[Archived] Liverpool Match Review 2 - 2

[The Producer]

Would like to see Stead starting alongside Bothroyd, whose display on Saturday came as somewhat of a revelation as he displayed signs of real quality.

I agree with you about Bothroyd, but although I'd like to see Stead back in the starting line-up eventually, I'd prefer to see Djorkaeff and Bothroyd for the moment. Gives us Stead, Dickov and Gallagher to bring on depending on which of them the game suits.

Edited November 3, 2004 by The Producer

[thenodrog]

I like Amoruso, maybe with a pacy player he'd do better.

'Pacy player'?!?....... Sorry Speeedie for a minute I thought you said 'pacemaker'.

[FourLaneBlue]

Positives: Emerton, Bothroyd, and Reid were excellent. Emerton in particular has now shown he can perform on either flank if he wants, so there really is no excuse for him only putting in the two or three good performances we saw last year.

To be fair I think Emerton has already put in more good performances this season than in the entirity of last season. It all adds up to a player who is now looking settled and comfortable in this league. I've not been able to see a game at Ewood this year but have seen nearly all the games on TV so don't know if those at the grounds agree but I think Emo has been easily the most consistent player of ours and is the early front-runner for our player of the season. Some people last season refused to believe that he would ever settle down but he's proving them wrong.

Agree about Bothroyd; he looks skilfull and a dangerous. Get him starting games please Sparky! We need a bit of youthful hunger and ambition up front. Stick Dickov on as a sub to harry the defenders when their legs are tiring.

[The Prof.]

Dickov is one of the just okay players Souness seemed prone to signing throughout hid career. He has a good attitude but Bothroyd is downright dangerous (all the time I believe).

We are short of a quality player next to him and with Jansen injured I would be looking to sue Souness for letting Cole go for nothing. That was the disgrace of the season whatever happens next. Marcus Bent was another million quid givaway and he always look likely to make it to me.

I think Stead is going to have to work hard to get his place back but I still think we should be looking at Jemal Johnson or Cairan Donnolly for at least half a game. We still lack any real pace in the side although Emo is giving us a let out now. (Wonder if he had the same instructions Dunny had before he quit! "Don't give the ball away and defend as if your live depends on it cos we're only after survival son." Sort of stifles your will to attack)

Todd for right back, Short, Johannson (funny but I always thought he would be up their with an extended run in the side) and Mc Everly and bingo- we could play a quickley changing 3/4 man back for with some defensive capability.

Anyone know when Tommo's back in midfield?

[stuwilky]

Todd for right back, Short, Johannson (funny but I always thought he would be up their with an extended run in the side) and Mc Everly and bingo- we could play a quickley changing 3/4 man back for with some defensive capability.

Anyone know when Tommo's back in midfield?

That could well be interesting.

Friedal

Todd---Short---Nissa ---- Mceveley.

Nice.

And Thommo played 75 minutes for the reserves last night so id guess by the end of the month he should be in contention.

[thenodrog]

To be fair I think Emerton has already put in more good performances this season than in the entirity of last season.

And lest we forget Emertons renaissance began whilst GS was here!

Somebody somewhere has simply instructed him on pain of death NOT TO TURN BACK WHEN HE IS CLEAR OF HIS DEFENDER, and the results speak for themselves! (just for chance he is reading this board and might be forgetting the basics of wing play).

This rejuvenated guy incidentally is the Emerton that I first saw at Blackpool last August (and wrote about on here) and had not seen since for whatever reason.

[thenodrog]

Todd for right back, Short, Johannson (funny but I always thought he would be up their with an extended run in the side) and Mc Everly and bingo- we could play a quickley changing 3/4 man back for with some defensive capability.

Anyone know when Tommo's back in midfield?

That could well be interesting.

Friedal

Todd---Short---Nissa ---- Mceveley.

Nice.

And Thommo played 75 minutes for the reserves last night so id guess by the end of the month he should be in contention.

imo Simply sticking Todd at ch next to Neil will solve many of the problems with the rb position. He will cover for him far better than Short does. Short and Nissa should be vying for the other ch position.

Kinda sums up our defensive probs in nutshell though when we are depending on Todd's return to steady the ship. 2 years ago the majority of this board thought he was too bad to burn.

[chris]

"I would be looking to sue Souness for letting Cole go for nothing"

I agree, i'm still ###### about this, particularly considering Cole has been brilliant this seaon, different class to anyone on our team, it must be 5 goals in 7 games and he works very hard andset up play has been great.

I am also certain the signing of Dickov forced Cole out, thats not Dickov's fault, its purely Souness.

[American]

Fulham is still only a few points ahead of us (and I know at least 3 of those points came with him out suspended). If he were here, we'd probably have lost those 2 matches 4-1 instead of 4-0. The problem wasn't as much the loss of Cole as the failure to bring in an adequate replacement who wasn't going to kill our wallet like Cole was.

[FourLaneBlue]

"I would be looking to sue Souness for letting Cole go for nothing"

I agree, i'm still ###### about this, particularly considering Cole has been brilliant this seaon, different class to anyone on our team, it must be 5 goals in 7 games and he works very hard andset up play has been great.

