18 Oct 2016 10:11:37
There are 0-0's then there are 0-0's, last night for me at least was the latter.
I watch football to be entertained, and last night was for the most part edge of your seat stuff. It was tactical, it was tense, there was battles being fought all over the pitch, it was fantic and frought. There were moments of quality and heart in mouth moments as well.
Was it the perfect match? No of course not, was it entertaining? Yeah it was inspite of the lack of goals.
These games are decided by moments of quality, Coutinho smashing one into the top corner or De Gea swatting it away. Both were excellent bits of football, both top drawer quality.
People called Pep's Barcelona one of the best teams of all time, yet toward the end of his time there just as many said it was starting to get boring. Sometimes we want steak sometimes we want a greasy burger.
Champaign football all the time soon becomes boring, plus the moment the level drops even the slightest the hyperboil is on another level.
Last nights game reminded me of the good old days of 90's EPL football, lots of fight, hard running and a few moments of quality. Very entertaining, just in a slightly different way to when you spank someone 5-0.
As for those who claim we should be going to Anfield and going toe to toe with Liverpool that's fine, but we would have almost definately lost if we did that. People need to remember that Liverpool have a year of work in the bank towards their vision and style, a whole year of training and preperation and learning they're style of play.
We on the other hand have 8 games worth, a couple of months. You could argue that in fact we were only three games into learning a new way of playing without our captain. The team set up under previous managers had Rooney fairly central to their plans, Mourinho had him fairly central to his team to start the season, our best moments have probaly come with Rooney off the pitch this season and now the team is learning and adapting without him. So you could easily say that last nights game was only the fourth of our new team set up. We have a whole team learning a new way of playing with several such as Bailly, Zlatan and Pogba finding their way in a new team/ country as well as finding their place in the new look team.
We are at the foundation stage of the build, Liverpool are starting to decorate the house with the finishing touches.
I am satisfied with last nights game and performance. I was entertained and we took a point away from Anfield, not many teams will get more than that from there this season.
18 Oct 2016 10:29:40
That was their first clean sheet this season, their keeper was a nervous wreck and their back 4 aren't the best either. we should have had a right go at them.
Their not as good as people are making them out to be. we should have gone their for the win.
We done well in the first half, we came out in the second half and invited them to have a go.
18 Oct 2016 10:34:49
liverpool have played 5 home games
won 2
drew 2
lost 1
not great really.
18 Oct 2016 10:36:10
Saved me a lot of typing shaps. More like the performance we needed, rather than the one we deserved. We're forgetting how scary this "anti-football" system becomes if we add in a couple of speedsters. We're still lacking that outlet imo. Someone like adm (with a spine), lucas moura, or even mane.
18 Oct 2016 11:25:43
Leahy, it was also the first time the failed to score. So two sides to every coin.
Do you really believe if we had a go at them that they wouldn't have scored as well? Are you suggesting we try and outscore one of the top scoring teams in the league in their own back yard?
Jred, they are also the most "in form" team in the league playing at home against a team they always traditionally raise their game for. If we went toe to toe with them at this moment in time odds are we would have lost.
Its the same people over and over again, if we play a tactical clever game then they moan we didn't give it a go, qmd that they would rather us "go down fighting", yet if we did give it a go and play a more open game and lose then we we naive and stupid.
The people whinging about the way we played last night are the same one who said we should have played like that against City after we lost that game.
Whats better a loss or a draw? I say we are imporving and the result last night seems to back up that opinion. No one is prepared to give it time, we are 8 games into a season under a new manager, why aren't we playing like the best team to have ever graced to earth and how come we haven't won titles yet? No patience at all.
18 Oct 2016 11:58:10
shaps
you where really against us going for jose last year .
im sure you pointed to games like this as 1 of the reason why .
also i'm not sure where my other post has gone but that's not liverpools home record above.
18 Oct 2016 12:01:46
should also say i thought pogba and ibra had stinkers and if either had been on there game we would of won.
