If they didn’t push up then gaps would have been left for Schurrle and Salah to exploit. Having them run at us in free space is far more dangerous than pressing high, as Liverpool have proved this season by sitting in first place.

The tactics were fine. If Gerrard doesn’t slip, Liverpool don’t concede, and it is a 0-0 draw as Chelsea offered very little going forward.

If we sat back and let Chelsea attack us we would be in all sorts of trouble given our porous defence. We can’t sustain 90 minutes of pressure the way Chelsea can.

Those tactics have worked all season for Rodgers so why change it to something the team is unfamiliar with for one game? It was bad luck and misfortune which won the game for Chelsea.

1) Yes, of course I would have preferred Mourinho play tactics that would benefit Liverpool.

2) I’m not sure where you’ve taken offence in my comment; I said I wasn’t criticising his tactics, but rather criticising his hypocrisy. If anything it is a compliment to Liverpool that he believed he couldn’t win so played the way he did. My point still stands; people are upset Chelsea play the way they do under Mourinho because a title challenger is entertaining. No-one likes to see the bus parked, period.

hear hear!

Gerrard’s role is to sit deep with the two central defenders Sakho and Skrtel. In attack, because he plays a narrow 4-4-2 diamond, the full backs (Flanagan and Johnson) push up to play as wide midfield players, with Gerrard screening the two centre halves and each centre half pushing wider. Go watch the replay; Gerrard drops back to get the ball, as such Skrtel and Sakho pull out to give width, and Gerrard slips. It is of no fault that the defenders weren’t sitting deeper as we were in possession of the ball and no-one expects Gerrard to stuff up there. He did, Ba pounced and scored an easy goal.

Chelsea have two full squads of players worthy of starting in the premier league; they have the numbers and means to deal with injury and suspension. Mourinho isn’t a silly man, he wouldn’t have started Kalas if he didn’t think he was up to it – just like he doesn’t recall Lukaku from loan despite the fact he criticises his available strikers regularly.

Liverpool started without Henderson and Sturridge; two of the most important players in the team this year. Both teams weren’t in ideal situations personnel-wiser.

I don’t think there was any criticism from anyone within Liverpool over the tactics, merely the observation from Rodgers, which was true – one team played to win, one team parked the bus making it hard.

It was always going to draw the ire of Liverpool supporters and neutrals who watched a stifled game. Chelsea have done this one many occasions (such as playing games without a recognised striker), and I think the reason people get upset is because a team in title contention generally play good, entertaining football, not archaic tactics which Mourinho employed. Plus Mourinho himself criticised a team (West Ham, or Villa I think) earlier in the season for doing the same thing he did on the weekend – parking the bus. He called it “19th century tactics”. So, my ire to it all, as a Liverpool supporter, is practice what you preach Jose.

I’d much prefer he played a full strength side – at least then they may have attacked and opened some space for us to exploit which we couldn’t do.

Not accounting for all those people who steam it online from a free, but less-than-reputable source, such as myself and at least 10 of my mates…

oh snap!

I got the the rhetorical “is there any team that can compete with Brisbane” and yes, there is, most recently the Wanderers drew 1-1 with them.

I think the notion that the team plays worse because ADP is good is silly – being the best player in any team will, according to you, have that same effect as it is all relative. For example, you have a crap left back so every time you pass him the ball you make sure you drop back to cover in the event he loses it. Conversely, if your left back is the best player in your team, you pass him the ball and don’t drop back because you know he won’t stuff up. See what I’m getting at? Brisbane don’t falter because Broich is on the pitch. The notion they play worse with him on the pitch makes no sense, as does your Barcelona and Arsenal analogy.

You touched on the issue of A League finals format, but it’s been discussed before. Yes, a 6 team final series in a 10 team comp seems silly, but the valid point that if it were just four teams, without promotion or relegation in the mix, then there would be too many dead rubber games come season’s end, and football will drop from the public view. No articles like this would be published, and not as many people would be talking about it.

The finals series will, as it always have, sort the men from the boys, so why worry about a 6 team final series? I’d be surprised if the four that deserved to be there (United, mariners, Wanderers, roar) weren’t around after week 1 – unless of course they play one another.

Yeah, that didn’t happen.

Then again we pumped Arsenal so maybe not

Fist banana skin out of the way, a fee more to go… The belief is there, the players seem hungry, but I’m afraid that after a nervy win against the Hammers if those nerves stay around City will do us this weekend

Poor positioning may explain poor decisions, but it doesn’t justify them. It should be the same as a court of law – from the ref’s position, is the decision to penalise Berisha beyond reasonable doubt of Berisha’s guilt in this instance? Maybe, maybe not.

now you sound like Howard Webb 😉

The rules may not allow them to issue cards based on injury, but it is definitely happening – that is one of the major reasons people hate divers; they act hurt so the ref, either consciously or subconsciously is more likely to issue a card.

Ryall = witch, only explanation.

Agree on the Courtois front, it would be madness to choose Cech over him if push came to shove.

Fair call – I misinterpreted it – mount a title challenge they did, favourites they were not, so we are on the same wavelength with that one.

Was a good read Steven, should push for expert status with The Roar!

