Author Topic: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City  (Read 7611 times)

Offline Hinesy

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round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« on: March 18, 2012, 09:20:32 pm »
didn't see it or hear it beyond some dreadful ref'ing and a class goal from Suarez in the first half. So how was it boys? How did we beat a team that beat us and drew against?
Yep.

Offline Veinticinco de Mayo

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2012, 09:56:06 pm »
When you play Stoke you always hope for a strong ref, someone who will try and clamp down on the persistent fouling and allow the better players on the pitch to actually play some footy.  We got Kevin Friend, an official so inept, I am surprised he managed to turn up at the right ground.  You'd get more consistency from a panel of FA badged monkeys.

So in the circumstances we did everything that was asked of us.  We matched them in the fight, we stood tall against the barrage and two rare moments of class were enough to make the difference and see us through to the next round.

Kenny picked an attacking team, which surprised me, two up front and both Maxi and Downing on the flanks.  Given that it was inevitable that Stoke would flood the midfield and try to be masters of the hurly burly I thought we may have added Henderson to Gerrard and Spearing in the engine room.

We never really got going as a passing unit but Spearing and Skrtel in particular were taking no prisoners and we refused to be bullied into conceding territory to them.  With Stoke, if you can do that then you have won most of the battle because there is about as much chance of Kevin Friend making the FIFA list as there is of them constructing chances from open play. If you can hold them at arms length and not allow them to pin you back so that they can wheel forward their creaking siege engines then they don't pose much threat.

Two great goals for us and I though Crouch was class for them, thankfully he was so far isolated from the huffing and puffing of their midfield that we were generally able to swamp him with three men and knock him out of his spindly stride.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2012, 10:09:18 am by Veinticinco de Mayo »
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Offline Vulmea

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 01:43:54 am »
reminiscent of Wimbledon in the 80's - a horrible game to watch - thought we took matching them to extremes because they are a grim team who play very litte football - hoped Maxi would add intelligence to our game but it was just scrappy and horrible for the most part with the occasional flash of brilliance from one of ours

the ball looked like it was one of those magic rubber balls for the first 20 - boing, boing, boing, boing

thought Kelly looked nervous, Spearing too but he grew into it, Carroll did well especially defensively - Skrtel was class

not sure how the Stoke fans can watch that dross every week - not only from their own team but the way they turn the game into something less than the sum of their parts for both  teams - when Swansea and Norwich can try to play football on a fraction of their budget - when they have some players who can actually play (and some who can't) the idea they just do what they can with the resources they have has lost any credibility- they play that way because Pulis doesn't know any better

all in all,  job done
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Offline the 92A

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 10:50:04 am »
To be fair to Stoke thought their tactics were different from normal. They provided a threat during the first half which suprised me, I also thought that we struggled abit, the passing wasn't coming off and it wasn't the normal dominate but not able to finish script. Freind really is a rubbish ref, taken that you'll always think you're hard done to and we all love abit of pantomine but he got so much inexplicably wrong. Shit spectacle but solid FA Cup tie where the most important thing was the result. Good days work.
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2012, 11:03:39 am »
There should be a little surcharge for Stoke fans when they play us. It's not fair that, each time we meet, they get to see a stunning goal from Luis Suarez for the normal price of a match ticket. By the same token Liverpool fans should pay a bit less. The weird hybrid of rugby union, sumo wrestling and the Eton wall game served up by Pulis and his men is not what's promised on the match ticket, which definitely mentions football.   

They had one tactic - which was the same tactic they always use. Get a corner or a throw-in, get the big men up, block of the keeper and bundle the ball into the net. It worked once and never looked likely to work again. So the only question was 'would we get a second'? We did. It was a marvellous one as well. We go to Wembley. They go back to the farm-yard or the cattle-shed or wherever it is they keep their players bewteen games.

Felt sorry for Crouch who is a fine player still - slightly finer, it should be said, than our own number 9. But for the rest it was business as usual. Suarez, without ever getting it quite together, was too much for their cumbersome defenders. Maxi showed that intelligence will beat brawn every time. Gerrard bought himself space through sheer presence and often used it well. Spearing was messy to begin with but superb in the second half.

