I jumped from my bed at 3.30 am. Damn! Woke up late for the match. My alarm didn’t go off. The 2nd half should have kicked off….hmm……1-0 to Liverpool? To my surprise, the 1st was still going on but had 10 minutes to play. 0-0 was the score and I thought, maybe Marseille are not pushovers after all despite languishing in 17th place in the French league.Marseille looked confident, passing the ball like we should be doing at Anfield. They looked more like a top 4 league side than we were. Heck I thought even Derby looked better than us. I didn’t like the fact that Crouch started alongside Torres. WTF? Are we playing away? The onus should be on us to twat them at home.
The 2nd half was so painful to watch. I had expected Kuyt to replace Crouch at about 60 mins but instead only came on in the 75th, way too late. Where the hell was Gerrard in all of this? He’s performance has been disappointing since he came back from England duty. One could argue that he was exerted in the England games and played with a damaged toe. It could have been that his head was with the silly manc kid who ran out in front of his Bentley. Come on, Stevie-lad….you’re a professional. Get your head straight.Throughout the 2nd half, Marseille looked like Liverpool and Liverpool looked like Shrewsbury. Slick passing was the order of the night but not for Liverpool though. We just couldn’t string passes together and kept giving away possession. It was this deadly habit, which gifted Marseille the goal they so richly deserve albeit they should have won 0-2 if not for the offside flag that ruled out Marseille’s 1st half goal by Karim Ziani.
We hardly threatened the Marseille goal. I couldn’t recall a decent attempt at goal until we had already conceded and Benayoun who had rescued us in the last 2 games headed wide and Torres hit the post amidst a scramble in front of goal in added time.
Why were there 5 changes made to the team and why Kuyt didn’t start I wouldn’t know. I’m not Rafa. It is fair to say that the players let Rafa down but it can also be argued that Rafa did not play his best 11. I know, I know. We’ve all been down this road before. If we win, Rafa is the world’s best tactician, but we lost therefore we question him. Sack Rafa for Pete’s sake. I feel despite my reluctance to accept rotation, it has worked before. This time round, I think the players have let Rafa and Reds all over the world down. It is epitomized in the performances of Stevie Gerrard recently.
One could give a rat’s behind about the Champions’ League this season as we chase after No. 19 but the performances in the CL and league are hardly motivating and teams are beginning to think to themselves we can pick Liverpool apart. Maybe rival managers are beginning to figure Rafa out, maybe Rafa’s losing it, maybe the players are on the take, maybe the refs are on the take, maybe the players don’t give a crap.
Whatever it may be, the rot had better stop now. Otherwise, we're gonna be finding ourselves scrapping for a Champions’ League spot again and maybe, just maybe, win the League Cup. And that is a very optimistic view on my part already.
Come on you Reds. We are Liverpool Football Club. Not the Mickey Mouse Club.
10 comments:
Marseille is the 1st French club to win in Anfield! Congrats!! Waste my time this morning!
Well done JonW lad, hope to see more of your contribution coming.
On the other hand, I am speechless about the performance. Would remained silence about it until I watch the replay.
JonW, thanks for contributing your thoughts through this post. We believe a lot of other REDs share the same sentiments as you. Looking forward to more great contributions from you. Thanks!
-MyRAWK Team
Comment 1 from Rodney
Dear All,
No need to go to the blog site la for the marseille game comments......just ask that fat fooking spanish frog to fook off!!!!!!!!! chelsea won 2 epl and jose had to leave also....what has he won for us? 1 ucl and 1 fa cup? good enuf?? i say NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think the league title is more important but do you think that the style of footie that we are playing is good enuf???????
Rodney
Comment 2 from Redza
The loss was a disgrace, no doubt, but like Albert said, at least Rafa admitted they played like crap. They've been slacking since after the international break, but all the draws weren't enough of a wake-up call. This time, with a loss at Anfield on a European night (something that seldom happens), they're bloody well gonna wake up and do something bout it.
So now we have a goal fest to look forward to this Sunday.
Maharedza Mahadzir
Comment 3 from William
Hi all,
Yes, we played crap yesterday and probably deserved zilch from the match which is exactly what we got!
I could not believe that we played SG and MS together in the middle unless JM is down with some injury or something like that. When SG plays along with MS, it means that SG will play deep and his effectiveness is curtailed. MS will be charging upfront to dismantle/dispossess opposition and curtail their attack. Hence, we lost the match in the middle of the park. MS losing possession is one thing yesterday nite but he was so unsure of his passes and there were easily miscommunications with his other colleagues on the pitch - it was like he wasn't interested in taking responsbility when in possession! Strange but true ......
Additionally, from the wings where FA and YB were not effective at all and they had problem tracking back and Marseille were enjoying lighting face counter attacks and spraying the balls wide when they won possession .... it was easy for them and the moment we lost possession, all Marseille needed to do was to spray them to their wide players ..... and knowing that our SH isn't a face defender, it was all about pace on the counter which they did really well.
