X mi know you nuh watch the game

[Paul Marin]

Paul you talk about the wage bill, remember Steven Gerrard, and Glen Johnson have a huge chunk of the wage bill, and as you see Rodgers is trying to cut theirs and maybe others. So maybe he can get in new players or cut the bills in general so long term is also defined by how you mange the wage bill. I can understand they may work out a short term with Gerrard but Glen Johnson and his huge bill is as good as gone. Liverpool had a lot of players to replace over the last season and this season. Pool had a very small squad last season so it hat to get some more players but now they need to concentrate on getting some better player. Rodgers has made Pool an attractive place to come once again.

Chances are he will make it or not make it at the end of the year but he will not leave pool in a worst place than when he took the job if he has to leave.

I agree with you that he won't leave it worse than he found it, that's for sure. But on the subject of the wage bill, you can't look at it in isolation. You have to look at it in the context of the competition. Manu**, Chelsea and City have top players who are making way more than Gerrard and/or Johnson, so they are not the issue, as even if they leave, the data show that they would have to be replaced by similar compensated professionals (just younger). LFC's wages are at £138m, City's at £233m - we simply just cannot compete with that kind of spending power (at the moment). Until FFP comes into play (and only if it is applied effectively), the madness will continue. I sincerely hope that this last 10 year period will be a thing of the past and that FFP will level the playing field. Until then, money rules...the rest of us bruck pocket clubs outside the big three will simply have to hug up fighting over 4th.

[Rockman]

Well I guess you disagree with my saing Pool(without sniper Sturridge) underachieved the first half of this season?

[Karl]

KMT. Sass, you don't know from long time seh dat dem coulda win a QUADRUPLE, Xcrement nah go happy till Rafa run tings. LOL!!! An' him a call good peeps "5th Columnist". Woooooooiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee.......

What we saw today was the result of time and new tactics finally beginning to play dividends. I was not happy with Sterling's play and I think he'll be well served by Sturridge's return. Still, we have a lot of work left to do...make no mistake about it. My MOM was Coutinho...he terrorised them! I just wish he could SCORE. Lawd...him cyan score to save him life.

We have a good opportunity in the next five games to put some points on the board against Leceister and Sunderland, but as you know, nothing is this #$Q#@$$#%$#% league is easy.

The error lies in 'players' errors'. If you view the last match again you shall notice that Coutinho for all his technical skills...is wanting in the tactical area - USE of commonsense area. Time and again he created along with great movement from his supporting cast wonderful goal-scoring opportunities save for that final release of the ball to his well-placed TEAM-mate.

He, for all his style and effort, gave away the ball too often. Often he took shots that were difficult in the extreme when compared to position his TEAM-mates were in relative to goal. Those shots resulted in giving away of the ball 99.99% of the time or on the other 0.01% of the time luckily after bouncing off an opponent came back to his TEAM.

...btw - Sterling showed before his 'baxin' of an opponent that he too lost the plot. He started to ignore better placed opponents taking wasteful shot attempts. Wanted to get in on the goal-scoring and forgot TEAM. Should have been taken off about 20 minutes earlier as his frustration was clear to see. He was hurting his TEAM...pure luck his 'hurt' was not bigger (leaving his TEAM 1 down - Immaturity on display!!!).

Other players also indulged in wastefulness when 2 up. ...dangerous ploy against good TEAMs. Hey...one good football man said, "It takes seconds to score a goal"! In my book any score under '4 up' against a good TEAM is never 'good' until the final whistle goes. ...and even at '4 up' against top quality TEAMs it is 10 minutes or less before I start to 'breathe easily'.

[Assasin]

Paul, I am saying you can compete with Manu and Chelsea bill but for output Johnson bill is too high, Gerrard is up in age and with some of his wages you could get a potentially good player. You can't be serious about the wage bill if you looking at the production. I like Gerrard but he can't be one of the highest earner at 34 years old and Johnson while a decent player, his salary is high, at this point Sterling deserves higher salary than Johnson.

