[Archived] Liverpool Preview

[DP]

Hope you're right Theno, but I worry about the effect on morale a performance (and defeatist message sent out by the manager) like that has on the team.

But it's clear that Diouf and McCarthy will be involved next week. Probably MGP and Grella (woopee) and maybe even Santa Cruz.

The threat of Ethrington concerns me next week, but he's no Rierra. Stoke also don't possess players close to Mascherrano, who I thought was immense today.

[Blue blood]

Disappointed with todays result, not so much the defeat but the manner and extent of it were pretty depressing.

Given that we had so many players injured getting anything out of the game was a very tall order. I doubt Liverpool, or any club bar man utd, would have coped with having so many injuries to key players. Peds, Diouf, Rocky and Emerton make a massive difference to the team, whilst this was definately roberts type of game - we needed an energetic forward, whilst a fully fit Grella and Dunn again would have made a massive difference.

Even so, the performance was pretty dire, and once again confirms that whilst our first 11 is pretty useful, our squad is pretty weak. Most disappointing of all was the two late goals we conceeded, Liverpool clearly eased off the pressure in the second half, and rovers should have been able to stand firm against a less urgent Liverpool side. As it was we let in two late goals which gives us the worst goal difference of the relegation candidates, which could be key. With liverpool clearly having an eye on Chelsea in mid-week we really should have been able to see it out at 2-0 till the final whistle, which would not have been a disaster in the situation.

The positives? Hard to find, but robbo made a few cracking saves, and Carlos looked lively when he came on. Other than that, I guess the fact we didn't pick up any more injuries is a bonus, although I'm clutching at straws here. Here's hoping results go our way and lessen a depressing afternoon of football for us.

[Presty On Tour]

If we go down this season, a major contribution is we have gained 0 points against the top 5 so far this season and handed them 27!

With the Ince regime and Roberts missing open goals, the funds not available for new players and injuries to current staff....we have to pull together and fight as a unit.

Gutted today but there is no Pedersen, Santa Cruz, Diouf, Roberts, Emerton, Reid. Benni and Grella was on the bench also.

We all know next week at Stoke is our final!

[broadsword]

Don't know why everyone's so surprised, this is what happens when you get by on a shoestring for years.

I'm fed up with it.

[Guest Vinjay606]

I don't care if it was a north western trains league side (if that's what it's still called) there needs to be maximum effort at the very least. The manager goes with a defeatist attitude than they play like defeatists.

Look at other clubs around BRFC. Not all of them have gone to Anfield this season and been given a thrashing.

[Gamst]

Honestly, part of me would rather us go down and watch competitive games against similar teams, in a league that we would likely be near the top of, rather than scrapping for points off other poor teams, and writing off any games against teams in the top 4.

Games like today, the continual domination of the Prem and Europe by Chelsea Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal just prove that football is dying. No wonder people are losing interest

Couldn't agree more! The premiership is absolutely pants if you support any team outside the top 4. Dossena alone is worth similar to our whole starting line-up...how can we be expected to compete? It was worrying that we didnt look like we cared, but even if we had tried, we still would have been thumped. Something needs to be done about English football ASAP. Whilst pundits wax lyrical about the strength of our game due to the success of the big four in Europe, it is at the expense of the rest of the football teams and in my eyes, todays match shows how little strength in depth there is in English football. The top four get all the publicity and as a result of this, idiots decide to support teams that they will never be able to watch live. Smaller teams than ourselves are going bust due to the disproportionate share of the wealth. I was speaking to a Man U 'fan' in a pub the other day and he was saying that his home team (Luton) were stuggling financially...does he not realise that it is idiots like him who are to blame? This has become a rant and is nolonger about today's match, but I enjoyed venting my fury.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Sorry but that was the most spineless performance I've ever witnessed by a Rovers team and I've been going since 1961 ! When big Sam came I thought that we wouldn't see a lot of pretty football but we would see plenty of effort, attitude and organisation in our players. Well today was the pits- all the things you need to win a game of football were missing, every last element was absent.

On another day that would have been double figures, it was a walk in the park for Liverpool , they never really got out of second gear. It speaks volumes when you play your best defender up front because your recognised striker either can't of won't give you 75-80 minutes of running after lost causes.

