Jase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn5VfhyYF_8

Good header goal but it made all possible when, for whatever reason, Lucas moved from that near post to the other side.

Quality goal all round in the Lisbon derby tonight! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmfWdAoQh1s

That's been sort of a problem with us this season. So often we have been guilty of overpassing the ball, trying to play tiki-taka football for the sake of it around the opposition rather than make 2-3 passes and then shoot at goal! It's quite frustrating especially when lots of attacks have broken down because of this.

By conceding that late equalizer, our recent league record against Liverpool makes it for an even better reading... Chelsea have won just 2 of their last 13 Premier League matches against Liverpool since 2007 - W2 D4 L7. Both wins came in 09/10 season.

Benitez clearly has issues with Hazard. Always subbing and resting him for no apparent reasons.

I can't for the life of me understand why did Torres started today when he played on Wednesday and will play again next Thursday! His crap performance today probably confirms that his improved performances in last 5-6 games happened only because we played against average-poor oppositions rather he actually improving himself. Was completely anonymous and rubbish against a half-decent team today!

Basel vs Chelsea PRE-MATCH DISCUSSION AND LIVE CHAT Europa League Semi Final 1st Leg 25th April, Thursday 2013 St. Jakob-Park 20:05 Kick Off (UK time)

Basel vs Chelsea POST-MATCH DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS Europa League Semi Final 1st Leg 25th April, Thursday 2013 St. Jakob-Park 20:05 Kick Off (UK time)

There is still no excuse for the lax defending shown by Ivanovic and the rest. Even when a team setup to defend, each player would have a responsibility to carry as well as a team together and clearly the 3 players surrounding Sturridge did not nothing for his cross to an unmarked Suarez, who was let go by Ivanovic. It was a simple basic defending and yet we have failed it so miserably.

I'm surprised this thread has not erupted with more criticisms and abuse! Anyway, his impersonation of Wenger to say he didn't see the Suarez biting Ivanovic incident is an absolute joke! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMO2t9IWmE8 Clearly tried not to criticize his old love ones and answered it diplomatically. Funny thing about this is he said he will fight for the club in his very press conference but in this situation, he clearly chose not to when he can! And yet there are people out there lambasting us for not supporting and treat him well. What kind of manager would not defend their own players and blast the opposition in this incident?! I'm sure Mourinho, RDM, Ancelotti, Hiddink, Ranieri and even Grant would criticize Suarez and fight for us!!

No. Mourinho won't return if we do not get into the Champions League and that probably in a way allow us to see if he really REALLY loves the club. But that's another story. As for the likes of Hazard and Mata leaving, think that's a bit radical to suggest they will leave just because of 1 season not making into the CL. Lets say if we do not make it too next season, then there is a chance especially if we are not challenging for the major trophies and continue to flush down chance after chance to win a trophy like we have done this season. BUT there is absolutely no doubt that we have to continue to challenge at the very top for every trophy if we are to keep and continue to get the top talents here. Otherwise, we risk becoming another Liverpool.

If we lose to Spurs there and finish 5th as a result of it, I don't think I can take the circus and wankfest that people and the media would have on AVB(and Spurs) over us. I just can't. They will be laughing over Roman's decision to sack AVB bla bla bla and all that. It would be unbearable!

Clearly it's still in our hands with that game against Spurs to come but I'm getting desperately worried that we won't make it. Our run-in is so much tougher than Arsenal and Tottenham's and we've still gotta play at least 2 more games in the Europa League. May well have to start preparing for the worst even if I try not to and be optimistic.

@Leif, even if Cech had passed it to Luiz or Ivanovic, they'll probably just lumped it forward aimlessly and give back possession to Liverpool. And as Stingray has mentioned, it's nothing to do with Cech. We are just not being ruthless and streetwise enough when it comes to defending these days.

If there is any need to reinforce the first point I made, you only have to look at the 2nd goal conceded today. We had 3 players on Sturridge and yet there was no pressure whatsoever on him. We just stood there and watched him crossed with his left foot(his strongest foot FFS!) to Suarez who wasn't even marked by Ivanovic! He was in front of Ivanovic FFS!!

