Definitely wasn't our day yesterday. Was still positive to see them play well and create chances. Have to agree that Hendo was quiet as well, would have liked to seen him and Lucas or Adam come off earlier for Kuyt and Meireles, but thats the thing about hindsight. Could have been worse.

Henderson definitely should have come off about 10 minutes earlier than he did for Kuyt, we needed that run when Sunderland started to get back into the game.

I was quite impressed with how Adam played actually.

He was, especially in the first half when we didn't have much defending to do, but in when we actually had to defend, if the attack came from the other side or down the centre as Adam and Downing moved forward, Lucas moved left and Henderson moved left and inside. Flanagan spent a lot of his time forward. Downing was very far advanced, Adam was having to cover a lot of ground, so to make up the cover Henderson was coming back in as Flanagan moved forward and inside as Sunderland looked to attack to cover the ground left by Adam and Downing being so far forward.

Henderson was marked out of contention by Richardson, so he didn't bother much in that area of the field in the second half. Flanagan moved forward but never got far, so Richardson got to stay reasonably free floating. When that goal came in, Henderson was somewhere around the penalty spot and Richardson far, far behind him about 30 yards out. He was making really dangerous runs from the back that caused a lot of trouble. The clever shit.

Failure to keep possession in central areas of the field, and not having a solid right hand side, led to that goal. Because Henderson had come far inside, not only did Flanagan fail to check Larsson, but Henderson was also standing on his own in no-man's land.

When Kuyt came on, that meant Flanagan had to be even more advanced because Kuyt was always going to spend his time on the left. Lucas and Carra were supposed to provide cover, but Flanagan was so absent from duty at that point that he may as well have not been on the pitch. Adam also started playing deeper and started running the ball out from the back of midfield.

I think the Henderson/Kuyt swap was a bit much at once. It required too much of a change to keep the gameplan going without Gerrard on the pitch. When Raul came on, was that an obvious attempt to redress the imbalance Kuyt had caused? Kuyt moved over to the right then, Raul more to the left and mocing inside.

Flanagans so frustrating..I still don't think he's quite up to the standard. Made a couple of similar errors last season similar to the one against sunderland.

indeed!!!

i hope Kelly was not 100%, if he was i dunno why on earth Flanagan was played in front of him.... i rate Kelly highly!!

Aquilani more than likely definately gone after not even making the bench, i just hope we dont sell him on the cheap......

Sorry, let me emphasise this a little bit:

[size=6]HE'S 18 YEARS OLD![/size]

Christ, he has a few bad moments and you're writing him off. Get behind the players ffs. Less than 6 months ago he'd never played at this level before.

Everyone made similar defensive errors last season, it's just unlucky that Flannagan was Larsson's direct opponent. One could argue that Enrique should never have allowed Sessengnon to get the cross in to begin with (I know someone's going to stick the boot in to me for that). Flannagan is 18 and you're all making him the scapegoat for the other 9 outfielders' inability to kill the game of before then.

Not at all. If you noticed during the pre-season he was wearing 98 and 99 when he played, he's been given number 15 now and you can buy his shirt off the online store again. He'll be staying unless we get an obscene offer for him.

I don't think it was Enrique that let Elmohamady put the cross in, I think it was Downing that made the tackle that put the ball loose.

Edited by Dizzy_Red: 15/8/2011 05:35:29 PM

Regardless of who put the cross in, that was Enrique's area of the pitch. And you guys are blaming the kid who's played a grand total of 8 senior games.

Or alteratively, we're blaming the right back who's played and won reserve trophies, played U20 international matches and not only lost his marker, but also lost his zone.

Enrique was doing his job over there - there were actually three reds over there and Elmohamady was loose and unmarked coming up the flank.

But the important part is that Larsson was unmarked, in the box in Flanagan's zone, and Flanagan wasn't marking anyone and had his back turned to a guy with one of the meanest shots in the EPL.

This and this. Was a combo of unfortunate events.

