Author Topic: Our Attack - meaning people at the club now - not players you fancy signing  (Read 78769 times)

Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #40 on: September 24, 2014, 08:20:28 am »
I don't understand why we seem to have completely changed our way of playing. We have stopped doing all of the things that made us look so good last season and have become pedestrian. It's like we have ripped up the blueprint for our success last year. We look a shadow of that team at the moment.
We haven't, two of the players who were instrumental to the way we played last season and scored a majority of the goals are not in the team for one reason or another.

We shown in the previous two seasons we can cope with one of them when the other is out, this is the first time we have had to cope when they're both out.

As I said, there was enough shown in the Spurs game that we will be fine once Sturridge is back.
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Offline Brentieke

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #41 on: September 24, 2014, 08:20:42 am »
Looking at the Spurs game I have no worries that once Sturridge returns to fitness our attack will be fine. That performance was as good as any from last season and showed that with a striker offering good movement and directness, coupled with a target man dropping deep we can mix it up.

The only worry is that we are obviously very reliant on an injury prone Sturridge.

It's not good enough. Sturridge is injury prone, he will miss a fair few of our games.

At the moment it seems that with no Sturridge, we're atrocious in the final third. That means that whoever we'll get in the League Cup next, we'll create fuck all again.

I don't understand why we seem to have completely changed our way of playing. We have stopped doing all of the things that made us look so good last season and have become pedestrian. It's like we have ripped up the blueprint for our success last year. We look a shadow of that team at the moment.

It's insanity.

The killer is, we've had a year or so to prepare. We knew it was possible that Suarez may leave and we needed to be ready for that. We weren't.

We seemed to have a shortlist of 3 strikers this Summer to replace him: Sanchez, Remy, Balotelli. All 3 are completely different. Sanchez is an attacking midfielder who can play up front, Remy is mobile center forward a la Sturridge and Balo is a static target man. They have nothing in common.

That shows how haphazard our planning was, how illogical our transfer moves were when it comes to the forward line.

We ended up buying 2 strikers in Balotelli and Lambert that are target men, for a team that hasn't used crossing as an attacking tactic since 2012. It just defies any logic and hints at absolute chaos behind the scenes.
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Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #42 on: September 24, 2014, 08:24:33 am »
It's not good enough. Sturridge is injury prone, he will miss a fair few of our games.

At the moment it seems that with no Sturridge, we're atrocious in the final third. That means that whoever we'll get in the League Cup next, we'll create fuck all again.

It's insanity.

Or you know, some of the new players will settle in soon and start to produce? Rodgers has shown a remarkable ability to coach attacking players to produce the goods, we have just signed a handful of strikers and attacking wingers and he needs a bit of time with them.

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Offline Fairytale of 2005

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #43 on: September 24, 2014, 08:25:54 am »
We haven't, two of the players who were instrumental to the way we played last season and scored a majority of the goals are not in the team for one reason or another.

We shown in the previous two seasons we can cope with one of them when the other is out, this is the first time we have had to cope when they're both out.

As I said, there was enough shown in the Spurs game that we will be fine once Sturridge is back.

Then we should have players in reserve who allow us to at least try and continue to play the same way if Sturridge is absent. He can't play 50+ games.

Offline indlfc

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #44 on: September 24, 2014, 08:27:21 am »


That shows how haphazard our planning was, how illogical our transfer moves were when it comes to the forward line.

We ended up buying 2 strikers in Balotelli and Lambert that are target men, for a team that hasn't used crossing as an attacking tactic since 2012. It just defies any logic and hints at absolute chaos behind the scenes.
We don't know how things works inside, may be committee decides the players. Same thing happened with Spurs too right? . AVB only publicized it once he was sacked.
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Offline liverressie

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #45 on: September 24, 2014, 08:30:02 am »
Good points regarding Balotelli. Whilst its easy to say we would look better with Remy (and I agree we would) its hard to argue against not signing him if there were medical reasons for not doing so. I doubt we would have gone so far in the deal if we weren't serious. It could yet turn out to be a good decision...

