Liverpool FC Forum

by **Chelsea forever.** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:26 am

Its been a while since iv been on here. Been busy with work and other things.

Anyway, I wanted to know your views on the Epl? Who do you think are the top sides to challenge for the title?

Manu are going down again, im pretty sure about it. Rio is being booed by the fans and has had spats with Ruud, who hasnt yet scored in pre-season. They havent really made any changes to their squad, Van Der Sar was a good addition, but he alone cannot win them anything. IMO they need a good holding midfielder and a good striker.

Aresnal have just lost out on Baptista. Madrid signed him for 20M. Wenger said he was their prime target, and with Viera gone Im not sure what they will do. But he is a man who has a backup plan and they do have quality in their side to pose as a threat.

Liverpool arguably have made the most signings. Although they might not be regarded as world class players, they have certainly strengthened the squad and if key players are injured or tired Rafa has backup. Also a big squad means it will be possible to rest players and rotate when needed. However I still think you will be 15-20 points adrift of No1. Id like you to finish 2nd, but I think that might take yet another season.

Chelsea, Im very happy with our squad. Crespo has scoed in pre-season, Robben and Wright Phillips look a deadly combination, Guddy has looked superb in midfield. Cole has picked up where he left last season. Diarra looks a good prospect.

So in short I think Liverpool can finish above Manu, but I think Chelsea will win again with Arsenal 2nd.

Thoughts .. ?

by **Chelsea forever.** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:40 am

Also,

Spurs looked a decent side under Jol for the 2nd half of the season. They have signed Davids - who might be old now and past his best, but still brings some experience with him, and I believe they have a decent side, maybe to push for a European spot.

Newcastle brought in Parker and Emre. Those 2 + Dyer is a decent MF. They still need a defender, a creative player and a striker to replace Kluivert and Bellamy.

Everton, no player seems to want to sign for them. Poor moyes, did a fine job last time around but might find it difficult to cope with Europe and the ever growing competitive league

Boro look cra.p, such a boring side to watch. Now that Zenden isnt there anymore poor Downing will have to create everything. Viduka is injured again (yes?) and Jimmy .. Oh jiimmy jimmy

I hope he bangs in 20 + goals for them

I think WBa or/and Blackburn might just pull a semi Everton and shock everyone

by **Starbridge42** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:13 am

I think you're assesment of the title chasers/top 4 is pretty good and I think Tottenham will be looking at a top 5 or 6 finish with Boro or Newcastle as well.

by **bigmick** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:31 am

You'll probably get told off for putting this in the wrong spot so to swing it back o track, your assessment of Liverpool 15-20 points off the top at the end is probably not far off. I'd go as far as saying most fans would settle for us being in contention until Christmas before gradually being burned off by the top two and finishing around 15 points behind.
This would mean we comfortably gatecrash the top three, whether or not we actually finish above any of them the top three would become a top four. As for us winning it anytime soon, it may not make me popular but I believe it will be nigh on impossible for anybody to wrestle the title off Chelski while they are in posession of a transfer kitty which dwarfs everybody else's. It'll probably take 3 or 4 consecutive titles before the powers that be look at some kind of financial capping, but unless another billionaire buys a club then this may be a scenario we have to deal with. It's quite a nausiating prospect as not all Chelski fans are anywhere near as sensible as our resident blues fan.

by **Chelsea forever.** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:59 am

Money doesnt buy you titles my friend, it can only help you outbid a club if you want a certain player, and whats wrong with trying to get what you want?. Why is it that everyone on this forum always refers to the 'Money' factor for every thing. Everytime there is a debate 'money', a question 'money' oh you bought the title! Could we possibly stuff money down Lampard and Terrys throat and thus enable them to perform superbly? To win something you need to play as a team and you need to have a good manager. Having the best players and all the money does not gurantee anything - Ala Real Madrid.

We had Crespo, Mutu, Veron - arguably 3 world class player, but CR did not use them to their potential.

Jose has a way of getting the best out of players, he has transformed Joe Cole.

I guess what im trying to say is, money aint a thaing! If you have good players and a good manager you can win something, if you have good players who dont perform you will never win anything.

