[Archived] Rovers 1 -0 Liverpool

[92er]

We could do if you want. Who do Reading play in the cup?

[Neil Weaver]

Them thar Clarrots..........

Saturday, 06 January 2007

Reading v Burnley, 15:00

[Eddie]

I'd rather Burnley win the cup match. Would love a chance to play them again and if we did get them then they would be an easier tie.

[only2garners]

He played about 5.20 extra. Slightly extra for Tugay but not as much as he could have added seeing as it took Tugay some 45 seconds to come off.

I wasn't surprised that there were 5 minutes of injury time - there had been 5 substitutions in the second half and a fairly lengthy injury to Bellamy.

[Eddie]

It surprised the radio 5 team, they thought it would be about 3.

[Krillin]

I wasn't surprised that there were 5 minutes of injury time - there had been 5 substitutions in the second half and a fairly lengthy injury to Bellamy.

The referee was also making a point of looking at his watch as Nonda did 'a Tugay' and ambled the width of the field when he was subbed.

[Exiled_Rover]

The referee was also making a point of looking at his watch as Nonda did 'a Tugay' and ambled the width of the field when he was subbed.

It wasn't a typical Tugay exit though - Styles had a word and told him to hurry up. Spoilsport.

[Lathund]

It surprised the radio 5 team, they thought it would be about 3.

Isn't there some, rarely followed it seems, guideline that says that 30 seconds should be added for each substitution made in the half? Which immediately adds quite a bit, and then add a couple of incidents (Bellamy's injury, a couple occasions where the ref had chats with the ref, and some time wasting from Rovers) and 5 minutes isn't so strange. I actually think that refs don't add enough time in general, especially when there's been time-wasting.

[Exiled in Toronto]

While still ecstatic about the result, I have to say I thought we were pretty p!sspoor for 70 mins of the game. I can't recall a Rovers team that gave away possession as cheaply as the current one does, nor one that offers such clear-cut chances to the opposition. The problem runs much deeper than the absence of Nelsen and Reid.

Irrespective of how high we finish in the league, we have yet again spent the first half of the season in the lower reaches, playing a lot of crappy football and losing to some god-awful teams, intersperced with the odd good result. A situation which has occurred in all but one season since we came back up.

It's great to get a backs-to-the-wall win, and I think there is very little chance we will go down, but we have to stop being a second half team and start offering more entertainment in the first half of games and seasons.

Bah, humbug!

[Flopsy]

2 and a half seasons.

The season we got promoted (that counts as the half)

The following season when we came 6th

and last season

[Eddie]

Isn't there some, rarely followed it seems, guideline that says that 30 seconds should be added for each substitution made in the half? Which immediately adds quite a bit, and then add a couple of incidents (Bellamy's injury, a couple occasions where the ref had chats with the ref, and some time wasting from Rovers) and 5 minutes isn't so strange. I actually think that refs don't add enough time in general, especially when there's been time-wasting.

I believe that it is 30 seconds per goal and substitution in a half, but I might be wrong.

[Fife Rover]

Whats all this seasonal goodwill about? Is this some sort of breakaway league where small clubs playing in blue and white with new grounds, millionaire owners and victims of press and media scorn can find shared entente? If so hadn';t we better invite a few pie munchers?

Yeh! Why not? The more the merrier.

Besides, we might get another free pie!

[Exiled in Toronto]

2 and a half seasons.

The season we got promoted (that counts as the half)

The following season when we came 6th

and last season

Missed my point. Season we came up we were in and around the bottom 3 until Cole was signed around this time. The following season was the only one where we were in the top half for the first half of the season, and last season we were well in the bottom half until our Xmas-time run. We have only had one optimistic-looking first half of a season out of the last five.

[Royal Fleet]

Yeh! Why not? The more the merrier.

Besides, we might get another free pie!

Having done a few previews and dropped into a few other notice boards, my dislike of the big 4 is increasing. The Chelsea lot were moaning that - to quote - 'Anyone else find it pathetic when teams and their fans are happy with a draw?' until someone else had the good grace to point out it wasn't too long ago that the average Chelsea fan would have been more than happy with a point away at the Champions.

Anyway, my point is that my perception is that there are about 8 'glory teams' in this league, who attract about 75% of the fans, the remaining attracting the more reasoned and long term fan.

So, good luck for the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see if there is anything riding on the last game of the season......

[joey_big_nose]

After the kicking they recieved last night Lawrenson has put an article up on the BBC analysing the causes of the defeat. Something at the end suprised me, he said: "Benitez is trying to do [what Wenger has done at Arsenal] but has only just started, he... needs five or six real quality players to come in, hopefully something the proposed Dubai takeover will help to achieve."

Five or six quality players! Jesus!

The current Liverpool team has an astounding amount of talent in it, which cost an incredible amount of money to put together:

---------------Kuyt----Bellamy

-Gonzalez---Alonso---Gerrard---Pennant

----Riise---Carragher--Agger---Finnan

-------------------Reina

And this doesn't include Crouch, Fowler, Garcia, Sissoko, Hyppia, Zenden, Kewell and our own Niell is soon to turn up. It's an embarassment of riches. I'm suprised Liverpool are struggling and Benitez has to take the rap for that at the moment. Player for player I would say that squad is very close in terms of quality to United and slightly better than Arsenal's. Imagine what Hughes could achieve with players like that?

