Liverpool FC Forum

by **redtrader74** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:35 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Points are all good and well, but to me it's still more important to finish as high in the league as possible. If we won the league with the lowest points ever I wouldn't be complaining.

I do complain about the number of points we've finished behind the leaders on a regular basis because we're finished behind them. 37, 9 and 21 points are far to many behind, AS WAS HOULLIER'S 8 points behind. 8 and 9 points behind are good achievements, but that doesn't mean success.Success is winning, and unless we win the league, it's an unsuccessful league season IMO.

So obviously points are important which is why I complain about them so much, but I'd still like to finish as high as possible. There's the flip side to that where people ask "so you'd rather finish 2nd and 40 points behind, then 4th but only 6 points behind" So I can see why people would rather take the points total, but it's all about the league position for me. Everything other than first is failure to me, but the higher you can finish the better.

So true, the league position is most important, and that being first. If not then we must ensure a top four finish. Last seasons '21 points behind first' is brought up more often than a rancid prawn, when the writers know full well that we coasted in the last few games whilst we prepared for the only trophy we could win, the CL.

You don't have to agree with the methods, but the facts are plain, preparation for the QF and Semis with Chelsea and the final were the most important thing at that stage of the season.

by **Big Niall** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:39 am

Why not just leave all speculation until the end of the season (I know I've done my bit!). Chances are we won't win the CL, we might, but chances are that we won't.

The league should be our main goal for rest of season, lets concentrate on that and then at season's end we can all make our judgement calls.

by **maguskwt** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:03 pm

redtrader74 wrote:
god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Points are all good and well, but to me it's still more important to finish as high in the league as possible. If we won the league with the lowest points ever I wouldn't be complaining.

I do complain about the number of points we've finished behind the leaders on a regular basis because we're finished behind them. 37, 9 and 21 points are far to many behind, AS WAS HOULLIER'S 8 points behind. 8 and 9 points behind are good achievements, but that doesn't mean success.Success is winning, and unless we win the league, it's an unsuccessful league season IMO.

So obviously points are important which is why I complain about them so much, but I'd still like to finish as high as possible. There's the flip side to that where people ask "so you'd rather finish 2nd and 40 points behind, then 4th but only 6 points behind" So I can see why people would rather take the points total, but it's all about the league position for me. Everything other than first is failure to me, but the higher you can finish the better.

So true, the league position is most important, and that being first. If not then we must ensure a top four finish. Last seasons '21 points behind first' is brought up more often than a rancid prawn, when the writers know full well that we coasted in the last few games whilst we prepared for the only trophy we could win, the CL.

You don't have to agree with the methods, but the facts are plain, preparation for the QF and Semis with Chelsea and the final were the most important thing at that stage of the season.

spot on mate...

by **Boocity** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:22 pm

slickrick wrote:
Boocity wrote:
JoeTerp wrote:
Boocity wrote:I agree he has made some excellent buys but they have been the exception and not the rule.

simply not true

CRAZY SPENDING
Benitez has spent a staggering £129.7m on 36 players since taking charge at Anfield in the summer of 2004.

But there have been very few signings of real genuine world class quality. In fact, just one - Fernando Torres for £26.5m.

Benitez has spent more than Arsene Wenger in the past four years and yet Arsenal are top of the Premier League - and Liverpool will struggle to finish in the top four.

Benitez has spent a fortune and bought too many ordinary players - and his squad still only has three world class talents in Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

If its simply not true does that mean that out of the 36 players he has brought in the majority are excellent buys [B]

carragher world class - thats why he couldn't get in the england team is it?
gerrard and torres are the only world class players we have.
with reina, mascherano, alonso not far off

Carra should have been a regular in the England team, he was disgracefully treated by the inept England manager at the time the ex manc t0sser Maclaren even when the 'untouchable Terry & Ferdinand' were not available and thats why I have to support Spain and not England at Euro 08

by **maypaxvobiscum** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:45 am

football is simple really just win every game and let the table run its course without bothering about stats. i reckon football is over-studied these days with too much technology, science, money involved.

rafa is under a lot of pressure now, give him a chance so we can see how much pressure and criticism he can take. we may be doing very poorly but with so much unrest and uncertainty in liverpool off the pitch, its only fair rafa deserves some credit for not throwing in the towel but moving on instead. just stick with him for a lil while more. no point sacking him now when we don't have anyone credible to take over and if that were to happen the entire team would be in transition period again. thus might result in us finishing outside the top 4.

by **Judge** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:05 pm

maypaxvobiscum wrote:football is simple really just win every game and let the table run its course without bothering about stats. i reckon football is over-studied these days with too much technology, science, money involved.

rafa is under a lot of pressure now, give him a chance so we can see how much pressure and criticism he can take. we may be doing very poorly but with so much unrest and uncertainty in liverpool off the pitch, its only fair rafa deserves some credit for not throwing in the towel but moving on instead. just stick with him for a lil while more. no point sacking him now when we don't have anyone credible to take over and if that were to happen the entire team would be in transition period again. thus might result in us finishing outside the top 4.

listen mightpacksomebiscuits my friend, perhaps its just an eloborate smokescreen

by **maguskwt** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:22 pm

Judge wrote:
maypaxvobiscum wrote:football is simple really just win every game and let the table run its course without bothering about stats. i reckon football is over-studied these days with too much technology, science, money involved.

