Liverpool Banter Archive August 30 2015

30 Aug 2015 18:14:34
I just want to deeply thank Swansea, it is the thrid time in the last year or so they made my weekend sweet (or in the case of this specific weekend just slightly slightly less bitter). I wish I could say something similar about my own club over that period.

Can I ask for one last favour Swans? To take your old manager back? I am sure you can find him a job, in the Academy or something.

And by the way to all those who will now say well see United, see Chelsea, other big teams are struggling, I am sorry but no. It is different. Our problems our much deep and unfixable. With decent referees we should had now 3 points. That would have put us one place above relegation. And rightly so.

30 Aug 2015 22:23:12
Tbf, the Chelsea and Man U results have me even more annoyed about our non-performance in the West Ham game.

I can see United struggling because van Gaal is too clever for his own good and their second choice striker is Marouane Fellani, but not Chelsea. They'll probably get it together fairly quickly after the international break. But either way, it's too early to tell if it's going to be like last year where we should've walked into the top 4 because only one team was consistently good. So we really need to make the early poor form of our rivals count. But we didn't this weekend.

31 Aug 2015 03:35:49
I thank Swansea for showing BR and his acolytes how a real coach sets his team out to play, compete, have a set idea of what to do, have a plan and how a manager can change a game by making timely substitutions as well as changing the system to cause the opposing team problems. Gary Monk showed that football is a simple game that only incompetent managers are able to complicate. It's not about money alone. It's about knowing your job, how yo get the best out of the squad you built, having a system that suits them and playing to their strengths. Only incompetent managers have issues with these and at least for now, said managers reside at Liverpool and Utd

31 Aug 2015 05:10:46
with good referees we wouldn't even have 3

31 Aug 2015 08:23:53
Swansea have a good set up which the manager has little impact on.
Huw Jenkins is pulling the strings there. They sell players for high fees and replace them with cheaper players who can play in the same system. Bony - Gomis is an example but other high fee players sold include Allen and Siggurdson.

31 Aug 2015 09:01:21
Ron, you don't know what you are talking about with regards to the set up at Swansea. You say that the manager doesn't have much input, but who do you think picks the team, decides the tactics and the formation they play. They sell players when other teams offer ridiculous money for them and then go and get players that are just as good or better for next to nothing.Why can't the other teams in the prem see the ability these players have? We will get nil points when we visit the Liberty or when they visit Anfield

31 Aug 2015 10:52:50
Probably because the top teams fans demand so called big name players instead of hungry ones who want to prove themselves

31 Aug 2015 11:23:30
Thanks Ron. That has cheered me up after the weekend's debacle. How the f do you know that's how things are done at Swansea? It wasn't long ago you were here denigrating other posters for apparently "assuming" the way things were done at LFC and by Rodgers.

Looks like Ron's 2nd best buddy Red since 64 has turned sides. Just you and muscatred now Ron.

31 Aug 2015 13:43:27
AG how can you say I have changed sides when I didn't mention BR once in my post. All I did was to explain the way the manager of Swansea is involved with the team. You seem to be obsessed with BR so that you see things in other people's posts that are not there

31 Aug 2015 14:09:23
Just like you Red since 64. I mentioned BR to Ron in a different context in the same post. How do you know which "sides" I was talking about? You assumed it was the for and against BR sides as you too seemingly are obsessed with Rodgers.

31 Aug 2015 16:05:06
I don`t even need to respond to Ron and his pathetic and dare I say, fantasies about how Swansea and the manager pick the team, he tactics or run their team on the pitch or off it. Red 64 did that for me. Ron, you have been shown up for the upteenth time to be a BR no-hoper. Your post is nothing but fabricated nonsense because we all know that you have no idea how things are done at Swansea BUT you are shameless enuff to make up tripe in a bid to defend BR. Tell us oh wise one, does Huw Jenkins pick the team, the tactics or who gets signed as well? Bravo to Red 64 for doing the right thing and calling you out on you baseless drivel.