18 Oct 2016 12:32:44
Jred, I was against the appointmemt of Mourinho because I didn't want park the bus type tactics.
But there is a time and a place for it. If it was May and we were 15 points clear at the top of the league playing at home then I'd rightly be furious at such tactics.
But at the start of the process of rebuilding, against the most in form team in the league at their home ground while our form is patchy and we have several tough games coming up and can't afford losses as we can't afford to drop further off the pace or the knock on effect losses have on confidence. Then I would take it.
Also I don't think we totally parked the bus, we had 7 attempts to their 9. That sounds pretty even. The issue was we only managed 1 on target to their 5. If we were a bit more clinical with our chances we could have won the game. I don't think we played much different to how Leicester played last season in 90% of their games. I'm not saying that we should attempt to be like Leicester but we should at least appreciate how effective that way of playing can be in the right situations.
18 Oct 2016 12:32:54
Totally agree with every word Shappy.
Jred you are right about Ibra and Pogba. These games are won and lost on those moments of individual quality. De gea did well but our front line did not. Overall I was happy with the way we played.
18 Oct 2016 12:47:46
shaps
a lot of people appreciate jose that why a lot of fans wanted him.
theres no way he would play like that in may 15 points clear .
7 attempts i think 5 of them where from 40 yards .
1 proper chance imo ibra miss.
18 Oct 2016 12:53:24
I don't understand how people make liverpool out to be someone like barcelona in their hayday.
We paid 90 odd mill. For one player, we have the best keeper in world football, a solid rnough back 4.
A good midfield and pretty good attacking players. we have pace and power. liverpool are very dodgy at the back at they have goalkeeper problems.
And now most united fans are happy to sit back and take a draw against a middling liverpool side.
They have a couple of good players.
If lvg or moyes was in charge last nite we would all be in uproar today.
18 Oct 2016 13:16:17
ive no real issue with how we played last night i think that's what jose does and you have to take the good with the bad.
i did think liverpool looked a bit nervous tho and with the wig and hererra running cm i think we could of got something out the game .
but role chelsea, we need all 3 points imo.
18 Oct 2016 13:30:46
I totally agree with shappy too, we're not a title winning team yet, we are building and I've no issues with picking up draw at rivals, as shaps says a time and place for it and this was one.
18 Oct 2016 14:03:20
couldn't agree more shappy!
18 Oct 2016 13:53:05
Jred. they've won every home game besides this one.
The way you justify Mourinho's tactics is a worrying indictment of a team with title aspirations this season. How can you assemble the world's most expensive squad and aspire to win the league, yet fear going toe-to-toe with your biggest rivals because you think you'll lose.
I wouldn't buy into this 'point won' nonsense either. You 'won' a point that earned you 7th position with a tough upcoming run, whilst your rivals ahead of you face relatively easier challenges. Honestly, if you draw at Chelsea while all your rivals win, is that a 'point won' as well?
18 Oct 2016 14:36:25
nick
as i have said we need 3 points against chelsea.
as to justify our tactics its what jose has done his entire career its nothing new and he has won 8 titles 2 CL doing it .
i do think we should of had more of a go at the scouse, but its not really the jose way . i said before the game he would go there not to lose.
19 Oct 2016 01:09:21
Jred, my second and third paragraphs were aimed at the original post.
The fact you need 3 points against Chelsea dispels the idea that 'any away point at a big rival is a point won'. Circumstances dictate whether or not a draw is a good result, regardless of who you are versing and where it is played.
Jose has been doing it his whole career but he has never been doing it while trying to chase the pack like he is now. When he did it at Anfield in '14, Chelsea had virtually nothing to play for, and went to that game purely to be a bunch of spoilied brats.
But I really don't see how parking the bus for a point helps you much when you are coming 7th, with Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs still soon to come. The whole idea of grabbing draws in these away games assumes you'll do the business in the big home games, and against inferior lower table teams.
those losses to City and Watford, and the draw to Stoke, offsets a point 'won' against Liverpool. You are going to need to win some big home games, and big away games, to make up the difference.