So why do Madrid approach every other game they play with an entirely different mindset? Lots of teams will set up like that against them. They score bundles. That's what they do.
Liverpool 2014/15 | WARNING: Contains strong amounts of Scouse nonsense
- Thread starter Wumminator
- Start date
Real were a bit too casual, probably mainly because Liverpool's manager raised the white flag before kick off. That and Ronaldo's selfish quest for personal glory (with team-mates trying to help him out) probably stopped them scoring a hatful. Very very easy game for them though.
Why stop at very very? Couldn't we add a fee more? Isn't it incumbent upon members here to reduce anything Liverpool do to total inadequacy?
Interesting that the narrative over the 90 minutes switched from 'this will be a mauling' to 'Real weren't trying properly'. Both conveniently avoid any mention of merit towards Liverpool's compact and disciplined approach (sorry, white flag waving approach).
Madrid lacked the killer instinct they've had recently. They had plenty of chances and got in dangerous positions almost at will. There was no urgent need to score though because Liverpool posed zero threat.
It was like playing a game of pool down the pub against a mentally challenged kid. You don't want to 7 ball the kid in front of his parents, but at the same time you don't want to lose to a mentally challenged kid in front of your mates. It's not an easy situation to deal with.
It was like playing a game of pool down the pub against a mentally challenged kid. You don't want to 7 ball the kid in front of his parents, but at the same time you don't want to lose to a mentally challenged kid in front of your mates. It's not an easy situation to deal with.
Hard to judge last night's game.
Not the keystone cops in defence for a change, so that alone is a step forward for them. I thought they generally did well in terms of defending the edge of the 18 yard box and they always had an extra body there to stop Real completing one-twos and little through balls. Maybe not surprising with Can, Allen and Lucas all featuring. They generally moved the ball from defence to the deeper midfield areas fairly well too, which meant that it wasn't always happening bang on the edge of their box.
Going forward - well nothing happened, so nothing to judge, in a tactical sense at least. I guess that alone tells a story. Lallana & Borini tried but looked miles away from the required level. Markovic didn't even look like he was trying (£25M?). Only Moreno came out with any credit going forward.
But does that constitute a decent performance? Wasn't there a belief down Anfield last season that their dynamic Liverpool team would be one to avoid in the Champions League? I know the team of this year is not the team of last year, but this feels like the Moyesification of Liverpool is almost complete. Feels like they're just happy they didn't wake Real from their slumber and face the backlash. Ludogorets would be happy with that performance and result, not sure Liverpool should be.
Of course one weird thing is that last night's game is almost like an entangled pair with Saturday's game. Until Saturday's game is finished we won't know whether last night's result is any good or not. Win handsomely on Saturday and last night's result suddenly looks a good one. Lose feebly and they take a load of flak.
Not the keystone cops in defence for a change, so that alone is a step forward for them. I thought they generally did well in terms of defending the edge of the 18 yard box and they always had an extra body there to stop Real completing one-twos and little through balls. Maybe not surprising with Can, Allen and Lucas all featuring. They generally moved the ball from defence to the deeper midfield areas fairly well too, which meant that it wasn't always happening bang on the edge of their box.
Going forward - well nothing happened, so nothing to judge, in a tactical sense at least. I guess that alone tells a story. Lallana & Borini tried but looked miles away from the required level. Markovic didn't even look like he was trying (£25M?). Only Moreno came out with any credit going forward.
But does that constitute a decent performance? Wasn't there a belief down Anfield last season that their dynamic Liverpool team would be one to avoid in the Champions League? I know the team of this year is not the team of last year, but this feels like the Moyesification of Liverpool is almost complete. Feels like they're just happy they didn't wake Real from their slumber and face the backlash. Ludogorets would be happy with that performance and result, not sure Liverpool should be.
Of course one weird thing is that last night's game is almost like an entangled pair with Saturday's game. Until Saturday's game is finished we won't know whether last night's result is any good or not. Win handsomely on Saturday and last night's result suddenly looks a good one. Lose feebly and they take a load of flak.
Well I did say credit to the keeper and toure and a couple of others, but hats as far as it goes. You make it sound like they were great defensively, when really madrid was just wasteful. They had 27 shots ffs, hit the bar along with ronaldo just not having a good day. That's not down to liverpool stifling him or whatever, that's down to ronaldo just being a bit shit on the day, happens to everyone.
And yes the narrative switched. You know why? Because in a normal football match, when a team starts losing, they usually try to grab a goal to tie the game. Liverpool showed absolutely no effort to do anything other then park the bus. Fair enough, you park the bus at the start. Once you go a goal down, you have to do something though. The game was over by the 27th minute because everyone and madrid knew that liverpool would do nothing to get a goal.
