Saints 0 Liverpool 3 match reaction

[S-Clarke]

A good spell from 20-50 mins, but we didn't make the most of it, which is the overriding title of our season.

 

Rodriguez and Lambert were poor, notably Lambert who looks lost at the moment. Shaw looked full of nerves and was trying too heard on too many occasions.

 

Gaston was back to his normal self today, we lost so much in midfield when he came on and he didn't offer anything in the offensive side what so ever.

 

We just don't have the squad and that has been the case all year. The January window was a chance to fix that, but we ended that weaker than we started. Go figure. Such a frustrating waste of a season in my eyes.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

A good spell from 20-50 mins, but we didn't make the most of it, which is the overriding title of our season.

 

That is a bit harsh. When this season goes in the books, barring an absolute disastrous finish, it'll go down as a very good one which has seen an incredible amount of progress and the squad (laden with 18/19 year olds) establish itself in the top half of the league.

 

When we look at things on a match by match basis we'll be more frustrated as we've generally had more good performances than our points total suggests but in games that can be decided either way we more often than not come up with the short end of the stick with our wastefulness in the final third. But the good news is that can be addressed in the summer.

[hasper57saint]

The team that scores the most goals wins the game. Liverpool were the better side and until someone shows our (ineffective) strikers what a goal looks like we will carry on not scoring.Time after time this season we've had the bulk of possession but what good is that if you can't score?Yet again today we missed at least SIX scoring chances. It seems like dejavu in Div 1 when we struggled to make that last three points. When will we reach 40? TBPH I can't see it in the next three games if we carry on like this.

[kpturner]

Shaw looked full of nerves and was trying too heard on too many occasions.

I wasn't going to bother to post after this match but reading that did make me laugh - nice one SC

[Winnersaint]

I haven't been this depressed in quite a while, frustrating game, again.

I bought a chicago town stuffed crust pizza for bargain price of £2.50 from Asda on way home to cheer myself up, hope it works.

 

Christ I was a damn sight more down when we were relegated with minus 10 in League 1

[Wes Tender]

We shaded the first half and any neutral watching on the box would have thought we were the better team. Liverpool scored very much against the run of play, from a bit of luck that put the ball in Suarez's path and through on goal. Apart from that, we ran the midfield, pressed high, mobbed their players when they had the ball, hassled them into mistake after mistake and had we had strikers of the calibre of theirs, we could have been ahead at half-time and worth the lead.

 

When we started the second half, for a few short minutes we continued where we left off and I thought that we would draw level within 15 minutes and have a chance of going on to win. But Davis had been replaced in midfield by Ramirez and it soon became apparent that without him, we gradually became overan in midfield, stopped closing them down, lost the 50/50 battles and started to become sloppy in our passing. Now, I don't know whether Davis was injured or whether the change was tactical. If the latter, then Pochettino screwed up. A last throw of the dice, introducing Wanyama for Cork and Gallagher for Lambert and we became totally toothless and a shadow of the team of the first half. Most other teams would have thrown bodies into the box, applying pressure right up the whistle, but we seemed happy to pass the ball sideways and backwards in our own half, a totally busted flush without ambition or desire.

 

Wanyama is about two stone overweight, ponderous in his movement and giving the ball away freely. Cork is for the moment the much better player. Wanyama did do something positive, by scything into that diving, cheating dago, and it was entertaining watching the theatrical way that he hobbled about the pitch afterwards, surely his career ended. But of course, it was only play acting and when Liverpool made their substitution, I was positive that it must be Suarez who would go off. But no, it wasn't. Liverpool must know that Suarez is never injured as much as he appears to be. In some ways it is a shame that Wanyama wasn't on from the start and could have given the diving cheat a tackle that actually did some real damage to him.

 

I'm afraid that I'm another one who thinks that the team isn't motivated enough since our departure from the Cup and our defeat by West Ham and that their heads went down after Liverpool's second goal. If they don't get a result from the next two matches, this is going to look very much like Pochettino's end of season last year, when we limped to the end. I wonder whether this Ice skating bloke can have an impact in motivating the players, because frankly that last 25 minutes or so were absolutely dire and the players deserve a kick up the arse for it.

 

Credit where it is due, to Shaw, Chambers, Lallana, Cork, Davis and Fonte and Lovren just a little behind. Brickbats to Lambert, Wanyama, Ramirez and Rodriguez for general ineffectiveness and wastefulness.

