Back From The Game: Liverpool

[Berry]

Bloody proud today, I sat on the sofa with my 18 yr old son who hasnt seen Reading play since the old days at Elm Park, he was reeling through wheres Murty? Wheres Doyle etc etc and I told him how they had all left and I was pointing out all the replacements, you know the stuff, "he cost nothing", "he is only 18" and my son summed up the game by saying Sigi actually looked a better player than Torres! Well today he did.
Its a real shot in the arm for me as I work for the Club and this makes my job a whole lot easier as Reading today looked like a team with purpose and dare I say it ability, rather than the rabble of the last few weeks.
Loved Sir Steve in the ITV Studio, didnt let the Carthorse Townshend get a word in edgeways, Yes there was some untidy bits today, Gunnar is slow, Hamer tried and Mills as far as I can see cant defend, although his dead ball skills are ok. Loved McAnuff though. I live in Swindon and I think the neighbours now know who I support after Church scored!! Please sir can I have some more?

[SHORT AND CURLY]

From a personal point of view Cisse was my Man of the match.
Get a better centre back in to partner Mills and a striker and we will be fine.
More balanced without Marek.
On the whole a good performance (But where were you shower vs Plymouth? )

[winchester_royal]

It's probably worth giving BMc some credit for the performance today. I said after the Plymouth debacle that his real test would be how the team reacted today. He got it spot on today, and his faith in the youngsters is fantastic to see.

[soggy biscuit]

Thought Mills had a decent game.

[PEARCEY]

Thought Mills had a decent game.

I thought he was decent as well....

[SLAMMED]

As did I.

[Murts-is-Lej]

What a fantastic match to start the New Year! Please God it's that team that turns out for us in 2010 rather the Plymouth shower.

MoM for me was Karacan - terrier-like all over the midfield and hardly a single misplaced pass. Even seems to have the legs to keep it up for 90 mins. Surely he must have played himself back in to the team at Marek's expense?
Close behind were:
McAnuff (as usual) who got quite a few crosses past a world-class (ish) left back
Church who made far more of what he received than Rasiak (although to be fair his were mainly feet rather than to head)
Bertrand who let almost nothing past and linked well in attack

[Terminal Boardom]

To the arsehole who sits in front of me, oxf*rd OFF!

To the Liverpool plastic sat behind me, oxf*rd OFF and take that retard of a son with you.

To suggest we were playing Liverpool rather than Scunthorpe is peurile. Liverpool were really very ordinary and if we had the tiniest amount of confidence we would have beaten them. This shows how far we have slipped down the ladder. On today's showing, Liverpool would be about halfway, if that, in the CCC. They did nothing.

What was worrying was the total inability to work their keeper. As soon as we raised the pace of the game the bin dippers were running scared. Sadly, our chance of progress has passed us by. They will do a job on us in the replay.

Now, the players have set a benchmark of sorts. Time will tell if today is the shape of things to come or we revert to type. I hope it is the former. I suspect it will be the latter.

MoM - Karacan closely followed by Cisse and McAnuff. Mills did well all things considered.
And please let us play the rest of the season with a recognised right back.

[Rex]

It's probably worth giving BMc some credit for the performance today. I said after the Plymouth debacle that his real test would be how the team reacted today. He got it spot on today, and his faith in the youngsters is fantastic to see.

Nice to hear him say after the match that that was for the 1500 supporters who went to Plymouth.
He seems pretty straight forward and TBH that performance seemed to balance out the debacle of Plymouth. IF the team kick on from this and use the Liverpool game as a reference point then hopefully results and consistency might start to finally kick in.

[Plymouth_Royal]

Thought Hamer made some brilliant decisions today... especially the one when Torres was though, took a second touch as Hamer was positioning himself, Hamer quickly saw that and made a quick and excellent decision to run out and smother. Great piece of keeping and I am sure he will become an excellent keeper

You know I saw a ball boy who did something almost identical but the ball was a lot further away and coming a lot slower...Honestly stop exaggerating!

The "decision" to come out and get the ball from torres was so easy that even gunnarsson could have got it. Torres kicked to far ahead of himself and was never going to get it. Did you not see the his decision to gather a free kick that he completely missed, only for torres to nod it over. Or his indecision to get a cross only for mills to put it out for a corner. Or how lucky he got when gathering a corner after juggling it in mid air. He looked nervous, shaky and unconvincing. I'll accept the fact that he was playing against Premier league opposition on his third? appearance for us and was keen to make an impression. But He made a bad one and you would have to be pretty blind to not see that.

