Ok so terrible performance finally combined with a poor result. However the annoying thing is that many fans on here when we won our first 3 games playing poorly, barked at ‘negative’ critical fans like myself saying we should all be happy ('mark of a good team playing poorly & winning etc. etc').
Surely it shouldn't just be about the result to just keep us happy? - This is LFC! I can only speak for myself but as an 80s baby I fell in love with Liverpool after their 70's dominance was coming to an end. 1st game I ever saw live was actually a defeat - Micky Thomas last min goal ☹ . but generally I still fell in love with the style and exciting players/characters and attacking fluid football of late 80s-90s(when they got it right it was a pleasure to behold) Was I ever envious of Arsenal and there George Graham Ultimate Substance 1-0's Title. Nope, but was I later envious when they started playing great football after their French revolution (style and substance) …Yeah!
Last season we were off top 4 consistency - we played some great stuff at times and you could see what B.R was trying to do. However we lacked that Substance , so I thought the basic plan was just to add some extra steel/organisation for set pieces and a bit more creativity to break down 'park the bus' teams. However so far this season football wise we have been pants regardless of results and I’m honestly not sure what BR is trying to do. It's pretty much his team now, so I just hope he can find the balance somewhere along the line quickly, because yes we all want to win –but doing it playing poorly every week? Not for me! That’s why yesterdays performance coupled with a defeat hurts more than most.
Style &/or Substance
posted on 22/9/13
I actually think that this is a valid point. Substance/style is a very difficult balancing act. The best teams ie Bayern have it and other teams that arguably just seem to get better and better have it too ie Swansea and Southampton.
Some of the football which we played last season was fantastic but our biggest weakness was that we lacked steel, strength, toughness etc. In Toure, Sakho, Mignolet an improved Henderson etc (despite struggling yesterday) this is not really an issue anymore. But at the same time we seem to have lost what was becoming a noticeable style of football under BR, an effective pressing game, creative and technically sound football, controlling possesion when we needed too. Either we have lacked this all game (yesterday) or we have faded as games progress ( ie United, Villa, Swansea). Fortunatly our new found steel means that we can close games out but at the same time Swansea and Southampton have also punished us for losing our way and for not combining style/substance effectively.
That being said defensive rotation and missing Coutinho, Suarez and perhaps Allen too are are a major cause of this. Having Suarez back should, just so long as he gives his all will be a big help. While Coutinho and also Allen will hopefully come back asap.
posted on 22/9/13
I didn't see the game yesterday as I was working but certainly I was happy with our style in the other games. It was fast, fluid and exciting, apart from some of the second half against Swansea.
I'm sure playing without Coutinho and Suarez had a massive effect as they are our two most exciting and creative players.
posted on 22/9/13
and Johnson - he's the key to all our attacks down the right