Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

Now it is all going to depend on the signings we make in the summer, but do people agree with me and think we need a plan B or even C?

The ten draws this season cost us the title, last season 13 draws cost us the title and this has to be addressed this summer if we are ever going to get our hands on it.

So who do we buy a big target man?
Or a classy striker to take the pressure off Torres, or a world class winger?

Tevez and Silva if we get them will be quality additions and Tevez and Torres would cause all sorts of problems for the yard dog prem defenders and 10 men behind the ball teams.

Also I dont have a problem with the two holding midfielders and gerrard playing off Torres but when Torres has 3 defenders surrounding him booting sh!te out of his ankles then it seems to cause us some problems.

Also we have his recurring injuries to think about next season if he doesnt play then our plan A goes out the window.

Now I know we have scored more goals than anyone in the league this season but most of them goals accured in our 3 or 4 nil thrashings of teams, I know 1-0's are boring but they win you titles and them 1-0's seem to allude us against teams that park the bus.

So all depending on what players we buy what would people like to see next season when our current system isnt working.

A big target man?
A strike partner for Torres?
A world class winger?
1 holding midfielder at home?

What will be the recipe for success in breaking down these stuborn defences next season?

[GYBS]

1.a world class creative clever attacking midfielder to unlock tight defences , someone who can play accross the area behind torres .

2.A back up to torres

3. A right back

[lakes10]

The way to breaking down these stuborn defences is not to try to.

yep that might seem mad but it works.

by giving them the ball they will need to move the ball around, this splits the players up, as they start to feel they are in the game and start moving up thats when you come in had , most of their players will be out of their position and you tend to get a free run for a shot.

(ok so its not my idea but its what King Kenny said this year)

[tubby]

We need a quality players on the wings who can score. Kuyt has done well this season but we haven't had that on the left. Yossi has been good as has Riera in patches but we should bring in someone world class for the left who can also play in other positions that way Yossi can have the right with Kuyt. David Silva would be ideal.

[SouthCoastShankly]

We never should of sold Crouch. He has to be the most effective plan b option. Our passing game invariably breaks down against sides who decide to defend the enitre game and frustrate us. Crouch gave us the ability to change our style to long ball and get the ball in dangers areas that we would of previously been shut out of.

[GYBS]

Crouch wanted to go unfortunatly

[Owzat]

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no to a big target man. Let's work on making plan A more effective, and plan B should not be hoofing the ball and losing possession. If we play as positively next season as we have in the past 10 or so games then we may lose 3-5 games, but hopefully we should win 2-3 more and reduce the draws.

Buy a player who is good in the air by all means, but don't buy a 'specialist' like Crouch, Carew or Heskey who in truth are probably all better on the ground anyway. Which of the Premiership winners in the last ten years has had a plan B with a target man? I'd prefer plan B to be Alonso pushing up and hitting shots from the edge of the box, or getting wide and crossing, or taking off Mascherano and bringing on someone like Benayoun, or playing three up front, or playing seven in midfield or anything that doesn't involve us going long ball again. It is ugly and not always effective.

Why not have plan B to hit shots from distance, either getting a deflection and corner or giving them possession, drawing them out and hitting them on the counter? I'd rather a long ball, possibly over the top, for a pacy striker or Gerrard to run onto. Our players could always do with a bit more pace of passing, I think we hold onto possession a lot sometimes without passing it quickly enough to cause the defence problems.

Put target man down as plan Z. Besides anything else, what kind of quality target man is going to sit on the bench as plan B? Crouch didn't hang around, who thinks we'll persuade any to anyway? We might as well sign a tall CB who's good in the air and throw him up front with a FB who can do a Delap. The danger with having a tall striker in the side is the long 'out ball'. Maybe Reina could practice his long ball specials, we haven't needed target men then

[tonyeh]

We also need a Plan C and a Plan D Ciggy, I'm afraid.

Liverpool have a problem though. It's the formation. While it has worked well for a bit last season and has done very well at the end of this season (mainly due to the more attacking style we play now), it's a bit of a poison challace IMHO. Its weakness was exposed earlier this year, when either one of the two key elements (ie Gerrard'n'Torres FC) was injured. And, yes we won games without them, but I wouldn't want to risk that too often.

So, I think we definitely need a quality backup for Torres (who at the moment is our onlt real striker option). The problem here is, which quality player will be willing to just warm a bench while Fernando is fit? Because that's what the formation demands. Very few, I reckon. I don't really know who'd want to do that. Players worth their salt will want to play...every game and they'll know that going to Liverpool as a striker will mean that they will be a second fiddle.

