Current problem is not tactic wise, it is players's morale, confidence and determination, may be fitness and injury as well.

Even you have the best players, without morale and confidence won't win you games.

Manager can put up the best tactic or strategy, but of players lack of motivation, it won't have any good performance on the pitch.

Current squad might not the best and able to challenge the title, but not the like win 2 or 3 matches out of 13 or 14 matches.

Can't always blame no $$, no best players (yes, it could be the situation) but Aston Villla even has lesser money and smaller squad, but players seems very motivated and able to play some good fluent football while Liverpool players' on paper is better than them, but cannot play good football and players always with sicknote.

If finish 7, then next year Liverpool will have problem to attract players in the transfer market as well, not to mention cannot fight with other in term of $$.

If not put up a string of consecutive win for the next few matches (by January), I forsee the season has virtually ended for Liverpool.

If not mistaken, I hadn't seen Babel in Ajax, but some forumers posted he was playing 4-3-3 system which he is on left on the front.

I remembered when first year Rafa managed Liverpool, every game always rotate players until people can't understand why, after 5 years, never rotate players, always the same line-up even winless in 12-13 matches, and easy predictable by opponent team.

When players can't perform, it is time to look for plan B, let youngster have some run (after all already lose, no more harm done) or having some tweak here and there.

But having said so, I don't think changing players will improve much, because it is obvious that current major problem is mentality and confidence. When players are "head down" on conceeding goal, instead look for goal to cancel out the goal conceded, then we know what's the problem.

I don't know what Rafa thinks, but from the comment on Aqualani, it seem like chicken and egg theory.

Aquilani recovered from injury just fit, don't have match fitness, so can't play him or can't start him, but if you don't start him or play him, how can he gain match fitness?

Same with youngster

Youngsters are inexperience, can make mistake and resulted losses,
If you don't let them have some chance to play, how can they gain experience and improve.

Or the reserves team/youngster are that bad? which I don't know.

But if those youngster are that bad, no point keeping them as well.

I don't see Liverpool has new face of youngster which being promoted from reserves team, may be except Insua.

Sometimes I really admire and salute Wenger has sharp eye on talent and dare to give them a try. Some risk need to be taken to try it out sometimes.

I don't mean criticising Rafa, as every manager has their fair share of poor signing as well, but Rafa until now is not known for shrewd in dealing in transfer market (he has no control of transfer back Valencia time). He also new in transfer market.

Apart from Torres and Macherano, others so so only while Liverpool often don't get cheaply on its transfer target while most of the time lose money in transfer market. (buy 5 million and after a year or 2, no good, ship out with 1-2 million)

Rafa put up some bold statement according to soccernet.com

Quoted from Soccernet.com


Something make or break statement?

Conceded on 90th min again, doesn't do good for the defence side of confidence. If there is no Torres to score the second goal, then it is still winless again due to 90th min goal.

Reason why I said so, because Liverpool got dump out CL due to the 2 goals conceded near the end of match against Lyon, it becomes like a habit now.

It has to do with confidence issue to keep a clean sheet. Goals are leaking almost every match, that's the concern.

Yup, look at Wolves even field up second string team just let MU to have a walk over.
If Wolves put up back their strongest team, it is kinda embarrassing for Liverpool to label as big 4. (I don't mean to start fire debate on MU vs Liverpool)

When opponent fear you, just like decade ago when team goes to Anfield time, you already win 0.5 goal from the start.

Every match, even against the bottom team, you don't know Liverpool can beat them or not. Unlike big 3 teams, you 90% expect them to beat them easily.

Don't underestimate Unirea, they did beat Sevilla, just miss the second spot by whisker.

Europa league is irrelevant, top 4 spot is the priority. No top 4 spot, then it could mean disastrous in term of monetory wise as well as transfer market attraction, (as generally top players don't want to go to a team that no CL football, but Liverpool has no money, so it could mean make no different now )

Carra is spot on, no top 4, it could have lot of implication.

Draw against good team, said hard to qualify
Draw against unknown team, said could be a banana skin.

It just sums up how weak the mentality and confidence of the team.

Liverpool play 7 defensive players (except Kyut, Torres, Gerrard) against the team rcok bottom of the league, how shoocking it is, if the people don't know the blue team one will think the blue team is Chelsea (the league leader).

Come on, you play against the league bottom team, play 1 striker up front, 7 defensive players, 2 holding DM?
How on earth Liverpool show too much respect to a league bottom team? (no offence to Portsmouth) Changing players/tactic because of opponent.