I understand your view of Remy. However, up to now, I would say a pacey and classy striker as a backup of Sturridge is actually our missing puzzle. It seems that our attack cannot function properly with this missing piece. I still believe Remy is a risk that we should gamble on in the summer transfer window (considering his transfer fee and wages are not that huge).

Without Remy, I still think we should play Sterling as striker to partner with Balo in the absence of Sturridge and hope we can remain in the competition of both CL and PL and let's see can we go for another pacey striker in January (may be Jay Rodriguez?).

Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #46 on: September 24, 2014, 08:30:54 am »
Then we should have players in reserve who allow us to at least try and continue to play the same way if Sturridge is absent. He can't play 50+ games.
Such as? We were on the look out for strikers all summer, Remy would have been very good but the deal fell through.
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Offline Brentieke

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #47 on: September 24, 2014, 08:31:12 am »
Or you know, some of the new players will settle in soon and start to produce? Rodgers has shown a remarkable ability to coach attacking players to produce the goods, we have just signed a handful of strikers and attacking wingers and he needs a bit of time with them.



How can you teach target men to become mobile players? That's like trying to teach Daniel Sturridge to become a target man.

It's illogical and time consuming. You don't buy square pegs for round holes. Hell, that was Rodgers' entire argument when LOANING Andy Carroll out.

It's like buying slow center backs for a team that plays with a high line. Or a keeper that doesn't know how to use his feet for a team that likes to play out of  the back.
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Offline killer-heels

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #48 on: September 24, 2014, 08:32:13 am »
Sturridge has been injured, Sterling has played a couple of key games (Villa, West Ham) on the bench or in another position, Coutinho has been off form and we have had several players still finding their feet (Balotelli, Lallana, Markovic).

The attack will be fine. There are questions over the defence but people shouldn't worry about the attack at this stage. It will get sorted. Some of you guys make it sound like some muppets are working for the club. Its idiotic really.

Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #49 on: September 24, 2014, 08:34:22 am »
How can you teach target men to become mobile players? That's like trying to teach Daniel Sturridge to become a target man.

It's illogical and time consuming. You don't buy square pegs for round holes. Hell, that was Rodgers' entire argument when LOANING Andy Carroll out.

It's like buying slow center backs for a team that plays with a high line. Or a keeper that doesn't know how to use his feet for a team that likes to play out of  the back.
Who said anything about teaching target men to become mobile? You teach the wide players to come more central and play off the target man, like Drogba at Chelsea. You also teach Balotelli where to go to be more dangerous, as Rodgers has already mentioned he has been doing with Balotelli.
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Offline robgomm

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #50 on: September 24, 2014, 08:50:58 am »
Balotelli is mobile, I think it's rather silly to say he isn't. He comes short a lot, though, and that's where we need runners beyond him.

Offline Fairytale of 2005

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #51 on: September 24, 2014, 09:00:25 am »
Such as? We were on the look out for strikers all summer, Remy would have been very good but the deal fell through.

No idea mate, I'm not a scout. My point is that if maintaining our way of playing is dependent on one player, then we are asking for trouble. I agree we played well at Spurs, but this season that is the exception rather than the rule. It looks to me (at the moment) as if we have had a shift in style and that we have purposely slowed our game down.

Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #52 on: September 24, 2014, 09:03:31 am »
No idea mate, I'm not a scout. My point is that if maintaining our way of playing is dependent on one player, then we are asking for trouble. I agree we played well at Spurs, but this season that is the exception rather than the rule. It looks to me (at the moment) as if we have had a shift in style and that we have purposely slowed our game down.
We started of playing slowly and deliberately last year too and people were asking exactly the same questions. I don't think there has been any switch in the way we want to play as evidenced in the Spurs game which is the only game we have to go on with both our strikers on the pitch together.
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Offline Fairytale of 2005

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #53 on: September 24, 2014, 09:12:37 am »
We started of playing slowly and deliberately last year too and people were asking exactly the same questions. I don't think there has been any switch in the way we want to play as evidenced in the Spurs game which is the only game we have to go on with both our strikers on the pitch together.

