KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum solutions with the squad we have

Mate i look at the team sheet and if i think that's what he plays i shall scream

It reminds of someone trying to put a circle through a square hole and its never going to work but they keep on trying

The 4-5-1 that worked so well for us last season used completely different players. Something like:
Back 5 as now
---Lucas-Spearing-
-Kuyt-Meireles-Maxi-
--------Suarez------

That's totally different to:
---Gerrard-Spearing-
-Henderson-Suarez--Downing-
----------Carroll-
where we have 3 players out of position (Gerrard, Henderson, and Suarez), and Carroll up top who can't really operate as a lone striker because he isn't mobile enough.
The other options with Suarez as the lone man up have always had Adam, Gerrard and Spearing acting as a 3-DM line, and Henderson on the right!

Madness.

Is it that bad?

spot on thundyr, it worries me a lot, because whilst Kenny obviously knows more about football than I will ever hope to know, I look at how he fits players into obviously incorrect positions or forcing them into a formation they can't play, and I just think, this seems like a man who no longer knows how to set up a team.

I'm sure Faz, Stan or someone else on this Forum, who was hanging around the club back in the 1990's, can verify that this kind of strange formation- and player selection was quite common just before KD pulled the plug last time back in 1991.

Makes you wonder where we're heading with him at the helm!

I actually do not know how the hell are we in 8th place right now, our squad is a top 5 side at the least. I think we have a better squad than Arsenal for example, only Van Persie being the difference in the two sides, and we defiantly have a better squad than Newcastle and Everton. Another point is, unlike the teams in the top 4, we did not have to endure any 'European hangovers'. So what excuse is there, for the poor performance of the squad?

all good points but our best game this eason in terms of play was against Arsenal. we then had a very mobile 4-5-1 and looked truly fantastic. QPR as well - lost both
Whilst also we must take into account injuries recently and the side has changed constantly throughout the season. As soon as a player gets into form he gets injured or suspended- Lucas, Suarez, Agger, Johnson. No coincidence that our back line is wobbly again when there has been constant change since the Carling cup final. The moving of players has also been forced, generally experienced players are put in positions so the Carrolls ans Spearings can play in their natural positions.

All in all it's been a bit of a dogs dinner all season and goes someway towards explaining the lack of consistency.

Our current form is very consistent.....

Certainly more than just a possible explanation. I'm not sure if it is the first cause or just something that has compounded the problem though.

It is a point worth making that, we have created many more chances than some of the sides above us, so the system can't be THAT bad as for most of the season we've been bemoaning are poor finishing not always poor play.

Going back to my 'setting up a team point', in setting up a pass and move team I'd say Carroll and henderson do not fit that profile and therefore were odd choices and seemingly done by someone who didn't know how to set that team up.
Yes ofcourse they were better at previous clubs and so you'd expect them to do better here but I don't think its helped that some of the players brought in just don't play the same kind of football as Kenny is trying to make the rest of the team play. Downing is an obvious exception as you would have expected him to fit into this style (this last paragraph wasn't in reply to yours cp was just an additional general point).

i agree.

my biggest concern is the way we have finished games this season. Probably only the derby game where we finished quite strong. When we go a goal behind there seems to be acceptance of it's not our day again etc. Quite clearly against Newcastle we should have been awarded a penalty only to concede a few minutes later. Where was the reaction?

So many games drawn at home and cannot remember a scramble in the last 5mins as the team went to win it. No alamo or burst to grab a draw or even a winner. QPR did to us what we have failed to do to teams all season, grab the winner and jump the bus - sometimes more rewarding than a 4nil win.