The Liverpool Thread

[LFCMarshall]

That's not really relevant though: our end of season result isn't going to be decided by our ability to play for draws/1-0's. So far this season it's been pretty successful and it's backfired twice that I can think of, which isn't bad considering how many points it's given.

Mourinho is brilliant in the bigger games, his tactics spot on but i also think he is a big factor in the game you have dropped points

He is a naturally defensive coach, had he been slightly more attacking in games where you have dropped points i think it would have made the difference

Dont forget that basically Chelsea have been playing the whole season with -at most- very limited/past it cfs (of course Mourinho is guilty of spending on people like Van Ginkel/Salah/Willian instead of on a class cf ...
.

They had the chance to strengthen that area, and they have a striker out on loan who scored 17 Premier League goals last season and has got 13 this season in Lukaku

It cant be an excuse anymore

 

[Subtle]

Mourinho is a naturally defensive coach, had he been slightly more attacking in games where you have dropped points i think it would have made the difference

The points we've dropped haven't been in games where we've been defensive.

 

[LFCMarshall]

The point we've dropped haven't been in games where we've been defensive.

What i am saying is defensively Mourinho is fantastic but when it comes to breaking down teams he is still naive... He turns hypocritical and has relied massively on Hazard this season to produce a bit of magic

 

[Subtle]

What i am saying is defensively Mourinho is fantastic but when it comes to breaking down teams he is still naive... He turns hypocritical and has relied massively on Hazard this season to produce a bit of magic

I agree with that, but it's not particularly relevant. We're not talking about Mourinho specifically, we're talking about playing for draws.

 

[LFCMarshall]

I agree with that, but it's not particularly relevant. We're not talking about Mourinho specifically, we're talking about playing for draws.

In that sense i agree Rodgers also was a bit naive, although personally i wouldn't trade in Rodgers for Mourinho any time soon as i enjoy watching Liverpool play. No matter how successful Chelsea are, its horrible to watch

It was a big part of why Mourinho was sacked/walked away first time around

 

[Subtle]

No matter how successful Chelsea are, its horrible to watch

All a personal preference I guess. I like counter attacking football and I like how strong we are defensively. Watching Matic break up play and start counters is a particular joy. When we play like fast, physical, potent team that we are, I think we're very enjoyable. I hope getting a new centre forward will make that happen more often next season.

 

[LFCMarshall]

All a personal preference I guess. I like counter attacking football and I like how strong we are defensively. Watching Matic break up play and start counters is a particular joy. When we play like fast, physical, potent team that we are, I think we're very enjoyable. I hope getting a new centre forward will make that happen more often next season.

I have to admit Matic is some player.

You have all the players to play an attacking brand of football and if a coach was brought in for that purpose the likes of Hazard, Oscar, Willian would thrive but no matter what you prefer Mourinho is successful

 

[Mike.]

My point was, Liverpool didn't need to be as ambitious as they tried to be. BR can talk about "the right way". But sometimes you just have to be smart. It's why Jose is where he is, its why Ferguson won so much. If Ferguson had been in that position it would have been a quiet 0-0, go and kill the next two teams.

 

[LFCMarshall]

My point was, Liverpool didn't need to be as ambitious as they tried to be. BR can talk about "the right way". But sometimes you just have to be smart. It's why Jose is where he is, its why Ferguson won so much. If Ferguson had been in that position it would have been a quiet 0-0, go and kill the next two teams.

I understand but although we were ambitious Chelsea didn't look dangerous at all during that first half, it was simply a slip that gave Chelsea the lead... All chances Chelsea created after that was because we then had to push forward

I do agree a slightly different approach could have been used but alot of the reaction has been over the top

 

[CJACKO11]

Stuborness about what? Their entire team was on your half during second goal. What else was Rodgers supposed to do, run **** naked around the touchline to try and create a distraction?

Change his ways for 10 minutes at least! From all the crosses you put in the likes of Suarez, Coutinho, Sturridge and Sterling etc was never going to beat Cahill, Brana, Kalas, Matic and Mikel. Why not put Skrtel up there when you desperately needed a goal?

We'll see come the end of the season as to how successful it will be for Jose, because if they win nothing perhaps a different approach would have helped

Difference is we know the areas we need working on and we will do it, Liverpool won't.

Dont forget that basically Chelsea have been playing the whole season with -at most- very limited/past it cfs (of course Mourinho is guilty of spending on people like Van Ginkel/Salah/Willian instead of on a class cf ...
.

He tried to get on in Rooney but when that didn't go through he said "i'll do with Eto'o, Torres and Ba for one season and get that striker next summer".

