Confirmed Team and match thread

[desertscouser]

But we have a better squad than last season when we regularly put in performances like that home and away.

More proof that something isn't quite right. We look void of ideas on the pitch. We play such poor footie and it really does my head in.

[Morph]

More proof that something isn't quite right. We look void of ideas on the pitch. We play such poor footie and it really does my head in.

FFS mate - lack of options

Injured:

Alonso
Gonzalez
Kewell
Sissoko
Aurelio
Warnock

And supposedly Garcia, Zenden and pennant weren't fully fit.

Most teams with those kind of injuries would have rolled over and died, let alone put a squad together.

[desertscouser]

So basically a Liverpool side that didn't have 4/5 injured first team players out would probably have killed them.

Like we've killed all other side this year? Mate, I admire your optimism but our lot are dishing out the same mediocre ****e every week. Maybe we'll sort ourselves out but at the moment our performances are not good enough.

[Morph]

Like we've killed all other side this year? Mate, I admire your optimism but our lot are dishing out the same mediocre ****e every week. Maybe we'll sort ourselves out but at the moment our performances are not good enough.

We aren't mediocre every week thats a bit over dramatic, we've had a few truly dismal performances Everton, Bolton, Man U and Arsenal, but that's about it. Most of the other matches have been decent and those we haven't won have been through not taking our chances.

Today was different as we hardly created anthing, and that could be to do with having 3 first choice midfielders and at least 2 second choice mids missing.

[desertscouser]

FFS mate - lack of options

Injured:

Alonso
Gonzalez
Kewell
Sissoko
Aurelio
Warnock

And supposedly Garcia, Zenden and pennant weren't fully fit.

Most teams with those kind of injuries would have rolled over and died, let alone put a squad together.

These options you talk about have been available to us since the start of the season...

[REDSCOUSER]

Desert, you among others are being harsh on the team. Yes they have not played well today BUT, Citeh came at Anfield and made it difficult which meant the REDS had to fight for the 3 points. We can't expect teams to roll over at our gaff everytime.
I bet you we will batter Pompey on Wednesday and all will be forgotton.

[Morph]

These options you talk about have been available to us since the start of the season...

Read the above, usually our problem has been not taking our chances, today we just didn't have many.

[desertscouser]

We aren't mediocre every week thats a bit over dramatic, we've had a few truly dismal performances Everton, Bolton, Man U and Arsenal, but that's about it. Most of the other matches have been decent and those we haven't won have been through not taking our chances.

Today was different as we hardly created anthing, and that could be to do with having 3 first choice midfielders and at least 2 second choice mids missing.

Have you forgotten about Boro and Sheffield United away?

I'm a little pissed and I'm off out...I may have calmed down by tomorrow.

[Red_Polo]

More proof that something isn't quite right. We look void of ideas on the pitch. We play such poor footie and it really does my head in.

Morph - we haven't had those players injured the whole season though.

I think with out confidence being low our weaknesses are showing. We don't have much depth when it comes to genuine creative quality. We can get away with it when we play the pass and move well and create as a team, but with confidence so low our players show very little positive movement.

At the moment when a forward gets the ball most of the team just sit back and see if he can do it on his own - in our purple patches you would see every single player in the team moving to make himself available, players making good forward runs, generally just giving the player on the ball options other than a sideways/backwards pass or an unimaginative ball up to the front man who stands no chance. We simply don't attack as a unit well enough, and as a result it is often down to individual skill to score us goals. We just don't have the players to be able to rely on that, if anyone does.

Still, we won today, and that brings the confidence up a notch, hopefully taking us closer to the form we know we're capable of.

[Morph]

Morph - we haven't had those players injured the whole season though.

Like I said about, we normally create far more chances than we did today, but the lack of creativity due to those injuries stifled that a bit, which is how I justify todays performances.

I mean if you took Scholes, Ronaldo and Carrick for instance out of the Man U midifeld how would they fare?

I know that only applies to todays match, but I think we're on the start of an upturn in our fortunes which started at Boro last week, and we really know if we've turned a corner until those players are back in the side.

[Red_Polo]

We do normally create more chances, but it's the kind of chances we create as well. We don't carve teams open half as much as the other top teams do. I would definitely say we have more of a problem creating than finishing.

[dww]

I think we have had almost too much possession in the last few PL games. Our lack of confidence has meant that we take the safe option too often. I suspect it all boils down to the fact our previously imperious defence has become a bit leaky.

I think we need a run of cleansheets and wins even if we play poorly simply to get some confidence back. I think we have a combination of a lot of players who thrive on confidence and also a bunch of new players who have found it hard to find their feet as we have generally been quite deflated this season. I'm hopeful that it won't take much to see an improvement in the whole team, we have shown in small glimpses (like the Villa game) what we can do this season. But oddly I think our season has been a bit like some of Pennants last few performances - bits of gold amongst a lot of poor choices and generally lacking the confidence to produce an all round quality display.

[Morph]

We do normally create more chances, but it's the kind of chances we create as well. We don't carve teams open half as much as the other top teams do. I would definitely say we have more of a problem creating than finishing.

I suppose it's to be expected with our style of play, Sissoko and Alonso aren't going to carve teams open so you would look to the wings, and they've been pretty **** so far.

I know it's harping on, but when Harry comes back we'll have a lot more on the left hand side hopefully coupled with a Gonzalez who has found his feet by then, if Gerrard stays in the middle with one of Alonso or Sissoko, that'll be a killer midfield, we just need to sort out the right hand side then (again). Pennant might turn into a usefull backup but thats about it I think, we need to spend big on a right sided player in my opinion.

[Red_Polo]

I do think Gonzalez is getting there, he's shown flashes of what we all hope he may well prove able to do consistantly given time. Agree about Kewell coming back, he would definitely add something IMO.

[Morph]

On a side not about the cleansheets, that's 10 out of 22 matches which is not actually that bad of a stat, also 6 of those were in the last 7 matches which suggest much improved performances.