Glory knocked back Hierro, and he wants to bring Raul with him! that would be nice.

Nor do I, but he said it aroused his interest. A Scouse defecting to United would be worse than murdering the Queen.

Figo’s move to Real was best for him though, went up a level with Real. Unbelievable player.

Nor do I, but he said it aroused his interest. A Scouse defecting to United would be worse than murdering the Queen.

Figo’s move to Real was best for him though, went up a level with Real. Unbelievable player.

Yeah, that’s the first thing I said about our cup exit – “at least we can focus solely on the league now”.

You’re absolutely correct, in addition to being fresh, they aren’t taking demoralising losses in the champions league which could ruin their current confidence.

He also knocked back United a few years ago too. He said he was tempted by those offers from Chelsea and United but staying with Liverpool was the best decision of his life.

My claim that he is one of the most deserving is that he is one of the best players England have produced to not win the title. Many players of lesser ability, and less loyalty have won it, so it seems fitting that Gerrard too is bestowed that honour. Unfortunately football is not often fairy tales, as will most probably be in this case as I am with you – City for the title this year.

I’m not so sure. I don’t know if they can sustain this form into next year with the addition of champions league football. I don’t know if the depth is there, even if they do recruit. I think if they don’t win it this year, Gerrard will play next season and then retire if they don’t make a title challenge or retain their champions league spot in the season after. That is assuming they make the champions league this season. And a Liverpool without Gerrard will be much the same as Spurs this year, minus the many millions generated from Bale’s sale.

I think this year may be the final year for Gerrard to hope for the title, as I’m tipping Chelsea to have benefited this year under Mourinho and come back stronger. On top of that if Tottenham and United pull their act together, and Arsenal get the players they need to sustain a title challenge it could be a six way affair (maybe 7 with the outsiders Everton performing well under Martinez) to the title challenge. Far too much competition coming up in the coming years for Liverpool to see off.

All in my opinion, of course.

I’m also a bit sceptical about the 60 mil that will allegedly be afforded to Rodgers. The owners have shown (through both their baseball and football teams) that they are fans of the “money-ball” method. Basically they only release funds (for the most part) to target players they deem quality but who have underperformed at their current club, meaning they are below market price. You could argue this has or has not been implemented to it’s fullest extent because the signing of Aspas and Borini, for example, have been anything but quality players who were under-performing, they were really just average players who Liverpool thought they could develop. We won’t even discuss the flop that was Carroll.

The best examples of this method were Coutinho and Sturridge. Coutinho arrive for about 8.5 million pounds, and Sturridge for what was rumoured to be about 12 million pounds.

These were two players who were not stars and who were not playing all that well, but have now excelled, proving the money ball approach can be successful, albeit rather hit and miss.

On the up side, you could see Sturridge being worth at least 25 million, and coutinho at least 20 million, so some tidy profits there if they were to sell.

Congratulations, and thank you – even if it was a thinly veiled insult. For not intending to be rude, there we several others ways to approach your comment.

I had only looked as far as http://www.afcasiancup.com/i/AsianCup/img/pdfs/AFC_Asian_Cup_2015_Ticketing_Guide.pdf which one would assume, as it is the ticketing guide, would also include info regarding what each type of ticket is. Admittedly, I should have seen the policy link but I’ll blame that on sneakily perusing The Roar and AFC site whilst at work.

Unfortunately, being listed as a “pro” here is not something of my doing, it is The Roar’s system which does it, and is categorised here; http://www.theroar.com.au/author-levels-descriptions/

So, being a pro merely means I have read a lot of articles, wrote a few myself, and made some comments on other articles.

Any reference to myself, or anyone else for that matter, being a “pro” is let down by the fact we don’t actually get paid, so it’s false flattery. If you stick around long enough and are active on here you will become a “guru” – it is simply a measure of time and interaction, not ability. To give you an idea, I think I created this account about 4 years ago, was active for a few months (writing some absolutely horrendous articles which I am ashamed of haha) and only remembered this site existed a few weeks ago.

I never claimed to be an internet research wiz, but as you are, I will endear you the honour of being labelled a “pro” at finding information regarding category 3 concession rates for the AFC Asian Cup. Kudos, and happy days for me because I get a cat 3 value pack on the cheap! Here’s to the nosebleed section 🙂

You were shot down in flames because you were wrong. The players are good enough, they proved it by winning the league last year. That is a fact. You cannot argue that. You cannot say the players aren’t up to it because they have proven as recent as last year that they are more than up to it.

What can’t you understand about that?

If managers aren’t responsible because they aren’t the one’s running around, missing passes, failing in tackles, then why are so many managers constantly replaced? Your logic is missing.

You write “Now this is my final words on this subject for I am not a United fan, I look at top football through what I consider unbiased eyes & in this case I tend to agree with Wayne’s assessment of the situation.rather than the overactive imaginings of people who are nowhere near enough to the behind the scenes “goings on” at Old Trafford to make some of the suggestions they have made.Ok? Cheers jb” so what makes your opinion more qualified? You say it is wrong for me and magnificent and every other person commenting on this post to agree with the media who say Moyes is rubbish, but apparently it is ok for you to agree with Rooney who has not said Moyes is rubbish?

You’re carrying on like a child.