Topic: Round Table Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool CL Group Stage.

[Robinred]

^^excellent post.

[Higgins79]

Outstanding read that. Agree with it all.

[sinnermichael]

When we get older, for many of us, there will be a stage in our lives when we won't be able to remember what we went upstairs for, what we went out to the shops for and where we've put the car. For some us, we'll get the stage where we won't even remember our sons and daughters when they come to look after us, or for a brief visit. We will be husks, and then we will be nothing more.  Last night proved that most of the media have already  slipped into this twilight. Journalists and pundits now live in a perpetual minisucle 'now' bubble about 67 seconds wide, and 140 characters long. Memory has at best been outsourced or at worst rendered obsolete. Had Chiles, Dixon, Towsnend, Scholes, bloody McNulty and even Macca seen Liverpool play this season? I mean these guys are paid, PAID, to know the game. We didn't field a B side. We fielded the team Rogers thought would have the best chance against Real Madrid and I beleive he was vindicated. Yes we lost, yes we could barely function in the final third, but the other two thirds were strong. Resilient, balanced, team-orientated composed, committed and in keeping with the possession based approach, all the way from the back four to the front runner. And if memory serves you well (or if you are a journalist a google search of Liverpool post game reports since September) you will know that in previous games the words resilient, balanced, team-orientated, composed and committed did not apply to our last ten or so games. If memory serves you well (or if you are a journalist a google search of Premier League season 2010-11 and 2011-12) you will appreciate the lengths Liverpool have had to go to in order to restructure finances, restructure coaching staff and restructre the team. If memory serves you well (or if you are a journalist or pundit you can just fuck off at this point because this is way over 140 characters) you will know that Rogers came to LFC with a clear and compelling strategy, that he wisely decided to abandon it to get the best out of an outrageous peak in Suarez's performance and the best out of a legendary captain whose game is so very different to your original intentions, and that he then returned to the strategy, regrouping with a fresh crop of young hopefuls that will suit and buy into his philospophy in the summer 2014 window.

In this context I fully support Rogers decisions and in this context I thought the performance was good. Not excellent. Not memorable in terms of play but memorable as being the day Rogers said FU to a great deal of people inside and outside of the club. What ever happens at Anfied on Saturday, Rogers has my trust. He is doing things the long way round and I appreciate that. We are all living with this dichotomy. Last season's brilliance was actually a year wasted in the Roger's vision. While we finished tentalisingly close to winning the league, it was an unsustainable 38-game sprint with about 20 or so players. The dichotomy is this: we have to go backwards a year to regroup around the original strategy while the expectations of the fan base have been raised beyond believe. Last night might be the start of the resolution.

Great post.

[muyuu]

Platini on Rodgers' team selection "“First of all he has to explain to his fans why he put this team — not to me, not to you."

http://www.talkingbaws.com/2014/11/05/michel-platini-asks-brendan-rodgers-to-explain-his-liverpool-team-selection-against-real-madrid/?

Appropriately named website to host Platini's b0llocks.

[Circa1892]

Platini on Rodgers' team selection "“First of all he has to explain to his fans why he put this team — not to me, not to you."

http://www.talkingbaws.com/2014/11/05/michel-platini-asks-brendan-rodgers-to-explain-his-liverpool-team-selection-against-real-madrid/?

Platini in having a pop at Liverpool shocker...

[GrkStav]

The worse barcelona team post Pep, yes the names are fancy but teams like Basle and the ludogerets more than troubled them! Last night madrid were very open at the back, much unlike their showing against barca when it was 'sit deep and counter'. They are far from defensive giants and we certainly are capable of causing them plenty of trouble.

I am sorry to say but the above post is beneath the standards of the Round Table.

It is an excellent piece of creative fiction or a political campaign manager's "spin".

The notion that Real Madrid "were very open at the back" is ludicrous, it strains credulity.

Yeah, we caused them a lot of trouble with our "starters" for an entire second half, didn't we? We were dismantled and we didn't bother them one bit at Anfield.

We also 'dismantled' the NUFC side, didn't we? With our "starters" . . .

[Draex]

Last night for me was the dawn of a new sun rising over Anfield.. A return to the type of football that Rodgers wrote a 180 page dossier to wax lyrical to John Henry over in America..

