CRYSTAL Palace, Ludogorets, Stoke City, Leicester City, Sunderland and Basel.
When you’re managing a team in desperate need of victories, you can’t ask for a more appealing set of fixtures than that. Those six are the opponents Liverpool face before a trip to Old Trafford on December 14. Frankly, they range from very poor to average in terms of quality. Brendan Rodgers should be relishing the prospect of getting his team’s season back on track over the next three weeks, but confidence in Liverpool’s ability to negotiate that less than daunting group of games is pretty low right now.
Despite it only being November, the Reds are already perilously close to entering these matches with a ‘must-win’ feeling hanging over their heads. In truth, this potential do-or-die perception to upcoming games would have already been a reality in recent fixtures were it not for the stuttering form of Champions League-chasing sides like Arsenal, Everton and Manchester United, which has mercifully postponed that particular narrative. The incompetence and inconsistency of their rivals has somehow left Liverpool with much to play for even after their depressing opening third of the season.
Despite the fact that Liverpool are still within touching distance of the top four, pressure is undoubtedly mounting on Rodgers. Sadly his much-needed release valve is again out of reach now that Daniel Sturridge is injured once more. The striker’s absence has no doubt been a cause of many of the ills that his team have experienced since August, but the continued absence of the England forward cannot be used as a viable excuse over the next three weeks.
Sturridge or no Sturridge, Rodgers has a better squad at his disposal than all of his next six direct opponents and, bad form or not, Liverpool can beat all of the sides listed above. Indeed, they should beat all of them.
Yes, major problems exist in every area of the Liverpool team right now, but it’s high time for the manager to step up and start finding solutions. And make no mistake, despite the disastrous form, there are solutions within the squad of players at this disposal. The question is whether Rodgers is willing to ditch his failing approach and go in a new direction. To date this hasn’t happened, but now is surely the time for changes to be made. Things can’t go on like this much longer or Liverpool’s season will be effectively over before the New Year.
At the back the manager needs to accept that his much talked up (by himself) £20m signing Dejan Lovren isn’t working out, while Martin Skrtel remains the inconsistent centre half he always has been. A very strong argument could be made for dropping both players as soon as possible, especially given Kolo Toure’s performance in Madrid that undoubtedly deserved a recall. Mamadou Sakho should soon return from injury and while it’s pretty obvious that the manager doesn’t particularly fancy him, it seems natural that the Frenchman should be Liverpool’s first-choice centre half when he’s fit again. Sure, he can look ungainly but he offers genuine pace and physicality – two more attributes than either Skrtel or Lovren are displaying at present.
Glen Johnson’s form may have been deemed acceptable enough to have somehow earned him a new contract offer from the club but it is hard to argue that it should currently merit him a place in the first team. Javi Manquillo is available and a far more dependable alternative at present even if his attacking limitations are obvious. Decisions need to be taken when it comes to Liverpool’s wretched back line and the problems don’t end there.
Further forward the balance in midfield this season has been absent but again, options for Rodgers are plentiful. Emre Can has played himself into some form and it seems safe to assume that he’s cemented his place in this team right now. Philippe Coutinho is slowly emerging from his early-season slump and showing signs of life once more, while his compatriot Lucas Leiva, lack of mobility aside, offers some level of actual defensive protection and knowhow, which is more than can be said at present for Steven Gerrard.
The captain has suffered more than most of late and the folly of him playing for the full 90 minutes in every meaningful game this season needs to be addressed. To write the skipper off completely would be extreme but to claim that he’s undroppable at this stage is just as fanciful. Lamentably, Rodgers hasn’t looked like excluding Gerrard from any big games in two-and-a-half years so to expect him to do so now would perhaps be asking a bit too much. Something needs to be done though. This Steven Gerrard is offering nothing to this Liverpool team. This Liverpool team is offering nothing to this Steven Gerrard.
When you add Joe Allen, Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson to the midfield mix, Rodgers could scarcely ask for more pieces to figure out this particular puzzle. He wanted the ability to rotate and he certainly has that in abundance in the middle third of the pitch. Now he must find the best combination to get Liverpool’s engine room ticking. Gerrard sitting deep with a partner alongside him has left it spluttering so far and stalled the entire team. An improvement surely shouldn’t be too difficult to find given the mix of talented players at the manager’s disposal.
Up front things are admittedly more complicated, but again, there are other methods that the manager will hopefully explore over the coming weeks. One would think he has to. To suggest that what we’ve seen thus far isn’t working would be the ultimate understatement. Liverpool’s play in the final third isn’t even threatening to work these days. Mario Balotelli playing as a lone striker provides few worries for opposition defences. Ditto the industrious but lightweight Fabio Borini. It’s not difficult to imagine that if the Italians were paired together they would be more likely to actually create a few chances or even –imagine this — score a few goals. Raheem Sterling could certainly inject some much needed pace and threaten sides in behind if he were pushed up as a foil for Balotelli. It remains a mystery that Liverpool’s best player has been largely confined to the touchlines for most of the season to date. The less said about Rickie Lambert right now the better, sadly.