True, but last season we were not starting from the same position and were probably still finding our identity under BR. Whilst I didn't expect us to click straight in to gear, I did expect us to try and play the same way and we just haven't. It may be a temporary thing, or it may be a deliberate tactic to try and be more solid as a team, but either way, it isn't working. We look pedestrian, predictable and easy to defend against so far and we are still soft at the back, possibly even more so.

Offline Keita Success

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #54 on: September 24, 2014, 09:15:34 am »
Wingers are so underrated in today's game. Look at Fergie. Built a team on a solid defence and proper wingers. When we play as a 4-3-3, I think the error is playing Sterling at left wing because he'll naturally cut and create congestion through the centre, then with Lallana on the right, our team becomes asymmetrical and any width comes from the right and it doesn't take a defnce too much to shift over and counter that

Offline Upinsmoke

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #55 on: September 24, 2014, 09:19:35 am »
Not enough movement. A reluctance to shoot and test the keeper.
We just look blunt, with zero ideas. Something the manager needs to address, unless he's out of ideas then we're basically waiting for Sturridge to bail us out again.

Offline redhot-robbie

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #56 on: September 24, 2014, 09:56:39 am »
Not enough movement. A reluctance to shoot and test the keeper.
We just look blunt, with zero ideas. Something the manager needs to address, unless he's out of ideas then we're basically waiting for Sturridge to bail us out again.

Spot on. It is a case of lack of movement and Robgomm makes a good point that Mario come short and needs players to run past him which isn't happening.  Sturridge has become vital to us for many reasons but the biggest reason we miss him is because his first thought is always "can I get a shot at goal" if he cant he moves with the ball at pace creating space for others, in the best possible way it is his greediness and directness that we miss.  Mario isn't going to give us that but I am hopeful we will see a bit more from him when Sturridge is fit.
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Offline Funky_Gibbons

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #57 on: September 24, 2014, 10:02:50 am »
True, but last season we were not starting from the same position and were probably still finding our identity under BR. Whilst I didn't expect us to click straight in to gear, I did expect us to try and play the same way and we just haven't. It may be a temporary thing, or it may be a deliberate tactic to try and be more solid as a team, but either way, it isn't working. We look pedestrian, predictable and easy to defend against so far and we are still soft at the back, possibly even more so.
Our attack last season was the same one that had finished the previous season, Sturridge, Suarez, Coutinho and Sterling had all played the previous season and were well engrained with what Rodgers wanted from them.

This season we have Markovic, Balotelli, Lallana and Lambert new to the team/squad and have lost both Sturridge and Suarez recently.

I have no doubt that once Sturridge returns we will be replicating the Spurs performance more often than recent performances. 
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Offline Caston

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #58 on: September 24, 2014, 10:04:19 am »
A bit worrying how we seem to be a bit reliant on Sturridge now to play our normal game, could have done with another pacy striker

Offline Gerrard#1

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #59 on: September 24, 2014, 10:08:11 am »
Ask Hodgson
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Offline jordyball10

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #60 on: September 24, 2014, 10:08:25 am »
A bit worrying how we seem to be a bit reliant on Sturridge now to play our normal game, could have done with another pacy striker

Remy would have been ideal

Offline adamski29

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #61 on: September 24, 2014, 10:10:07 am »
Our attack is about movement and pace both in midfield (quick passing) and up front (running into space).

Without Sturridge we have Borini (not pacey and not good enough) Balo (likes the ball to feet, not into space) and Lambert (no pace).

We have to play a rather different style to make that one work but instead we're playing as if we still have Suarez and Sturridge up front. Either we've bought the wrong 2nd, 3rd, 4th strikers or we've not got the tactics right. Which one is it? Over to Brendan.










That's easy. We bought the wrong type strikers/forwards

Offline Tobez

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #62 on: September 24, 2014, 10:11:41 am »
Sturridge being out is obviously a factor - fully fit, he's up there with the best strikers in the league. However, I think the main problem with our "static" play is a combination of injuries and players adjusting to the team. Once Allen comes back, Henderson will be able to get forward more; Lallana is beginning to show signs of his ability; Coutinho will get over this period of poor form, and will benefit from not having to be the main man. Likewise, Markovic will adjust to the league and improve. The real problem is how long it will take before all this clicks. We're being helped out at the moment by how abject United, Spurs and Everton are.