We played with courage, courage on the ball, courage in defense, courage as a team. Instead of a collective of excellent players on different wave lengths we had a collective of like minded hard working players who sang from the same hymm sheet for the first time since last season.

Anyone daring to say we fielded a "B" team is being nothing but disrespective to a team that arguably gave our best performance (without Sturridge) at Swansea. Watching Swansea we played a very similar game, we kept it compact in the middle, we tracked runners, we played 1 touch pass and move when in possession and our defenders weren't the players with the most passes completed - It's a telling tale that all 3 of our midfield had a passing completion of over 90%. This isn't passes going no-where, the inevitable pass forward to see it straight back, then square, the back, then square then hoof etc. We played meaningful football, it was heart in mouth at times because 1 wrong move (we had 2 - Lucas and Skrtel with poor first touches.) and you are basically giving away a certain goal scoring opportunity.. Yet we played football, we passed and move, I don't for 1 moment think we didn't stop running or moving - this static, slow and lumbering giant we had decended into gave way to a vibrent, energetic positive machine.. Yes offensively it didn't click, but we did have chances - Real are flattered by the shots on target statistic, you could count on your hand how many clear cut ones they had, our defence and midfield collective really did shut down the Number 1 player in the world at present.

I really hope this was Rodgers giving players a chance and dropping the under performing players, if we see the likes of Johnson, Lovren, Balotelli, Gerrard come straight back into the side I will be hugely disapointed. Rodgers said the team is selected on merit and effort.. The 11 guys who played Wednesday showed more than any team we've put out so far this season - it will be a travesty if he doesn't keep faith with the majority of those who started on Wednesday, and reward them with starting roles.

1 mention for me - Lucas, this is a guy who was told he was free to leave.. I myself will hold my hands up and say I thought he was finished, without that yard of pace he won't ever be starting for us.. After Swansea and Madrid he's my first name on the team sheet. His reading of the game was exceptional, his positioning second to none.. His ability to read when to aggressive press or drop helped us turn over the ball multiple times. He passed and move, his passing was positive and regulary disected an excellent Modric and Kroos with first time passes.

Rodgers has a decision to make - Gerrard was exceptional last season when he was given time to orchestrate from deep, with 3 world class players in Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling causing so many problems up front and taking so many players out of the game he had a free reign to pick passes and start the moves that were finished with such aplomb.. This isn't last season, we don't have Suarez, is he the right player? Does he slow our game down trying to play as we did last season? Whilst better as an individual, do we function better as a team without him? I believe as an impact sub for 15 minutes further up the field and we will see a devastating force of nature not many teams can handle.. As first choice? Not for me, sadly not anymore.

[DonkeyWan]

Platini in having a pop at Liverpool shocker...

He isn't though. He's having a pop at the journalists daft enough to ask him if he's going to punish Rodgers for his team selection. Most of what he says is thinly veiled derision directed at the journos.

[belfast-connection]

One thing I noticed about Real last night, they are fantastic at closing space and denying the opposition room to play. We tend to think of them as these martians from outer space with mind-bending footballing skills (and they are indeed silky, yes) but what hurt Liverpool last night was two players occupying space between the backline and our midfield. When they closed down it took incredible skill to break out and they were so quick to get back into position. This is not some trolley dolly team of inter-galactico greats, they have a nucleus of hard-working, hard-tackling players (Varanne, Ramos, Arbeloa, Marcelos etc) supporting equally hard-working, attacking players. That is the influence of Ancelotti. It reminds me of what made Barcelona great, not the 5 million passes, or nimble, skill gnome opening up of sides... it was the high pressure and intelligent closing down as well as the graft to retrieve the ball that really, really hurt.

yip even noticed this too - Ronaldo isn't even above going full pelt at the old high press

[goalrushatgoodison]

First of all the game - thoroughly enjoyable. An old school Liverpool European away performance, albeit without the quality, without the control and without the cutting edge. Despite the obvious deficiencies we definitely approached the game the correct way - we were away to the European Champions who are playing shit hot football ( sorry, I mean who are in a good moment!).

