Liverpool FC Forum

[damjan193]

Call me crazy but I think Man City is gonna fall apart.

United were there for the taking last season but we blew it, they're not going to have a similar season again, certainly not with their new signings. In fact, if De Gea stays and they sign a quality striker, they might even be title contenders. Arsenal always somehow find their way to the top 4 so I don't expect them to drop down either. Chelsea are going to be champions again. So that leaves Man City. They have an aging squad and the players they've signed so far aren't going to move them forward. Sterling is too young to make a huge difference and Delph is an above average player. If they don't bring in more quality they'll be just one serious Aguero injury away from completely falling apart.

The transfer window is still open but if they plan on going through the season with what they currently have then I wouldn't be surprised if the table looks like this at the end:

1.Chelsea
2.Man United
3.Arsenal
4.Liverpool
5.Man City

[red till i die!!]

As we currently stand I'd say 5th with a possible chance of pipping 4th spot. For us to sit comfortably in top 4 we would need a lot of luck with the new arrivals and I fear we have too many to integrate again. Last years signings were poor through one excuse or another and hardly any of them had enough time to settle into the team. Add this years arrivals and we basically have a new team again so its a big ask.

As much as the players have to play their part so does rodgers. Tactically he needs to suit the players he has as we will get no where if we are playing a system they can't adapt to. Benteke anywhere but through the middle is a failure. He also needs to unite and hold that dressing room together as towards the end of last season they did not want to play for him. We have heard him say 2 years ago that coutinho's best position is behind the strikers and thats were we will get the best out of him and now this season he has given all those assurances to milner. Its stuff like this IMO that turns the players against him and makes them see how hollow he actually is as he has more than likely told them what they want to hear also.

Due to the support he has seen over the fallout last year and the financial backing he has now got there can be absolutely no excuses even though this years key buzzword see's Transition replaced with New Direction   

[Penguins]

I'd say it's a toss up between us and Tottenham for 5th, with us just taking them.
The top 4  is out of reach unless some of our players all off a sudden explode like Lallana, Milner, Markovic and Sturridge stays healthy a whole season.

[JC_81]

Can't believe some people think top 4 is out of reach. So negative.

On paper the squad looks much better than last season, plus we won't have high profile CL games to negotiate like the current top 4.

It all hinges on how the new signings click. How Firmino and Benteke settle is key. I'm optimistic.

[aCe']

5th if we play to our potential. Anywhere from 6-8th if we dont. I think theres a gulf in quality between us and the sides above us atm. We continue to sell our better players & waste money on players who arent ready for the upcoming season while our -supposed- competition for top4 add more players who are world class or close to that level. I'll say it again, the only player in our entire squad who might make in into the starting 11 of any of the top4 sides is Sakho.

Lets not forget that the rest of the top4 have continuity on their side (same managers, no drastic changes in personnel) so they're very likely to improve on last season. We have made quite a few changes so players needing time to settle and adjusting to yet another new style of play add to the risk of things not going smoothly for us.

This is what the league table should look like based on the current squads:

1: Chelsea
2: Man Utd
3: Man City
4: Arsenal

If Arsenal sign a CB and a dominant CM they'll be up there competing for title imo. There isnt much between Chelsea, City & Utd atm. And I still expect all 4 sides to make moves for top players before the season starts.

[redshade]

I agree i always feel we should take Europa serious due to the rewards.

[johnbarnes]

Call me crazy but I think Man City is gonna fall apart.

United were there for the taking last season but we blew it, they're not going to have a similar season again, certainly not with their new signings. In fact, if De Gea stays and they sign a quality striker, they might even be title contenders. Arsenal always somehow find their way to the top 4 so I don't expect them to drop down either. Chelsea are going to be champions again. So that leaves Man City. They have an aging squad and the players they've signed so far aren't going to move them forward. Sterling is too young to make a huge difference and Delph is an above average player. If they don't bring in more quality they'll be just one serious Aguero injury away from completely falling apart.

The transfer window is still open but if they plan on going through the season with what they currently have then I wouldn't be surprised if the table looks like this at the end:

1.Chelsea
2.Man United
3.Arsenal
4.Liverpool
5.Man City

^^^I agree^^^
The major difference being that if Sh!tie do fall apart, they will just re-invest another 50M under new management come January.
Something that LFC & Manure can't do.

[johnbarnes]

Looking at some of the predictions, IMO we have to be very careful the way we are thinking.
FSG has come under serious scrutiny in the past 24 months with many conspiracy theorists claiming that one of their key objectives is to dumb down our expectations.
We are LFC - The day we all start to except that outside the top 4 is our reality, then FSG WILL HAVE succeeded.

