Liverpool FC Forum

[jacdaniel]

I voted 6th a week or 2 back as I felt Everton would go backwards under Martinez and we'd improve even more under Rodgers.
The first 3 games though have given me some belief that we could possibly do better and maybe threaten Spurs / Arsenal a bit at least.

Don't want to get carried away though.  We just have to take it one game at a time and see were we are around December.

[damjan193]

I really hate how people write us off after we've won against 3 teams which we struggled to beat last season, without even conceding a goal. I know that the squad doesn't look that good but show some faith. 

As for Sturridge, I don't think he's as selfish as people make him to be considering he's a striker. For him it's a reflex reaction. He's been taught to have eyes only for the goal and how to place the ball in it. It's really how most strikers are. He's definitely not as selfish as Suarez.

Some of us don't need the season to finish to tell you we aren't good enough mate, we can see it now by looking at what we have.

But yeah I get your point...

We're going to win the league... YAY!!! *clap clap clap clap* GO LIVERPOOL!!! The best team ever!!!

I'd understand the negativity if we were at the bottom of the table but this is ridiculous. Not only there has been little to no mention of the positives from beating 3 difficult teams (at least for us) without conceding, but there has been constant negativity from most posters. Now I'm not against people expressing any kinds of opinions, this is a forum and that's what forums are for, but it's just a bit confusing to me to see this kind of posts after such a positive start.

[Stu the Red]

I'd understand the negativity if we were at the bottom of the table but this is ridiculous. Not only there has been little to no mention of the positives from beating 3 difficult teams (at least for us) without conceding, but there has been constant negativity from most posters. Now I'm not against people expressing any kinds of opinions, this is a forum and that's what forums are for, but it's just a bit confusing to me to see this kind of posts after such a positive start.

It isn't negativity though. Its realism. I don't believe in booting someone when they're down. IE when the team is playing poorly its very easy to pick faults. Its very easy to blame players when things aren't going so well.

When you're on top, and playing well, thats when you see the real issues. This season I firmly believe Liverpool will score goals quite a few, they will batter some sides, but at times will look toothless aswell, especially away from home and against the better sides... but we'll conceed to many at important times, defending too deep and I can see us having nightmares from defending set pieces. I also believe there will be times when we lose shape and lose games we "should have won".

We'll score around 66-71 goals and conceed around 35-40... which I don't think will see us get into the top four.

Its not guess work, its judgement.

[devaney]

First of all welcome Stu, your always good for starting good quality debate. As for views I see their as strong as ever! Lol but I feel your being extremely harsh in criticisms of Johnson and Sturridge. I agree that Henderson, Lucas, Allen and Skretl are not good enough for a team that wants to challenge for honours, they don’t have the required quality. Johnson has been one of the top right backs in the league for about 4 years now IMO and I cant understand the amount of stick he gets, he’s a great athlete, skilful, can score and create and isn’t bad defensively, he’s everything a modern fullback should be.

In regards to Sturridge I agree with your criticism, he is far too greedy and his decision making is poor at times however he is still fairly young and  has time to improve this side of this game. What he does however is the ability to score goals on a consistent basis, that is as clear as day. He can score spectacular individual goals, can shoot, scores tap ins and has pace to burn to score one on ones from through balls, he is poor in the air though. Scoring goals regularly is the hardest thing in football and Sturridge knows how to do it and with quality service around him he will continue to thrive I am convinced of that, he wont ever be a Messi or Suarez but he will be a top quality player. Hes actually quite similar to Suarez in some ways at the same age, if you watched Suarez for Ajax he was ridiculously greedy and barely passed to anyone if he was in 30 yards of the goal, hes still very greedy now but he’s channelled it and makes better decisions when to go for the individual effort or when to pass to a team mate in a better position, I believe Sturridge can do the same.

Oh Johnson, I believe him to be amateurish with his decision making and choice of pass. He has a poor touch and his tactical knowledge of when to break forward is awful. In the united match he nearly cost us a goal in the first minute with such a shocking decision. Also the amount of times he gives the ball away is criminal. There was a game last year against Arsenal where he touched the ball 48 times, 33 of those times the next player to touch a ball was an arsenal player. I think three or four were after a tackle (so I wouldn't hold those against him). If he was that good, Chelsea wouldn't have struggled for a right back for years, they would have just kept him. To be honest, I was never a fan of Arbeloa, I thought he was truely average, but i'd take him over Johnson any day of the week.

On Sturridge, I haven't actually criticsized him. All I said was the truth and you can't compare him to Suarez, totally unfair as Suarez is a world class player, Sturridge is a premiership player. On the age thing, I'm sorry but we've had all this before...