Man of the match though was Skrtel who has been transformed this season. The old hesitancy has gone and he is brimming with self-belief. It's lovely when you have a central defender who is command like that.   
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Offline Col

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2012, 11:28:00 am »
I like Stoke. I really do. They've got a way of playing that suits them, and they play with a very impressive "backs to the wall" siege mentality.

You won't get an easy game against them unless you play them on a pitch the size of Wembley and stretch them to exploit gaps. The Britannia is as small as the League allows, and Anfield isn't the biggest playing arena either, so it plays into their hands a little.

I don't mind if teams turn up at Anfield completely intent on not letting the game flow, on bullying the opposition, and playing mostly direct football. I wouldn't want to watch my team do it, and I'd hate to be a Stoke fan for that reason, but I can see why they do it andfair play to them.

The major gripe I have about yesterday is one that I've had so many times this season it's becoming a cartoon inside my own head - Premier League referees are going into games with preconceived ideas about certain players and certain teams, and it shouldn't be happening.

Stoke are not a 'dirty' team - there's nobody in their lineup who's intentions are to injure people. They have a reputation of playing hard but fair, and as a result, they generally get away with murder, especially in defence.

Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth wrestle with centre forwards more than Martin Skrtel used to, in fact they're both as good at it as Ricardo Carvalho was in his Chelsea days. Every single time there's an aerial challenge to be had, they foul the attacker, and if they aren't going to win the ball then they'll pull the forward down on top of them and ask for a free kick. It's gotten to the point with these two where there's genuine perplexion when they concede free kicks around the edge of their box, as we saw yesterday, once each with Huth and Shawcross, I believe.

Yesterday, they were up against a striker with a reputation for diving and one with a reputation for being clumsy, so they got away with absolutely everything. There was one incident in either half where we got a free kick out of them around the edge of their box - we could have had 5 per half if Kevin Friend was playing without preconceived ideas of who the bad boys are.

You see it all over the place - Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch both give away free kicks for being tall, Paul Scholes is allowed one genuinely dangerous tackle per 90 minutes, and you can do what the hell you like to Luis Suarez. Ashley Young and Stewart Downing both dive like Olympians, but as they're England players they get away with it. Jonathan Walters appears to be a hard-working but technically-limited big man, so he's given some leeway when battling with strikers. The list goes on.

It's getting quite annoying, watching challenges happen and being able to predict than an official's decision will go the wrong way simply based on the names of the two players involved and not on the contact that's actually happened.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Huth or Shawcross for playing the way they do. I love watching a physical battle, but I think the refs need to start basing their decisions on what they see happen between players, not on what they already think of them.

If you're going to tell me that what we saw (in the first half especially) from Kevin Friend was sheer incompetence based solely on making decisions on the spot, then some serious questions have to be asked about his ability. If, as I think, he's letting preconceived ideas about players cloud his judgement, then we have bigger issues to be concerned about.
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2012, 12:52:54 pm »
It's all been said in the fantastic posts above really, hasn't it? All I'd like to add is:

a. I smiled from ear to ear when Kelly clattered down Etherington early doors. That was good and nasty, and I love seeing that when it's appropriate (which it was IMO).

b. I found myself wondering if the goal would awaken something like the real Stuart Downing, because the guy can play if he's confident. I really hope he kicks on from here.

Offline Vulmea

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2012, 12:56:27 pm »
Stoke are not a 'dirty' team - there's nobody in their lineup who's intentions are to injure people. They have a reputation of playing hard but fair, and as a result, they generally get away with murder, especially in defence.


I didn't see what happened with Suarez off the ball near the end - I'll watch it tonight - did Huth do anything?
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2012, 01:08:11 pm »
I didn't see what happened with Suarez off the ball near the end - I'll watch it tonight - did Huth do anything?

