good analysis. but Rodgers wont surprise many as he did this season.
Liverpool
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Well yeah, but that would've been 14 wins out of 16 which would be unreal. The losses to main rivals were big.The WBA and Villa draws.
37 points out of 42 on the title run-in. That's sensational form it has to be said, but also form which will probably never be repeated, and certainly not by this Liverpool team.
I simply cannot see them competing for the title again anytime soon. This was their golden opportunity and they blew it.
He has done a good job with some of the players, absolutely. I was talking about the money he spent and how he's spent it though. Him buying 5 or 6 players in the summer doesn't mean you will improve.
That's assuming the element of surprise was the secret to success, which would be simplistic.
lets say he was underestimated.
I thought he was a reasonable replacement. But I think Liverpool have finally found a long term manager....assuming he does not buy into the scouse victims mentality that always surfaces.
I'm certain the squad will be stronger come August both in terms of current players and those bought with the lure of CL football. Missing out of Willian and Salah were both due to lack of CL. Liverpool will be shopping at a different counter now.
Since January of last year only City have more points than us.
Our form in the 2nd half of last season would have seen us finish in the top 3 had we started off the same as we ended the season.
Players like Salah and Willian will not take you that extra mile.
That all depends on if they keep Suarez though. If he leaves and they fail to bring in players of a certain quality, they'll automatically be far worse off.
We'll put Liverpool back in their place next season and I can't wait. Let them celebrate their amazing second place because I'm convinced they won't get anywhere near next year. I heard one scouse talk about next season saying they were going to mount another title challenge and we will probably get fifth but we might get fourth if we're lucky.
It's amazing how quickly they've gotten so confident about themselves. I can barely sit still in anticipation of getting back above them and all their heroes
It's amazing how quickly they've gotten so confident about themselves. I can barely sit still in anticipation of getting back above them and all their heroes
So was the competition.
It was for the best really.
There was only ourselves and Chelsea that season battling it out,honorable mention to Arsenal.
This season there was 3 teams fighting for the title also I think the league was tougher this season than the 2009/2010 season.
Nah mate, when Suarez goes they'll spunk the money like last time and Gerrard will be sent off every week for carrying an oxygen tank onto the pitch.
After 5 games without a point they'll be calling for Dalglish again the deluded Norwegian weapons.
Doesn't matter who the competition, it matters how good they were. Competition was much tougher.
Not to suggest Rodgers hasn't been good, but reinvented gerrard, really? Gerrard still does his glory boy headless chicken act, pinging Hollywood balls, the difference is that his legs are going now so he sits deep. Rodgers has just done what Tara did and shoved Gerrard somewhere he can't cause a major tactical issue.
Harping back to comments early in this thread but talk of Liverpool being the only team to improve seem to have gathered pace again.... I just don't get it.
I understand city have some financial restrictions but let's see what happens following the query over FFP charges, whos to say they will toe the FFP line? Otherwise they have a strong squad will add to defense and don't have major issues elsewhere.
Chelsea, have to think they will buy a decent striker, whether he'll turn to shite is unknown but again they should improve, wonder whether mourinho with still have the raging arse.
Arsenal are an irrelevance, they will buy a few kids, might buy a star, won't make a difference, will start well and fade to scrap a top 4 finish.
Liverpool, sure, they may be some decent talent but they are buying at a different level now. Rodgers has never bought at this level, Liverpool haven't for years, it's as much about attitude now as potential and ability, being an athlete won't cover any gaps. Moreover so much went right this year, all the dives that went rewarded and unpunished, the pens, lack of free kicks against. Suarez Henderson, sterling, Flanagan had great seasons, sturridge seemed unable to miss bar the last few weeks. No major injuries to contend with. Without a doubt, this is a very good 11 but they are so weak beyond, with more games, potential drop in form, potential injuries, it's hard to see who's going to step up. They need cover all over the pitch, the only issue they don't have is age. I think it's a real mixed bag, there's tonnes of potential but I don't see them nailed on to go again!
As for us, tough one, we need to buy and I'm sad to see evra go, he got us, though a lot of goals came down our left. If/when van gaal comes in, he's got a helluva job rebuilding the confidence, we are a fragile bunch right now, but with signings and a top manager, we might be rosey, hopefully it will be interesting and well have more say on the title in 14/15!