[Wade Garrett]

Rodriquez was terrible... Lambert made our clear cut chances which were not put away...

Having said that, the one shining star today was Chambers... absolute class

 

Agree about Chambers.

[SuperMikey]

Beaten by a better team tbh, like others have said i'm not massively disappointed. First half I thought we were great except for missing those chances, but second half we were absolutely dreadful. Couldn't string two passes together, and Liverpool completely shut us down - that's why they're going to finish Top 4 this season, if not maybe challenge for the title.

 

By the way, we should've had a penalty when we were 1-0 down - Lallana got shoved over in the box. Not mentioned in any of the reports from the match and bet they won't show it on MOTD either. We've had rotten luck with decisions like that this season.

[ART]

The bubble has well and truly burst. The dream is in shatters. Humpty Dumpty has well and truly fallen and can't see them putting him back together again. The circle goes around and for some, the Ides of March hold deception and pain.

 

Hodgeson would be a fool to take Lambert and Rodriguez while leaving Calum Chambers behind. Calum and Luke are England's future. My heart bleeds for Jack Cork, as this World Cup was his but for last seasons tragic injury.

 

It's wrong to say the lads have given up and not trying. They just can't score and the wrong tactics in trying to do so, leaves the defense weakened and too vulnerable.

[John B]

The bubble has well and truly burst. The dream is in shatters. Humpty Dumpty has well and truly fallen and can't see them putting him back together again. The circle goes around and for some, the Ides of March hold deception and pain.

 

Hodgeson would be a fool to take Lambert and Rodriguez while leaving Calum Chambers behind. Calum and Luke are England's future. My heart bleeds for Jack Cork, as this World Cup was his but for last seasons tragic injury.

 

It's wrong to say the lads have given up and not trying. They just can't score and the wrong tactics in trying to do so, leaves the defense weakened and too vulnerable.

 

Do you not understand Liverpool are one of the best sides with the best players in the PL

 

Surely you did not really expect to beat them today and did not really expect to be higher than we are today with the players we have.

 

I for one think we are doing well

[Wade Garrett]

Do you not understand Liverpool are one of the best sides with the best players in the PL

 

Surely you did not really expect to beat them today and did not really expect to be higher than we are today with the players we have.

 

I for one think we are doing well

 

Good post. Liverpool are a quality side, and I'd have bitten your hand off for top 10 this season.

[stknowle]

I haven't been this depressed in quite a while, frustrating game, again.

I bought a chicago town stuffed crust pizza for bargain price of £2.50 from Asda on way home to cheer myself up, hope it works.

 

Have you eaten it yet and did it work?

[SaintSteve]

The bubble has well and truly burst. The dream is in shatters. Humpty Dumpty has well and truly fallen and can't see them putting him back together again. The circle goes around and for some, the Ides of March hold deception and pain.

 

Hodgeson would be a fool to take Lambert and Rodriguez while leaving Calum Chambers behind. Calum and Luke are England's future. My heart bleeds for Jack Cork, as this World Cup was his but for last seasons tragic injury.

 

It's wrong to say the lads have given up and not trying. They just can't score and the wrong tactics in trying to do so, leaves the defense weakened and too vulnerable.

 

Are we contemplating Chambers as a striker now ?

Seriously, I think lambert will still go as he has a quick football brain which is more important than pace, unless you know how to use it.

And yes, Chambers was our best player today, and must have impressed Hodgson.

[pangy]

J-Rod doesnt have a footballing brain,he is the forrest gump of football

 

Shaw looked nervous today,

 

The problem we have and it showeed again in todays match was we have no urgency in the final 3rd,when we attacked from wide there was nobody busting a gut to get in the box and by the time someone got in the box Liverpool had at least 5 players back in there.

 

I know it has been said to death on here but not getting in a striker in Jan looks more and more stupid every week

[max_saints]

very very poor with our finishing, cant be missing the chances we had in the first half. personal feeling is the game ended when ramirez came on, we just lost our way second half. in fact all three substitutions were very very poor when they came on.

[pingwing]

Bored

 

Sums up everything about today, we're safe and we know it, we have no chance if anything worse or better than 9th...

 

Worst of all we are better than this but nothing is going well and it's bad to watch, either we write off the last 3 months and use them as friendlies or we play experiments to mount a better campaign next year as this is dull to go to.

[LostBoys]

We cannot hit a barn door - lesson in finishing - two against two at the back with their pace in midfield and upfront. Suarez hung his back leg out for the peno but we would not have scored if we had played for a week.

