Liverpool FC Forum

[kazza]

The "golden opportunity" theory will get its true tester next season.

I pray to all that is holy we we start and finish in first so we do not have to hear this cr@p over and over and over...

[heimdall]

The only thing that will ultimately "please" the fans is winning the league I think. That said, most fans are not mugs and they realise winning the league isn't easy. It's not every season Chelsea sack their manager half way through it, the Mancs fall out of the blocks and have to go to Brazil to play in a jamboree mid season, and Arsenal sell half their best players and see the other half injured for most of the campaign. Normally, to win the league you've got to get past some pretty good teams and you need a bit of luck along the way. It isn't easy.

With that in mind, I think it's quite nice if you can pick up the odd FA Cup or Carling Cup along the way. Obviously one league is worth five FA Cups or maybe more, but unless you win things occasionally you become another Villa or Everton.

Ultimately though, it's the league where it's at. I just think it would be unwise to put all our eggs in the one egg box given how hard it is to win it in a normal season, without the circumstances previously mentioned. Next season we may well find it a good deal harder to win, and in which case while we're giving it our best shot I'd be pretty made up if we won the FA Cup as a little consolation should we eventually fall short.

it's not every season the league champions lose "the best player in the world" (81 goals in the last 3 seasons)... so i'm hoping Ancelotti takes a while to bed in to the premier league too

if we learn and improve from last season we might just be getting another crack at the title...(against "weak"  oppositon )

Once again it's all opinions, but mine as I've said before is that we will find it MUCH harder next season. I've already said that if we finish 10 points back in third (which I think is a distinct possibility) many will be saying we've gone backwards but I think it will be more complex than that.

The "golden opportunity" theory will get its true tester next season. Lets hope next season is just as "golden" as this last one was, we'll see.

? I can see Chelsea being stronger this season but Manure will be weaker and Arsenal aren't there yet. I genuinely think we have a hell of a chance next season, although I agree we should have won it last season.

[Judge]

Ok thank you mick and will agree with most of the post - yeah it will be nice for us to win a few trophies will going for the holy grail , i guess it will depend on how far we go into each competition and how many fronts to fight on , it would be hard to go for the FA Cup with any serious conviction if your up their in with a shout of the league and your into the knockout stages of the CL . While it is also hard to have a good crack at the League cup with your first team squad as the months of september,oct and nov is when you want to be putting markers out there . Sometimes (most times) you have to judge which competitions to go for as a priority , but a nice friendly couople of draws in the cups would help a long way .

priorities

1. league
2. champions league
3. FA cup
4. League cup
5. Super cup
6. World Club Cup
7. end of season booze up at chez judge
8. holiday


in that order GYBS. Thats what rafa told me his priority was

[GYBS]

Priorities look good to me judge bar number 7 which we can all give a miss

[account deleted by request]

The only thing that will ultimately "please" the fans is winning the league I think. That said, most fans are not mugs and they realise winning the league isn't easy. It's not every season Chelsea sack their manager half way through it, the Mancs fall out of the blocks and have to go to Brazil to play in a jamboree mid season, and Arsenal sell half their best players and see the other half injured for most of the campaign. Normally, to win the league you've got to get past some pretty good teams and you need a bit of luck along the way. It isn't easy.

With that in mind, I think it's quite nice if you can pick up the odd FA Cup or Carling Cup along the way. Obviously one league is worth five FA Cups or maybe more, but unless you win things occasionally you become another Villa or Everton.

Ultimately though, it's the league where it's at. I just think it would be unwise to put all our eggs in the one egg box given how hard it is to win it in a normal season, without the circumstances previously mentioned. Next season we may well find it a good deal harder to win, and in which case while we're giving it our best shot I'd be pretty made up if we won the FA Cup as a little consolation should we eventually fall short.

it's not every season the league champions lose "the best player in the world" (81 goals in the last 3 seasons)... so i'm hoping Ancelotti takes a while to bed in to the premier league too

if we learn and improve from last season we might just be getting another crack at the title...(against "weak"  oppositon )

Once again it's all opinions, but mine as I've said before is that we will find it MUCH harder next season. I've already said that if we finish 10 points back in third (which I think is a distinct possibility) many will be saying we've gone backwards but I think it will be more complex than that.

The "golden opportunity" theory will get its true tester next season. Lets hope next season is just as "golden" as this last one was, we'll see.

? I can see Chelsea being stronger this season but Manure will be weaker and Arsenal aren't there yet. I genuinely think we have a hell of a chance next season, although I agree we should have won it last season.

I am not sure you can bank on the mancs being weaker next season mate. The last couple of years they have depended heavily on Ronaldo, and when he hasn't performed, on their excellent defence.

With the money they have received for Ronaldo I think they can buy 2 or 3 top class players to shore up their failing midfield while still retaining their defensive strength. Whether they can still pose the same threat going forward will be the interesting question.

