Liverpool FC Forum

by **ToTinho** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:06 pm

With the olympiakos game the team played under rafa 10 games with a record of (5-1-4) . Which is not the start we all hopped for but although IMO is not bad considering last 2 years stats . To be honnest the team is looking much more better now at home but surely not away as the team is very short in building counter-attacks away which was one day our main force. the team now has 4to5 players who with their skills can win a game in a moment of brilliance which was lacking in Lfc in the last years . I think in my IMO that once the team can keep a clean sheet and build 2 or 3 counter-attacks in a away game that will be our real beggining . All what u LFC fans and me can do now is to support the team all the way and i have faith in those Redmen and i'm sure they will make us all happy in the very near future.
We conceeded 7 goals this season 5 of them r from set-pieces so if Rafa reinforce the defense with a experienced defender this problem will disappear . at last , i think the time has came to see Kirkland in the goal , dont get me wrong i like Dudek a lot but playing him now is not helping him coz he is out of confidence and this is influencing the defence .

YNWA

by **Homebooby** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:52 pm

currently we're ina situation that if we win our game in hand, we'll be 6 points away from arsenal, 4 from chelsea and ahead of Manu.

I think that most of us on the board pre-season would have settled for that. It isn't a great start, but at least we don't have mountains to climb from the off.

by **the great one** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:04 pm

we certainly need strengthing we need a attacking midfilder as a diffrent option sorry to say this but someone like aimar i know i said i dnt want no valencia players but aimar rafa knows him well from the tenerife days.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:34 pm

i think we are doing ok.. new players, new coaches, new tactics.. its not going to be plain sailing.. the raffalution will take months before everything clicks into place. I do agree we should play Kirkland, simply because he is a better keeper than Dudek.

by **A.B.** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:16 pm

I agree. I think Kirkland really deserves a start against Chelsea. Dudek couldn't handle the pressure from Chelsea this year. When the goalkeeper is doing good, our defence does good and I think that is important. Another player that shouldn't play against big clubs is Finnan.

We are unfortunate not to have Antonio Nunez and Steven Gerrard at the moment but by mid-November we will have them back and our midfield will be really something special:

Luis Garcia-Xabier Alonso-Steven Gerrard-Antonio Nunez

I think with that kind of midfield, we can get Baros and Cisse to score more often next season. To me this whole season is a pre-season for next year. What we do this year will help us next year in the Premiership.

by **zarababe** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:06 am

The boss' strategy for getting the team right is well on its way... he still rates performances at 60% .. he's assessing and learning all the time.. and the new players have already made a positive impact.. more than can be said for the combined number of previous signings..

If you here his post match interviews.. he doesn't duck from the tough issues and tells it like it is..

He will come good for us and if we are able to strengthen in the Jan open window.. we will continue on our journey to achieving success .

I think we should have a trejectory thread .. showing progress .. measuring improvements and seeing the difference overall.. but that's probably too much for this fine forum of ours ....

by **LFC #1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:17 am

I have been reasonable happy with the start to the season.
For the majority we have played well with some excellent performances against Monaco, Norwich and Albion.

You have to expect inconsistency as we have new players and Rafa is implementing his own style at LFC, and it is going to take time for everything to come together.
This season is going to be a transitional one to some extent with all the changes that have gone on, but by Christmas we should be on our way and hoepfully by May we can be safely qualified for the Champions League.

Many positives can be drawn from the start of the season, such as the form of the new boys Josemi, Alonso and Garcia have all been outstanding with Cisee showing glimpses but yet to show us what he can really do.

The Gerrard injury has been a setback as he has been our most influential player over the last couple of seasons. Hopefully Xabi and Hamann can stay fir because Diao and Biscan as backup is to say the least somewhat limited.

The squad still has weaknesses and hopefully in the January window Beni will look to strengthen somewhat, but we are not far away from challenging the like of Arsenal, Chelsea and ManU to a lesser extent, and within 2-3 years I think that we will have a good chance of winning the PL after such a long wait.

