Vs Ludogrets (A): Post Match Thread

[Lecter]

I honestly don't think its the personnel, I think it's the coaching staff. How can the likes of Pulis make second rate defenders a solid unit?

You look at the defenders in our squad, all internationally capped, all played at the highest level for a long time. Yet totally inept and lack any idea of how to clear the ball, or defend a set piece.

Well there is that as well but I don't want to call for Brendans head and he clearly doesn't want a defensive coach so whilst Brendan is here we should forget about trying to defend

I do think some defenders can't be fixed by coaching but maybe another coach could get more out of some of them

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

6 months ago we all thought we'd be tearing it up in Europe and nobody would want to face us

To be fair, nobody would have at the time.

I wonder, are we the same team as last year just without the attacking threat of Suarez and Sturridge? I mean last year we beat Stoke 5-3 and Cardiff 6-3. This season that could have easily have been the same as the 3-1 reverse to Palace.

We've literally added nothing with our spending. We still need to address the exact same problem but now with a few added ones too.

[Zapater]

I turned it on 5 minutes in, I was out and missed the start. I ate and drunk too much and fell asleep after Henderson's goal. From the bit I saw we looked rather ****, although we did score. Our first goal was comical and we were very lucky they donated that. I need to see the highlights to see how we conceded.

Doesn't change anything on paper as we need a win at Basil, but it's disappointing from what I saw and result wise too.

****ing hell, just saw the first goal. Really don't know what to think about that. Comedy of errors and Mignolet... Oh **** and another goal conceding from a corner. Disgusting. **** we defend horrendously.

[Exiled_red]

6 months ago we all thought we'd be tearing it up in Europe and nobody would want to face us

6 months ago we had Suarez

[danperkins]

We were the better side in that second half. We were cruising 2-1 & we needed to make some subs in the midfield. Gerrard was atrocious & Allen was non existent. Shocked that Rodgers didn't get some fresh legs on.. I thought Can & Lallana were bankers to come on. He sends Moreno on and we drop even mroe...suicide.

The fullbacks were atrocious today, Manquillo was given a hard time today by the left winger, he got caught out of position so much today.. Lucas/Skrtel & Toure were ok today.. bit rusty in parts but i really thought a few subs in the middle of the park would have seen us through.

Sterling & Lambert had very good games.

[ChrisDR1968]

We were the better side in that second half. We were cruising 2-1 & we needed to make some subs in the midfield. Gerrard was atrocious & Allen was non existent. Shocked that Rodgers didn't get some fresh legs on.. I thought Can & Lallana were bankers to come on. He sends Moreno on and we drop even mroe...suicide.

The fullbacks were atrocious today, Manquillo was given a hard time today by the left winger, he got caught out of position so much today.. Lucas/Skrtel & Toure were ok today.. bit rusty in parts but i really thought a few subs in the middle of the park would have seen us through.

Sterling & Lambert had very good games.

Forget Rodgers subbing Gerrard off. He ain't gonna do it under any circumstances

[Cormack74]

I honestly don't think its the personnel, I think it's the coaching staff. How can the likes of Pulis make second rate defenders a solid unit?

You look at the defenders in our squad, all internationally capped, all played at the highest level for a long time. Yet totally inept and lack any idea of how to clear the ball, or defend a set piece.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Forget Rodgers subbing Gerrard off. He ain't gonna do it under any circumstances

Definitely something been said after that Madrid game, he isn't playing on merit and hasn't been for at least 2 months.

[danperkins]

Forget Rodgers subbing Gerrard off. He ain't gonna do it under any circumstances

yeah it's getting ridiculous at this stage.

[Muddled]

I thought Gerrard had an okay game. Granted, he wasn't setting the world alight, but he provided energy up top, he tried to make us look dangerous and he linked midfield and attack. I don't think the state of the pitch helped in any way.

Rodgers wanted to see out the win and taking off an attacking player for a defender reflects that. Our inability to defend set-pieces cost us. You can't really criticise Rodgers for taking Sterling off as its only with hindsight that we needed him for a third.

[baitman]

if lucas gets dropped for the next league game then the dog**** goes in the letter box brendan.

[Lecter]

How many times have we conceded goals in the last 5 or 10 minutes must be quite a few now

[DannyMan2006]

Very good European away performance that had the usual errors thrown in to ruin it. People have been calling for Toure for a while now. Have to say I expected this sort of performance from him, he's just not the player he was and he's hit & miss. Epitomised our game in that he looked solid, but makes simple mistakes.

First goal, he does a ridiculously bad clearance that gives them a free shot. Second, he's marking the damn player that scores - but who do the muppets blame? Johnson despite him being the only one who stayed alive at the back post. Toure sleeping. I don't know what the answer is at the back, but it isn't Toure.

But aside from individual mistakes, the team as a whole did look compact with Lucas & Allen in the middle. As Gary Neville said in the analysis, it was a small step. I don't rate Ludogorets, but fact is they gave Real a tough game, us two difficult games and beat Basel so they aren't a pushover.

As for Brendan, his early formation worked well but when Ludo figured it out and got on top, he was savvy enough to change and get the upper hand. I know it was a tense finish. But tell me, aside from the two goals, did Migs have ANYTHING to do? No. We set up to avoid getting beat and we achieved it.

I wasn't happy. But it's better and we have the outcome we wanted.

[DannyMan2006]

if lucas gets dropped for the next league game then the dog**** goes in the letter box brendan.

I think is have to agree. Lucas isn't the player he was and he's not the long term answer. But same applies to Gerrard and until we get flying forwards again it's time to look to be solid as opposed to having a playmaker in there.

[DannyMan2006]

How many times have we conceded goals in the last 5 or 10 minutes must be quite a few now

What did you think of Joe Allen's performance?