this is their year - liverpool 11/12

As said on the other thread, good as their attack is I reckon a load of teams have been really naive when playing Liverpool over the second half of next season, be interesting to see how they cope when teams start giving them a bit more of a kicking. Could be anywhere between 3rd and 5th.

I went for a cautiously optimistic fourth

fifth or sixth imo

5th

if they spend heavily ~maaaaybe~ they get into cl places

where is the spot for 'lol'.

voted sixth.

Would love it. Love it. If Everton finished above them.

voted sixth.

― popular gay automobile (a hoy hoy), donderdag 12 mei 2011 15:04 (1 minute ago) Bookmark

In terms of signings it looks like Stewart Downing and Ashley Young are the wing players in the frame. Good enough?

Entirely depends on the fitness of Suarez - if he comes back from the Copa America in one piece, they could feasibly reach top 3. If not, or he gets Shawcrossed early doors, can imagine Carra hoofing to Carroll for a season and a mid-table finish.

juan mata mentioned a bit as well. think young and downing would be fine, it's a sensible philosophy to hoover up boring but achieving english players, has served man u well for years.

x-post they might buy another striker too.

mata is an attacking mid really, but i guess he's get shoved wide if he moves to england

That really hasn't been Utd's transfer policy tho

bringing in from the other thread:

It's all very confusing, this is arguably a weaker squad than the first half of the season (Suarez in, Torres and Gerrard out; some kids in, some miscellaneous professionals out) but the difference in performance is astonishing. They don't even look like the same team playing better: the structure, formation, morale, pace, style, everything's changed. I kind of assume that Steve Clarke is behind it as much as Kenny, but doesn't get mentioned as much.

As to what to expect, no idea except that I do think this is a permanent shift to a higher level than the preceding eighteen months rather than just a blistering run of form. New players in the summer will be interesting, though I'd like a handful of pacy, top performers and not a squad-filling exercise. Mentions of Ashley Young good, mentions of Charlie Adam not, basically. Though I do stress that I don't really have any particular idea of who or even what positions are really needed - again, the fact that they look like this now is near-inexplicable after what was being served up before. Mata's a damn good player, I'd welcome him.

Obviously I'll be voting for 'first' here, it is May after all.

liverpool 11/12 epl goals scored

suarez 17
carroll 11
mata 10
young 8
gerrard 6
meireles 5
kuyt 4
downing 3

kuyt 35

i guess the big summer talking point will be the future of sotiris kyrgiakos

it's a sensible philosophy to hoover up boring but achieving english players, has served man u well for years.

I can only think of Carrick that fits this description, tbh

hargreaves was a triumph too

Here's the ∞ symbol for Maxi

would like them to win it and don't see why they can't providing they get off to a good start and suarez isn't too knackered

As much as I love Kenny and think he and Clarke made a huge difference, I think recent results really flatter to deceive - at 3-1 on Monday Fulham might easily have got back into the game, and they didn't play *all* that well vs Newcastle or Brum (least convincing 5-0 I've ever seen). Like I say, it's difficult to overstate the importance of Suarez - almost all the goals Kuyt has hoovered up recently have been a result of the havoc Luis has caused in opposition's defences - he's unplayable at the moment, I think. Young would be a very good signing - they desperately need someone with a bit of pace. A belated Xabi-replacement could be key - don't think it's Adams, not sure Gerrard can do it (there are unbelieve rumours Xabi himself might return) - maybe Defour?

voted 5th. My optimistic self thinks that's both where we'll finish and be the lowest we're liable to finish. I guess I really have completely written off spurs. Spurs still have a better squad than LFC but the end to their season has been so wretched I've kind of discounted them entirely. Cue ultra rare victory at Anfield this weekend.

(there are unbelieve rumours Aquilani himself might return)

tottenham have no forwards tho

even an osvaldo level player scoring 15+ would make a huge difference, and i expect them to buy someone of at least that level

no cl to distract them next year either

thought defour was more of an attacking midfielder than xabi? ashley young would be a good and slightly versatile signing both to provide for carroll and start in place of suarez occasionally. Think LFC are okay in middle of pitch lucas/meireles/gerrard.

Don't think Aquilani is ever coming back, sadly :( I'm kind of resigned to Adam coming in.