[Karl]

I think Sterling was held by a good defender today. He didn't have time on the ball and he was well marked. He hit a good shot that hit the post. Cortinio play good but he has to work on his shot. Lalana did well and the defense kept Bony and Ruthledge in check. Ballo can't buy a goal fi Liverpool at all. When Sturridge is back, it may help Sterling and Ballo.

New year should be interesting. I remember not so long ago that Chelsea did win the league already

Re: Sterling
Nope - There is no defender who can 'hold him'.
He provided assistance to his defenders by not playing as smart as he can.
He is in that group of top quality players that no opponent on Earth can 'lock down' save when he engages in 'nonsense play'.

He has been doing that 'nonsense play' thing much too often in at least his last 3 matches. - Too often ignoring setting up others by trying to beat when unnecessary or taking shots when not well placed and supporting TEAM-mates are much better placed.

[Assasin]

Karl every player can be "lock down" that is the beauty of football. The same thing you can foolishness, Sterling has used it to his effect in the past.

In this game Sterling was held for most of it. He lost the ball trying to beat defenders and they cut off a lot of passes to him.

I see you never play defense yet.

[Paul Marin]

Paul, I am saying you can compete with Manu and Chelsea bill but for output Johnson bill is too high, Gerrard is up in age and with some of his wages you could get a potentially good player. You can't be serious about the wage bill if you looking at the production. I like Gerrard but he can't be one of the highest earner at 34 years old and Johnson while a decent player, his salary is high, at this point Sterling deserves higher salary than Johnson.

Even if you were to get rid of Gerrard and Johnson and replace them with whomever, we are still £100m behind City. How can you say we can compete with them with that kind of gap? You have to remember that one player or two won't do it because the squad depth would still be an issue esp. when you are in 4 competitions.

[Karl]

Karl every player can be "lock down" that is the beauty of football. The same thing you can foolishness, Sterling has used it to his effect in the past.

In this game Sterling was held for most of it. He lost the ball trying to beat defenders and they cut off a lot of passes to him.

I see you never play defense yet.

Nope! He has been playing progressively 'sillier' as the season goes on. I think he believes he should be doing more for the TEAM and in his efforts at same he tries too hard, 'over-does-it', becomes less effective performs at extremely lower quality than that he finished with last season. When judged against his known quality, he performs poorly for TEAM.

Sass: We have been disagreeing on 'player being held' for years and years. Your belief is a player can be held. Mine is: No one resides in a players head (i.e. controls his thinking and subsequent acts) and therefore it is all about how a player thinks and acts on the field that allows the perception of being held to be cemented in some minds.

There is a saying,

"One cannot be abused without one's permission".

Sterling has been giving permission to his opponents to abuse him.

[Assasin]

Remember City have man pon pension all a collect big money, They have players like Scott Sinclair and others getting big money and not even making the bench, you can't watch their wages. How many players they have out on loan?????

Again I think it is possible. City overplay a lot of players. Look on the defender they bought from Arsenal last year and can't even see the field.

[Assasin]

AS I said you never play defense. EVERY player can be held. No matter how good a player is I am going to go with the intention to stop him. First thing is a player have to touch the ball to be effective so you can cut out the passes.

Second is that he has to beat you. If you can stop that you are in the drivers seat.

Third you put them in a position on the field that they are not effective and you good.

The fact is Sterling now has to take more responsibility and try and create more.

[Karl]

AS I said you never play defense. EVERY player can be held. No matter how good a player is I am going to go with the intention to stop him. First thing is a player have to touch the ball to be effective so you can cut out the passes.

Second is that he has to beat you. If you can stop that you are in the drivers seat.

Third you put them in a position on the field that they are not effective and you good.

The fact is Sterling now has to take more responsibility and try and create more.

Play defense?,
As I mentioned in a post to Gamma - I played every position on the field....Yup! ...included 'keeper!