30 Aug 2015 11:46:53
Ed01. does seem to you that the fact that LFC players have no clue as what to do with the ball is down to lack of tactical preparation and cohesiveness in the way they play? They're quite good to counter attack as we saw against Arsenal but terrible when they need to attach teams. Surely this is down to BR's coaching weaknesses and to a lesser extent our lack of quality players?

Would appreciate your reply to this as I strongly believe it's the reason why we were so inept yesterday and the whole of last season.

{Ed001's Note - the lack of ideas is down to tactics. It doesn't matter how good the players are if you stifle them with poor tactics.}

31 Aug 2015 00:41:06
2 seasons ago we destroyed teams early with pace upfront and a killer finisher being fed by Coutinho/Hendo/Gerrards vision and passing range.

We didn't even try recruit similar players to replace those who left so we now play with a 4-3-3 setup, slow possession based football, lacking in pace upfront, and have 3 natural no.10's (Coutinho, Llalana and Firmino) playing as wingers.

I really think this squad has everything we need but almost every other game I just hate the way we're setting ourselves up to play.

31 Aug 2015 03:37:57
And who picks the players and the tactics? I know for a fact that FSG, the TC, the fans, the tea lady and the groundsmen don't pick the players nor tactics so I wonder who does that?

30 Aug 2015 10:29:30
1 step forward 2 steps back. Looking across the team beyond Benteke there are a lack of players in this squad that have scored beyond double figures in their domestic league. Tough decision for BR and the team does he try to play expansive or play defensive. Think we still need another attacking midfielder or winger that will be able to provide this 10 goals.

Could be in real trouble for UTD game. Would drop Lovren for this game his confidence is shot. Watching Caraghers video after the Manu game last year and the lad hasn't improved. The system at Southampton made him look good was able to make similar mistakes but other players got him out of jail.

Perhaps a risk but would love to see Ings with Benteke for this game upfront but would probably be too much of a gamble having two forwards as our midfield could be swamped. Benteke needs a little help up top.

My biggest gripe has been Lallana over the last 12 months, not a good enough number 7 or 10 - think he'll only come good when 2-3 other attacking players are in top form. Lack of games where he's been a real game changer. It's a huge season when he comes back lots to prove.

My gut feeling after a small number of games is that LFC will finish 5/6. Yesterday's result reveals how badly both AFC and LFC are playing. Perhaps fans read too much into the draw earlier this week.

Think us fans are in for roller coaster ride this season. Shepherds Bush Red

30 Aug 2015 17:03:33
The diff in the game was one manager had a plan and his players executed it to the T while another had no plan nor ability to react tactically to the probs that arrived during the game. Must do better.

30 Aug 2015 17:27:53
2-0 down at home vs west ham,,, half time,,, Brendan brings a defender on ?

30 Aug 2015 19:17:20
There lies the issue. He doesn't react quickly to in-game situations quickly. Twenty minutes into the game, it was clear to everyone what needed to happen as in play a 442 get Benteke more help and open up the game. Actually, I had no prob with Moreno coming on. It should have been for Gomez and then Ings on for Can. Theses changes should have been made way earlier but again, he dithered and b4 we knew it Couts got sent off an the game was virtually over.

30 Aug 2015 20:02:22
Look it's a horrible result but move on , international break and then that lot away let's get it together like the arsenal away 1st half and we will cause them many a headache , I am still annoyed over yesterday though but being a supporter means just that .

30 Aug 2015 09:51:29
People go from 0-100 to quickly, that's the most irritating thing about fans not just on here but everywhere, how can you ever wish for a loss to get the manager sacked? It's just ridiculous, before the game most of us where dead confident we'd win and we should have but we played so badly we didn't deserve anything where was the bitching and whining before the game? the Lovren situation leaves me a bit sour because it's glaringly obvious he knows fans hate him and he's just trying to hard to impress and win them over again, we need to have unity and back the team 100% so far this season every "big" team has looked poor (apart from city) at some stage this season, just look at the state of Chelsea, but I've no doubt they'll sort it out. It's early days guys c'mon.

30 Aug 2015 10:53:57
Lovren is terrible mate - no amount of support is going to change that - sakho needs to be brought in asap!

