tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post7355076780467589730..comments2023-12-22T01:47:49.178-05:00Comments on oh you beauty: Liverpool 1-1 Stokenatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10043601945557998732noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-55184412554704918752010-01-17T01:20:54.670-05:002010-01-17T01:20:54.670-05:00Agree completely with everything Earl said.
That ...Agree completely with everything Earl said.<br /><br />That was U-G-L-Y to watch and any Liverpool fan could see the equalizer coming from miles away. Kuyt missing his header was just as predictable. <br /><br />Also, it wasn't a penalty on Lucas, but it was a very harsh yellow for diving. He pulled the same move that Rooney does all the time...anticipate contact and start to go down early. Of course he's a foreigner, and only Englishmen get that call. Gotta love the xenophobia that exists in English football, from the media to the referees. <br /><br />Even if you thought it was a penalty, I feel like we were lucky to win the free kick that resulted in the goal, so I guess you could argue that things evened out.<br /><br />Also, we just aren't going to get the benefit of the doubt on questionable penalties for awhile after Ngog's dive against Birmingham (again, xenophobia rearing its ugly head...see Eduardo's ordeal against Celtic earlier this season). We just have to deal with it.<br /><br />One last thing regarding Stoke's infamous long throws. I know that they're like 98% of Stoke's attack, but here's my beef with them...it's so ridiculously shady that they have a ball boy give them a towel to dry off the ball before every long throw. That's a blatant unfair advantage that should not be allowed.<br /><br />How about some sort of time limit on throw-ins in the opposing team's half? My idea? When a ball goes out, the linesman is the only one who can touch the ball before the player who makes the throw, and as soon as he gives the player the ball, he has 5 seconds to to put it back in play, just like basketball.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-33583125002018796102010-01-16T19:33:30.054-05:002010-01-16T19:33:30.054-05:00Lucas wasn't the problem, though he and Masch ...Lucas wasn't the problem, though he and Masch are never going to create any kind of offense playing together. God they're depressing to watch. I know Stoke is very difficult to play at home, but what an awful display. Still, the ugly win would have been a great morale boost. Yet another dagger at the end. Oh Kuyt, you Sloth looking bastard, just a fraction off. Now I know what other fans felt like after all of Liverpool's late heroics. Horrible yellow card on Lucas, but not a penalty either. <br /><br />Ngog plays like a 12 year old girl, what an utter waste. When he wasn't getting pushed off the ball he was giving it away. How can he be your 2nd best striker? At least Voronin is gone so I don't have to watch that, but damn. Babel? He better be either sold or used. How about some new blood in there. I agree he shouldn't be such a whiny bitch, but Rafa is a stubborn mofo who is fast losing(lost) the benefit of the doubt.Earlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11585007019421806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-58344867453840978662010-01-16T15:48:56.967-05:002010-01-16T15:48:56.967-05:00I've been trying to put this match out of my h...I've been trying to put this match out of my head all day by thinking about Wednesday. <br /><br />Any comments/ideas/opinions to take my mind off of the repeating image of Huth sitting alone backpost....Franknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-73954645065633405842010-01-16T14:58:12.397-05:002010-01-16T14:58:12.397-05:00Oh. One of the announcers said he would now be su...Oh. One of the announcers said he would now be suspended. Fuck if I know how that works.BackBergtthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916269531937171514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-73147617550798303682010-01-16T14:56:24.483-05:002010-01-16T14:56:24.483-05:00Who's suspended? Lucas? I'm pretty sure ye...Who's suspended? Lucas? I'm pretty sure yellow cards were wiped clean after the new year.natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10043601945557998732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-84034320257654941472010-01-16T14:54:18.060-05:002010-01-16T14:54:18.060-05:00Well he's suspended now right? Guess it haunts...Well he's suspended now right? Guess it haunts us a little. He was actually our best creative force, I thought. <br /><br />Bolo Zenden scored today. There is no emoticon to express my disdain for that man.BackBergtthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916269531937171514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-28393395731062092010-01-16T14:50:24.799-05:002010-01-16T14:50:24.799-05:00I didn't have a paragraph on player performanc...I didn't have a paragraph on player performances because I was already over 1100 words.<br /><br />Kyrgiakos man of the match, easy. Hyypia-esque is the best way to describe it, although I think he might have had a hand in losing Huth at the end (don't really want to go back and watch). Ngog did not play well, he looked tired, isolated, and had a very tough time against rugged defenders.<br /><br />But I completely disagree with the notion that Lucas had a bad game. He had much more responsibility today, and performed adequately. 