Liverpool FC Forum

[115-1073096938]

Why is everyone so sure we can't improve dramatically under Houllier next season?

The season before we won the cup treble who'd have predicted that, when we'd finished 4th the season before? Who'd have predicted the season after the treble, we'd finish above the champions of that treble year?

Who'd have thought the season after we finished second we'd drop to fifth especially after the start we had?

who'd have thought Alex Ferguson could have done what he done after his first 5 years in charge at Man Utd. Look at the jump they made.

This team clearly has the talent. World class like Gerrard and Owen and players with class like Kewell, Hyypia, Hamann. Commitment from Murphy, Baros and Carragher, two good goalkeepers one of which looks potentially top class.

With the right additions and a few good results early next season we could find ourselves once again playing with confidence and aggression which has been lacking these last two years.

People are to quick to critisise. The main problem with this side is not a lack of quality. Confidence is a motivator and with plenty of it this Liverpool side is capable of beating anybody.

You could see the the lack of it against fulham. As Houllier said the effort was first class. As Coleman said the players were s##t scared of playing infront of there own "fans".

Think about it!!!

[anfieldadorer]

I believe the players are not where the problem is at

If you get Ronaldo, Beckham and Carlos, while GH is still around, I believe that we won't be good enough.
We still can't cope alikes Arsenal.
Still don't believe we will be consistent.

If there are players issues, then it will only be Biscan and Traore.

[stmichael]

i have no doubt that even with houllier here we will improve next season. i agree with you that the players that we have do possess a lot of quality, they're just not playing for this manager i'm afraid. backing your players is fine- every manager does, but there comes a time when houllier should just come out and say that we were poor rather than giving lame excuses all the time. he has a genuine inability to motivate the players.

however even if we do improve there is no guarantee that we will be anywhere nearer the top 3 because you expect manure to strengthen, chelsea can buy whoever they want, and arsenal will take it to another level. with 3 quality signings i expect us to challenge though. there can be no excuses.

[JBG]

I don't see any reason for believeing that Houllier will turn things around.

I mean, last season (2002/03) was supposed to be his speedbump/dip season, but if anything we are worse off now than we were then. If he could turn it around he would have done it by now.

Two seasons in a row of terrible form is not good enough. The injury situation is not an excuse: most of the players returned from injury in January and our form has remained the same.

I like Houllier and think he is an ok manager, but the task at Anfield is beyond him. I mean, if I went into work and underperfomed as he has I would have been sacked long ago.

[stmichael]

i watched the highlights of the fulham game and they cut to moores and parry sitting in the stands. boy they looked glum. to me it is stating the obvious that they can't be happy with things so in the summer they should get off their backsides and do something about it. whether they will is another matter as they seem to think the sun shines out of houllier's a#se.

[115-1073096938]

he has a genuine inability to motivate the players.

You were not saying that in the treble season.

The fact we've beaten bigger and better sides more under his reign than under Evan's dispells this arguement. I do agree he should be able to install more confidence in players, but how do you do this?

but there comes a time when houllier should just come out and say that we were poor rather than giving lame excuses all the time

He does say this when the effort isn't there. IE Charlton. He said against Fulham the effort was there but the confidence wasn't. If we maintain that level of effort we will start gettin results on a consistent basis.

however even if we do improve there is no guarantee that we will be anywhere nearer the top 3 because you expect manure to strengthen, chelsea can buy whoever they want, and arsenal will take it to another level. with 3 quality signings i expect us to challenge though. there can be no excuses.

Man Utd will strengthen a bit. Chelsea won't imo. They will find it hard to settle as a unit much as we have this season. Arsenal certainly ain't gonna take it to another level in terms of League performances. It simply won't happen. How many times has anyone gone this long unbeaten since english football began? Exactly. It isn't gonna happen two seasons in a row.

Two seasons in a row of terrible form is not good enough. The injury situation is not an excuse: most of the players returned from injury in January and our form has remained the same.

To ignore the injurys this season is to ignore facts. You can't settle as a unit with the injuries we've had. Its impossible and with those injuries you are going to pick up bad results which lead to loss of confidence. The confidence levels won't rise again once players start coming back. No-one in this side now is playing with confidence. Not even Gerrard now.

Next season at the start of the season we'll have at least one or two playing with confidence, a couple of good results and that can go upto 5 or 6 which will then help us immensely.

Hopefully if Bergues returns this summer aswell it help and we can get back to doing what we do best.

[JBG]

With respect, Stu.....

1. The injury crisis was a long time ago. You are saying that the injury crisis is now a crisis of confidence. Its part of Houllier's job to overcome the players' lack of confidence. The wins over Wolves and Portsmouth should have lifted the players confidence but it didn't.

2. The treble season is now three years ago. You are as guilty as living in the past (2001, 2002) as other people who harp on about Dalglish, Keega, Hansen etc.

[mrcool2003]

and also adding to that, houllier has only started not making excuses for poor results, funny how since his position is in question, hes started to do that, probably cause fans are fed up with his laughable excuses, i would respect him more if he was truthful and was hard on players cause hes far too laid back to handle the job to win us the league

[stmichael]

in the treble season the players didn't need motivating because we were winning games most weeks in four competitions. when you are winning, you can't wait for the next game. you shouldn't need someone else to get you up for games.

[anfieldadorer]

But to be honest
Regardless of GH ability
Truly I saw there are many games where we didn't ride our luck
That's strange...

[Scottbot]

I made the trip up for the games against charlton and Fulham and the atmosphere was terrible. You could hear a pin drop at times and as you say Stu - the nervousness in the crowd does spill onto the pitch and, without a doubt must affect the players. Houlliers Liverpool have lost the crowd and i believe there are very few like yourself, who retain any faith in Houlliers ability to turn this team around.

The board will be taking an enormous risk if they persevere with houllier next season - The team will be under massive pressure to start the season in good form or risk playing in front of a nervous/apathetic crowd at Anfield week in week out.

Quite simply - Houllier claimed the doubters would be proved wrong when players made it back from injury. they are back, but now it is confidence undermining our performances but 4 games without conceding a goal and the wins over Wolves and Pompey was surely enough foundation to build confidence. Motivating the players to play in front of a nervous Anfield cannot be easy but, never the less, it is Houlliers job to do it.

I don't believe the comparisons with Ferguson are all that valid. Fergie did not spend the type of money Houllier has had at his disposal. Stu - do you really believe in your heart of hearts that Houllier, given more time, is gonna emulate the achievements of Fergie?

Bottom line - If the board keep Houllier on next season and the team start with a couple of poor perfomances/results the fans will turn on the manager/board big style + Anfield will be half empty. I must have seen 5,000 fans leave with more than 5mins to go on Saturday.

[stmichael]

bottom line. put the blackburn game aside. we have recently played wolves, leicester, charlton and fulham. in those games we have scored 1 GOAL. and even that was in the 90th minute. we just don't score enough because of our safety first approach.

the analysis of us compared to arsenal on the premiership was spot on. when they break, they have player bombing on from behind the ball carrier at great pace. our build up is too slow, and more often than not fizzles out.

[Scottbot]

Have to agree. Robbie Earle's analyis of our passing against Fulham was spot on. I wonder if Houllier analyses tape of the teams performance in the same way.

[supersub]

Houllier keeps a record on every teams corner count,so he has no time to analyize our own games.

[The_Rock]

GH is happy as long as liverpool has at least 10 shots on goal druing each match (irregardless of it being on target or not).