On a personal level the most concerning and frustrating aspect of this nightmare of a season so far has been the reluctance of Rodgers to accommodate a second centre forward in his team selections. The persistence with a single front man is way beyond ridiculous and bordering on negligent at this point. To continue with a lone striker system seems unlikely to result in anything other than accelerating the possibility of the manager being served with his P45. It certainly isn’t resulting in goals.
Liverpool have scored just eight gaols in their last eight league games — surely proof enough that the current approach needs to be binned. Change is a necessity. Admittedly, any of the alternative systems or personnel changes on offer could also flop, but what is there to lose at this point? When none of your strikers have mustered a single league goal to their names it would be literally impossible for any alternative approach to produce worse results. At the very least a change would offer some variety and show fans that there is a desire to abandon the monotonous status quo and put things right. At the moment watching Liverpool trying to score goals is as predictable as it is dull.
All that said, if Rodgers can somehow turn things around and win five or six games before he takes his team to Old Trafford, then he will likely find his team in the last 16 of the Champions League and back in the top four domestically. It’s an achievable goal to set and not unreasonable to expect a squad of this expense and quality to be able to do just that.
A good run now would see the gathering questions about Rodgers’ future fade into the background. If things don’t change and results remain poor then those questions will only grow louder, and rightly so. If Liverpool are still languishing in mid-table and have departed from the Champions League by the time they face Manchester United then Rodgers will have nowhere else to look but the mirror. Sadly, if significant personnel or systemic changes don’t happen you would have to presume the current malaise will endure.
Difficult decisions need to be taken, underperforming players need to be dropped, noses need to be put out of joint and the repetition of mistakes must cease. If the manager can do these things then Liverpool fans should be looking forward to the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition and believing in their team’s ability to return to that competition again next season.
The time for excuses and lamenting bad luck is over. The mistakes need to stop. Liverpool need to start winning football matches urgently and how they go about achieving that is down to their manager. The next six games give him the perfect opportunity to get the train back on the tracks. Come December 14 we will all have a clearer understanding of how capable Brendan Rodgers is of sorting this mess out.
I’m a bit confused about this piece.
We all know Lovren isn’t playing well and needs dropped for a while. We all know Johnson has been poor for coming on 2 yrs now. We all know Gerrard shouldn’t be playing 90mins every game. We all know Balotelli shouldn’t be playing up top on his own. We all know that. Does Rodgers though?! That’s the question!!
He refuses to use Sakho when fit when many believe him to our best central defender at the min. The guy keeps Mangala and Kocielny out of the French defence and yet Lovren plays every game making mistake after mistake. Johnsons form is clearly more than a slump and yet he gets played every week and even offered a new contract. Gerrard legs arnt what they were and yet he’s up there for most mins played this season. How many more matches does Balo need to play up top on his own before it actually sinks in that it doesn’t work?? The guy himself says he doesn’t like playing on his own, his best performance came when playing with a partner and one of his 2 goals have come with Borini as partner.
All of other strikers at the club have been brought in by the current regime and yet the manager is reluctant to play 2 of them and won’t play the other with a partner which gets the best out of him.
I would have more hope at the min if I believed Rodgers would change some of the things we all can see to be problematic but I dont. He just keeps doing the same things over and over again.
A wise man once said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That’s us wrapped up to a tea at the min. Insanity!
Agreed. And I believe that Johnson (a lovely footballer btw but a shit defender) and Gerrardv(our greatest EVER player) have been shielded by Lucas for ages. Lucas now gets lambasted for his ‘lack of pace’ and never gets a game despite being our best performer on the few occasions he has been given an outing. I don’t recall
any other defensive midfielder ever being slated for ‘lack of pace’, but then very few if them ever had to cover for two players.
Gerrard is a problem – or management of him is. I believe the major problem is the keeper and I am also deeply unimpressed by our manager, but I have posted about him ad nauseum and won’t trawl it again here.
Somebody or people at LFC have showed incredible lack of ontelligence and foresight since the end of last season. We have suspect keeper which means we concede goals from set pieces every game; we were certain to lose Suarez but seem to have been surprised by what everyone knew was going to happen: we had a vulnerable defence and bought a load of ‘attacking mid-fielders; and we have done nothing about the certainty of Gerrard fading away. There is no heart in the team now, bar Moreno and Borini. We certainly do not have a Jonjo who took shit from nobody.
Steven Gerrard is not our greatest ever play. He’s not even our greatest ever midfielder.
I beg to differ. I have seen all Liverpool greats since Billy Liddell, and I believe SG to
Be the best. Close, mind you.
I’ve seen ’em all since ’77. Graeme Souness for me. Dominated whole seasons with the force of his personality.
That wise man’s name was the legendary American ALBERT EINSTEIN
Emmmm…..Albert Einstein was German.
Errm…he WAS german. German born in fact. He settled in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND BECAME A US CITIZEN in 1940. Nuff ZED:)
So hes a German with an American passport then.
No. He was an AMERICAN who was born in germany.
Absolutely spot on!
If he does go with 1 up front then he’d better make sure it yields at least 10 points or all hell will break loose. Taking less than 10 points whilst trying something different wouldn’t provoke half the response the former would. That’s just how it is. For me personally I think only a win on Sunday can lift the lack of belief I have. Like you say, we’re better than all of our next 4 opponents. A good run over the next 6 and the season could be in a good place.