Offline bodhisattva

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #63 on: September 24, 2014, 10:13:54 am »
i think Sturridge will make a huge difference with his pace and ability to beat a man in tight spaces.
teams are going to get men behind the ball against us and its up to us to find solutions so the game will open up and we can use the pace we have.

I think the problems so far can be attributed to the injury to Sturridge, so many new players settling in and also Coutinhos form not being great since hes often the one to play that killer ball.

On the plus side i have seen signs from Lallana that he can be someone that will be able to help beat those park the bus sides because he can beat a man, takes up good positions and is good off both feet.

I think once we get Sturridge back and Coutinho finds some form we'll see big improvements in our attacking play.

Offline Coolie High

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #64 on: September 24, 2014, 10:17:54 am »
It's not good enough. Sturridge is injury prone, he will miss a fair few of our games.

At the moment it seems that with no Sturridge, we're atrocious in the final third. That means that whoever we'll get in the League Cup next, we'll create fuck all again.

It's insanity.

The killer is, we've had a year or so to prepare. We knew it was possible that Suarez may leave and we needed to be ready for that. We weren't.

We seemed to have a shortlist of 3 strikers this Summer to replace him: Sanchez, Remy, Balotelli. All 3 are completely different. Sanchez is an attacking midfielder who can play up front, Remy is mobile center forward a la Sturridge and Balo is a static target man. They have nothing in common.

That shows how haphazard our planning was, how illogical our transfer moves were when it comes to the forward line.

We ended up buying 2 strikers in Balotelli and Lambert that are target men, for a team that hasn't used crossing as an attacking tactic since 2012. It just defies any logic and hints at absolute chaos behind the scenes.

What are you talking about, Sanchez and Remy have a lot in common, more to do with their searing pace and ability to play all across the front three, the thinking there makes sense to me.


Offline MD1990

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #65 on: September 24, 2014, 10:25:50 am »
Been impressed with Origi this season with Lille. He will be a great addition next year.

Offline Gerry83

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #66 on: September 24, 2014, 10:34:49 am »
We need to ship Borini and Lambert out next year IF they havent reached the levels we expect. Origi will be coming in but and i'd like to see us try and get a striker with some pace up there. Balotelli just doesnt look like he'll change his style and doesnt work the defenders enough with his movement. Hes too easy to mark and defenders wont fear being up against him when theyre between him and the goal.

Offline redk84

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #67 on: September 24, 2014, 10:39:07 am »
Lacks creativity. Lacks movement. But it's expected!

We have a lot of new players and need to find a way to win without Sturridge the same we did when Suarez wasn't in the team

This still happening in November/December then it will be more of a worry....for me anyway....
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Offline Aminegriffy

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #68 on: September 24, 2014, 10:56:27 am »
Instead of worrying about our attack let's worry first about our shitty defense , we are in the CL ffs , do you think this defense will stand a chance against real if we can't defend set pieces properly , seriously this is has to be the most chocking defense we have since 15 years of supporting this club

Let's learn first how to defend then worry about how to score cause you don't need to create million chances just to score a few ones , maybe if we can score one then tighten things up and don't concede stupid silly goals our attack will be fine , chelsea for example won so many games just cause their defense , plus griezman was available anyway yet we choose to overpay a £20m on a player who's afraid to shoot in front of the goal .

Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #69 on: September 24, 2014, 11:13:32 am »
I think we need to learn to switch it up. Lambert can play our "Plan A" in theory, but when he's on, why do we seem to still insist to play it through the middle? Whip in a cross or ten. Anything can happen with the right delivery, especially if we're chasing a game.

Our link-up play and creativity as a whole hasn't clicked this season. I'm sure BR is aware as a lot of his style centres around that sort of dominance.
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Offline abhred

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #70 on: September 24, 2014, 11:16:29 am »
How can you teach target men to become mobile players? That's like trying to teach Daniel Sturridge to become a target man.

