Today's football.

[billycopper]

Tonight Henderson was not far away from Gerrard sitting in front of the back 4, Rodgers has reverted back to the way Benitez used to play. Rodgers is not innovating he has copied Benitez and Mourinho, who at times this season has played 7 behind the front 4. Exactly what Rodgers has done, but getting the ball forward quicker with long balls.The first 10 minutes of the second half tonight consisted of Toure, Skrtel, Flanaghan and Gerrard giving it the welly towards Suarez and Sturridge. It was notable tonight that when Fulham lay deep Liverpool were still trying to play the ball over the top. Liverpool created quite a few chances tonight, but their strikers were always hurried in their strikes on goal and at times they laboured when they tried to break down Fulhams deep defence.
Quick long ball counter attacking football is working for them so why change it, it is getting results. They were camped in Fulhams half quite a bit in the second half and as Gerrard and Herderson pushed forward they left themselves wide open at the back. Nearly every time Fulham broke out they were fouled so that Fulham couldn't get a quick break away. Wenger calls it 'tactical fouling' so as to stop the opposition from getting counter attacks, Arsenal were experts at it and that is why they could throw so many players forward.

Mourinho and Benitez would be happy to sit behind the ball with two banks of four, plugging gaps and letting the opposition have possession. Rodgers' side aren't as disciplined defensively but they break with four (Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho and Sterling) or even five (Henderson/Gerrard) and they close the ball down higher up the pitch.

I didn't watch much of the highlights tonight, so I couldn't really comment, but against us and Arsenal the balls forward (whether long or not) were deliberate and the strikers were able to anticipate them and get on the end of them. That contrasts with us under Moyes where Distin and Jagielka would have very few passing options and would play percentage football into the channels and hope that the striker got there before the defender.

I like Gerrard in front of the back four and I agree with Rodgers that it should now be his position for England. Maybe it's happened partly out of necessity though because of Lucas and Allen being injured. They're still a team in transition but I think I'd be less afraid of facing Chelsea, Arsenal or City than playing against them again.

 

[billycopper]

Name me one Arsenal 'squad' player who has cost £20m?

If we're going to use money/finances as a barometer, Arsenal would be much more deserving. They've been outspent by Liverpool over the past years.

And £10m on Borini, £15m on Sakho, £7m on Iago Aspas in past two years... Need I go on?

"Unlike a lot of his rivals". They can afford to have £16.7m Santi Cazorla on the bench though.

The way I look at it is that everyone finished the season with a starting eleven and Liverpool have done the least to improve on it, so they deserve the most credit for their improvement this year.

 

[billycopper]

he's a decent coach, a slimeball clearly, but maybe the players relate to that. He's stumbled onto a system that gets the best out of the player he didnt buy, his intention was to go there and tiki taka his way to the top. Hes so far removed from being the smartest coach in the league its untrue, the others will adapt to it, if I'm wrong then you can vault me when he wins the league

How do you play against them? If you sit deep Suarez or Sturridge will find half a yard on one occasion and score the winner. Or Gerrard will do something with a set piece. And if you have a go at them they'll tear you to shreds with their counter-attacking.

Rodgers could easily have lined up the same as everybody else with Allen and Lucas protecting the back four, Gerrard keeping Countinho out of the side in the hole, Sturridge shoe-horned in on the flank and Suarez left to take teams on by himself up front. It's what Moyes probably would have done, if he'd inherited the side. I still think that Brendan is a bit of a David Brent character but he's daring to be a bit different.

 

[The Equaliser]

Haha the goals they conceded were calamitous, especially Toure's, hilarious though. And a deflected shot to get them back into it coupled with a suicidal pen in injury time means that they won't be winning any League title with that happening.

 

[noharmdone]

Name me one Arsenal 'squad' player who has cost £20m?

If we're going to use money/finances as a barometer, Arsenal would be much more deserving. They've been outspent by Liverpool over the past years.

And £10m on Borini, £15m on Sakho, £7m on Iago Aspas in past two years... Need I go on?

Liverpool are just spending the money that's coming into the club ?
All Evertons money just DISSAPEARS.

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

He's a brilliant attacking coach as he was at Swansea, not so sure about his defensive nous though. Agger is a far better defender than calamity Toure and should replace him. Sturridge was an incredible (lucky?) signing. Although he was highly thought off as a kid at Man City and looked the business on loan at Bolton, no-one surely thought he was this good. Chelsea felt compelled to play Torres through the centre having forked out 50m so didn't get to see Sturridge have a sustained run in the team and in his best position. 12m is ridiculous. Rodgers knew him having worked with him at Chelsea but I'm guessing it was a slice of luck in terms of being a great signing. Coutinho was quite similar in that he too was being talked about from a young age and was seen as a player with huge unfulfilled potential. It's these type of players that we should really be looking to bring in, players who are yet to reach their potential and are affordable.

In terms of the league, it's been wide open all season and any of the top four can win it. Still think Chelsea will take it (though their lack of a quality striker could cost them). The one team I would back the least is Arsenal, toothless upfront and have the second hardest fixture list (only Man City's is harder).

 

[Brownie]

Sturridge has scored 16 in 16 starts this season. On the back of 10 goals in the last 14 games of last season. Is actually outrageous.