Spurs are knackered, in terrible form, facing rampant Liverpool, at ex-bogey ground, no Bale, and have all but been told not to finish fifth. These are as close to perfect conditions for a hiding as you'll see.

(having said that, I thought they were reasonably good v City, just toothless)

xp
forgot about Aqua! Perm any 2 or 3 from lucas/aqua/gerrard/meireles would do me!

ya defour is a deep lying playmaker, or can be iirc

he's a bit small tho, which is a problem alongside meireles and lucas

i've watched man u and qpr flatter to deceive all season - "convincing" is an illusion

I would really like Aquilani back, even if only to confirm he's rubbish. The not knowing isn't exactly killing me, but it's edging towards Jack The Ripper or Marie Celeste proportions

aquilani is too good for liverpool

or juve

let him replace pirlo imo

The 3 times I've watched Juve this season Aqua was really good in 2 and anonymous/poor in one. Mind you it was a real slog to watch those Juve games, they don't half plod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPK2bPWcJJ0&feature=related

I've heard James McCarthy's name thrown about by Liverpool fans a bit too

i refuse to believe anyone who looks so actually retarded as aquilani can be a good baller tbh

there's a hairdressers in shoreditch called "sotos barber"...for anyone who wants to pursue the great man's look

that video reminds me of the end of this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PWEqbwh2ow

3rd

disrespect to sotiris

robingreat1 1 year ago
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sotiris is fine with me, he is a major goal threat. him and carroll up front imo.

and odysseus on the wing with agamemmnon in the hole

Odysseus more of a midfield schemer

former mycenae man agamemnon has long been a legend of the hellenic community

Oedipus Ref - who's the blind bastard in the black?

try telling that to Pyrrhus however, the seasoned son of Greek hitman Achilles will have nonetheless relished a victory which ironically does not actually help his side's cause notwithstanding.

one thing is spartan

voted 5th. My optimistic self thinks that's both where we'll finish and be the lowest we're liable to finish. I guess I really have completely written off spurs. Spurs still have a better squad than LFC but the end to their season has been so wretched I've kind of discounted them entirely.

btw just Suarez, Gerrard and Kuyt outside Lifestyle Sports in Dublin. Just thought i'd pass that along.

― Number None

bohs in with the triple swoop?

They were enacting some sort of pageantry involving a replica of the Anfield gates but i couldn't stay to see Suarez be crowned the new King of the Kop or whatever it was.

Charlie Adam in, Pepe Reina out: this is their year, alright.

except reina has said he's staying. you know some planes hit the wtc in 2001, you should read about it.

I only read transfer rumours.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

re: upthread, I think A Young is a maybe, Downing probably signing a new Villa deal

Feel like Young might still go to Man U because players seem to prefer sitting on the bench a fair bit at a place where they play in the CL and maybe win things versus being the obvious piece of a puzzle that could (but might not) propel a lower team to that level, but maybe Liverpool have convinced him he's part of a plan, and he seems to actually want to play for England on the regular

with tedious inevitability I am now fascinated to see what Liverpool do next year, after their purifying wilderness years period, and it would be pretty cool if they won the league if only for the implications for the perch narrative

Would Young get significantly more matches at Liverpool? I feel like they already have seven worthy players (Lucas, Meireles, Maxi, Gerrard, Kuyt, Suarez, Carroll) competing for six spots.

And Joe Cole.

not competing for places with lucas, meireles, gerrard really. would replace maxi on the left or kuyt on the right (with kuyt becoming a striker at
long last?)

Yeah, probably only be competing with Maxi and Kuyt. Meireles has been starting wide but drifting inside, not sure if that will continue next season. Carroll and Suarez up front and fit everyone else around them kinda thing I'd imagine.

Is Modric available...

i'd love to be able to answer with a certain 'no', but i doubt it'll be liverpool

money would have to be on utd

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Averages out to around 4th - as chosen by 2 out of 26 people.

maybe a more ~relevant metric~ would be that 14/26 don't think they'll qualify for the cl

wisdom of crowds right dere

they wont, but i look fwd to scrapping it out with them fulham and everton to not qualify for uefa cup

Hodgson's record as Liverpool manager: P31 W13 D9 L9
Money spent by Hodgson as Liverpool manager: £20 million

Dalglish's record as Liverpool manager: P30 W15 D6 L9
Money spent by Dalglish as Liverpool manager: £114 million

bit specious

5th tops

those stats seem wild...gimme a competition breakdown

i'd refuse the request tbh, ye're not 'above' any competition atm!

