Liverpool FC Forum

RedBlood wrote:i wouldnt say we have taken a step backwards we have been very unlucky not to have atleast 10-15 more points at the start of the season we were creating 20 chances to our opponents 1or 2 and getting beat 1-0

plus we have not made bad sigings the players we brought in are all good players it was the key men like alonso gerrard carra and reina who started the season poorly due to fatige from the world cup that let us down at the start of the season but ofcourse supporters blame the new players who havent even had time to settle in
we are a better team then last year despite the points difference and rafa is building and improving every year

I'm sorry but in football you make your own luck. I'm not having for a second we're in third place down to luck. We're in third place because we were simply at the start of the season. We got trounced by United, we got slaughtered by Everton and Arsenal... and don't give me about us creating chances against Everton, so what, we didn't even score one. If you don't take ya chances you deserve a beating. We also got completely bossed by Bolton.

We were woeful at Villa the other week and the performance at home to Blackburn was embarressing.

I won't mention the Newcastle away game in the same breath due to conditions, but a peice of poor defending forcing a goal keeper into making a mistake he shouldn't have had to make cost us a goal in that game which cost us the match.

The players this season who were brought in in my opinion were not good signings. None of them have made us a better team. Pennant I like as I do Aurelio, but neither of them have set the world alight. Bellamy and Kuyt certainly haven't improved us and Gonzalez is a complete waste of space.

You can see it at the game. Last sesaons team was far stronger and better. It was better in both defence and attack and at controlling games.

Stu.Murph wrote:

RedBlood wrote:i wouldnt say we have taken a step backwards we have been very unlucky not to have atleast 10-15 more points at the start of the season we were creating 20 chances to our opponents 1or 2 and getting beat 1-0

plus we have not made bad sigings the players we brought in are all good players it was the key men like alonso gerrard carra and reina who started the season poorly due to fatige from the world cup that let us down at the start of the season but ofcourse supporters blame the new players who havent even had time to settle in
we are a better team then last year despite the points difference and rafa is building and improving every year

I'm sorry but in football you make your own luck. I'm not having for a second we're in third place down to luck. We're in third place because we were simply at the start of the season. We got trounced by United, we got slaughtered by Everton and Arsenal... and don't give me about us creating chances against Everton, so what, we didn't even score one. If you don't take ya chances you deserve a beating. We also got completely bossed by Bolton.

We were woeful at Villa the other week and the performance at home to Blackburn was embarressing.

I won't mention the Newcastle away game in the same breath due to conditions, but a peice of poor defending forcing a goal keeper into making a mistake he shouldn't have had to make cost us a goal in that game which cost us the match.

The players this season who were brought in in my opinion were not good signings. None of them have made us a better team. Pennant I like as I do Aurelio, but neither of them have set the world alight. Bellamy and Kuyt certainly haven't improved us and Gonzalez is a complete waste of space.

You can see it at the game. Last sesaons team was far stronger and better. It was better in both defence and attack and at controlling games.

JBG wrote:With regard to Stu's point about Man UTD, I think they have been terrific this season and will be deserving winners of the Premiership (which they will win).

However, I don't think we are as far away from them as Stu and others make out. For example, earlier in this thread Stu said only a couple of our players would get into the UTD side. However, look at the team UTD put out against Portsmouth yesterday. Its true that UTD have one or two injuries at the moment but UTD have consistently played the likes of O' Shea, Brown, Fletcher etc this season who are no better than the likes of our squad players.

Most managers will tell you that winning the league involves a certain amount of luck and UTD got it this season when they hit the ground running early on with no injuries and an easy start to the season, which allowed them to put a serious amount of points on the board before they met any of the other top four sides. Their season snowballed from there. If UTD has lost say, Ronaldo, early on in the season through injury and had one or two early season slip ups like they did in previous seasons I think this year would have essentially been a re-run of last year with Chelsea winning the league easily and then losing a few games towards the end as they got sloppy and complacent making the league look more competitive than it actually was.