We’ll know an hr before kickoff when the team is announced whether Rodgers intends to change anything.
I won’t hold my breath
We’ll know about an hour before kick of whether we’ve any chance of winning the game.
Expecting 6 wins on the trot from this current Liverpool team is wishful thinking at best and hallucinatory daydreaming at worst.
We have to have two forwards on the pitch on Sunday. Surely? With sterling playing at 10.
It pains me to say it but Gerrard needs to be dropped. Lucas offers more to Liverpool at this moment than Gerrard does. The pressing game, or lack of, has been one of the biggest surprises to me. Especially as this showed Henderson at his best last year. The lack of pressing nullifies both Liverpool’s & a major part of Henderson’s game that was so key to the title charge last season.
Great article Dave,
Agreed. I’d go with Borini as he’s more mobile and capable of the pressing that we need. We know what Palace are like and they’ll be relishing this game after last time. We can’t defend at the moment so we’ll need a couple of goals I think. Can’t see Gerrard not starting though and hooking him if we’re chasing the game, will arguably be more of a dent to his ego. The manager needs to be strong on this one.
A bit of topic but is anyone else pissed off with the suggestion’s coming out of the club that Sturridge is somehow at fault for his injuries? Seems to me that Rodgers is making an arse of himself at a player’s expense. I’m not impressed.
Direct quote from Rodgers “Most players you’ll find will want to play through an injury to get onto the field. Very few go out there and are 100%”
Seems to be more than a suggestion there. It’s a fucking joke that a) they are saying this and b) are saying this in public about our best player!!
Rodgers knew Sturridge was injury prone. He’s never played a full season. It was clear we needed another quality striker that could step in when Sturridge was injured and we failed miserably to do so. We have 4 strikers at the club and bar Sturridge none of them are up to the job.
If we are serious about consistently challenging for the title then we need 3 quality strikers at the club that fit into our style of play. We had 2 last year, we lost one and we never replaced him. Our transfer strategy doesn’t work and as a supporter I’m completely fucked off that we have fucked up another chance for us to kick on after going so close the season before.
We, as fans, are consistently taken for a ride and treated as fools and I for one have had enough of it!
I was with you until the last line. We’re not being taken for a ride are we? Some things haven’t worked out, some things we’ve got wrong and some strategies may need changing but everything has been done in good faith to progress the club. You imply this is an orchestrated attempt to piss us off.
We are being taken for a ride in the respect that we are expected to be absolutely loyal followers and good little consumers while mistakes are constantly being made at the club we love.
How many transfer windows have been fucked up in recent years never mind over the last 10/20?? How much money has been wasted?? How many times have we been told that we will compete at the top only to buy sub standard/wrong players?? How many times have we been in a position of strength only to squander it?
We continually try to take short cuts to compete at the top meanwhile it’s the fans that pay for it. Financially, emotionally, physically!
If we really want to consistently challenge for the title then we need to act like it.
Serious question, what is it you want the club to do? I don’t agree with everything the manager or the owners do, far from it. And the transfer record is very questionable, particularly since Rodgers’ appointment and the formation of the mysterious transfer committee. But it’s all got to be kept in context. In relative terms Liverpool are not minted. Chelsea, City and United can outspend us, are outspending us and will continue to do so. Our revenue has improved but it’s not up with the aforementioned, plus this is the first time we’ve been in the CL for five years. We might think ‘we’re back’ but it’s quite clear plenty don’t. Arsenal, City, Chelsea, even United still can point to more sustained recent success. Whether we like it or not, all that counts and is an influence. I don’t advocate for a minute we lie down and accept it – i want to see the club show balls at every level more often. But we’ve got to be realistic about where we are at the same time. Last year we had a lot of things in our favour that allowed us to go on that run. It was always going to be difficult to repeat the feat.
In response to Robbo’s question: buy smart, buy well. Lots of clubs do it. See Southampton.
Rob I could give you loads of examples from just the last few years of the fuck ups we’ve made throughout the club that have detrimentally affected our immediate future, never mind longer ago – and I’m sure you can think of more. I want us not to make these fuck ups, many were avoidable with many quite obvious.
The Sturridge situation is the most relevant one at the min. I never expected us to challenge for the title this season but I did expect us to be about there. How can we spend £120mil in the summer and not have an able replacement for Suarez?? How can we spend £120mil and not have one player who is obvious first choice?? Moreno possibly? The cows in the fields could have told you we needed a striker to help out when Sturridge would inevitably be out injured or indeed to partner him. I fully appreciate we’re not minted but we spent plenty of money this summer and in previous years on players who don’t progress us or fit into our style. The current regime has 4 strikers of their choosing at the club at the min and only one, who is injury prone, is up to the job. How are we in that situation after spending £120mil?? And whatever else in previous windows!
We lose out on top 4 this year and we’ll set ourselves back 5+ yrs. The way we’re playing, Rodgers refusal to change formation or drop certain players it certainly looks like we’re heading that way. If you’ve ever came across other posts of mine on other threads I’ve been consistent in saying this for months now. This isn’t a knee jerk reaction to recent events.