'Tidy' is the word I'd use too. It's a lot harder to get back and defend with Mascherano when you're trying to link the attack and get forward as well. Plus, it was a bullshit yellow card that I thought would come back to haunt Liverpool; that Lucas kept his nose clean for 60+ minutes is nothing to ignore.<br /><br />Otherwise, fairly par for the course as everyone else is concerned.<br /><br />We would have seen Pacheco had Liverpool needed a goal between 65-80, but Benitez took off Ngog for Aquilani instead. Which was probably the correct decision given the situation. And I don't think starting Aquilani was a option with how much he played on Wednesday, but I admittedly give Benitez tons of leeway 'rotation'-wise as he sees the players day in and day out.natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10043601945557998732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-57996942768129993062010-01-16T14:32:24.666-05:002010-01-16T14:32:24.666-05:00Sami type game from Kyrgiakos today. And what els...Sami type game from Kyrgiakos today. And what else can be said about Pepe? That was just a goalkeeping clinic on reacting to crosses, my word. This one hurts because we actually defended decently for the most part. And because Stoke are the worst offensive team in the league.<br /><br /><br />But with today's later results, it stings a bit less. Still gained a point on fourth place when it's all over.BackBergtthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916269531937171514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-24275616995602932962010-01-16T14:31:52.155-05:002010-01-16T14:31:52.155-05:00It was weird, an hour in I was thinking Kyrgiakos ...It was weird, an hour in I was thinking Kyrgiakos was playing a really excellent game and then he popped up with that utterly Greek goal.<br /><br />The equalizer was coming though--that is all I can fault Rafa for, not pulling N'gog earlier since he hadn't shown any ability to keep the ball upfield. Kuyt would have plowed that furrow much better.<br /><br />Nice to see anonymous commenters continuing to slag Lucas when he had his usual tidy game (if not the dominant one I wanted to see), and won an obvious penalty, our second clear one in two games turned down. If anything Nate, you're too lenient there: you know when a Guardian writer not only gives Liverpool benefit of doubt, but calls it a "hilariously inept decision," that it was really, really bad.<br /><br />Trivia: this was apparently the first game ever for Liverpool without a member of the starting lineup wearing a number between 1-11.drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16041903590665426891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-17132373075637703602010-01-16T12:35:14.297-05:002010-01-16T12:35:14.297-05:00A good write-up. But I guess you haven't cover...A good write-up. But I guess you haven't covered Lucas's game today. It was pathetic to say the least. And as Frank said, it would have been good to have Aqua from the start, till maybe just after half time. Agreed Benitez did not have many options, but I hate his stubborn approach. Play Lucas day in day out for the full 90 mins, persist with Kuyt even though he is utterly out of form, make very very late subs. I fail to understand why doesn't he ever try youngsters like Pacheco when he could see Ngog was struggling upfront?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-13005829760865083642010-01-16T12:29:09.846-05:002010-01-16T12:29:09.846-05:00Ngog was a disaster with most every touch. He just...Ngog was a disaster with most every touch. He just wasn't in the match.<br /><br />Is it me or is Maxi slow? I hope its just his intro to the Prem, but he was a step behind everyone. Yikes.<br /><br />Kyrgiakos was class all match. I didn't like his play early on with Liverpool, but he's definitely grown on me.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33779660.post-24394423654032222152010-01-16T10:27:31.249-05:002010-01-16T10:27:31.249-05:00Really nice write up. Liked the opposing view you ...Really nice write up. Liked the opposing view you took on the game.<br /><br />At first, I was very upset with Rafa's decision to exclude Riera, Maxi, and Aqui from the starting eleven and go with bascially 8 defensive minded players. However, you have some good points defending that decision.<br /><br />I still think that he should of used Aqui from the start. Lucas and Masch are very similar players in that both like to sit back deep and distribute the ball. They are both not really interested in getting forward and creating. That's were Aqui comes in. He can get forward, and enjoys supporting the two strikers up front. Just think it would of been a nice counter point to either Lucas or <br />Masch.<br /><br />Also, I know he's young, but Ngog makes me sick. Between watching him against Reading and then again today, I just don't see the upside of him. Sure, he's got some speed and decent ball skills but he's so weak on the ball. He is VERY hesitent and not very difficult to defend. All you really have to do is put a little pressure and body on him and he almost willingly falls of the ball. He just looks lost out there.<br /><br />WIth that said, I think we should do everything in our power to pick up Jones for Sunderland. With Torres out, Babel obviously not in Rafa's plans, and Ngog just looking terrible of late, Jones is a much needed piece. <br /><br />Fucking Kuyt, couldn't just angke that 2 more inches to the left...Franknoreply@blogger.com