[scotty]

Do you not understand Liverpool are one of the best sides with the best players in the PL

 

Surely you did not really expect to beat them today and did not really expect to be higher than we are today with the players we have.

 

I for one think we are doing well

 

 

I was chatting with another poster this morning, he reckoned a 3-1 defeat, I called it as 4-0 to the scousers. No surprises chez scotty I'm afraid, if anything I was pleasantly surprised at the game we made of it. The usual thing though, making good chances and not taking them. Hopefully osvaldo's replacement might be the next piece in the jigsaw and we'll start sticking the ball in the net again.

.

[IFHP]

Thank **** we rested our players for the cup game at Sunderland - since then played 2 lost 2 goals for 1 against 6.

[DJ_TOAST]

Have you eaten it yet and did it work?

 

not sure yet, I just topped it with onion, tomato, pineapple and sweetcorn (being a vegetarian) and shoved it in the oven, I'm not very optimistic it will work though to be honest.

I think the best I can hope for is combined with litres of beer I've had, is it sends me to sleep and I can forgot about today till tomorrow.

[Batman]

Thank **** we rested our players for the cup game at Sunderland - since then played 2 lost 2 goals for 1 against 6.

 

We would probably lost in the next round anyway. With the way we can't score

[corsacar saint]

Should have gone in 2-1 up, but were beaten in the end, by a far more clinical side. Thought Adam at times was unplayable, just a shame that Suarez was even more so.

[Forester]

Last week I mentioned how lambert was crying out for a rest. The issue is we are now paying a price, at the end of a season full of high tempo pressing football, for only having two frontline strikers. The irony is that both him and JayRod who both look shattered are now off on international duty.

 

We need a minimum of 2 strikers, probably 3 in the summer so that in August there are 2 good striking options on the bench each game and can rotate around busy Xmas period etc

[teamsaint]

Should have gone in 2-1 up, but were beaten in the end, by a far more clinical side. Thought Adam at times was unplayable, just a shame that Suarez was even more so.

 

Can you be more than unplayable? Just a technical point !

 

Gaston showed why he is only a bench player.

[ringwood]

Liverpool the better side because we let them be and also goes to show we are mid table not top table glad we're not looking at Europe realistically next year, its done Swansea no good and last season did Newcastle no good either.

 

We brought on Gaston and then 10 mins after he came on we forgot to pass to him, Sam needed to be on at around 60 mins not 75, far to late. How we didn't get a pen in the first half i don't know, no attempt to play the ball just played AL.

 

Its ok playing fullbacks as wing backs but when you remove the cover for one of them and then bring on an offensive player surely you need to retain the cover for the wing back? when Gaston came on CC was restricted, when to my mind JC should've been pushed across to maintain CC's threat, MS got thru a shift today, To bring on VW hard to justify that move as we then lost JC's drive and movement, we had chances one hit the post the other a great reaction save from JR we had the chances not the finishers but my final thought is AB the 2nd goal went straight thru him.

[Saint Billy]

Well, where do you start.

 

1st half we were ok and came back well after their goal. Lallana was playing well and Chambers and Luke, but there was still something missing.

 

We do not look like the same side that scared the poo out of teams in the first half of the season.

[Roger]

Was Rickie Lambert playing today?

 

Was osvaldo? 1 million for lambert 15 million for osvaldo I know whose done more for the club than anyone?

[saint1977]

Liverpool's front two are the best combination in the division, we were much the better side in the first half but Suarez is on fire this season. Liverpool basically went two nil up with two chances whereas whilst Adam was unlucky to hit the post we were wasteful in the extreme with a host of chances at Premier League level that ought to be going in, no excuses. Rickie had a decent first half but got isolated in the second after Gaston came on but J Rod is still making the transition to a consistent PL performer. His pace on the counter is very valuable but he plays with his head down too often and lacks awareness. If you could combine him as an athlete with Lambert's football brain and technique you'd have a world beater. Despite having a stronger bench today, we don't have a game-changing option on there.

 

We'll still finish 9th and that's a very decent season but that Sunderland game is still causing a mega-hangover.

[austsaint]

Ramirez on, bite gone, press done, Lallana marginalized.

 

Sorry to all those who rate him - I do (kind of) but not in this team.

 

I thought MP erred in subbing Davis and playing Ramirez out wide - better to have dragged Ricky and play Gaston in the hole, where he made such impact last week. Chambers, Shaw and Adam the pick. Poor from the CBs particularly Fonte.

