Liverpool FC Forum

[LFCFan4Life]

I can't say that I'm completely optimistic about us winning the league just yet. All I want is us for to improve more than last season and if we can go beyond that then great.

A good start and finish to the season would be nice, but the start will prove to be difficult. However if we want to challenge for the title then we must roll up our sleeves and get off to a good start. Otherwise we'll play catch up again like last year.

Our record against London teams last season was poor so hopefully that will change this season and we'll continue to be consistant. It wasn't a long time ago when we couldn't string three or four wins in a row. We need to do what we did last season, winning six or seven games in a row in order to establish consistency.

We were lucky last season as we didn't get a lot of injuries, hopefully *knock on wood* we don't get any long-term injuries to any of our key players.

[BOODIDDY]

Just noting a few things down that I would like to see more of in the new season. These will I think make us a better team.

Firstly I hope that Carra is encouraged to play a bit more with the ball. He has developed into the second best stopper centre half in the Premiership but is capable of adding to his game in terms of ball carry and distribution in my view. His appearances as a holding midfielder for England where contrary to what many in the press wrote he didn't disgrace himself should have gone someway to convincing him that he is capable of better. Particularly as a ball-carrier I think he has plenty of ability if he is encouraged to use it.

It is my hunch (and I know we always say this and he proves us wrong) that Hyppia won't play every game this season. Agger needs to come to the party. He is potentially a footballing centre-half out of the very top drawer based on what we have seen sofar but he needs to be tougher, more decisive in the way he makes his decisions. People often mistake indecision for a lack of strength. A fully commited attacker of the ball is much harder to deny than a half-hearted stick a leg-outer, regardless of body strength. That said my hope is that he has been working out and is ready to become a regular starter this season.

I hope Momo Sissoko can score a goal. His developement into the most destructive defensive midfield player in the Premiership is almost complete. He is a game breaker and changer in equal measure but if he can score half a dozen league goals a season we will be recieving envious glances from the best teams throughout Europe. I think he can become an absolutely fantastic player for Liverpool if his improvement continues.

I hope Steven Gerrard doesn't become England captain. He is our captain and a fine one at that, let John Terry take on the mantle. He is probably better suited to it and Gerrard can just concentrate on trying to become the best midfielder of his type in the World today.

I hope Peter Crouch doesn't continue to believe in his own publicity as he was worryingly starting to do in the World Cup. I hope he remembers where he came from and those cold Wednesday nights at Grimsby away. From a technical point of view I hope he works at not hitting his spaces to early. Too often he gets caught under the flight of the ball and has to attack it with a standing jump. The wait is the key. If he can arrive like a wardrobe falling down the stairs then there aren't may centre-halves who could stop him given good delivery. It just takes confidence and a bit of sense. He might want to talk to Robbie Fowler about it. Robbie is probably the best header of a ball pound for pound in the club just ahead of Kewell and Gerrard and would know exactly what I'm talking about. At the moment Crouch's hieght masks his poor technique but if he improves the latter he will become a much better player.

As a team I hop we hit the ground running. No more thinking a draw at Birmingham or a draw at Middlesboro is a good result in the first few weeks of the season. Go there to win and lets take it to Mourinho. Obviosly I hope all the new signings work out but if our good players can be better, we can achieve big things this season.

If he can arrive like a wardrobe falling down the stairs then there aren't may centre-halves who could stop him given good delivery.

Big mick. I enjoyed the post and found that very amusing. Its up there with rafa's table and houlliers take on fowlers goal celebration against the blues.

However, you have it it right on the button. You just cant stop that kind of striker when heading a ball.

Personally for the season i believe that rafa will choose palleta more than agger. Im not convinced that daniel is gonna make the grade. He needs toughening up fast.

I hope we get a balance in the team where we can accomodate the likes of gerrard xabi momo kewell pennant  bellamy into the same team. Some more dynamism from other players like xabi kewell gonzales etc.

I honestly believe we will be close but not champs. Second this year. I think it will be easier to win cl than prem until chelski stop spending.

[stmichael]

Personally for the season i believe that rafa will choose palleta more than agger. Im not convinced that daniel is gonna make the grade. He needs toughening up fast.

The guy's only played two full games for us. How can you make a judgement already on whether he's going to make the grade? The only worrying thing for me is the lad's had 2 years in top flight football and has effctively been injured, on/off, for ten months of those two years. We don't want another Jonathan Woodgate on our hands.

Anyway, I'm encouraged by what I've seen. If you remember Gerrard's goal at St James' against Newcastle, Agger started it by bringing the ball out from the back and then spreading the play to Cisse in a way which I haven't seen from one of our centre backs since Alan Hansens day. He's also naturally left footed which is a rarity these days in itself.

Give the lad a chance.

[BOODIDDY]

No micheal you've got me wrong there lad.

Agger has got potential but doesn't have that toughness yet. In the two games i saw of his last season some good touches, an over relliance on his left peg. Palletta i watched on five last year and this lad is hard and its my belief that he will be played more by rafa than agger.

Also, i didn't even realise agger had been injured so often. I hope he isn't a woodgate but it is a worry. Maybe that's why he doesn't look so hard or tough in the tackle.

[stmichael]

No micheal you've got me wrong there lad.

Agger has got potential but doesn't have that toughness yet. In the two games i saw of his last season some good touches, an over relliance on his left peg. Palletta i watched on five last year and this lad is hard and its my belief that he will be played more by rafa than agger.

i think there's a natural misconception that you need to be "physically tough" to make it as a top centre back in the premiership these days. rio ferdinand isn't tough at all, he's a ball playing centre half who relies on pace and positioning. agger is pretty much the same, like hyypia in a way. paletta on the other hand is the perfect understudy to carragher in that they would both throw their bodies on the line infront of anything.

