SAME OLD, SAME OLD
GOOD job Pepe Reina was Man of the Match, wasn't it?
Any early season optimism was shattered by a a thoroughly dispiriting 90 minutes of football by us last night.
Still, it's early days and we'll defintely get much, much, much better.
But, we hardly looked like a new-look Liverpool team ready to launch our first proper assault on the Premiership title for years, did we?
Hardly the most enjoyable Liverpool game I've ever watched.
From the start, we seemed rushed and unsettled by Liege's constant harrying, and we made simple errors, and never once had any period of composure.
It was uncomfortable for every one of our players all night, and I'd pick out only Reina, Dossena and Alonso as the three who had half decent games.
It's perhaps a little harsh to start picking holes in performances so early on, but what the hell, they get paid enough and are professional enough to be better than this.
Biggest disappointments for me were Benayoun and Kuyt. I've been a big supporter of Yossi over the last few months, but he was pretty woeful.
Weak, no desire to make an impact on the game, very peripheral. He didn't even look that arsed. Neither did many of his colleagues, for that matter.
Similarly, Kuyt just doesn't work on the other wing. The sooner we ditch this plan the better and stop being blinded by this amazing workrate then we can get some quality on that flank.
I'd have an inconsistent and moody Pennant twenty times over, rather than this. At lease every other game he'll go past a player and provide a incisive cross.
In the middle, I thought Alonso had a half-decent game. He was the only one who had time to pick out a probing pass.
I've been an advocate of him leaving, but I may need to reassess that opinion soon, as he's one of the few players who can bring a pattern to our play.
At the moment, that seems more of a priority than a player like Barry who will either shield our back four, or provide a solid outlet on the left. Hardly 'wow' stuff, is it?
Plessis showed his age at times, and he's not as advanced as perhaps some people first imagined. And at 20 years of age, he shouldn't be expected to stamp his authority on a lagging midfield.
Up front, Torres and Keane didn't fire, partly through a lack of service, what seemed like a lack of fitness in Torres' case, and a lack of playing time together.
No fears here though, they'll soon be banging them in.
At the back, Agger looked a bit short of games still, Arbeloa looked wishy washily average, and is it me, or is Carragher now starting to look heavy-legged?
Regular contributor to this blog Rob (Rupert) Skyner last year predicted Carra might be facing a battle for his place before long, and he could be right.
He has a growing tendency to float the ball forward when there are acres of green green grass in front of him.
With Skrtel becoming a 'must play' and Agger getting fit, it will be interesting to see what Rafa will do with two centre half slots.
Dossena offered signs of encouragement. He looked fairly solid, covered quite well for the centre halfs and was decent getting forward.
While we were lucky to escape with a nil each, we are still in a pretty precarious position for the return at Anfield. They score one, and we have to bag two.
Dangerous territory.
What miffed me was the constant reminders from Clive Tyldsley that Liege were putting in on hell of a stint, and not giving us a moment peace.
Should we be surprised by this? Should we be shocked that the Champions of Belgium, a country with a good football pedigree, want to get into Europe's top club competiton?
Surely, if they raised their effort levels, we should have done the same. And our extra class would have told in the end.
That wasn't the case. Andy Townsend in the ITV studio called us 'shambolic' at half time, and he was pretty much on the button.
We've only got Gerrard and Mascherano to bring in beyond what was on the pitch last night, and an up and down Pennant.
Let's hope last night was a very bad day at the office, and each player improves by 100%.
It's all very well going and banging four past Hull, but it's these types of games when the chips are down, away from home, in a hostile atmoshere, where a team shows its true colours.
It's good results and displays in situations like last night that shows the mark of champions. I hope the players left Belgium with Rafa's harsh words ringing in their ears.
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We looked one paced all over the pitch. No-one wanted to grab hold of the game and Liege intimidated us.
As good as Plessis may be, I think Spearing would have got stuck in more and given the Belgiums something to think about.
I agree with the wide players too - that was our weakness last season and we have not addressed it.
Your wide men beat the full back or your own full backs have to overlap - we did neither last night. That meant we were pressed in the middle.
This Barry thing has blinded us to our true needs.
Spot on in most respects Luke although I'm not sure I agree with you about Dossena - he seemed to flounder at times and often looked out of position and uncomfortable in the air. Though Xabi had a better game than many of his efforts last season and maybe the whole Barry saga has had a positive effect on him shaking him from his lethargy. Yossi's performance summed up all what is bad about him for me and is the reason I've always advocated him as an impact player off the bench rather than a regular starter (I know we don't agree on that one). Torres looked distinctly unfit but seeing as he's had most of pre-season off to recover from his Euro exploits its hardly surprising. I thought Babel could have made a big impact last night if only he wasn't away in Beijing and the same goes for Mascherano as I think he'd have at least given Xabi more time and space to roam. Historically we always seem to struggle in these qualifiers, scraping into the group stage but then playing well. I predict a 2-1 win in a couple of weeks time.
rob,
after last night, im coming round to your way of thinking on benayoun.
maybe he's only good getting the last 40 minutes.
there was a moment towards the end when he was wrongly flagged offisde, in a great position in the box, when he had a clear shot on goal, only for him to check back, allowing the defender to get back...it incensed me.
ok, play had stoppe,d but it just showed the lack of ambition and positivity, even when presented with a goal scoring chance.