I’m not normally like this but I’m just so fucking sick of these false dawns. You’d think we’d learn at some stage!
Look, this season has become frustrating. The defeat at Newcastle, all that over the Madrid game and the defeat against Chelsea followed by Sturridges latest injury has been hard to take but it’s not as simple as saying we completely fucked up. I asked myself in the summer – if we’re gonna buy a player to slot straight into the first team then who would drop out from last seasons team. Sturridge? Sterling? Coutinho? Henderson? Gerrard? Based on the end of last season I thought it would take one of the worlds best to dislodge any of them. The defence had some area’s to strengthen and we’ve got new players in those positions. I was happy for Flanagan and Johnson to fight out the right back position and I wasn’t at the stage where Mignolet needed axing. Add Suarez’s replacement to that team and I thought we’d have a good 11 and a very strong bench. So, I’d ask you, who would you replace from that team (looking at it from the summer when the window was open) and can you give me ANY suggestions of who you think we could have got who is better than the above. For example, I’d be happy to see Sterling drop out and Ronaldo come in but the reality is he wouldn’t come so I’m not gonna say him. I’m intrigued to hear who the ‘obvious first choice’ would be.
Regarding the striker situation, it seems unbelievable what we’ve got but again I’d ask you take yourself back to the summer. We had Sturridge but I didn’t consider for 1 minute he’d miss this much of the season. He had 1 spell of missing about 6 games last season (I think). It was certainly manageable. Then we got Lambert. I thought as a 4th choice striker it was good business. He scored 13 in the Prem last season so I didn’t see him as a gamble and if a game was 0-0 on 65 mins he gave us an extra option to break down a stubborn defence. 3rd choice would be Borini or a £14m replacement. I hoped Borini would accept an offer and we’d get a replacement. I felt a player of the value Borini was being valued at was acceptable for 3rd choice but if Borini stayed then the experience at Sunderland looked like it’d improved him. I felt we’d improved on Aspas anyway. Then there’s the Suarez replacement. My feeling all through the summer was we were aiming high. The policy seemed to be to get the best we possibly could.
The problem was we couldn’t get any of them. There’s 4 possible reasons why we didn’t. 1) We didn’t offer enough wages. 2) They didn’t think we were guaranteed to be back challenging and get CL football. 3) Geography is sometimes a factor to players or 4) They didn’t want to leave their club or the club refused to sell. What can we about any of them? Only number 1 was in our control to change but it’s difficult for us to know whether paying more wages was even an option, regardless of the clubs policy. So, Balotelli was the biggest name left who we could get. His goal record was very good in Italy. I remember the day we got him, everyone was buzzin. The truth is, our strikers didn’t look that bad. As it turns out, Balotelli may not be the type of player we need but what strikers would you have bought. Name some that in the summer you thought were better than him. Your answers should at least prove to people like me that our choice of Suarez’s replacement was poor.
I understand your frustration about the possibility of us not getting top 4 and I’m completely worried about the whole thing too. I also believe Brendan has to change the formation and some personnel. Some players are out of form but that couldn’t be foreseen when the window was open.
Agree with most of your posts Robin, but am still at a loss to explain how Balotellii, a player that was always going to struggle to fit into our way of playing, was the ‘only’ striker available. Is our scouting really so poor? There are loads of good young strikers out there, we don’t have to go for names.
You don’t think he’d form a good partnership with Sturridge? Admittedly, he doesn’t suit a lone forward role but we didn’t know that was going to be the case when we signed him. Who do you think we could have signed that is better than Balotelli? What happens when a ‘good young striker’ who isn’t a ‘name’ leads our line on his own and struggles? I can guess. You’d have all been on here complaining we should have bought a ‘name’. The club did what they thought was for the best. I was happy with the decision to buy Balotelli.
Robin, everyone knew Sturridge would be out at least once this season with an injury that would keep him on the treatment table for several week. We could cope with it last season because we had Suarez, this year we don’t.
As I already said, if we are serious about consistently challenging for the title we need 3 quality strikers. We have one, who cannot go through a season uninjured. Keep in mind that all 4 strikers at the club have been brought in by the current regime.
Balotelli was never the answer so why didn’t we have better preparations made in case Suarez left last summer?? There are plenty of strikers out there who would be better than Balo. Surely our scouting couldn’t have been that bad?
Quickly touching on the midfield. Lucas was clearly out of favour and Gerrard can’t go on forever which left Hendo and Allen. Was that going to be enough?? I like Can, looks like he could be one for the future. How many times are we gonna hear that though, “one for the future”. Song was available on loan and would have fitted in very well and made a difference straight away.
Easy to say in hindsight mate. If Sturridge was going to be ‘on the treatment table for several weeks’ then I’m sure we could have coped. No one expected him to miss the first half of the season. I’m happy with your assertion that we could have done better than Balotelli but I need names, Michael. If no solution is offered then I find it hard to buy into. All I hear is there’s millions of them around but no one ever names one.
We can only hope he forms a good partnership with Sturridge, but given the former’s injury record (not, I stress lack of desire) is that a wise strategy anyway?
