Back From The Game: Liverpool

[PEARCEY]

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 he 'team mates' stood back with their fingers crossed and watched on with the hope he could win the game for them on his own.

Torres played well tonight and caused us a lot of problems....he was the ony who showed up. Gerrard was piss poor.

[Terminal Boardom]

...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.

The Torres of today is a very pale imitation of the Torres of 2 seasons back where he was on fire. He was almost, but not quite, in Kebe's class today.

[yappy]

Agree with the majority of posts here.

Thought the defence looked alot better with Mills in, a couple of games and he should look sharper, and we looked alot better with his pace. If we can manage to get a decent right back in this month, I think we'll be alright defensively.

Midfield worked very well together, and although many of you have already commented on him, have to mention Jem Karacan, I thought he was sublime today. Definitely should be starting more often. McAnuff good as ever!

Would stick with this 11 for Newcastle, maybe putting in Tabb for Gunnarsson, and obviously if Federici is out, Hamer will probably come in.

[winchester_royal]

He looked to me like he wanted out of that club, and who could blame him.....Liverpool were awful today.

[AthleticoSpizz]

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.

Probably the same folk that religiously gave Marek his 8 today and blamed everbody else for not having his vision.


yes i know Marek wasn't playing today

[PEARCEY]

Agree with the majority of posts here.

Thought the defence looked alot better with Mills in, a couple of games and he should look sharper, and we looked alot better with his pace. If we can manage to get a decent right back in this month, I think we'll be alright defensively.

Midfield worked very well together, and although many of you have already commented on him, have to mention Jem Karacan, I thought he was sublime today. Definitely should be starting more often. McAnuff good as ever!

Would stick with this 11 for Newcastle, maybe putting in Tabb for Gunnarsson, and obviously if Federici is out, Hamer will probably come in.

Yep Tabb in for Gunnar works for me.

[sandman]

Great performance despite what some say. Fed worries me big time, Hahnemann would've saved that with ease whether Kuyt was in front of him or not. The supposedly dreadful Ingi and Mills kept one of the best strikers in the world quiet but I then there is no pleasing some people. Bertrand was very good getting some dangerous balls into the box. Gunnarsson as usual went about his business with a minimum of fuss.

Karacan and Cisse worked tirelessly throughout and kept Gerrard very quiet and we looked far more assured without Marek there. Jobi was a constant threat, had Insua worried and was mine and Sir Steve's MoM . Sig didn't have a huge impact but played his part with some great passes.

Church took his goal well and got through a lot of running. Rasiak held the ball up well and gave us a focal point up front.

The manager made good substitutions and it was nice to hear him dedicate the performance to those of you who suffered through the Plymouth game.

[The whole year inn]

John Madejski made this club

[One Beer is never enough.]

Gunnar - 5 - God he's sooo fcukin slow, both mentally and physically. Decent defensively though.

Good job he was playing in defence then...................

[winchester_royal]

Gunnar - 5 - God he's sooo fcukin slow, both mentally and physically. Decent defensively though.

Good job he was playing in defence then...................

A shame though that several decent attacking moves were slowed/stopped because of him being given the ball.

In retrospect, perhaps he deserved a 6 though....

[Wiggypop]

great performance - thought we were excellent from start to finish. Now please can we carry it on to newcastle............

[PistolPete]

Men of the match: Karacan, Macanuff, Bertrand, Cisse

Played Well: Sugurdsson, Bryn for the first 30mins, Rasiak,

Great moments, Poor Moments: Hamer (nearly conceded without touching the ball), A-Fed, Ivar, Mills, Church

Poor: N/A

Mills made some real errors, but I see him as a Heurelho Gomes type of player- proactive rather than reactive (hate the phrase, sorry) he needs confidence to be so aggressive and without it he will make mistakes.

For what its worth, I think Torres looked a real danger and Gerrard looked like he needed a purpose and winning away at Reading was not reason enough. Insua was awful.

We are not far from having a great side, BUT, this match should be taken in context; it was an FA cup game against Liverpool on Sky. The real time to judge players is in the league when times are tough

[southstand67]

It was on itv Pete.

[glass half full]

Watched the game online and restored some of my faith, although I never thought we were going to win it. 1-1 was a fair result. The Bin-dippers were really poor and Karacan had Gerrard in his back pocket for most of the game. A superb performance from him.