[The whole year inn]

Karacan loves this club
Play him

[PEARCEY]

Karacan loves this club
Play him

On tonights performance he has to stay in the side. He was fabulous in the second-half.

[The whole year inn]

Thought Mills had a decent game.

come on, he is the future of RFC

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Mills - He looked like a Sunday League player. A total liability. If he is a £1.5million defender, than so am I.

Church - Scored a goal, but looked out of his depth against what is a far superior side than he is acustomed to playing against. Looked a little lazy in the first half.

Sig - Not too impressed to be honest, Worked hard but didnt do anything of note except the long distance effort that was easy for Riena to save.

Disagree with all of this, but will let you off because of the huge changes since you last saw them in 08.

With the exception of the mistake in the last minute Mills was brilliant today, won numerous headers, and contained arguably the best striker in the world admirably. If anything Ingi was the liability at the back.

For what its worth, I didnt think Church looked lazy whatever, but if anyone perceived this its probably because he was running for himself and the stagnant Rasiak. Finished his goal well

Sig has been superb all season and today was no different. His passing and composure on the ball is phenomenal for someone so young, and he has a hell of a shot on him, ask Pepe.

Pleased with today, little frustrated that they did that today and succumbed to lowly Plymouth on Monday, but thats the magic of the cup I suppose. Looking forward to my first trip to Anfield.

[dean horrix legend]

It's probably worth giving BMc some credit for the performance today. I said after the Plymouth debacle that his real test would be how the team reacted today. He got it spot on today, and his faith in the youngsters is fantastic to see.

You don't half talk some shite!His faith in the youngsters?He has done nothing that Rodgers didn't try before,so why give him credit?
And in your marks for the players,Hamer looked nervous,maybe McCarthy for the Toon!!WTF did he do wrong?McCarthy won't be just as nervous against the league leaders? Shite!!

[Thomas L'Heureux]

...and my son summed up the game by saying Sigi actually looked a better player than Torres! Well today he did...

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you wrote, how can you suggest that any of our players were better than Torres? The bloke is carrying knocks but was still the only Liverpool player who looked capable or producing anything tonight. Towards the end of the game Mills had to resort to cynically fouling him (e.g. when he skinned both he and Gunnarsson but was hauled down) and he still nearly popped up with the winner when he headed Benayoun's cross narrowly over in the closing stages.

The way he found space in-between our two centre backs for his headed chance in the first half was a class above. I feel for him because Liverpool's only answer was to try and get the ball to him with the hope he could win the game single-handedly for them.

[winchester_royal]

It's probably worth giving BMc some credit for the performance today. I said after the Plymouth debacle that his real test would be how the team reacted today. He got it spot on today, and his faith in the youngsters is fantastic to see.

You don't half talk some shite!His faith in the youngsters?He has done nothing that Rodgers didn't try before,so why give him credit?
And in your marks for the players,Hamer looked nervous,maybe McCarthy for the Toon!!WTF did he do wrong?McCarthy won't be just as nervous against the league leaders? Shite!!

McCarthy is considered by many to be the better Keeper, has been in great form this season, and is match sharp.

Rodgers wouldn't have played Karacan today, besides...did I say Rodgers didn't have faith in them???

Football is all about opinions, mine may differ from yours, but that does not make them 'shite'.

[winchester_royal]

...and my son summed up the game by saying Sigi actually looked a better player than Torres! Well today he did...

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you wrote, how can you suggest that any of our players were better than Torres? The bloke is carrying knocks but was still the only Liverpool player who looked capable or producing anything tonight. Towards the end of the game Mills had to resort to cynically fouling him (e.g. when he skinned both he and Gunnarsson but was hauled down) and he still nearly popped up with the winner when he headed Benayoun's cross narrowly over in the closing stages.

The way he found space in-between our two centre backs for his headed chance in the first half was a class above. I feel for him because Liverpool's only answer was to try and get the ball to him with the hope he could win the game single-handedly for them.

I think that was written with tongue firmly in cheek, but TBH, on the basis of this one game, I can see why one might think that.

[2.8 lita injection]

Still think its harsh to give Gunnar a 5 by most people.

He was not outstanding, got forward more than i thought he would do given his lack of pace. Plus he mad some decent interceptions and hardly caught out of position.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I think that was written with tongue firmly in cheek, but TBH, on the basis of this one game, I can see why one might think that.

Yeah, I appreciate the opinion was based on this game alone, which is why I commented on the match in isolation.

I still thought Torres was class tonight though and was often left with little support whilst his 'team mates' stood back with their fingers crossed and watched on with the hope he could win the game for them on his own.

Saying that though, I actually thought N'Gog was pretty good and their shape went to pot when he was replaced.