Rodgers made it pretty damn clear that he didn’t want Balo in the summer. Doesn’t suit our style, too static. I can see some sense in the gamble: it he somehow unlocks the door there might be some player in there, but it’s a huge risk both for team shape and morale. As for other strikers, well Et’o would have been a better short-term fix: guaranteed pace and goals, Pele isn’t looking bad – there’s any number out there, many we won’t have heard of. The scouts should have though. They should have been on the money the moment Suarez signed his new contract. They did sign Origi which suggests they were looking but he was never going to be for this season, was he?
You’re determined to get me sacked Paul. In fact, if I get sacked for commenting on here all day then it’s my fault not yours.
Balotelli isn’t as static as some claim. He’s pulled the defenders wide but no one has been there to exploit the gaps. That’s not his fault.
Eto’o still has something to offer in the same way Lambert does. If you’d have told me you were replacing Suarez with him I’d have hit the roof. Pelle has done well this season but same thing, tell me in the summer he’s the new Suarez replacement and I wouldn’t be happy. Far from it.
Origi looks a good bit of business but was never an option for this season. Would have sat on the bench. Better he plays and develops at Lille. I just think we did all that we could to buy a striker. My issue is more with Rodgers paying Balotelli on his own than anything against Mario.
Robin, it’s not hindsight mate….it was bleeding obvious!! This was a preventable mistake!! Sturridge has never played a full season without being injured for several weeks. You said we could have coped if it was just a few weeks. How??? How could we have coped?? Pick any 6 week period of the previous 3 months of this season and show me how we coped?? Stop making excuses.
In his last 2 seasons playing in Italy Balo only scored 15 goals from open play. 15 in 2 seasons!!! It wouldn’t have taken too much digging to find that out or indeed to find out that he can’t play up top on his own. Rodgers has now seen with his own eyes that he can’t play up top on his own and yet persists with it still!!
You want names?? Of the top of my head keeping in mind I don’t have any sort of scouting network Martinez, Eto, Luis Adriano, Cavani, Luis Muriel, Wilfried Bony, Jovetic, Higuain, Benzema, Wellbeck, Callejon, Lukaku, Negredo, Remy, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Llorente, Pedro, Tello, Mandzukic. How hard did we go after these if at all?? How hard to go for Sanchez?? We had Suarez, Barca wanted him, we wanted Sanchez. Didn’t Wenger fly out to Brazil to persuade him to join Arsenal? Why couldn’t we’ve played hard ball over Sanchez?? Southampton were able to play hardball with us over frigging Lallana but we couldn’t do it with Sanchez?!!! Other clubs were able to improve their forward options in the Prem but you want me to believe we could only get Balotelli and Lambert?? Really?!!
Again I’ll say it. If we are serious about consistently challenging for the title then we need 3 quality strikers. In order to get a quality striker to you need to pay a premium. We got Sturridge on the cheap. Surely we can afford to splash out on one of the most important positions on the team especially considering we just lost Suarez and had £120mil to play around with?!?!
I think that proves my point. You gone for a list of mostly unobtainable players. It’s not a sweet shop mate. We have no divine right to think we can get any player we fancy. Do you think Benzema, Higuain, Jovetic and Cavani would jump at the chance to play for us? Are Pedro and Tello even number 9 strikers? I thought they were more winger types. Do you think Lukaku would have left Everton after everything he said about them in the summer and would then suit our play? Negrado? If he was any good do you think City would let us have him? Remy failed our medical. We were certainly linked with Bony. Wellbeck wasn’t suitable as Suarez’s replacement despite his ok form this season. Others you mention wouldn’t leave the likes of Dortmund and Atletico for us. It seems to me you’ve just named all the strikers you can think of with no real thought about their availability. Admittedly, Chelsea could probably get anyone they want off that list. We can’t though and that’s where the problem lies.
But it’s not about what you or I think Robin. These guys are professional scouts: they do it for a living.
Et’o wouldn’t have been a replacement for Suarez but he’d have brought know how and bridged the gap while we wait for Origi. It doesn’t matter whether you I would have been impressed: if he knocks the goals in we’d soon shut up. You’re right about Mario, but it was always a high risk gamble. Let’s hope he comes good, though I suspect Rodgers may be making a point by playing him up top on his own. Pure conjecture, I know, but we’ve all thought it at some stage (Aspas, Alberto, Brad Smith).
I can certainly see where you’re coming from Paul but I think in reality, he wouldn’t be so stupid. I don’t think he’d take much solace from getting sacked and taking a few transfer committee members with him.
Robin, who says they are ALL unobtainable?? You??
We didn’t need to buy them all just one or two.
Your gonna try and tell me we couldn’t have bought ONE off last list or indeed any other list that our vast scouting network could have came up with? Really you expect me to believe that!?
Sanchez isn’t a typical No9 but we certainly chased him. Would Tello or Pedro been better than Balo, Borini or Lambert?? I’m gonna go with a yes here.
How many goals did Negredo score last season?? 23 was it?? City hadda let someone go because of FFP.
Chelsea were willing to take the gamble on Remy and guess what he’s scored goals. Rodgers said just weeks before we bought Balo that he didn’t want him then after buying him said he was a gamble. If we are gonna gamble would it not be better we gambled with £8mil rather £16 and for a striker who better suits our style.
