Liverpool And The Deja Vu Effect
Last night was the night that Liverpool, under new manager Roy Hodgson had its first game away from home. They were playing Manchester City, who for all their money should have been any easy team to beat. What happened though left the supporters with the feeling that the ghost of Rafa was in the stadium.
Roy, who earlier in the day was forced to change his team selection, due to the exclusion of Mascherano, put out what seemed on paper, a team capable of beating anybody.
The team was: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Skrtel, Kuyt, Gerrard, Lucas. Jovanovic, Ngog and Torres.
Substitutes: Jones, Babel, Aurelio, Kyriakos, Maxi, Poulsen and Pacheco.
The evening though started with an announcement that everyone should look up to the giant screen. This was followed by an announcement that Sheikh Mansour , the owner of Manchester City was in the stadium. The camera then was then shone on a young man, who to be honest did not look old enough to own a football club, but then money as they say talks.
The game started with Liverpool kicking off and for a few minutes it looked as though we were going to produce the form that had seen us give Arsenal a good game. Then with the match only 31/2 minutes old the first mistake was made when Skrtel went into a bad tackle and was given a yellow card. From that moment, things began to go from bad to worst. The confidence that the team had arrived with, was taken out of them when Gareth Barry got through our defence and scored the first goal. Within minutes it was like watching a horror show and all the frailties of last season were suddenly out in the open again for all to see. The team though pressed on but with Manchester City all over them failed to make any headway and left the field at half time 1-0 with little hope of pulling it back. Would the half time talk by Roy result in a different team coming back out, was the thought going through everyone's mind.
That question was quickly answered and it certainly did look as though Rafa's ghost had come back to haunt us. Nothing seemed to be going Liverpool's way and after yet another poor defensive display and a complete muddle in the goal mouth, Tevez made it 2-0 to Manchester City. None of the players seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing and Stevie G seemed to be the only man on the field, who had any inclination to turn the game around.
With the rain down pouring down at Eastlands the horror show continued with Manchester City being awarded a penalty. This was taken by Tevez and with Pepe going the wrong way, the score become 3-0.
At this point Roy made two substitutions with Babel coming on for Torres and
Pancheo for Jovanovic. Unfortunately, although Babel made his usual one strike at the goal nothing happened and the matched end with Liverpool getting their first defeat of the season.
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? The true answer to this is, we may never know. There are of course several factors to take into consideration:
Mascherano was not in the right mind to play after having his head turned by Barcelona
Players such as Torres are still not fully fit after returning late from the world cup.
All the speculation about the takeover is possibly getting to the players.
What they must realise though is that a performance like that should have been consigned to the history books at the end of last season and must never happen again.
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For all their money they should of been an easy team to beat?,Thats why were 3rd favourites for the league you clown,besides Torres and Gerrard you dont have another player to get near citys squad.
Pancheo for Jovanovic, Who the hecks Pancheo its PACHECO......
Lastnight just showed us that you can't paper over the cracks in our squad by getting Joe Cole doesn't make us title contenders all of a sudden we have no strength in depth, we shouldnt play 442 when we havnt got natural wingers Kuyt, Babel Jovanovich come inside all the time. Lucas should be replaced, why cnt Roy see what we all see hes useless, how can you give Lucas a chance and not Aquilani. We need atleast 4-5 new players, sell Mascherano ASAP. Welldone City well played good luck. Our fans were great as always 3-0 down and still all you could hear was YNWA
Roy just needs to keep us in the premier league until the yanks are gone. Run a team on Stoke City money for long enough...
Roy messed up. 4-4-2 was a big mistake no natural wide players to service the strikers and we couldnt compete in the middle of the park against 2 defensive holding midfielders.
It wouldnt have been as embarrasing under Rafa at the least, hell we might have even won.
Faith, you are a clown! Man City deploying 3 defensive midfielders (all of whom are far superior to Lucas) should be an easy team to beat?! While a Liverpool team featuring a centre-back at left back two average strikers on the wings, N'gog and Lucas should be capable of beating anybody?!? :-o
I despair for Liverpool sometimes - our deluded fans overvalue work-rate and endeavour over quality and athleticism so much it is ridiculous and actually believe that those are the qualities that win titles!
btw, this Torres is unfit business is just a massive excuse. He was injured months ago, had the world cup to play himself into fitness and then had a nice rest. He's simply off form (and playing in a team with no creativity), not unfit
I am so, so disappointed that Aquilani has been loaned out. I really wanted to see what he could do for us this season. I think it is pretty poor that Roy has let him go.
Roy is no good.
He has achieved NOTHING in his entire management career in the Premiership.
RAFA was not the problem. The Yanks were and still are.
We now have the Yanks with a below average manager.
Top4? DONT MAKE ME LAUGH!!
Good afternoon Max, Please tell me how Roy can be no good. He did well at Fulham by ensuring that they moved away from the bottom of the table as well as taking them to Europa Cup Final. No he has not achieved trophies but sometimes that does not matter. What matters is gaining the respect of your players and getting them to play better than what they are. He has done that and I am sure given time you will see, a change for the better in the way that Liverpool plays.
Rafa WAS a major part of the problem on the field, he had no man management skills and without that your team are not going to do the best they can.
Messrs Hicks and Gillett are as you say the root cause of the major financial problems surrounding the club. That will I imagine be solved one way or the other in the near future.
What you have to remember is and as I have said before Manchester City and Chelsea will find it out to their cost at some time in the future - money does not buy success. You can have the most expensive players in the world in your team but if their heart is not in - then they are not going to play for you.
Bill Shankly built a team on very little money and look what happened, so please give Roy time, you may be surprised. Top 4 is always a possibility and if it is going to happen it will. It may not be this season but Liverpool football Club will rise again believe me.
I don't really feel that we've been here before though, things weren't this bad under Houllier.
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