One thing we've been lucky so far is that the misses haven't cost us.

Yesterday, Easy misses an open goal, Vik misses a tap in but it's a comfortable 2-0.

Midweek, Gabby misses a header and Leo could have had at least a couple. But it's a comfortable 2-0.

We didn't have any chances at Anfield, so it's not like we're ruing player X not taking his chance.

Likewise, the one chance we got against City, and it was a hard won, Gabby scored. As he did in Bilbao when it was 0-0. {I remember moaners here saying after he scored the winner in Madrid that he wouldn't have done it if it had really mattered. Oh, ye of little faith.}

Now the "fans" seem to be moaning about these relatively comfortable/boring 2-0 victories. We should be hammering them, they say.

Well I'd rather we had these 2-0 wins with lots of misses as long as we don't miss chances in the big games.

Look at that post-Dubai run 2 years ago. Loads of 5 and 6 nil victories but we couldn't take our chances against Villa.

Nothing would make me happier than winning every game from now on 2-0 with at least 3 missed chances every match, and the fans continually moaning that we're not winning well enough.

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

Yesterday, Easy misses an open goal, Vik misses a tap in but it's a comfortable 2-0.

Midweek, Gabby misses a header and Leo could have had at least a couple. But it's a comfortable 2-0.

We didn't have any chances at Anfield, so it's not like we're ruing player X not taking his chance.

Likewise, the one chance we got against City, and it was a hard won, Gabby scored. As he did in Bilbao when it was 0-0. {I remember moaners here saying after he scored the winner in Madrid that he wouldn't have done it if it had really mattered. Oh, ye of little faith.}

Now the "fans" seem to be moaning about these relatively comfortable/boring 2-0 victories. We should be hammering them, they say.

Well I'd rather we had these 2-0 wins with lots of misses as long as we don't miss chances in the big games.

Look at that post-Dubai run 2 years ago. Loads of 5 and 6 nil victories but we couldn't take our chances against Villa.

Nothing would make me happier than winning every game from now on 2-0 with at least 3 missed chances every match, and the fans continually moaning that we're not winning well enough.

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Missing chances is fine the problem comes when you're not creating them.

Games like this are about doing enough and keeping it comfortable. You don't need to be brilliant every week. You need to be able to find answers when you need them.

We do need to create more and we do need to score more. But we have two or three key players out and two or three key ones who have just come in.

We have to keep improving. And stop getting knee injuries every week!

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Originally Posted by Peter

Missing chances is fine the problem comes when you're not creating them.

Games like this are about doing enough and keeping it comfortable. You don't need to be brilliant every week. You need to be able to find answers when you need them.

We do need to create more and we do need to score more. But we have two or three key players out and two or three key ones who have just come in.

We have to keep improving. And stop getting knee injuries every week!

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It was a very comfortable watch. They had 1 good chance at the start and a half chance at the end, that was it. Never looked like being anything other 3 points.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

It was a very comfortable watch. They had 1 good chance at the start and a half chance at the end, that was it. Never looked like being anything other 3 points.

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In two weeks the BBC have gone from Liverpool's certain title win and almost inevitable unbeaten season to 'can anyone stop Arsenal' :-)

Wouldn't write off City....

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

Yesterday, Easy misses an open goal, Vik misses a tap in but it's a comfortable 2-0.

Midweek, Gabby misses a header and Leo could have had at least a couple. But it's a comfortable 2-0.

We didn't have any chances at Anfield, so it's not like we're ruing player X not taking his chance.

Likewise, the one chance we got against City, and it was a hard won, Gabby scored. As he did in Bilbao when it was 0-0. {I remember moaners here saying after he scored the winner in Madrid that he wouldn't have done it if it had really mattered. Oh, ye of little faith.}

Now the "fans" seem to be moaning about these relatively comfortable/boring 2-0 victories. We should be hammering them, they say.

Well I'd rather we had these 2-0 wins with lots of misses as long as we don't miss chances in the big games.

Look at that post-Dubai run 2 years ago. Loads of 5 and 6 nil victories but we couldn't take our chances against Villa.

Nothing would make me happier than winning every game from now on 2-0 with at least 3 missed chances every match, and the fans continually moaning that we're not winning well enough.

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I watched the entire match and don't recall Eze missing an open goal or Gyokeres missing a tap in.

I think you might be leveraging some artistic licence there, GG :-)

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Originally Posted by WES

I watched the entire match and don't recall Eze missing an open goal or Gyokeres missing a tap in.

I think you might be leveraging some artistic licence there, GG :-)

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Gyokeres didn't quite reach that cross (he probably should have) and Eze blasted over when it was easier to score

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Originally Posted by WES

I watched the entire match and don't recall Eze missing an open goal or Gyokeres missing a tap in.

