Liverpool v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[jeowje]

And with the recent query re lowton in mind, do we think Barry would have taken said penalty, and if not, why? 

[Nastylee]

Leaving the 'incident' to one side, what pleased me most was our ability to chase and harry high up the pitch. We did it against Sunderland recently and were at if for most of the 1st half yesterday. What this does is ensures we push up and when we nick the ball we are in areas of the pitch to do something with it. All too often this season we have sat back and stood off the opposition conceding possession and territory. I'm sure our home form would improve if we went after teams and forced mistakes in their half as opposed to watching the opposition pass us to death, gain confidence and ultimately beat us on our own patch.

[Somniloquism]

Well as Warza pointed out earlier we had a supposedly controversial pen so I checked the Arse match thread from August and there was 500 replies for post match. I think most of the discussion was whether Sczesney should have walked and not it was a dive.

[jeowje]

There was a feeling that maybe the penny had dropped with the way we approached that first half- the importance of being quick out of the blocks and asserting ourselves further up the pitch, rather than being penned in our own half.

[SheffieldVillain]

How many pages would have been used to discuss the penalty if it had been Gabby who won it?

Quite a lot I would imagine. It would have been somewhat of a novelty, Gabby winning a penalty for the opposition after he'd been substituted.

[danno]

Well as Warza pointed out earlier we had a supposedly controversial pen so I checked the Arse match thread from August and there was 500 replies for post match. I think most of the discussion was whether Sczesney should have walked and not it was a dive.

I'd suggest that the arsenal forum (whatever its called) would have been rife with posts saying it was a dive.

that and lots of threads asking Arsene to spend spend spend.

[Clampy]

I think we approached the game thinking 'we beat these here last year, we can do it again'. I was quite optimistic on the way up but I didn't think we'd play as well as we did.

[nick harper]

Well as Warza pointed out earlier we had a supposedly controversial pen so I checked the Arse match thread from August and there was 500 replies for post match. I think most of the discussion was whether Sczesney should have walked and not it was a dive.

I'd suggest that the arsenal forum (whatever its called) would have been rife with posts saying it was a dive.

that and lots of threads asking Arsene to spend spend spend.

I think it may be the second pen where it was arguable whether Kosielny (sp?)had played the ball first.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Had a great day in hospitality with the wife's cousin, like last year.  Nice bit of banter with John Bishop at the bar before the game and a thoroughly enjoyable game of football, then a bollocking good night out in Liverpool after.  I do like a good night out in Liverpool!

The game....I thought we were superb in the first half, bar Sunderland 6-1 the best we have played under Lambert.  We really could and should have had at least 4 but I thought conceding right on HT would kill us.  I then thought conceding a penalty so soon after HT would definitely kill us, but I was very proud that we didn't go on to lose the game and probably had the best few chances to nick it.  We lost our ability to stretch them once Gabby went off,  but I though Holt showed plenty of nous when he game on! Even if Alby would have helped us keep our shape. 

Mostly the game had me back to the feeling at the end of the season that we could after all be building something good here.  There IS something about these boys.

I can understand everyone's point of view on the pen and shouldn't argue amongst ourselves.  He "won" it without a doubt and it was always likely to be given at the Kop when they are losing.  Not saying it's right, but it happens and we just get on with it.  There's no saying we would have held out another 40 mins, or that we wouldn't have gone on to win it, but we didn't crumble and we got a good point that we would have been delighted with before the game.  Carry on like that and we'll only climb the table.  The scouters around me were also delighted with a draw and thought we were good, but they were shite.

Looking down at you guys in the corner, the support was again brilliant and mostly very funny.  I just we wouldn't sing the "never work again" stuff there though, it's a bit cringy.

Can anyone tell me if Lowton was injured or just bombed out of the squad again?  I thought his last 20 on Monday would have at least got him on the bench.  Missed any pre-match news.

All in all a top weekend.

