[Archived] Liverpool In Difficulties

[sussexrover]

Liverpool appealing the additional two games. As Sky Sports state this was given for his behaviour after the sending off and refusal to leave the field of play - not quite sure what grounds they have for an appeal.

Any chance of an additional game for frivolous appeal a la Alliadiere - somehow I think not.

[OJRovers]

I wonder whether Rovers will follow this 4-2-3-1 trend. Hughes has played it a couple of times but we don't have the pace in the team that the formation really requires.

I have read (The Times) that Untied's formation of 4-6-0 is what they and other top teams are looking to play now. Basically, the 6 midfielders all attack and all defend. This is why Rooney was seen at left back at times on Tues and all the Utd players were in and out of the box.

I think to be able to play this you need 6 top quality midfielders with pace and skill. For Rovers I could only see Bentley and Derbs being able to adapt into this formation (and maybe Dunn.)

Having Roque and Benni means we prob need to stick to a more conventional 2 up front or one playing off the other striker.

[FourLaneBlue]

You need a lot of pace in the side to play such a rapid almost continual counter attacking game as United do and we certainly don´t have it. If you look at the speed with which their players break forward whenever they are attacking it is so fast. Compare that to the slow build-up of Rovers attack in comparison and it is apparent why one team are so much dangerous than the other.

[thenodrog]

I tried it on Pro Evo and it works, so it must work in real life...

But seriously, Liverpool (who have very high quality players) kind of got run ragged in this formation even though they somehow got a 1-1 draw. On another day they could have got seriously spanked, but Wenger will persist with Bendtner!

Also I watched this with my friend who's a Liverpool fan (from Glossop... logical) and he somehow dragged me into Brannigans in Manc (don't ask me how, but he did, against my wishes, although there weren't many other places nearby). Naturally a fight broke out between a cocky lowd-mowved Manc and a table of scousers, but it was kind of hilarious to hear the horse Manure the Manc was coming out with. But also very sad to see that 'fans' like this, who just go looking for trouble and confrontations, are on the increase.

An increasing trend imo. They've regulated alcohol sales at grounds, segregated fans etc etc overall sorted it out ...... but it's a bit harder in a pub.

[adopted scouser]

Definitely, but ANYTHING that upsets Wenger, Gallas et al is fine by me.

Good stop by Bentner an 'all

Roll on Tuesday when they get buried at Anfield.

What a stunning game of football tonight, I'm knackered.

[trueblue]

What a stunning game of football tonight, I'm knackered.

Yes... and let's hope Liverpoo are for Sunday

[Grabbi Graeme]

More trouble at Liverpool, SSN are reporting that Tom Hicks has asked Chief Executice Rick Parry to resign, also DIC have said they will not make another bid to buy Liverpool at the moment until Hicks and Gillet sort themselves out.

[RibbleValleyRover]

More trouble at Liverpool, SSN are reporting that Tom Hicks has asked Chief Executice Rick Parry to resign, also DIC have said they will not make another bid to buy Liverpool at the moment until Hicks and Gillet sort themselves out.

This might be good for us. Liverpool have on several occasions this season struggled to keep their mind on an upcoming game and have dropped points due to some internal strife going on.

[philipl]

The latest speculation is that DIC will buy out Gillett when the period giving Hicks first right of refusal expires this summer. They will then put their plan on the table to build the new Anfiels and develop the club and leave Hicks the opportunity to better it and buy them out. Who knows, some arm of Dubai is already talking to his prospective backers about their balance sheets.

[USABlue]

Goes against what Hicks was saying on the telly doesn't it phillip or is Hicks intending DOC to be one of the minority investors. Hicks sounded like he wants the whole shabang.

Or is he posturing to cut Gillett out now so he can sell and keep a big fat profit all to himself. Either way what a cluster, does this man not know there is football being played and the team he has invested in is involved in the latter stages of one of the World's richest club competitions. Surely if he had any nuance, or LFC's best interests at heart he could have kept the lid on all this for a month or so.

[philipl]

Exactly- that's what Hicks wants (and DIC wants for that matter). Hicks has managed to upset Gillett so much that he will sell almost to anyone except Hicks.

I guess the real game is maximising the screw out of DIC for both of them.

[modes98]

The Times, Reading this they haven't got long to sort it all out or the Liver Bird will hit the fan.

[LeChuck]

I have read (The Times) that Untied's formation of 4-6-0 is what they and other top teams are looking to play now.

I'm not sure about that, Arsenal and Chelsea play with old-fashioned (ish) centre-forwards in Adebayor and Drogba, and Torres seems to play near the shoulder of the last defender for Liverpool. The way Man Utd attack seems pretty unique to them I think, the rest of the Premiership still play with at least one genuine striker.