For me the gap between Liverpool and Chelsea at the end of last season was frightening, despite the fact that we only finished seven points or so off them at the end. They had strength all over the park last year, with two exceptional players for every position and bulging pockets allowing them to go out and buy more. However, for me, Abramovich lost them the league this year. There was no need to sign Ballack and Shevchenko at all, instead they should have moved heaven and earth to keep Gallas and sign an up and coming forward like Berbatov, Diego Millito or Dirk Kuyt instead. By over-egging the cake Chelsea allowed Man UTD, Arsenal and ourselves have a shot at them but only Man UTD had the gumption to take the chance.

UTD are a better side than us - the league table doesn't lie - but they certainly aren't 18 points better and I think over the next two or three seasons we'll see this.

I think we're four top class players away.

When you say luck I agree to an extent, but you make your own luck as I've said. For me having Kewell as your left winger is asking for "unluckyness" if theres such a word. Had he been fit this season, we'd have more points on the board... but he wasn't. Is he ever?

Had Kewell stayed fit for me he'd have been good enough and would have built on his impressive season last year by scoring more goals.

Agger, as much as some rate him, isn't top class and never will be. A good player yes, but not one that stands out. We need one at the back who stands out. Someone as good as Hyypia if not better. For me thats Woodgate. Now yes he has his injury problems, but I feel he's worth a gamble definately and I also feel he would allow Agger the right amount of games to keep him fit, fresh and happy. I do like Agger, I just think everyones going way OTT with him, as backup I think he'd be immense and having Woodgate for me would improve our defence, but also, if he was to get injured, we'd have an able replacement.

Upfront we lack strikers. Simple as. I'd get rid of them all bar Fowler. Fowler's an excellent player still, despite what the moron's say and i'd be happy with him as fourth choice next season, providing the lads we had in were upto it. He's not been used as much as he should have been this year. Crouch, Bellamy and Kuyt don't cut the mustard for me. Four top class first teamers and we'll be laughing, no more shitty squad players, we've got a good squad, time to make it into a great one.

s@int wrote:We have a much stronger squad this season than last, but the actual team on the pitch is no better and perhaps slightly worse than last season. This has been accentuated by the form (and goals) of Gerrard last season in comparison to this, the loss of Kewell and Hyppia's gradual replacement by Agger.

Feeney wrote:

JBG wrote:However, for me, Abramovich lost them the league this year. There was no need to sign Ballack and Shevchenko at all, instead they should have moved heaven and earth to keep Gallas and sign an up and coming forward like Berbatov, Diego Millito or Dirk Kuyt instead. By over-egging the cake Chelsea allowed Man UTD, Arsenal and ourselves have a shot at them but only Man UTD had the gumption to take the chance.

I would have to disagree with you there JBG.

For me, Chelsea will win the league this year and this year especially, despite the lavish signings of Sheva, Ballack and co, I don't think anyone can use the money excuse.

None of the players signed by Chelsea last year have been particularly stellar this season I think its fair to say. For me, Chelsea's problem this year has been down to key injuries to Cech and Terry throughout the season. Admittedly, losing Gallas was a blow but it was a calculated risk by Mourinho as he was getting Cole in return - it didn't pay off but it was worth a shot.

Chelsea are 3 points off Man U now and for me they have earned a lot of these points by sheer guts and determination. Cech's loss was massive as not only is he outstanding at keeping the ball out of the net but his communication, decision making and distribution is sublime. Chelsea lost that calming influence at the back and it spread like an infection throughout the defence. They were no longer seen as 'invincible' and teams would go at them more so than over the last 2 years. As Terry has also been missing for a number of games, this just give teams more incentive and bravery to get at them more. Despite these losses, they only lost 1 game against us in what, 30?

For me, Chelsea wil actually have earned the title this year and deservedly so. They've shown the character needed in the face of adversity to grind out results. I'll bet the Chelsea players will feel they've earned the right to become league winners more so than the last 2 years.

Feeney wrote:

JBG wrote:To win the league Chelsea have to beat Man UTD and hope Man UTD slip up in one other match (due to UTD's greater goal difference) while winning all their remaining games themselves.

Funnily enough, I was talking to a mate today who's an Evertonian about that. Man U have to go to Goodison which, as we are well aware is becoming a difficult place to get a result from. I don't want Man U to win the league (although, I wouldn't let that sway my opinion on the matter) and was saying I hope that Everton turn them over.