It's illogical and time consuming. You don't buy square pegs for round holes. Hell, that was Rodgers' entire argument when LOANING Andy Carroll out.

It's like buying slow center backs for a team that plays with a high line. Or a keeper that doesn't know how to use his feet for a team that likes to play out of  the back.

Maybe Rodgers believes that he can use Balotelli's attributes to make our attack as dangerous as last years?
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Offline Draex

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #71 on: September 24, 2014, 11:38:31 am »
We need to start going back to what made us good last season - playing at pace.. Everything at pace.. Why have we turned into this turgid slow ponderous beast that needs 2/3 touches before releasing a lateral pass that comes straight back in most cases?

We scored a great goal last night - the Suso one, it was a glimpse of what once was, and what can be again... The key? A runner breaking the line of the defence at pace, and a quick release 1 touch pass.

Obviously trying to fit in so many new faces is going to have a bedding in period, but it can't be used as an excuse forever and it's no excuse for the slow build up play that seems to be our new norm.

Sturridge will help immensly, he runs off the shoulder of the defender, he makes darting runs.. Balotelli and Lambert are pretty static, they are good with their feet and will bring players into the game, but we need players making runs off them and beyond the game line if they are to be utilised properly.. Did we rely on Suarez's ability to beat a man on his own and make the space? I wonder at times..

Every game this season bar Spurs we've looked static, the midfield are too close to our defense, our attack too far from our midfield.. Henderson seems shackled back in the absence of Allen, and Henderson actually is brilliant in and around the box - he runs from deep, he got numerous assists last season with 1 touch passes inside the box - we need to get him further forward and unleash him again.

I would love to see something like this.

Allen

Henderson   Lallana

Sterling

Balotelli   Sturridge

Allen and Lallana are both progressive footballers, they pick up the ball and their first touch is either a turn and forward run, or a 1 touch pass into feet.. They play the ball at speed.

Henderson is the work horse, arriving late to the box, and helping out his defence.

Sterling picks himself as do the 2 front men once they build an understanding..

You then have the option to bring Gerrard on to either close a game out in the DM position or further forward where he can spend the 20minutes of energy at a high intensity - he has a hell of a lot to offer us still.

Offline adamski29

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #72 on: September 24, 2014, 12:15:42 pm »
It's not good enough. Sturridge is injury prone, he will miss a fair few of our games.

At the moment it seems that with no Sturridge, we're atrocious in the final third. That means that whoever we'll get in the League Cup next, we'll create fuck all again.

It's insanity.

The killer is, we've had a year or so to prepare. We knew it was possible that Suarez may leave and we needed to be ready for that. We weren't.

We seemed to have a shortlist of 3 strikers this Summer to replace him: Sanchez, Remy, Balotelli. All 3 are completely different. Sanchez is an attacking midfielder who can play up front, Remy is mobile center forward a la Sturridge and Balo is a static target man. They have nothing in common.

That shows how haphazard our planning was, how illogical our transfer moves were when it comes to the forward line.

We ended up buying 2 strikers in Balotelli and Lambert that are target men, for a team that hasn't used crossing as an attacking tactic since 2012. It just defies any logic and hints at absolute chaos behind the scenes.








Totally agree. As much as our transfer window was seen to be a success. It actually failed in the one big task of importance it was faced with. To make matters worse they knew for a long time that it needed to be done and got right given the importance of the player we were losing. Signing ballotelli and his star quality took the attention away from the fact that he was absolutely not what we needed. Nice to have when you have all the other essential elements required as well. We don't.

There is still a disconnect evident in our transfer policy. Wether that's an issue between Rodgers and the committee or an unwillingness to spend on established players that cost a lot I don't know. It is unforgivable thought that we didn't sort that vital position with a suitable player/players.

Offline adamski29

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #73 on: September 24, 2014, 12:22:45 pm »
How can you teach target men to become mobile players? That's like trying to teach Daniel Sturridge to become a target man.

It's illogical and time consuming. You don't buy square pegs for round holes. Hell, that was Rodgers' entire argument when LOANING Andy Carroll out.

