Theo Walcott was shocking, we can’t buy him. Armstrong and JWP forming a decent partnership.

4

Theo Walcott was shocking, we can’t buy him. Armstrong and JWP forming a decent partnership.

8

Walcott aside, the performance was okay. The main difference between the teams was the clinical finishing by Liverpool. Our front 4 all had chances but either were hit straight at the keeper or Alison made good saves.

Walcott was poor. Ineffectual in attack and no defensive cover. I know he is available on a free in the summer but unless he is taking a significant pay cut I would like the limited resources invested elsewhere.

13

We played pretty well, it was a fairly even contest for most of the game. The difference for me was Che fluffed 2 good chances and Liverpool converted theirs.

Walcott was ineffectual and repeatedly gave up the ball at the first challenge.

The formation looked good with KWP acting as a winger in attack and then dropping back into a back 4 when needed.

Defence was okay but it is easy to spot the errors that led to the two goals. I would have like to see Salisu at some point.

Tella was good. Obafemi was good.

As we have all been saying for too long we need a leader on the park to make us more solid and a cool head up front to convert chances.

COYR

5

A good performance in parts but also the same lack of urgency and risk. Strangely we play a similar style to Liverpool in terms of the press but lack the explosive pace when turning the press into attack. I use the word strangely because its not as if we don't have the pace?
Totally agree on Walcott, he offers little in terms of improving what we have and although he is on a free his wages are substantial. I also believe that Tella shows we have talent in our youngsters.
Who else could shine given a chance. We paid big money, by our standards, for Diallo who doesn't look like a PL player at present & Djenepo still doesn't look like a PL player. My point is we are spending big money on players from sub-standard leagues but not giving our home grown a chance.
Very slight rant over COYR

4

first goal was a poor goal to concede, but overall not a bad performance. Agree that we should not sign Walcott, he's another like Redmond that flatters to deceive. Yet again difficult to see where goals are going to come from when Ings is out (which is becoming more frequent). Che Adams is often unlucky but with the chances he gets he should be scoring more

7

Sadly I have to agree on Walcott, he does very little and even on a free doesn't look like he can offer a swan song couple of years. We had 4 attacking players on there with, I think, 2 league goals betwwen them since the new year. Let's be brutally honest - without Ings the sensible first goal bet is JWP, Armstrong or one of the big lads at the back. Che works hard but to not put one of those golden chances in tells me he can't be our main striker (I think he has had long enough now). I thought Redmond was good in the first half but, again, when the great chance came - straight at the keeper.

These types of matches, like the recent Spuds one, are difficult to access because the "Big Six" team were not playing well. Newcastle managed the late equalizer at Anfield, we did not. We looked good going forward and defended well apart from the first goal where Stephens headed weakly and then ambled across with no real intent to stop the cross. FF played well but if you look at where Mane was could he not have come out for the cross?

So, not for the first time, encouraging in parts, great chances missed, one or two lapses in an otherwise decent defensive performance and no points. If Fulham get at least a point tomorrow the Palace game suddenly has more significance than we want it to have. I don't want to have to cheer on Manure against Fulham in a couple of weeks.

7

Walcott has to go at the end of the season because he is so ineffective. Saints should not start him and Redmond in the same team because they are both weak and offer no defensive cover.
Why was Salisu not playing instead of Stephens? Salisu is faster and reads the game better than Stephens.
Salah gave Stephens the run around all night and the first goal was caused by him not cutting out the cross.

6

Most of us seem to agree on Walcott's sub-standard performance, but he is the fittest 33 year old in the Prem. and is constantly being played out of his natural (strike) role. His goal-scoring stats. for club and country still put quite a few others to shame, but unless he gets into goal-scoring positions he won't be able to contribute as when getting possession in midfield he still has to run 30 yards to get to the penalty box and is too often muscled off the ball by tougher defenders.
At a time when Ralph is quoting max. £10 million for new signings, being on a free, his cost would be £ 0 million and a 2 year contract would be about the limit when you consider we still have Shane Long on the books at age 35.

0

We can't get a result with 2 CB's and no Ingsy. End of.
Ralph Hassenaclue manages a loss against a s**t Liverpool team and a draw with 10 men against a decent side. Only the wonderful Ralphy could do that.

-4