Topic: Spurs 2 - 1 Liverpool: Post match stuff

[Rafa_La]

Rubbish. It could/should have been about 6-6. You've taken a few select events and melded them to fit your pre-conceived idea of what would happen.

No points is no result no matter what cream you put on the mix.

We were just not good enough even though there were a few moments of reasonable playing. No amendment to a game plan, nothing. Another 90 minutes where maybe 60 minutes were played well. Manager and team did that. Shared responsibilites, imo.

[Old Brian]

Sub, oh yea, i can swap twoayers... er roy, its three mate, try using fresh legs in the last few minutes to go for a win.

How can anyone critize Roy Hodgson for yesterdays result he set them up as an attacking side should have been 3 0 up at half time Maxi missed a sitter Torres then missed 2 sitters that wasn't Hodgson's fault that was poor finishing nothing else

[DonkeyWan]

Say what you want about the tactics, but the reason we lost yesterday was down to individuals not putting away glorious chances

Spurs missed two open goals (including having a ball headed off the line and a penalty. They were equally as profligate. The difference was they kept attacking and as the game went on we dropped off more and more and depended on the break, which was increasingly unlikely the deeper we got.

[Renegade]

and the second half of your post is why we're 10th, when we so easily could have been pushing for a CL spot, games against stoke, wigan and spurs should have yielded far better results if the decision making was better, unfortunately it hasnt been and i dont think it will change.

people banging on about how roy cant be blamed for today, fair enough, but he can be blamed for the season we're having.  The next 7 PL games for me should provide us with 5 wins at minimum, this at a point where the other top 3 sides are playing one another.  if there was a time hodson can prove he has it in him to be a LFC manager these games are it, cos if we come out of them with positive results we can be in the mix for a CL place, if not then he's gotta go without doubt!

I agree, the second half of my post is why we're 10th, on the roll their on the Spurs game was always going to be difficult, but we should have had 5 more points from the Wigan and Stoke games, and 6 more from the Everton and Blackpool games and Roy is deifintely to blame for the season we're having, not that I take their word as a credible source, but MOTD2 illustrated the point last night in saying, quite rightly, that it was the first time all season Hodgson had gone away from home and had a go, Blackburn was the first time all season Roy had changed from his Fulham tactics and had a go at home.

I not sure it will change, Hodgson has already saved himself a couple of times when he was on the brink imo, we have 10 very winnable games before we next play another top side, for me Roy has to set up to press the opposition and attack home and away and get 7 points from his next 3 games, or it is time to go.

[RedinExile]

Once is "humourous", twice it's annoying and three / fourth time I've heard it this month and especially as ESPN are showing us quite abit for a while and what does he think? I don't get it? Managerial capabilities aside he's just awful at the media side of things, awful. There was the Carragher incident when he was being subbed and Roy was taking no interest in what was going on the bench, I find it hard to understand him I really do.

He could have a chat with some of the foreigners in our club and they'd easily tell him the Ethos of our club

good shout

[The G in Gerrard]

10th in the league 7 points off 4th, 5 points off 18th, with a -2 goal difference. Good if you are fullham.

We played well Sunday but its still another defeat and I don't like the idea that his buddies are still giving out excuses on his behalf.

[The G in Gerrard]

I not sure it will change, Hodgson has already saved himself a couple of times when he was on the brink imo, we have 10 very winnable games before we next play another top side, for me Roy has to set up to press the opposition and attack home and away and get 7 points from his next 3 games, or it is time to go.

Get what you mean but first it was judge him after ten games, then another few and then a few more and by that time we could be cut adrift from a shite season. I really don't know where he goes from here but as a Villa player you wouldn't be intimidated facing us atm.

[will2003]

Think part of Roys problems are the players have been playing pressing football under Rafa and thus are more suited to that game. Roy unfortunately doesn't play like this and needs the type of player to play his Fulham system. I'm defo no fan of his but i see this being an issue to the tatics and a bleak out look to our future playing style under him.

[jaffod]

Get what you mean but first it was judge him after ten games, then another few and then a few more and by that time we could be cut adrift from a shite season. I really don't know where he goes from here but as a Villa player you wouldn't be intimidated facing us atm.

Villa are dire atm, one win in their last 9 prem games, if we don't beat these it will be another big black mark against Hodgson.

[will2003]

Villa are dire atm, one win in their last 9 prem games, if we don't beat these it will be another big black mark against Hodgson.

What about a draw? I see that a likely result atm.

[The G in Gerrard]

Villa are dire atm, one win in their last 9 prem games, if we don't beat these it will be another big black mark against Hodgson.

They'll have had over a week off? With Young / Agbonlohor who may not be world class but our faster than our cb's they will cause us problems.

[Red-juvenated]

The team showed some improvement and it was refreshing to see good chances being created, pity our highest profile player was off-form, else we could have bossed this game.