As LFC fans, we are realists which is why we all swim in the same slip stream. But at the same time, we shouldn't give up the dream or the hope.
Otherwise this great club will just become another Newcastle / Aston Villa.
WE MUST DEMAND 4TH AS LFC. ON MATCH DAYS, AT PRE/POST PRESS INTERVIEWS etc...

WE MUST DEMAND TO BE HEARD and that ALL personnel employed at this great club IS ACCOUNTABLE for what goes on.
Gonna go and finish my packing for my hols and I look forward to reading your comments in the up-coming season Ladies & Gents!
YNWA
JB

[woof woof !]

I'm not convinced by Man City's manager but given they can buy just about any player on the planet even with Mike Basset at the helm they should always be a safe bet to finish in the top four.

The other usual suspects, Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal, financial ability aside, have top drawer managers and surely should always be considered as contenders for a shot at the title and odds on for at least a top four finish.

We on the other hand season by season, despite some significant spending on personnel,  continue to look like "also rans".

Is it purely down to a failure of our management to get the very best out of our players or are they just not good enough ?

When you look at them on paper it's not as if our squad is filled with sunday league cloggers, we've got in many instances seasoned internationals with above average skills.

Increasingly I'm beginning to feel that our biggest problem isn't actually with the playing staff available to us but instead lies with those directing them (Look at what Koeman was able to dp with Southampton after they were stripped of their "stars").

I could go on BUT in response to the question "Where will we finish",

Under current management, probably yet another disappointing 5th,  6th or 7th depending on how Spurs, Southampton and others perform   

[Soupyzrx]

It looks like we're still paying the price for the false dawn a couple of seasons ago. Finishing second might have done more harm than good, because it came too soon and made us look better than we actually were, which sort of got in the way of the rebuilding process. We lost the guy who nearly won the damn league for us and made no serious attempt to fill the gaping chasm that he left and the team fell apart.
Unfortunately, if we get off to a bad start and Rodgers goes, then we start all over again.

[laza]

Champions

I as always as rose coloured glasses happy clapper expect no less pre season

[Doeboy]

Also, while mentioning the teams we are up against for top four, I've heard from a very good source Utd are trying extremely hard to bring Bale in this summer.

That kind of signing would be a real game changer so here's hoping Real don't sell up

[UvS xR4GEx]

I think with the players we've signed and the players that's gone we're still not got the team as good as Arsenal, City and Chelsea. And unfortunately United have bought some quality players thats made 4th an even bigger challenge. I think on paper we're 5th best team in the league... If we finish above 5th we will have over achieved.

[RedAnt]

A big concern for me is the lack of character in the squad. Brendan will tell you we're full of character, that character is all that's needed, but without Gerrard and without Carra I can only think of Flanno who is Scouse and a first teamer. It's rare now that the Kop are watching players they can connect with. Players who truly understand what it means to play for Liverpool. Sterling is a perfect example of how we're viewed even in England, never mind globally. What names would the average person associate with Liverpool now? Henderson? Rodgers, or maybe Allen? Studge? Probably more like Sterling, Suarez and Gerrard. It tells a story.
On paper our current team isn't too bad. Worthy of a top 6 finish (even typing that shocks me at how quickly we've fallen) but in my heart this is without doubt the most depressing squad I've seen, ever.

[Doeboy]

A big concern for me is the lack of character in the squad. Brendan will tell you we're full of character, that character is all that's needed, but without Gerrard and without Carra I can only think of Flanno who is Scouse and a first teamer. It's rare now that the Kop are watching players they can connect with. Players who truly understand what it means to play for Liverpool. Sterling is a perfect example of how we're viewed even in England, never mind globally. What names would the average person associate with Liverpool now? Henderson? Rodgers, or maybe Allen? Studge? Probably more like Sterling, Suarez and Gerrard. It tells a story.
On paper our current team isn't too bad. Worthy of a top 6 finish (even typing that shocks me at how quickly we've fallen) but in my heart this is without doubt the most depressing squad I've seen, ever.

Excellent point. Been a concern of mine for a while that we don't seem to see local young lads who have a genuine affection for the club.  The likes of Stevie and Carra were the heartbeat of the club and it is a concern that we don't seem to have anyone coming through.  Would like to see Rossiter get a few more minutes in the league cup for example.

Think between them Hendo and Milner can step up and bring out the character we need but nothing will beat a local lad who bas come through our system running through brick walls for the team