The Soccer Blog: Matchday: Liverpool v. Napoli

Monday 25 October 2010

Matchday: Liverpool v. Napoli

By: Ed | October 21st, 2010
napoli

Kickoff from Stadio San Paolo at 18:00GMT, 1:00EST.

Ways to Watch:

Match televised live on ITV4 (HD) in the UK and DirecTV (HD) in the United States.

MyP2P.eu
Atdhe.net
ChannelSurfing.net

Liverpool:

Reina
Kelly Carragher Skrtel Konchesky
Poulsen Spearing
Jovanovic Shelvey Babel
Ngog

Bench: Jones, Kyrgiakos, Aurelio, Wilson, Maxi, Cole, Eccleston

No time for in-depth thoughts right now, but Jonjo Shelvey? Not even on the radar. Disappointed that there’s no place for Dani Pacheco, and the return of Christian Poulsen leaves a little to be desired. Back just before kickoff with the Napoli team sheet.

Napoli:

Team sheet when it’s released.

Bench:

In the run-up:

Some scary news out of Naples already—apparently there were a few different incidents last night and early this morning involving Liverpool supporters, with five supporters needing medical attention, two of whom were stabbed. According to the Guardian’s report, Napoli Ultras “went out hunting Liverpool supporters.”

Hopefully all the supporters on both sides have an incident-free trip the rest of the way, and the Italian authorities can start to work in the direction of taking some serious action. The official site has also provided an advisory for supporters in Naples. Like I said, very scary stuff for the supporters that have traveled to Italy for the match.

I’m not sure whether it’s the much more serious news about the danger faced by supporters or just a good indication that I’ve already moved past Roy Hodgson, but I can’t even get riled up about his mealy-mouthed, stumbling discussion of how Fernando Torres’ future can’t be separated from the Wayne Rooney debacle at United and how he’ll do everything he can to keep him, or something, and then he’ll score goals again. It doesn’t need repeating, but I’ll do it anyway—leave, and soon.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:State of the Blog, Purslow Steps Down, and a Napoli PreviewMatchday: Liverpool v. SteauaMatchday: Liverpool v. FK RabotničkiMatchday: Liverpool v. UtrechtMatchday: Liverpool v. Blackpool

Category: Europa League, Matchday Posts, Miscellaneous

Tags: Europa League, Matchday Posts, Miscellaneous, Roy Hodgson
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JoeybFull match highlights:

http://www.imscouting.com/match-highlight/oct-21-2010-ssc-napoli-vs-liverpool-fc-europe-uefa-europa-league/866790/ContactHi guys! great page! I have my own soccer page.. please take a look and let me know what you think! thanks!! www.tiempoxtra.comGalahadThreepwoodI'm worried this result is going to give Roy some breathing room he doesn't deserve. He'll be able to spin it positively. You know, "Good result from an away game in a hostile stadium against a dangerous opponent". Or the short version, "See? My tactics work!" Thing is, ordinarily I probably would be happy with a draw in these circumstances. But Roy's like radiation: the longer the exposure, the greater the danger. I just hope NESV have already seen enough and are lining up a replacement as we speak.NoelI know it was a hostile environment, but on the pitch it was against a team that played nearly as deep and pressured almost as little as if Hodgson was managing them.

But maybe I'm alone in thinking that match-like substance was duller than dogshit and that in a just world neither side would come away with any points. Neither side had an ounce of tempo or conviction, and it was sloppy when it wasn't like watching paint dry. And it was mostly like watching paint dry. I doubt there's a single club in England that will be willing to lay off at least as much as Hodgson seems to want to--I thought this was just two equally passive, ambition free sides.

If we'd had even an ounce of fire and determination, we could have--should have--steamrolled a them.JoelI can't believe how narrow we were in attack, literally only used the half of the field the ball was on. On the singular break, all the players were within 10 yards of each other.EdWait, you're saying you can't believe that?JoelI should have said "I'm very frustrated with", as it shouldn't come as a surprise, my mistake.NoelI liked that one time Liverpool had a shot on target. And I feel like taking a nap now.NoelShelvey looks dead on his feet, and meanwhile it was "always the plan" to sub off Carragher at the half. So is it in his new contract that when fit he must start every match, even if it doesn't make a bit of sense? Or was Roy just worried that if he wasn't there the line might have pushed up a few yards?GalahadThreepwoodComments on the official site's webcast are echoing what we've seen all along this season...defending deep with no width and poor service to the striker. Although Roy did sub Soto in for Carra at the start of the second half...shocking.NoelMost dire half I've seen in a long time. Looks like a pair of Sunday pub teams out there.