We were second to every 50/50 ball, lost most of the headed challenges, backed off at every opportunity, failed to mark out all over the pitch and were a yard slower in every position. Shocking, shocking, shocking, I could go on all night but what's the point. I don't want replies from the appologists of todays " performance ", you can't seriously defend that. That was the sort of lack of effort that gets managers sacked. If there isn't a 300% increase in application next week at Stoke it'll be another 4-0.

Scores

Robbo 7 His best game for us.

Andrews 3 There's a cardboard cutout in my local video shop that would be better at fullback.

Ooijer 5 Did his best but let down by the lack of midfield cover.

Nelsen 5 Ditto , gave Torres too much room for his wonder goal.

Givet 6 Kept things relatively quiet down his flank.

Treacy 3 Men against boys, gave Andrews no help with Riera at all.

Dunn 3 Hardly touched the ball apart from wasting all our deadball chances.

Tugay 5 Tried his best , at least he showed some effort.

Mokoena 3 Very poor, hardly protected the back four at all.

Warnock3 I thought he would have busted a gut today, may as well have come and sat next to me after he laid the wreath.

Samba 7 Grafted in an unfamilar position with no support. He won't be at Ewood next season that's for sure.

Subs Doran 3 - Rabbit in the headlights.

Villaneava 6 - Bright little cameo, he'd obviously seen that white , round, bouncy thing before.

Grella 4 - Managed to last the full 15 minutes.

[ABBEY]

there was more effort put in at wigan away than today

[des]

well what a side and what a game.

that must be the worst midfield I have seem todate, when we are down to a 17 years old and a 38 year old we know we are on a loser.

what on earth is the axe playing at, one thing it is not football, I would not pick him better to play with ten.

only playing one up front and that as a centerhalf, might that the ball give kept on coming back. should of not played the axe and had two up front.

The worst was the lack of effort and why are we spending millions on a youth set up, where are the good young players.

still we never throght we would get anything out of it, so lets all move on.

[Blue blood]

there was more effort put in at wigan away than today

Not sure on that one. Wigan away however did feature a much stronger Rovers team. Todays line up wasn't far off being a reserve team.

Incidently Andrews picked up his 5th booking of the season so will be missing the Stoke game. We really will be struggling for players at this rate.

[Tom]

Is it not 10 booking now needed Blue blood?

[broadsword]

Our GD is now done to -19, not good at all.

[ABBEY]

Not sure on that one. Wigan away however did feature a much stronger Rovers team. Todays line up wasn't far off being a reserve team.

Incidently Andrews picked up his 5th booking of the season so will be missing the Stoke game. We really will be struggling for players at this rate.

its 10 yellows isnt it now?

[Tom]

Abbey can't agree with you on it being worse than Wigan, that really was appaling, Roque and Warnock were criminally bad that day.

Question for people, in your heart of hearts do you believe we'll go down? I truly don't know anymore it changes week on week.

[Blue blood]

Is it not 10 booking now needed Blue blood?

its 10 yellows isnt it now?

I wasn't aware that it was. Hope it is 10, we need every player we can get.

TCO I am convinced that if the injuries clear up, we'll have more than enough ability to keep us up. We'll grind out a few draws and the odd win, which in this year's uber-competitive premiership should be more than enough.

However if the injuries don't clear up I worry where our next points will come from. Samba up front and an enigmatic Benni isn't enough of an offensive threat to get us the points we need.

[rover6]

I didn't follow the game but do I read right?

Did Sam Allardyce, respected English manager earning millions of pounds a year, put Keith Treacy on the RIGHT WING?

What is the point of following a football team lead by such idiocy? Playing Keith Treacy makes no sense - let alone on the right wing. Although, I advocated his promotion, Treacy has fully proven that he is not up to the standard. He had his chance and blew it. However, the cankerous prejudice of favouring mediocre experience (relative) over inexperienced promise was in full ugly show today. Why didn't Aaron Doran start on the right wing - seeing as he IS A RIGHT WINGER? Treacy has nothing to his game worthy of being considered. Doran might've frozen but that's better than seeing the hopeless Treacy played on the wrong flank.