Started with being predominant right footer...ended having a very good left foot to go with that. Quick feet & quick across ground - Class 1 200 semi-finalist at Champs as 1st year man for Mannings. Ran everything from 100 through 440/400M - 3rd place finish 4 x 400 for Munro...not bad...at that time slightly less than fair ...at high jump for a non-jumper - I am 5'7" cleared 5'9". ...so in the air I was good!!! Could jump higher than the cross-bar going straight up!!!...and much higher from a running jump.

Granted I never can be considered to have trained for either football or T&F (..or Cricket for that matter - Played Minor Cup & Evelyn Cup for Mico Old Students)...guess it came too easily and those were the years of beautiful young ladies...so had more important things to work on ...

Look Sass: In football if you have the 'brains' and the physical gifts then getting to the ball first is 'it'....matters not if you are an attacker or defender...as then you dictate the action...
The caveat ...save when you cannot get to ball FIRST and then all your other efforts must be to provide support on your TEAM retaining position and achieving aims of scoring against opponent or regaining possession or preventing goal against!

[Assasin]

Again you never play defense. If they put you around there it doesn't mean you play it. Playing goalie is totally different. Goalie you have to stop shots.

Defenders prevent it, you study your opponent and you try mark them out of the game. Not always easy but that is your goal. Get the attacker off balance, get the ball on his weak side, foul him, hold him back, get player out of position they are comfortable in. Just few of the tings in the mid of a defender.

[Karl]

Again you never play defense. If they put you around there it doesn't mean you play it. Playing goalie is totally different. Goalie you have to stop shots.

Defenders prevent it, you study your opponent and you try mark them out of the game. Not always easy but that is your goal. Get the attacker off balance, get the ball on his weak side, foul him, hold him back, get player out of position they are comfortable in. Just few of the tings in the mid of a defender.

...guess you only faced poor opponents. In our Jamaica and in the US College system that is understandable.

Look...save getting to a reachable ball - then you can dictate - a defender is always 2nd on thought to 'good thinkers'. If the attacker gets to the ball first it puts the defender in the position of anticipating what the attacker shall do.

If you as defender are allowed to steer the opponent away from your goal or prevent a pass to his teammate or deny his getting off a shot you out-thought the opponent or he is lacking in skill or his teammates provided poor support.

There is a reason why defenders so often appear to be desperately trying to get to opponents in possession of the ball or those opponents who make 'good runs'=quick smart thinker. That reason is simple - The attacker acts, the defender reacts! ...that being the truth, then how in hell can an attacker 'be held' save physically putting your arms or legs around his opponent?

Question: ...and if putting that arm or leg around an opponent is frowned on by the ref then how do you 'hold the opponent'?

Answer: That opponent inadvertently provides his defender with 'pass' to 'hold him'!!! ...in nutshell that opponent (attacker)is playing poorly!

Just look at the top rated defender John Terry. Most often he gets to the ball first. He is not fast...just not too slow...but often his fast brain allows him to 'read the play' to his opponent or the ball to his opponent travels such long distance or slowly such that he is able to either reach it first or in time to use his physical strength to intimidate (causing the attacker to not go in at best speed) or disrupt the pass/strike or out-muscle the opponent.

When playing at the highest levels...naturally against top quality players, it is usually the fastest man wins! ...passes are usually more accurate and backed with superior minds - one-touch=instantaneous=a touch is the pass, direction/placement and velocity, disguised passes & players movements. It is TEAM v TEAM! ...no one individual can 'hold' another unless the one being held and or his teammates play the fool.

[Assasin]

Karl it doesn't matter at what level, attackers are oftenly shut down with good defending. Good defenders force errors. Most of the best defenders are not fast.

How fast you think Messi is??? He has very good balance and turn in short spaces. You see so many games that defenders shut down forwards. Again I see you lack respect for the art of defending. Terry is very slow but he knows the game. Look Beckham and Lampard slow like snail and beat man.

Karl there are defenders when in form who hardly take any beaten. There are a few in the EPL.