So please tell me, what type of credit should liverpool get at trying their hardest to preserve a 1-0 defeat? They still lost. They still got battered stats wise. They still hardly ever even reached madrids box. It's not some pub team that takes pride in keeping the score down. It's a team that won the European cup 5 times ffs, as they are so keen to remind everyone always.
Piece of cake after already gathering 3 points out of 4 games...
I can only speak for myself, but I'm starting to lose interest in Liverpool again. Last year you really managed to get me (negatively) excited about you, maybe even worried, but I'm seriously starting to think it was just a one-off again. Last year was great in terms of poking fun and having a good laugh at your unfortunate slip, but now you're slowly slipping back into a state of non-importance. Even Brentan has started to bore me with his comments. To be honest, I preferred last year (without the part of us sucking).
So if you assume your non-white towel attitude has shut us up, I think you're wrong. I think maybe others just feel like I'm starting to feel: indifferent
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Not sure what Lallana can do. He has no one up there to support. Markovic was ok too and he did work hard. He just looks too scared to go for goal.
There was that belief and I still have it. Take 50 goals and 20 assists out of any side though and you won't be the same team. I love this Moyesification idea that United supporters now have. It's starting to be used more regularly when in reality it's a load of utter shite.
Win handsomely? I'll take any win at all, I don't care how we do it.
You guys are playing worse than we did last season. You've basically had one good game his whole season.
The only positive from last night was that it was only 1-0. That had nothing to do with you though, it was just Real being wasteful. You were shite and were lucky it wasn't more.
The only positive from last night was that it was only 1-0. That had nothing to do with you though, it was just Real being wasteful. You were shite and were lucky it wasn't more.
The key difference I see with us and Pool is that Pool seem to be getting worse (remember how good they were against Spurs) where as we are slowly, gradually and extremely painfully getting better, sort of, minus the defense.
They could have easily score 5 or 6 if they weren't so wasteful. If that's what you call a good defensive performance then Brendan has really fecked you guys over.
Ronaldo alone had four chances off the top of my head that on a 'normal' day he would have absolutely buried. You got lucky.
I don't think Minolet was outstanding at all, he made one very good save, and a string of saves that you'd expect any decent keeper to make. If Madrid had their shooting boots on they would have scored at least 5.
Put it this way, Liverpool were a lot more compact and accomplished on the ball than in recent weeks while playing the best team on the planet.
I don't buy the line that it was just that Real were not bothered - that's not what Real do - they destroy teams on a weekly basis in all competitions. It's the first time in a million games when they haven't scored more than 1 goal and Ronaldo hasn't scored. But for some unexplained reason Real and Ronaldo chose Liverpool to take it easy. Okayyy...
As for the line-up, I reckon the likes of Lucas, Can and Allen harried and pressed far more effectively than any other Liverpool midfield this season and Borini was a hard working forward - that's been missing in recent matches. While it was a surprising XI I don't think anyone could argue with much conviction that the "first XI" would have done better. They certainly didn't perform like the "white flag XI" they were meant to be.
I'm not even lauding it as a great Liverpool display, but I am saying there was a lot more merit in it compared to pre-match predictions and what's been reported on here today. I'm just arguing for a bit of measure.
I don't buy the line that it was just that Real were not bothered - that's not what Real do - they destroy teams on a weekly basis in all competitions. It's the first time in a million games when they haven't scored more than 1 goal and Ronaldo hasn't scored. But for some unexplained reason Real and Ronaldo chose Liverpool to take it easy. Okayyy...
As for the line-up, I reckon the likes of Lucas, Can and Allen harried and pressed far more effectively than any other Liverpool midfield this season and Borini was a hard working forward - that's been missing in recent matches. While it was a surprising XI I don't think anyone could argue with much conviction that the "first XI" would have done better. They certainly didn't perform like the "white flag XI" they were meant to be.
I'm not even lauding it as a great Liverpool display, but I am saying there was a lot more merit in it compared to pre-match predictions and what's been reported on here today. I'm just arguing for a bit of measure.
Heck, even after some outstanding Liverpool performances last season it was "all about how poor the oppo were". Does that not say something about blinkers?
The majority of the Caf last season basically admitted Liverpool were great and playing excellent football so that's just silly.
The game went exactly as I thought it would, minus the goals.