Good thing for Liverpool that Napoli's manager apparently hasn't heard that you can get a result if you press us, because he's sitting back nearly as much as Roy most of the time. That and the Napoli players have flubber for shin guards. Liverpool seems mostly too apathetic to be able to tell if they also have flubber in their shin guards. And Babel's had the ball in space a few times and just stares at his feet.

Just dire all around. It's not as though everybody seems set out for a draw, even... it just looks as though I wouldn't be out of place out there for either side. And that's a horrible thing to say.NoelOr, here's why you don't want me writing match reviews, because this would be it for the first half:

A match to embody the existential despair and hopelessness of living in an entropic universe once one has fully realized that their actions can leave no meaningful mark that will not be ground to dust in the blink of an eye. It represents not the futility of failed action, but rather of the realization that any possible action undertaken is futile in any universal sense, and so instead one embraces the urge to give in to that entropy, lying down without complaint and giving one's bones to the inevitable weight of time to be crushed into dust.

This match is the embodiment of nihilism.

But hey, there's always the second half.Noel...and I probably shouldn't have used that ground to dust motif twice in a row like that. I'm gonna give up and just go stare at a wall for a while now.KTAnyone noticed the banner at the San Siro during the Inter-Spurs match last night? Guess it speaks volume by itself, eh? Rafa. A gentleman. Roy. Er...man? Can't believe someone with Roy's "I've-managed-for-35-years-all-over-Europe" experience can screw things up so spectacularly on all levels in such a short period of time - tactical nous (or lack of), support for our main striker (or lack of), encouraging pre/post-match interviews (or lack of...and not forgetting the tasteless treatment of the Norwegian journalist)...I wasn't convinced he was the right person for us when he was appointed, but thought that he deserved a chance to show what he can do. Well, he's had that chance, and blew it big time alright. Seems to me he's losing it with all the pressure he's under.

Thanks Roy, you tried, but sad to say, you're out of your depth...and you were found out...badly...GalahadThreepwoodAnybody watching the match? How does the team look? Different approach from previous matches, or more of the same?NoelInviting pressure, can't string three passes together, slow to transition and inviting pressure with those deep lines and said slow transitioning out of them.

But Napoli hasn't been hugely pressing in defense, and when they've had the ball they've been horribly sloppy.EdJust caught flashes, Jovanovic seems active, Babel not exactly been outstanding. Marek Hamsik's hair, however, is phenomenal as usual.RoscoThat is one pretty impressive barnet. See roys moved on from the bemused chin scratch to a more Dr Evil-esque finger motion.
Maybe those fergie rumours not so far off after all!!!Red2deathWith Roy taking the team 10 steps backwards and systematically alienating our best players Torres, Reina, Agger etc, if I didn't know better I might think he's here to do an inside job and his main paycheck was coming from his mate Fergie.

Maybe I don't know better.GalahadThreepwoodWhen your manager has fans contemplating whether he's working for your greatest rival, even in jest, it's time for him to go. Past time, really. He should have been out at the beginning of the week.TawfiqThe Reds side in full is: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Poulsen, Spearing, Jovanovic, Shelvey, Babel, Ngog. Subs: Jones, Kyrgiakos, Aurelio, Wilson, Maxi, Cole, Eccleston.

I think we will lose 2 nil
Unless the boys themselves have ambition then maybe a draw
Im upset on the way Roy is handling matters; still.. and I wish Pellgrini or Dalglish or someone of a strong personality and ambition to replace Roy. I feel Rijkard isnt our man..
Im not going clubbing, i will watch the game, I love this club and Im there for better for worse..

YNWA yallGalahadThreepwoodI know we have a match coming up shortly, but I couldn't resist. Here is the IFFHS list of the top football coaches of the last decade. The rankings were determined by calculating and comparing the points each coach has accumulated over the last 10 years. Rafa's 7th, Rijkaard's 11th, Pellegrini's 35th...and Roy isn't even on the list.