[Alonso14]

As St Mick said, I genuinely believe that there is a good chance of winning it this season, not just blind hope. Similar to 2 seasons ago (seems just like yesterday) when we had beaten Juve, and there was a real sense of belief. Many including myself at the beginning of last season thought that it was a bit premature for the premierships but believed that was the year for the F.A Cup. Many of us have got the feeling it could just be our lucky season (again). 

[Alonso14]

Double Post.

[BOODIDDY]

true.

I hope my hunch is wrong cos i want the best to play for lfc.

However st, rio is a manc . Ain't that good.

[desperado0831]

In my personal thoughts, i hope reina concedes no goals and that's fine for me.

[bigmick]

On the question of Crouch, far from slagging him off I have been a consistent advocate on here. In the recent "who will be our top scorer" thread I went for Crouch without hesitation as I think he will be, comfortably.
The signs I saw during the World Cup were obviously the penalty against Jamaica but also one or two other moments where he attempted the exceptionally difficult where the straight forward option would have worked just as well alerted me to a player who is starting to think he is better than he actually is. 
For me Crouch is a player who does some things very well indeed and some things pretty poorly. He will never be a World Class striker or possibly even a top-class one but he can be a first-choice regualar in a top-class team if he sticks to what he does well. I think he should leave overhead kicks, chipped penaltys and speculative volleys to the Henri's of this World. If he concentrates on holding the ball up and linking the play, getting himself open in the penalty area and attacking the ball when it is crossed in then he will become a very good player indeed. He has come a long way in a very short time and he can score lots and lots of goals for Liverpool, provided he remembers that a lack of hard work and application could see him go back from whence he came.

[Bad Bob]

Good post Mick and I agree with the things you've highlighted...especially goals from Momo!

I would add, echoing Sabre, that I want to see more from Garcia this season.  Playing him in the hole would help or as part of the "3" in a 4-2-3-1 formation.  But, that's down to Rafa mostly.  As for Garcia himself, I want to see him more switched on and focused for the whole game.  If he can ally a mental toughness and discipline to his bag of creative tricks he'll be some force for us.  He allowed himself to drift to the margins of the team last season after a high-impact first season for us.  I want to see him force his way back into Rafa's thinking in a big way this time out.  Come back Luis, you've got plenty to offer the side!

I'd like to see plenty of a strike partnership between Bellamy and Robbie, as well.  Those two seem to have talents that complement each other so well and I'd love to see them getting plenty of minutes together in order to forge that understanding.  Like centreback pairings, strike partners need matches together to really gel and work in tandem effectively.  I know Rafa likes to chop and change a lot but a settled pairing up front could pay dividends down the road and these two are potentially quite a pair.  Then, if Plan B is needed, Crouch can come in off the bench...hopefully after lots of "headering" practice!

Like St.Mike I hope that Gonzo lives up to the hype but I caution people not to over-burden the lad too soon.  Let's let him settle and then see what he produces.

As for the team as a whole, I would love to see us starting to really kill games off.  No more sitting back at 1-0 up--especially against lesser times who are hardly getting a touch of the ball.  Putting teams to the sword will build the team's confidence and it will allow more rest to the starting 11, as Rafa can make second-half substitutions once we're comfortably in front.

[7_Kewell]

i think this is the year we are going to give Chelsea a run for their money.  Last season was a good one,  but our dip in form (where we couldn't buy a goal, let alone score one!) cost us dear. I think next season will see the dream turn sour for Chelsea....they have a LOT of players who want out, and should results start not going their way, expect to see a Real Madrid style bitch fest.

Make or break year for:

Crouch
Garcia
Fowler
Agger

[Rafa D]

Great Post BigMick.

I know all our major stars will continue to improve under Rafa, its two new boys who could make a difference to our title ambitions for me next year


Bellamy   -    A really think this lad can be a big hit for us this year. Last year we were crying out for a striker with pace (Cisse does not count as a striker, or even a footballer) and this lad has it in abundance. I didn't used to like Bellamy but he really impressed me last year and I am cautiously optimistic about his chances of becoming a great player for this club. I know a lot of people say that he needs to be kept in line. However I don't want him to lose his nasty streak, its his ability that makes all opposition fans hate him and I think it contributes to his game, like Rooney.

Agger    -    This lad seems to be getting an unfair slating on here at the minute. I admit I have only seem his play a few times (once was a horrendous mistake against Fulham), but he has shown all the qualities of a class act. He is a big lad and his touch and calmness on the ball is very similar to our own Sami. The lad has admitted he needs to work on his physical side of the game, and I am sure he has done. But I agree with what The Modfather says. I am also impressed with Daniels distribution of the ball, more often than not defenders (aka Rio) take a few touches and hoof it forward. In the few games I seen him play he was very aware of the players around him and looking to play it out of defense. If this lad can push Sami for a place, we will do very very well next year.

[Theredliverpool.com]

good post
cant wait for momo to score

[SouthCoastShankly]

i think this is the year we are going to give Chelsea a run for their money.  Last season was a good one,  but our dip in form (where we couldn't buy a goal, let alone score one!) cost us dear. I think next season will see the dream turn sour for Chelsea....they have a LOT of players who want out, and should results start not going their way, expect to see a Real Madrid style bitch fest.

Make or break year for:

Crouch
Garcia
Fowler
Agger

I don't see how Crouch is included on a 'make or break' list. 'Make or break' normally suggests that they need to start performing, did Crouch not perform last season then?