Would have taken 4 points from Fulham and Liverpool away games but in the manner that it happened, it's an absolute tragic and disgraceful! Getting sick and tired with all these refereeing decisions screwing us and Benitez's idiotic substitutions continue to cost us! Why bring Benayoun on for Hazard when the latter would have been so useful with his pace and abilities to hit Liverpool on the counter?! Why why why?!! And also, the defending for both of the goals conceded is absolutely atrocious! One Liverpool player got in behind Ivanovic and Bertrand unmarked and was allowed to setup the goal for Sturridge, who was unmarked also, to score a simple goal. The second one is just ridiculous. We had 3 players on Sturridge and yet we allowed him to cross with his left foot(his strongest foot FFS!) to Suarez who wasn't even marked by Ivanovic! Freaking pathetic defending!!

1 win in 7 in all competitions since then - W1 D1 L5. The only win obviously came in the FA Cup Final.

Here's the Opposition View piece for this game against Liverpool.

*bump*

Man City beating Spurs later would be a good start for us to begin with. Would reduce the pressure slightly to win today. Nonetheless, am desperately hoping we can get the 3 points today though it's more of hope than optimism.

Ibby Akkas or better known as ReviewFootball on Twitter was helpful in taking some time out to answer a few questions ahead of Sunday's pivotal clash against Liverpool in the Premier League. Here are his thoughts: 1. With only a few games left in the season, what have you made of it all? Did the team exceed your expectations or fall short of them? Personally for my own expectations, they have been where I thought they would be. Most Liverpool fans thought the club would be closer to the top four, but I've been wary of this, I think Liverpool are a few years off Champions League football. But in terms of exceeding or falling short, I think for most fans, Liverpool have been disappointing but for me, it is what I expect, given the change in playing style and the fact the side is a lot younger than previous seasons. 2. What aspects of Liverpool have disappointed you the most this season? The lack of consistency, the same errors being highlighted again and again and last, in some respects, the tactical naivety shown by Rodgers. Firstly, consistency, Liverpool have been rather streaky this season, they started the season off badly and went on a decent run after the Norwich result away (LFC won 2-5). However, by the turn of the year, Liverpool were looking very encouraging, as they had picked up useful points at Arsenal and Man City (LFC fans will fairly argue, both games should have been won). Then LFC had 'winnable games' coming up, fixtures such as West Brom at home, West Ham and Reading, yet, LFC did not win enough of these 'winnable games.' That's been incredibly frustrating, as you cannot be successful if you can’t beat, without any disrespect, the sides with lesser quality. Another disappointment this season was the repetition of the same errors. Too often, LFC have conceded from set pieces or have struggled versus sides with a strong, powerful targetman and our defenders simply can’t deal with this presence and to be fair, other departments of the LFC side can’t either. While LFC also cannot deal with players who run directly at the defence. One fear about Rodgers is his attacking philosophy leaves LFC a tad lightweight at the back. While with tactical naivety, one thing that slightly frustrates me with Rodgers is when he fields LFC with a 2 men midfield, often, the two central midfielders are overrun and lack the decision making of what to do, in terms of pressing and even going forward. 3. A top four finish is highly unlikely at this stage, do you fear that the team performance will drop now or do you think the players still have something to fight for? I don’t think performances will drop. When you play for a side like Liverpool, there is always a big expectation to perform and not only this, some of the players will be playing for their futures too, so there is a lot to play for. Currently there is also a desire, it appears from the management and certainly the fans to better last season's points total, to show LFC have made some progress from last season. 