Liverpool FC Forum

[1234ram]

i think the best we can hope for is 4th what do u think

[Red_Si]

I think 6th.

[Sean]

I reckon 9th.  The likes of Bolton, Villa and dare I say it Everton will be above us.....sorry guys but the truth is often unpalatable.

[chiggz_likes_owen]

5th that means UEFA Cup I'll kill myself if we're in another year of that s/hitty garbage

[Pig Catcher]

Its hard to say exactly but Ourselves, Newcastle and Middlesbrough are likely to contend for 4, 5 and 6th spot. But Bolton will challange strongly. I don't think anyone else has the squad to get into the top 4.

[XSD]

4th
The other teams will start to feel the pace, boro will get a nose bleed for being so high.
I'm sure things will look up next year and we can pull it back like we did last year.

[JBG]

4th.

There's a long way to go yet and we are in a far better position than the likes of Boro, Bolton and Everton to weather a long campaign.

[jonnymac1979]

Don't get too down people.  There is still a LONG way to go yet.  This is the beginning of a long journey.  Think how down you all were when Houllier was in charge. 

Now think that he could STILL be in charge.  Only for the guts of our board did they get Rafa in.  We have one of the most tactically astute and reputable managers in European (World?) football as our gaffer and I don't care if we have to lose to the likes of Middlesborough sometimes if it makes us remember that our players are human, our team is not the finished article, that we can always improve on the last performance and we do have a huge mountain to climb.  Don't forget that. 

It will be well worth the wait when we've reached the summit.  I believe it will happen.  I'm convinced of that.  It's like a blind faith.  I'm convinced this man will not fail us as a manager.

As our song goes, "Walk on with Hope in your heart".  Try it.

[JBG]

I was very angry after the Middlesboro game (and justifiably so) but there was some knee jerk reactions from some quarters claiming that we are completely washed up as a club, that this is the beginning of the end of Liverpool as a big club (or some even claim its the end of the beginning) and that we haven't a hope of qualifying for the CL this season.

To those remarks I say the following:

1. We are not that far off the CL places (5 points) and we have a game in hand. Middlesboro and Everton supporters may be getting carried away at the moment thinking they will qualify for the CL but EVERY YEAR a lesser side fills the 4th spot until Christmas before falling away in the new year. The likes of Boro, Bolton and Everton will privately be thinking that Liverpool and Newcastle will eventually get their act together and start putting serious points on the board. We have lost Michael Owen at the start of the season and did not have time to get a replacement in, Steven Gerrard missed the bulk of the season so far, Nunez hasn't even got a chance to start, Cisse wrecked his leg and now Baros is out for at least a month. What would happen if Boro lost Zenden, Southgate, Viduka and Hasseilbank? They will lose some players later on in the season and we'll catch up. Our main worry is still Newcastle.

2. We aren't finished as a club. One thing I have learned is that you cannot keep a big club down forever. Man UTD and Arsenal (and Leeds) had very long lean spells before getting it right. Man UTD were in an even worse state than we are now in the 1970s and 1980s. They spent an absolute fortune on players and even got relegated. They were crying out for the right manager, and when they finally got one (of 18 years of searching) they slowly got their act together. Likewise Arsenal won the Double in 1971 and yet went 18 years before they won the league again, despite spending money, having some great players and winning a few cups.

Sound familar?

Hopefully Benitez is our Ferguson, Wenger or even (don't laugh) George Graham (who lead Arsenal to the Championship a few times).

[bigmick]

A straight three way fight between us, Newcastle and Middlesborough is how I see it. Everton top 10, Bolton top 8. Birmingham a lot closer than they are right now. Top 3 of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man u a long way ahead. Thats because they are a long way ahead in my view.
Everyone talks about Chelsea's millions, but lets not forget the Mankies have shelled out 25mill for Rooney, 7 million for Smith and the same for Heinz in the last six months. Renaldo joined for 12 million 18 months ago, with the useful additions of Van Nistelroy at 19 million and Ferdinand at 30 thrown into the mix within the last three or four years. No doubt someone willpost up "oh and don't forget about whatsisface", I hold my hands up I've just reeled these off the top of my head, theres probably more. Even Arsene Dickinson lobbed out 15 million on Reyes, not exactly cheap as chips. Now I know we paid 14 for Cisse (no comment you notice !!) and 10 for Alonso but we are in no way able to compete with the big three at the moment. Until Rafa has done the bizfor a couple of years it will be forever thus so best we get used to it.

[Redrider]

I suspect that there will be a movement on Financial Investment in the club before January. Rafa will be given £20m to spend and our position in the league, come May 2005 will reflect on the quality of his signing's

[A.B.]

I can not believe that some are saying that we will finish 9th. Last season was worse and we did not get into 4th place until late part of the season. Long way to go.

[Redrider]

I can not believe that some are saying that we will finish 9th. Last season was worse and we did not get into 4th place until late part of the season. Long way to go.

I think everyone is nervous because most of the 'fixes' applied since July appear to be breaking down :

£14m down the pan on a crocked striker !!
Josemi showing signs of being a poor buy !!
Garcia not following up on his initial promise !!
Alonso going quiet in games which run against us !!

The light at the end of the Tunnel appears to be getting Dimmer not Brighter.  As they say :''For your dreams be tossed and blown''

[Woollyback]

4th, possibly even 3rd if the sh*te keep faltering and we can have a decent run of luck injury-wise. I think Boro and Newcastle will push us hard and possibly even edge us down into 5th but I'd put my money on 4th. Bolton, Everton & Villa will be there or thereabouts for the next few months but by the end of the season we'll be clear of them.

[bigmick]

Red, me and you agree on the Cisse thing but now is not the time to get into all that. The blokes leg looks like one of my old Subbuteo players after me and me brother had had a punch up and rolled about on the pitch.
Josemi at two million doesn't look like a bad buy to me. He's definately taken a dip but has shown enough to make me think he'll pay back his meagre fee.
Garcia, by the nature of the way he plays is never going to be an "in the trenches" sort of guy. He'll come good. Got too much ability not to. He's one that I'll happily "give time". He's shown the class and quality so a year to acclimatize to the pace of the Premiership is a given for me.
Alonso ditto but to a lesser extent. Looks just about the best passer of a football in the Premiership to me and not a worry in the slightest. If we stuck him on the market in January and asked 20 million for him we'd get it. Class, quality and youth rolled into one. If you're going to worry about players like Alonso Red a life on valium and various other tranquilizers beckons. C'mon mate, you know your football. Believe what you saw. You saw good players six weeks ago. You know it, I know it. They'll come good, it's some of the others that are the worry.