10 points from 6 games and we are sitting 2nd in our CL group, overall not a bad start but we can improve no question, let's hope it starts againt Chelsea on Sunday!

by **laza** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:22 am

I think we are doing ok all things considering though i considered this a rebuilding season anyway
The injuries to Nunez and Gerrard are blows but thats part and parcel of the game.
The late arrival of Garcia and Alonso hasnt been helpful nor was late departure of Owen
Rafa looks to be a guy who doesnt hurry or make panic buys so while the frustration that squad should be stronger that should be tempered with the fact that hopefully when he delves in the market he will bring quality.
The spanish guys are class/Cisse is ****** comments should really also be viewed with disclaimer that MB is always going to be an opinion yoyo depending on the results
The best time to judge will be January where hopefully some more upgrading to the squad will occur.

by **LFC #1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:29 am

laza wrote:where hopefully some more upgrading to the squad will occur.

what are we a computer? upgrading.

by **laza** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:30 am

yes im want 512 mb Alonso instead of 128 and a new Ayala video card

by **A.B.** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:32 am

LFC #1 wrote:I have been reasonable happy with the start to the season.
For the majority we have played well with some excellent performances against Monaco, Norwich and Albion.

You have to expect inconsistency as we have new players and Rafa is implementing his own style at LFC, and it is going to take time for everything to come together.
This season is going to be a transitional one to some extent with all the changes that have gone on, but by Christmas we should be on our way and hoepfully by May we can be safely qualified for the Champions League.

Many positives can be drawn from the start of the season, such as the form of the new boys Josemi, Alonso and Garcia have all been outstanding with Cisee showing glimpses but yet to show us what he can really do.

The Gerrard injury has been a setback as he has been our most influential player over the last couple of seasons. Hopefully Xabi and Hamann can stay fir because Diao and Biscan as backup is to say the least somewhat limited.

The squad still has weaknesses and hopefully in the January window Beni will look to strengthen somewhat, but we are not far away from challenging the like of Arsenal, Chelsea and ManU to a lesser extent, and within 2-3 years I think that we will have a good chance of winning the PL after such a long wait.

10 points from 6 games and we are sitting 2nd in our CL group, overall not a bad start but we can improve no question, let's hope it starts againt Chelsea on Sunday!

Nobel piece prize anybody? Well said.

by **Redrider** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:17 am

Good Topic here lad's don't lose the thread.
Rafa is looking good in some areas but not all !!
His three buys look ok. He looks engaged with the players during the game.
He interviews well and makes no excuses (yet). The players speak well of him. We have looked positive in recent games
But why have we looked so inept against Bolton, Manu and Olympiacos ?
There must be a question mark over the tactics for 'Away Games'
Have Rafa and his training staff come to terms with the skill level of the players ? Are they expecting them to make too big a change in their style of play ? Are the backroom guys selecting the right formations, 4 4 1 1 ?

One or two open questions here, let's explore !!

by **laza** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:28 am

Well judging by last article on LFC TV from Rafa 4.4.1.1 system is here to stay and its up to the players to change their mentality and adapt to it
I guess if they dont then come January and next May you see more changes

by **Redtribe** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:18 pm

zarababe wrote:The boss' strategy for getting the team right is well on its way... he still rates performances at 60% .. he's assessing and learning all the time.. and the new players have already made a positive impact.. more than can be said for the combined number of previous signings..

If you here his post match interviews.. he doesn't duck from the tough issues and tells it like it is..

He will come good for us and if we are able to strengthen in the Jan open window.. we will continue on our journey to achieving success .

I think we should have a trejectory thread .. showing progress .. measuring improvements and seeing the difference overall.. but that's probably too much for this fine forum of ours ....

Well Zara do it

Be bold

And do it!

by **kindaconfused** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:29 pm

Not sure on Rafs tactis in Athens, no quality crosses and the free kicks were abysmal when we only had 3 choices and non of those came off.

Warnock was struggling and we still let him take the corners and kicks and I'm not sure why. The defence where struggling so why didnt we move from the zonal, surely it would only have taken a word from the side line to change it?

Even Danny M said by playing the 2 front men one behind the other we shouldn't play the long ball which is precisely what we did for most of the game.

So why wasnt this and other issues changed from the side line?

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