Villains or Heroes?

Don't know whether to rejoice or not? Are we on the up? Have we turned the corner just yet?
From last night's show against fellow 4th spot contender, the boys did not show much. Another drab draw was turned into a win by the lethal right foot of Torres albeit a lucky deflection from a Villa defender and he did not flinch to claim his 50th league goal.
Until that intervention, the boys played like normal, high intensity missing from the Liverpool side we knew.

Still, we did not claim much ground as other contenders like Spurs and Man City also claimed a win.
Whether the win against Villa will provide an impetus to the boys to pick up their horrible season is anybody's guess.

We'll see this coming Saturday against Reading in the FA Cup.

Boxing with the Wolves

Tomorrow's encounter with the lowly team could have not come at the right time when the team is not firing at all cylinders. Not even at half capacity. 7 defeats before half way stage.
Is this Liverpool that we know?

Much can be said about why the team fared so badly. Rafa's indifferent tactics, bad luck et al.
To me, its the players. Simple, the spine of team have played badly or simply out of form.
Take Gerrard for example, the driving runs have been missing. Injured maybe but this is simply not Gerrard that we know. Torres missed a few games here and there. Carra was found wanting in some games especially against speedier, younger players. Lethal left peg of Agger is nowhere to be seen these days. How he missed those easy headers, 6 yards out is beyond me. Bet ya, Hyypia would have dunked it, eyes closed.

Kuyt, played out of position for ages now is the biggest culprit in my book, topping the hate list with my favorite Brazilian Lucas come 2nd.
I've lost count on how many times , the attack broke down when ball was either played to or by him. He simply sucks big time this season albeit a few lucky goals.
Lucas, filling up for the ever injured Aquilani, though well liked and preferred by Senor Goatee is not going much headway in the EPL. I'll bet my last ringgit that he would never make it in the EPL.
No one knows when Aquaman will ever show up at Anfield regularly to repay his big transfer fees.
Sad but it's the reality for now. No mention here of Babel, Riera and Voronin. They simply suck big time. If somebody is not sold and no reinforcement coming in January, we are doomed.

Having said all that, hunting for wolves could have not come at a right time. Kill a pack and we can face the Villains with better confidence. Revenge is the word.

Deflated

Nothing is worse than get beaten by a last placed team, destined for Championship next season.
Buoyed by that plucky win over Wigan, thought we can just steamrolled Pompey. It wasn't to be though. The team sheet was not inspiring. Dossena, an Italian misfit as a wide player. How negative can Rafa be?

Rafa, for all widely reported tactical nous ought to be blamed here. His tactics were all negative.
How can you go to Pompey, still reeling with losses after losses with 2 holding players? For what?
4-4-2 should be an ideal idea to start the game with, to show your attacking intent, to win the game.
He started with Lucas, Mascha and defensive Dossena on wide left. Result? Not a single chance created for Torres. You do not win games without creating chances, do you?
We just do not have a single good wide players to rely on? Kuyt, still a headless chicken, is playing out of position for ages now. A good wide player in the mould of Valencia of Manure.
Riera? Too slow and injury prone. Johnson was anonymous, still feeling sentimental of his previous employer perhaps.

Aquaman, reportedly is injured again. What's the positive here?

None. That sums up our season, best forgotten.
Asking Rafa to leave would not the best decision either due to the club's thin coffer but the patience is certainly wearing thinner and thinner as the days go by.

I'm gasping for words but no one is bigger than the club. Rafa has to take the blame here. He is the manager and he dictates thing for the team and he failed big time, for the umpteenth time.

C U@ O T

Don't wanna write nothing.

Liverpool 2- Manchester United 0.

That's enough for this week. Get well soon Gerrard and Aquilani.

C U@ O T. In the meantime, finish your humble pie.

Really Bleak

My worst fears are confirmed. We are a club in crisis. 4 straight losses on the trot.

Brave souls out there, with MU game looming, tell me if we are not in a crisis.
With the squad depth stretched to the bare bones, once again the boys failed to rise to the occasion. SG could be out injured again being subbed so early.Aquilani remain crocked and nobody knows about Torres.
The fringe players are simply not good enough. Nuff said.

I'm not one to blame Rafa given his predicament with the injuries situation but lack of belief and more worryingly lack of talent in the squad has to be addressed. We need to move on from this quagmire soonest possible. To secure 4th position in the league, to progress further in the Champions League.
Forget EPL title, honestly at the rate we are going now, 4th spot too has to be contested, It's no longer our divine right, ManC, Aston Villa and Spurs are capable of being a snatch theft!!!

This is not a good week for us. Calls for Rafa's head won't help but clearly somebody has to go.

I would gladly ask for Lucas' head rather.

Bleak

Damn it!! It's only October and the title chase is as good as over. 4 losses in the league so far. 3 losses on the trot. Fiorentina, Chelsit and now Sunderland. It's unthinkable how a team tipped to go far stumbled so early.

What went wrong?
Many actually. Florence set the mood really. Outclassed by Mutu and Co, the hangover was prolonged by Chelsea. Injuries deprived the team of SG and FT, the only class act in the team against Sunderland, and true enough it was an accident to happen. It did happen via beachball apparent thrown unto the pitch by one of our own.

Rafa to be blamed for the fiasco? Maybe, but it was the players who failed him and us.
I've never liked Lucas. Save for a few occasions where he did well, generally he failed to inspire us, never mind the team. Paired with another greenhorn, Spearing the other day, the midfield was non existent. That was expected. Lucky, Bent is Bent, if not we could've been 4 at the wrong end.

Lack of depth really. Babel flashes his brilliance once in a blue moon, Benayoun excels when played together with class act, Kuyt shines when others shine, Voronin is at home in Bundesliga not EPL.

Dunno when this calamity will stop. Lyon is 2 days away. Man U at the weekend.
Lose these 2 games and Rafa's detractors will call for his head.

Hopefully, SG and FT will regain their fitness in time for Lyon.
The rest cannot be counted to mount a strong challenge. Yes, it's bleak in October and I don't want to sing 'November Rain' just yet.

Florence Fright

We've never met them, the Viola in CL. Not a fan of Serie A, I could not dwell much on the current team which parades the likes of Milan reject Gilardino and ex-junkie Mutu.
They're not bad it seems, currently occupying 4th spot in their league. Gilardino won't be playing though due to suspension.

The Italians, as always are tough to beat at their homeland. Cautious, slow build up and relying on counter attack are the main characteristics of Serie A teams, so much so we tend to sleep on the couch due to boredom.

What about tonight? Goals galore perhaps? Not a chance.
Think this tie will be evenly contested, being an away team Liverpool which will be without Monster Masch will pack the midfield with 5 with the lone striker in Torres. Interestingly, that's the same game plan going to be deployed by Prandelli, I suppose.
Italians never attack in droves. So it will be counter attack vs counter attack? Interesting !!!

I still fancy Liverpool to edge past Fiorentina by a goal or two, perhaps a brace to be scored by the man on fire, the one and only Torres.

Go Reds!!