But say it quietly, we wouldn't want the scousers to nick him!

[Eddie]

I'm not sure that I agree with you there. Alonso, Gerrard, Carragher and Reina are all top class. Kuyt has blown hot and cold this season, Bellamy isn't the player he was for us, Gonzalez is still learning his trade and it isn't clear just how good he will be and Pennant is as unreliable as they come. Riise and Finnan are both good, if unspectacular. Don't get me wrong, they are a good team but I don't think it is fair to say that they have an embarrassment of riches and the quality of their squad is still a bit behind United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

[joey_big_nose]

I don't see how you could say Bellamy and Kuyt are not top class, they are! Crouch is more than decent too. I admit both Pennant and Gonzalez not quite in the same category as Ronaldo, Robben, Rosicky, Giggs etc. but Benitez bought the players for large amounts of money. I would take either of those guys any day of the week and be sure that Hughes would use them well. Benitez deosn't seem to be making the most of them.

Neill should perhaps take note.

[Eddie]

Bellamy was top class for us last season, but he hasn't recreated that form at Liverpool and he wasn't as good at that at previous clubs. Kuyt isn't top class, he's a good striker at this level, but I wouldn't list him as being one of the best strikers in the league. I would happily have either of them playing for us, but then we aren't a team that Liverpool really want to be comparing themselves with.

[den]

Not quite sure what you're saying there Eddie.

"Bellamy was top class for us last season, but he hasn't recreated that form at Liverpool and he wasn't as good at that at previous clubs". Does that mean Bellamy was over performing last season and he's not really as good as that? Of course he's as good as what we saw. That goes someway towards JBN's point, that Benitez isn't getting the best out of that squad.

[cn_barlow]

I don't see how you could say Bellamy and Kuyt are not top class, they are! Crouch is more than decent too. I admit both Pennant and Gonzalez not quite in the same category as Ronaldo, Robben, Rosicky, Giggs etc. but Benitez bought the players for large amounts of money. I would take either of those guys any day of the week and be sure that Hughes would use them well. Benitez deosn't seem to be making the most of them.

Neill should perhaps take note.

Rafa could tell Neill he's gonna play him in goal and he'd still be on his way...it's all about the money!

I agree with the point about Benitez not getting the most out of his players...probably got something to do with the massive squad and his stupid rotation policy. Liverpool are not good enough to have that sort of a rotation policy, as last nights result showed!

Benitez has got to be one, if not THE most over rated managers in the prem!

[Flopsy]

Id say the challenge of a new club.

But the money helps

[RevidgeBlue]

Unlike Liverpool, great result for Wycombe tonight 1-1 in the first leg v Chelski.

Just shows what can be achieved by getting up and at "em. Premiership sides should take note.

As for Liverpool I honestly thought they had the squad to win the League this season, couldn't have been more wrong. At the moment they don't seem to be in any different position to under Houillier i.e. currently about as much chance of winning the Prem as us.

[Presty On Tour]

Rafa could tell Neill he's gonna play him in goal and he'd still be on his way...it's all about the money!

I agree with the point about Benitez not getting the most out of his players...probably got something to do with the massive squad and his stupid rotation policy. Liverpool are not good enough to have that sort of a rotation policy, as last nights result showed!

Benitez has got to be one, if not THE most over rated managers in the prem!

i agree i don't like benitez with his rotation policy but he's not over rated imo.

his cv is excellent, won trophies with valencia in spain and and has won trophies in england and led liverpool to the european cup which is no mean feat.

[CAPT KAYOS]

As for Liverpool I honestly thought they had the squad to win the League this season, couldn't have been more wrong.

Don't think you where Rev

Jansenpresty hits it on the head - its this rotation bollux that managers seem so het up on using

[thenodrog]

i agree i don't like benitez with his rotation policy but he's not over rated imo.

his cv is excellent, won trophies with valencia in spain and and has won trophies in england and led liverpool to the european cup which is no mean feat.

There is a saying that suggests that in football players and managers are only as good as their last couple of results.

Now that Ranieri has gone he appears to be the new media 'Tinkerman'. This will be contentious I'm sure but having witnessed the press and media heap scorn on Ranieri, which ultimately led to him being replaced it seems to me that Benitez knows full well that his actions will attract serious criticisms and that there is a possibilty in my mind that he is actually angling for the sack and the huge compensation that always follows such!

Just imagine this scenario ....

1. if some Spanish club chairman (of a club that Benitez was a boyhood hero of )wants him to replace the existing manager in the summer without paying Lpool any compensation.

and

2. Benitez is realising that he has bought badly and Lpool will not be in position to challenge the other 3 for years, and his reputation is being damaged, and life is not that easy in the Prem, and Houllier is going great guns at Lyon, and the weather is ###### and his wife hates the North West.

and

3. Rafa wants a huge and by now accepted payout a la Ranieri / SGE / GS / etc etc

then whats to stop him intentionally doing what he appears to be doing reluctantly...... other than his suspect acting ability?