Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

One or two people are becoming concerned that the average age of our likely first team is shooting up. Equally, some of the new signings are being derided as not worthy of a team which has our aspirations, despite in most cases people being prepared to admit they are an improvment in the short term. So is Roy right to look in the direction he is, is there a worry that we are "turning into another Fulham" etc?

Ironically it is in many cases the very people who have least faith in his abilities, who call him a "stop-gap manager" who want him to look longer term, to buy layers with more potential for greatness rather than the here and now. My take is that Roy has had little choice but to do what he has done, and not only that but he has gone about his business very sensibly and with the minimm of fuss.

As far as I see it, the simple fact of the matter is that if we were to have another season like the last one, despite Roys apparent persuasiveness, both Gerrard and Torres would really want away. That's not to say it's "Champions League or we're off" necessarily, but they'll certainly be looking for a vast improvement straight away, both in our play and our results. In truth, so am I. If this manager can't be an improvement on his predecessor, then we may as well not have employed him. I don't mean an improvement in three years time either, I mean an improvement now.

Added to that is the fact that we are still considered a big club, a Champions League club. Fail to get in the top six for a couple of seasons running and we'll slip away, Everton style. THAT'S why it's the right thing to do to buy players like Konchesky. He'll improve us from the very first time he plays. Not when he settles and gets acclimatised, not next season, not when he develops physically or gets experience or any of that old b0ll0cks, but the very first time he plays. Ditto Christian Poulsen, Joey Cole. Been there, seen it, done it. That's what we need.

One last point, about us turning into another Fulham. The interesting thing with Fulham is that the season before they got to the Europa League Cup final, with Roy as the manager, they finished 7th. Hopefully if he can get Fulham up to the same position we finihsed last season, with better players he can get us higher. No five year plan though this time, continual improvement starting from THIS season has to be the way to go.

That's what Roy is setting up for IMHO  .

[Benny The Noon]

If Hodgson was thinking right here right now he just like the previous manager failed to purchase what we really needed more than anything else

A striker . If we loose Torres for a period of time and going by previous seasons there is a likelihood it may happen then buying 29 years who have been nothing but lower team players will mean nothing in the big scheme of things - we will not score goals - the evidence of previous seasons is there to see - so while Hodgson has done well in getting Cole and Merieles he has failed as badly as previous manager did in getting another striker .

As for our play we at the moment it is poor - there is no argument with that - everyone can see it and you cant deny it but we have been poor and when we have come up against a half decent opposition they have punished us - the wins we have had have been against a lot lower standard . The way we set up needs to change - bin 4-4-2 and get strong in the middle , get them pressing the ball and not just sitting deep , get possession of the ball and dont let the opposition have the lions share of it - if those things dont change then the half decent teams will punish us and the top teams will destroy us .

[tubby]

Jeez must you toot the Roy horn every 5 mins. I think it's a terrible idea to sign someone like him, he isn't good enough for this club end of story. As for Gerrard and Torres I don't think their future hinges on having a better season than last season, it hinges on a change of ownership but more importantly sigificant funds being pumped into the team. Sorry but I haven't really been impressed so far with the style of play and I wasn't really impressed with Fulham last season either. Ugly football at best.

Cole is a decent player but lets face it he only came here on the premise we would be getting more players of his quality. The point is Mick if he keeps buying old players what resale value do they have 2 years down the line if we got rid of Roy? Zero.

Don't mind me though, keep tooting your horn mate.

[matt_liverpool]

Another nice essay from the big guy.

Wholeheartedly agree with everything Roy's done so far. He's trying to study the ship before the storm completely destroys it. He's not only signed experienced heads who can slot straight into the starting 11 NOW but also signed some youngsters to build for the future (and that's when he had no money). He's also signed a proven world class player (Meireles) which clearly suggests if money is available he is capable of bringing in top quality players contrary to the myth that 'he only signs mediocre 30 year olds'

[Fauxy]

He was obviously trying to find a striker though benny.. he said himself many times that he was after one.

But the value in the market for strikers has been very poor. I cant think of an adequate striker this season that might have been relatively cheap.

You also need to remember that he probably only had about 3 days to find a striker since we had no money untill Mascherano was sold. We needed a left back and a midfielder so he got them. How much money did we have left after them? f/uck all. Hence why he went for Cole

[Bermenstein]

Well if we can remain unbeaten in our next 2 games (Away to Birmingham & Away to Man Utd), Roy will have definitley done something right imo. Hopefully the Man City game will have been a hard lesson to learn for Roy's tactical faux pas, and any result in the next 2 games would suffice in my book. Although I would expect us to win at Birmingham, but 2 points from these 2 games would be acceptable.

[Benny The Noon]

He was obviously trying to find a striker though benny.. he said himself many times that he was after one.

But the value in the market for strikers has been very poor. I cant think of an adequate striker this season that might have been relatively cheap.