Now the team selection - the talk of 2nd teams, reserves and an under strength side are so far off the mark that it almost seems pointless to counter. Last night was our sixth game of a run of seven in 20 days. At the outset of this set of seven games Brendan will have had one thought above anything else. How do I manage my squad to get the best possible outcome? In a run like that you seldom play your strongest side and you NEVER play your weakest side. You manage your resources. You mix things up. You rotate. Particularly this early in the season when, if the last  two seasons under Brendan are anything to go by, we are some way below peak fitness.

In my humble opinion he has got all his team selections just about right. His problem has been that our star acts from last season are under performing and the new players that he brought in to be starters haven't hit the ground running. Obviously he made a decision to play the weakest of the seven sides in the game that we were most unlikely  to get anything out of and I would argue the one we least needed to get anything out of. This seems eminently sensible to me. Almost, dare I say it, pragmatic. This doesn't mean he played a weak side. Exactly the opposite in fact. He juggled his resources over the last fortnight to ensure that he never fielded a weak side.

In short, Brendan's selection last night wasn't brave nor it wasn't cowardly. It wasn't strong nor it wasn't weak. It was simply an exercise in pragmatism.

As an aside I have been greatly encouraged by the improvement in our squad, if not the regression in the form of our first 11. I think we are now in a position, where a couple of marquee signings would change everything. Of course attracting those signings is another thing!

[SerbianScouser]

Anyone daring to say we fielded a "B" team is being nothing but disrespective to a team that arguably gave our best performance (without Sturridge) at Swansea. Watching Swansea we played a very similar game, we kept it compact in the middle, we tracked runners, we played 1 touch pass and move when in possession and our defenders weren't the players with the most passes completed - It's a telling tale that all 3 of our midfield had a passing completion of over 90%. This isn't passes going no-where, the inevitable pass forward to see it straight back, then square, the back, then square then hoof etc. We played meaningful football, it was heart in mouth at times because 1 wrong move (we had 2 - Lucas and Skrtel with poor first touches.) and you are basically giving away a certain goal scoring opportunity.. Yet we played football, we passed and move, I don't for 1 moment think we didn't stop running or moving - this static, slow and lumbering giant we had decended into gave way to a vibrent, energetic positive machine.. Yes offensively it didn't click, but we did have chances - Real are flattered by the shots on target statistic, you could count on your hand how many clear cut ones they had, our defence and midfield collective really did shut down the Number 1 player in the world at present.

Some great points in this paragraph.

What I`d like to add for example is that Toure and Skrtel exchanged only 2 passes between each other and combined had 62 passes compared to about 190 Skrtel and Lovren had at Newcastle. Also Lucas and Emre passed 25 times between each other which is outstanding for the way our midfield has been performing the whole season. All this makes our 43% possession - against the best midfield in the world right now in Kroos-Modric-James-Isco that much more valid.

There has been more than couple underwhelming performances this season from our midfield containing Gerrard and Henderson and if that continues we really should look at the type of midfield set-up we witnessed yesterday as a potential blueprint for the all important proper midfield control because what detractors of yesterday`s performance don`t get is that performing like that against the best midfield in the world right now in their own back yard bodes well for us as we won`t ever have to face anyone nearly as good in the PL this season.

[GrkStav]

I liked the sense of how we had adapted for this game. We were very disciplined and set up deliberately to defend the threats posed by Madrid. It was like a mission, with specific objectives in our play and setup. I think we are guilty sometimes in other matches of just being too arrogant, playing the same hand week in and week out without much consideration. It is like we are saying "This is how we play. You know how we play, but what are you going to do about it?". It worked last season - a lot of teams knew what was coming, but we could just steamroller them anyway - there was no handling us. For whatever reason, that doesn't work anymore this season. We're not good enough to impose whatever we want on the game, so it was nice yesterday that we seemed to recognise the (albeit obvious) unique threats of Madrid and changed our game plan accordingly, and hopefully we see signs of tweaking our game here and there each week to outdo the tactics of lesser teams in the Premier League.

In the game itself, I think Borini versus that Real back four was a mismatch and he was often isolated up there when Markovic, Moreno or whoever, didn't burst forward with the ball. His holdup play was very good though to his credit. Borini and Allen/Can in the team gave us extra workrate, which we would not get from Balotelli or Gerrard. I am not sold on Borini's technical ability. Ideally, you'd want a Mario Balotelli with a Fabio Borini work ethic to be playing, but alas, you can't just combine qualities like that.

