Ratings and Reactions: Liverpool 3-0 Villa

[GasGasGas]

Give him time MON never had to deal with injuries like this. And will the MON luvvies stop wheeling out the cliches about "fight, desire" etc it's stinks of such an english/losing mentality. We're trying to play the passing game it's not easy with the technically inept players we have. we seem to boss games week in week out now 60% tonight so we're doing something right. we just need some creativity and flair in the final third. Under MON we would surrender possession and chase the ball around like idiots, no wonder we never did anything in europe. It will take time but so long as we don't get relegated is anyone really bothered? We won't get relegated with Ashley Young in the team anyway...despite what you here on sky there is some real shiit teams in this league....wolves/west ham/wigan/blackpool/fulham.

Keep the faith in Houllier and stop living in the past having wet dreams about MON the dinosaur.

Another one of those deluded ones trying to hide behind the injury excuse. The defence hasn't really been hampered with injuries and yet they are the ones that are playing the worst. Injuries?

Give him time MON never had to deal with injuries like this.

MON made sure that he never had to deal with injuries like this, every week it's a player recovering, only to get injured again, and another couple of players out.

Under MON we would surrender possession and chase the ball around like idiots, no wonder we never did anything in europe.

Under GH we would surrender possession and run around like idiots not doing anything and watch as the opponent walk the ball into our goal without even trying, no wonder we are losing all our games.

so long as we don't get relegated is anyone really bothered? We won't get relegated with Ashley Young in the team anyway...despite what you here on sky there is some real shiit teams in this league....wolves/west ham/wigan/blackpool/fulham.

Maybe you won't. That is why you're writing such drivel.

[gilbertoAVFC]

How has James Collins suddenly become 'a disgrace', 'a c***' and 'shocking'. So fickle. He has had one stinker yes, but he has hardly been dire other than last night.

I can't help but think people are acting in such a reactionary way. Most of our players are half-fit or injured, the rest are knackered. It's not acceptable, no, but some of the comments on here are pretty outrageous.

not being funny but do you go down vp? dunne has been poor this season & collins has been ok at best, warnock is a disaster & i was shouting for luke young to play rb all last year, i have never wanted carlos so bad in the back 4 as i have now.carlos was mon against wolves & hasnt played since! bad managment

"Not being funny" but yeah I've had season ticket since I was twelve and have missed three home games in seven years.

Did I mention Dunne? He's a liability yes and Cuellar should be given a chance. Warnock really isn't as bad as people say.

My point was a general one about how reactionary some of the comments on here are and my other point was about Collins and how it's ridiculous how people can slate him as badly as they have done on here.

What has your response got to do with what I just posted? And how can you question whether I go to Villa Park?

[GasGasGas]

The fans of Liiverpool were fantastic and I'd like to thank them, particularly for their chants at the end and the banner which reallly touched me.

**** off

to France.

I'll pay for your Eurostar.

I'd rather he **** off back to Liverpool, if it would at least weaken them.

[cbr600rr]

been going down since late 80s matey.. warnock is a shocker,carnt head the ball & gets caught out of position way too much,no you never mentioned dunne which caused me to say "do you go down",if you take stock of dunne performances this year hes been poor.

[gilbertoAVFC]

been going down since late 80s matey.. warnock is a shocker,carnt head the ball & gets caught out of position way too much,no you never mentioned dunne which caused me to say "do you go down",if you take stock of dunne performances this year hes been poor.

Didn't question whether you did, matey. I said shit all about Dunne because I agree with all the other comments saying he's been a liability all season. I was just saying some of the comments about Collins are ridiculous. Not that relevant really to whether I go down.

[chappy]

What a horrible performance. Not felt that low after a game in a long while because there really was nothing to be pleased about. Downing, Albrightona nd Hogg were the best of a bad bunch. Wins in the next two games are absolutely imperative, but I really can't see us beating either side (particularly WBA) if we play that badly again. Please bring CC in, the defence needs a shake up and it is so frustrating to have as good a player sat on the bench.

