FA cup vs Blackburn (A) post match thread

[Bender]

Can and Skrtel will be back for the Villa game yes?

Yes

[wiw]

I thought we looked much more comfortable all over the pitch to be honest, controlled the game and seemed much more on the front foot. Henderson and Allen were both playing box-to-box either side of Lucas, Lucas was dropping in to make a 3, full backs pushed up high. It wasn't a million miles away from the 3-4-3 but we had more players in their favoured position and an extra body in the middle and higher up the pitch and it showed. We pressed better, we attacked a bit better with the extra body. We weren't brilliant attacking wise but i thought Blackburn pressed well.

Going forwards it does make you wonder where Lallana, Markovic and Ibe fit in, presumably in place of Sterling/Coutinho. Can would surely replace Allen. Dunno.

[Exiled_red]

I thought we looked much more comfortable all over the pitch to be honest, controlled the game and seemed much more on the front foot. Henderson and Allen were both playing box-to-box either side of Lucas, Lucas was dropping in to make a 3, full backs pushed up high. It wasn't a million miles away from the 3-4-3 but we had more players in their favoured position and an extra body in the middle and higher up the pitch and it showed. We pressed better, we attacked a bit better with the extra body. We weren't brilliant attacking wise but i thought Blackburn pressed well.

Going forwards it does make you wonder where Lallana, Markovic and Ibe fit in, presumably in place of Sterling/Coutinho. Can would surely replace Allen. Dunno.

The system we played against Blackburn isn't necesarily the way we will play going forward. We were missing most of our first choice defence, so could easily chance the system. If we do Ibe and Markovic have shown that they can play the wing back role, but Lallana I have wondered about his role all season to be honest. I wonder what the plan was when we signed them. As I have mentioned before I do think we often buy players on ability or potential but often don't consider where they will play.

[ronanm]

The system we played against Blackburn isn't necesarily the way we will play going forward. We were missing most of our first choice defence, so could easily chance the system. If we do Ibe and Markovic have shown that they can play the wing back role, but Lallana I have wondered about his role all season to be honest. I wonder what the plan was when we signed them. As I have mentioned before I do think we often buy players on ability or potential but often don't consider where they will play.

That £50m to Southampton was such a waste ffs

[baitman]

The system we played against Blackburn isn't necesarily the way we will play going forward. We were missing most of our first choice defence, so could easily chance the system. If we do Ibe and Markovic have shown that they can play the wing back role, but Lallana I have wondered about his role all season to be honest. I wonder what the plan was when we signed them. As I have mentioned before I do think we often buy players on ability or potential but often don't consider where they will play.

i think i would rather see us playing ibe than lallana. lala just seems too fragile. ibe is like oxlade, powerful and direct. i bet if we put lallana up for sale we'd be lucky to get 15m for him.

[BigChief]

Its painful hindsight. I thought Lovren but specially Lallana were worth paying the extra for. Both with PL experience and Lallana able to do a Coutinho type role. But it never transpired and so the 50m looks like a lost gamble.

How can we avoid this again this summer? Is it really just luck?

[RedRum]

Not sure why Lallana is being written off already, he has had a few poor performances but also some very good performances and has chipped in with some goals. He has also had a few hiccups with injury, I'm sure he will prove himself worthy of being here

[captainfog]

I only watched the first half because I had a ticket to see Courtney Barnett. Thought the first half was terrible. Blackburn offered **** all and were just trying to defend with 10 men while we huffed and puffed but didn't look threatening at all.

Courtney Barnett plays guitar better than Liverpool play football. I didn't regret my choice.

[Exiled_red]

Its painful hindsight. I thought Lovren but specially Lallana were worth paying the extra for. Both with PL experience and Lallana able to do a Coutinho type role. But it never transpired and so the 50m looks like a lost gamble.

How can we avoid this again this summer? Is it really just luck?

With Lovren at least we could see what the plan with him was, like I said Lallana I'm not sure what we wanted to do with him.

I think this summer we need to target players for specific roles in the side, while we can never guarantee success there has to be a better chance than taking risk on for example buying a No 10 and playing them on the wing.

I think part of the problem is having a transfer committee who don't all necessarily understand the intricacies of what is required of a player playing in a particular role in the system.

[BobTheCharmer]

Courtney Barnett plays guitar better than Liverpool play football. I didn't regret my choice.