We still have a good chance to qualify and this game was really encouraging from the players. Maybe only the second satisfying performance of the season.

Another "this", but there have been some belters in this thread for me. The first two parts in bold indicate what actual managing is all about. It's not "philosophies" and "team spirit" and the rest of the platitudinous stuff. It's "stratego on the football pitch".

[the_red_pill]

He isn't though. He's having a pop at the journalists daft enough to ask him if he's going to punish Rodgers for his team selection. Most of what he says is thinly veiled derision directed at the journos.

It's how I understood it.

Great post mate!

When the teamsheet came out, there was exasperation, chaos and disbelief; there were also the mad giggles that some people display when they're up to the ankles in it.

There were a brave handful, who were really trying to understand why this selection was made- people who, instead of giving over to their base instinct to vent, saw the sense of the selection and could therefore grasp the gameplan. I praised the cojones on Brendan and even though one may feel that his stubbornness can lead him into trouble from time to time, it's what I appreciate about our manager.

He has a conviction that shirks for fuckall, the courage to make a decision and the dogged determination to stick to his decision and bare the consequence. This type of person, usually paves the way for everyone else.

If you look at it- of the starting XI, only Skrtel and Lucas were not Brendan's buys and even though they were not, they were stalwarts and experienced. For Brendan to have been moved to such defiance, shows he might have broken a personal barrier and a lesson or two might have been learned. And I say that last bit without trying to be matronizing/patronizing.


EDIT: This old quote from Amir, described last night perfectly. Brendan is not soft and he is not easily influenced and if managers scalpt teams into their own image, we got a bedeviling, yet tempting glimpse last season!

[steveeastend]

I will only say this... Lucas is, and always has been, massively underrated.

And I will say probably something in addition... This midfield and defense is able to play ANY team in the world, with better attacking players like Sterling, Coutinho or Balotelli working their socks off we could have even won this one.

It was Real away.

I really do hope people realise now the difference between football and kick and rush. And that it takes eleven players trying to PLAY football.

End off.

[the_red_pill]

I will only say this... Lucas is, and always has been, massively underrated.

And I will say probably something in addition... This midfield and defense is able to play ANY team in the world, with better attacking players like Sterling, Coutinho or Balotelli working their socks off we could have even won this one.

It was Real away.

I really do hope people realise now the difference between football and kick and rush. End off.

Sadly for Luke, it's been his millstone. Doubted since day two, forgotten, then lavished with praise only to be kicked while down on his luck. Despite the lad's ability to overcome, there is always a subtle suspicion. There are people who carry such a burden and despite their best efforts, they are not given their rightful acknowledgment and the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, he has not been the same for a while after he's return from that injury but he deserved support.

He's a strong lad though- emotionally and mentally. Takes a special kind of person to captain Gremio in your teens.

[ANFIELDGATES]

Sadly for Luke, it's been his millstone. Doubted since day two, forgotten, then lavished with praise only to be kicked while down on his luck. Despite the lad's ability to overcome, there is always a subtle suspicion. There are people who carry such a burden and despite their best efforts, they are not given their rightful acknowledgment and the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, he has not been the same for a while after he's return from that injury but he deserved support.

He's a strong lad though- emotionally and mentally. Takes a special kind of person to captain Gremio in your teens.

i must admit i for one didnt see lucas as the right fit for us,and to some extent i still dont.now thats not to say hes not a talented footballer but i just feel that if we really want to kick on we need to have a stand out midfielder that can do it all,somelike a keane or souness,he had it all,passing tackling etc etc (regardless of his managerial fcuk up afterwards!!) lucas is good but injuries aside i never saw him been good enough.yes he gives it his all but thats the least u expect from a player playing for LFC.he played well last nite and kept it tidy and was one of our better performers so fair dues to him.i really feel brendans next signing besides up top needs to be a dominant centre mid .