Tells you something, no?CSDThey have Sven as #12.... what does that tell ya? lolGalahadThreepwoodWell, true. And they have Fergie as number 2, and I think he's...well, I can't type what I think of him, because Ed would probably delete this post. :) But I do think it corresponds with what we've seen from Roy thus far. He just doesn't have what it takes to succeed at the highest level.Tawfiqyes it does
we ve been cheated!GalahadThreepwoodI agree...the results we've seen make it clear that the board made a terrible blunder when they picked Roy. The best thing for the team and the fans would be for them to admit their mistake and bring a new manager in asap.Jay1389I'm sure these attacks on Liverpool fans has nothing to do with the crappy Italian police not being able to do the job, obviously Serbia and it's fans must be entirely responsible for it.EdCombined with the rumors about a new man in charge come Monday and contact with Pellegrini, Grubb's got to be over the moon:

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2010/10/no-lfc-approach-for-rijkaard-agent/NoelI hope that's true. Though I'd be happy enough if it was him along with ten Cate and a couple of ex-Barça back-roomers who helped build his success as part of a plan to install/re-install a meaningful footballing identity.RoscoI've held my water on the hodgson bashing, until now, knowing full well it's warranted and comments like that really highlight, as it's been put, incompetence. The job of the manager I believe would be to try everything in your power, even if you really don't believe it's possible, to convince your disgruntled players that there's a cause worth fighting for. Flabbergasted to say the least.
Makes you sick hearing that about travelling fans, Italian police really need to remove their finger from the piella as this shit happens every year. Be a tad rough down this way come Sunday, old firm derby day. Hatred isn't quite strong enough a wordGalahadThreepwoodThose Torres comments still have me upset. Roy's incompetence has reached the point where it's become dangerous for the team. As far as I'm concerned, he's had all the time he deserves, and I see no evidence that he has the ability, or even the inclination, to turn things around. If he's still in charge after this weekend, NESV and the board are not doing their jobs. It's as simple as that.

It's gotten so bad that I'm actually hoping Liverpool lose today so that the pressure to remove Roy becomes irresistible. Ordinarily I would love to see the Reds blast Napoli (especially after the way LFC fans were treated by their supporters), but in this case I think it might convince the board and owners to give him another chance. That cannot happen. Regardless of who replaces him, Roy must go, now.Doubledusshi. i am a villa fan and were wondering what you guys thought of robbie keane? i hope we sign him and i know he used to play for liverpool. what do you think?

oh and good luck in the relegation battle.JoelHe'd be decent for a midtable team, not a guaranteed starter. At villa, you're better off with Carew, Agbonlahor, Young, and Delfonsuelo.GalahadThreepwoodI've only been seriously following Liverpool for a year, so Keane was before my time. But from what I've heard, he was a bad fit for us and wasn't used very often by Tottenham. Hope he works out for you guys if you sign him.NoelMakes you wonder what's more dangerous, sometimes: going to an away match in Italy as the supporter of an English club, or wearing colours in downtown LA? Though I suppose Naples is one of the best places in Europe to go if you want to get stabbed, regardless of if there's a match coming up.

Also, if the rumours are true about the Reina-Hodgson, trying to turn him into an "English keeper," fallout resulting in the former being benched tonight, I may be inclined to make some topical jokes in very poor taste about our current manager who is such a nice man and a steading hand. Potentially trying to drive off the best keeper in the world, what a great guy looking out for the best long term interests of the club.GalahadThreepwoodAquilani, Agger, Torres, and now Reina? Is he trying to make the fans hate him? Because he's succeeded with me.Fremhi. i am a villa fan and were wondering what you guys thought of robbie keane? i hope we sign him and i know he used to play for liverpool. what do you think?

oh and good luck in the relegation battle.Kop4life10well i guess he believes in doing a "complete" job so far he has turned our defense, midfield and forwards into a toothless unit, the final functioning unit is goalkeeping guess he want to mess that up too. makes me wonder if he is getting paid by Ferguson or our club. maybe he is taking tips from his "best pal" as to how to run a football club

i'm not the greatest admirer of rafa but whatever else his fault he had the balls to stand up to ferguson, or any other manager who tried to poach us, and tell them to fuck off.blog comments powered by Disqus

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Monday 25 October 2010

Matchday: Liverpool v. Napoli

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