We also need a propper right winger. Yes, I know Dirk has done well in the second half of the season (very well in fact), but I still think we need a man more suited to that role. I'm happy with Kuyt's effort in the latter half of the season, but I honestly can't see a repeat of it next year. The problem again is, if Kuyt is fit Benitez says he plays and we're back to bench warming.

Our next positions that need something doing about in the defence. While we have a great defensive record, we are still somewhat weak at the rear. Arbeloa does a job, but can be very lightweight at times, Dagen has a permanent sick note and the kids won't get into top flight. Our CB's seem ok, but I would play Agger over Skertl. Hopefully, Benitez will too next year. Also, Auerillio and Insua can do a decent job at RB. I'm not fully convinced by either of them yet, but Dossena was a supreme waste of money.

I think we're almost sure to get Barry this year and cheaper too, than the ridiculous amount of money Benitez was willing to spend last Summer, so that may prove to be positive. Who will he knock out though? I reckon it'll be either Mascherano, or Benitez will play him on the left wing, which means that Riera will be relegated to Babel's role of 10 minutes here and there. I hope to god Benitez isn't stupid enough to sell Alonso.

Who he should sell though, is Itandje, Babel, Lucas, Dossena and Vorronin. How much they'll yeild is a different matter.

Anyway...it's going to be an interesting Summer.

[Reg]

(ok so its not my idea but its what King Kenny said this year)

I heard him say that too on 5 Live. 

[stmichael]

What we really need is a player who is able to create unbalance in the oppositions defense, either that be their defensive line in midfield or their back four by beating them with pace and skill and then taking advantage of the space in front of him, this will most likely make other players move out of their zones to cover and there will be more space in and around the box for other players to take advantage off.

Just being able to beat one man with pace and skill in the right position can often create enough havoc for a goal to be scored.

This is what we need to add more of to our squad.

[Emerald Red]

Hmmm, I wonder if Rafa Benitez is sitting somewhere in an office and thinking to himself, "Hmmm, I wonder if we shall need a plan B, or even a plan C? I never thought of that before. Right, I shall think of one for the first time this season! Eureka!". I think so. What about you, no?

[woof woof !]

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no to a big target man. Let's work on making plan A more effective, and plan B should not be hoofing the ball and losing possession. If we play as positively next season as we have in the past 10 or so games then we may lose 3-5 games, but hopefully we should win 2-3 more and reduce the draws.

Agree with the gist of your post Owzat BUT as the forums recognised stat man I'm disappointed by your calculations.

EG, taking your suggested figures to our best advantage

If in this last season we'd WON 3 more games (28) and lost 3 more games (5) we would've have finished on

P 38 W 28 D 5 L 5

pts 89

Still one point behind the Manc's   

Back to the calculator mate.   

[Ace Ventura]

What we really need is a player who is able to create unbalance in the oppositions defense, either that be their defensive line in midfield or their back four by beating them with pace and skill and then taking advantage of the space in front of him, this will most likely make other players move out of their zones to cover and there will be more space in and around the box for other players to take advantage off.

Just being able to beat one man with pace and skill in the right position can often create enough havoc for a goal to be scored.

This is what we need to add more of to our squad.

Kinda like Arshavin ?

Cant believe we were not in for him personaly.

[tonyeh]

Hmmm, I wonder if Rafa Benitez is sitting somewhere in an office and thinking to himself, "Hmmm, I wonder if we shall need a plan B, or even a plan C? I never thought of that before. Right, I shall think of one for the first time this season! Eureka!". I think so. What about you, no?

Actually, I've just finished speaking to Rafa on the phone.

He was asking if a Plan B was really that necessary.

tut tut

[stmichael]

What we really need is a player who is able to create unbalance in the oppositions defense, either that be their defensive line in midfield or their back four by beating them with pace and skill and then taking advantage of the space in front of him, this will most likely make other players move out of their zones to cover and there will be more space in and around the box for other players to take advantage off.

Just being able to beat one man with pace and skill in the right position can often create enough havoc for a goal to be scored.

This is what we need to add more of to our squad.

Kinda like Arshavin ?

Cant believe we were not in for him personaly.

Yeah, me too.

Arshavin would have been a great addition, however it seems that Rafa was forced into Keane's transfer last summer, because of UEFA regulations and commercial reasons.