It's like buying slow center backs for a team that plays with a high line. Or a keeper that doesn't know how to use his feet for a team that likes to play out of  the back.








Or signing another 20mill left sided cb meaning you have to bench the other 20mill cb in order to play said new shiny cb. Even though he is no better than the guy your replacing. Added to the fact it forces you to play an inferior cb at right cb as well.
It's baffling.

Offline Brentieke

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #74 on: September 24, 2014, 12:28:39 pm »
You know what it reminds me of?

End of 2010/11. Kenny has a wonderful formula of Suarez alone up front surrounded by mobility in Maxi, Meireles and Kuyt that are all interchanging positions. We play wonderful football, twat teams and win alot of games.

Come the Summer, we change the blueprint. Try to fit in Carroll, buy Downing, Henderson and Adam and completely change our style of play. The result? We go backwards.

That's what it feels like we've done this Summer. We swapped the most hyperactive center forward in world football with a static target man in Mario Balotelli. To add to that, we buy another target man (the Scouse Erik Meijer). We're left with 2 static forwards and one mobile injury prone striker as well as another forward who we did everything possible to get rid of.

All it takes is simple planning, common sense and good scouting. Sadly, those 3 elements seem to have no place at LFC.

You look at our transfer dealings since Jan 13 and it's scary how illogical they've been. We signed a keeper in Mignolet who is not great with his feet and doesn't command his area for a manager who likes his keeper to be a footballer and a leader. We signed a forward in Aspas who was nowhere near strong enough for the league, a kid in Alberto who's nowhere near mobile enough for the league. We then sign a center forwards in Lambert and Balotelli whose styles are complete anathema to ours and a center back in Lovren who has had 4 good months in 3 years and prefers playing on the left (where you already have 2 left sided center backs including one that cost a bomb).

They're all square pegs in round holes. Lallana, Markovic, Origi, Moreno and maybe Can make complete sense. There may be question marks about quaility/price, but the reasoning is fine, they suit how we play. Sakho too. The rest are just ridiculous decisions.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 12:30:55 pm by Brentie »
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Offline L666KOP

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #75 on: September 24, 2014, 12:34:10 pm »
If I'm honest, I don't get the signing of Balotelli.

When this committee was set up we were told that we wouldn't be signing players that just took the managers fancy, we were buying players that would fit our system.

Now taking nothing away from Mario, he's no Suarez, he's not even a 'lite' version, he's a completely different player in my eyes. He doesn't fit the system we used last year. And it's not a 'quality' thing either, because he's good at what he does. But he's not fizzing around, putting defenders under pressure, closing down etc. To fit our system we'd have been better of with Paul Dickov, never approaching Luis quality, but has similar traits, albeit at a much lesser level.

It's like somebody breaking in to your house and nicking a radiator, you know you need a tradesman to put it right before autumn comes, but instead of getting a plumber in to put it right you get a joiner.
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Offline anfieldforever2013

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #76 on: September 24, 2014, 12:44:50 pm »
When LS left, we honestly should have gone in for a quicksilver kind of an attacker such as Luis Muriel - someone with a spark rather than Rickie Lambert.

We were a quick, counter attacking team last season and with Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli that still remains the case. However, with Borini and Lambert, I don't think that can happen. Loic Remy or Luis Muriel were the two players I was hoping for in addition to Sturridge/Balotelli.

As for Lazar Markovic, I had my doubts despite many saying we had bought in someone very special. I was only going of YT clips and hadn't seen enough of him but he seems to be the kind of player I described in the summer - a bit of a straight-line runner who has next to no end product or confidence in the final third. I still don't understand why we were not back in for Yevhen Konoplyanka who would have fit our attack like a glove (I've absolutely no doubt about that) and he would have been half the price too.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 12:48:24 pm by anfieldforever2013 »

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #77 on: September 24, 2014, 12:45:23 pm »
gone all tits up front to be perfectly frank about it.