There's no doubt that he has real talent and ability, but we simply can't afford to have a player in his position who drifts in and out of the game so much. We can't carry him for 60 minutes in the vain hope he'll do something special in the other 30. A 'super-deluxe player' as a certain Mr Hansen once described Matt Le Tissier.
yeah,
i was dead against his speculated move recently, but on reflection, if we got £6m for him, it mightn't be a bad move.
that said, he looked pretty good in pre season, but pre season is what it is.
and voronin has bene looking good in pre season. enough said!
I thought it was shambolic. I can forgive a poor performance and grinding out a draw away from Europe, but I can't forgive players on huge money unable to even apply the basics of the game like controlling and passing the ball or constructing a worthwhile attack.
We just looked like a bunch of strangers with no team spirit or style and pattern of play, with players stuck in their rigid tactical zones almost fearful of trying something different, which doesn't bode well after 4 seasons in the job.
I'm sure we'll get better and hit some form at some stage of the season, but we're still miles off where we want to be and the excuses are running thin.
Blame the owners all you like but they are not responsible for the fundimental flaws that have been evident since Benitez arrived and the excuses are running thin.
cally,
spot on mate. like you say, its time for people to get their heads out the sand I realise they can't pin everything on hicks and gillett.
money has been spent, and there was a lot of supposed quality out there on the pitch.
but, as you say, effort, an ability to pass, control, create goal opportunities, all seemed lost on these players.
as much as rafa is a demi god to many fans, if things don't go to plan in the first quarter of the season, its time we start asking a few serious questions of HIM.
What miffed me was the constant reminders from Clive Tyldsley that Liege were putting in on hell of a stint, and not giving us a moment peace.
Should we be surprised by this? Should we be shocked that the Champions of Belgium, a country with a good football pedigree, want to get into Europe's top club competiton?
Couldn't agree more Luke. Tyldsley and Co were patronising in the extreme to Liege who breezed their league last year and had some good internationals in their line-up.
The only thing I disagree with your about is Dossena who looked poor. He made basic errors and looks (although it's roo early to judge) like a typical Rafa full-back - i.e. sh*t.
You're right, lad. I just think many fans, me included, don't want to admit it, even though the doubts have always been there.
I just think his methods are at odds with our culture and mentality, and his preference for science over flair and expressive football will always see us fall short.
Even the poorest sides will look forward to playing us as they know they can just sit back and soak up pressure as we lack the aggression and creativity to break them down.
I hope it's just a massive overreaction and we suddenly click, but it's just blind faith.
We lack genuine quality in positions that them majority of fans thought we were going to strengthen going into the summer.
I like Gareth Barry but he's not going to make a huge difference to this current side while we still have average strikers on the flanks and average full backs hindered by a defensive system.
lads,
its games like last night that make the words, Dirk Kuyt, £10m, and Oh, my God, when all put together, seem so very very upsetting.
what was benitez thinking with this bloke> no wonder the owners arent keen trusting his judgment on £18m Barry?
they've seen that £10m gets us the likes of Kuyt!
Completely agree about Kuyt. Doesn't matter how hard you work, if you ain't got it - you ain't got it.
And Torres needs to put in some bleep tests - fast. He can't be tired - Euro2008 was ages ago!
Too many mid season beers, simple as. Flamin' disgrace!
Same old tired rubbish, no width no ideas apart from Carra "floating" (I'd call it hoofing) it forward towards the worlds smallest strikeforce.
If there's no title challenge past christmas (again) that will be it for Senor Benitez as the football he's getting the team to play for a £100 million net outlay isn't good enough
It's the consequence of having a manager who's main objective is to avoid defeat. A manager who prefers work ethic to natural ability and skill. A manager who is happy to have more clean sheets than trophies!
How many more central/holding midefielders do we require?
Everyone knows why Kuyt was given the opportunity last season but can his inclusion be justified this season?
Rafa has more chance winning slimmer of the year than winning the Premiership. LFC are obviously suffering from over indulgence of denfensive mentality. Reina being MOM sums it up!
It is a sad indictment when you wish we still had JAR and sicknote Harry!
bob on there katie.
its time for the pedastal rafa's on to be taken away.
all negative, seems like the players being toild not to express themsleves.
its like he's couched good positive habits out of them all.
Kuyt on the right didn't work last year, what makes Rafa think that's all changed over the summer? Sure he can run & fight for the ball but then again, so can Pennant .. at least he can beat a player & get a cross in ..