And Chelsea fans are pretty sensible, youd be plesantly surprised if you visit a Chelsea forum - try it out sometime. I have found people here who are very arrogant, but thats not the treatment we give visiting fans on our forum

Chelsea Forever

by **LFC #1** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:08 am

Some good points raised, and you are right that you need to buy the right players with the money, have the right manger etc. I repsect Chelsea for that, they are a good team, and the likes of Terry and Lamps are players that every team needs.

However, without Abramovich's billions, Chelsea would not be in the psotition they are in now. the money has helped immensely, Mourinho woudln't be there unless Abramovich had come into the club.

by **Chelsea forever.** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:37 am

Nothing would happen if nothing had happened!

Where would Manu be if Fergie had not taken over? Where would Manu be if Rudd joined pompy?

Where would Arsenal be if Henry remained with Juve? Where will Arsenal be now that Viera has gone?

Where would Liverpool be without Gerrard? Where would Liverpool have finished in the league last season if Carra wasent there? Would Liverpool have won the CL if Rafa had not replaced Houller?

There are a lot of it's and but's, but that is all part and parcel of football. What counts is the end result. The end result is Chelsea won the league with their squad and Madrid lost the league. Both clubs have money, both clubs have talent, and some would argue MAdrid have better plaeyrs than Chelsea.

Nothing, other than the fact that the players can and the players have won something, matters. You might have all the talent/money/power in the world, if you cant use it right then whats the point? Ex - Van Der Vaart, a hugh prospect, a great player according to many, has chosen to play in the GErman league. Good move or bad move?

by **zarababe** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:21 am

.. I think the signings the manager has made, the manager and his team and the buzz around the place will make a huge diffrence to our season. We have:
- strength in depth,
- confidence from the CL success,
- good pre-season/CL qualifications results .. (so far.. and may it continue on
our journey to Paris)
- Gerrard's new lease of life, he's lika new player
- and more players to come

Benitez is able to bring the best out of our players.. good or bad.. with the latter hardly making-up the numbers now...

I have a good feeling about this season.. I think we will do really well.. I won't make points predictions ... but a top three finish may well be in our grasp.. if we go on a good run.. and crack that away jinx..

.. as for Chelsea.. it won't be easy for you to defend the title.... and it will be interesting to see how things pan out.. of course u are favorites.. but leading from the front and the weight of expectations.. well should be interesting...

..as for commrade Ambramovich... it must be a dream to have the money behind the club that he is willing to invest... (though I wonder what attracted him to Chelsea in the first place.. could it be the Chelsea pensioners.. or indeed the private schools for his heirs

) whatever it was.. no doubt its a brill position to be in for now.. of course the real test will be when he decides to pull out.. whether the club can be self-sustaining..

.. enjoy it while it lasts.. all things have there life-span.. their are cycles of success, mediocrity and failure.. and all our great and not so great clubs have gone through these .. just ask Newcasle.. for whom success is a bridge too far..

by **stmichael** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:14 pm

I've already posted this but I'll post it again anyway.

As the new English Premiership season approaches faster than a footballer's high-performance car in a built-up area accelerates towards a pensioner crossing the road, it's all around us. Panic. And with good reason. There's just about a month to go before the transfer window closes but clubs ideally want their squads in place before the ball is kicked in anger so they can work out the basics like formations and who is already a waste of money and needs to be hidden in the reserves until January. We at, Liverpool are still expecting a couple more signings in the not too distant future. Some fans are panicking already but there really is no need. Rafa knows what he is doing and will get it right.

If you want to panic go and support Newcastle. Souness has basically sold all his decent players and only bought Scott Parker and Emre, who will have to take on the opposition single-handedly along with Alan Shearer, who will no doubt be in some kind of bath-chair contraption just to remind us how old he is now. At the last count Newcastle need almost an entire team of new players. But because the club is a basket case (and I take no pleasure in that), it's hard to attract anyone to the place, which is usually the point at which a desperate man calls Anelka's agent. I always imagine Freddy Shepherd runs the Magpies while belching and farting in the boardroom and eating large plates of tripe and onions, pausing briefly only to wipe gravy off his chin with his tie. Newcastle's long-term problems must stem from the board and the sooner they're bought out and replaced with people who live in the 21st century and don't wipe gravy off their faces with their ties and can run a club in a way entirely different to a scrap metal business, the better.