 

[SlamDUNCthefunk]

Their defence is awful though. They shipped 2 goals to the bottom side, and were behind twice. They lack concentration.

They do have 3 of their back 4 out though with arguably their best defender in Agger not even getting a look in (though after Toure's performance tonight I don't see how he doesn't start the next game)

 

[SlamDUNCthefunk]

They are the absolute spawn of the devil. 1-0 and 2-1 down and still win 3-2 with a dodgy penalty (their SIXTH OF THE SEASON!) in the last minute.

And they also do all this when both Chelsea and Arsenal draw. Unbelievable.

Nothing dodgy about it, you won't see a clearer penalty. Just brainless from Reither.

 

[Cadbury13]

He's stumbled onto a system that gets the best out of the player he didnt buy,

Some incredibly embarrassing posts I've seen in this thread tonight, none more so than this one.

Sadly, it's clear he is an excellent young manager, who has been able to switch between various formations this season to best suit the players he has at his disposal. To suggest it's been a fluke is laughable really.

But let's just say they play **** long ball crap and fluke huge 5-1, 0-5 and 4-0 wins against Arsenal, Spurs and ourselves. If it makes some of you feel better...

They are very much in with a chance of the title with only 12 games to go. With the main two still to go there and no european football (probably no FA Cup after this weekend too), they have as good a chance as anyone.

 

[Raino85]

Tonight Henderson was not far away from Gerrard sitting in front of the back 4, Rodgers has reverted back to the way Benitez used to play. Rodgers is not innovating he has copied Benitez and Mourinho, who at times this season has played 7 behind the front 4. Exactly what Rodgers has done, but getting the ball forward quicker with long balls.The first 10 minutes of the second half tonight consisted of Toure, Skrtel, Flanaghan and Gerrard giving it the welly towards Suarez and Sturridge. It was notable tonight that when Fulham lay deep Liverpool were still trying to play the ball over the top. Liverpool created quite a few chances tonight, but their strikers were always hurried in their strikes on goal and at times they laboured when they tried to break down Fulhams deep defence.
Quick long ball counter attacking football is working for them so why change it, it is getting results. They were camped in Fulhams half quite a bit in the second half and as Gerrard and Herderson pushed forward they left themselves wide open at the back. Nearly every time Fulham broke out they were fouled so that Fulham couldn't get a quick break away. Wenger calls it 'tactical fouling' so as to stop the opposition from getting counter attacks, Arsenal were experts at it and that is why they could throw so many players forward.

City did that first half at the etihad to us. Silva must of fouled about 4 or 5 times when we was on the break without picking up a booking. Remember at the time it bieng very frustrating but a good tactic

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Meh, Rodgers is what he is

I think some of his buys have been questionable, but he's certainly put together a strong first XI, as results have shown

 

[Yid4life]

Luckiest team in the prem.

Really? Coming 4th only for Chelsea to somehow beat Bayern Munich in the CL final & thus miss out on the CL ourselves. Double lucky!

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Really? Coming 4th only for Chelsea to somehow beat Bayern Munich in the CL final & thus miss out on the CL ourselves. Double lucky!

Chelsea were more than lucky in that game with Barca and also the Bayern one

To quote Chris Kamara, they defended like beavers

 

[hullefc]

City did that first half at the etihad to us. Silva must of fouled about 4 or 5 times when we was on the break without picking up a booking. Remember at the time it bieng very frustrating but a good tactic

How do you counter it? First, if a team uses that tactics it is up to the manager to point it out at the press conference, with a 'I hope we are allowed to play on Saturday/Sunday/Monday and not our play disrupted by having too many fouls against us'. Second, it is up to the players to have a go at the ref on the pitch, because by 'tactical fouling' that teams gets an unfair advantage, after every foul. That is what Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manu do and to a lesser extent City. They are constantly in the refs face putting him under pressure, if you don't do it you will be get penalised by bookings and decisions going against you.

Take last night when Suarez went for the ball with the goalie diving, he didn't even get booked. Why? Because the Fulham players were too nice and didn't surround the ref. If Bent had done that on Mignolet the Dowd would have been surround by Liverpool players and there would have been a lot of pushing by Liverpool players. These actions would have forced Dowd to act because he wouldn't want to be ****ged off in the RS media for 'allowing the goalie to get kicked in the head'. You have to play fire with fire otherwise you will get short changed and the opposition will get an advantage and more likely win the game.

Lucas has been doing the stumble into the player fouls for years and hardly gets booked for it often giving away 5 or 6 fouls before he is booked. This tactic disrupts the opposition and stops quick counter attacks. Arsenal have been doing it for years but are less effective now than they were because the players are not that way inclined compared to Van Persie, Fabregas, Flamini etc. of yesteryear. They fouled from the front and that is why they could throw players forward and not get caught on the counter. In a way we have been too nice, under Moyes and now under Martinez, and tried to play the game in a fair way without resorting to tactics that undermine the integrity of the game. Manu, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and City have no such scruples and will do whatever it takes to win. We on the other hand go into those games with one hand tied behind our backs.

Watch over the next weeks as the title is up for grabs and it becomes squeaky bum time the way Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City try and get an advantage.