Federici 6 - Still gives me the shits every time he goes near the ball. I really think he should have done better for the goal. Chance for Hamer now or McCarthy. Hamer was (understandably) a bag of nerves when he came on.
Gunnarson 5 - Well past it now, but he should play centrally, if at all. Easily forced back and made to play aimless long balls.
Bertrand 6 - Defensively not that hot and definitely better going forward. Dovetails nicely with Sig
Ingi 6 - Slower than Marmite, but won all the aerial battles. I feel more comfortable about him paired with Mills than the spastic Pearce.
Mills 7 - Not bad, but obviously rusty. You can see that there is a really good ball-playing center-half there just waiting to burst out. Tries to bring composure. Hope he gets a chance of a few games instead of that savant Pearce.
Karacan 9 - Superb performance. Broke things up and got us going forward. Gerrard never had a sniff.
Cisse 7 - Put in a shift, but if he could only pass the ball better.
Sig 7 - Started off well and combined well with Plastic, but disappeared. You can still see some class though. Wish he could have had more opportunity from dead balls.
McAnuff 7 - Gave Insua a good rinsing for a while but then the ankle turn seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. Liverpool still had to double-up on him.
Rasiak 6 - Still less mobile than a fully-laden tanker, but gave us a physical presence up front that vanished when ex-footballer Schlong came on. Never gave up on the ball pulled back for Church to score.
Church 6 - Honest display and a poacher's goal. Some good movement and I thought he could have done better with the ball across the face of the goal that Reina gave up on.

Long 1 - Why put on an ex-footballer? Waste of space.
Howard 3 - Did nothing worth mentioning. I would have left Cisse on.

Pretty much agree with all of that.
The obvious question is how come Jem hasn't had a look in for so long?
Also Mills-how come Alex and Ivar have played so much?
Three other points:-
I disagree with BBCRB that McDermott has now done enough to get the manager's job
Although Church scored I thought he looked slow-his legs go forty-to-the-dozen but he doesn't actually get there.
I heard that Marek is off somewhere

A really good effort by our lads-now show us that this is the real Reading and not the one that failed to turn up at Plymouth (under the same manager).

One of my favourite moments of the game was when Church chased down a seemingly lost cause a la Forster and gave a complacent Liverpool defence a scare.

[Terminal Boardom]

3 shots all game? Shocking return. With a bit more ambition we would have won today. Hopefully this Noggin the Nog bloke will do the biz.

[Berry]

I agree with the comment that Torres looks like he has had enough of it all, I mean if Liverpool had been away to say Notts Forest or one of the CCC form teams then Benitez would be gone in the morning, If I was a Pool supporter I would think twice about travelling away to watch that!!

[Terminal Boardom]

I agree with the comment that Torres looks like he has had enough of it all, I mean if Liverpool had been away to say Notts Forest or one of the CCC form teams then Benitez would be gone in the morning, If I was a Pool supporter I would think twice about travelling away to watch that!!

My point exactly. I said to my mate at the game what he thought Victor Moses would do to them. He said he would be a good signing for them. I said that was not what I meant! Any side, half decent would have butt-fucked them.

[prostak]

Thought Hamer made some brilliant decisions today... especially the one when Torres was though

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.

While I acknowledge Hamer was some way short of being a sure, steady rock today, give credit where it's due. Unexpectedly thrown into the most important match he's so far played, his introduction to the match was to be faced with one of the 4 or 5 best strikers in the world clear through on goal. Torres' poor second touch was a stroke of fortune, perhaps, but given that our first-choice keeper had twice demonstrated his propensity to errors of judgement (the clumsy slide out of the box while clutching the ball, a headed backpass confusion which a decent keeper would've managed better) before limping off, I was pleased to see this instinctive movement. Hopefully, reflection on the clean sheet will boost Hamer's confidence no end.

[paultheroyal]

Echo alot of the posts here and was delighted with the performance. My only concern is goalkeeping situation and hope Fed only has slight knock because what we did see of Hamer was pretty awful. He flapped at every ball he did come for, was three yards away from the ball when it landed on Torress head in injury time and his kicks just about make he halfway line.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Feds injury wasn't a knock

What first looked like cramp, turned into something very serious and painful looking (torn thigh?)

Dont worry about Hamer

He's had two seasons getting tested in goal at Brentford, and getting rave reviews from their descerning fans