Football 2010-2011

[eFestivals]

What a weird weekend of footie. After Saturday's results I was thinking "Liverpool need to beat Chelsea for the full set", and it happened.

I loved the way that Liverpool didn't use Betty yesterday - so saying to Chelsea "you're £100M 'better' than us and we can still beat you".

And that Liverpool defence! Not flakey after all. Not only does Kenny have a plan, he has a plan that works.

Liverpool 6th, Sunderland 7th. Sunderland defo won't get 6th now.

[tylerdurden]

I thought we were brilliant yesterday personally. Defended solidly, Carragher showed he's still got the passion, even if he is knackered. Should've been 2-0, Maxi had a f**king shocker. Couldn't really gauge how well Torres is going to fit in though, could've just been the pressure of it being us that made him ineffective. As I've been saying though, I really don't think he'll integrate into the Chelsea team well at all. Onwards and upwards though!

[Benj]

Fair play to the RS yesterday, perfect tactics

Horrifically dire match though

[Benj]

And that Liverpool defence! Not flakey after all. Not only does Kenny have a plan, he has a plan that works.

[ampersand]

As I've been saying though, I really don't think he'll integrate into the Chelsea team well at all. Onwards and upwards though!

[eFestivals]

As I've been saying though, I really don't think he'll integrate into the Chelsea team well at all.

yep, I agree. Torres is brilliant, but as a striker he's a bit one-dimensional, so the team has to be set-up in a certain way to get the best out of him.

To my mind, Liverpool changed how they play to accommodate him, and ultimately it was that change which led to their slide. The Spanish national side don't do much to accommodate him - which is why Villa outscores him.

I'm sure that Chelsea will find a way to use him, but that might not happen until Anelka & Drogba have left the club.

[Benj]

yep, I agree. Torres is brilliant, but as a striker he's a bit one-dimensional, so the team has to be set-up in a certain way to get the best out of him.

To my mind, Liverpool changed how they play to accommodate him, and ultimately it was that change which led to their slide. The Spanish national side don't do much to accommodate him - which is why Villa outscores him.

I'm sure that Chelsea will find a way to use him, but that might not happen until Anelka & Drogba have left the club.

[Steve P]

yep, I agree. Torres is brilliant, but as a striker he's a bit one-dimensional, so the team has to be set-up in a certain way to get the best out of him.

To my mind, Liverpool changed how they play to accommodate him, and ultimately it was that change which led to their slide. The Spanish national side don't do much to accommodate him - which is why Villa outscores him.

I'm sure that Chelsea will find a way to use him, but that might not happen until Anelka & Drogba have left the club.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Steve P

[eFestivals]

10 men behind the ball, break quick, hit hit long.

Its the same Houiller and Benitez practised for the last 10 years isn't it?!

Nope, completely different. When did they play with 3 centre backs?

That defensive set-up worked fantastically against Stoke, but that was only Stoke. I fully expected it to get exposed yesterday as Chelsea are a much better team but it didn't, it worked just as well.

That was partly Chelsea's fault as they didn't try getting round the sides - but Chelsea themselves have been vulnerably to the same for a number of years yet few teams actually try doing that against Chelsea.

The football that Liverpool played yesterday wasn't the prettiest, but it WAS effective. I don't expect Liverpool to play like that in every match - after all, they're not playing Chelsea at home in every match - but Dalglish is a clearly man with a plan, and it looks like it's a working plan (which I wasn't sure it was until yesterday). Yesterday's match was more one of tactics of Ancelloti vs Dalglish than it was the players on the field, and there's no doubt who the winner of that was.

It'll be interesting at the end of the season to see what average points Liverpool under Kenny have managed. If he keeps going as he is then I won't be surprised to see that they'd have won the league if he'd have had the whole season in charge - which would be a huge achievement given the general opinion of the quality of their players.

[eFestivals]

That's the same for almost every team though, they set up to get the best out of their better players. We do with Fabregas, United did with Ronaldo. The difference with Torres when he's with Spain is that he's nowhere near their best player. He's still fecking good though.

Oh, I'm not saying it's not - but what I am saying is that Torres isn't going to be able to slot straight in, particularly if Ancelloti keeps picking Drogba and Anelka.

[Benj]

What will be interesting is to see how they adapt when they go down. If Torres had passed to Drogba early doors instead of lashing it over the bar, Dalglish's 5 at the back would've suddenly looked daft.

They've got some tough games coming up after a couple more easy ones, it'll only be after those that you'll be able to judge where they stand I think, getting on for half the league have beaten Chelsea this year!

[eFestivals]

They've got some tough games coming up after a couple more easy ones, it'll only be after those that you'll be able to judge where they stand I think, getting on for half the league have beaten Chelsea this year!

true - but not many have done the double against them.*

(*OK, most haven't had the chance yet - but most won't).

Yesterday's result doesn't say everything, but it was an important result to see if Liverpool really are progressing or have just been lucky with their previous recent good results. I reckon it says they're progressing.

Edited February 7, 2011 by eFestivals

[The Nal]

Yesterday's result doesn't say everything, but it was an important result to see if Liverpool really are progressing or have just been lucky with their previous recent good results. I reckon it says they're progressing.