And for those who blame the current team's crapness on a lack of finances, think again. It is primarily down to wretched management. How hard is it to find a better midfielder than Aaron Mokoena? We had Amdy Faye on trial here, he is a superior player to Mokoena. In fact, I think most of the CHampionship CMs are better than him. How many years have we known that Tugay can't be expected to hack it at this level? Why did we sign Keith Andrews when we could have signed Anthony Annan? Why did we sign Simpson when he had made little impression in the Championship with Ipswich? Why mess Warnock around by moving him around the pitch? Why not use Gael Givet in his favoured CB position? Why don't we make more use of the most skilful player at the club?

Defeat to Liverpool ain't the end of the world, but continued managerial stupidity is going to see us back in predicament we were in when Souness became senile and Gresko became a central midfielder.

[AggyBlue]

I didn't follow the game but do I read right?

Oh hello, finally crawled out from under your stone have you

[den]

Treacy has nothing to his game worthy of being considered.

You want to remember that quote when you're pushing the next unseen, untried youngster. Treacy was a star at the ROI under 21's, according to you wasn't he? He was the outstanding performer for the reserves according to your good self as well.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

To be honest Den, he was playing well when R6 said he was. And R6 has also managed the colossal task of admitting his judgement was wrong, which is more than some people on here can do.

[den]

To be honest Den, he was playing well when R6 said he was. And R6 has also managed the colossal task of admitting his judgement was wrong, which is more than some people on here can do.

Yes I've seen that. Fair play to him/her.

He/she just needs to remember that playing well for the ROI under 21's, or the rovers reserves, is absolutely no proof of Prem league credentials.

[John]

Don't think the formation helped the players today, but what a truly woeful performance. Found that embarassing and Liverpool were never in a game.

There was no one screening the back 4. Treacy is shocking and I cringed when I saw his name in the team sheet.

You could write a list of things that were wrong but can't be bothered.

[Roost]

Don't think the formation helped the players today, but what a truly woeful performance. Found that embarassing and Liverpool were never in a game.

There was no one screening the back 4. Treacy is shocking and I cringed when I saw his name in the team sheet.

You could write a list of things that were wrong but can't be bothered.

Whatever the game plan, that was a totally unacceptable performance.

It looked like the players were resigned to getting beat before a ball was kicked so they just could not be arsed to put any effort in.

I had the misfortune to be sat with the scousers, and they were laughing at our line up.

In the past I have defended Andrews but I have given up today. The second goal was down to his lazy ameaturish defending.

I am now in A SULK. My girfriend is giving me 'space' and the cat has buggered off out of the way.

Crap support from Rovers too

[Roost]

One more thing - why did Tugay go straight down the tunnel? Embarrassment?

[tonygreenbank]

I never expected anything other than a loss today so this no way affects my predictions which have all been correct today so far and if Stoke draw then its 100%. We should get 44 points. I assume that BS realised this was going to end in defeat especially with our injury problems so I am not going to get too depressed.

Before the game Sky showed the goals from the previous meetings and only Newell`s goal in 1994 was the only time we have won! So this team today could hardly do much worse. It was painful viewing today as we saw a glimpse of the future and it wasn`t pleasant. We cannot go down as this club will wither very quickly. We do not have the personnel. There will have to be massive investment in the team next term assuming we stay up. Out should go Dunne, Tugay, Treacy,Mokeona, Grella,Zurab, Roque and Warnock will ask to move and probably Benni.

The only other observation from Sky`s reprise of former matches is how much Rovers away support has so dwindled from packed areas to today`s few hundred hardy fans many of whom were going off ten minutes from time. Roll on Stoke next week.

[allanncd]

Kidds rubber dinghymen would not have done any worse than this gutless shambles. There is rubbish in this team that would no impact even in the Championship. Step forward Axe, Treacy, Andrews and others who are all to clearly looking forward to a move - Benni, Santa (if he ever stops feigning injury - now we know why Bayern fans hated him) and Oojier - how casual is his attitude? Add to that a couple of players - Dunn and Tugay - who are miles short of the athleticism and fitness required at this level and you have a team of about 4 left.