posted Sep 24, 2008

seriously, i think as a fan we put our team up on a pedastal ready to knock it over at the first opportunity apart from the die hard 'older' fans like myself. I was there when Michael Thomas' 'goal' robbed us at Anfield. I can tell you I am more happy with the way Liverpool have been playing this season than in any season over the last 8-10 years. As for Pennant i think last night was bit of a wake up call to all you 'get a right winger in' callers, we HAVE a right winger and he has proven he can cross the ball with aplomb and get passed people and his work rate is up there with the best. Again its about people not placing clubs manager of players on the pedestal just acknowledge the last 8-10 season of play and set your sights accordingly i.e 3rd or above this season will be great progress. Crewe schmoo, it was always going to be close, we dont have a habit for nailing any opposition like Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal we just win when we really need to (it remains to be seen whether we really needed to against Stoke/Villa at the end of the season).
Im worried about Arsenal, that was quite amazing irrespective of the opposition. I wonder if Rafa would ever play a team as young?!

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posted Sep 24, 2008

Yes not a bad display by our lot last night and at last we seem to showing a bit more width than previous seasons. But win on Saturday crucial. If we are to be serious contenders for title, we must realize that dropping points here and there will count at end of season. Would be nice to see Stevie G get his "official" 100th goal against the Toffees on Saturday. Still have not figured out why goal against Stoke was ruled out for offside.

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posted Sep 24, 2008

"Liverbirdmate, not saying we are on a par with Chels or ManU but the Stoke game alone is not evidence that we aren't."

No, it isnt, in fact none of the games are evidence of anything. Who is going to win the title? How many felt Arsenal were bang on last season to roll it, the way they were going? Strong contenders are the top 4 because consistently they have been there come after Xmas and onwards. This is why I find it funny how many keep on saying we will be ousted from 4th spot when it's the first we've finished there since Benitez came. Arsenal were there twice consecutively and the only thing anyone was saying was Spurs would definitely oust them. Have Spurs done so? No. Where are they now?

Everton and Aston Villa were said to be doing the same to us this season, and it's too early to say. My focus is one, LFC, and hoping we make more of an impact. We seem to be a few players short of LOOKING serious title contenders, according to several comments, but the likes of Blackburn and Leeds had players who weren't known names playing for them when they won the league.

You dont need star names, you need focused determined players on the matchday. Some believe that once the media constantly repeat a name then it's a sign of a good player. The castigation we got once Riera was rumoured, because of his time at Man City, but hardly anyone picked up on his time afterwards with Espanyol. Showed good promise against Utd, was less so against Stoke but he was still committed. Has anyone followed Georgios Samaras at Celtic? Couldnt get about for City, goes to Parkhead and the SPL teams cant stop him now. Is the fact they played and failed for City still the template for judging these players?

We dont need to be level with the top 2 or 3 or on a par. We need to be we, LFC. We need to win every game for progression. We didnt lose to Stoke, some have taken the 0-0 draw as equal to that, but we were dominating them and only failed to finish. The players will have to remember that and improve on it so I say wait until Saturday for another big game.

As for the Crewe game, what happens if we go to the next fixture and slam them 6-0? Would it mean we played good, the other team was rubbish or just progression into the next round? Only thing that mattered was we won, no extra time, replays, whether we score one goal or six.

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posted Sep 24, 2008

"As for Pennant i think last night was bit of a wake up call to all you 'get a right winger in' callers, we HAVE a right winger and he has proven he can cross the ball with aplomb and get passed people and his work rate is up there with the best."

Agree. Some calling for RB to go, the man is getting us up there with the best a lot more than we have had before. Once we start getting things on a roll, people will be a lot more quiet. We want consistency, that's the thing. Pennant was said to have tormented the Crewe let side, so wait and see.

"Still have not figured out why goal against Stoke was ruled out for offside."

Apparently the ref gave it for offside. Some said it was an in-direct freekick, from which one cannot score directly from, but I don't recall the ref signalling it was. If it was for offside, the linesman had a better view than the ref and didn't signal, so it is a bemusing decision.

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posted Sep 24, 2008

Can someone please explain why we continue to play dirk kuyt (striker) in the right wing??? Yes, he works immensly hard for the team, but he doesnt offer natural width and doesnt scare many defenders running at them, becuse they know they can catch him. I would love to see either Babel or Pennant, out on the wing terrorising opposition laft backs! With reira on the left, masch and stevie in the middle, that would be unstoppable!
we need to stop worrying about teams coming to anfield, let them worry about us!

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posted Sep 24, 2008

Liverpool for another barren year

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posted Sep 24, 2008

HOLD UP! The season is 8 games old and we are already criticising the manager and players. I always thought that the trophies were handed out in May.

Judge us at the end of the season non LFC contributors.

To those who are LFC through and through, we are a club with history, pride, passion and belief. If any of you witnessed the 40000+ fans singing YNWA at the begin of the Stoke game then you will believe in them too.

Let Rafa get on with it, with whatever he is doing. I see a more compact, determined, willingness to go the extra mile side these days. Our league form is exceptional. So we drew with Stoke. If we beat Everton that 7 points from 3 games including two wins over our nearest rivals. Let Stoke have their glory with the point at our place - Every dog has its day.

