One game

[richie17]

Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape over one game?

You've seen us all season.  We've been okay for the most part, sometimes good, sometimes not.  It happens.  Surely better to judge over a season than one freak hammering by a team at the top of their form?

We know Mark Schwarzer's a good keeper - he's proved that and some mistakes last night don't prove that he's lost it.

Gudjohnson was peripheral, but sometimes that happens to forwards. 

The only thing that surprised me last night was the play of Hangeland and Hughes, as I'd have expected them to deal with things they didn't deal with.  As for the rest of them, well again, this can happen against good teams when they're playing well, especially if you get excited and try to attack them as we did. 

[TonyGilroy]

If we could be as good as a Liverpool team playing this well we'd be top 4 challenging for the title.

What annoys me though is that despite it all each of the first 4 goals were eminently defendable. Hughes won't be happy and neither should we. We should have been better than that.

But, as you say, just one game. For that reason I think it important that major changes aren't made for Birmingham. These players have to be given a chance to redeem themselves. They're all better than they showed last night. Much better.

[Blingo]

And they WILL show that last night's performance was a one off. In fairness, we were beaten by the better team on the night, NO ONE gets it right all of the time and the only perfect person I ever met was a liar.
Bring on Brum.

[The Doctor]

"Freak hammering" I think says it all, and it's why I'm phlegmatic about last night's result.  We decided to have a 'mare against a team playing out of their skins (incidentally, what of the received wisdom that Liverpool are useless without Gerrard?)

I am in complete agreement with Tony that most of the goals we conceded were as much about hesitant defending on our part as they were good play by Liverpool.  I'd expect Hughes to be dishing out the rollicking of a lifetime after that, and hopefully our response will be the same as that after the Boxing Day farce.

That said, I do think Schwarzer should be dropped for the Birmingham game.  If we're to hold on to Stockdale, he has to know that he will be selected on form rather than just being called on to cover injury/absence and this would seem to be the perfect opportunity.  Allows Hughes to make the point that competition for places is well and truly open.

[Duncs]

Agree with richie. unfortunately the whole team did not appear to turn up and we faced a liverpool side playing well.

Let's see how we regroup and whether we can get some points in the next two including a big win at home in the last.

[NorthernWhite]

I was travelling back from the North East so missed the beginning of the game but I had a horrible feeling we would go a goal down early doors and if that happened, we'd get a hammering.

Hopefully this will bouy them up for the Birmingham game and Bobby starts. I'd also like to see Briggs given a start at left back if he's fit and one or 2 of the other youngsters on the bench. The issue now in the PL is with so much money riding on each place, will Hughes be able to blood some youngsters? It could save us money in the long run though and Hoesen got a place on the bench at Sunderland and we did OK there.

[elgreenio]

I'd also like to see Briggs given a start at left back if he's fit and one or 2 of the other youngsters on the bench.

just as long as he doesn't play against Arsenal again i'd be happy, the boy got shown a lesson in the short time he was on the field at the Emirates.

[Peabody]

Thank goodness for a sensible thread.

[NorthernWhite]

I'd also like to see Briggs given a start at left back if he's fit and one or 2 of the other youngsters on the bench.

just as long as he doesn't play against Arsenal again i'd be happy, the boy got shown a lesson in the short time he was on the field at the Emirates.

If I remember rightly, that was the game where he was taken off because he was injured and then had to have an operation straight after?

The poor lad has had 2 premier league starts, against Chelsea and Arsenal. Not exactly a gentle introduction...

[The Doctor]

just as long as he doesn't play against Arsenal again i'd be happy, the boy got shown a lesson in the short time he was on the field at the Emirates.

If memory serves, wasn't he played into an awkward position by one of his team-mates (Etuhu?) at one point?  I seem to remember a cross-field backward pass that put him under unecessary pressure, and Nasri capitalised with a goal.

[elgreenio]

yes he was taken off that game injured, although at the time I just thought it was because of a nightmare start, having rings ran round him by Nasri (though he ended up doing it to everyone with his goals).
Can't quie recall Doc, I seem to remember him being played into a dodgy position and instead of just clearing his lines, trying to turn onto his left foot and getting caught. Was a long time ago mind.

[Lighthouse]

Yesterday showed us nothing we didn't know already. But like the slimmer who meets a friend they haven't seen for a year and is asked 'how is the diet going?' We are shocked how some improvements simply do not show.

[epsomraver]

Agreed, a sensible thread Richie, , for once the whole team had an off night together!, only satisfaction I got was digging the scouser next to me in the JH stand in the ribs when he celebrated their first goal, her said "ehmmm it's only a game like" ( not really I put that in for effect)   I told him to foxtrot oscar over with the rest of the hubcap snatchers or sit on his hands, to be fair he kept quiet after that.