Wellbeck is a quick, mobile striker who wanted to play thru the middle but wasn’t getting that chance. Remind you of any strikers we currently have at the club, maybe on the treatment table at the minute??
Samuel Eto a 33yr old striker who was once one of the best striker in the world was available for FREE. Scored 12 goals last season in the Prem and wasn’t first choice. I’d have rather had him coming off the bench than 32 yr old immobile Lambert who never really starred anywhere but cost 4.5mil.
All I’m hearing from you is excuses. And this is our problem, constantly excusing fuck ups!! The longer we go on excusing fuck ups the longer it’s gonna take to be consistently challenging for the title. There has to be a minimum acceptable level of achievement, whether that be on the pitch, in the transfer market or wherever. If you want to be champions you gotta have a champions mentality. Stop making excuses. We fucked up in the summer and we are continuing to fuck up with team selection, formation etc now.
Well he doesn’t expect to lose the war Robin!
Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtl and Gerrard – all could/should have been replaced and upgraded. Such a shame we couldn’t have held on for the title, as it would have been a great way for Gerrard to bow out, a kind of catharsis.
But there’s a more serious issue at stake here, and it’s about our identity and the players we buy. There’s an assumption that we need a certain type of player to improve last year’s team, but the season thus far suggests otherwise, the season thus far suggests that last season was an exception, that the manager wants to play a more controlled style of football (more’s the pity). So, in short, I wonder if the transfer policy was even more confused this season: not only do the manager and committee seem to have different aims, but what sort of player were they told to look for?
I may have misheard Rafa, but I recall him being asked what was wrong with Harry Kewell and he said sonething like “He thinks he’s injured” or similar.
Seen a few people jumping on this one and sorry, just don’t see it. The crisis-seekers are trying to imply the manager is having a go at one of his best players about being injured. The way I read it was that he was saying it is concerning that Sturridge is picking up similar injuries without doing anything major; i.e. there’s an underlying problem which needs to be looked at.
“Daniel is very disappointed and so are we. It is hugely disappointing to be without a player of his quality. Most players you will find want to play through an injury to get on to the field and when the incident happened in training it was through quite an innocuous action. He just flicked the ball and instantly felt the pain, it wasn’t a shot or anything that looked as if it might be serious.”
So rather than look for the doom, isn’t he just saying if it was fuck all Daniel would play on, but out of nothing he is injured again and that is concerning? I’m sure everyone – including me – is guilty of it at times but the conspiracy theory on this strikes me as over analysis.
Your quote seems slightly different from mine. Don’t know which is correct. Both suggest different things. I took it from the Echo.
This is from Tony Barett’s report in The Times:
Brendan Rodgers, the manager, initiated the inquiry in the wake of Sturridge’s latest thigh strain, his second this season, which the 25-year-old striker suffered during a routine training session on Tuesday. The setback means that Sturridge is unlikely to be fit until the new year, having already missed ten weeks of the season as a result of injuries to his thigh and calf.
“I think that is his ninth injury on that thigh from previous clubs and here,” Rodgers said. “So there is an issue there somewhere. This [scan] shows a slight tear just below where he had a previous injury. It’s something that the medical team are looking into.”
That Sturridge’s latest injury occurred in innocuous circumstances has added to Liverpool’s concern, particularly as it is the third time this season that he has suffered muscle damage during a training session.
On each occasion, the former Chelsea player has pulled up without any contact and has been unable to continue, a sequence that continued at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, three days ago, when a kicking motion caused another tear to his left thigh.
“Obviously it was in a session and quite an innocuous action,” Rodgers said. “He did it when he just flicked the ball, it wasn’t a shot or anything that looked serious. But obviously he felt the pain and then, when the medical team told me the next day after the scan, it was disappointing.
No mention of “Most players you’ll find will want to play through an injury to get onto the field. Very few go out there and are 100%”?
No. He made similar noises last season (just before the derby), along the lines of his not training properly and his never being a top player if he doesn’t deal with his injuries. How is he supposed to do that, exactly?
The player clearly knows his body better than the manager, it’s up to the club to devise a strategy to help him back to fitness, in the meantime Brendan would do well to button it unless he has something positive to say. It looks like he’s using the player as a shield. Words have consequences; they should be used carefully.
If you pull up every report on it, that line is mentioned. But in the context of the other quotes, is it that big of a deal? Even if Rodgers does think Sturridge is more inclined to declared himself injured when he’s not 100%, there’s no doubt is he is injured now so it’s by the by.
I believe he is injured. That line suggests Rodgers believes that Sturridge won’t push himself to play unless he’s feeling 100% but other players would. That also suggests he doubts his commitment.
Why put that in the public domain?
I’ve been hearing murmurs of similar things in recent weeks but refused to believe them. That quote changes things a bit. Clearly I’m not the only one who thought there was something “off” about it too.
Quite right Michael, very poor man-management. Still, never let a crisis go to waste eh? Deflects attention from the manager.
Weird, I read that line as “Like most players Daniel would probably want to play ASAP, but this pattern indicates something that needs to get sorted long term.”
