promising or already good. I like the purchases too, there's not much I can fault once Sanchez said no (obviously Lovren is a write-off, it happens).

The key to this team/squad/system is we need to move the ball quickly. Really quickly.

Mig -> Skrtel -> Lucas -> Allen -> Sterling is super quick. I saw it against Real Madrid and a few cup games. Add Coutinho, Lallana and Can the ball speed remains high. Very high. Opposition teams can't live with that and even though we'll miss a lot in front of goal, the opposition won't be able to handle the pace. This is the Brendan Way.

So Brendan continues to play this system with Mig -> Skrtel -> Gerrard....eeeeeerrrrk emergency breaks!! Gerrard takes one touch, looks for a killer ball, doesn't find it, see's he's being closed down, passes back to Skrtel. That's the momentum gone.

Player purchases are not wrong, the way of playing is not wrong. The personnel that start is wrong. And that isn't FSG's fault. That's all Brendan.

[Bender]

Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel won 0% of their tackles today.

A defensive midfielder and a defender.

[rodo]

Check out vonstrenginho's post on Vine!

https://vine.co/v/O1qvijJ3LvY

[badpiggy]

The blame is largely with Rodgers than FSG though. You mentioned all the players bought and you agreed most of them are promising or already good. I like the purchases too, there's not much I can fault once Sanchez said no (obviously Lovren is a write-off, it happens).

The key to this team/squad/system is we need to move the ball quickly. Really quickly.

Mig -> Skrtel -> Lucas -> Allen -> Sterling is super quick. I saw it against Real Madrid and a few cup games. Add Coutinho, Lallana and Can the ball speed remains high. Very high. Opposition teams can't live with that and even though we'll miss a lot in front of goal, the opposition won't be able to handle the pace. This is the Brendan Way.

So Brendan continues to play this system with Mig -> Skrtel -> Gerrard....eeeeeerrrrk emergency breaks!! Gerrard takes one touch, looks for a killer ball, doesn't find it, see's he's being closed down, passes back to Skrtel. That's the momentum gone.

Player purchases are not wrong, the way of playing is not wrong. The personnel that start is wrong. And that isn't FSG's fault. That's all Brendan.

That is horribly accurate. In the position Rodgers has assigned to Gerrard, if he doesn't immediately spot and play a Hollywod pass, we crash and burn. It's so infuriating and so obvious. SG is a legend but he's giving us nothing at the moment.

[Shaggy]

That is horribly accurate. In the position Rodgers has assigned to Gerrard, if he doesn't immediately spot and play a Hollywod pass, we crash and burn. It's so infuriating and so obvious. SG is a legend but he's giving us nothing at the moment.

It sounds knee-jerk and we are all fickle and perceptions change quickly, but you're right about Gerrard's passing IMO and we'd be better off getting Lucas back in that role for now. Sure he's not the long term answer but his passing still has a nice rhythm to it and he usually takes the best option. He's also threaded a few lovely through balls this season....he's always had that in his locker (albeit seen sporadically). We tick over better with Lucas there, and positionally he's much more in tune with that role than Gerrard ever has been or will be.

[badpiggy]

It sounds knee-jerk and we are all fickle and perceptions change quickly, but you're right about Gerrard's passing IMO and we'd be better off getting Lucas back in that role for now. Sure he's not the long term answer but his passing still has a nice rhythm to it and he usually takes the best option. He's also threaded a few lovely through balls this season....he's always had that in his locker (albeit seen sporadically). We tick over better with Lucas there, and positionally he's much more in tune with that role than Gerrard ever has been or will be.

Yeah it does appear knee-jerk and all that but, in all honesty, SG has always been a flawed hero/legend. As his athletic powers decrease and he's played in a position that requires more than instinctive bursts into space and attacking freedom, his flaws are horribly amplified. That Rafa knew this and used him correctly is a fact like the earth revolving around the sun.

[Bender]

After Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace today, former Red Jamie Carragher said the current side are ‘mentally weak, and are ‘getting bullied out of games’.

It was a bit of a rant from Carra, who is an unapologetic Liverpool fan, even in his pundit suit.

Brendan Rodgers was asked about this charge at his post-match press conference, which was interesting considering Carragher played under Rodgers for a season.

The Liverpool boss looked a little disappointed at his former player, but decided not to respond or show it, simply saying

‘Today wasn’t about Palace being overly physical, more about their simple gameplan of playing on the counter attack.’


Rodgers looks ****ed...feel sorry for him

[ame="http://youtu.be/Oi6RQG2GjVI"]Brendan Rodgers: Sterling isn't the... - YouTube[/ame]

[The_weatherman]

It sounds knee-jerk and we are all fickle and perceptions change quickly, but you're right about Gerrard's passing IMO and we'd be better off getting Lucas back in that role for now. Sure he's not the long term answer but his passing still has a nice rhythm to it and he usually takes the best option. He's also threaded a few lovely through balls this season....he's always had that in his locker (albeit seen sporadically). We tick over better with Lucas there, and positionally he's much more in tune with that role than Gerrard ever has been or will be.

Yeah it does appear knee-jerk and all that but, in all honesty, SG has always been a flawed hero/legend. As his athletic powers decrease and he's played in a position that requires more than instinctive bursts into space and attacking freedom, his flaws are horribly amplified. That Rafa knew this and used him correctly is a fact like the earth revolving around the sun.

I wont say I told you so, but I have been banging that drum for this season*. And I think Brendan and Gerrard have gotten one thing badly wrong, the opposition isn't targeting Gerrard to mark him out, it's to take advantage of a glaring weakness in the side.





* I know

[G]

After Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace today, former Red Jamie Carragher said the current side are ‘mentally weak, and are ‘getting bullied out of games’.

It was a bit of a rant from Carra, who is an unapologetic Liverpool fan, even in his pundit suit.

Brendan Rodgers was asked about this charge at his post-match press conference, which was interesting considering Carragher played under Rodgers for a season.

The Liverpool boss looked a little disappointed at his former player, but decided not to respond or show it, simply saying

‘Today wasn’t about Palace being overly physical, more about their simple gameplan of playing on the counter attack.’


Rodgers looks ****ed...feel sorry for him

Brendan Rodgers: Sterling isn't the... - YouTube

Brendan,If it was such a simple gameplan why didn't you figure out a way to stop it instead of allowing it to work against us like it does for every other team who does it against us?

[Shaggy]

[Shaggy]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20EaI7Hg8AI"]Brendan Rodgers Post Crystal Palace Interview - YouTube[/ame]

[Slinky Skills]

He keeps saying the group are committed, they ****ing aren't. They've been anything but committed these last 3 or 4 months.

They might well be committed on the training ground but that's not good enough, it's on the pitch week in week out against ****ing dross like Palace that they need to show their commitment.

Getting on my tits hearing the same **** being pedalled by him after every ****ing match, it's bollocks.