I understand city have some financial restrictions but let's see what happens following the query over FFP charges, whos to say they will toe the FFP line? Otherwise they have a strong squad will add to defense and don't have major issues elsewhere.
Chelsea, have to think they will buy a decent striker, whether he'll turn to shite is unknown but again they should improve, wonder whether mourinho with still have the raging arse.
Arsenal are an irrelevance, they will buy a few kids, might buy a star, won't make a difference, will start well and fade to scrap a top 4 finish.
Liverpool, sure, they may be some decent talent but they are buying at a different level now. Rodgers has never bought at this level, Liverpool haven't for years, it's as much about attitude now as potential and ability, being an athlete won't cover any gaps. Moreover so much went right this year, all the dives that went rewarded and unpunished, the pens, lack of free kicks against. Suarez Henderson, sterling, Flanagan had great seasons, sturridge seemed unable to miss bar the last few weeks. No major injuries to contend with. Without a doubt, this is a very good 11 but they are so weak beyond, with more games, potential drop in form, potential injuries, it's hard to see who's going to step up. They need cover all over the pitch, the only issue they don't have is age. I think it's a real mixed bag, there's tonnes of potential but I don't see them nailed on to go again!
As for us, tough one, we need to buy and I'm sad to see evra go, he got us, though a lot of goals came down our left. If/when van gaal comes in, he's got a helluva job rebuilding the confidence, we are a fragile bunch right now, but with signings and a top manager, we might be rosey, hopefully it will be interesting and well have more say on the title in 14/15!
Sakho - Average defender. Cost £16 Million
Mignolet - Barely an upgrade on Reina, if at all.
Allen - Average. Cost £16 Million
Illori - Who?
Alberto - Who?
Aspas -
Borini - Shipped him out on loan. Cost £11 Million
Sahin loan - Cost £4 Million. Was rubbish.
Cissokho Loan - Total shit.
Moses Loan - Total shit
Assaidi - Shipped him out on loan.
Think this is a bit unfair on Sahko, he's clearly a good defender. Was decent (7.5/10 imo) in his first season, still young for a cb and playing in a much faster league than Ligue 1. I rated him at psg and think he will be at least solid for Liverpool in the years to come.
Allen showed ability at times this season, though still not often enough for me. Seems injury prone thus far.
Mignolet...yeah he's a pretty good shot stopper but distribution is awful. Not great, not awful but I'm not sure he's a long term option for a club that has title and European aspirations.
The rest of them are fairly shit yeah (apart from Coutinho and Sturridge, both excellent) but they should get a few quid back for Borini at least.
I'd say Rodgers has been fairly average in the market. A couple big successes, a couple looking decent, a few looking awful.
I think one of Sahkos issues is he doesn't look that composed on the ball even under zero pressure, playing with skirtl he needs to be able to play a bit because it seems skirtl has to fight his natural tendency to use his hands or his head so just leathers it. Sakho is probably a decent defender and ok player, he just needs to be in a more natural partnership (agger?)
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A fit Ramsey/Walcott and Ozil all season and things would have been very different.
We need a DM, a CB cover and RB. Most importantly a top line CF and we will have our bases covered. Thin squad (and questionable tactics) do us in once again.
To say Arsenal are an irrelevance is LOLworthy though.
Arsenal have the same injury excuse every single year. They are an irrelevance in the title challenges. Rodgers with a smaller squad managed to put a stronger title challenge than what Wenger has managed in years.
A 'irrelevance' would have been United this season. Considering we were up there for a while that might suggest otherwise. No excuses for having a thin squad that couldn't cope with the title challenge (because that's what we were in, albeit far too early and briefly) though as a thin squad has been a glaring issue for too long.
Liverpool had a dream run with injuries and had all of one competition to focus on though. That won't happen next season.
It actually might happen next season, given they might be in pot 3 and with the way they defend. They probably will focus entirely on the league again.
Definitely. He's not a ball playing centreback by any stretch, I think as a partnership he and Skrtel are too similar. Say Liverpool could sign Vertonghen this year, a player like that would compliment Sahko nicely.
United being an irrelevance has nothing to do with Arsenal also being an irrelevance.
Arsenal were top of the league when it didn't matter and have been completely irrelevant to Chelsea, City and Liverpool since February.