The second half on the whole was disappointing. Let's just move on.

This. He'll be ours unless someone comes in for a decent amount, can't remember what the buy-out was in the Juve loan agreement but wouldn't let him go for any lower than that.

Only the first game of the season and Aqua played for Italy midweek.

He's never played U20's international matches. He was called up for the first time in May and had to withdraw injured. He also only graduated the Academy in 2010, Liverpool haven't won the reserve league since '08. Nor did he win anything with the U18's side. You're expecting too much from the lad.

IIRC the deal with juve stipulated 18m Euro.

And yeah, first game of the season and Aqua would have been tired from mid-week.

Reserves won the Senior Cup and Lancashire Cup last year, when Flanagan was playing with them.

Did you think he was just plucked from nowhere?

The England one, yeah, I was mistaken - but who gives a fuck about England? ;)

And yeah, look, because I don't want this to go on forever, and we could carry on throwing trivia at each other for ever, including mistakes NOT made by similar aged players in various positions, the whole point is not to have a go at him, and nor should it be to universally defend him. Age, dare I say, is totally immaterial - in anything. There's RL champions, F1 champions and World Cup winners of all sports to testify for this principle. Mistakes also happen to experienced defenders - Carra's 1 own goal per every 100 defenders is testament to this.

Every defender has two things drilled into him, two things that shouldn't ever happen to him - one, you shouldn't ever let an attacker turn you, and two, you don't ever lose the men in your zone. He lost Larsson, and Larsson didn't even need to turn him. Good goal, but soft. Flanagan's fault.

Didn't really matter when he gave away that penalty to Spurs. Didn't really matter so much when he chinned Carra into next week. It mattered because he dwelled on it. It affected the rest of his performance, especially when Henderson came off and he was needed up that flank more. And he was a liability.

Honestly - there's managers past and present that would have flayed him alive for something like that, for failing to take that shirt to his heart. You make the mistakes, you learn, you move on. Let's really hope that the end of that 90 was the end of that process and we don't end up paying for his lack of confidence. Because fair it may not be, but that cannot define our future right backs.

Blackburn Rovers won the 2010-11 Lancashire cup. Liverpool won the season before, when Flanagan hadn't graduated from the academy yet.

The point isn't his age, it's that he's played just 8 senior games.

Wut.

It's BS. 'sky sports understands' = we have NFI.

I lol'd. Peter O'Rourke's a tool.

I said last year, not last season. Flanagan played in the final against Oldham. He didn't play in 2011 because he was playing first team football. Obviously. And failing to make the same kind of marking errors he made at the weekend.

And how many senior games would you like him to play before he has to start playing like a senior? How many reserve games - with senior players - before you think he's experienced enough? Jesus, man.

So we should expect every player, regardless of age or experience to be playing with the cool head of Jamie Carragher's 15 years of first team football. Come on Dizzy, you're smarter than that.

OK lets get on with this weekend - its over last week what should have could have can't be replayed now - at least we got a point as did 9 other teams.

So Emirates here we come - I'm feeling our 2nd half poor form of last week is the good medicine needed for this weeks big clash ! Nothing like knowing your up against one of the big games of the season the boys are going to be fired up and KK will have them ready.
Can't wait to see the line up and see what KK has addressed.

Edited by M.L.: 18/8/2011 01:17:04 PM

KK?

Mama mia Baggio - KK - King Kenny :)

Ah yes (although would expect KD...), carry on.

Fabio Aurelio fit. would still rather see enrique at left back.

Enrique should keep his spot. Not sure who will be at RB. Hopefully Johnson for a game like this.

With them having Gibbs and Djourou out injured, Fabregas departed and Nasri rocking the boat, now is the best chance we'll probably get to beat them in London. Should be a cracker. Hoping Carroll stands up.

why didn't Martin Kelly start ahead of Flannagan last week? just found that abit confusing

Kelly was coming back from injury himself

Kelly hasn't played a single pre-season game and wasn't really match fit at all.