[red1977]

you know what, whilst people were panicking in disbelief, spitting feathers, fuming even at the team selection. when i saw it, i felt calm, it made sense. and you know what, i feel that the man who picked that side, did so calmly, he was looking to make sense of why we have been poor this season and what he NEEDS to do to get the best out of the squad, if certain players have not playing well, then im sure rodgers thinks why the fuck should they get a game. starting with real fucking madrid.
I dont think it was just the form of certain players though that made him pick the side he did. he had to make an analysis of why and how madrid did what they did to us at anfield. we all saw that they are pass masters, there movement off the ball is supurb, they are the best side in europe. how do you counter this? you dont go after them at the bernabau, you get compact in midfield. stop the passing the ball. pick players that are hungry, players with defensive qualites. lucas fits the bill here better than gerrard. can adds muscle, allan and lallana will work tirelessly and can keep the passess short and out of harms way. if this is a game that keeping madrid out is the way to go then thats the midfield to do it no? you could argue that henderson offers these qualites, true i suppose, but there should be no place for coutinho and sterling in the midfield as starters.
why did he start Kolo, well beacuse hes got experince, he adds muscle at the back, and with all due respect loveren has looked suspect. in the first game madrid were lobbing balls into the box, we couldnt handle it, they were simple crossess, so for this one changes at centre half were a logical thing to do. it fucking worked too because kolo had a stormer. the centre halves were closer together than they were at anfield and we had a 2 or three man midfield shield in front of them, we cut them off in the middle.
the plan was to try and keep posetion, a wise move against this team, our passing was crisp, i thought we kept possetion brilliantly at times. we tried to probe and look for markovic and borini when we could, but unfortunatly at the moment we dont have the front men available to give us any real menace on the counter. why then borini and not balotelli? because were wanted to press from the front, balotelli will not do that borini will and did, we were looking to force them into a mistake in there own half and capitalize on it. keep working hard. keep in there faces keep the ball, stay calm. stay calm. that verane is fucking brilliant by the way.
the calls that rodgers had fluttered the white hanky is expected by gutter snipe media hawks. but some of our own supporters should at least try to way up the pros and cons before ripping into the manager, if you dont feel hes picked the right side say so, but those that thought it through had more hope than those that just read the names off the team sheet. (in some cases). so for me the manager stayed calm, he showed balls on the biggest stage by going with the team to suit his tactics, where some were saying he,s losing it or he must be mad, i thought it was the sensible way to go. those saying he was saving his best players for chelsea? well i expect chelsea will play less offensivly than madrid and will call for different personel and tactics, so sure we will see some players back. but thats not why they were left out.

[scumbagcollege]

i must admit i for one didnt see lucas as the right fit for us,and to some extent i still dont.now thats not to say hes not a talented footballer but i just feel that if we really want to kick on we need to have a stand out midfielder that can do it all,somelike a keane or souness,he had it all,passing tackling etc etc (regardless of his managerial fcuk up afterwards!!) lucas is good but injuries aside i never saw him been good enough.yes he gives it his all but thats the least u expect from a player playing for LFC.he played well last nite and kept it tidy and was one of our better performers so fair dues to him.i really feel brendans next signing besides up top needs to be a dominant centre mid .

We had other players alongside Souness in midfield who, while not world class maybe, were crucial in our success. 

[Notayesman]

I will only say this... Lucas is, and always has been, massively underrated.

And I will say probably something in addition... This midfield and defense is able to play ANY team in the world, with better attacking players like Sterling, Coutinho or Balotelli working their socks off we could have even won this one.

It was Real away.

I really do hope people realise now the difference between football and kick and rush. And that it takes eleven players trying to PLAY football.

End off.

Beautifully put. Still think we're lacking a CB somewhat though. Add Sturridge and Sterling to that line up though at the expense of Borini and Markovich and things look a lot better.

[ANFIELDGATES]

We had other players alongside Souness in midfield who, while not world class maybe, were crucial in our success. 

touche!!!!!!!....yes fair point,was forgetting wee sammy...

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

Platini on Rodgers' team selection "“First of all he has to explain to his fans why he put this team — not to me, not to you."

http://www.talkingbaws.com/2014/11/05/michel-platini-asks-brendan-rodgers-to-explain-his-liverpool-team-selection-against-real-madrid/?

No surprises to see Platini is still a massive c*nt. Echo DonkeyWan's sentiments. Great post, mate.

I was dead proud of the 11 selected. It shows our depth and will hopefully quash several notions that we've "wasted the Suarez money."

Toure, Mignolet, Lucas & Can among our best. Mignolet looked every bit the player we were watching at the early part of last season. Is it a coincidence that Kolo was playing in front of him then, as well?

