Hi guys, I wrote this last night, amongst the anger and dejection, but didn't successfully post, so thought I'd try when I was in from work today.
Having watched us from Royle onwards, that's the worst I've ever seen us play at Anfield, and I think we should be honest about that. At times we were all over the place. However, there are several mitigating factors.
Firstly, we have as many as 7 first teamers out, and 4 playing today, I am dubious how many of those are match fit.
Secondly, that is a very good Liverpool team. It remind me of the United team from the early 90's, sub Cantona for Suarez. Probably just lacking at centre-half.
In the end, we had a terrible combination of many things. A slow defence, high line, no pressure on the ball, and giving it away sloppily.
If we look at todays game, it's the sort of match we'd have probably lost 1/2 V 0 under Moyes. And perhaps Moyes's was was right, which is you can't be as open as we were today.
However, the change in philosophy on the whole, has bore it's dividends so far this season. Martinez sets us up to be open, and attacking, pretty much against any team, in any game, whatever the scoreline. At times like tonight, it can look embarrassing, when you are just not as good as the opposition on that particular night. At other times, it will allow you to take advantage of nerves in the opposition, like at United away.
Finally, if we learn from it, it could be a good experience for some of the young players. For lads like Stones, Barkley they have probably just seen what it takes to be a world class player. Taking the piss out of QPR doesn't teach you that, against prose who've given up years ago. Even to a degree for players like McCarthy, he should see how Gerard dominated, and want to do that going forward.
They should want to bottle the feeling in the dressing room tonight, and use it as motivation going forward.
A hard night, but the way Martinez plays, it won't be the last, there'll be plenty of good ones though. I have full confidence in him, being able to use tonight as a lesson to improve the players. Another striker would be ideal Roberto.
I hope it doesn't sound like too much apologism. I think people have been a little too harsh on Moyes for shutting up shop at the top four away, as results like last night can happen, but you also win a lot less rarely, and certainly not how we won, with the confidence and vigour like we did at OT.
1 result won't break us. Martinez has dealt with far worse setbacks at Wigan. I think some of the players needed a bit of a wakeup call. Fergie's kids lost a few games heavily (conceded 6 at Southampton) but as long as they don't become the norm, they aid a players development, make them hungrier. As a squad they've never let us down in terms of need, only really in times of expectation. We will come back from this.