[Wooderson]

Yesterday's result doesn't say everything, but it was an important result to see if Liverpool really are progressing or have just been lucky with their previous recent good results. I reckon it says they're progressing.

[tylerdurden]

Unquestionable progress. When you also imagine replacing Kuyt and Maxi with Suarez and Carroll, things start to look even better. We still need a decent winger but things are looking good.

[big joe]

Seems quite straightforward that Chelsea should drop Drogba and put Torres in his place. Torres doesnt have to change his game and Chelsea keep their 4-3-3 with a hell of a weapon on the bench. Glad my boys got the win. My head was in my hands when Torres went through early doors.

[Benj]

true - but not many have done the double against them.*

(*OK, most haven't had the chance yet - but most won't).

Yesterday's result doesn't say everything, but it was an important result to see if Liverpool really are progressing or have just been lucky with their previous recent good results. I reckon it says they're progressing.

[eFestivals]

It is tentative progress.

I'd say it's more than tentative. It's blindingly obvious that Dalglish has identified how the players can be better deployed and work better together - and that shows that appointing Dalglish wasn't a mistake, that he's not someone who's past being manager.

It's still too early to give him the job permanently - after all there's no reason to rush the appointment as it doesn't much affect anything that happens at the club until the next transfer window opens - and I'm sure they'll be some set-backs on the way (which might yet point to getting another manager in come the summer). But replacing Woy with Kenny is turning out to be much better than just a practical move.

There's plenty that still needs doing at the club, but those first steps forwards have been excellent.

[Wooderson]

I'd say it's more than tentative. It's blindingly obvious that Dalglish has identified how the players can be better deployed and work better together - and that shows that appointing Dalglish wasn't a mistake, that he's not someone who's past being manager.

It's still too early to give him the job permanently - after all there's no reason to rush the appointment as it doesn't much affect anything that happens at the club until the next transfer window opens - and I'm sure they'll be some set-backs on the way (which might yet point to getting another manager in come the summer). But replacing Woy with Kenny is turning out to be much better than just a practical move.

There's plenty that still needs doing at the club, but those first steps forwards have been excellent.

[eFestivals]

Deffo looks like it, Im not sure if its the best match to judge it, esp when Hodsgon's LFC managed to batter them too. It was too much of a one off, esp with all the Torres hoopla around the match too

I agree with you from one angle, but I do think it got to show that the defensive system they're using is pretty robust - something I was far from sure would prove to be the case yesterday. Chelsea didn't get a look-in at scoring.

Liverpool winning was of course down to Chelsea's errors rather than good play by Liverpool, but that's hardly surprising as they've lacked a decent cutting edge up front all season. Hopefully Betty and Mavis will sort out that side of things out, along with the new-found scoring by the hugely improved Meireles.

[Benj]

I agree with you from one angle, but I do think it got to show that the defensive system they're using is pretty robust - something I was far from sure would prove to be the case yesterday. Chelsea didn't get a look-in at scoring.

Liverpool winning was of course down to Chelsea's errors rather than good play by Liverpool, but that's hardly surprising as they've lacked a decent cutting edge up front all season. Hopefully Betty and Mavis will sort out that side of things out, along with the new-found scoring by the hugely improved Meireles.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Benj

[pink_triangle]

It'll be interesting at the end of the season to see what average points Liverpool under Kenny have managed. If he keeps going as he is then I won't be surprised to see that they'd have won the league if he'd have had the whole season in charge - which would be a huge achievement given the general opinion of the quality of their players.

[Benj]

. Hope im wrong as it would be great to see liverpool as a force again and have a genuine 5 team title race next season.

[eFestivals]

Indeed, it could have all been different though if Liverpool's error early had led to Torres/ Drogba scoring

Hmmm ... I'm not so sure it would have changed too much.

You seem to have forgotten Torres' second chance to score where his (rather tame) shot was blocked by Carragher (and Reina had it covered). They had a couple of chances, as did Liverpool.

Nope, I've not forgotten that. It was a decent chance but Torres mis-kicked - which is pretty standard. I've always been astounded at how poor his touch is most of the time, particularly as at other times (but far fewer) he shows amazing skill.

It was a chance, but not one that they looked like scoring. Chelsea never looked like scoring yesterday.

As an aside, why to LFC fans always insist on daft nick names, or first names when discudding their players, its all Stevie and Nando etc, etc, like theyre 5 years old!

Who the f**k is Mavis?

My missus - the Ugly Betty fan, not a Liverpool fan - came up with Betty.

And every Betty needs a Carroll Mavis.

[eFestivals]

At present Kennys point average is pretty much identical to ferguson, if my mathematic skills havent failed me. However considering liverpool have played only 1 team in the top 8 during that period, I think he may struggle to sustain it. Hope im wrong as it would be great to see liverpool as a force again and have a genuine 5 team title race next season.

Yeah, I know his record so far is spoilt by his first two Prem games (Blackpool & Everton), but they need to be viewed in their full context - that he had almost no time to do anything until after the Everton game.

The other games haven't been the toughest, so it would be unrealistic to expect all results to go the same way, but it's still the case that Liverpool are hugely improved - and with all the same duff players don't forget. Just think what he'll do when he gets decent players!

> "and have a genuine 5 team title race next season."

Awww, stop it - you're gonna make the Spurs fans cry.