If we are to adopt the 4-2-3-1 a lot of teams play now then we'd need at least three new midfielders; one to play a defensive role (possibly two if Vogel doesn't come good) and two pacey players to play on the wings. The whole idea of the 4-2-3-1 is that you defend with ten then quickly break forward when you get possession. We don't have the players to play that, which is why we always look clumbersome and toothless when we try it because we just rely on Bentley to do something special in the middle.

[brian_gallagher85]

Just the eight changes today from Rafa them

[den]

Just the eight changes today from Rafa them

Once upon a time, a club got fined for fielding a weakened team. It's hardly fair making eight changes on the other relegation threatened sides though, is it?

[brian_gallagher85]

Fulham are doing more to aid those around them, (and to speed up their own demise), than Liverpools team selection today though

[philipl]

Once upon a time, a club got fined for fielding a weakened team. It's hardly fair making eight changes on the other relegation threatened sides though, is it?

Rafa could argue he picked the side to do the job against the opposition.

I watched part of the game and it was a walk in the park with the kids, bacon sarnies and ice cream 99s all round for Liverpool.

There is no way "a weakened" team charge could stick- they were so much better than Fulham it was embarassing.

[den]

Rafa could argue he picked the side to do the job against the opposition.

I watched part of the game and it was a walk in the park with the kids, bacon sarnies and ice cream 99s all round for Liverpool.

There is no way "a weakened" team charge could stick- they were so much better than Fulham it was embarassing.

If Liverpool had fielded a youth team and lost, would it have been "fair" then?

BTW Philipl, I know the old system of fining clubs couldn't work nowadays, but that doesn't make it fair that the top clubs have no regard for the clubs desperately fighting for their prem lives.

[philipl]

If Liverpool had fielded a youth team and lost, would it have been "fair" then?

BTW Philipl, I know the old system of fining clubs couldn't work nowadays, but that doesn't make it fair that the top clubs have no regard for the clubs desperately fighting for their prem lives.

He didn't pick the youth team.

Seriously, Gerard (who it is clained has a neck injury) and Torres would arguably have been less effective than Pennant and Crouch who ripped Fulham apart all afternoon through a combination of speed and height/awkwardness.

My immediate reaction was as cynical as your's but having seen a lot of the game, Rafa undoubtedly picked a team to exploit Fulham's weaknesses which they did with consumate ease. In fact I was reminded of that wierd Rovers team Dalglish sent out at Loftus Road on one occasion (five changes that night) and won 3-0 ridiculously easily.

[philipl]

Newcastle United are furious with Liverpool after they offered three "nonentities" in part-exchange for winger James Milner. (Evening Chronicle 1242 BST)

So Liverpool have made two firm bids (Barry and Milner) and both of them comprise odds and ends from the Liverpool boot bin room.

Clearly Liverpool are struggling for cash at the moment and there is every indication that as potential buyers of Liverpool players, Pompey and Juve are squeezing with full force to exploit the situation there.

On top of that there is the September deadline on the new stadium and the existing £350m loan. We know now Liverpool hung onto 4th spot and managed two more rounds in the CL but that is all that has gone right for Liverpool since January.

Everything about Liverpool smells of them presenting the numbers to minimise the costs- from just £300m for the new stadium (less than the Emirates but several years later) to "£30m to £45M" interest costs on £600m of debt when Man U got charged £81m interest on a similar amount.

[American]

They also spent a ton last year (at least 40 million between Maschereno and Torres, plus whomever else). Is it possible they had to dip into this year's budget?

[philipl]

Liverpool post a £33m loss. It includes £1.2m of personal expenses run-up by Gillett and Hicks in just seven months. (See what I mean when I say that the Trust is saving Rovers significant numbers compared with other clubs ownerships?).

The current Liverpool interest arrangement needs to be sorted by January 2009.

[philipl]

A bit more on the continuing tragedy that is LFC. Any club determined to stop a player from going to Liverpool surely should be able to do so this summer?

[thenodrog]

A bit more on the continuing tragedy that is LFC. Any club determined to stop a player from going to Liverpool surely should be able to do so this summer?

Ok we have spoken to our players and his agent and he does want to play for Liverpool cos like everybody else he did support them as a child so reluctantly we have agreed that you can have him for £?? million .......

........ CASH!

[mode_m]

Ok we have spoken to our players and his agent and he does want to play for Liverpool cos like everybody else he did support them as a child so reluctantly we have agreed that you can have him for £?? million .......

........ CASH!

*Narrator*

Shortly after signing the player ran into tough times, he had almost hit rock bottom, until a small claret and blue club came a knocking...West Ham United. His dreams would be shattered as he had failed his childhood dream of glory with the red and white at Liverpool, but we all knew this whole time it was all about the money anyway.