If anything, this performance will kick a few of the 'regulars' up the arse. Two in particular who fucking needed it, quite frankly. I believe Toure and Lucas should be certain starters on Saturday. If we're picking players on performance and not name, this really has to happen, in my opinion.

Positive signs, however I think we need two up top to cause Chelsea any troubles on the score sheet. Let's hope Brendan bends. 

[Mattastico]

There really has been some great posts in this thread, a pleasure to read and all the best ones seem to support the manager. I hope some others learn something from them.

I really don't have much to add as the previous posts have pretty much covered everything I was thinking. Just had to say how much I've enjoyed reading the good stuff, DW's was a thing a beauty and the humility to admit he was wrong is commendable, also an honourable mention for the point about last year being against the manager's plans, implemented to accommodate what we had at the time really struck home with me. Excellent observation.  Keep it up lads.

Like some others, I really hope that the squad has learned an important lesson from last night and that kick up the arse or confidence boost motivates whatever team Brendan puts out. IMO anyone even entertaining the idea of the manager's job being at risk need sorting out, we the supporters should be the ones to dictate that, not the media who have their own transparent agendas. Support the boss and the team, they'll come good in time if we allow it.

We showed we can compete with the best team in the world last night, sure, maybe we weren't up to their ridiculously high standard but we always knew that. We did well, and we will improve if that match is anything to go by. Just have a bit of patience. Support the manager and the team through thick and thin, isn't that what YNWA and the club is all about? Some people need reminding...

Sorry mods if I've gone off topic. I've had a few drinks and listened the radio and read what the press are saying so feel free to delete (not that you need my permission).

[fcsantos]

First time I've seen 4231 functional this season. People rightly lauding Lucas, for me, Moreno was the main man, love the kid.

Whatever the team he picks for Chelsea they will be leaving everything on the pitch to stay in the team, Sterling, Coutinho, Henderson HAVE to perform if they are picked.

Stevie is Stevie, he'll always leave what he's got on the pitch, it's age not ability or application. If we're playing a similar set up against Chelsea id like to see him in the "Allen" role against Real, with a similar setup around him.

Brendan touched many of our fanbase with his team selection, he brought us, him and the team together, the likes of Platini and the media help too.

(Btw what a shout Macca Doctor Who audition hahaha)

[GrkStav]

Only it wasn't a 4231, but a 433. Lucas was the 1 in a 1-2 central midfield.

[deadsetred]

Who was that kid playing CB against real madrid ? That's exactly what we've been looking for all season out of our central defenders ! Give him a new contract before a Spanish giant snavels him up.

[the_red_pill]

Who was that kid playing CB against real madrid ? That's exactly what we've been looking for all season out of our central defenders ! Give him a new contract before a Spanish giant snavels him up.

Rafael Varane- 21 year old with massive, massive potential which he has started to realize already.

We've been linked to him in the past(as far back as Kenny/Coates) as were a few others. Of course, we were never going to get him, but at least we tried.

[Draex]

Rafael Varane- 21 year old with massive, massive potential which he has started to realize already.

We've been linked to him in the past(as far back as Kenny/Coates) as were a few others. Of course, we were never going to get him, but at least we tried.

He meant Toure

[McrRed]

Rafael Varane- 21 year old with massive, massive potential which he has started to realize already.

We've been linked to him in the past(as far back as Kenny/Coates) as were a few others. Of course, we were never going to get him, but at least we tried.

Slight whoosh there...I think he means Kolo! :-P

ps Marcelo is one of the best players in the world at the moment "singlehandedly" won a champion's league final....no coincidence he was the assist for their goal so very well done to manquillo for not allowing more damage from that side.

Otherwise? Echo the great posts already made.


Edit:
Bit late....draex got there first

[L666KOP]

One thing I noticed about Real last night, they are fantastic at closing space and denying the opposition room to play. We tend to think of them as these martians from outer space with mind-bending footballing skills (and they are indeed silky, yes) but what hurt Liverpool last night was two players occupying space between the backline and our midfield. When they closed down it took incredible skill to break out and they were so quick to get back into position. This is not some trolley dolly team of inter-galactico greats, they have a nucleus of hard-working, hard-tackling players (Varanne, Ramos, Arbeloa, Marcelos etc) supporting equally hard-working, attacking players. That is the influence of Ancelotti. It reminds me of what made Barcelona great, not the 5 million passes, or nimble, skill gnome opening up of sides... it was the high pressure and intelligent closing down as well as the graft to retrieve the ball that really, really hurt.