[Saint Garrett]

How sh!t is Glen Johnson btw.

[Legod Third Coming]

Wasn't as bad as half the people on here are making out.

 

And I notice Lambert get's flak whereas JayRod escapes criticism for missing THE best chance of the whole game. And Lallana when he should have scored had he not taken a poor first touch...

 

And Lovren escapes for giving away the second goal by selling himself when he should have stayed goal side of Saurez...

 

On the balance of play we should have taken a point from the game, but the difference was the best strike force in the league.

 

As for the third, watch it again,9.9 for Luis who allows his leg to drag into Fonte... not that it mattered by then!

 

We were done by a bloody good team in form. Just a shame we fecked that cup game and weren't on an unbeaten run of 11 games. That is MoPo's fault, or whoever told him not to take the cup seriously.

[Roger]

Wasn't as bad as half the people on here are making out.

 

And I notice Lambert get's flak whereas JayRod escapes criticism for missing THE best chance of the whole game. And Lallana when he should have scored had he not taken a poor first touch...

 

And Lovren escapes for giving away the second goal by selling himself when he should have stayed goal side of Saurez...

 

On the balance of play we should have taken a point from the game, but the difference was the best strike force in the league.

 

As for the third, watch it again,9.9 for Luis who allows his leg to drag into Fonte... not that it mattered by then!

 

We were done by a bloody good team in form. Just a shame we fecked that cup game and weren't on an unbeaten run of 11 games. That is MoPo's fault, or whoever told him not to take the cup seriously.

 

Yep cos they run around more looking busy and aren't 32!

[melmacian_saint]

I thought MP erred in subbing Davis and playing Ramirez out wide - better to have dragged Ricky and play Gaston in the hole, where he made such impact last week. Chambers, Shaw and Adam the pick. Poor from the CBs particularly Fonte.

 

 

I think Lovren had a much bigger stinker and in fact right at the beginning of the match Fonte got him out of jail a few times.

He's a great CB but I can't help but think that Jose always seems more involved in the more 50/50 situations than he does, and that really it's a case of Fonte allowing Lovren to look as good as he can rather than Dejan making Jose look good.

Fonte is definitely the braver one.

[Norm]

Bloody Liverpool! I had £10 on 0-4 today. Not in the least down at the loss, it was expected as they are a very good team with perhaps the best strikers in the Prem.

 

The worst thing posted on here tonight? Pineapple on a Pizza! You do NOT put Pineapple on Pizza ffs!

[melmacian_saint]

Bloody Liverpool! I had £10 on 0-4 today. Not in the least down at the loss, it was expected as they are a very good team with perhaps the best strikers in the Prem.

 

The worst thing posted on here tonight? Pineapple on a Pizza! You do NOT put Pineapple on Pizza ffs!

 

Fairly mainstream topping IMO (not particularly appreciated personally).

[Charlie Wayman]

The better team won, but surprised at the lack of criticism of the manager. Not only have the team given up, seems MP has as well.

 

I agree, there was no movement at all on the bench until the 70th minute when it was far too late. MP is probably serving out his notice after the recent announcements. Unusually poor performance from Shaw, did pressure of having to impress Hodgson get to him. Chambers incredible, could he be better than Shaw even? Our MotM by a country mile. Morgan good until knackered and Corkie.

[Badger]

Sometimes today we passed for passing sake

 

..been the case for ages.

[Charlie Wayman]

I think Lovren had a much bigger stinker and in fact right at the beginning of the match Fonte got him out of jail a few times.

He's a great CB but I can't help but think that Jose always seems more involved in the more 50/50 situations than he does, and that really it's a case of Fonte allowing Lovren to look as good as he can rather than Dejan making Jose look good.

Fonte is definitely the braver one.

 

Fonte made several schoolboy errors today and gave away a pen and almost another goal. Getting old and slow? Lovren needs a couple of matches to get back to fitness.

[Whitey Grandad]

Meh, end-of-season kick-about with nothing to play for. Never a penalty against Adam and even less of one for Suarez but not worth arguing over at 2-0 down.

[Raging Bull]

Was osvaldo? 1 million for lambert 15 million for osvaldo I know whose done more for the club than anyone?

 

What's that got to do with it? That's not the question.

