Liverpool FC Forum

[Number 9]

Arsenal have BY FAR the toughest end to the season compared to us and UTD and Chelsea!I think its only a matter of time until Wenger comes out and goes nuts saying its a conspiracy against him and his team!Here is the other 2 below,nothing really between ours and theirs,id hate to be an Arsenal fan today!!
Chelsea
April
4 Newcastle (A)
11 Bolton (H)
18 Everton (H)
25 West Ham (A)
May
2 Fulham (H)
9 Arsenal (A)
16 Blackburn (H)
24 Sunderland (A)

UTD
April
4 Aston Villa (H)
11 Sunderland (A)
18 Wigan (A)
25 Tottenham (H)

May
2 Middlesbrough (A)
9 Man City (H)
16 Arsenal (H)
24 Hull (A)

If we get to these last games and are still up there it will be an amazing end to the season!

[Bad Bob]

On paper that's an excellent fixture list for us as far as I'm concerned.  A nice balance to everything, a fairly straightforward start, a fairly reasonable run in and a decent schedule against the big sides.  Hosting the Mancs so early--as with Chelsea last season--might be an advantage if we can catch them before they get rolling.  Away to Chelsea in October and Arsenal in December will be tough but it gets those fixtures out of the way before Christmas and they're sandwiched in between fairly winnable games.  The trip to OT in March will be tough as usual but will set things up nicely if we're still in the race.

As far as I can see, the fixture list presents no excuse for not challenging this season.

[andy_g]

you'll also notice that both the home and the away derby is preceded by a tricky game against stoke city and their midfield general salif diao.

[66-1112520797]

F.uck we're so hard done by, because of an away fixture we definately wont challenge now, as Chelsea Manu and Arsenal are all at home.

Its a conspiracy against LFC !

[bigmick]

If we draw away against Sunderland in the opening you will have people claiming we are out of the title race.

It wouldn't be the first time we had practically conceded the title after one game St Mick, we just about did so at Bramhall Lane a couple of years back. Put it this way, if we heavily rotate prior to the first game away at Sunderland, then go there with a "styled' formation and team which fails to get us a win, I would say we would be bang under the cosh after one game yes.

If however we approach the game sensibly but still fail to win, I think it makes a World of difference. Given the fact the other members of the Champions League club are all at Home, I should think it is practically a certainty that at least two of those will win so you wouldn't be wanting to make too much of a mess of things early doors that's for sure.

For me it's absolutely key that we set our stall out right from the pre-season games. Don't treat them like kickabouts, don't play musical shirts in the Champions League qualifier and get our momentum established nice and early. We don't want to be playing Man Utd in September knowing that a defeat will see us falling eight points behind or some similar nonsense.

A draw Away at Sunderland won't put us out of the title race, but it would be a rank poor result. Like all opening games when you are playing catch up with your rivals, it's a massive fixture.

[Bad Bob]

While it is odd that we haven't had a home fixture on opening day for years, going to Sunderland is hardly the sternest test.  Yes, they'll be up for it and, yes, they're a side that can cause anyone trouble on their day but, really, we should be beating the likes of Sunderland home and away in August or May if we hope to challenge for the title.  I'm kind of glad we start away, TBPH, if it means the lads don't take anything for granted.  Plus, it gives Torres a chance to get his away goals tally started straight away, so that no one can accuse him of having trouble away from Anfield this year.

[66-1112520797]

we should be beating the likes of Sunderland home and away in August or May if we hope to challenge for the title.

Exactly. We're gonna have to play them at some point why not first ?

Too many whinging PommyPool fans among us.

[stmichael]

just noticed aswell that the last game is on may 24th. that's a long season.

[Number 9]

If we cant beat teams like Sunderland away we dont deserve to win the League,end of story!
Our players need a change in attitude this season.There are no excuses for so many draws against weaker opposition,some players need to look at themselves and the team as a unit needs to grind out tough results more often than last term rather than conceed to a draw!

We need to treat every single match as a cup final from day one or we can forget about a challenge in May!

[XSD]

Tough first half to the season there.

April and May on the other hand look fairly easy, though I guess it depends how those teams perform throughout the season. If we can keep in the race up untill April (big ask really) then our usually good late season form and this run-in could make it very interesting..

[bigmick]

While it is odd that we haven't had a home fixture on opening day for years, going to Sunderland is hardly the sternest test.  Yes, they'll be up for it and, yes, they're a side that can cause anyone trouble on their day but, really, we should be beating the likes of Sunderland home and away in August or May if we hope to challenge for the title.  I'm kind of glad we start away, TBPH, if it means the lads don't take anything for granted.  Plus, it gives Torres a chance to get his away goals tally started straight away, so that no one can accuse him of having trouble away from Anfield this year.

I agree with all of that. What do we know about the way Sunderland will approach the game? Well they'll absolutely tear into us from the first whistle, that much is a certainty. It'll be a full house, and very noisy with it. Keane will reason that his best chance of upsetting us is that we won't be fully wound up, will still be carrying a pound or two of condition and won't be yet fully grooved. They'll load up at set-pieces and hope to take advantage of any indecision in our zonal system, and they'll knock it long to Kenwyn Jones and look to get in around him. They'll hassle and harry at every turn, and any new additions to our team from abroad (Dossena for example) will be targeted and asked a very stern question. If they score they'll very happily sit on it, and they'd take a point all day long before the game starts.

In short, we should get out the video of the Sheffield United Away game on the opening day of the season two years ago. Those who remember the game well will know that is exactly how they played, and only a quite bizarre penalty award by Rob Styles in our favour allowed us to rescue a point. Sheffield United got relegated at the end of the season, and although that fate will probably no befall Sunderland, they're unlikely to be top six either.

It is a game we must be looking towards from the first moment we meet up in pre-season. Approach it properly, and we'll win. Don't, and I'm afraid we won't.

[OneHotRed]

Looks like a good draw for us to be fair, also isnt Kenwyne Jones or whatever hes called out for the start of the season after that freindly game injury?

[Owzat]

2004/5 (5th game) Man Utd away
2005/6 (6th game) Chelsea home
2006/7 (4th game) Chelsea away
2007/8 (2nd game) Chelsea home
2008/9 (4th game) Man Utd home

Not an easy start, some tricky fixtures away to boot.

[Seano Kop]

If we sign Villa, no match is tough. With Torres, tough matches turn into testing matches, add Villa, and those testing matches turn into 'should wins' matches

[bigmick]

If we sign Villa, no match is tough.

Although I must admit he does look like a good player, I can't help thinking you might be slightly over-estimating the difference he would make to us mate to be honest