as much as you can give a few new players some time to adjust to new systems, im puzzled beyond all belief over our transfers this year, knowing full well suarez would be off. signing lambert for a few mil wasn't a bad idea, was only to be used as backup and that's been pretty much the case so far. however, when given the chance he hasn't played at his best, am sure he is first to admit it. it doesn't help that his pace does not fit in well with our system. he may come good but isn't essential to our future plans I suspect.

remy was a disaster, could have (as all transfer could be or not) been a vital piece of our jigsaw. perhaps, however, we seen a balotelli opportunity and lept at it, appease our glum fans over the summer. he just isn't what we need right now. im over suarez, he aint coming back and indeed wouldn't be playing now anyways due to suspension BUT he didn't half have some energy. the most lost of causes he would usually chase .. balo .. no. nice skills with the ball but is not a hard worker. I doubt we will get the best out of him either, hes just yer typical too rich and famous too soon player .. spoilt. want to be proved wrong but I doubt it. will have flashes of brilliance but most games will pass him by.

borini is just meh. is a good squad player to have but he isn't going to be a force to be reckoned with now or ever. we didn't really want him and now we are stuck with him. great lad im sure but struggles in a red shirt. cant say he hasn't had his chances either.

then theres sturridge. was overshadowed last year when at any other time would have stolen all the plaudits .. hes our focus and without him, as we have seen, we are monumentally screwed.

sounds harsh and I read interesting posts about how we are slow to start but will kick off in November, scoring left and right. hope I can cringe and read this back in January but at present I feel we have blown our window of opportunity. the ironic thing is was the talk of a team with more depth, why does it seem just the very opposite has happened, our full backs being the exception now.





- all in my opinion of course -

Offline Gnurglan

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #78 on: September 24, 2014, 12:51:23 pm »
I agree with a lot of what Juan said. This needs time and work on the training field. I believe that Lallana and Markovic are suited to the way we play (be it in a diamond or a 4-2-3-1).

What I don't think can be solved is the lack of mobility up front. Suarez was the most hyper active forward player in our history and Daniel Sturridge is constantly on the move. We replaced them with 2 target men: Balotelli (who I haven't seen make a forward run yet) and Lambert (who moves slower than an oil tanker).

Both these players are greatly restricting the likes of Lallana, Sterling, Coutinho and Markovic. Even Gerrard. We've got a midfield who were used to having the SAS make runs for them the second we got the ball. Now we've got strikers who stare at the midfielders and do nothing.

It's a huge change of style and it's clear that it's hugely restricting us. We've barely created a chance in the 4 games since Sturridge got injured. We haven't had a single one on one for example, as we don't have strikers making runs behind the defenders. Our play has been reduced to crosses and pot shots from distance.

We bought the wrong strikers for the system this Summer. It's as simple as that. We need to scour the earth for a mobile center forward and snap him up the second the January transfer market opens up.

Or, we may have to change how we play. Maybe it's not the striker(s), but the players behind (yesterday Sterling, Markovic and Lallana) who need to make the forward runs into space.

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Offline Yiannis

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Re: Our Attack.
« Reply #79 on: September 24, 2014, 12:55:11 pm »
"They need time". Most posts mention that.

Of course they need time our new signings. You can see the communication is off between them and the rest of the team. Lambert is a prime example of that. And yes, it will get better. Imagine not getting better after what we have witnessed in all games bar Tottenham. Sturridge coming back, it makes it instantly better. We'll be damned if we don't think Rodgers will not get the team playing better.

But, I don't want this to turn as the first line of excuse for everything bad we see. It certainly doesn't excuse some awful first touches we have seen for example (Markovic, Lambert). It doesn't excuse the fact that no one doesn't want to take a bloody initiative and take an opponent on. Only Sterling so far. This unfortunately contributes to that awful stale and static image we see with our attack.

Reaching outside the opposite box and all we get is a crowded team in the center, bereft of ideas and passing backwards or sideways. I see that our wide players, Markovic and Lallana come inside and are placed more centrally. In that case, aren't they supposed to play off our striker and provide the off ball movement? Especially since Balotelli won't move into channels? Genuine question.

Messi in fact doesn't have a recognizable trait.