About the Fulham game

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I received this from Denis Gaudillere, he is a French Liverpool Supporter.

Dear supporters,

If  i’m writing this tonight, that’s simply because i’m angry and sad both after the match against Fulham. Simply because I love LFC, its values, its history (and i never will deny my love for the club, my pride of the red shirt and emotions felt each match…)

One week ago, we beat our great rival 2-0 in a magnificent match…

But tonight we fell again, and we fell so down…

I want to try to analyse objectively what happened. And everyone who wants to do this too has to answer to those three questions:

1.Is our defeat deserved? YES.

2.Are Rafa and players guilty? YES.

3.Was our starting eleven strong enough even against a team like Fulham? NO.

Supporters who can’t answer the same have a problem of objectivity when they are watching football matches.

Of course our defeat is deserved and unfortunately there’s nothing to say about that. Our defense wasn’t so bad but we made mistakes, one of them was unacceptable (and Fulham scored 1-0). Our midfielders didn’t try enough to create and make danger. And when we made it, it was slow, trivial, and not original. Only Torres  “made something” »: an absolutely superb goal. That kind of goal that only great strikers can do.

I saw a poor match tactically. Except Nando’s goal and the first shoot of Benayoun, all that I saw about our reds was so stereotyped and without spark. One week ago we were on fire, tonight I didn’t  really saw a flame from our squad…

Don’t count on me to ask Rafa’s head. He’s, in my mind and in my heart, one the best coach in the world (maybe the best ;)). I keep my faith in him and the worst that could happen to the club is to loose  him. But is he guilty of something? Yes, guilty of thinking that the 11 players he chose were strong enough to beat Fulham. I hope it’s not sufficiency from  him but that’s the way i felt his choice (and the team’s way of playing too). We’ll have to win in Lyon next week and everybody knows (and wants) that. Rafa too and he surely wanted to preserve some key players to next Wednesday. I’m thinking about Agger, Skrtel, Aurelio, Riera. Starting with players like Degen, Kryigakos, and Voronin was a professional fault. They did not make a bad match, they weren’t good enough to play a premier league match.

But is Rafa only guilty? Of course not. Obviously LFC owners are the main source of our club’s problems, but on the pitch tonight against Fulham the real guilty were our players. Our 11 reds and their way of playing. Their way of not showing enough fighting spirit, not enough envying to “create” an attractive and bold game. How many times did we want to scream “go ahead, go ahead” ? And the ball was slowly going from midfield to our defense before slowly been back on a wing to an inefficient try to attack. Don’t be blind, our way of playing was poor tonight, and even if we can sometimes find some positives things, we have to say, when it’s needed: ” No, our team wasn’t good. Yes, players played so bad. And No they don’t seem to be concerned by this match. They lost because they didn’t “want enough to win”.

They are professionals, and even in a less important match (and tonight it was not the case) they have to show that they want to win. More than any other team, because they’re Liverpool players, envy to win and keep fighting till the end have to flow in veins of each one.

Regarding all those things, could we win tonight against a team like Fulham? No, simply because Fulham is not a team of losers and by far. They made 2-2 at City after loosing 2-0. They won Hull City the week before. After drawing 2-2 at West Ham… They are professionals too, their results proved that (don’t forget they beat United last year). During the match, they were not genius but they deserved the victory because they wanted it largely more than us.

Sometimes football is complicated, sometimes so simple. Tonight our defeat is sadly simple. A starting 11 not strong enough because of Rafa’s choices. 11 players who didn’t show that they wanted to be better than their opponent. That they wanted to fight again again and again because of the shirt they ware. Ok they are professionals, and humans after all.

We will never blame our players when they show what we want us to show:

fighting spirit, loyalty, spark, pride and heart.

Come on Rafa ! In you I (we) trust, but don’t forget that every match is important and is not won before starting…

Come on Reds ! You wear a glory red shirt and have to be proud of that and the history of your club. We are still thinking, as you did against man Utd, that we can be the greatest team of England and Europe. In every match you have to respect the opponent, and never play with sufficiency…

…And You’ll never walk alone !

From Denis, french supporter of LFC

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5 Comments

  1. I agree Rafa,is making the mistake of thinking,one game ahead..and not giving opponents enought respect,you can’t do that .
    He is being happered by lack of money,but you must always try to play your best team…
    Y.N.W.A…Always.. :-)

  2. i luv ur love for the club….its gr8….ur a true supporter and will never give up on liverpool…..but im also a true supporter….i luv this club alot…..it means alot to me and its a part of me….yest defeat has 2 be blamed on rafa….why wasnt aurlio, skrtel, agger etc on the bench?? if they had the virus it can be understandable…why was torres removed? why benayoun? why kuyt? why get on eccleston when ur losing., rafa has had alot of chances….his time is up….i still respetc him and luv him….hes a good manager.,…but u cnt always think sentimentally, think as a proffesional.

  3. i’m almost sure that torres has been removed because he’s injuried again (and we’ll miss him against lyon)… and when rafa realised that the match was lost he wanted to preserved beni and kuyt. everybody saw beni going to the bench with a angry and disapointed face.
    rafa made a fault ok but what about the players and their way of playing?

    And more what about steevie G? i’m not talking about his problem of injury. even if he can’t play he’s still our captain, but he said nothing. since the begening of the season, how can a so charismatic player being so silent?

  4. Good post Denis but the absence of Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio, and Reina may be something more than rotation! Remember there is a virus doing the rounds at Melwood…..

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