It is a big deal if it makes the player feel unwanted. This is how discourse begins, you start by creating a set of expectations: this player is soft, then, this player doesn’t try enough, then this player is injury-prone – is he right in the head, is he really injured?
It’s called scapegoating and it is both unnecessary and counterproductive: that is, unless we want to sell that player, and I don’t think we do. None of this should be in the public domain. His latest interview is a huge improvement: acknowledge the problem and find a strategy to deal with it – in short, stop casting aspersions on the player’s desire – we had enough of that before he signed for the club.
Has anyone else considered a team selection with no strikers to solve our mobility problem.
Lucas
Can. Henderson
Sterling. Lallana. Coutinho.
5 Midfielders able to move across the pitch between the lines as well as press in the opposition half with Lucas helping shield our centre halves.
Just a thought
Good article, hitting all the nails. Rodgers has to drop his stubbornness or its gonna finish him. Dinosaurs died out becoz they coludnt change, adapt, survive…There’s a lesson there for rodgers. One of fergies best attributes was that he changed stuff pretty fast when it wasnt working. Rodgers just keeps playing sterling hendo gerrard no matter what, they either all need a break or a different system to play in. Everything is amazingly still actually in rodgers hands, if he is stubborn watch it all come apart and he will be gone before long. If, on the other hand the man learns from the past 3 months and becomes the fella who took over (dynamic, full of new ideas, confident) then i think he can ,again, surprise all comers. For a start play that team that played vs madrid. Prove your words they were not “reserves”. Brendon, start doing things your way again, but in the RIGHT way, not just being stubborn. I think if he had played the same madrid team on the next game the team would have been higher in morale. Just restoring gerrard and co for the next game must really have knocked the stuffing out of the players who gave their all vs madrid. Time to play guys on merit as rodgers always said he would. USE GERRARD AS AN IMPACT PLAYER FFS. This way nobody is benefitting, not gerrard , not liverpool and we wont ever give him the title he craves. so drop gerrard now and then for gerrards own sake. Rodgers in the past three has been running scared. Time to re-invent himself, grow a pair and become the manager he was when joined LFC, UNAFRAID. Balls in your court brendon
Spot on mate. We all want to see that Brendan back. One thing I will say for him, he tends to stay calm and focused on the long game. That’s a very important quality in a manager.
Heard it too many times already, suggestions that the players brought in during the summer performed wonderfully in their previous club. And now they struggle because of the system Rodgers uses, they cannot fit in. Would like to question whether we buy players who fit into our system or do we accommodate the players with a new system.
Bit of both, I fear. That’s the problem with the committee: trying to balance long and short term strategies.
We’ll get beaten by most of them judging by the way we’ve played recently.
Lot of pressure on Rodgers. He’s spent a lots and lots of cash.
I’ve never been sure about the point of this website. What is it? What is it for?
The podcast blokes all seem unrealistically positive. However, the comments on here seem slightly more negative. This was even the case last season.
Therefore, the only conclusion to make is that this website is being agenda driven. It doesn’t seem to represent ‘the voice’ of the fan.
What ‘agenda’ would that be, Jim?
If ‘Big Jim’ can’t see the point, maybe you should call it a day.
I hope TAW are aware most people think this is the best Liverpool website around. A lot of people don’t like leaving sycophantic comments, myself included, so you only hear the bellends.
What is ‘the voice’ of the fan Jim? Surely there are lots of voices, a veritable cacophony.
Do the AW guys claim to be ‘the voice’ of the fans? Surely they’re just a bunch of fans with their own very different opinions. I for one, am glad they share them with the world.
Not sure I even understand what you’re getting at. You call the podcast overly positive and then mention that pieces on the site are negative before implying that there is an overarching ‘agenda’. Surely if there was an agenda in place then every article that appears on the site would mirror the thoughts of the people on the podcast (who regularly express different views to each other anyway)? As it happens this article is comprised solely of my opinion and I’ve never once been told or asked to write from a particular point of view by anyone at TAW. Like the podcasts, the pieces that go on here seem to be the individual musings of a number of people with differing points of view. Basically as far from being agenda driven as you could wish to see.
Is that big Jim Boardman?
No
At a risk of sounding like David Cameron: ‘let me be very clear about being very clear’ this website and it’s podcasters are unrealistically positive. The people who post comments on this forum seem opposite. ( Apart from Crimes who doesn’t know what he is with his ‘Big mates’).
One can ONLY conclude that there is an agenda being followed or forced through.
As for the ‘voice of the fan’. You can hear it at the ground and in the pubs and living rooms and it is entirely different to #TAW.
Clearly.
Questioned the manager’s approach, his signings and his selections above. Accused of adhering to an overly positive agenda below. The internet is boss.
Yes it is!
You’re not a regular podcaster.
I wasn’t even making reference to your writing but whilst you mention it:
You’ve not asked any questions have you?
Ask Rodgers what in the name of all things holy possessed him to buy/sanction Balotelli?
What happened between him and Agger?
What’s gone on between him and the academy?
Which long term set up does he favour? The Southampton/Swansea or LFC?
There’s a few to start you off.
