A tremendous win yesterday and further evidence that King Kenny should be given the job full time.
The way the Liverpool team is playing now is unrecognisable to the final days of Hodgsonâs tenure. Solid defensively (four clean sheets in a row), and playing excellent short passing, ball on the ground, football.
A few players have notably improved â Mereilles being the obvious one but I think that the likes of Skrtel, Agger and Glen Johnson have been much better since Dalglish took charge. There is not another manager out there who could have done any better.
You can look at track records and all the rest but one thing you canât legislate for is the fit between a club and a manager. I doubt that Ferguson would be as consistently successful if he wasnât managing Man Utd, he seems enshrined in the club. I think there is something of a similar effect with Dalglish, obviously not to the same extent yet but things just seem to fit far better these days.
Carragher was immense yesterday. A throw back to the 2005 days.
I thought Liverpool were really solid defensively yesterday. Never looked like conceding and never even looked like giving Chelsea any sort of meaningful possession in the Liverpool half. Worked very hard at closing down space.
Didnât think they were excellent at the passing football side of things though. Not really a criticism because they clearly werenât going to Stamford Bridge to try and dominate possession but I thought they were noticeably more direct in their attacks. Not necessarily long balls, just a bit swifter and a bit more forward in their passing. The game was a bit of a mess in midfield but the difference was Liverpool got in behind and then got bodies into the box for a couple of crosses - something Chelsea never really managed to do.
Yup, agreed on the passing front there. There was very little good football played yesterday. Itâs strange how quickly Chelsea have declined but I think Ancelotti has really instilled an Italian, slow, deliberate patient style in them that just isnât working, particularly when you look at the athletes they have in the middle of the park (Mikel, Essien, Lampard). They should really be taking it to teams but thereâs no tempo to their play (badly missing a playmaker) and when the ball eventually gets to Anelka, as good a player as he is, he slows things down again.
No doubt Dalglish has brought a feel good factor back to the club and the players are playing for him. I still donât think heâs the long term answer, would prefer Owen Coyle still, but itâs a vast improvement. Always liked the wing backs back in the Evans era and itâs an effective way of getting round the lack of decent wingers at the club. Maxi Rodriguez is shit though, as is Lucas. Still many, many players short.
Sir Alex had a modicum of success at St Mirren and was consistantly successful with Aberdeen.
Dalglish definitely seems to be Liverpool through and through, however, he is saying all the right things and they are certainly playing with a lot more confidence and purpose. He is a hero to the likes of carragher and gerrard, no problem in motivating these guys. Dalglish has done it all at Liverpool as both a player and a manager, that gains him automatic respect from the playersâŚ
Fully agree farmer. I donât know what it is, but Dalglish has changed the whole atmosphere around the club. Itâs hard to put your finger on it, but he just seems to believe in Liverpool, and believe in Liverpool as a winning club in a way that Benitez never could. It may all go wrong yet but thereâs no denying that they are a team transformed at the moment.
Clarkeâs contribution to the recent revival can not be under-estimated here. No doubt Kenny has been a great lift, installed some pride and taken the heat away from the players media wise, but it is Clarke that is charged with most of the tactical work and drills during training etc. Kenny deals with the players more one to one, arm around the shoulder and all that lark, the âLiverpool wayâ if you want.
Agree that the passing was limited enough yesterday but overall, since Kenny took over, it has been vastly improved. The tempo and pressing of teams that was missing under Woy is the major difference however.
I still think Gerrard looks out of sorts and Kenny, like those before him, still donât know where to deploy him. He cant control the tempo of a game like say Meirelles can, who I would prefer to see played a bit deeper than yesterday rather than off the striker, and with Suarez being a much deeper or wide attacker I dont think Gerrard is suited to play off him either. Perhaps a diamond of Both him and Suarez behind Carrol could work but I certainly dont like him playing Central mid.
Liverpool now 12/1 to reach fourth ⌠Very unlikely but fuck it, they were lying in 12th on new years day and crazier things have happened. But thats down the road âŚIâll bask in the glory of beating those rent boy cunts for the time being.
So far it looks as if the 3-5-2 is a decent way to go based on the players at the club, Bean. It offers protection to Carragher who isnât good enough any more to play in a 2 and gives freedom to Gerrard in the middle of the park. I think thereâs little doubt that Carroll and Suarez will play up top together and suggesting Suarez should play wide is just mental. Kelly looks the real deal and Johnson is clearly more suited to wing back than full back. Surprised Liverpool are as short as 12/1 for fourth.
One thing the current formation gives us is cover for the fact that Liverpool still have a fairly poor midfield. Meireles has consistently delivered good performances and Gerrard can be effective in the right role but beyond that they have little or nothing. Will be interesting to see how they fare with two attackers and taking a body out of that midfield. Much will depend on maintaining form at the back I suppose.
I am not sure about the three centre halves. Liverpool tried it for many seasons and didnât have a huge amount of success with it. Also if you look at the best teams around at the moment and for the last few years, fook all of them played with three centre halves.
I canât believe that people are still going on about Gerrardâs best position. Liverpool were looking for that for years and eventually found it. He plays off the front man in a 4-2-3-1. That is his best position. I think that is Liverpoolâs best formation as well. I wouldnât have a huge problem playing Suarez on the left of the â3â â not an out and out winger, more a left sided attacker.
The problem is trying to fit Mereilles into that system. I donât agree with Bean that he is a controlling midfielder at all â he is identical to Gerrard. Loads of energy and rarely holds a position.
I would say Meireles is a fairly different player to Gerrard although youâre right about them being suited to a broadly similar role. The big challenge for Liverpool is accommodating two very expensive strikers in a side that lacks quality central midfielders and natural wide players. Also itâs worth noting that Kuyt has been massive in the last two games with his constant harrying and pressing and itâs easy to forget how important thatâs been for the team. Suarez and Carroll represent a whole new ball game. Probably worth looking up a few old Chelsea formations to see whatâs coming.
I thought Gerrard was very good yesterday. Seemed like one of the few players on the pitch that was taking a touch and passing it accurately. Also had the crosses for Maxiâs effort off the crossbar and the goal. Granted, I was pissed watching it though.
I should have said that 4-2-3-1 would be my preferable system in the long term. However I do think there are merits with 3 centre halfs in terms of the current squad, and at a time in the season when Liverpool need to be solid and gain confidence.
I think the Liverpool management showed great discipline in not throwing on Saurez yesterday when it may have seemed the right thing to do with 70 minutes on the clock. Kuyt is superb at upsetting defenders and had Terry nicely wound up yesterday. The sight of him bearing down on Gerrards cross for the goal would have made Cech think twice about coming to collect that ball
Any sign of Joe Cole these days ? Donât think Dalglish would have been considered for any other job in the top division of English football. We will see during a bad run next season and if his signings arenât gelling if he still has the heart for this management lark.
Iâm afraid your opinion on managers counts for jack shit after you advocated the running of Martin OâNeill out of Villa to be replaced by Gerrard Foolier.
Wouldnât be surprised if he left anyway. Heâs the last real trace of the Spanish expedition. Rafaâs gone. Alonsoâs gone. Nandoâs gone. More proof of why Liverpool need players to step up. Carragher turned back the clock on Sunday but heâs clearly in decline. Gerrard is 30 now as well. Theyâre running short on leaders. Reinaâs contract is another three or four years I think so at least weâll get something out of it.