rafa is under a lot of pressure now, give him a chance so we can see how much pressure and criticism he can take. we may be doing very poorly but with so much unrest and uncertainty in liverpool off the pitch, its only fair rafa deserves some credit for not throwing in the towel but moving on instead. just stick with him for a lil while more. no point sacking him now when we don't have anyone credible to take over and if that were to happen the entire team would be in transition period again. thus might result in us finishing outside the top 4.

listen mightpacksomebiscuits my friend, perhaps its just an eloborate smokescreen

... yeah we could actually finish like 2nd this season but rafa didn't wanna warn our rivals that we're that good... so next season we're going for 1st!... :buttrock

by **Big Niall** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:21 am

Boocity wrote:thats why I have to support Spain and not England at Euro 08

I assume you know England aren't in Euro 08 :laugh:

(before anybody gets b*tchy, i'm laughing at the quote about supporting England at 08, not about England not qualifying)

Actually, I'd love if Everton got 4th but we won CL and so they got booted out of Champions league - can you imagine how bitter they'd get

:laugh:

by **Boocity** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:58 pm

Big Niall wrote:
Boocity wrote:thats why I have to support Spain and not England at Euro 08

I assume you know England aren't in Euro 08 (before anybody gets b*tchy, i'm laughing at the quote about supporting England at 08, not about England not qualifying)

Ok so I could have worded it a bit better, but you get gist.

by **Toffeehater** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:09 pm

Big Niall wrote:
Boocity wrote:thats why I have to support Spain and not England at Euro 08

I assume you know England aren't in Euro 08 (before anybody gets b*tchy, i'm laughing at the quote about supporting England at 08, not about England not qualifying)

Actually, I'd love if Everton got 4th but we won CL and so they got booted out of Champions league - can you imagine how bitter they'd get

I'll be supporting holland

thats why they are called the bitters would really be great if that happened like it did the season we won the cl .

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:44 pm

Back to the question of the topic. One name I've said a few times (more as a p!ss take but actually starting to see that he wouldn't be so bad) is Gary Johnson the Bristol City manager. He took Yeovil up with two consecutive promotions, last season he took Bristol City up from League 1 into the Championship and now the Robins sit three points clear at the top of the Championship with only ten games remaining.

Last time we went to another English club for a manager we brought back Shankly. Now I'm not comparing Johnson to the great Bill Shankly, but Johnson is showing the signs of being a good manager. Given the chance of a top club, he may be able to guide them to success, after all he must have something about him to get consevutive promotions from the lower leagues. He's in the Shankly mould in everything with him is team. The Bristol City side eat, train and travell together as well as having days out together for team building. Whether it's paint-balling or go karting or donkey riding at Blackpool beach, it's all for the team. He also has the mentality that "you win as a team and lose as a team". I think Gary Johnson will be a good manager in the Prem given the right club, also if he takes Bristol City up (looks promising) and keeps them up then they'll be clubs like Newcastle, Bolton and Blackburn (because I see Hughes moving on soon) sniffing around for Johnson. I think he's got the potentional to be a great manager at those clubs and higher. Might just be worth keeping your eye on.

by **NANNY RED** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:50 pm

John please say your on one of your wind ups let the lad bring a team into the prem first and see how he gets on he needs to be in the first division managing for a few years and bring a team up then youll see his managerial caperbilities just like Paul Ince is doing now gaining experience.
The Prem is a whole new ball game

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:10 am

Nanny I haven't said I want him managing us (my choice is Jol which doesn't go down well either

) but I'm just saying Johnson is doing well as the moment. He took Bristol City up in his first season (after they'd failed three years on the trot in the play-offs) now in his second season he has them top of the Championship (old div 1 to some and old div 2 to even older like me and you nanny

) He also took Yeovil up in two consecutive promotions (conference then the current league 2) which is why they're in League 1 now. He's also managed at international level (Latvia

OK scrap the international level bit

)

Bristol City look almost certain to be in the play-offs, if not automatic promotion this season. IF and it is a big if, he brings them up this season and keeps them up next season, clubs will be sniffing around for him. Just keep your eye out for him, that's all I'm saying.

by **bigmick** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:40 am

I agree with Nanny to be perfectly honest here, it really is the case with managers that you have to wait until they've proved themselves on the way up and then actually in the top flight. This applies unless you go for a big name player who has turned to management, they seem to be occasionally able to get round the problem of motivating big name players by "putting the medals on the table".

All that said, the success of Johnson is startling both in it's magnitude given the rescources at his disposal, and the time it has taken him at each club. There is no doubt that many clubs below the top six or seven in the Premiership will be watching his progress very closely from here on in. Usually what finds some of these blokes out is the Aidy Bothroyd scenario where the percentage route oneish game simply doesn't work in the Premiership. Even Bolton under Allardyce had game breaking quality players and every team needs them in the Premiership if they are to survive.

The bloke who isn't my first choice should Rafa not be here next season but IMHO gets dismissed far too readily is Martin O Neill. Successful at Wycombe, a trophy winner at Leicester (incredible achievement when you think about it) bringing them European football, breaking of the Rangers dominance in Scotland and winning Celtics first title for years, taking Celtic to a European final where they were absolutely robbed by Mourinho's Porto (who of course went on to become European Champions the following season). At Villa he has rebuilt and revamped on a relative shoestring, taking them to the brink of European football and building a team who can give the very best a game on their day. Whenever his name gets mentioned whoever does the mentioning is laughed out of court which amazes me to be perfectly honest.

by **neil** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:46 am

Liverpool FC Forum

So who do you want to replace him ?

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