Pessimism is fine but constantly berating the team without giving any credit when it's due is something else. 2 seasons before Rafa left I wrote a long piece which was posted on another website, citing it was time for us to part ways. Drew a lot of flack it did but I didn't mind given it was to me a well thought out piece. BR has made mistakes but at the same time he deserves credit for the things he has done right. He's done enough for the club to see out the term of his contract at least.

Says something that the immediate reaction to this defeat is for some fellas to point out how right they think their views are. Didn't hear jack when we beat the mancs. A spade is a spade in this case. We were piss poor.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Sep 22 2013, 12:02 AM

Err this is still our best points tally for the start to a season for awhile. In any case, did you really expect a title challenge this season?

Firstly, it's one defeat. If a game was based on one bad defeat, Arsenal would have been out of the race after they lost to Villa.

Secondly, what are players supposed to say to the media? My club isn't good enough? Context.

Pity some can't distinguish support from blind faith.

Some fellas expect us to challenge for the title each season and for some reason, I'm deemed unrealistic.

My English must be really bad because I can't make sense of what you've just posted.

I can only speak for myself but I've never turned the telly off even when we are down 3-0 with 10 mins to go. If everyone abandoned the team, the Attaturk would have been empty at half time.

Yup it's why I mentioned the Attaturk I.e. Where the final was held. You lot came back in Munich as well.

I get the criticism over the team's performance. It is what it is. Just as one win won't win doesn't mean we're on our way to the title, one defeat doesn't mean we're going to face relegation. We lost, take it on the chin and move on.

Still, it was a bizarre decision to start with 4 centre backs considering that we had Wisdom, Kelly and Enrique on the bench, and Rodger's tactics require our fullbacks to be adventurous. I'd understand if injuries robbed us of any fullback. In any case, he realised his error albeit a little too late by hauling off Agger and Skrtel.

Mignolet's shot stopping was good but his distribution was appalling having completed only 45% of his passes. Pepe averaged 70% +/-.

Hard to take any positives from last night's match. Nothing to be done but to take this blow to the chin and move on. With Suarez returning, there will be less pressure in Aspas. The bloke needs to spend some time in the ressies and weight room to come to terms with the physicality of the Premiership.

We've been struggling against mid table teams for a long time now. Anfield used to be a fortress back in the days King was player-manager. Since then we've often been undone by sides we were expected to beat. It was no different under Rafa who despite his European success was unable to to consistently take 3 points from teams below us, bar 1 season. Teams like Reading and Norwich outplayed us at Anfield.

Being adventurous at home is to me, not optional. It should be mandatory for the home side to want to pick up all 3 points. In the wins earlier in the season, we only really adopted caution when we were defending a lead.

In my opinion, Rafa's side played with a lot of caution. He micromanaged when I felt players should have been given more freedom. The only exception was when we were chasing the title and we steamrolled teams like Man Utd and Real Madrid. We also managed to score 4 against Chelsea though we were ultimately undone by the away goals rule. The very next season, the team adopted caution again, which baffled me. BR's side played with more rigour last season. We often dominated out opponents which meant we scored a fair number of goals. However, we also conceded a tad too many. This season it seems he's adopting caution more. In a case of two extremes, the answer usually lies somewhere in the middle. Far as I know, only Stoke can play with 4 centre backs and get away with it.

I agree with your assessment hence why I posted on us looking more cautious and defending deeper than usual especially when we are looking for 3 points against a mid table side, with all due respect to Southampton of course. With the addition of Alberto, Moses and Aspas, I expected to see more of this. Aspas may be having a torrid time at the moment but he showed during pre-season that he linked up well with the other forwards. Now that he isn't up against pint sized Asians, he's struggling.

I really do hope we revert to a more positive brand of football when Johnson returns to the side but I suspect however, that it is also partially down to Lucas. His range of passing is limited and he hasn't been at his best for some time now. Maybe this is why Gerrard is playing deep. Been baying for a central midfielder who can pass from deep and here is the answer http://swol.co/former-liverpool-star-xabi-...-january/30255?. Instant fix. It will free Gerrard up once again.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Sep 22 2013, 10:16 AM

At least we know that the next time N'Zonzi has a go at one of our lads, Sakho will snap him like a twig.

http://www.givemesport.com/382925-liverpoo...paghettiplay=on

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Sep 22 2013, 10:31 AM

I said Stevie is playing deep now to compensate for a Lucas' lack of passing range and consistent form but with Xabi, he'll be freed up. Read it again la

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Sep 22 2013, 03:33 PM

Funny thing is most posters figured we added to squad depth before the season began. In addition to Alberto, Sakho, Toure, Aspas, Ilori, we have Jordan Ibe promoted to the first team. We lost Downing and loaned out Borrini. Won't mention Mignolet coz Pepe left. Also, Spearing and Carroll were already out on loan. In a sense we did add to squad depth but not in the area I'm most concerned about, central midfield and in particular a deep lying midfielder to challenge Lucas for a starting berth.

I don't think the issue was about squad depth as much as it was about wrong tactics and underperforming players.mi mean people talk about Sterling but Gerrard and Sturridge were equally unimpressive. It wasn't that we didn't have cover for Johnson as we had Wisdom and Kelly on the bench.

Rodgers decision to field 4 centrebacks was bizarre but I disagree that he doesn't have a plan B. One could say that he favours possession football but which manager doesn't have a signature style? When did Man Utd last change their style of play? Even so it needs to be noted that Rodgers has been reverting to a deeper defensive line, relying on counterattacking football rather than possession football in the second halves of games against Man Utd and Aston Villa in particular. Not saying it was the best decision on either occasion but it does prove that he changes formations and tactics during the game.

Also, he has never been shy to use the bench. Against the Saints, he brought on Enrique and shifted Henderson to fullback so that we'd have a little more bite in attack. He would also have Countinho adopt a more central or wider role depending on the progression of a game. In conclusion, I reckon it's a case of making the wrong decision instead of not making a decision.

Not having a plan B is a trait unique to Roy Hodgson who played 4-4--------2 instead of 4-4-2, playing only direct football. There is no other reason a ball playing centreback like Dagger could not get a game ahead of any of the lumpers we had. Rodgers may not be making too many right decisions on the pitch this season but he certainly hasn't been as inflexible as Hodgson.

If you bothered to read the comparison was made after comments that BR doesn't have a plan B i.e. he doesn't change the shape of the team, tactics or players during games. These characteristics are reserved for Roy Hodgson. Follow?

To reiterate, I'm stating that Rodgers does make changes, just not the right ones based on our performances so far this season e.g. reverting to a defensive stance when leading.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment...carlyle-2296298?

and I reckon he'd do a good job of it as well. He's already been in a movie which featured the club regularly - The 51st State.

Possibly more to do with the possibility of injury. I mean we lost Toure, Cissokho and Allen to injury in the tie against Notts County. A title challenge is more important than a league cup win, King Kenny found that out and Rodgers can ill afford to falter further at this juncture of the league competition. I reckon he'll rest some key players. Losing to the mancs in the league cup at Old Trafford isn't the worst thing that could happen and I'd like to see some of the young uns get a competitive game under their belt. Would like to see Ibe and Alberto given a go. The former in particular has looked impressive for the U-21s.