Liverpool Derby (Away) Saturday April 1st

[Shukes]

Why are you debating his?

 

Lukaku was shit.

It wasn't that he didn't get service. You can still play well without service, it's what top forwards do.

 

Rom was shit today, real shit.

DCL had no service, but managed to cause trouble.

 

When he plays well... give him credit.

When he is shit..... let him know.

[MC11]

Abysmal. Everyone but Gana really.

??? crying

[JoeQuince]

Abysmal. Everyone but Gana really.

Thought he was pretty poor myself. Did a lot of running around, but was also out of control with the ball and without. Played some bad passes, made some bad attempts at tackles. I think (like Ross) that a lot of this had to do with our general lack of organization and poor tactics. But, he contributed to it too.

Edited April 1, 2017 by JoeQuince

[MC11]

Thought he was pretty poor myself. Did a lot of running around, but was also out of control with the ball and without. Played some bad passes, made some bad attempts at tackles. I think (like Ross) that a lot of this had to do with our general lack of organization and poor tactics. But, he contributed to it too.

Absolutely awful i'd question if anyone thought he done well watched the match. You only have to look at the 2 goals and he quite clearly didn't do his job of shielding the defence he got torn apart by Coutinho.

Edited April 1, 2017 by MC11

[EFC-Paul]

Lukaku was dire I can't see why that would even be debated, a world class forward or nigh on should be able to create chances when the ball is at his feet in or around the box Lukaku doesn't do that often

 

Players of Mane's ilk create far more problems more often as they have that footballing ability (Haf's point) absolutley fantastic finisher with a down tools mentallity imo

[Matt]

??? crying

good

[Guest rusty747]

Awful performance, brought about by a genetic inferiority complex whenever we play the rs, injuries, lack of strength in depth and poor utilisation of our remaining resources by Koeman. Undoubtedly we have to get busy in the summer transfer window but let's not give up on this season just yet. Man U dropped points today and if Arsenal fail to beat Man C tomorrow (likely) then a win at OT on Tuesday night puts us fifth.

 

Ok, we will have played more games than Arsenal and Man U and we don't have the easiest of run ins but lets not throw it all away because of a bad derby performance. There will be some strange results between now and the end of the season - Chelsea just got beat at home by Palace. Maybe a tricky run in might actually be a good thing.

Edited April 1, 2017 by rusty747

[London Blue]

Hell this Barkley fellow was hot today - exactly what England is missing in their midfield at the moment. What a player. If only he had better players around him. Really a player to build a team around for the future. I am sure most Everton fans will agree.

You only come on hear to slag off Barkley. Fair enough he was poor in the second half, but at lest try and be objective .

[Paddock]

Not even arsed I knew we would get beat, I've conditioned myself to write the Derbys off every year because it destroyed me for a long time.

 

Fuck off Everton, I wont love you again until Tuesday now.

[markjazzbassist]

Awful performance, brought about by a genetic inferiority complex whenever we play the rs, injuries, lack of strength in depth and poor utilisation of our remaining resources by Koeman. Undoubtedly we have to get busy in the summer transfer window but let's not give up on this season just yet. Man U dropped points today and if Arsenal fail to beat Man C tomorrow (likely) then a win at OT on Tuesday night puts us fifth.

 

Ok, we will have played more games than Arsenal and Man U and we don't have the easiest of run ins but lets not throw it all away because of a bad derby performance. There will be some strange results between now and the end of the season - Chelsea just got beat at home by Palace. Maybe a tricky run in might actually be a good thing.

I'm with you rusty it's one result move on and go all out against united. Come on you blues

[Keith B]

I thought Ron's starting lineup was largely driven by who was out injured. I can't criticize him too much for that as two absolute critical players were out (Coleman and Schneiderlin). That said, he probably should have made the change to a back four at half time as it was obvious that it wasn't working. I was disappointed that they boys played right into their hands--Liverpool makes its living by converting midfield turnovers into goals and the third goal was such a bad giveaway. Anytime an EPL player gets a clear run on goal from the center top of the box, it's going to go in.

 

Ross and Lukaku were the most disappointing players. For Rom, this is the match that you need to boss if you want to play in the Champions League. It always drives me crazy when players talk about wanting to play in the Champions League--like, you have some control over that no? Play your absolute best against the absolute best and you can qualify your team. I don't think Rom would tell you he was at his best today.

Ross looked like Ross under Roberto. Trying to hard, over dribbling and taking heavy touches--all of it was there today. That is the mark of a player wound too tightly. It's a balancing act for a manager. You've got to get the boys up to play but not too up. I hope this is just a blip for Ross. He's been really good in the back half of this campaign but today was a setback.