But it's not only in the north-east where the bumholes are twitching like a half-chewed orange. Aston Villa currently have just two strikers, both of whom often go through long periods of not, well, striking. Which has led David O'Leary to try and bid seven million for Milan Baros who, despite possessing the ability to run very fast with his eyes closed (which is useful when you've got a girl's hair cut in the north of England), is no more likely to be your 20-goals-a-season man than the now-sold Darius Vassell. I think we'd all forgotten that Vassell actually played league football and thought he was just an England player who was injured the rest of the time, or running around not doing much one weekend in every six.

Spurs have the opposite problem to Villa - they've got too many strikers, all of whom seem to be discontented in one way or another. Presumably playing at one of the country's top clubs isn't good enough for them. They may or may not have signed Edgar Davids (is he allowed to smoke dope to relieve glaucoma?) and have got the best keeper in the land and manager who appears to be rather good. Everything looks a bit rosy at WHL, which in itself should be cause enough for a knawing ulcerous pain in the gut of every Spurs fan. They'll have some good spells, but in the end will inevitably peter out into mid-table mediocrity as always.

Meanwhile, over at Highbury, fans are chewing their carpets as chances fade of getting a striker who is any good just in case Henry loses form. Julio Baptista may come or he may not and who doesn't feel like that at some point during a summer drinking session? And if that doesn't make them panic, then there's the thought that Jens Lehmann will be in goal again and that Ashley Cole hates everyone now.

Manure are having their usual soap opera summer and there's every reason to panic. Rio won't sign because he can't work out how to use a pen and he's too busy looking at over-priced clothing, but more worryingly, there are no other reliable central defenders at the club, Wes Brown and Silvestre being a footballing Abbott and Costello act. Gary Neville will be away agitating revolution in a South American dictatorship somewhere. And on the left wing there's still the ageing monkey delivering crosses almost as wastefully as Kewell will at Liverpool...ooh and then...ouch, pulling a hamstring: "I'm out for a month boss."

The signs of panic are also wafting around Wigan, who could reasonably have expected some greedy old footballers of class to turn up and take their not-inconsiderable money, Bolton stylee.

Everton have had to resort to re-signing defenders who they had wanted to get rid of just weeks before and I get the feeling that they want to sign someone who will really get fans excited...but can't and so are already spending hours in training kicking the ball very high in the air for long distances at Duncan Ferguson. Enough to make anyone panic who is about to play the cream of Europe - if they can get past the qualifiying round, which remains in doubt.

Sunderland and West Ham will also be panicking because its only a couple of weeks before they have to try and pretend they're not going to be relegated for the next ten months and are forced to drag out the old "fourth bottom would be an achievement" clichés. If I was Alan Pardew I'd be getting a suit of armour and a new head fitted as Hammers fans appear to really dislike him and think he's useless, which seems a bit odd really after getting them promoted. Mind you, I'd be panicking if I was relying on Marlon Harewood's corpulent form to score enough goals to keep us up, and Roy Carroll to keep them out.

Birmingham fans won't be panicking though, largely because they're still asleep after last season's snooze-fest.

Bolton fans are buying extra towels to cope with the oceans of flying spittle to come in the season ahead and anyone working for Liverpool should be very worried and wearing brown trousers, as you're likely to get shipped out at any minute. 13 players have already departed Anfield. However, 46 new Spanish players have arrived and we do have the Lord of Frodsham playing for us.

Portsmouth fans are panicking because they can't pronounce the name of almost anyone they've signed. That'll be Karadas, Mbesuma, Viafara and Andy O'Brien. And if that isn't bad enough, they've only gone and signed Gregory Vignal from us, a man who is clearly a carpet warehouse salesman from Newton-le-Willows masquerading as a footballer.

Man City fans are nervous because Robbie Fowler is still growing fatter at their expense, because Joey Barton may go on a biting rampagenear their house, and because they can already hear Andy Cole's right foot slashing majestically through the air and missing the ball by at least three yards. Couple that with the sobbing at having sold their miniscule child star magician to Chelsea and it's a recipe for incontinence.