Hodgson
Premier League: W7 D4 L9
League Cup: L1
Europa League: W6 D4 L0

Dalglish
Premier League: W12 D4 L7
FA Cup: L1
League Cup: W2
Europa League: W1 D2 L1

that's a bit more revealing

Above a competition? What are you even talking about? Europa wins are against worse opposition, the above breakdown tells you all you need to know about how shit Roy was.

Looks like Kenny failed to win 75% of games against the worst opposition.

Yeah and has yet to win a game in the FA cup, fire him.

http://i.imgur.com/HYKMs9q.jpg

http://www.magpieszone.com/toon/2007/12/20122007_rob-lee.jpg ?

they both like the sort of people asians can cite when they say all caucasians look the same to them

sahko just took about six seconds to make a simple pass from leftback

they still look quite europa league and it's not just the inane attempt at playing a serbia 2007 / stoke 2010 4 centrebacks defence

coutinho as a lateral playmaker, moses as an orthodox winger either side of sturridge/suarez is potentially a very good attack, to get 70+ they need to get all of those to combine and sakho to displace skrtel (not too difficult)

they don't have good depth (sterling maybe luis alberto) and the midfield does everything reasonably well but nothing exceptionally

nb i dont think moses is anything special but he is the right type of player to offset the other three

dietmar hamann and john barnes providing a very dispiriting and purposeless feel to setanta coverage

gerrard on a bad day is just trash, he cannot play fitba at all

“When I was director of football at Real Madrid I had to evaluate the players coming through the youth ranks. We had some who were very good footballers. They had technique, they had athleticism, they had drive, they were hungry.

"But they lacked what I call knowing-how-to-play-football. They lacked decision making. They lacked positioning. They didn't have the subtle sensitivity of football: how a player should move within the collective. And for many, I wasn't sure they were going to learn".

“You see, strength, passion, technique, athleticism, all of these are very important. But they are a means to an end, not an end in itself. They help you reach your goal, which is putting your talent at the service of the team and, by doing this, making both of you and the team greater.

"In situations like that, I just have to say, Gerrard's a great footballer, but perhaps not a great player."

(arrigo sacchi)

― nakhchivan, Saturday, 29 May 2010 16:37 (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

so take away technique athleticism and drive and there is just a void

the bookies have them a rizla behind manchester united to get the fourth cl place

Lol

they're now favourites for the last cl place, manchester united at 6/4

Which seems fair enough.

https://twitter.com/Shadab_LFC/status/416890557126828032

http://kelly4fab.tumblr.com/post/48226911893/everyone-who-stopped-at-melwood-today

Heh I know the guy who responded to that Flanagan tweet there irl.

Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

Can you imagine a forward line of Sterling Suarez Sturridge Coutinho and Konoplyanka? That just screams pace, would give any team in the world some problems.
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

Tittenham Notspur spending 100 Mill and still can't go ahead of Everton lol Nevermind big guns LFC and AFC. Europa League team at best.
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

I've had some info from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk saying that his heart is in for LFC. No I haven't actually, I am just lying because my name is James Wobson loll
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

Why would he want to go over at Spurs anyway? Yeah because they need more players, Bentaleb, Siggurdson, Eriksen, Chadli, Dembele, Townsend, Lamela, Capooey, Soldado, Paulinho, Lennon, Holtby, Sandro.
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

If he is in the right state of mind, he will look at Erik Lamela over there and choose Liverpool. £30 mill and I haven't even seen a whimper of him. Spurs saying he is injured, like they did with Bale and was proven it's a lie. Something dodgy going over there at WHL.
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

COUTINHO AND STURRIDGE
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

SUAREZ
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Brendan Rodgers, Anfield., United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

Im sure he would rather work under me or Wenger hell maybe even David Moyes ok perhaps not than Dim Sherwood.
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Do you have an email address so I can invite him to ILF?

feel like i deserve a special prize this week for being the last person on earth to discover @MY_MUMS_COLA

btw the words FLANNO LAD seem to keep popping up in my head at the most random moments

he should get special brazilian dispensation to have it on the back of his shirt

with a name like flanagan, martin and roy should be chasing after him

http://i.imgur.com/iqMtIaX.jpg