The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[Kaney]

Alexis is so good. So good.

That was never a pen at Stamford either.

[9 to 5]

Don't care, that got me the 12th and last goal I needed to win a bet. >_>

[Gazz]

And it was against QPR, so it was definitely a penalty. Probably two penalties.

[TCO]

Another thing about today, why has Abeid been hidden away for so long. He was brilliant mid-week against City and even better today, can't believe this was his Premier League debut. He looked so composed and energetic throughout.

[DavidMarrio]

Do Liverpool always play like that? It was like watching paint dry.

This season apart from Tottenham. Tbf though both teams were shite until around the 65th minute. Can't complain with the result just the way the team played.

[Gazz]

Another thing about today, why has Abeid been hidden away for so long. He was brilliant mid-week against City and even better today, can't believe this was his Premier League debut. He looked so composed and energetic throughout.

I think spending last year at Panathanaikos, where he was apparently brilliant, has done wonders for him.

[Colly]

Another thing about today, why has Abeid been hidden away for so long. He was brilliant mid-week against City and even better today, can't believe this was his Premier League debut. He looked so composed and energetic throughout.

Supposed to have been decent in Greece last season too.

I just can't fathom what Liverpool's tactic(s) is(are). The possession stats must have been ridiculous but it wasn't a Barcelona/Swansea style triangles in the midfield, it was centre half-centre half-keeper-centre half, then either attempt a forward pass that got cut out before crossing the half way line, or Gerrard 70 yard smash. Sterling, Coutinho and Balotelli barely got a touch in a decent area. The fact that even at 1-0 down any potential break started with a backwards pass to a functional centre half baffled me. It's not that there aren't good footballers there, it's just that most of the football was being played at the feet of the least technical players on the pitch. Mignolet looked terrified at moments and had to beat a man with a trick more than once.

Edit: Ruddy Gazz.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Ultra Rare Colly

[Cheeky Hughes]

I'm going to have to go full Hughes here, but we've just beat 12 men for the second game on the bounce. I've never seen more inconsistent application of the same rule for opposing sides, which added to booking Taylor for an offense he literally made up on the spot (standing in an offside position when the ball is dead?) whilst not even giving a free kick when Balotelli blocked a Krul kickout is frankly embarrassing. The only vague thing we might have got was Janmaat not getting a second yellow for a foul shortly after the first, but given that first was for a frustrated foul after Marriner missed about 4 fouls on us in the buildup I think we were owed something. Cabella conceded a foul for jumping near to Skrtel. :/

Do Liverpool always play like that? It was like watching paint dry.

That's bloody gimmick infringement, that is.

And Liverpool fans, what is up with your team? Is it as simple as no Suarez and extra matches or is there something else missing?

Edited November 1, 2014 by Hughes

[stokeriño]

Alexis is so good. So good.

That was never a pen at Stamford either.

I only saw it from the far end of the stadium - BUT considering that we've lately seen Ivanovic get multiple yellow cards for twice breathing in the direction of Di Maria, this at least is a proper shove.

https://vine.co/v/OOOv2AXJtFi

[Nerf]

I'm going to have to go full Hughes here, but we've just beat 12 men for the second game on the bounce. I've never seen more inconsistent application of the same rule for opposing sides, which added to booking Taylor for an offense he literally made up on the spot (standing in an offside position when the ball is dead?) whilst not even giving a free kick when Balotelli blocked a Krul kickout is frankly embarrassing. The only vague thing we might have got was Janmaat not getting a second yellow for a foul shortly after the first, but given that first was for a frustrated foul after Marriner missed about 4 fouls on us in the buildup I think we were owed something. Cabella conceded a foul for jumping near to Skrtel. :/

Do Liverpool always play like that? It was like watching paint dry.

That's bloody gimmick infringement, that is.

And Liverpool fans, what is up with your team? Is it as simple as no Suarez and extra matches or is there something else missing?

It's neither.