4. Daniel Sturridge made the switch from Chelsea to Liverpool in January. What are your first impressions of him so far? He has impressed me! Initially, I was not keen on his transfer as I don’t think he constitutes value for money, but from what I have seen so far, the young man has shown he has a good understanding with Suarez while he also looks very comfortable in the side. He also isn’t being too selfish too! But there is room for improvement, his finishing on his right foot needs to improve and his composure could be better too. 5. Suarez has probably been your best player. Who else has stood out for you this season and why? Steven Gerrard. This season, the world has seen a different type of Gerrard. Normally, we are used to him being the box to box, Liverpool captain. But this season, he has taken a deeper role. His presence for LFC has been invaluable. He has played every single minute of PL football for the club this season, and given the youthfulness of the Liverpool team, his presence has been useful for the younger, inexperienced Liverpool players. But what has also impressed me about Gerrard is his passing and service this season. His passing range has given LFC an extra degree from deep, a tad like Xabi Alonso did for Liverpool. I do feel Gerrard's great delivery from free kicks, corners and general passing has been underrated this season. I don’t think people recognize how key it has been for Liverpool's game. He offers stability, fluidity and leadership. 6. The reverse league fixture ended in a 1-1 draw. Do you expect a similarly close game this time around? This is a real awkward game. It's the great Rafa Benitez' return to Anfield, while it is also the rivals of Chelsea coming to town too. But I do think it will be a close encounter as recently, Liverpool have had a good PL record versus Chelsea, but I think LFC will want to prove to themselves that they are still a top side, so it will be close game as Chelsea will obviously want to win. 7. Despite that, Liverpool have had a poor record against big teams in the Premier League this season. What do you think is the reason behind this issue? I think it has been due to the timing of the fixtures and Liverpool's mentality as a team. What I mean by timing of the fixtures is, in Liverpool's opening 5 games, they played Man United, Arsenal and Man City. During the start of the season, LFC were not as fluid or cohesive in Rodgers' system. Although it is unacceptable for Liverpool not to win any of those three games mentioned at home. We should be winning these games as these games mean an awful lot to the fans. Perhaps say, if LFC had won 2 out 3 of those games, maybe fans would be more accepting, but to not win any of them, is something that irks with a lot of reds. Hopefully, next season, as the team is more coherent, they will pick up points in those games. My point in terms of mentality is when things are not going Liverpool's way, the side often goes into its shell and only start to play when the game is arguably won. Take the results such as Man United away and Arsenal at home. While there have also been times where this resilience has cost LFC points versus the top sides, Liverpool really should have had more about them against Everton and Arsenal, when the reds had a 2-0 lead. 8. All the media talk is about the return of Rafa to Anfield. What do you make of it? It will be funny, as he would probably be criticised by Chelsea fans, yet he may get songs of praise from the Liverpool fans, even though he is managing Chelsea. So it will be a bit surreal. I think it is vital, Liverpool focus on Liverpool and forget about Rafa managing them, it is vital in terms of showing LFC have made progress by winning games like this. I think Liverpool fans need to think forward and respect and recognise what Benitez has done but now look to the future, as Brendan Rodgers appears to share the same ambitions as the fans. 9. Chelsea have had a crazy schedule this season. Do you think you can take advantage of that on Sunday? Of course! Chelsea have been a victim of their own success and have had an unbelievable amount of fixtures to fulfill. But it is key Liverpool start the game quickly and finish the game quickly as Chelsea have shown indications of looking leggy. Take last week's cup defeat, I thought Chelsea were lethargic and short breathed. Liverpool's quick, agile and skilful players need to attack the Chelsea players and be courageous as Chelsea are beatable, especially in this state. 10. If you could have one player from Chelsea at Liverpool, who would it be and why? Most certainly Juan Mata. Easy! The guy is utter class. He has great vision, a great pass, the ability to beat players and a cracking finish too. He, Suarez and Coutinho would be a tidy little trio up front. 11. What likely line-up and formation will Rodgers put out this Sunday? I think he will go, Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Coutinho and Suarez. (4-2-3-1). However, I would not be surprised if Sturridge starts and Henderson drops to the bench, but if that happens, Chelsea will get a lot of chances. I think it is key, Liverpool play with 3 CM's. Especially since the Oscar/Moses, Hazard and Mata combination could really disorientate the Liverpool midfield. 12. Finally, please predict the final score. 1-1. It will be an open game, as both teams aren’t great at defending. Click here to view the article

Adidas have apparently claimed those black and white shirts are the training ones, not the actual kits. Those 2 fellas was talking about those 2 shirts before Adidas came in and said it's not the away and 3rd kits.

We only picked up 1 point from 6 against them this season!!