 

We can't score and the players that have got us so far look totally off the boil/uninterested or want to play for other teams. All bar Adam Lallana who wears his heart well and truly on his sleeve. Never seen a player so comfortable with the ball stuck beneath his feet and would be thoroughly fu***d off if he left (although he certainly deserves his shot at the big time).

 

Blatant pen too, simply a bad tackle.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

And we should also be thankful Fonte wasn't sent off as well. Suarez would have been in on goal. Fonte should be sent off by the rules. Ref will get marked down for that, even though he used common sense in knowing the penalty was the last kick of the game and Liverpool had already won it.

[Sour Mash]

Ramirez on, bite gone, press done, Lallana marginalized.

 

Sorry to all those who rate him - I do (kind of) but not in this team.

Agreed. Some of my mates thought he'd played well today, I thought he was terrible.

[Sour Mash]

We miss chance after chance every week, I just cannot understand why Lambert gets a game, it's like playing with 10 men every week.

How many chances did Lambert miss today? Who do you propose to play in his place?

[Jonnyboy]

How many chances did Lambert miss today? Who do you propose to play in his place?

 

Im ready. My time has come. #destiny

[Sour Mash]

Few frustrating things from today;

We really did seem to give up when we went 2-0 down, our game completely died.

 

The amount of people that left early - don't think I've seen St Marys empty out during a game like that.

 

The number of flashes clicking away at the Liverpool players while they were celebrating infront of our 'support'.

[melmacian_saint]

Fonte made several schoolboy errors today and gave away a pen and almost another goal. Getting old and slow? Lovren needs a couple of matches to get back to fitness.

 

What schoolboy mistakes? Those that led to a penalty that really wasn't?

What about Lovren's attempt at kicking the air that let Sturridge through and almost led to a goal?

 

I see we're back to the blueprint comments whenever we concede goals. The same comments that made Hooiveld look the 2010s version of Michael Svensson when he was really a terrible defender who just happened to be taller than everyone else in a league where half the play came from direct sources.

Edited 1 March, 2014 by melmacian_saint

[VectisSaint]

Fonte made several schoolboy errors today and gave away a pen and almost another goal. Getting old and slow? Lovren needs a couple of matches to get back to fitness.

Lovren was awful today, and not for the first time this season, Fonte got Lovren out of jail a few times. Fonte made one mistake and was judged harshly to have fouled the little cheat. It was immaterial, in the 95th minute and Lee "Liverpool" Probert was itching to give Liverpool something. I'll forgive Lovren his abject performance, it was clearly too soon for him to return, will be back to normal next game hopefully. Clearly we need some new strikers next season, today was crying out for someone of Dani's class, pity he is a nut job. Poch made a mistake taking Davis off, he should have hauled JRod off and left Davis on with Ramirez pushing up more and playing just off Lambert. Shaw was over-eager to impress, especially in the first half. The best 3 English Saints players were Chambers, Cork and Lallana, thought Chambers was immense again and outshone the England/Skate right-back, who was playing on the left.

[John Boy Saint]

I just wish we would stop this F'ing about outside the box bloody smash it, and this powder puff shooting in the box too resulting in a back pass to the keeper.by comparison Liverpools finishing was the difference between the 2 sides.

Liverpool have to of the least likeable front 2 they are both gifted players but they waste so much of their own ability and time feigning fouls. Sturridge threw him self at the floor and in the box and looked like someone had taken his toys away. Suarez winning the penalty had Fonte beaten yet he hangs out his leg to con the ref and win a Pen when he could have scored himself.

 

Without doubt MOTM was young Master Chambers.

[Wes Tender]

Having watched Match of the Day, it is clear that we should have had a stonewall penalty where their defender changed his direction to deliberatley barge Lallana off the ball in the box. Then Liverpool should not have had a penalty against Fonte. He had put his foot down having attemtped to get the ball from Suarez and Suarez seeing his leg planted there, deliberately chose to run onto it. Fonte did not move his leg to trip him. But this is what the cheating, diving bastard does to perfection nowadays. He has honed his skills and perfected them and now he can con most referees with his play-acting.

 

But I am still left wondering why the team that outplayed Liverpool in the first half was far less effective when Cork and Davis are replaced by Wanyama and Ramirez, who were a waste of space today. And I still think that the team's performance in the last 20 minutes deserves them getting a bloody good rollicking with a couple of exceptions.

[Graffito]

Two teams that play in a similar way. What's the difference? They have quick, lethal strikers. It would have helped though if our CBs had been on their game today. Lovren not match fit.