KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum FT: West Ham 2 Liverpool 0 - POST MATCH THOUGHTS

Certainly Lady Luck has not been very kind to us in terms of injuries. One could also argue that we're being on the wrong end of refereeing decisions more often than not.

Yes that first goal today looked strange. Moreno was clearly fouled by Antonio. Hard fact.

The cross should have been better dealt with though. How can it be midget Clyne's task to deal with those? Either it is Lovren who needs to take that responsibility, or either of the two dm's need to come further back and assist with defending. If they can't bother doing that, then what's the use with dm's anyway?

We were unlucky with the decision that went against us before the first goal but as Klopp said we need to play to the whistle. We never ever stop crosses from going in and it's one of the main reasons we concede so many goals.

I remember Rafa's rules of defending which we're stop the cross and win the second balls, we don't do any of the basics anymore.

He persisted in playing Benteke as a lone striker hoping for a repeat stroke of luck as per the previous game. He should have put two strikers up front from the start, as Benteke can't play the lone striker role successfully. He put Lallana on when he should have left him on the bench, as he's just a ballet dancer and seldom contributes anything worthwhile. On the tactical front he should have got runners behind their defence and also instructed Clyne and Moreno to get to the byline and whip in a few crosses for Benteke. We we're far too narrow and they exploited that. Overall very poor.

I'll change my style and tactics
And I'll do it in this minute,
With no more hug's
For useless mug's
Who play like hobbled Jinnet's!

I'll use all of the pitch available
With runners in behind,
And Moreno and Clyne
To their byline.
Won't give them peace of mind!

And who should he have partnered Benteke with? All our other senior strikers are injured.

I agree that Lallana offers nothing but he was our only senior attacking player so of course he's going to bring him on in a game we are losing.

He should have thought of using Two upfront from the beginning and brought in one of the youngsters for this role. He seems to be totally mind set on the same under forming players game on game. He needs to let poor performers know that they'll be benched if they don't perform, instead of hugging and kissing them even if they nearly break a sweat.

Did you not see his post match interview?

Who though? None of our young strikers are setting the world alight. Would you really have brought one in for their first taste of first team action away at West Ham?

I agree about the same under performing players but thats the state of the squad he has been left with.

Yes I saw the post match interview, he says he's angry, Fergie would've said nothing like that in public but he'd get the hair dry treatment for them in the dressing room and clobber the worst offenders with a boot, it proved very effective, I think it's better than telling fans to be angry, I doubt if that approach 'll do much good.
I know you're right about his options being limited, but he gets a reported 5m per year to solve these problems, and it's time he made a start on it. It's every managers job to get players playing to the best of their ability, and he's not achieving that, not by a long shot. These players, though limited, are capable of much better than they're showing now. As I've said we'll give him time, but his performance so far is patchy some good and some poor, and that's worrying imo.

You summed it up, the squad built up by Rodgers is poor especially the centre midfield when Hendo and Milner are missing, though they are no world beaters.