30 Aug 2015 11:14:15
Thing is we went through all this rubbish last season I think now as soon as the smallest thing happens it's obviously not a blip its Rodgers still at the helm!

30 Aug 2015 11:25:09
0 - 100 really? Plenty of us have been calling this situation as it really is for ages now. Skrtel doesn't communicate, plays his own game. Lovren sadly isn't up to it. We've Sakho dropped, now dropped from France. A young talent in Ilori, bought and getting no chance. Gomez being over played out of position. You think Utd are going to give this kid a break. How many players did we play out of position last season too? One is Marko and looks like he's off on loan to Turkey. 20 million spent and sent to Turkey. We play 1 up top against West Ham at Anfield. Not the first time under Rodgers, won't be the last while he is around. So to say we go from 0 - 100 too quickly. is frankly way off the scale.

30 Aug 2015 11:32:08
So what about before the west ham game? Not conceding picking up results and so on? If it's so obvious nothing had changed from last season why wasn't we calling for him to be sacked?

30 Aug 2015 11:53:42
Sorry Square tomato but that's just blind fandom talking. I have no problem with people wishing for losses if it gets rid of BR you have to think of the long term aspects of the club. If BR gets sacked and we bring in a competent manager we could actually go somewhere with the players we've spent £300 million on. Blindly just getting behind a manager is pointless when he's had now coming up to 4 seasons in charge won nothing spent a fortune,pissed off the players etc etc. enough is enough and it's time he went.

Is it ok that I b*tch? I mean I was saying after Arsenal we were still poor,is that ok by your standards?

I have no idea why you've brought other teams and Chelsea into this. I'm not bothered about how they are performing,We shouldn't take solace in another teams failures being bigger than ours we should take pride in our own performances,which I;m sorry to say we just CAN NOT do.

Lovren and Skrtel are not good enough. End of.

30 Aug 2015 12:09:35
''So what about before the west ham game? Not conceding picking up results and so on? If it's so obvious nothing had changed from last season why wasn't we calling for him to be sacked?''

Are you just ignoring the detractors of BR? Plenty still didn't want him in charge over summer I include myself in that list. plenty still thought his tactics were piss poor vs our opening 3 teams,and we played poorly.we didn't concede because we had 2 legitimate goals disallowed and we won because of an offside goal and a wonder strike when playing poorly.

Please don't ignore other posters posts,plenty wanted BR gone before the start of this season.

30 Aug 2015 12:18:58
"why wasn't we calling for him to be sacked"

=======================
Many fans 'were' calling for him to be sacked mid way last season, its nothing new.
I appreciate your support, but to me yesterday's defeat was obviously the managers fault, he did n't do his homework. They did to us exactly what they did to Arsenal , exactly the same method of parking the bus with the hand break down. Brendan either did n't study that game or dismissed it, either way we lost because of that.

30 Aug 2015 13:12:22
I too was calling for him to go, way before now, possibly longer than was reasonable (6 months into his reign). He quite clearly can not read a players strengths and has a clear mindset as to how he wants the game played. That is fine if you are Barcelona or Bayern Munich, who can recruit the right players at either a fraction of their worth or at an absolute premium (mostly dependant on whether they are domestic or overseas), but we can't, remember one of our darlings is a cast-off.

You adapt your style to the players you have or pray for a sugar daddy. The squad we have has real quality, if used correctly. Have back up strikers of Ings and Origi, with starters of Benteke & Sturridge only 2 teams in the Premiership might suggest they have a better selection, yet we don't score many goals. So we lack creativity? Seriously. Cout's, Firmino, Lallana. How many Managers in the top half of the table would sit think I wish I had that many choices. Next Midfield, Milner, Henderson, Lucas, Allan, Can All internationals, all have quality, not the best, but would all peak the interests of top sides at the right price. I've deliberately not mentioned Youth because they are just a absolute bonus, lower table teams would kill to have most in their 1st team squads.

Now the problem. The defence. What problem 2 x £20m centrebacks, plus 2x most experienced CB, plus 2x best young centreback talents. 2x £15m fullbacks and a once fit England fullback. GoalKeeper, excellent at Sunderland when expected to be a shotstopper, not sweeper.

