Liverpool FC Forum

[lakes10]

looking at the start we should only drop 4 points in 9 games.

[LFC2007]

looking at the start we should only drop 4 points in 9 games.

[lakes10]

Aston Villa (away) draw
Chelsea (home) draw

the rest of the game we should win, if we dont it will be another year we miss out.

[Sabre]

LFC2007: I have to agree that tactical reasons can't be the only reasons to play Gerrard on the wing, despite I think it's one of the reasons. Of course despite I think Pennant's first season has been good, he has had his low form weeks .

I have to agree aswell that Pennant was tactically unaware and lacking confidence at the start of the season, which can be explained by two reasons, one, often mentioned, the fact he was landing to a new club. Two, not that often mentioned, that wingers are very dependant to the game of the team as a whole.

It's often mentioned in footie boards that a striker doesn't get service of the team, but it's not so much mentioned when talking about wingers (not right midfielders). IMHO it's hard to see a game in which the team is awful and the winger is brilliant. Normally the wingers are brilliant when the team is playing well.

And at the start of the season the team as a whole wasn't playing well, Agger was paying his newbieship, we had a couple of injuries in the back four, off side traps didn't work naturally, and there wasn't confidence. Pennant was recieving the ball far away from where a winger does really harm, and he noticed a lot this low moment of the team. It's not a coincidence IMHO that when the team improved Pennant improved.

[LFC2007]

I disagree, there were times last season when it was patently obvious that Rafa did not have the trust in Pennant away from home, the team was not functioning as a whole but that was in part due to injuries and over rotation. If we have a top class right winger there wouldn't be the need to rotate Gerrard to the right so much.

If you ask me if Pennant is a top class winger who is capable of playing regularly home and away then I would say no at this moment in time, despite a flourish of good performances towards the end IMO he is not strong enough, pacey enough and strong when running with the ball. Ronaldo is the strongest runner on the ball I've seen over the past few years and we need someone with that likeness IMO. Just like we need a similar player on the left.

[Ydde]

LFC2007: I feel that Gerrard offers something defensively that Pennant doesn't offer away from home. I'm not sure if don't trust  is the right word? If by don't trust, you mean that, not trusting Pennant to be defensively solid, then maybe you are right. Meaning that, Rafa plays Gerrard on the right away from home because Gerrard offers more defensive plays.

Sabre: Interesting, but IMHO, I feel that wingers may have brilliant games when the team is playing poorly. A big part of being a winger means that you take on players, run with the ball, and put crosses in. Thus, if a winger made the flank his own, put good crosses in, beat his men, it can be said that he is playing brilliantly. In this way, if the rest of the team is playing poor, it does not affect his play.

However, I concede that, if the team is playing poorly, the winger might not get the ball, and as a result, have a poor game too.

[cpc4eva]

Chelsea's Lampard: Liverpool, Man Utd must be knocked off early
tribalfooball.com - June 14, 2007

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard admits they face a big title test in the early weeks of the new season.
Lampard is relishing the prospect of locking horns with Liverpool and Manchester United away within a month.


He said: "The first thing we have to be thankful for is a home game to start.

"I know Birmingham are a good team who played really well to get promoted and the enthusiasm of being back in the Premiership makes the first match tricky.

"We found that out at Wigan a couple of seasons ago, when we had to wait until injury time to win the match.

"But the two fixtures that really stand out in the first few weeks are the ones at Liverpool and United.

"It's quite simple. If you're serious about winning the championship then those are the games you have to get results in and so we know what's ahead."

He added: "We played very well in the second half at Old Trafford last season - some of the best football we played all season.

"It was a different story at Liverpool, when it seemed that we were caught cold and lost early goals.

"But Liverpool have had a habit of gaining momentum later in the season this past couple of years so, maybe, playing them in the third match could be a good time."

[Scouse_legend]

we,ve got Aston villa away on the first game of the season thats a bit of a tuff game for the first game of the season. I tink if we get good anoth singings we will cruise it. :P

[LFC2007]

LFC2007: I feel that Gerrard offers something defensively that Pennant doesn't offer away from home. I'm not sure if don't trust  is the right word? If by don't trust, you mean that, not trusting Pennant to be defensively solid, then maybe you are right. Meaning that, Rafa plays Gerrard on the right away from home because Gerrard offers more defensive plays.

Trust, assured whatever you want to call it.

[66-1112520797]

Rafa likes to rotate his players, anyone who thinks he wont next season are kidding themselves, they are part of his methods IMO. Buying better players wont change that, if anything it will probably give him even more reason to rotate.

[grayghost]

Looking at are fictures hopfully we will still be in the title race come chrismas after that who  knows what will happen.

[crillylfc]

the game agaisnt aston villa is surely our biggest game of the season.........if we have any hope of winning the title we need to win the first game of the season and set a platform for the season!!and if we cant beat villa we aint gona win anything!!win or bust for me against villa!!we lose...weve lost any hope a d title!!i know its only 1 game but a huge game in that!!

[Alonso14]

Rafa likes to rotate his players, anyone who thinks he wont next season are kidding themselves, they are part of his methods IMO. Buying better players wont change that, if anything it will probably give him even more reason to rotate.

I don't think anyone is denying that he won't rotate. But for what he sees as the big games he will always play strong sides.

In the past he perhaps didn't realise the fight that the so called smaller clubs have and only put out a side that were what he thought were capable sides who could do enough to win. Im sure he will continue to do the same but hopefully having an overall better team/squad will allow him to put out better teams will be good enough now.

[Ace Ventura]

Rafa likes to rotate his players, anyone who thinks he wont next season are kidding themselves, they are part of his methods IMO. Buying better players wont change that, if anything it will probably give him even more reason to rotate.

I don't think anyone is denying that he won't rotate. But for what he sees as the big games he will always play strong sides.

In the past he perhaps didn't realise the fight that the so called smaller clubs have and only put out a side that were what he thought were capable sides who could do enough to win. Im sure he will continue to do the same but hopefully having an overall better team/squad will allow him to put out better teams will be good enough now.

Thats exactly the point i was making mate, he trusted the likes of Gonzalez and Zenden against the lesser sides believing them to be up for the task....and they invariably were not.
Hopefuly the players he brings in will be to the task, and tbh the likes of Benayoun (as a squad player) would be.

I know this is not the Benayoun thread before i get slated 

[metalhead]

Rafa likes to rotate his players, anyone who thinks he wont next season are kidding themselves, they are part of his methods IMO. Buying better players wont change that, if anything it will probably give him even more reason to rotate.

I don't think anyone is denying that he won't rotate. But for what he sees as the big games he will always play strong sides.

In the past he perhaps didn't realise the fight that the so called smaller clubs have and only put out a side that were what he thought were capable sides who could do enough to win. Im sure he will continue to do the same but hopefully having an overall better team/squad will allow him to put out better teams will be good enough now.

Thats exactly the point i was making mate, he trusted the likes of Gonzalez and Zenden against the lesser sides believing them to be up for the task....and they invariably were not.
Hopefuly the players he brings in will be to the task, and tbh the likes of Benayoun (as a squad player) would be.

I know this is not the Benayoun thread before i get slated 

GET HIM BANNED NOW, HE IS A WUM

jk mate 

I agree, but i think, my opinion rotation is best used at the end of the season, it showed this year.

Back to the topic, aston villa away? well clearly we need to win it to get more confidence in the next games. The Key games are the first, it will tell us what will happen to us in the coming months.