Our third deficiency on the night was due to Crouchy trying to play too smart and keep losing easy possession to Marseille players when they pressure him. Yes - Crouch deserves his chance but really, last night, he and Momo gave away so much possession.
That's basically what happened last nite, they scored a super goal against Pepe and the best goalkeeper in the world also not have a chance to save i7 .....
Comment 4 from JonC
I've posted my rants and thoughts on the lyn forum and bala's blog. Mainly goes along the lines of no need to call for Rafa's head, and definately something is very wrong in the back ground. Rafa responsible for the bad tactics and players are not pulling their weight. The thing that ticked me off is not the loss, it's the way we lost at our own stomping ground that is worrying. Loosing by playing well is acceptable but the non-sense from last night is just too much even for me the usual on-the-wall calm kinda guy. The lost might be a blessing in disguise and wake us up from dreaming - screw the CL and let's concentrate on no. 19 - our holy grail. No more best start to season and first defeat talk anymore - time to do the talking on the field.
Rodney, still need to update the blog. It's duty of MyRAWKites to post the good, the bad and the ugly up. Truth hurts but when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
-JonC-
Comment 5 from Audra Arthur
It's my first time expressing my thoughts, hope you guys bear with me as I really need to vent!! Been trying not to blame or point fingers at anyone and keep telling myself, to have faith, things will change but the results the past month is beginning to piss me off. I'm beginning to loose faith and I hate that. Not to have Rafa in the dog house alone, I think some of the lads need to step up and take responsibility for such a crappy start to the CL.
This mornings performance was unbelievable!!! I'm trying not to blame Rafa as I do believe some of the responsibility of loosing today should fall on some players................ Momo, Crouch!! Helloooo, Momo and Crouch.................... was that their first time playing football??? No offense to the two but the plain truth is that they are not the cream of the crop, that's just a fact and Rafa should have picked a better line up.
Why didn't Veronin start?? What's the point in bringing him on with 20 minutes left?? A win today was so important after the unbelievable draw against Porto. I still can't believe Marseille nicked a goal and Cisse wasn't even playing till the last 15 min. It's so frustrating to wake up at 3am to watch the lads running around like a bunch of little league kids.
Where's the fight, the drive or the talent?? Is this how it's gonna keep going with 1 sublime performances followed by 3 or 4 really crappy ones???
Is that what the lads are being paid the big bucks for?? I'm still trying to grasp the fact that we drew with Portsmouth and Birmingham and got away with a lucky win against Wigan. There's gotta be more.......... there HAS to be more!!!!!! I guess what it boils down to is I'm disappointed and frustrated as I know that Liv is capable of much more. It's disappointing to watch a crappy performance knowing the amount of great talent there is on the team. I'm rattled as I want more for the team, the lads and us fans.
I am glad to hear the blame is on the players!
Sad but true...Rafa AND PLAYERS get the credit when Liverpool wins...but ONLY RAFA will be blamed when lost!
Players are the ones who mattered and hell they need to improve! It may be down to changes in the fitness regime after Pako left!
Whatever reason, Liverpool need to wake up and play as they should,...THE PLAYERS!
p/s: I don't know if you should watch after waking up late for the match! World Cup 98, I saw almost all the matches live telecasted on tv...during the final Bra vs Fra...I woke up late...just like you...near half time....and Brazil lost 3-0...deary me!
Comment 6 from Shahrim
ladies and gentlemen,
my fellow reds,
for some reasons best known to the gaffer, i noticed (i am sure many of us too) after the international break, the team is not so smooth in movement and passing. it's something like they are not the same side since the demolition of derby.
that's the reason why sometimes i hate international break ..
or is it has something to do with paco departure?
i noticed as well from few players action on the pitch, judging from the their body language, they are not happy about something ... perhaps the rotation? or perhaps new training method or approach .. ah well, some things within the team are left unspoken in the team
yeah i stayed up last nite, just to see what kind of performances they would put up in europe against an eric gerets first match in charge of marseille .. oh boy, was i not suprised liverpool struggled to put up more than three passes
rotation?
i for one .. do not believe rotation has something to do with the poor form.
http://www.thefootballreview.co.uk/articles/article.aspx?id=23
i trust rafa .. yes i do. we support liverpool during the glorious moments and we stick by the team during hard times
i trust rafa. ask any top coaches in europe and within the british isle, they are in awe with rafa's brain, philosophy and ability on modern football.
not many coaches out there who would admit their mistakes and rafa was the first to admit the team put up one of the worst performane ever since he was in charge.
last nite, it's like i was looking at liverpool display during the pre-season match.
they were slow in getting the second ball, slow in reacting to opponent running and was slow to initiate a third pass .. the basic triangle and positioning ..
wonder what's really in the players mind. honestly, again .. i don't think rotation is part of the problem.
and to be frank, i'll be surprised if liverpool can be one better than spurs this sunday. i have a feeling it will be another tactical display of trying to neutralise spurs attack instead of making martin jol side worry bout liverpool attacking prowess.
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