• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
Lots of 'experts' in here when it comes to Liverpool's team composition I see. ;)

Was completely baffled by the backlash against Rodgers actually showing stones and resting players when necessary, particularly the ones who have been sub-par this season. Henderson and Sterling needed a rest, Lucas is our only genuine defensive midfielder (crucial in breaking up RM's attacks), and while anyone would have been better than Johnson and Lovren, Manquillo was solid, and Kolo had an absolute freaking blinder.

Just hope this wasn't a one-off - they were all positive changes, and need to keep occurring.
 

flibbertyjibber

Request Your Custom Title Now!
wrong trophies*

But I'm pretty sure that wasn't the narrative pre FA Cup win.
Bet Adrian Durham lays into them tomorrow on Talk****e.

You can't win or shut them up unless you win the League or Champions League. If not the press will say Wenger is under pressure.
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
I think it's a perfectly logical decision. But come on, this is Liverpool, they're probably the most sentimental team in the world. The hardest core of fans that are travelling have looked forward to the game since the draw. The whole fanbase has waited for years outside the Champions League to see games like this. What about the players? If Gerrard or Sterling could pick the game they most want to play in this season it'd probably be this one. How are they going to react? What about the old-timers on the board? I'd say there's a good chance someone like Dalglish won't approve at all.

He's basically alienating everyone that matters.
It's not just that, it's that even 1 point from the Real game could've been huge. He has basically gone all in on beating Basel and at least tieing with Ludagorets and that's no guarantee. I'm disappointed he didn't at least play Coutinho, Sterling and Gerrard for the first 45, tried to get something and then subbed them off if they didn't.

People are okay with it now because we didn't get thrashed at least on the scoreline but we were outplayed even worse than the first game.
 
Last edited:

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I'm starting to think he might have been punishing some players for their performance against Newcastle.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
And in that sense it's rightly so. Brave time to do it, but.

I only watched the first half but it sounds like they played pretty well.
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
I'm starting to think he might have been punishing some players for their performance against Newcastle.
I think the only reason he has suggested as such is to escape UEFA's regulations per having to play a strong team. He clearly rested most of the 1st team players - some of who were even good against Newcastle and played some who weren't that good (Moreno). This was a pure throwaway game to him - which pisses me off frankly - as it was a Jordan Rossiter away from being the league cup team.

And in that sense it's rightly so. Brave time to do it, but.

I only watched the first half but it sounds like they played pretty well.
A lot of Liverpool fans are happy with it but I think it was abysmal. It took 55 minutes for us to register a shot on their goal and in the first half alone they had 13 (27 in total). Kolo had a big game, as did Lucas and Mignolet but we barely got out of our half so I'm not sure what some fans are on about. I think they expected worse seeing the line-up and are happy the team fought to not make it worse, but in terms of actual quality football we were barely in the match until the last 10 minutes and even then they still looked more likely to score.

Onto the Chelsea game, which I'm not looking forward to. At least we'll have fresh starters.
 
Last edited:

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah I've seen very mixed opinions on Liverpool last night. Bit of a David Moyes performance. The headline in Marca was "Little More than a Friendly".
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Yeah I've seen very mixed opinions on Liverpool last night. Bit of a David Moyes performance. The headline in Marca was "Little More than a Friendly".
Haha yeah, I saw that. Other Spanish publications have accused Rodgers of disrespecting the competition and the Liverpool fans. I must say, if I were a Liverpool fan and I had traveled all the way to Madrid to watch the game (that was by no means a dead rubber) I'd be pretty PO'd to see a 4-5 key players all left out of the side.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Anderlecht first was about three feet offside, ftr.

Liverpool's team was disappointing for what it represented, mainly. Which was pretty much running up the white flag. Easy to forget now, but until the Anfield game yer Scousers had a 100% record versus Real and hadn't even conceded a goal.

Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen turning in their graves as we speak. Were they dead, obvz.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
Haha yeah, I saw that. Other Spanish publications have accused Rodgers of disrespecting the competition and the Liverpool fans. I must say, if I were a Liverpool fan and I had traveled all the way to Madrid to watch the game (that was by no means a dead rubber) I'd be pretty PO'd to see a 4-5 key players all left out of the side.
Who would you be angry about them leaving out though? Sterling? Fair enough, I'd want to see him play. Coutinho? I like him but he's been pretty inconsistent this season. Gerrard, Balotelli, Johnson and Lovren have all been poor. People like Platini saying Rodgers should have to give an explanation is just stupid. I mean the only people who can genuinely feel ripped off about not getting to see Dejan Lovren play would be the home support.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If he leaves them all out on Saturday then I will kind of be impressed. But there is no way he will be doing that.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Who would you be angry about them leaving out though? Sterling? Fair enough, I'd want to see him play. Coutinho? I like him but he's been pretty inconsistent this season. Gerrard, Balotelli, Johnson and Lovren have all been poor. People like Platini saying Rodgers should have to give an explanation is just stupid. I mean the only people who can genuinely feel ripped off about not getting to see Dejan Lovren play would be the home support.
Like I said yesterday, in such a match I would expect to see him play the strongest XI possible. I'm willing to accept the argument that the strongest XI for yesterday's game might not have included some of the players that were benched, but the team that was put out was no way the strongest XI that could have been selected.
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
Who would you be angry about them leaving out though? Sterling? Fair enough, I'd want to see him play. Coutinho? I like him but he's been pretty inconsistent this season. Gerrard, Balotelli, Johnson and Lovren have all been poor. People like Platini saying Rodgers should have to give an explanation is just stupid. I mean the only people who can genuinely feel ripped off about not getting to see Dejan Lovren play would be the home support.
Bro, we fielded a weaker team on purpose, it's obvious. I'd kind of agree with Balotelli and Lovren; Johnson has also been hit and miss but Gerrard has been our best player in the last few games that featured him. He was class last time we played Real, the only player that looked like he could play in the Real team.

Simply put though a team without Gerrard (captain), Henderson (vice-captain), Sterling (best player) and to a lesser extent Coutinho, Johnson, Balotelli and Lovren is more or less our B team. The line-up you saw at the Bernabeu has basically been our Carling Cup team.

I don't think there is much difference between the defenders, but the midfielders and attacking midfielders especially are just a different class for us. Rodgers set up a midfield that, Lallana aside, doesn't usually create anything. Lucas, Can and Allen are all more or less holding midfielders. It was as if he set them up to get nothing out of the game. Every time either Borini or Markovic broke forward it was like 1 v 4; while the rest of the team camped in our own half.
 
Last edited:

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
I know I have been on Clichy's case for years, but it really amazes me how so few people seem to rate him as lowly as I do.
 

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Looks unfit. Kolarov's out for a month now too.

This is crazy from Citeh. Roma absolutely hammered these guys.
 

Top