Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [28th December 2014 - 1st January 2015]

4-1 FT

Best performance of the season bar Spurs away imo. Completely controlled the game, attacked with pace and defending with authority.

Sakho and Can bring some much needed composure at the back and aren't in a such a rush to get rid of the ball like Skrtel and Lovren are. They both helped us build from the back by passing the ball out on the floor rather than invite pressure by hoofing it clear and giving it straight back to Swansea.

Lester next and hopefully another 3 points :)

Edit: Christ, didn't even need to RTM that one :D
 
Strange game. First half we were too slow in our play and too open in midfield; 2 or 3 times Shelvey was able to drift in behind our midfield but thankfully he and Swansea were pretty useless tonight. We had a couple of moments where we picked the pace up and we opened them up - the goal and the Sterling chance in particular.

Second half was partly the same in that Swansea were still able to walk through our midfield (and still waste mess it up) but our attacking play was so much better. Lallana and Coutinho, with Moreno bombing forward down the left were unplayable at times and some of the football was great to watch. Can looked solid and composed at the back but I'd love to see him in midfield. He looks like somebody that can control games and allow our creative players the freedom they need.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
and defending with authority.

Sakho and Can bring some much needed composure at the back ....
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Swansea had 11 attempts on goal. I don't think we defended with authority as a team as a whole or the defence in isolation - Can excepted.

And I generally like Sakho but he was anything but composed today. He looked really edgy when he had the ball today and gave it away a couple of times in really dangerous areas with careless touches. He needs a run of games though. It was similar last season - when he first got into the side he got caught on the ball a few times but as he played more he looked better and better.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
He looks like the DM we've been crying out for but appears to be 3rd in line behind Gerrard and Lucas :(
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I hope and expect he's just being brought in slowly. I think it was QPR away earlier in the season when he struggled a bit with the pace of the game which can be expected. Rodgers said himself that he's going to start to feature more and more as the season goes on and I hope he'll move into midfield.
 
As I said last season, he looks a lot worse on the ball than he actually is. He's got a very awkward style and he takes an age to control the ball but it does get to a teammate more often than not. He's also got the pace and power to recover from mistakes if we play a higher line. That's something Skrtel and Lovren won't ever give us.
 
Indeed, can't be the guy heading it back across our goal towards the front post

I like how that also completely ignores Lucas looking over his left shoulder at him and proceeding to stand still and watch the ball
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
As I said last season, he looks a lot worse on the ball than he actually is. He's got a very awkward style and he takes an age to control the ball but it does get to a teammate more often than not. He's also got the pace and power to recover from mistakes if we play a higher line. That's something Skrtel and Lovren won't ever give us.
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I agree completely that he looks worse than he is because of his lanky frame and his actual passing is very good. Where I get worried a bit with him and I thought happened today is where he dwells on the ball a bit, gets put under pressure and then tries to play a delicate pass in a tight area.

There were 4 or so occasions like that today and a couple of times he got away with it but another couple where he gave it away and it could have cost us. IINM he played a careless ball right after they scored and Bony forced Mignolet into a decent save.
 
I think the only thing a back 3 of Can, Skrtel and Sakho miss is a natural born leader. They've all got pace, they're all tall and they can all tackle but none of them strike me as the type of player to give one of the others a rollicking or organise things across the back.
 
There was a free-kick to Swansea at the end of the first half and I noticed Can standing on the edge of the 18 yard box, organising and pushing everybody up in line with him. For a 20 year old in a new side and country I was really impressed. But as above I don't think CB is his long term position and/or whether he knows the position well enough to organise others in open play.
 
I came away from Anfield last night thinking how well Sakho played and he's getting slated it seems. I rarely saw him give the ball away and when it was tight in the defence he got out of it easily and got the pass away. Cool as a cucumber he was last night.

Mignolet however...good lord. Can we just get someone in, in Jan? Even recall Jose Enrique from Knowsley safari Park and shove him in nets if you want...
 
There's no doubt for me... He's head and shoulders above the rest of them. Watching him scream at Mignolet when he didn't come for one was a delight as well. In regards to no leaders at the back... Can and Sakho were both very vocal yesterday and Sakho was PSGs youngest ever captain... There's certainly leadership qualities there.

Balotelli did alright when he came on, wasn't really given time but he isn't our type of forward. Back to goal constantly... If we can offload him for 13 is and Borini for 14ish then I can see us bringing in Berahino.
 
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