A win needed against Birmingham to make sure we are on track to comfortably reach the play offs.
Another defeat and we could eventually slip further down than 6th.

4

Played well first half and should have put away our chances - Sulemana being the most culpable, however what does anyone expect when the guy hasn't played regular first team football. But I thought he was a real threat to Liverpool that's why they brought on the first teamer right centre-half, Konate, to stop him in the second half. Konate showed his Premiership class and did stop Sulemana but why didn't Martin play Sulemana in a different position on the other side or more centrally. Edozie was also a threat. At least Martin could have tried to swap them around. I thought Sulemana and Edozie had a great first half. More goal scoring prowess and we could easily have gone 3 up. The other strange thing about Martin's selection was that he selected two dangerous wingers but a poor centre forward - once again playing Mara from the start he looked out of his depth - missing a couple of sitters. Adams was the obvious choice for me. Chalk and cheese.

Don't start me on the suicidal knocking the ball around our box to find a non-existent solution. OK do then. Frankly if a manager persists with this strategy he doesn't deserve to be manager - just saying we're going to stick to something 1. shows a lack of reasoning 2. an inability to adapt 3. Extreme stubbornness and arrogance. Being 'brave' enough to take risky chance is absurd and stupid when a team consistently loses matches with these conceits. It might, and does, work against weak teams that give you too much respect but it ain't going to win any trophies or promotion. Try that against Ipswich or Hull in the play-offs!

Thought Bree played OK except for one or two mistakes. And thought Charles played well except for a couple of mistakes. Same for Manning , same for Smallbone. Do you see the pattern here? If you ask me Saints players are trying to play an unnatural and risky style of football that they aren't technically gifted enough to play and so it will always ultimately let them down against more prepared and/or better teams. It's failed Russ; go back to 4-4-2 and play two wingers and two forwards with proper left and right backs. I'd also be quite happy to give Lumley a run of games.

3

Playing possession football against bottom half of Championship is one thing but against the youngsters of the likes of Liverpool is a different matter although we did pretty well until the first goal. Maybe we should have started with Armstrong and Adams as our shooting was poor. Hope some lessons learned and that we can slip back into our undefeated form asap. Play offs now look our only chance to get back to the prem. Great support from travelling fans as always.

3

The jury has been out on Mara for some time. Not any more. Last night gave us all the evidence needed that he is not going to make the grade - not in the Championship and certainly not in the prem.

2

I have given thumbs up to every comment both positive and negative. The reason is that I am totally torn between 'wasted opportunity' and 'at least we weren't embarrassed'

On the one hand it was a good performance - Ally McCoist was reasonably impressed, not so much Roy Keane - and we were unlucky with the first goal and there were good performances from Aribo in particular and we didn't give a goal away with the endless tippy-tappy in our own box.

But: are we in the quarter finals? Did we score a goal? Did we concede several again? Did the surreal tippy-tappy exhibition achieve anything beyond looking like a travelling circus exhibition of juggling while on a tightrope? When I saw the starting line-ups I thought two things - Liverpool look beatable and where in the hell will our goals come from? I was right on one...

What did RM achieve last night? Was it a 'look I can rest players and play tippy-tappy' job advert for a 'bigger' club? Bottom line is it was 3-0 against Liverpool second team and could have been a lot better. My negative list seems a lot longer than the positive - so be it, a win against Birmingham and all will be forgotten.

3

If Smallbrain had had some arrows chalked on the pitch, to signify which direction Saints were playing, he might have actually tried to move forward with the ball. Instead he did everything possible to pass back, failed, gave the ball away which killed the game at 2-0. Typical RM impact sub.

We won't make the play offs without an emergency, out of contract, striker signed.

-1

I would, we are 15 points ahead of the seventh placed team with twelve games to play. Should we not make the playoffs from here I would suggest that the only person out of contract will be Russell Martin.

2

Positives
The midfield in the first half. Sulimana and edozie looked useful but needed brooks with them.
Aribo best game foe us.

Negatives
Passing around the box,what an earth does it achieve apart from boring the crowd to death and looking silly when we make a mistake.
Smallbone and Charles so off form.

Conclusion
We are not ready for the premiership

3

Why not try Kamaldeen down the middle, his pace would frighten central defenders

2

I was marvelling at the playing out from the back, when we had sucked in 5-6 liverpool players we then passed it forward and invariable had a good position. The problem was that we missed our chances. Thankfully they also missed theirs when they caught us. The first half was really good by saints, but we couldn't bury the chances we made and the midfeild missed some runs by edozie and sulemana that would have be 1 on 1 if stu had been in the midfeild or Che at CF. Klopp had to make changes to deal with us, and they could as they are top of the Prem. that is high praise. The deflection for the first goal was cruel.

I agree with other posters that the subs did not work and weakened us, but overall the scoreline flattered them and the overall gave me alot if optomism. We went toe to toe with the carabou cup winners who are at the top of the prem until the subs changed the game.

0