I think you might be leveraging some artistic licence there, GG :-)

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Ok, when the ball came out to Eze after Vik's failed back heel, he was 7 yards out with the keeper on the floor and no-one directly between his foot and the back of the net. All he had to do was kick it straight. Which he did, but he hit it high.

I really don't think that's too much artistic license. It was a hard chance, in some ways harder than Dec's and that was sublime technique. It just came up a bit quicker than he hoped.

Vik's should have been a tap in. He was inches away. But he held back more than he needed to to stay onside. As long as he's behind the ball, that's fine. He checks his run too much and then is inches away from a tap in. Ok, he didn't miss the tap in, this one I grant you. He missed the chance to have a tap in by delaying his run too much. Like B had a goal disallowed for going one pace too early.

As P says, I don't mind missing chances, as long as we win. It's the not creating them that's been the issue.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Gyokeres didn't quite reach that cross (he probably should have) and Eze blasted over when it was easier to score

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Accurate. Eze's miss was bad. Trossard grabbed him immediately to ckmfort him.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Gyokeres didn't quite reach that cross (he probably should have) and Eze blasted over when it was easier to score

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And, by the way, that cross from Rice was amazing.

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Originally Posted by Peter

And, by the way, that cross from Rice was amazing.

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Shameful failure really. Alan Smith would've scored twice from that cross, it was so good. Even Kai Havertz would've buried it.

Agreed though, we've been really good. Especially as, like the manager says, all the changes we're making and have had to make.

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

Yesterday, Easy misses an open goal, Vik misses a tap in but it's a comfortable 2-0.

Midweek, Gabby misses a header and Leo could have had at least a couple. But it's a comfortable 2-0.

We didn't have any chances at Anfield, so it's not like we're ruing player X not taking his chance.

Likewise, the one chance we got against City, and it was a hard won, Gabby scored. As he did in Bilbao when it was 0-0. {I remember moaners here saying after he scored the winner in Madrid that he wouldn't have done it if it had really mattered. Oh, ye of little faith.}

Now the "fans" seem to be moaning about these relatively comfortable/boring 2-0 victories. We should be hammering them, they say.

Well I'd rather we had these 2-0 wins with lots of misses as long as we don't miss chances in the big games.

Look at that post-Dubai run 2 years ago. Loads of 5 and 6 nil victories but we couldn't take our chances against Villa.

Nothing would make me happier than winning every game from now on 2-0 with at least 3 missed chances every match, and the fans continually moaning that we're not winning well enough.

---

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Shameful failure really. Alan Smith would've scored twice from that cross, it was so good. Even Kai Havertz would've buried it.

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I much prefer Reds comparing Vik with Smudger to Rich comparing him with Sesko.

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

I much prefer Reds comparing Vik with Smudger to Rich comparing him with Sesko.

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To be fair, I don't think red was making a comparison.

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Originally Posted by Peter

To be fair, I don't think red was making a comparison.

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I'm positive about Gyokeres. He's big, physical and fast and gets into all the right positions. The Portuguese league is good enough that he coudn't have scored all those goals without being a decent finisher.

He's what we needed. Rice's goal as an example. His run took a central defender away from where he might have stopped Rice from scoring. He does things like that all the time. He needs to get used to us, and us to him.

But he's exactly the type of striker that we needed i.e. one who isn't good enough to focus on much more than scoring goals.

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Originally Posted by WES

I'm positive about Gyokeres. He's big, physical and fast and gets into all the right positions. The Portuguese league is good enough that he coudn't have scored all those goals without being a decent finisher.

He's what we needed. Rice's goal as an example. His run took a central defender away from where he might have stopped Rice from scoring. He does things like that all the time. He needs to get used to us, and us to him.

But he's exactly the type of striker that we needed i.e. one who isn't good enough to focus on much more than scoring goals.

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I would caveat by saying have you really seem him finish well (on YouTube) when he's in a tight space and has a millisecond to get his shot away. That coupled together with the way he gets shoved off the ball (this must just be poor technique) / beaten to headers by folk much smaller than him his a cause for concern.

That being said; I think there is something in what Arteta says about him doing brilliantly. I assume he's talking about occupying defenders and pulling back lines out of shape - which is something that perhaps others will benefit from.

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Originally Posted by WES

I'm positive about Gyokeres. He's big, physical and fast and gets into all the right positions. The Portuguese league is good enough that he coudn't have scored all those goals without being a decent finisher.

He's what we needed. Rice's goal as an example. His run took a central defender away from where he might have stopped Rice from scoring. He does things like that all the time. He needs to get used to us, and us to him.