I am also certain the signing of Dickov forced Cole out, thats not Dickov's fault, its purely Souness.

Actually it is ulitimately the responsibility of the men with the power: John Williams and the rest of the board. They backed Souness' judgement and got rid of Cole while keeping faith with a manager that it seemed they were seriously contemplating replacing anyway. If the Rovers board are looking to sue anyone over Cole going for free, they should look in the mirror.

Even though I said on here at the time I didn't want Cole to leave I still think the board made the right decision to back the manager. You surely can't have a situation where the players choose the manager.

[jim mk2]

Actually it is ulitimately the responsibility of the men with the power: John Williams and the rest of the board. They backed Souness' judgement and got rid of Cole while keeping faith with a manager that it seemed they were seriously contemplating replacing anyway. If the Rovers board are looking to sue anyone over Cole going for free, they should look in the mirror.

Even though I said on here at the time I didn't want Cole to leave I still think the board made the right decision to back the manager. You surely can't have a situation where the players choose the manager.

Quite right.

The ultimate responsibility if Rovers go down will rest with the board. They hired Souness, which seemed like a masterstroke for two or three years, but failed to act when it was obvious that the manager had passed his sell-by date or stand up to him over his dubious transfer activities.

Fortunately for them, Newcastle solved the Souness problem and they did not have to make a difficult decision over his future at Ewood. Sighs of relief all round from a boardroom of frightened men.

The problem is if we are relegated for the second time in six years what does that say about the managerial expertise of Williams and his cohorts ? To oversee one relegation might be considered unlucky, a second will be seen by many as incompetance.

[chris]

Fulham is still only a few points ahead of us (and I know at least 3 of those points came with him out suspended).

not sure if you are saying Cole has not been that good this season, but I would disagree and Fulham would seem to aswell, this is from there offical match report from the weekend, someone must be pretty happy.

"Andrew Cole put in a compelling display of skill, guile and subtlety. His movement and passing was breathtaking, and his brilliantly taken goal after he combined with Luis Boa Morte was his fifth in eight League games for his new club. Centre Forward for England? They could do a lot worse."

I did see some of the highlights on sky and he was a different class, not sure about breathtaking but then these are Fulham supporters after all.

Edited November 5, 2004 by chris

[thenodrog]

Actually it is ulitimately the responsibility of the men with the power: John Williams and the rest of the board. They backed Souness' judgement and got rid of Cole while keeping faith with a manager that it seemed they were seriously contemplating replacing anyway. If the Rovers board are looking to sue anyone over Cole going for free, they should look in the mirror.

Even though I said on here at the time I didn't want Cole to leave I still think the board made the right decision to back the manager. You surely can't have a situation where the players choose the manager.

Quite right.

The ultimate responsibility if Rovers go down will rest with the board. They hired Souness, which seemed like a masterstroke for two or three years, but failed to act when it was obvious that the manager had passed his sell-by date or stand up to him over his dubious transfer activities.

Fortunately for them, Newcastle solved the Souness problem and they did not have to make a difficult decision over his future at Ewood. Sighs of relief all round from a boardroom of frightened men.

The problem is if we are relegated for the second time in six years what does that say about the managerial expertise of Williams and his cohorts ? To oversee one relegation might be considered unlucky, a second will be seen by many as incompetance.

Strange how you've never mentioned that before Jim!

Am I right to assume that now GS has gone and you have welcomed the appointment of Hughes publically that you are now homing in on a new, but in your case, very necessary scapegoat?

[thenodrog]

Ooops sorry....... felt so good I posted it twice.

Edited November 5, 2004 by thenodrog

[American]

Fulham is still only a few points ahead of us (and I know at least 3 of those points came with him out suspended).

not sure if you are saying Cole has not been that good this season, but I would disagree and Fulham would seem to aswell, this is from there offical match report from the weekend, someone must be pretty happy.

"Andrew Cole put in a compelling display of skill, guile and subtlety. His movement and passing was breathtaking, and his brilliantly taken goal after he combined with Luis Boa Morte was his fifth in eight League games for his new club. Centre Forward for England? They could do a lot worse."

I did see some of the highlights on sky and he was a different class, not sure about breathtaking but then these are Fulham supporters after all.

What I'm saying is that his individual quality (when he wants to show it) doesn't bring as much to the team as people seem to say and think. Had he come in and carried them to a top 6-8 start, then it would be a different story. Instead, he's already cost them at least 2 points with his stupid outburst against West Brom. And remember, with him in the lineup last season, we weren't too much better than we are now.

My point more is that there are players we could have tried to get who would have done the same job for lesser pay. The failure was not seeing who might be available and then going after them.

Edited November 5, 2004 by American

[chris]

"My point more is that there are players we could have tried to get who would have done the same job for lesser pay. The failure was not seeing who might be available and then going after them."

you are little harsh on Cole he was provoked, but I totally agree with you comments about replacing Cole, still its not easy to get a class PL striker when we have little money.

Edited November 6, 2004 by chris