Impossible to say with any certainty. He trod on his foot for sure, but was it deliberate? He's such a clumsy bastard that it might actually have been an accident.

I say again though what a detestable team Stoke are. It's too late for relegation this season I think. Hopefully they'll get twatted back down next year.
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Offline Vulmea

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2012, 02:52:20 pm »
Impossible to say with any certainty. He trod on his foot for sure, but was it deliberate? He's such a clumsy bastard that it might actually have been an accident.

I say again though what a detestable team Stoke are. It's too late for relegation this season I think. Hopefully they'll get twatted back down next year.

cheers

I see Pulis and Sorenson seem to think they deserved the victory and that was them playing at their best............
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Offline Hinesy

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2012, 05:52:21 pm »
bump (or shove in the back and hope the ref won't notice)
Yep.

Offline Gnurglan

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2012, 07:01:28 pm »
Thought we played some good stuff in attack. It wasn't just the two (similar) goals. We had more. I like what I have seen in the last couple of games. We get more and better runs into the box. It's so much better than those early crosses for an isolated Carroll, or when we have Suarez run on his own (and the others watch). Now we allow Suarez to be creative with others involved and we allow Gerrard to attack. With some added aggression in our defensive game this could, finally, mean we get all the pieces together. And I just have to give some praise to Skrtel. It's a joy to watch him in action these days. So solid and so dominant.

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Offline kkjellquist

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2012, 07:05:12 pm »
When you play Stoke you always hope for a strong ref, someone who will try and clamp down on the persistent fouling and allow the better players on the pitch to actually play some footy.  We got Kevin Friend, an official so inept, I am surprised he managed to turn up at the right ground.  You'd get more consistency from a panel of FA badged monkeys.

I thought we were done for when Kelly picked up a yellow after 4 minutes....I was certain he was getting sent off.   

The linesmen were atrocious as well...the corner not given when they said the ball went off Suarez was literally laughable....a call so bad even Luis could do nothing but laugh at the idiocy of the call.
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Offline Darth Red

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Re: Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2012, 07:17:10 pm »
Thought we played some good stuff in attack. It wasn't just the two (similar) goals. We had more. I like what I have seen in the last couple of games. We get more and better runs into the box. It's so much better than those early crosses for an isolated Carroll, or when we have Suarez run on his own (and the others watch). Now we allow Suarez to be creative with others involved and we allow Gerrard to attack. With some added aggression in our defensive game this could, finally, mean we get all the pieces together. And I just have to give some praise to Skrtel. It's a joy to watch him in action these days. So solid and so dominant.
If Skrtel played for man utd then the media would be calling him for a player of the year candidate. He has been immense.

Offline farawayred

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2012, 07:21:34 pm »
Stoke are only in the Premier League because their persistent fouling go unpunished. There, I said it. It's not the long throws, credit to them for having people with jet hands, credit for throwing numbers in attack at every set piece; that's a style. But what's also an integral part of their game plan is an element that is not allowed according to the rules - obstruction. "Impeding player's progress" is a foul punishable with an indirect free kick, according to The Laws of The Game. But the PL referees don't seem to have the time to do some light reading, do they?

The Stoke goal, as we all know, came from a non-existent corner that should have been a goal kick, and from an unpunished obstruction - preventing Pepe's progress toward the ball. Contrary to what the commentators said, a player is not allowed to "stand his ground". He is allowed to move toward the ball with the intent of winning it, not stand still to open a gap in goal and prevent the keeper from defending his goal. I know I should enjoy the win, and I do, but things like that really piss me off because they will happen next year, and the year after that... Pulis' game plan is really simple and effective: (1) from every set piece throw/kick the ball near the penalty spot, (2) have 1-2 players "stand their ground" to prevent defenders/ goalie from reaching the open gap, (3) throw many bodies at the ball and (4) redirect the ball toward the gap. Quite often it's a goal and almost certainly the obstruction won't be called by the referees. That's what pisses me off.

Rant over.