That kind of sentiment can only come with age and experience. Let's be honest there are a million and one things these days that are more enjoyable than watching a load of prima donnas run halfheartedly around a pitch for 90 minutes. I wish I had realised when I was 20, would of saved a lot of grief.

[DannyMan2006]

Its painful hindsight. I thought Lovren but specially Lallana were worth paying the extra for. Both with PL experience and Lallana able to do a Coutinho type role. But it never transpired and so the 50m looks like a lost gamble.

How can we avoid this again this summer? Is it really just luck?

I think Coutinho was inconsistent last season & with the extra games this year it made sense to bring in a player like Lallana. Same goes with Markovic who maybe on the face of it is similar to Sterling. Lambert was purely a cheap plan B option. Can & Moreno are obvious, Manquillo was a cheap gamble in a place we needed cover. Lovren was supposed to be the organiser.

Honestly, each signing made sense. And you see with our injuries and suspensions that the need for a deeper squad was there. The only one I didn't understand was Mario, but he was clearly last ditch attempt. And that is entirely the reason for our failed season. I'm not blaming Mario, he's never been the player we needed him to be.

My entire blame for our season is directed at the transfer committee. Apparently it came down to a choice of Balotelli or Eto'o to replace Suarez. Ridiculous. All because we dragged our heels with Sanchez, then dragged our heels with the replacement in Remy. By the time he failed a medical that left it too late to get anyone half decent.

We would be guaranteed top 4 right now had we had a decent striker.

[Vermilion]

That £50m to Southampton was such a waste ffs

Think they totally played us on the Lovren fee.

Suppose he could turn out to be a decent player in time, but no way was/is he the finished article the fee imo demanded.

That figure you quoted though, made me think of Andy Car DONKEY! and once i thought of him i thought about the money we'd spent since J.Henry took over, and the vast amounts we've wasted.

[BobTheCharmer]

I think Coutinho was inconsistent last season & with the extra games this year it made sense to bring in a player like Lallana. Same goes with Markovic who maybe on the face of it is similar to Sterling. Lambert was purely a cheap plan B option. Can & Moreno are obvious, Manquillo was a cheap gamble in a place we needed cover. Lovren was supposed to be the organiser.

Honestly, each signing made sense. And you see with our injuries and suspensions that the need for a deeper squad was there. The only one I didn't understand was Mario, but he was clearly last ditch attempt. And that is entirely the reason for our failed season. I'm not blaming Mario, he's never been the player we needed him to be.

My entire blame for our season is directed at the transfer committee. Apparently it came down to a choice of Balotelli or Eto'o to replace Suarez. Ridiculous. All because we dragged our heels with Sanchez, then dragged our heels with the replacement in Remy. By the time he failed a medical that left it too late to get anyone half decent.

We would be guaranteed top 4 right now had we had a decent striker.

Remy not pulling up trees at Chelsea but how did he fail our medical? We have sturridge and sakho on the books ffs.

[DannyMan2006]

Remy not pulling up trees at Chelsea but how did he fail our medical? We have sturridge and sakho on the books ffs.

Supposed dodgy knee. I know he's not been great at Chelsea, but he'd have been spot on for us. Nothing spectacular but far better option than anyone we have other than Studge. The weeks it took us to figure out Borini, Balo or Rickie cost us a shed load of points and cost us top 4. And also cost us getting out the group stages of the CL.

Imagine coming into this summer having qualified for the knockout stages of the CL and having finished in the top 4 again. And all we needed was a good, solid striker with pace and movement.

I know they're not world beaters, but Origi and Danny Ings would be a marked improvement on Fabio, Rickie & Mario.

[BobTheCharmer]

Supposed dodgy knee. I know he's not been great at Chelsea, but he'd have been spot on for us. Nothing spectacular but far better option than anyone we have other than Studge. The weeks it took us to figure out Borini, Balo or Rickie cost us a shed load of points and cost us top 4. And also cost us getting out the group stages of the CL.

Imagine coming into this summer having qualified for the knockout stages of the CL and having finished in the top 4 again. And all we needed was a good, solid striker with pace and movement.

I know they're not world beaters, but Origi and Danny Ings would be a marked improvement on Fabio, Rickie & Mario.

I agree, he would have been very useful. The whole flying him out and rejecting him saga was merely the preamble to the season.