[Hanky]

Carew and Pires were really on for that long? Barely noticed them.

[maloneyt]

very proud of the fans, "were gonna win the league!" "its like watching brazil!"

[Laivasse]

Just caught a recording of the game and it was like watching a bunch of sulky schoolkids do PE in the rain for a teacher they can't stand. That sort of performance easily had the potential to turn into a 6-0 or 7-1 drubbing but for the fact that Liverpool looked like they weren't even too bothered about trying to score. Seeing the players heads drop listlessly was exactly the same sort of spectacle as it was against Newcastle, as well as Chelsea last season.

Not much to say about the defence that hasn't been said. Houllier needs to sort out their motivation in general (particularly that of Dunne) and get them defending set pieces much, much better. Between our CBs and Clark we have effectively 3 CBs on the pitch to mark up against corners, yet we have no one to stop Skrtel heading to set up the first goal, or Kyrgiakos forcing a goal line clearance from Hogg towards the end. It was this same kind of crap which allowed Fulham to equalise through Hangeland in the 95th. I'm a big fan of CC and he needs to be in there somewhere, but unless the others in the back line actually start to play properly then his return still won't be enough to turn these losses into draws. At the very most CC's presence might have stopped one, maybe two goals last night.

I usually think it would be madness to get rid of a manager after so short a time and I felt positive about Houllier initially, but if there was any chance of us getting Jol at this point - and I reckon there isn't - I'd say go for it. The defensive sloppiness is costing us game after game and it's exactly the sort of thing GH should assume responsibility for.

Picking a MotM from such a performance is fairly laughable, but if I were forced to I'd go for Ireland or Downing - probably Ireland just shades it. Downing tried hard in an uninspiring bunch, but produced very little to show for it. The same can be to said to a lesser degree for Gabby, Hogg and Alby, the last of whom to be fair wasn't match fit and so was taken out of much of the game by Konchesky. Fonz battled hard without ever looking really dangerous. Ireland looked like he couldn't be bothered towards the end (and he wasn't alone), but prior to that out of all the players his were the only passes which ever seemed like they'd come to anything. He split the defence once or twice with nice balls, usually to Downing, and he fed Downing to set up Gabby for our only chance of the game.

If there's any positive to be gleaned, I'd say it's that we're unlikely to see the team play WORSE than that very often.

[Laivasse]

Double post, whoops

[VillaAndLoyal]

MOTM goes to our fans - we kept a lot of Liverpool supporters hugely entertained in the second-half and showed more passion than the whole of the Villa team put together.

[micflair]

MOTM goes to our fans - we kept a lot of Liverpool supporters hugely entertained in the second-half and showed more passion than the whole of the Villa team put together.

Totally agree mate, big thumbs up for the lads who started the `Lets pretend we scored a goal' chant going, **** hilarious and kept us warm!

[heystally!]

Phil McNulty blog:

...the brutal truth is that Villa are currently a pale shadow of the side that occupied the upper reaches of the table regularly under Martin O'Neill.

Villa may have arrived at Liverpool depleted by injury and minus the suspended Ashley Young but this was no excuse for their dreadful showing...

Villa looked a team ready to be beaten almost from the kick-off and this display will not help Houllier win the hearts of those fans who remain sceptical about his appointment.

Houllier needs wins swiftly... and the mixture of scorn and sarcasm heaped on Villa by their hardy travelling support did not send out good signals.

The only stars of the show for Villa were their fans, who illuminated a subdued night by turning on their team in light-hearted manner, although there was real venom in the blast they delivered towards the players at half-time.

"It's Just Like Watching Brazil," they lied as Villa slumped, while cries of "Ole" greeted passages of roughly two passes. Good knockabout stuff but the satire could not disguise the frustration.

Can't argue with what he's said, other than one comment:

But on a day when Newcastle United were roundly, and rightly, condemned for their hasty sacking of Chris Hughton, patience is required.