As for us, there are so many positives - we played well, had more chances to score and make the result more telling. I've said before that Downing on the right is far more dangerous, on the left he's predictable. Some good play from Andy as well, although is died down as the game wore off. Good stuff all around. Hopefully, we can reap the benefits from getting more confidence, especially Downing and a few others.
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Offline fredfrop

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2012, 07:30:52 pm »
Massive shout for Carra, the way he passed intelligently to Downing in the build up to the winner was great.  The Carra we saw at the beginning of the season would just have hoofed that up and Huth would have dealt with it.   Jay Spearing provided not just tenacity but intelligent passing; his vision more than makes up for his impression of the hidden bits of a Punch and Judy man.

Despite all the justification given on the post match thread for Stoke's "style" of play, they are horrible to watch and rely not on physicality, but the fact that most refs will let them get away with foul after niggly foul.

It's a team that's growing more comfortable with each other, match by match.  It's just a crying shame they have taken so long to gel together.  It does seem that we look so much better without Adam, let's hope he settles into the style we want to play by the beginning of next season.  On that subject let's hope Jay stays fit, because if we lose him we will lose & draw far more matches than we win.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2012, 08:40:01 pm by One of these »
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Offline kkjellquist

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2012, 07:33:13 pm »
Contrary to what the commentators said, a player is not allowed to "stand his ground".

That commentator was an idiot who clearly dislikes Liverpool and/or our current squad.  It couldn't have been more obvious he wanted Stoke to win.
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2012, 08:19:54 pm »
I know it's the round table thread but can I just say that Jim Beglin has to one of, if not the, most uneducated pundits I have ever had the misfortune to have to listen to. I know I could turn the sound down and all that jazz, but its like an addiction where I have to hear what he says next so I can rant at the telly about what a completely incompetent warped twat he is. I don't know whether I'm hoping that after one of his completely incorrect comments, he'll watch the replay, and change his mind instead of completely ignoring whats actually gone on and mumble some more inane shite. I don't know whether to hate him or pity him. I'm siding towards hate.

Anyway, as for the game I thought it went pretty much as scripted. We would be the better team and play some good stuff, lose our way for a bit, but eventually come good through sheer persistence. I thought they'd score from a throw in, corner or free kick. I was glad to see Downing score though - I hope it's a monkey off his back.

As others have said, Skrtel was excellent - again. He's playing with more confidence and belief than ever before.  Jay really grew into the challenge and imposed himself in the second half. Was almost Lucas like with some of his passing at times which was nice to see.

A special mention to our big centre forward who doesn't seem to be getting anything off referees at the moment. But his defensive contribution, and his willingness to drop a little deeper, allowing Suarez to run amok behind Huth/Shawcross causing trouble was fantastic to see. He seems to be getting a bit of fire back in his belly.

A deserved win. Not a classic performance, but good enough to overcome the dark forces of football.

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Offline Liamski-la

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2012, 08:23:52 pm »
Spearing. Jay Spearing.

Really stepping up to the mark now.

He battled away against stokes tactics in midfield.

Both goals were fantastic. Don't thing beglin gave Gerrard the credit on the tv commentary claiming that his back heel was lucky. Looked intentional to me.

Rest of it was pretty much predictable stoke stuff.

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Offline Suarez7Carroll9

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2012, 08:38:24 pm »
If only we could translate our cup form into the league...

8 wins
2 draws
0 losses

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2012, 08:54:01 pm »
- obstruction. "Impeding player's progress" is a foul punishable with an indirect free kick, according to The Laws of The Game. 

.........almost certainly the obstruction won't be called by the referees. That's what pisses me off.


You're right, but it's not just Stoke.  Obstruction is prevalent nowadays and nothing is ever done about it.  A player must be within touching distance of the ball if he is preventing an opponent reaching it, if not it is obstruction.  How many times in each game do we see a defender "shepherd" the ball out for a goal kick or such by backing in to an opponent or even stepping sideways away from the ball to impede opponent's progress?  Enrique is excellent at it, or the worst at it depending on your point of view, but it's obstruction, it's an offence, and it should be punished.  It pisses me off 'cause it's against the rules and it's limiting team's attacking options.