If you want a good performance in Europe from a British team at Madrid, go and watch our game vs them in Fergie's last year. Last night was shit from Liverpool. It had nothing to do with you being compact. They got in behind and were wasteful. I'm not having this 'it was a good performance' bollocks.
It's not that Real were not bothered. They were just wasteful.
I had to scroll quite a way down to reach the end of your sentiment. Fair point, while we're shit why would supporters of other clubs care?
Personally I really had to wonder why someone that was so 'indifferent' would bother writing a whole ca 100 word paragraph telling us he was indifferent ? Or for that matter even bother coming into the thread to read the comments (or even sadder, how apt, if he didn't read them and just came in to post that) !
You counted my words?Personally I really had to wonder why someone that was so 'indifferent' would bother writing a whole ca 100 word paragraph telling us he was indifferent ? Or for that matter even bother coming into the thread to read the comments (or even sadder, how apt, if he didn't read them and just came in to post that) !
Anyone can count blocks of ca. ten words and calculate the length of your post in about 3 seconds flat .. that is why I added the 'ca.' Jeez LouiseYou counted my words?
I thought they actually looked like team for the first time in a while.
The difference in attitude between Borini and Balotelli is night and day, it's a tough job being the only striker but you have to run all game, hold up the ball and press.
There was more energy in the midfield without Gerrard, Lucas is tactically very good if lacking physical attributes since his injuries.
Toure looked strong at the back too.
I wasn't even sure Rodgers was capable of setting up a tactically wise formation for an away game but he did it well enough. I was hoping they'd show the "courage" he always talks about and play a wide open attacking game and get slaughtered by Madrid on the break, conceding 5 or 6 here could have mentally broken them.
The difference in attitude between Borini and Balotelli is night and day, it's a tough job being the only striker but you have to run all game, hold up the ball and press.
There was more energy in the midfield without Gerrard, Lucas is tactically very good if lacking physical attributes since his injuries.
Toure looked strong at the back too.
I wasn't even sure Rodgers was capable of setting up a tactically wise formation for an away game but he did it well enough. I was hoping they'd show the "courage" he always talks about and play a wide open attacking game and get slaughtered by Madrid on the break, conceding 5 or 6 here could have mentally broken them.
Anyone can count blocks of ca. ten words and calculate the length of your post in about 3 seconds flat .. that is why I added the 'ca.' Jeez Louise
In fairness Ive never come across the abbreviation ca for circa before. Ive only ever seen c., and normally written right next to the value (such is c.1800). Others may well not have either.
Next to a date/figure then c.1800 is generally correct (though you can add a space or use ca.), ca. is more commonly used when the amount is written in words or for values other than dates.
http://www.answers.com/Q/Is_there_an_abbreviation_for_circa
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/circa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circa
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Look mate, I tried to add to a reasonable discussion. If you're not interested and feel like poking fun, go ahead. Next time I'll just stick to the RAWK meltdown thread.Anyone can count blocks of ca. ten words and calculate the length of your post in about 3 seconds flat .. that is why I added the 'ca.' Jeez Louise
I agree with the bit in bold. I actually think that Lucas would be the better option in European games for Liverpool.
Lucas would be the better option in every game. Gerrard is a liability and needs to retire.
They still have to play Chelsea (H), Arsenal (H) and United (A) .. With their current form they should lose all those, that would leave them in a dangerous position if they don't turn things around after Xmas.
Probably. Lucas seems to struggle with the pace in the PL though - more so than Gerrard. But yeah, they really need a decent DM.
Lucas only ever plays with Gerrard next to him in the league (because Stevie never, ever misses league games). Which makes Lucas look slow and clueless. Had Gerrard and Lucas played against Real Lucas would have looked just as bad again. materto's right we need to start phasing out Gerrard quickly but its hard to do emotionally.
I was wondering if Lucas played behind Henderson and Can would that improve your energy in midfield and provide more protection for your defence. I think it would be worth a go.
Oh right, I didn't realise that. Yeah can't see how they would work together at all. He definitely has to start missing matches, tough for Rodgers to handle it though considering Gerrard's status at the club.
Rumoured line up: Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno, Gerrard, Allen, Henderson, Lallana, Sterling, Balotelli.
Hopefully Chelsea do them today. Mourinho has had two games where he took the lead and everyone, from to the players, switched off and went risk adverse when they could have killed the games off. Let's hope he doesn't do the same again
Balotelli won't get a kick.
I've got a feeling Liverpool will win today. Hopefully I'm wrong and Brenda has a meltdown.
It isn't even funny anymore that Rodgers still rates Johnson. It's just sad. Is he mentally ill? Hazard against Johnson? That'll go well...