I am just as frustrated with the performances of players but its a results industry. Are we honestly in 10 years going to remember Popes miss in the 88th min? Not really. Are we going to remember Babel running through and passing to Torres rather than Keane? Not reall. At the end of the day we won 2-1, Agger and Lucas scored and we conceded from a corner.

Roll on the 4th round and another cup run.

YNWA!

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posted Sep 24, 2008

i didn't see the game last night. a friend emergency. couldn't wait til tonight could it!!!

anyway, pleased we have progressed. i agree with pretty much anything LiverBirdMate says. maybe we have the same outlook with regard to LFC.
Arsenal gave Sheffield a slap last night and from what i understand they played well and the future is bright etc etc. what does it mean? it means they are in the hat for the next round like we are. nothing more, nothing less. it's the same for City at the weekend. Pompey were royally turned over. what does it mean? 3 points. i'm not going to take anything away from the performances of the 2 teams, they were great results, but it doesn't mean they have won the league, or cup or world team of the year. City lost only the previous weekend to Chelsea at home, and Villa gave them a hiding as well. Arsenal lost to Fulham.

i have been some what disappointed by some fellow Reds with their attitude towards the team at times. the players i believe would obviously love to win the Prem, but they aren't saying it is our year. it's pressure they could do without especially in September! unfortunately, the supporters seem to think we will have it wrapped up this year. the Stoke result was poor but who knows what they will achieve this season? it could turn out to be a good result! the point is, we need to stay behind the team, be the twelfth man and push them on. a win at the weekend makes it 7 points from 9 and i'd take that. I'm pretty sure the team would as well.

i read the Paul Tomkins article after we drew to Stoke and the fella makes a lot of sense. i actually posted a similar essay only the day before. 4 points from Stoke and United is a good return and i'd rather get 3 from United and a point from Stoke than the other way round as it means United dropped points. a point against United and a 6-0 thrashing of Stoke gives only the same amount of points, but United would be closer.

Arsenal played without pressure last night. the average age of the team was 19. if they had lost, it wouldn't have mattered as they were school kids. win, and suddenly they are going to dominate. years back Fowler made his debut (please forgive me if i have this wrong) against Fulham in the League cup and scored 4/5 goals. one of the greatest finishers of his generation. didn't mean Liverpool were suddenly world conquerors though. just put Liverpool into the next round.

2 seasons ago we finished 20 points off first place and last season 11. progress is being made even if we drop silly points at home or only beat Crewe 2-1.
folk need to stop judging our team by what others are doing. for all the wonderful football that Arsenal are playing, they are only 1 point above us, in the next round of the league cup like we are, and got a good result away in Europe.

on another note. what does Pennant have to do to get a run of games? the season we bought him he played more than any other player (for Liverpool). i just feel he would be more effective than Kuyt out on the right especially at home.

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posted Sep 24, 2008

If anyone bigged up their chances it is Utd fans who stated they would retain both trophies and get more. One win out of four, albeit a game in hand, and a no-score draw at home to a good Spanish side in Europe. Had this been Liverpool Utd fans like yourself wouldnt shut up about it. Should just cool on us and concentrate on yourselves. While I'm at it, I hope your player is fine and not leg broken, the sending off may well have helped Utd win.
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the huge difference between united fans bigging their chances up and liverpool fans bigging their chances up is that with united fans more often than not they prove their "bigging up" rite and united often come very close if not win the epl.

I have not ONCE seen any united fans on ehre saying we will repeat the epl and cl double and its a ridiculous claim to make because the possibilities of such a feat are very very slight!

FYI everybody on these boards have been slating united, wayne rooney, etc etc all season (and only 4 games in)!!! i could delvuldge into the non-sensical and irrelevant arguments made by pool fans and others alike but i shant bother with you with such boredom.

fact is every fan on here likes to debate and likes to have sly digs.

the season is still young and i expect everyone to improve.

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posted Sep 24, 2008

"fact is every fan on here likes to debate and likes to have sly digs. the season is still young and i expect everyone to improve."

Hmmm, seems like we got the brunt from you because of what you read from other LFC fans. I thought at first you were jumping in to have a go. The sly digs and what I call 'wiseguy' comments are just prevalent. Nonetheless yourself and Marklf spoke about how we're not as good as we think we are so there is a need to differentiate the sensible from the idiotic on here, regardless who they purport to support.

Any sensible LFC fan would not be bigging up anything at this stage of the season. As good as last week was, it hasnt made our season, too early for any predictions or guesswork. The article here speaks of what is wrong with us because we didnt beat Stoke and just won last night by one goal at a stretch.

To that I say what I have been saying from time - it's not about the players you have, or the starting XI. It's about the players you have on the match day or night. That goes for those on the bench as well. You can be the best in the world and yet you could have five or so players not mentally focused, for whatever reason, not be 100% prepared within themselves, and that can effect a team. Then you can have two subs who are prepared, come on and make the difference. Reference? Andorra v England and Joe Cole.

Several goals and a win is great entertainment, depending on who you follow. It takes a team to score one goal more than the opposition to progress (except with the away goal rule). But I'm watching how things develop between now and Xmas.

Listen, there were Utd fans saying about retaining both trophies. There were so many chalking up their success over Zenit St.P, before kick-off. Which is why, while I was happy last week, I wasn't elated because it is too early to be jumping around. Seems from what you said above you are of similar thinking.

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