Lucas / Meirelles in the middle give us stability. Johnson & Aurelio with Kuyt and Maxi give us attacking width, Torres with Ngog up front allows us to press higher up. Roy must stick to these combinations in most games.

Whats up with Jovanovich?, I expected to see a lot of him after his early promising starts.

[redgriffin73]

do do do do , do do do, do do do do

do do do do , do do do , do do do.. MARTIN SKRTEL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWhtcU4-xAM

Was killing myself at the group of lads singing that, was hilarious!

[Strummer77]

Was killing myself at the group of lads singing that, was hilarious!

I know it isn't 'cool', but we should sing it. Simple tune and might actually create a bit of atmosphere.

[Grobbelrevell]

I was surprised at how we set up yesterday, I didn't foresee Hodgson sending us out with anything like the ambition that we showed, in the first half especially. We should really have gone in at half time three nil up (had Torres and Maxi put away their chances), following which the second half would have been an entirely different encounter.

What I didn't like however, was the way in which we increasingly began retreating towards our box the longer the game progressed. Spurs were there for the taking had we continued to show the ambition we began the game with but we didn't, eventually conceding the impetus to them. As soon as they equalised you just knew what the outcome of the game was going to be as we began dropping off. That game was massive as well, it really was, and yet again, for me, we didn't have the positivity that was needed to go and take the game to Spurs - to see it through - and get the result that was needed.

Yes, we played well in spells and had we taken our chances it could have been a different game (although Spurs missed plenty as well). In the end though, you cannot argue with the facts and they do not stack up in Roy's favour.

7 points from 4th. 5 points from 18th. -2 goal difference. 10th in the league.

If we had played with the ambition we showed at the start of that game in every match this season, and continued with that moving forward, then we might well have been in store for a decent season, but we haven't and we won't. Not consistently enough to make a difference anyway.

An improvement, no doubt, but ultimately still not good enough. Not by a long way. And that's without mentioning our current first choice left back.

[guest]

Was killing myself at the group of lads singing that, was hilarious!

Should have come to say hello.

[pascoli]

Wanted to stay out as long as possible to ensure my post was made with a clear head.

I actually enjoyed watching that defeat a lot more than some of the victories we've had this season.

Some crackin performances out there, Torres remaining free of injury, Meireles showing us the difference between a player playing where is he comfortable, as opposed to out of position.

And the "FOAR" after our goal was unbelievable. I would have sworn at that stage i was listening to the anfield crowd outsinging the away spurs fans.

Gutted to have lost Carra, I think the people who have been calling for him to be sold / moved out of the first team will realise how much he brings to the side that may go unnoticed normally.  The grass is always greener and all that.

[keeby]

After a couple of days to get over the frustration thought i'd stick in my two penneth.....

As I said before the game really didn,t expect one of uncle rwoys teams to go there and get something and was proved right in the 89th minute.  How i wished that i was wrong, IMO thought that was the best we played all season, was a good entertaining match to watch, with both sides making mistakes and making chances.  I think Roy is a shithouse of a manager BUT you can't blame him for maxi & torres not putting gilt edged chances away.  Playing two up front worked so much better than the Manchester City game at least.  What i do blame roy for and believe to be fair is that at 1 all you bring on a left back - ummm didn't the left back roy bought get totally skinned by Lennon i rest my case.

Please roy keep quiet at the press conferences, and more perfomances like the spuds one and we'll carry on up the league.

PS Mr Henry if your reading this PM me and i'll let you know who to hire managerial wise,  lovely lad G. Hiddink i thinks his name

[JP!]

do do do do , do do do, do do do do

do do do do , do do do , do do do.. MARTIN SKRTEL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWhtcU4-xAM

Lmao I love it...

[killerH]

What bothers me about yesterday is that Hodgson was too unwilling to take the initiative. A goal up, Spurs with a raft of injuries to key personnel, a makeshift back line, tired from midweek and demonstrably open and easily penetrated. Instead of playing a high line and pressuring the game he orders the team to sit deep in the second half and they end up being punished as a result. He is too afraid to grasp the opportunity, preferring to sit deep and hold. Small team mentality I'm afraid.

The first line is key here. Reminded me of Man U away, 2-2, back from the dead. United rocking for a short period after we equalised. Raul missed a header from about 10 yards.

What do we do? We retreat to our shells, PFK is replaced by DAgger, we invite the Mancs into our half, invite cross after cross. United score eventually from, you guessed it, a cross. Carra out jumped by Berbatov.

Basically it's the same story with Roy, just too much fear in taking the game to the oppostion. It's just not Roy's game to take risks. To kill games off. We are the worst team in the PL at losing leads:
We lost 2 games from winning positions. We drew 3 games when we were winning. A total of 12 points lost in the first 15 games! We only gained a point after going behind (17th in the PL).

An all too familiar pattern. Its a bit like 03-04. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Roy Hodgson is a poor mans Gerard Houlier.