I said pretty much the same thing in the 'Tactics' thread.

They are human beings, and Ancellotti isn't a witch doctor.

But they are both physically, and mentally able (focused) to follow a simple set of instructions, and be able to do it for 90 minutes.

Sure, there'll be certain intricate nuances, but at the end of the day it's football. And Madrid have players that can both create, and deny space better than anyone else on the planet at the moment, add in one or two 'game changers' and you end up where they are now.

[Hank Scorpio]

Quick note on the Real side without turning this into a Real love-in thread, it's a side that has been together for a few years now.  Casillas, Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Modric, Ronaldo & Benzema have been there for 3 seasons or more.  It's no wonder they have built up that level of tactical knowledge.  Still, credit to Ancelloti who I have great respect for.  Not one of those managers that constantly needs to talk about himself or other managers.  Yet his team achieves great things.

[TSC]

And I will say probably something in addition... This midfield and defense is able to play ANY team in the world, with better attacking players like Sterling, Coutinho or Balotelli working their socks off we could have even won this one.

 
 

At the risk of the proverbial pissing on chips here but one game does not a defence make.  We played a structured and tight game designed to combat the way Madrid play.  And it worked generally with the obvious exception of the goal, and without us managing to create much at the other end.  And I thought the defence were superb at stopping Madrid.  However Madrid like to play through teams via short incisive passes or through pace via Ronaldo/Bale.  What they tend not to do is rely on set pieces and crosses into the box.  This has been the achilles heel in our defence this season.  And also Madrid were basically in the comfort zone all game as a result of their standing in the group.  They could probably have gone up a gear if needed had we scored.

Having said all that I'd play the same defence against Chelsea simply on merit after Tues. 

[Timbo's Goals]

I said pretty much the same thing in the 'Tactics' thread.

They are human beings, and Ancellotti isn't a witch doctor.

But they are both physically, and mentally able (focused) to follow a simple set of instructions, and be able to do it for 90 minutes.

Sure, there'll be certain intricate nuances, but at the end of the day it's football. And Madrid have players that can both create, and deny space better than anyone else on the planet at the moment, add in one or two 'game changers' and you end up where they are now.

They're also the most cynical shower of bastards since the old Leeds United. I've no intention of watching back the two games again but just on casual rflection I bet a pound to a pinch of shite the number of cynical "stop the counter attack" fouls they perpetrated on us far exceeds anything else we've encountered for many years. Isco, Arbeloa, Kroos being three of the biggest culprits  amongst virtually an entire team of cynicism wrapped up in this luscious veil of beautiful flowing, incisive football that is wonderful to behold yet masks the spiteful streak that affords it the breathing space it needs to blossom.

[L666KOP]

They're also the most cynical shower of bastards since the old Leeds United. I've no intention of watching back the two games again but just on casual rflection I bet a pound to a pinch of shite the number of cynical "stop the counter attack" fouls they perpetrated on us far exceeds anything else we've encountered for many years. Isco, Arbeloa, Kroos being three of the biggest culprits  amongst virtually an entire team of cynicism wrapped up in this luscious veil of beautiful flowing, incisive football that is wonderful to behold yet masks the spiteful streak that affords it the breathing space it needs to blossom.

Absolutely Timbo, knowing when/where/how to do it, and take a yellow for the team is all part of it.

But essentially they are no different to anybody else, just better at it. They don't allow themselves to switch off very often. I don't particularly like the term itself, but they are 'machine like'. They are all equipped just the same as you and I.

[Roger Federer]

Rafael Varane- 21 year old with massive, massive potential which he has started to realize already.

He's just about the perfect centre half, isn't he? Being so young, he'll still have games where he fucks up from time to time, but I can't see any obvious weakness in his game. It's not often I enjoy watching a centre half play as much as I do with Varane, pure class.

[★deb★, please ?]

Who here was shocked by Rodger's team sheet?
My question arises after comments of Platini, Mourinho, and Lineker.

Especially the Platini-comment.

How does everybody feel about this?