Also had a great day, meeting up with old Scouser college mate and a few of his friends. They thought they were gonna hammer us. Very complilmentary about our performance on the walk back to the car and about our support.
Proud Villain.
Sang my bo**ux off all afternoon except for the "sign on, sign  on" stuff. I know it's all part of the "banter" but I just don't like it so I don't join in.

Wotever I can sing to rile the Baggies in 10 days' time however is a different matter!
UTV!
 

[johnc]

Nice to be able to watch MOTD for a change. Still cannot figure out difference between yestaerday and the Sheff Utd game. Atiitude tactics everyhting completely different

[tomd2103]

How many pages would have been used to discuss the penalty if it had been Gabby who won it?

Has Gabby got as much previous as Suarez has in these kind of incidents?  Suarez is at it every week and it has got  to the point now where he's being defended by a Liverpool friendly media. 

[SheffieldVillain]

How many pages would have been used to discuss the penalty if it had been Gabby who won it?

Has Gabby got as much previous as Suarez has in these kind of incidents?  Suarez is at it every week and it has got  to the point now where he's being defended by a Liverpool friendly media. 

That of course is another discussion - Souness, Hansen, Lawrenson, Redknapp, Carragher, McManaman, Owen, Fowler, Murphy - has any other club got as many ex-players in the media?

I'd understand it if they were especially good at it like Gary Neville but Carragher, McManaman, Fowler and Owen? Talk about jobs for the boys.

[onje_villa]

Had a great day in hospitality with the wife's cousin, like last year.  Nice bit of banter with John Bishop at the bar before the game and a thoroughly enjoyable game of football, then a bollocking good night out in Liverpool after.  I do like a good night out in Liverpool!

The game....I thought we were superb in the first half, bar Sunderland 6-1 the best we have played under Lambert.  We really could and should have had at least 4 but I thought conceding right on HT would kill us.  I then thought conceding a penalty so soon after HT would definitely kill us, but I was very proud that we didn't go on to lose the game and probably had the best few chances to nick it.  We lost our ability to stretch them once Gabby went off,  but I though Holt showed plenty of nous when he game on! Even if Alby would have helped us keep our shape. 

Mostly the game had me back to the feeling at the end of the season that we could after all be building something good here.  There IS something about these boys.

I can understand everyone's point of view on the pen and shouldn't argue amongst ourselves.  He "won" it without a doubt and it was always likely to be given at the Kop when they are losing.  Not saying it's right, but it happens and we just get on with it.  There's no saying we would have held out another 40 mins, or that we wouldn't have gone on to win it, but we didn't crumble and we got a good point that we would have been delighted with before the game.  Carry on like that and we'll only climb the table.  The scouters around me were also delighted with a draw and thought we were good, but they were shite.

Looking down at you guys in the corner, the support was again brilliant and mostly very funny.  I just we wouldn't sing the "never work again" stuff there though, it's a bit cringy.

Can anyone tell me if Lowton was injured or just bombed out of the squad again?  I thought his last 20 on Monday would have at least got him on the bench.  Missed any pre-match news.

All in all a top weekend.

Good post Duncan, the most encouraging performance since the Chelsea game probably. Let's hope it's not a one-off.

[onje_villa]

Leaving the 'incident' to one side, what pleased me most was our ability to chase and harry high up the pitch. We did it against Sunderland recently and were at if for most of the 1st half yesterday. What this does is ensures we push up and when we nick the ball we are in areas of the pitch to do something with it. All too often this season we have sat back and stood off the opposition conceding possession and territory. I'm sure our home form would improve if we went after teams and forced mistakes in their half as opposed to watching the opposition pass us to death, gain confidence and ultimately beat us on our own patch.

Bang on Lee, this is what we did at Arsenal and Chelsea and seem to stop doing since. I still worry about the performances at home but this was a benchmark for how we can play, especially on the road.

[not3bad]

Nice to be able to watch MOTD for a change. Still cannot figure out difference between yestaerday and the Sheff Utd game. Atiitude tactics everyhting completely different

Being away helped I think.