[VamosLiverpool]

Absolutely froze at the game.

Good first half where we should have been out of sight.

Start of the second Torres should have given us a two goal cushion but from that point on, we sat on what we had and we got punished. As soon as Spurs scored, there was only going to be one winner. Most frustrating thing is that you can see Spurs were getting the upper hand but we never ever change tactics. We just seem to sit deep in the second half ( for most away games in fact) and we are getting murdered.

I thought Ngog had a poor game, wasn't running the channels or drawing defenders out of position. As for Konchesky, drop him immediately.

The challenge on Kuyt after Spurs had equalised, was that a penalty? Looked like a stonewall one from where I was.

[the_red_pill]

In response:

- raft of injuries yes, but such is the money they have spent to assemble a good squad, it doesn't affect them too much.

- makeshift backline? 3 of them will be their regulars (Gallas, Ekoto, Hutton).

- easily penetrated yes, which is why we should have stuck 4 past them when we did easily penetrate them.


Say what you want about the tactics, but the reason we lost yesterday was down to individuals not putting away glorious chances

I pursue Hodgson religiously sometimes and even I have to agree- we lacked finishing. That's what made the difference. We gave a good account of ourselves- at a tough stadium against a "formidable" team, in front of "passionate" aupporters, in the absence of Gerrard- as we almost always do when he's injured anyway.

[ACLE]

They'll have had over a week off? With Young / Agbonlohor who may not be world class but our faster than our cb's they will cause us problems.

Villa beaten again tonight. We have to destroy them on Monday but I would take a 1 - 0 right now but Royston will probably be happy with a 1 - 1 'good performance' in which we 'controlled the game' and managed to cope without SG and JC.

[jagroop]

There are so many points here that show what is wrong with LFC at the moment. Although this is done to death the point is Rafa was moved on too quickly after one season. He himself has said many times he never was given the funds to buy the type of player he wanted and then bought 2nd, 3rd and 4th on his list. This squad of players by and large were good enough to finish 2nd and also under achieved by finishing 7th. Rafa had worse problems with board room struggle for a lot longer. Yet Roy is afforded and excuse of a poor squad, board room problems and limited funds to spend. So why is that not Rafa's excuse.

Moving on from that and it is related, Rafa's teams although set up in a positional sense with two defensive midfielders, were still more attacking than Roy's 4-4-2. The reason for this is that Rafa had the team playing as a unit further up the pitch with pressing of the opposition in the opponents half with support from full backs as well as the wider of the midfield players then holding players provided cover. When losing the ball we did not run back past the ball to get in position then defend zonally from open play. We tried to win the ball back by pressing in the opponents half.

Roy's tactical nous was great when that was the way to play in the 70s but football has moved on and that is not the way to play. Our players are largely ball playing players not touch and hoof but they are not used in that way. I also feel Roy's tactic is to get whatever lead is possible during the first 45 minutes and the hold it for the second half. That is the pattern I have seen in all the games including the ones we have supposedly been so great in. When playing a poor West Ham side going 3-0 up at half time still with a negative goal difference surely you would want to bag at least another two but no West Ham looked great in the second half and had most of the ball. No matter how good we look in the first half the second half will always be worse.

When you can see someone is not the right fit and not correct you do not wait for them to prove it totally you move them on. The difference between good management and poor management is not to be stubborn in your attitudes and to do what is right for the overall good. Apply this to the club manager and Rafa was good at getting rid of his flops after one season or in Keane's case 6 months. Houllier was more stubborn and hung on to them waiting for a spark which was never going to happen. Roy stubborn about his system that does not suit the style of players we have at the risk of alienating the likes of Agger because he will not hoof the ball.

The same applies to the board, they can see Roy is not a fit and has some serious flaws of that should fit the 'profile' of a LFC manager so rather than be stubborn on the Liverpool way as Houllier was they need to get rid like Rafa did with his players. The Liverpool Way comes into play when there have been no major flaws and negativity from the player or manager in charge. It is about supporting the person to the hilt in the face of adversity because the person is doing the best for LFC and has the right ideas, mentality and engages with the clubs ideologies and fans. In return they get patience and support. I challenge any fan to name one LFC manager (not Roy) who has ridiculed chants of the LFC fans, failed to support the LFC players in public, criticised LFC players by naming names, calling views of LFC fans unhelpful, belittling our chances of winning a game, smiling on a loss to our 'bitter' rivals, entertaining selling a player to Manure? Which manager has done that in the history of LFC and within the first 4/5 months? Why refer to the Liverpool Way for somebody who clearly does not deserve it or even understand it? He is not a LFC manager and therefore will not engage with the fans or the philosophy of the club and thus needs to be told to jog-on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[StiffieGee]

do do do do , do do do, do do do do

do do do do , do do do , do do do.. MARTIN SKRTEL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWhtcU4-xAM

Brilliant!