Having said all that, when was the last time you saw an indirect free kick given?
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2012, 10:41:17 pm »
When you play Stoke you always hope for a strong ref, someone who will try and clamp down on the persistent fouling and allow the better players on the pitch to actually play some footy.  We got Kevin Friend, an official so inept, I am surprised he managed to turn up at the right ground.

Can I sig this, beautiful irony.

Offline The Red artist.

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2012, 12:04:28 am »
There should be a little surcharge for Stoke fans when they play us. It's not fair that, each time we meet, they get to see a stunning goal from Luis Suarez for the normal price of a match ticket. By the same token Liverpool fans should pay a bit less. The weird hybrid of rugby union, sumo wrestling and the Eton wall game served up by Pulis and his men is not what's promised on the match ticket, which definitely mentions football.   

They had one tactic - which was the same tactic they always use. Get a corner or a throw-in, get the big men up, block of the keeper and bundle the ball into the net. It worked once and never looked likely to work again. So the only question was 'would we get a second'? We did. It was a marvellous one as well. We go to Wembley. They go back to the farm-yard or the cattle-shed or wherever it is they keep their players bewteen games.

Felt sorry for Crouch who is a fine player still - slightly finer, it should be said, than our own number 9. But for the rest it was business as usual. Suarez, without ever getting it quite together, was too much for their cumbersome defenders. Maxi showed that intelligence will beat brawn every time. Gerrard bought himself space through sheer presence and often used it well. Spearing was messy to begin with but superb in the second half.

Man of the match though was Skrtel who has been transformed this season. The old hesitancy has gone and he is brimming with self-belief. It's lovely when you have a central defender who is command like that.   

Good read that Yorky.
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Offline The Red artist.

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #23 on: March 20, 2012, 12:05:25 am »
If only we could translate our cup form into the league...

8 wins
2 draws
0 losses

I'm sure we will in time mate, no sweat.
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Offline AJL

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #24 on: March 20, 2012, 12:21:24 am »
I thought Stoke yesterday gave one of the worst footballing performances i've seen at Anfield this season (and there've been some shockers !  :duh)

Cant understand why their fans pay to watch that every week.

Slightly off topic though, I thought the rabble they had there yesterday, noisy as they were, were one of the nastiest showers we've given the honour of getting into Anfield.   :no :no
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Offline rawcusk8

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #25 on: March 20, 2012, 12:35:43 am »
I thought Stoke yesterday gave one of the worst footballing performances i've seen at Anfield this season (and there've been some shockers !  :duh)

Cant understand why their fans pay to watch that every week.

Slightly off topic though, I thought the rabble they had there yesterday, noisy as they were, were one of the nastiest showers we've given the honour of getting into Anfield.   :no :no
Agree with you on the last bit there, they were a right bunch of bitter nobs. Put them on par with the mancs and blueshite.
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Offline macca888

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #26 on: March 20, 2012, 01:00:44 am »
Aside from being made up with the win and the second half performance, I have to re-iterate what Yorky said. Huth and Shawcross committ enough fouls to be sent off half a dozen times in a match, and yet continually get away with it. And the incident with Suarez near the end, from all the replays I've seen does look deliberate. Aside from that, that Glenn Whelan is one nasty, horrible, dirty bastard. He reminds me a little bit of Dennis Wise, a real shithouse of a player. From a purely footballing spectacle, I would love them to get relegated. I know Kenny was praising Pulis last week, but Pulis is nothing but a c*nt straight out of the Fat Sam and Dave Bassett school of management. I'm sure they got their FA Coaching manuals mixed up with NBA coaching manuals. I look at the likes of what Brendan Rodgers has done at Swansea or Paul Lambert at Norwich, and just think that if teams like Stoke were relegated and replace with teams like Swansea or Norwich, at least the footy would be more enjoyable to watch.
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Offline steveeastend

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #27 on: March 20, 2012, 01:17:20 am »
Thought we played some good stuff in attack. It wasn't just the two (similar) goals. We had more. I like what I have seen in the last couple of games. We get more and better runs into the box. It's so much better than those early crosses for an isolated Carroll, or when we have Suarez run on his own (and the others watch). Now we allow Suarez to be creative with others involved and we allow Gerrard to attack. With some added aggression in our defensive game this could, finally, mean we get all the pieces together.