But he's exactly the type of striker that we needed i.e. one who isn't good enough to focus on much more than scoring goals.

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Certainly, it is early to judge. And I was not expecting a world class centre forward. Hopefully he improves over the season and we learn to use him, along with our other new players.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Certainly, it is early to judge. And I was not expecting a world class centre forward. Hopefully he improves over the season and we learn to use him, along with our other new players.

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The key sentence in my post was the last one.

It's true, and should make red very happy :-)

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Originally Posted by WES

The key sentence in my post was the last one.

It's true, and should make red very happy :-)

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Interesting thought that our previous strikers were too good. :-)

Apart from the goalscoring bit.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Interesting thought that our previous strikers were too good. :-)

Apart from the goalscoring bit.

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When we signed him there was a video about it on that ACFC youtube channel. It showed the PSG game where we had MnM up top and Dec left 8. It said that PSG didn't have to worry about them getting balls in behind. Yet with Vik they would.

And that's what he's doing. If they have to double mark him, or have one man marking and another covering behind then they can't double mark B and Odin. He creates space.

It took a while to work out how to use the space from double marking B but with Vik it seems to be working straight away, as it's making space for our skilful players. Cos if they don't mark him like that, we have players to put him through to do what he's best at. And against the Bubbles, he was double marked but still got the shot away that led to our first goal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

Interesting thought that our previous strikers were too good. :-)

Apart from the goalscoring bit.

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Probably too good at football, and it gave them ideas.

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Originally Posted by WES

The key sentence in my post was the last one.

It's true, and should make red very happy :-)

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Indeed. Splendid observations.

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

When we signed him there was a video about it on that ACFC youtube channel. It showed the PSG game where we had MnM up top and Dec left 8. It said that PSG didn't have to worry about them getting balls in behind. Yet with Vik they would.

And that's what he's doing. If they have to double mark him, or have one man marking and another covering behind then they can't double mark B and Odin. He creates space.

It took a while to work out how to use the space from double marking B but with Vik it seems to be working straight away, as it's making space for our skilful players. Cos if they don't mark him like that, we have players to put him through to do what he's best at. And against the Bubbles, he was double marked but still got the shot away that led to our first goal.

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I do like that that chap challenges the idea, possibly in a different video, that we needed a striker because we don't score enough goals, when it ought to be clear to everyone by this time that we actually score plenty of goals and we merely need a striker to help us win more games.

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Probably too good at football, and it gave them ideas.

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Funny. When I was younger we worried that defenders who could play football wouldn't focus enough on defending and would be too soft. Now it is strikers.

You just don't get Ian Wrights and Henrys these days. :-(

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Originally Posted by Peter

Funny. When I was younger we worried that defenders who could play football wouldn't focus enough on defending and would be too soft. Now it is strikers.

You just don't get Ian Wrights and Henrys these days. :-(

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Certainly not at the price. Notice that Bournemouth have decided they may reluctantly and with a heavy heart be prepared to accept a hundred million quid in January for some random African winger of theirs. "The Arsenal have been informed." :-\

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Certainly not at the price. Notice that Bournemouth have decided they may reluctantly and with a heavy heart be prepared to accept a hundred million quid in January for some random African winger of theirs. "The Arsenal have been informed." :-\

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We can't be buying Africans. They want time off every other year.

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Originally Posted by Peter

We can't be buying Africans. They want time off every other year.

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That's why you want Africans with French citizenship. Though given Kolo was an invincible, he can take time off whenever he likes.

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Originally Posted by Peter

We can't be buying Africans. They want time off every other year.

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Well, quite. What do they think this is? The 60's?!

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

That's why you want Africans with French citizenship. Though given Kolo was an invincible, he can take time off whenever he likes.

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What about Africans with Chav citizenship, like this Cherries chap :-\

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter

Funny. When I was younger we worried that defenders who could play football wouldn't focus enough on defending and would be too soft. Now it is strikers.

You just don't get Ian Wrights and Henrys these days. :-(

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David O'Leary could play football - was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1980 - and he could defend. Big Willy reminds me of him sometimes. Just so cultured and composed on the ball.

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

David O'Leary could play football - was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1980 - and he could defend. Big Willy reminds me of him sometimes. Just so cultured and composed on the ball.

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He could indeed. George was very suspicious of him. As was Jack Charlton.

But he was an excellent player and professional, and adjusted his game.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

That's why you want Africans with French citizenship. Though given Kolo was an invincible, he can take time off whenever he likes.

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As long as they elect to play for France, great.

Kolo was different. We got him for 50 quid and a bag of footballs.