Offer that squad to most Managers and they would lick their lips and would see CL as a minimum and get the player beleiving the same. Ours will be talking about building process and the project taking time by November.

30 Aug 2015 13:14:25
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt hoping the coaching team would help to influence him in the right way. The problem is he is still picking the team and setting the shape of the team and the way it plays.

I tolerated the poor play because we were picking up results but yesterday was too reminicent of stoke at the end of last season. Disorganised, disjointed and pathetic, its time for someone who knows what they are doing to come in now. Seriously missed a trick with klopp and we will possibly regret it for another 25 seasons.

I want him gone now i'm afraid.

30 Aug 2015 14:46:31
Malgail, great post - our squad is real quality and there should be no excuses apart from perhaps bedding players in. I do accept yesterday could have been an aberration due to luck/new players settling but then again I firmly believe a lot of the problems last season were from BR's tactics, and I'm concerned some of the same mistakes have been made already.

Most notably amongst this has been the continued lack of cohesion at CB (Clyne and Gomez have strengthened things recently but not solved them), and the fact we insist on playing 4-3-3 without pace upfront or any natural wingers in the side. Coutinho and Firmino are absolutely natural players of through balls to strikers making runs, yet we insist on sticking them out wide where their vision/trickery is easier to contain.

30 Aug 2015 15:31:21
I agree that his tactics are simply not working, we won first 2 games only just and had real problems against Bournemouth who played a blinder.
Arsenal we looked good in the first half and pinned back in the second for reasons beyond me.
The fact is the squad is good, minus loaning Markovic out which which is ridiculous in my opinion. He has the talent, just needed to actually play in games!!
Anyway, we are stuck with BR for some time now, mid season at least! I am not going to say support him, but support the team and never give up on them; and hope that this loss is a knock back and we press on and win games. I am not deluded, just want to see us succeed and if BR does it or someone else, I don't care.

30 Aug 2015 15:57:50
We were very lucky in previous games

31 Aug 2015 03:49:29
Square, I don't care what other clubs do and their issues are their prob, not mine nor lfc's. We are moaning because we have seen this movie for the past fifteen months and you may like reruns but many of us are tired of them after a while. Based on the WH game, it was clear that BR has learnt nothing, did not do his homework and set his team out like an away side, all playing into the hands of the away side. That is the manager's fault because he is in charge of all these. We support our club no matter what. That does not mean we should have incompetence shoved down our throats in the name of positivity neither should we be forced to support a manager who continues to make the same mistakes for going four years straight. That is senseless and I will not be doing any of that. Until BR shows he can hack it over the course of time, the bitching will continue and you'll have to deal with it because the club belongs to all of us and not just to the so called positive fans

30 Aug 2015 09:22:34
Hi Eds, something that confuses me with BR is that when Lovren was at Southampton he had a DMF in front of him, Schneiderlin. It was pretty obvious that Lovren looked so good becoz of this. But BR wants/wanted rid of our only true DMF Lucas. BR praised Lovren earlier this week. So I expect BR to stick with Lovren & Skrtel (who somehow got a 3 yr contract extension) after yesterdays debacle but i wonder for how long? Personally i'd play Sakho with Llori/Gomez.

{Ed001's Note - until he goes I expect.}

30 Aug 2015 12:34:26
Sorry , I am missing your point here, Lucas played yesterday and we conceded 3 goal . Lucas did n't play the first 2 games and we kept clean sheets

30 Aug 2015 15:04:01
I think in games where teams sit deep against us, and our FB's push up regularly in attack, leaving Lucas and two shaky fullbacks facing pacy counter attacking football, we can occasionally look very exposed.

Against other top sides where we're playing a more balanced setup and sitting a little deeper however (like Arsenal), Lucas seems comes into his own with his positioning sense.

I would personally play Lucas against the top 4 sides where we're likely to come under sustained periods of pressure, but against sides looking to hit us on the counter I'd play someone more mobile, even Milner, and then put the likes of Llalana/Coutinho/Teixera/Hendo ahead of him who are best at playing in minimal space. Can isn't good at playing in minimal space and not good enough at tackling back IMO - he should be used in the games like Arsenal where he sits deeper, provides defensive solidity and has space to run into when he gets the ball.