Exactly. It´s not much missing, and I like to add that Carroll seems to grow into pass and move with every game. It took time but better now than never.

I felt a little sorry for Maxi been taken off so early but if you win the decision couldn´t been wrong although I always love watching him play.

The one for Downing obviously was a relief for him, he looked like he really wanted it with everything he got and yes, it does make a big difference when we pass the ball and wait for the right opportunity in the final third rather than taking shots or crosses too early. One of those things making the difference between scoring or not.

Job done and hopefully we keep on going like this!

« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 01:18:55 am by steveeastend »
One thing does need to be said: in the post-Benitez era, there was media-led clamour (but also some politicking going on at the club) to make the club more English; the idea being that the club had lost the very essence of what it means to be ‘Liverpool’. Guillem Ballague 18/11/10

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #28 on: March 20, 2012, 10:54:49 am »
hope Downing kicks on, he's got the talent, we all know he has, hopefully he's got the confidence now, he's had a good month. Kick on LAD, onto Wembley!
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Offline Big Red Richie

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #29 on: March 20, 2012, 11:49:48 am »
As mentioned further up.  It's like playing a modern day Wimblebon, or an Alardyce team.

Stoke play for yardage.  It's all about 20 yards here - throw in or free kick - another 20 yards there, - throw in or free kick - followed by a nother 20 yards again - throw in or free kick.

Do they train by watching footage of the Green Bay Packers, or something.  Horrible, horrible style of football to watch.
Saying that, they're one of the more successful teams in modern years using that style of play and tactics.





Did domeone get a grip of the referee at half time?    I've seen this situation a number of times this season, where a ref has a mare of a first half, then comes out for the second, and is the polar opposite of his first half performance.

First half, he hardly gave us a thing. Some of his decisions were bizarre in the extreme.   Second half, it was almost like he was trying to make up for it, as he couldn't give us enough in the first half of the second half (  or as Pulis would tell you - the third quarter   ;) )

I am convinced that someone has to be saying something to the refs at half time.  The refferee's assessor or someone must be giving it the , "you fucked up there or you got that wrong there, etc. etc., so pull your socks up, and get on your game"  as the difference in first and second half performances are stark, and as I say, I've seen it numerous times this season from several different refferee's.

As for the game itself - We still wern't that convincing.  We still sat back a bit too much for me, as they were there for a mauling, yet our own confidence just doesn't seem to want to manifest itself, and press the game unless we get caught out.

We know we have it in ourselves to impose ourselves on anyone if we need to. We've done it to United, City, Arsenal and many others this season, yet seem to be very hesitant to do it to so called lesser teams.   

The shit teams just seem to drag us down to their level.

I was expecting the final onslaught in the last ten minutes, with Delap coming on, but he was off his game and nether of his hail mary passes or even his shotgun didn't work this time out, and our final rushing pass with Downing running the ball into the end zone was a bonus.

Who knew he had it in him, Eh!    Well done Stewart. Now give us a few more of them.

Anyway, lets see which schizo team turn up against QPR midweek, as I hope it's the one that wins comfortably, not the one thats scared of it's own shaddow, as that could be very damaging under floodlights   ( 4 shaddows  ;) )
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 11:54:53 am by Big Red Richie »

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2012, 12:12:52 pm »
I'm really only re-iterating certain points already made to be honest. We showed the desire and determination that has been missing on certain occasions this season, matching Stoke physically and producing two moments of quality that ultimately decided the game. In particular I thought Skrtel was immense yet again (is there a better centre back in the country?), as was Jay Spearing (MOM in my opinion). I also think that Carra deserves a mention, purely because he's (justifiably) come in for a lot of criticism from most quarters this season in particular, but since he's come back into the side he's not put a foot wrong and one thing that has really stood out for me has been his distribution. I can't remember the signature Carragher 'roll, shuffle and hoof' making a single appearance. Not only that but his distribution has been crisp and intelligent at times.

