Liverpool FC Forum

[Madmax]

IT'S been a fantastic end to the year for us and it looks like 2009 could be very special. Back in August most Reds went into the season hoping rather than believing that we could win the title. Its been a long time since we have heard our fans chant “Liverpool, Liverpool, top of the league!” which was sung loudly and boldly

Things have changed and there is now a confidence that Liverpool can last the pace.

Supporters are starting to believe and rightly so after two hugely impressive performances.

We've already beaten United and Chelsea and we're going into New Year knowing we are capable of beating anyone.

When you look at the points we've dropped at home it could have been even better but thankfully the other top sides have also slipped up.

We've enjoyed a bit of luck at times but we don't need good fortune at the moment because we're in cracking form.

We have now ended our home league games for 2008 unbeaten.

It means we are the only team in all four divisions not to have lost at home in the league this year.

Champions league form is going well moving to the next stage and eagerly wating for an exhilarant tie against real madrid which i am looking forward to.

This is probably the strongest squad in Rafael Benítez’s time at the club. The strongest by far for some time now.

We have got to the halfway stage of the season at the summit, without our most influential player.
With a fresh Fernando Torres coming back to fitness, I'm really excited about what 2009 has in store.
What do you guys think?

HAPPY NEW YEAR.... 

[aCe']

didnt even bother reasing ur post   but HAPP NEW YEARR.... BRING ON 2009

[Madmax]

didnt even bother reasing ur post   but HAPP NEW YEARR.... BRING ON 2009

  just info on how good our chances could be.. well atleast you said happy new year. 

[tubby]

Nooooooooooooo

We have been jinxed by the match jinxer.

[Madmax]

Nooooooooooooo

We have been jinxed by the match jinxer.

we will see come may. Atleast we wont get relegated got enough points 

[tubby]

Nooooooooooooo

We have been jinxed by the match jinxer.

we will see come may. Atleast we wont get relegated got enough points 

 

[Owzat]

2009 Chinese year of the dog's bo||ocks.

Looking back on 2008, and what we could look to do in 2009.

Bring Home The Premiership

While I reckon 27 wins is what we should always aim at to be in title contention, I reckon we might get away with 26 if we don't lose more than a couple more games : P38 W26 D9 L3 PTS 87.

But don't underestimate the task that faces us to do that. Winning 13 games doesn't sound a lot, but out of 18 that means there isn't much room for error. And we face Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Man Utd (a) so there are three possibles of the five games we could afford not to win. NEED TO WIN GAMES

Excellent 2008

Maybe not in terms of the Champions League, FA Cup or any trophy for that matter. But it was our best calender year for Premiership results.

2008 : P39 W24 D12 L3 PTS 84 (Won 61.54%)
2006 : P41 W24 D7 L10 PTS 79 (Won 58.54%)
1996 : P39 W22 D12 L5 PTS 78 (Won 56.41%)
2001 : P37 W21 D10 L6 PTS 73 (Won 56.76%)
2002 : P41 W22 D11 L7 PTS 77 (Won 55.00%)

And of course our best starts to a season records have been falling left, right and centre. We've equalled or bettered our best starts in 15 of the first 20 games this season, if we can match the last 18 games of 2001/2 we'd pick up 42 more points and be on 87 - no idea we're I've seen that figure before! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Rafa Goals

It has also been a record breaker for Rafa in 2008

Goals

2004 48 (31 games, 1.55 gpg)
2005 87 (63 games, 1.38 gpg)
2006 101 (60 games, 1.68 gpg)
2007 102 (56 games, 1.82 gpg)
2008 108 (59 games, 1.83 gpg)

Still need to be pushing forward and scoring more, but at least we're scoring more goals per game. Think how many it could have been if we'd bought some more strikers who find the net every other game.

Beating Rivals 2008

Well we started this season with a rare win (recently) over Man Utd and an even rarer win at Stamford Bridge. Add to that the win over Arsenal in the Champions League and two wins over our Bitters rivals and we've had a pretty good year.

vs Rivals (2008) P12 W5 D5 L2 F16 A13

Top Of The League

Yes, we're top of the league. But you don't win the title by being top at the end of a calendar year, but for being top at the end of the season. Let's see if we can't win at old trafford and give ourselves every chance of winning it this season.

[Sabre]

It's hard to disagree for me anything that MadMax said at the start, I've always looked at the half full bottle. It's funny though that at the end of the year this seems to be a very good year, because if we asked in May, we wouldn't have imagined we would be saying all these things: The gap to the teams that won the league seemed huge for many, it wasn't clear whatsoever Rafa should continue for many, and there were a lot of doubts.

I don't know what 2009 will bring, but certainly I believe in those players and the manager.