Mourinho is brilliant in the bigger games, his tactics spot on but i also think he is a big factor in the game you have dropped points

He is a naturally defensive coach, had he been slightly more attacking in games where you have dropped points i think it would have made the difference


They had the chance to strengthen that area, and they have a striker out on loan who scored 17 Premier League goals last season and has got 13 this season in Lukaku

It cant be an excuse anymore

What i am saying is defensively Mourinho is fantastic but when it comes to breaking down teams he is still naive... He turns hypocritical and has relied massively on Hazard this season to produce a bit of magic

In the games against the smaller sides where we have dropped points we have been attacking but lacked a proper finisher. I wrote about it not so long ago that in most of them dropped points game is when Eto'o has not been playing or unfit.

 

[LFCMarshall]

Difference is we know the areas we need working on and we will do it, Liverpool won't.



In the games against the smaller sides where we have dropped points we have been attacking but lacked a proper finisher. I wrote about it not so long ago that in most of them dropped points game is when Eto'o has not been playing or unfit.

First off all that's a complete guess... The massive improvement in LFC under Rodgers underlines he knows exactly what we need to improve on

second of all, you have a striker who has scored 30 Premier League goals the past two seasons, out on loan playing for clubs who create less than what Chelsea do. The striker problem has been evident for the last few seasons and nothing has been done about it

As an excuse, it is getting old

 

[GodCubed]

First off all that's a complete guess... The massive improvement in LFC under Rodgers underlines he knows exactly what we need to improve on

You'd hope so. It's just that he's so dogmatic and refuses to adapt from his ways. It's the same reason I put Jose above Pep: only one of those two can adapt to fit situations.

 

[CJACKO11]

First off all that's a complete guess... The massive improvement in LFC under Rodgers underlines he knows exactly what we need to improve on

second of all, you have a striker who has scored 30 Premier League goals the past two seasons, out on loan playing for clubs who create less than what Chelsea do. The striker problem has been evident for the last few seasons and nothing has been done about it

As an excuse, it is getting old

Well its not though is it, last season Lukaku was decent but most of his excellent displays came whilst coming off the bench and even this season he has been hit and miss at times. There also seems to be something Jose does not like about him so if the manager doesn't get on with him for what ever reason then he shouldn't be included.

 

[LFCMarshall]

You'd hope so. It's just that he's so dogmatic and refuses to adapt from his ways. It's the same reason I put Jose above Pep: only one of those two can adapt to fit situations.

He is, but this season has shown he is willing to adapt to suit certain situations and players. He has constantly swapped between 5-3-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-1-2 ...

The style of play stays very similar, but the formations and personel change to deal with the situation. I feel Rodgers deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

 

[Tezzz]

That's not really relevant though: our end of season result isn't going to be decided by our ability to play for draws/1-0's. So far this season it's been pretty successful and it's backfired twice that I can think of, which isn't bad considering how many points it's given.

It's successful for a smaller team ie. stoke who aren't expected to finish top half but for a team of Chelseas calibre is not winning anything, no matter how you play, not successful at all?

 

[LFCMarshall]

Well its not though is it, last season Lukaku was decent but most of his excellent displays came whilst coming off the bench and even this season he has been hit and miss at times. There also seems to be something Jose does not like about him so if the manager doesn't get on with him for what ever reason then he shouldn't be included.

He has been hit and miss, but he scores goals and contributes alot more than your current strikers... Jose is very stubborn and despite what Lukaku done it seemed he was always being shipped out on loan regardless

 

[CJACKO11]

He has been hit and miss, but he scores goals and contributes alot more than your current strikers... Jose is very stubborn and despite what Lukaku done it seemed he was always being shipped out on loan regardless

I said when the loan happened i believed it was a win-win for all parties. Lukaku needed to learn how to become a player who was effecting things from the bench to one who can effect things from the start of games and he needed to be main man starting week in week out for that to happen and that wouldn't have happened at Chelsea.

 

[Tyton]

Its all depends on what you love. Adapting managers, like Ferguson and Mourinho, are in love with trophies. Dogmatic managers are in love with themselves.

 

[GodCubed]

He is, but this season has shown he is willing to adapt to suit certain situations and players. He has constantly swapped between 5-3-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-1-2 ...

The style of play stays very similar, but the formations and personel change to deal with the situation. I feel Rodgers deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

Style of play is the critical part. Rodgers is very successful at adapting formations, but he isn't very good at adapting playing style, which is more important. Same way Pep played a whole bunch of formations but always the same style.

 

[Subtle]

It's successful for a smaller team ie. stoke who aren't expected to finish top half but for a team of Chelseas calibre is not winning anything, no matter how you play, not successful at all?

No we should be winning things, as I have said in the Chelsea thread. If we don't win the PL though, it's not going to be because of our habit of playing for draws/1-0's though. Marshall made a general point about how going out and playing for those tight results doesn't work: the problem with that is Jose's entire career and continued success say otherwise.