They didn't actually participate in the title race. An irrelevance.
You're right they have nothing to do with each other. United weren't ever in it and never involved in any way beyond being a team that has to be beaten along the way.
Arsenal were, which is hardly an irrelevance. Too bad for us that we were unable to keep the form up and got pounded when it mattered to us the most.
I don't know why you're acting so butthurt here Cesc. No one is pretending United were relevant so I'm not sure why you're so keen to get the dig in. Are you saying that only fans of clubs involved in the title race are allowed to talk about the title race?
United fans know we were an irrelevance this year. In fact we weren't even that! We've accepted it and it looks like you need to do the same.
Liverpool weren't good enough to win the league but did a lot better than us.
However we will be hoping our 'blip' is one season long, not 2 decades.
However we will be hoping our 'blip' is one season long, not 2 decades.
I don't know why you're acting so butthurt here Cesc. No one is pretending United were relevant so I'm not sure why you're so keen to get the dig in. Are you saying that only fans of clubs involved in the title race are allowed to talk about the title race?
United fans know we were an irrelevance this year. In fact we weren't even that! We've accepted it and it looks like you need to do the same.
Apologies Carl, I'm not trying to be butthurt and definitely not claiming anyone has said United were in it. It was more a point to prove over the irrelevance comment regarding Arsenal. Definitely not saying people can't talk about the title race either, I'm not sure where that has come from.
I haven't once tried to wind anyone up over United's season this season, and pride myself on not being one of those supporters/posters.
The WBA and Villa draws.
Stop this shit right now. It was lost when your captain slipped. Check the other thread for the facts.
I'd even count the community shield as the more prestigious trophy of the two.
Arsenal are underrated on here. I can see them doing a 2006-07 United run the next year. They are 1-2 good purchase away from being a very good side, like we back then with Carrick. Ramsey is developing into a monster of a box to box midfielder, Walcott is very effective for them and Özil will have his 2nd season next year. They were absolutely brilliant when everyone was fit and their 3 best offensive players have been injured for a good amount of the season, especially Ramsey and Walcott. Do you see City winning the title if they have to replace Toure, Silva for most time of the season? They have a great core of players with Ramsey, Walcott, Özil, Wilshere, Koscielny, Gibbs, PIG, Cazorla, Ox, Mertesacker. Rooney said that winning the Carling Cup in 2006 meant the world to them, I definitely can see the FA cup doing the same for them.
I expect a very strong Arsenal next season.
I expect a very strong Arsenal next season.
Supporters being "torn apart" has got squat to do with the squad you had that time. I agree that having owners who are willing to spend is a big difference but using the supporters not being united as some sort of bonus point about why Liverpool will be different this time around is silly.
Had we got Willian, for example, then Henderson's absence against Chelsea and Palace wouldn't have been noticed. Willian is the closest player to a Hendo in the prem league. Instead we relied on Lucas (and then Moses) in those game which effectively meant we were playing with 10 men and then 9 men.
Shows that we're targeting the right players but lack of CL is costing us. Won't be the case this summer.
Wasn't that the same with Dalglish though? I seem to remember a host of Liverpool fans expecting his first full season to be full of great things because they had half a season under no pressure that was full of wins and positive performances. I certainly wouldn't read anything into your performances Jan 2013 - May 2013. I remember the back end of the 10/11 season when many Liverpool fans thought they'd turned a huge corner under Dalglish because they won 32 points of their last 16 games. Pretty sure all were saying sticking to 2 points a game would have them easily finish in the Champions League places and adding a couple of player's in the Summer could have them doing even better.
I certainly wouldn't include a 4-5 month period where there was absolutely no pressure and nothing to gain or lose as an indicator of anything. This season has been spectacular for Liverpool, but it has been just that, one season. It could just as easily be a Blackburn/Newcastle or Liverpool 08/09 as it could be a sustained challenge.
Next year will undoubtedly be significantly harder.
It's not the fact that we had owners not willing to spend. It's the fact that we had a manager who was being forced to take on the owners for us.
Of course the supporters turning on each other affects the squad. When families and friends are fighting over the situation and not talking to each other you don't think that negatively affects the atmosphere and moves onto the players?
Rodgers has carried it over for 18 months so it doesn't really look like that last 5 months were a fluke.