They have lost their main gamebreaker and goalscorer, but then again they did also when they sold Van Nistelrooy. It just depends who they bring in I suppose.

Sadly I think they were there for the taking last season, the question is will they still be there for the taking or will they spend and improve?

[GYBS]

It will be interesting to see who they bring in with the money - the two players i thought they could replace him with are Ribery and Benzema but those two look like no goes for them and i reckon they will resign Tevez and get valencia - do they add up to the impact and goals ronaldo added ?! not for me they dont so unless there is another superstar in the wings i think they are going to struggle without him , add the fact players like giggs and scholes are loosing their legs fast and maybe vidic is going it could be an interesting season for them next year .

[account deleted by request]

It will be interesting to see who they bring in with the money - the two players i thought they could replace him with are Ribery and Benzema but those two look like no goes for them and i reckon they will resign Tevez and get valencia - do they add up to the impact and goals ronaldo added ?! not for me they dont so unless there is another superstar in the wings i think they are going to struggle without him , add the fact players like giggs and scholes are loosing their legs fast and maybe vidic is going it could be an interesting season for them next year .

I think the most important area which the mancs will be looking to improve is midfield mate.

They have looked weak there all season. Hargreaves hasn't played (and may not next season) Scholes has looked a shadow of his former self and Giggs has finally past his sell by date.

This has been a major factor in why they have been so reliant on Ronaldo....... if you don't create chances its difficult to score.

[GYBS]

but who do they get then mate ? all the best creative midfielders around are already at top clubs and wont move to man utd . think they are going to be hard pushed to get the players they want in all honesty

[Redman in wales]

i think they'll try change their system around a bit. rooney/berbatov upfront, possible with benzema and a winger coming in.

I think chalsea will be in the mix a lot more this season. Joe Cole was missing for the whole of the season, Essien was missing for 2/3 of the season. Even if they dont sign anyone, they will be better than last year with those two fully fit.

[account deleted by request]

but who do they get then mate ? all the best creative midfielders around are already at top clubs and wont move to man utd . think they are going to be hard pushed to get the players they want in all honesty

With £80million + whatever budget Fergie would have got anyway I am sure they can find what they need mate. I am not as up to date as I should be on players from abroad but I am sure there are some top quality ones out there.

I just hope they find a Veron rather than a Roy Keane   

[GYBS]

think benzema has said he wants to stay at lyon for another season and help them re capture the title as he thinks he had a poor season last season

[GYBS]

but who do they get then mate ? all the best creative midfielders around are already at top clubs and wont move to man utd . think they are going to be hard pushed to get the players they want in all honesty

With £80million + whatever budget Fergie would have got anyway I am sure they can find what they need mate. I am not as up to date as I should be on players from abroad but I am sure there are some top quality ones out there.

I just hope they find a Veron rather than a Roy Keane   

when i think of all the top midfielders around mate - xavi,fabregas,xabi,lampard,iniesta i cant see them going there - maybe they will look towards the dutch guys from madrid ?

[account deleted by request]

but who do they get then mate ? all the best creative midfielders around are already at top clubs and wont move to man utd . think they are going to be hard pushed to get the players they want in all honesty

With £80million + whatever budget Fergie would have got anyway I am sure they can find what they need mate. I am not as up to date as I should be on players from abroad but I am sure there are some top quality ones out there.

I just hope they find a Veron rather than a Roy Keane   

when i think of all the top midfielders around mate - xavi,fabregas,xabi,lampard,iniesta i cant see them going there - maybe they will look towards the dutch guys from madrid ?

I think if they had wanted anyone off Madrid, they would have been included in the Ronaldo deal. I heard a while back that they had been watching some Belgian midfield player for a while ..... maybe him?

[GYBS]

defour from standard leige - looked pretty decent last season but outshone by fellani , not really a creative player as such - more of a box to box type so could be a replacement for scholes

[RedBen]

but who do they get then mate ? all the best creative midfielders around are already at top clubs and wont move to man utd . think they are going to be hard pushed to get the players they want in all honesty

With £80million + whatever budget Fergie would have got anyway I am sure they can find what they need mate. I am not as up to date as I should be on players from abroad but I am sure there are some top quality ones out there.

I just hope they find a Veron rather than a Roy Keane   

when i think of all the top midfielders around mate - xavi,fabregas,xabi,lampard,iniesta i cant see them going there - maybe they will look towards the dutch guys from madrid ?

I think if they had wanted anyone off Madrid, they would have been included in the Ronaldo deal. I heard a while back that they had been watching some Belgian midfield player for a while ..... maybe him?

If the Belgians you are talking about are Defour or Witsel (what makes the most sense to me) then I hope they get them because I can't see them playing good at that level. I have seen them play quite a bit this season and they are brilliant in Belgium but nowhere near the level of a top 4-club.