You also need to remember that he probably only had about 3 days to find a striker since we had no money untill Mascherano was sold. We needed a left back and a midfielder so he got them. How much money did we have left after them? f/uck all. Hence why he went for Cole

And as many people have said he has had all summer to get a striker !? Money from other sales should of gone to a striker as soon as possible .

Priority was getting a striker then he could of got the other fill in areas afterwards .

[bigmick]

We haven't really played well yet, but we have had seven competitive matches and won five of them. It would have been six if Reina hadn't have thrown it in against Arsenal, and the Europa league wins include a Home and away success against a decent Trabzonspoor team. We were well beaten at Man City, but when you've got mercenary players saying their mind isn't right and you've got to bin your plans hours before kick-off, it's hardly the ideal preperation for playing Away at one of the top teams. We didn't do overly welll Away at the top teams last season either, so it's not as if it's anything new.

Even against West Brom where we scraped home a bit, it was after a difficult European tie (which we won) and we know how tough that can be. Ask Tottenham, who got done at Home by Wigan after their Champions League heroics midweek. Wigan who'd got tonked 6 at Chelsea and 4 at home to Blackpool. We didn't play well, but we got home.

I'm pretty happy right now, and like ALL Liverpool fans I'm 100% hopeful Roy is going to keep on doing a top job : buttrock .

[matt_liverpool]

Everyone here would have preferred a quality backup for Torres but if we are only going to play one up front, I can perfectly understand Roy's decision of not buying one because we have Ngog, Babel, Kuyt and Jovanovic. It's a sensible decision from Roy's part not to panic buy avg. players like Carlton Cole.

[mart]

The problem with buying older players are obvious. They value drops dramatically in the last years playing, and they are likely to drop in quality because of their age. With an old squad we will be even more dependent on new investments soon-ish.

[bigmick]

Well if we can remain unbeaten in our next 2 games (Away to Birmingham & Away to Man Utd), Roy will have definitley done something right imo. Hopefully the Man City game will have been a hard lesson to learn for Roy's tactical faux pas, and any result in the next 2 games would suffice in my book. Although I would expect us to win at Birmingham, but 2 points from these 2 games would be acceptable.

No tactical faux pas to speak of mate. Once he couldn't play Masherano, his plans were thrown into chaos. Don't worry about Roy tactically mate, he'll be absolutely fine. Ask anyone in football about Roy and tactics, that is one area he's got well and truly covered    .

[Benny The Noon]

We haven't really played well yet, but we have had seven competitive matches and won five of them. It would have been six if Reina hadn't have thrown it in against Arsenal, and the Europa league wins include a Home and away success against a decent Trabzonspoor team. We were well beaten at Man City, but when you've got mercenary players saying their mind isn't right and you've got to bin your plans hours before kick-off, it's hardly the ideal preperation for playing Away at one of the top teams. We didn't do overly welll Away at the top teams last season either, so it's not as if it's anything new.

Even against West Brom where we scraped home a bit, it was after a difficult European tie (which we won) and we know how tough that can be. Ask Tottenham, who got done at Home by Wigan after their Champions League heroics midweek. Wigan who'd got tonked 6 at Chelsea and 4 at home to Blackpool. We didn't play well, but we got home.

I'm pretty happy right now, and like ALL Liverpool fans I'm 100% hopeful Roy is going to keep on doing a top job : buttrock .

You can dress it up as much as you want but we have been poor - no doubt about that . we have struggled to beat sub standard opposition in europa league , struggled to beat a promoted team who got thumped 6 nil by chelsea (lets remember that we had torres and gerrard playing as well who didnt play in the away game in europe ) we got away with a draw against a under strength arsenal team and got battered by city - so in the prem 3 games have gone - 3 games we have been awful in our play and we have only got 4 points . Whats even worse is that everyone could see what was happening against City and the manager did nothing to change things .

Hodgson cant play the same way for the rest of the season - the way we are playing right now is the same way as fulham did .

[Bermenstein]

...No tactical faux pas to speak of mate. Once he couldn't play Masherano, his plans were thrown into chaos. Don't worry about Roy tactically mate, he'll be absolutely fine. Ask anyone in football about Roy and tactics, that is one area he's got well and truly covered    .

I suppose the Mascherano debacle forced his hand with tactical limitations out of his control, but the real litmus test is coming up with the next 2 away league games.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

You forgot to mention Birmingham Mick ....Don't fret I will do it for  ...Birmingham away will be our next game surely this will be a true yard stick to how far we have actually come under Roy , after all Birmingham (and their close proximity )were by some posters used as a stick to beat the previous manager with ...a trend that lost its novelty value when we finished higher than them .... I believe we finished seventh if I am not mistaken I am just saying that because it might sate your appetite for including the number in every post 
As for your affliction with repeatedly mentioning the position we finished in ...I cant help you with that mate ....but I will endeavour to point it out if it escalates to the levels you included Rafa in some of your earlier posts
Anyway just to finish on a friendly note ..... any time I can help Big Fella I will be there ....you will always be able to count on my support
after all obsession is no laughing matter ....

[maguskwt]

I'm not liking our style of play AT ALL, reminds me of houllier's style.