For me, I am mad Platini would use *me* *us* to criticize Brendan.
I thought "hmm, no stevie?" apart from that, Lovren Johnson Hendo and Balo being dropped was no shocker for me. And even dropping the captain wasn't a problem, at all, for me.
Brendan has my full support, he could have played a youngster for all I care.

I'm sure some will be pissed about the teamsheet, some (as me) will not care - gaffer knows best.

I'm interested in what the majority of my fellow fans think about this.

Yesterday at the pub, I heard a lot on this as well. Non-Liverpool fans were shocked, I'm not. Where's the problem?

[the_red_pill]

Who was that kid playing CB against real madrid ? That's exactly what we've been looking for all season out of our central defenders ! Give him a new contract before a Spanish giant snavels him up.

He meant Toure

You wily old fox, you. Fuck off!

[Timbo's Goals]

Who here was shocked by Rodger's team sheet?
My question arises after comments of Platini, Mourinho, and Lineker.

Especially the Platini-comment.

How does everybody feel about this?

For me, I am mad Platini would use *me* *us* to criticize Brendan.
I thought "hmm, no stevie?" apart from that, Lovren Johnson Hendo and Balo being dropped was no shocker for me. And even dropping the captain wasn't a problem, at all, for me.
Brendan has my full support, he could have played a youngster for all I care.

I'm sure some will be pissed about the teamsheet, some (as me) will not care - gaffer knows best.

I'm interested in what the majority of my fellow fans think about this.

Yesterday at the pub, I heard a lot on this as well. Non-Liverpool fans were shocked, I'm not. Where's the problem?

I actually heard this shite for the first time on Talksport this morning. Herman Goering Brazil was talking to soft arse Andy Gray and both were labelling the Liverpool team selection by Rodgers as a disgrace and insult to everyone who'd ever been born. It was utterly risible nonsense and yet listening to their faux exasperation I can well understand why non-Liverpudlians not privvy to what's really been going on with our non-performances this season plus those amongst our own 'support' who seem to require leading by the nose to have a view on things will have been taken in by the apparent conviction of those masquerading as knowledgeable pundits spouting the nonsense.

A bit worrying actually. 

[Timbo's Goals]

You wily old fox, you. Fuck off!

The real give away was the word 'against'

 

[Jim Pooley]

A round table deserves more than a brief response, but fuck it, I'm succinct.  The performance justified the team selection, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'll need more rest, I'd be happy to see the same side start on Saturday.  It's painful making the transition from the old guard to the new.  Tuesday's game was another step along the way.
(Re-reading this, I realise some will think I'm bashing Gerrard/Johnson/whoever.  That's not the intent at all, I just mean that this is a process we have to go through, and Rodgers was brave - and right - to give a start to the players he did.)

[the_red_pill]

Who here was shocked by Rodger's team sheet?
My question arises after comments of Platini, Mourinho, and Lineker.

Especially the Platini-comment.

How does everybody feel about this?

For me, I am mad Platini would use *me* *us* to criticize Brendan.
I thought "hmm, no stevie?" apart from that, Lovren Johnson Hendo and Balo being dropped was no shocker for me. And even dropping the captain wasn't a problem, at all, for me.
Brendan has my full support, he could have played a youngster for all I care.

I'm sure some will be pissed about the teamsheet, some (as me) will not care - gaffer knows best.

I'm interested in what the majority of my fellow fans think about this.

Yesterday at the pub, I heard a lot on this as well. Non-Liverpool fans were shocked, I'm not. Where's the problem?

You should've been in the pre-match. I wish I could say- don't venture in there, but alas- I cannot stop you.

It's a pitch-black cave filled with unimaginable horror, a suffocating "presence", masquerading as an atmosphere- think, heavy and dank.
You've barely been in there for a few short minutes when the urge for fresh air overcomes you. You scurry along hurriedly as the darkness gropes at you from the unknown- you can feel it's enveloping grasp and suddenly... Light! Beautiful, glorious, life-giving and oh- how liberating the feeling as you take a deep breath of pure, fesh air.
The unexpressable joy as your fellow RAWKites join you in unison as you proclaim - "Long Live the Lord of The Cave!". It might not be a bad idea to release a fart after your horrifying ordeal, then.


But if you wanna go in- best of luck! You'll need it!