It's Rodgers insisting on playing Balotelli has a lone striker when that has never been his game, it's Sterling and Gerrard burning themselves out, it's the lack of a clinical finisher (Sturridge), it's a defense that is systematically broken, it's a complete identity crisis. We'll get better though. We were actually this bad last season until we lost to Hull, only this time we haven't been "winning ugly." So yeah, still three points off fourth, I think, so far too early to be panicking yet. Need Sturridge and some cohesion back ASAP though.

[Dynamite]

Gerrard seems mentally broken after losing out on the title like that last year. He genuinely believed he'd finally done it and slipping has hit him hard. The fact he's still playing 90 minutes every match at the age of 34 and is visibly low on morale at the moment is not helping Liverpool.

If he was at United or Chelsea, he'd be on the Scholes or Lampard schedule where he's rotated enough to still be excellent when he does play. Rodgers is too scared to drop a Liverpool legend. Even Benitez rotated him pretty often and that's when he was in his absolute peak.

[Hobo]

I'm going to have to go full Hughes here, but we've just beat 12 men for the second game on the bounce. I've never seen more inconsistent application of the same rule for opposing sides, which added to booking Taylor for an offense he literally made up on the spot (standing in an offside position when the ball is dead?) whilst not even giving a free kick when Balotelli blocked a Krul kickout is frankly embarrassing. The only vague thing we might have got was Janmaat not getting a second yellow for a foul shortly after the first, but given that first was for a frustrated foul after Marriner missed about 4 fouls on us in the buildup I think we were owed something. Cabella conceded a foul for jumping near to Skrtel. :/

Do Liverpool always play like that? It was like watching paint dry.

That's bloody gimmick infringement, that is.

And Liverpool fans, what is up with your team? Is it as simple as no Suarez and extra matches or is there something else missing?

I'd say I'd broadly put it down to:

1) Lack of Sturridge.

2) Lack of Suarez.

3) Hangover from finishing 2nd.

4) New signings (especially in defense) - most of whom are really young (Manquillo for example has barely played any senior games prior to moving to Liverpool)

5) Teams have Liverpool worked out and the way Liverpool have been playing this season hasn't been as effective thus far.

Personally, I think last season was a bit of a perfect storm of things going right for Liverpool. Currently the squad reminds me an upgraded version of Dalglish's second season team.

[Jimmy]

Kinda crazy that Rogers isn't getting anywhere near the amount of shit AVB got from the media last year, for virtually doing the exact same thing.

[peteypirahna]

Well he's sorta lucky that Arsenal, City and United are also underperforming so despite Liverpool's completely shit start they might even scrape a Champions League place.

If they're still that bad by January then he'll be gone.

[Colly]

I will never ever tire of hearing Life of Riley when Goal of the Month is mentioned.

[The Lusophone]

If they're still that bad by January then he'll be gone.

I'm not so sure. Rodgers more than any other Liverpool manager in recent history is great at passing the blame and playing to the media. Watch as the 'calculated gamble' becomes 'Ian Ayre's gamble' or 'the Liverpool hierachy's gamble' or similar. Injury or fitness problems with English players? Obviously that's Roy Hodgson's fault.

[Szumi]

Rodgers certainly does seem out of his depth right now though. He is not doing anything to change the tactics at all. He keeps playing Balotelli in a lone striker, he keeps playing long ball tactics, which is keeping his best attackers in Sterling and Coutinho isolated. The movement in the final third is non-existent, and there is nobody driving forward from the midfield. Henderson is really off lately. I don't know if he is playing hurt or just tired, but Hendo is struggling bad. As big of a critic as I am of Gerrard at times, I feel so bad for him. He looked like the only player on the pitch today who gave a damn. This team is lacking passion and heart.

[peteypirahna]

Well in fairness it's not like he can do much else BUT play Balotelli in a lone striker position until the January transfer market comes, who else is he going to have up front? Rickie Lambert?

[Colly]

Borini? Push Sterling forward rather than play him pseudo wing back?

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Brilliant news, another injury, this time for Rafael. Valencia fills in for him at RB, how fantastic.

#mufc XI vs City: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw, Blind, Fellaini, Januzaj, Rooney, Di Maria, van Persie