Down at Craven Cottage everyone is worried about signing a goalkeeper whose name is already a headline writer's dream - Drobny. It's never good to have a goalkeeper whose name has the crucial first three letters of the word 'drop'.

Charlton, on the other hand, have nothing to worry about until the end of January, by which time they must hope they've acquired enough points to survive losing their last 18 games as usual. They've bought Chris Powell back despite selling him a year ago and despite the fact that he's now 67. You can never have too many old, slow defenders if you want to drop away properly after Xmas though.

Which leaves the glorious Teessiders. The Boro. Striding across the football landscape like a steroid-enhanced leviathan, whatever one of those is. Zenden left them for us after they supposedly resurrected his career (a thing they'll, tell you they've been doing for years now at the Riverside) so they can at least rejoice that they have one less nancy boy who wears a hairband at the club. However, panic is bubbling under like last night's half-cooked kebab in their bowels. Will Mark Viduka ever play a game and if so just how fat must he be now? Will they just have to put Massimo Maccarone down because no one will buy him or even take him on loan? And just how many minutes will Gaizka Mendieta play this season before being injured for the next 12 months?

Finally there's Chelsea, whose fans are panicking because they have not yet bought all the best players past, present and future in the world ever and ever and ever, and who are concerned they might not win the league this year by anything more than 29 points. It's hard work being a fan at the Bridge these days.

So lads and lasses, it's nappies on, sucky blankets at the ready and a stiff upper lip in place. Don't panic! Don't panic! It's just the new season.

by **skipper** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:28 pm

Great post St. Michael.

And there really shouldn't be any panicking yet. Panic's for the spring, where the bottom 4 teams will fight it out for that coveted 17th spot.

And of course in the spring, arsenal fans will be panicking because they can't win a CL match.

But for right now, like St. Mike said, don't panic.

by **PrestonLaaa** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:17 am

The Prem is utter dog sh*te, money rules and all sporting chance has been totaly lost! :veryangry

End off!

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 4:56 pm

Arsenal- Probably another second place.
Aston Villa- A team stuck in 1981. Mid table finish.
Birmingham- A low finish. Should be safe though.

Blackburn- Could make a decent show this time. Decent manager. Will cause problems for many teams with their dirty tactics. But if they work, then use them.

Bolton- Might do well initially in UEFA Cup. Could over-stretch them in the league.

Charlton- Will struggle this year. Mid-table to low finish.
Chelsea- Champions again.

Everton- Villarreal will knock them out of the CL. This season will not be as good as last season for them.

Fulham- Very low finish. Relegation dogfight.

Liverpool- Decent show in CL. 4th place in Prem. Comfortably this time.

Man City- Mid table finish.
Man Utd- 3rd in league. Carling and FA cup winners.
Middlesbrough- Boring club. Mid table.

Newcastle- Another disappointing season. Mid table. Souness sacked.

Portsmouth- Midtable to low finish.
Sunderland- Relegated.

Tottenham- Improving fast under Martin Jol. A UEFA Cup place will be theirs.

West Brom- May survive again. Relegation dogfight.
West Ham- Relegated.
Wigan- Relegated.

by **A.B.** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 6:17 pm

I have to say something about Newcastle. They will struggle again this season if they don't sign any quality defenders. They have Boumsong but apart from him the back four are p1ss poor.

Under Souness they won't have a good season imo.

by **A.B.** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 6:20 pm

Btw Chelsea forever, stop beating around the bush. The fact of the matter is that without Abramovich you were doing feck all. If it wasn't for him you wouldn't have of the players you've signed, and most importantly you wouldn't have Mourinho.

You bought the title, everyone knows that and you need to accept that. When you spend 200 million pounds in two years then a side is expected to win a title.

by **zarababe** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:38 pm

PrestonLaaa wrote:The Prem is utter dog sh*te, money rules and all sporting chance has been totaly lost!

End off!

.. yep that sums it up .. wise one..

wow it takes a lot to make Ian angry.. he ain't yer average leone u know

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