 

Lot's of blame to go around today but think--Mingolet makes the only save he's made all season and we had a soft turnover that led to the 3rd goal. It's wishful thinking but that the margin between 3-1 and 2-2. So maybe it's not as bad as it seemed. /grasps at straws

[MikeO]

I thought Ron's starting lineup was largely driven by who was out injured. I can't criticize him too much for that as two absolute critical players were out (Coleman and Schneiderlin). That said, he probably should have made the change to a back four at half time as it was obvious that it wasn't working. I was disappointed that they boys played right into their hands--Liverpool makes its living by converting midfield turnovers into goals and the third goal was such a bad giveaway. Anytime an EPL player gets a clear run on goal from the center top of the box, it's going to go in.

 

Ross and Lukaku were the most disappointing players. For Rom, this is the match that you need to boss if you want to play in the Champions League. It always drives me crazy when players talk about wanting to play in the Champions League--like, you have some control over that no? Play your absolute best against the absolute best and you can qualify your team. I don't think Rom would tell you he was at his best today.

 

Ross looked like Ross under Roberto. Trying to hard, over dribbling and taking heavy touches--all of it was there today. That is the mark of a player wound too tightly. It's a balancing act for a manager. You've got to get the boys up to play but not too up. I hope this is just a blip for Ross. He's been really good in the back half of this campaign but today was a setback.

 

Lot's of blame to go around today but think--Mingolet makes the only save he's made all season and we had a soft turnover that led to the 3rd goal. It's wishful thinking but that the margin between 3-1 and 2-2. So maybe it's not as bad as it seemed. /grasps at straws

 

I really don't see how a striker of any quality can be expected to "boss" a game if he has zero service; what's he supposed to do? Go get the ball off Joel, dribble the length of the pitch and tap home a couple I guess, easy.

Just as a matter of interest (which I've not seen mentioned in here) what about the penalty we should've had first half. Summeriser on Sky, can't remember who it was, reckoned it was stonewall and they've certainly been given.

[MC11]

 

I really don't see how a striker of any quality can be expected to "boss" a game if he has zero service; what's he supposed to do? Go get the ball off Joel, dribble the length of the pitch and tap home a couple I guess, easy.

Just as a matter of interest (which I've not seen mentioned in here) what about the penalty we should've had first half. Summeriser on Sky, can't remember who it was, reckoned it was stonewall and they've certainly been given.

If I remember rightly it hit Can in the wall from our freekick. Arm was across his chest. If the arm wasn't there it would have hit him in the chest. I can see why it wasn't given.

[Keith B]

 

I really don't see how a striker of any quality can be expected to "boss" a game if he has zero service; what's he supposed to do? Go get the ball off Joel, dribble the length of the pitch and tap home a couple I guess, easy.

Just as a matter of interest (which I've not seen mentioned in here) what about the penalty we should've had first half. Summeriser on Sky, can't remember who it was, reckoned it was stonewall and they've certainly been given.

 

It's a fair point. He didn't have a lot of help, but I think he has to find a way to be more assertive in a match that isn't going his way. Even an average striker is going to be good when he gets good service. If he wants to be one of the best in the world, and I think he can be, he'll need to figure a way to impact the games like this one.

[rubecula]

Being beaten is one thing, being beaten in a derby is worse. being beaten badly after playing poorly in a derby sucks big time.

 

BUT playing poorly and playing so dirty left me ashamed a cold towards the entire team and manager. Maybe it is just me but I can't help it. I just feel that way.

[Vranny]

Still can't believe he played (most likely) our three slowest centre backs in a back three. Lining them up head to head against the pacy and mobile front 3 of the shite was always going to end in disaster.

[Romey 1878]

I still can't get my head around our starting defence. It's not even hindsight because I was sat there when the line-up was announced wondering what the hell Koeman was thinking! Holgate has played, and looked good, in a back 3 a few times for us this season so he should have been the one to play in the three with Williams and Jags. I'm a huge fan of Pennington but to throw him in like that, especially when it wasn't even necessary and he's not long returned from a long injury, was just cruel. Kenny, being a right back, would have been the much more logical player to have as the right wing-back.

 

I just feel it's another game Koeman has given away before a ball had even been kicked.

[Shukes]

The players are too emotionally invested in the derby. It leads to mistakes. As soon as they start seeing the derby as just another fixture then the sooner we will start getting results.

 

Liverpool are nothing special, they don't have a magical voodoo doll over us. We beat ourselves every time.

And at the same time Liverpool have moved past the derby mentality. Their players don't look at us as anything other than another step.

[Bailey]

I still can't get my head around our starting defence. It's not even hindsight because I was sat there when the line-up was announced wondering what the hell Koeman was thinking! Holgate has played, and looked good, in a back 3 a few times for us this season so he should have been the one to play in the three with Williams and Jags. I'm a huge fan of Pennington but to throw him in like that, especially when it wasn't even necessary and he's not long returned from a long injury, was just cruel. Kenny, being a right back, would have been the much more logical player to have as the right wing-back.

 

I just feel it's another game Koeman has given away before a ball had even been kicked.

That's two times now and in two big away games.

[markjazzbassist]

Match can't come soon enough the forum is on meltdown after that derby loss