The less said about (all of) the officials the better. Quite simply an alarming lack of consistency, common sense and all round knowledge of the game. If it wasn't so anger-inducingly inept it would've been laughable.

I said prior to the derby that I fully expected us to win the coming two games purely because both were 'occasions' (so to speak) and we're pretty consistent in turning up for those, but the real test now comes tomorrow night away at Loftus Road which represents the kind of fixture in which the only consistency we show is inconsistency. I'm fairly sure that i'm not alone when I say it would not surprise me in the slightest to see a pale performance culminating in a disappointing draw or a narrow defeat. Let's hope that's not the case and we push on from here and gather some momentum moving forward into what could hopefully be a climax to the season in a second Wembley final. That said we've turned more metaphorical corners than an idiot in a maze, so i'll wait for tomorrow night to pass before I get too excited.

Don't think Beglin gave Gerrard the credit on the tv commentary claiming that his back heel was lucky. Looked intentional to me.

I did have to pick up on this point though. I'm fairly certain that Gerrard admitted after the game that it wasn't intentional and he'd simply ran ahead of the (poor) ball from Downing.
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Offline DonkeyWan

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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2012, 12:23:43 pm »
Personally I was a lot more positive about this performance than a lot of others on here seem to be, in fact I regard this as a better performance than the Everton game, considerably so in fact. In the Everton game (as I previously mentioned) I felt the opposition were disinterested and set up poorly. Liverpool still conceded a lot of space and allowed Everton to come on to them, but they were so inept it didn't matter.

In contrast the Stoke game was all about game management, ensuring that Stoke never got a foothold in our half and limiting them to a couple of flurries and long, launched balls. The primary reason for this successful execution of the pre-match gameplan was (as I have detailed elsewhere) largely down to Spearing who was, once again, my MotM. He has become incredibly important to the teams well-being in the last few games, demonstrated by the fact that Stoke tried their best to crowd him out of the middle and put him off his game. Instead he took up good positions and linked play well, making sure that Stoke were unable to push up the pitch into good positions to launch rockets at their massive forward line.

Again it should be noted that a team playing 442 (with Walters and Crouch) caused Liverpool few problems and its a worry for the future as to how the current team set-up will do against a 451, or away from home for that matter. In a way these last two games have been ideal for Liverpool, with open games, parity in the midfield all at home (where, despite the draws, Liverpool have proven obdurate, only losing once at home all season).

A more open, better balanced midfield allowed the team to push up higher and the support that Downing, Maxi and Gerrard offered Carroll and Suarez paid dividends. it probably wasn't Carroll's best game (since he will have had little footballing experience due to all those substitute appearances, so games after each other are probably hard for him right now) but I think again he will have done enough to warrant a start against QPR. In fact I wouldn't make any changes (or not many anyway) to the line-up.

Finally, kudos to Dalglish, he rewarded the right players for their performance against Everton and made the right subs at the right time to get the right result.
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Re: round the FA Cup table Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2012, 10:15:14 pm »
There should be a little surcharge for Stoke fans when they play us. 
They get a price cut from the club so they sell out their allocation. That's something I'd normally admire, but I just can't stand them. I hate the football they play, even though I think they played differently than usual and even knocked the ball round on the deck better than us at times. It's their fans though... Burberry wearing, neanderthals stuck in a time warp, on the pitch and the terraces.
Again, I'd normally like them and the noise they generate, but the constant bombardment of the usual sign on shite and so on... fuckinell, is there anybody got a job in that shithole.
Could someone tip them Murdoch went to war against them as well as us.
Nah, not for me. Just something about that club and it's supporters that gets right up my craw.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2012, 10:44:33 pm by Fat Scouser »
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