I know everyone is a genius in hindsight but I do worry we continue to pick the wrong players for the situation, and other sides seem to expose our tactics way too often.

30 Aug 2015 15:59:23
I like the idea of Sakho with Illori/Gomez it's clearly obvious that the Srktel and Lovren partnership doesn't work. I really am a big supporter of Brendan but I feel he is trying to prove a point with the 'transfer comittee' by selecting 'his chosen players' instead of doing what is in the best interests of the team. I thought Lovren was our worst performer last season and in the three of the games he has started this season he has made three glaring mistakes that he has been very lucky to get away with the first against Stoke where he should have been sent off, the second against Bournemouth poor defending that led to a perfectly good goal being fortunately disallowed and then last night (Schoolboy defending). Sakho is obviously our best defender, he is leader (for France) great athlete and good distribution. Rebuild the defence around him

30 Aug 2015 21:36:28
In what way are you a big supporter of Rogers,what exactly has he done to get your support?

31 Aug 2015 03:15:08
Roy, are you trying to blame Lucas for the three goals we conceded when even a blind man could see that Lovren was responsible for one and Skrtel for two of the goals? I hope not because if you are then I'm sorry, your post is pointless and has no basis in reality nor fact.

31 Aug 2015 13:10:59
Hard to response to a 3 am post .
No redohio I am not blaming Lucas , I generally don't blame players, because to me even a blind man can see the systems BR tried and will try are not working. The original post was mis-timed to say the least, to say we will do better defensively if Lucas in the team after a game which we conceded 3 goals with Lucas in the team is just wrong and illogical; considering the 3 clean sheets up to that game.
The failure against west ham, is the managers fault , and no one else, yes Lovren missed up , no excuses for him, but we should n't have been in that position to begin with.

30 Aug 2015 09:01:07
Morning eds and fellow disgruntled fans

we played rubbish and deserved to loose. On another note though I really think this season is going to be one of the best in years in regards to the neutrals as we can already see every team has the capability to beat any other team. I know the pundits say it every year but teams like Leicester, Crystal palace, west ham, Everton,stoke, west brom etc are going to prove to be tough cookies and considering most teams including ourselves can't defend for toffee its going to make it fun to watch.

I am concerned about the way we are playing, but not much we can do as fans apart from vent the anger on pages like this which does make for tedious reading sometimes! But hey ho only another 34 games to go. still going to stick with my prediction(for what its worth) of 5th or 6th

30 Aug 2015 09:29:31
Isn't it just like last season?
Chelsea ran away with it and everyone else lost games they should win.
This season Man City are the runaway champions

30 Aug 2015 09:49:04
I remember fans on here laughing at city's preseason results, thinking we were up there, there is a massive gap between us and will get bigger the longer br is manager, we can't blame sterling for leaving,

30 Aug 2015 10:05:13
Are you still optimistic, Ron? Seriously, I am not teasing just curius to see if there are still any fans with hope around (and although I could say I told you so million times I am just sad about this as anyone).

30 Aug 2015 00:13:45
Is the site not working? Or is everyone to upset to post.

{Ed001's Note - when it is just frustrated bitching, it goes on the others page mate.}

30 Aug 2015 07:25:45
But what can we do that we have a lot of games like that in recent years and there will be many more? This is the time when the fans most need the site, to expres their frustration - isn't frustration from the team also a form of banter? And by the way after yesterday's game no negative comment was frustrated bitching just accurate reflection of the sad reality. I never understood this policy and as in the past I call you to reconsider. Or at least call it Liverpool banter other than on match days. I suggested and suggest again at least have a match day page. No one read/knows about the other page.

30 Aug 2015 10:12:06
I agree with the Eds. Yesterday I was il utterly hacked off and wrote a long rambling post moaning about all the players except 2. It didn't get posted, probably rightly so.
Several others did the same. No-one reads them or responds to them it's just people letting off steam. They all say the same thing, when you've read one you've read them all.