Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[therockbox]

It's 3-5-2, I don't know why you'd think differently. Alonso's only on the bench because we have nobody else (Gerrard is injured and Lucas is suspended) whilst the only real player in the reserves that has looked capable of stepping up into the first team (Plessis) has regressed so much in the last six months it's actually quite laughable. Torres isn't playing because, as you might have guessed from the game against Everton, he has nothing left.

I feel sorry for N'Gog because people have taken on look at him, seen 'tall black bloke' and just assumed he's going to play like Drogba. No. He isn't strong enough to do that and he's not going to beat Distin/Campbell in the air, but again the only other option that isn't dead on their feet is Babel, and he doesn't look like he gives a shit. And I don't care what that idiot on Setanta says, he didn't make his name at Ajax playing up front on his own, he spent most of the time on the left of a front 3.

Edit: Tim Sherwood is a massive bellend as well. "Liverpool quite clearly haven't worked on this system", fuck off. Not only have we actually played it before but do you really think Rafa Benitez has just cobbled together a system five minutes before the game? Christ almighty, he actually gets paid to spout this shit.

Edited February 7, 2009 by therockbox

[The Future]

First time I have seen a goal scored one of these free kicks from inside the box.

I think Liverpool will nick it 2-1, Kuyt to score.

[therockbox]

So we get a perfectly good goal disallowed, then they score from a freekick that shouldn't have been. Fucking hell.

[Hobo]

That almost killed me.

Torres

[The Future]

Liverpool fans are still surprised when they make a comeback?

[Hobo]

Well you never know when its going to work.

I loved how the commentators for the stream I watched were all "typical from Benitez we expect Torres and get... Kuyt/Alonso". Yet Kuyt was really the one who spearheaded the comeback. Babel should've scored, Kuyts disallowed goal was iffy. I was impressed by some players especially when we dominated in the first 20.

Edited February 7, 2009 by HoboObohHbob

[therockbox]

The footballing genius that is Tim Sherwood doesn't get zonal marking. So there you go.

[Farmer Reil]

Liverpool fans are still surprised when they make a comeback?

Hey, Gerrard is injured. I'd be surprised too. It's not like they're Arsenal.

[Grounded Wingman]

84 minutes gone: "Oh, Rafa - you so crazy"

Full Time: "Rafa Benitez - tactical genius".

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

In the end it paid off for him, that's all that really matters. I'm gutted, but it was laughable defending for the Kuyt goal. Honestly, that was just terrible and had that not been allowed to happen, I'd of been surprised if Liverpool would of won the game from there on.

Highlight from MOTD was the commentator shouting 'TAYLOR JUST FELL OVER, HE FELL OVER', I just found that comical. Oh and Agbonglahor seems to get better and better, United need to buy him

[Farmer Reil]

Yeah, because you have an awesome record when it comes to signing fantastic strikers.

[Summers]

40m & Ronaldo plz.

[Hobo]

Liverpool fans are still surprised when they make a comeback?

Hey, Gerrard is injured. I'd be surprised too. It's not like they're Arsenal.

To be fair. We've done pretty well when Gerrard hasn't been in the team, on the most part teams without Gerrard and Torres have not been the drastically bad things that they're made out to be. Not preferred but players have stepped up this season.

[-A-]

Liverpool beat Man United without Gerrard and Torres, that's proof enough that they don't fall apart without them.

[therockbox]

We play better football when Gerrard isn't in the side. There's too much reliance on him doing something amazing when we're struggling to get a goal, and players like Babel/Lucas seem to go into their shell when he plays.

[Thrilla]

I'd rather rely on Gerrard than Babel given Babel's epic miss yesterday. Then again, that sort of miss seemed to be contagious yesterday, Babel, Bellamy and Terry all missed sitters.

Edited February 8, 2009 by NBTogi Makabe

[therockbox]

Gerrard missed a similar chance against Bolton though, but obviously I'd want Gerrard playing instead of Babel. I just think this idea that we're somehow going to completely crumble simply because Gerrard is injured is wrong (and so is the the laughable suggestion that Keane would have been capable of filling in).

[-A-]

Who needs Gerrard when you've got Benayoun? He's been pretty good this season from what I've seen.

[therockbox]

He was Man of the Match for me yesterday. He's frustrating sometimes when he holds onto the ball for one touch more than necessary (normally when he's in a decent shooting position), but some of the runs he made yesterday were excellent.

[Thrilla]

I was talking to some mates of mine on Friday night who are Liverpool fans about how the press have created this negative image of Liverpool and Rafa over the last few years despite the majority of evidence and results proving everything they keep on saying is complete bollocks.

Also, did anyone catch Jonathon Pearce's post-production addition to his commentary during the Liverpool game? In the build up to the Torres goal he sprouts some bullshit line about 'If they score now Rafa will be heralded as a genius, if they don't a failure' which sounded completely different to the rest of his audio levels from throughout the match. It just came across as an amazingly pathetic attempt to keep himself as some sort of footballing sage, when in fact he's just a whiny, sycophantic cunt that can only speak in soundbites.