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Completely gutted to lose that match as we should have won and taken our chances in the first half, however, there is a hell of a lot we can take from the performance, unlike most of our previous games.
Positives:
Desire - we hunted and pressed the opposition making it difficult for them on the ball. This has been sorely non existent in recent games so massive improvement.
Cutting egde - We created good chances and should've been 3-0 up at HT. I think we all knew missing them would cost us.
Zamora - This was the Zamora from his Fulham days. He was immense and looks a completley new player now over his op last year.
Yun - FINALLY Harry started him and he proved why he shouldve been playing long before now. The kid is good defensively and great on the break. He was excellent and when you factor for the first half he was directly up against Sterling, that is some performance.
Selection and Tactics - FINALLY Harry played 2 up top and a team with a bit of fight and nouse and they for once seemed to know their jobs and carried them out.
Henry - Massive respect to him this season. He has really grown as a performer and was again superb doing the job he's there to do. Hugely unsung hero type performamance. Some think he shouldv'e taken out Sterling on that final attack, but it would've been a 2nd yellow and red, which if it happened i'm sure he'd have been slated also.
Vargas - Fantastic cameo, got his goals and now off and running. Watch this space i think. That first goal had all the attributes of a goalscorer. Good skill out wide and ball in, but didnt stand and admire what he'd done, he bolted it into the 6 yard box and finished in style.
Isla - Great game for me in both midfield and FB. Much improved and will grow from this im sure.
Onouha - Starting to prove his worth with another strong performance.
Midfield - The 3 in the middle really bossed and bullied Liverpool and all played well doing that job.
McCarthy - Looked very accomplished, composed and very solid. Great save from Lallana in second half with little chance to react, commanded his box. Would prefer to Green personally.
Concerns:
Finishing was abysmal in the first half. Fer and Austin should've scored without question. In general this season, our shooting has been awful... needs work.
Charlie - He seems to be a bit one dimensional, single speed and a little lost at this level for me. He lacks that explosive movement strkers often need and for me when he then gets chances he panicks and or rushes them as a result, ultimately messing them up. That one he bundled through yesterday why oh why take that extra touch... No surprise the 2 chances he's converted this season were very instinctive and had little time to think about the chance to then mess it up.
Phillps - Serioously lacking confidence after early season missed sitters. needs to get back to doing what he does best, skinning the FB and whipping balls in.
CB's - They were very solid but then let themselves down as couldnt sort their feet for the OG's.... very very poor. Dunne especially was clumsy beyond belief.
Concentration - Liverpools first goal was a shocker with half our players not paying attention. Teams like Liverpool dont need an invitation
Harry - Will he have the strength of character to stick with the majority of these players or will he bring back favourites when fit.
Injuries - What is going on with our army of coaches that we continually have players break down with injuries... .it cant be a coincidence. Sort it out ffs!
Adel - My concern is not so much Adel being overweight directly, but the fact Harry comments about a player being so unfit but happy to get his £60/70k a week..... How is this allowed to happen?? Put him on a specific firness programme and if he doesnt follow it, fine him 2 weeks wages. Continue this as long as it persists. If he;s not doing the graft he's expected to then dont pay the ####er. And if he's at training, why the hell arent they working him hard enough. Its a farce. We all know he's naturally lazy, and if you let him be lazy he will be. Work the player!
Overall, to give that performance against such a strong team in Liverpool really fills me with optimisim for the rest of the season, but Harry needs to learn from this. WE need to attack teams becasue our defence is not good enough and lacks the concentration to site back and hope for a shut out, it wont happen.
My other main concern is we may do ok against Villa, but then we have 2 guranteed defeats for me, so the confidence will take a massive hit once again.
Positives:
Desire - we hunted and pressed the opposition making it difficult for them on the ball. This has been sorely non existent in recent games so massive improvement.
Cutting egde - We created good chances and should've been 3-0 up at HT. I think we all knew missing them would cost us.
Zamora - This was the Zamora from his Fulham days. He was immense and looks a completley new player now over his op last year.
Yun - FINALLY Harry started him and he proved why he shouldve been playing long before now. The kid is good defensively and great on the break. He was excellent and when you factor for the first half he was directly up against Sterling, that is some performance.
Selection and Tactics - FINALLY Harry played 2 up top and a team with a bit of fight and nouse and they for once seemed to know their jobs and carried them out.
Henry - Massive respect to him this season. He has really grown as a performer and was again superb doing the job he's there to do. Hugely unsung hero type performamance. Some think he shouldv'e taken out Sterling on that final attack, but it would've been a 2nd yellow and red, which if it happened i'm sure he'd have been slated also.
Vargas - Fantastic cameo, got his goals and now off and running. Watch this space i think. That first goal had all the attributes of a goalscorer. Good skill out wide and ball in, but didnt stand and admire what he'd done, he bolted it into the 6 yard box and finished in style.
Isla - Great game for me in both midfield and FB. Much improved and will grow from this im sure.
Onouha - Starting to prove his worth with another strong performance.
Midfield - The 3 in the middle really bossed and bullied Liverpool and all played well doing that job.
McCarthy - Looked very accomplished, composed and very solid. Great save from Lallana in second half with little chance to react, commanded his box. Would prefer to Green personally.
Concerns:
Finishing was abysmal in the first half. Fer and Austin should've scored without question. In general this season, our shooting has been awful... needs work.
Charlie - He seems to be a bit one dimensional, single speed and a little lost at this level for me. He lacks that explosive movement strkers often need and for me when he then gets chances he panicks and or rushes them as a result, ultimately messing them up. That one he bundled through yesterday why oh why take that extra touch... No surprise the 2 chances he's converted this season were very instinctive and had little time to think about the chance to then mess it up.
Phillps - Serioously lacking confidence after early season missed sitters. needs to get back to doing what he does best, skinning the FB and whipping balls in.
CB's - They were very solid but then let themselves down as couldnt sort their feet for the OG's.... very very poor. Dunne especially was clumsy beyond belief.
Concentration - Liverpools first goal was a shocker with half our players not paying attention. Teams like Liverpool dont need an invitation
Harry - Will he have the strength of character to stick with the majority of these players or will he bring back favourites when fit.
Injuries - What is going on with our army of coaches that we continually have players break down with injuries... .it cant be a coincidence. Sort it out ffs!
Adel - My concern is not so much Adel being overweight directly, but the fact Harry comments about a player being so unfit but happy to get his £60/70k a week..... How is this allowed to happen?? Put him on a specific firness programme and if he doesnt follow it, fine him 2 weeks wages. Continue this as long as it persists. If he;s not doing the graft he's expected to then dont pay the ####er. And if he's at training, why the hell arent they working him hard enough. Its a farce. We all know he's naturally lazy, and if you let him be lazy he will be. Work the player!
Overall, to give that performance against such a strong team in Liverpool really fills me with optimisim for the rest of the season, but Harry needs to learn from this. WE need to attack teams becasue our defence is not good enough and lacks the concentration to site back and hope for a shut out, it wont happen.
My other main concern is we may do ok against Villa, but then we have 2 guranteed defeats for me, so the confidence will take a massive hit once again.
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