"When Baros learns to get his head up he'll be better than Owen" Baros is thirty odd and still plays with his head down.
"When Sissoko learns to pass he'll be the new Vieira" Never learnt to pass, went backwards.
"When Babel learns to be consistent he'll be the new Henry"... yada yada yada....

It never happens. It never will, if he doesn't pass at 18, he's not going to at 30. Players have level's of ability, an attribute, which is consistency and quality. IE Cisse could have played for anyone and would always be lightening quick... Alonso can play for anyone and always be a great passer... but you'll never see Cisse all of a sudden become great passer... or Alonso gain pace... It just doesn't happen. All attributes in players are pretty fixed by 17/18... consistency will improve slightly and experience will help them utilize what they have, they may improve very slightly as they get older in one or two areas... but not by the margins some people think.

Kinell Stu you actually wrote this: Sturridge is ok and will do well in a good side, but he's nothing special for me, he has to many major weaknesses (reminds me a bit of Andy Cole) and the amount of times he should pass and doesn't is really starting to grate my nerves. Agger is another who is ok, as are Aspas and Lucas, but they aren't top players.

Shit if that isn't being critical about Danny then I would hate to see you being critical !!! 

[Stu the Red]

Stating a fact that someone isn't a great player isn't being critical.

Like i said, he's not bad, but he's nowhere near as good as what he's being made out to be.

Bit like alot of our other players, which is exactly why we've struggled the last few years.

[devaney]

Stating a fact that someone isn't a great player isn't being critical.

Like i said, he's not bad, but he's nowhere near as good as what he's being made out to be.

Bit like alot of our other players, which is exactly why we've struggled the last few years.

Yes but stating that: he has to many major weaknesses most certainly is.
And I'm not sure how you don't regard this as criticism: the amount of times he should pass and doesn't is really starting to grate my nerves

Write much more shit like this about Danny Sturridge and you'll be grating on a few peoples nerves 

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

our next 6 league games (before we play arsenal on the 2nd of november) are deffo winnable, like all prem games they will be tough but we`ll go into every one of them as favourites.
if we could win them all we`d exert a hell of a lot of pressure on the teams around us.

[Kenny Kan]

our next 6 league games (before we play arsenal on the 2nd of november) are deffo winnable, like all prem games they will be tough but we`ll go into every one of them as favourites.
if we could win them all we`d exert a hell of a lot of pressure on the teams around us.

I think our next one is going to be our hardest thus far, Swansea away. That'll be tricky.

[ethanr]

Swansea haven't been playing particularly well, but have had as tough a schedule as anybody except maybe Villa. I could easily see it going 0-0, but who knows at this point. I think it's becoming apparent that we really need Suarez back.

[SouthCoastShankly]

our next 6 league games (before we play arsenal on the 2nd of november) are deffo winnable, like all prem games they will be tough but we`ll go into every one of them as favourites.
if we could win them all we`d exert a hell of a lot of pressure on the teams around us.

I think our next one is going to be our hardest thus far, Swansea away. That'll be tricky.

I agree although they haven't had the greatest start, Michu looks well off it.

We have done the real tricky bit by beating Utd. Now comes the test of winning games we should be winning plus maybe another Utd scalp.

Septembers fixtures are

Swansea (A) PL
Southampton (H) PL
Man Utd (A) LC
Sunderland (A) PL

Excluding Man Utd, if we are to mount any real challenge to 4th this season it should be another 3 wins.

[jacdaniel]

Going to be interesting to see how we cope with the pressure now.
At times over the last 3 years we've played / done well in the 2nd half of the season when 4th has already been lost. 
Can we actually get involved and stay in the fight this season.  It would be progress if we did, even if we do eventually fall short.

[SouthCoastShankly]

Stating a fact that someone isn't a great player isn't being critical.

Like i said, he's not bad, but he's nowhere near as good as what he's being made out to be.

Bit like alot of our other players, which is exactly why we've struggled the last few years.

FYI - stating that someone isn't a great player is an opinion not a fact.

[Stu the Red]

Stating a fact that someone isn't a great player isn't being critical.

Like i said, he's not bad, but he's nowhere near as good as what he's being made out to be.

Bit like alot of our other players, which is exactly why we've struggled the last few years.

FYI - stating that someone isn't a great player is an opinion not a fact.

So if I say a blind fella with one footy is better than Suarez is that an opinion or fact?

[supersub]

Stating a fact that someone isn't a great player isn't being critical.

Like i said, he's not bad, but he's nowhere near as good as what he's being made out to be.

Bit like alot of our other players, which is exactly why we've struggled the last few years.

FYI - stating that someone isn't a great player is an opinion not a fact.

So if I say a blind fella with one footy is better than Suarez is that an opinion or fact?

it would be your opinion until proven as a fact..........

[Stu the Red]