What a joke, you play against the league bottom club, you don't want to lose?
You think how many goal you can win 2-0 or 3-0!!

Btw, where is the 20million signing, signed during summer, now winter already, still keep in freezer? or not match fit, cannot play again? or not match fit until next summer transfer market open again?

Somemore never show applaud to the players nor smiling even win by big margin. At least Fergusan, Wenger, even Ancelotti applaud players when they scored goal.

Sometimes, man management is very important, and a small applaud can actually give your players a confidence boost.

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Added on December 20, 2009, 12:15 amStill CL? even Europa league also difficult now with this kind of spirit.

1 goal shot on target for entire match against a bottom club match the statistic of playing 7 defensive players.

This post has been edited by cherroy: Dec 20 2009, 12:15 AM

Liverpool always doing well with keeping possession and passing around between DM and defenders. <--- this is doing well? depended on how one view on it.

But no threat at all and opponent GK has one save to make for the entire match.

How can you can score goal with playing with 3 man? Worst than GH defensive or some call negative football.

What good news?
Still thinking the gap with league leader?

Liverpool trailing Birmingham now! Europe place (Europa league, 5th) already in high doubt, still think winning the league??
or should say Birmingham is closer to the league top spot.

No offence.

I don't agree or disagree on whether sacking Rafa but just want to post some fact here.

Yes, limited budget, limited squad might be the case of cannot compete at the top or winning the league title, most supporters can accept it. But not the like below Birmingham in 8th position, and potentially 9th as well if Fulham win their one game in hand.

But does Arsenal spend more than Liverpool? No
Does Birmingham spend more than Liverpool? No
Does Aston Villa has bigger squad and spend more? No

But yet they are playing better football and above Liverpool now in league position.

On paper Liverpool has better players than them.

Aston Villa is having much more limited budget than Liverpool. But yet they are consistent at around 5-7th.

So I don't think it is fair always said Liverpool has no money which lead to a position right now. Cannot challenge the top then yes, but cannot play good football and at least 4th position, no.

The most important is that the body language is wrong, confidence and mentality issue <--- this is more about dressing room issue.

Just my opinion.

Heskey got one plus point, he is physical strong and better ball header which is good for holding up the ball.

At least can hoff the ball up if all plan doesn't work. Kyut won't win many header but Heskey can. At least during taking corner time, there is someone to head the ball. Unlike in current Rafa favourite team, Kyut, Lucas, Mascherano, they won't win you much in term of heading nor scoring goal with heading.

Need someone tall and physical strong one as well to mix up the game plan especially the team is struggling for more than 15 matches now.

Win the midfield battle means you have more possession only, doesn't mean can win the matches nor prevent any losing.

A lot of matches that Liverpool lose but got more possession than opponent, reason? Because the winning the midfield battle but just passing around between defenders and midfield, never ruthless or threat to opponent goal <-- which is the major poblem why Liverpool can't win many games for months.

Attack of Liverpool lack of cutting edge and creativity which is the crucial problem right now beside the leaking goal issue.

The answer is no, , if not some reflex save by Reina, Aston Villa might win 2-0. Aston Villa is the one deserve the points or at least a point from the match performance. It is a sucker punch last min and the ball fall to Torres (before he scored) due to some deflection as well.

Small and height are 2 different aspect. Terry, Vidic are not only have height but physical strong as well. Physical does play important part in EPL way of playing.

Yup, agree on ability of heading from leaping and others technical aspect play an important part.

Errr... from my memory, Hyypia did score a handful of important goals as well. Hyypia is good in attacking the corner kick, which clearly none in Liverpool team at the moment. Corner kick from Liverpool is totally harmless for opponent team.

Zonal marking has one serious flaw which I think several opponent has found out, ie. when you deliver the ball between the players zone, a lot of time, you will have free header because defenders are assigned to mark/protect their zone, but in between zone, confusion might occur or A might think it is B area, not A.

It is very identical to Houllier's Heskey/Owen case, at first few year, they were lethal combination, once opponent learned and studied it, then the strategy no longer work, so does the zonal marking, opponent study and know how to exploit the flaw, I would say you need some variation to confuse opponent as well. Too predictable play, it just mean opponent is more well prepared than you.

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Added on December 31, 2009, 10:41 amIt means nothing if Liverpool cannot build up string of win streak. The important is always 3 points every week disregard the team is unbeaten previously or not.

Liverpool beat MU 2-0, but winless in next 5-6 matches, even lose 2-0 to the bottom table team.

This post has been edited by cherroy: Dec 31 2009, 10:41 AM