(10/10 for defending work words on here. Most don’t. Most write and run.)
Sadly mate I don’t have access to Brendan Rodgers to ask him any direct questions. I just write blogs that go on this site.
As you’d written about a supposed agenda underneath this particular post I assumed you referring to this article. All I can say to you is that I have never once been asked or told to write about a certain topic or to be positive or negative regarding any subject for this site. I write what I want and if the lads who run the site want to stick it up then they kindly do so.
If you perceive the site or the podcasts to be overly positive then that is your opinion and you’re entitled to it. Just don’t start with the conspiracy rubbish about agendas under a blog like this in which I am clearly questioning plenty of things going on with the manager because it quite obviously isn’t true. The piece above is just my opinion on some things, no one else’s and you’re free to agree or disagree with it. To imply that the piece is towing some imaginary party line or being overly positive just comes across as silly.
There’s the thing!
Why don’t you get access to him?
He was quick enough to cosy up to the fan sites when he first came. No doubt after riding last season’s Suarez tsunami he feels like he doesn’t have to. Any way probably a good job he isn’t doing it again as you lot would only crawl up his backside.
Yeah, I’d crawl right up his backside.
Hence why my piece was so clearly centred around the majesty and infallibility of Brendan Rodgers, right? Or maybe, if you had a brain cell and the ability to take in the information that you’ve read you would be able to see that this notion of everyone associated in any way with this site having to suck up to the manager is clearly complete drivel. You know, on account of me actually criticising and questioning the fella IN THE VERY ARTICLE THAT YOU ARE COMMENTING ON!
But have it your way, ignore the fact that the article is anything but pro Rodgers, ignore my responses to your ridiculous claims and just keep telling yourself that everyone who writes for this site only does so under the conditions of bowing down to the manager.
I’m done. No reasoning with such wilful ignorance any further.
Respect for giving it back. Well in.
Well played, Dave, for bothering to answer such rubbish. I don’t understand people who willingly choose to visit the excellent opinion-based articles on this site, and then gun them down with this rediculous talk of an agenda.
Thank you to Dave and all the other contributors for the first-rate content. I don’t always agree but that’s half the fun of it.
More ‘agenda’ here, Big Jim. You’re onto us.
RODGERS HAS PILED THE PRESSURE ON HIMSELF http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/11/rodgers-piled-pressure/
LIVERPOOL: WHO ARE YOU? I REALLY WANNA KNOW http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/11/liverpool-really-wanna-know/
TIME TO CUT THE BULLSHIT AND FIGHT THE BATTLES ON THE PITCH http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/11/time-cut-bullshit-fight-battles-pitch/
THE LIVERPOOL CRISIS: THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/10/liverpool-crisis-questions-answers/
TIME FOR RODGERS TO FOCUS ON THE REAL PROBLEMS http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/10/time-rodgers-focus-real-problems/
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/09/questions-answer/
STRUGGLING TO FEEL THE VIBE: http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/09/liverpool-struggling-feel-vibe/
#agenda
I would be really worried if the current ‘voice’ of the fans were all positive, oblivious to the many shortcomings in LFC. If TAW were to only allow the so-called aforementioned ‘voice’ on the site, it would surely, therefore, be an agenda, with probably TAW conspiring with the owners who actually are aliens from Mars on a mission to destroy our club.
Good Liverpool sites are so rare. And TAW is one hell of a diamond.
Hey Big Jim, loving the positive banter you having with Dave Martinez, its good that he is also interacting back with responses.
I agree Jim that the Podcast can be overwhelmingly Pro-Rodgers and sometimes too positive and too optimistic, but I think you have to give Dave Fair due’s here as he is asking hard questions of Rodgers and it cannot be described as being Pro-Rodgers.
I think this is actually one of the best if not the best article submitted over the last quarter by the Wrap team, and its good to see that maybe there is a shift towards a more “realistic” position with BR.
Dave I think the “Anti Rafa and trash journalist” that is David Maddock has copied your framework and written a similar one for Mirror Online but towards the players and not his Buddy BR.
The Mirror is a good read for Brian Reade and jim Boardman only, but avoid the Maddock at all costs !
I have doubts on Brendans ability to turn this round , and I really hope we have a look at the “coach of Napoli” as the next manager , as he seems to have an impressive track record, and pedigree, and is a Winner who can attract big name players ( The Wrap on a previous podcast fail to even mention that maybe Sanchez, Costa, or other big name players are attracted to work for a coach like Wenger, Mourinho,Klopp, etc, and not Brendan at this stage)
Rafa does not fit the FSG profile. Young, dynamic etc etc. The question is not whether players want to play for rodgers its whether they want to come to LIVERPOOL the CITY. Many fans are under this delusional notion (not necessarily you my friend!) that changing the coach will solve EVERYTHING. By this logic we need a new man every three years. Is this the model for runnin an EPL club now? After all fergie was a fluke right? Or was it the product of long term and careful planning and giving a man the time he needed to grow into his job, mistakes, setbacks, defeats and all. We have changed coached many times in the past few years and decades even, all with the same lamentable results, near-finishes, also-rans and so forth. The prblems at this club go deeper than coach level. AT LEAS RODGERS IS FAR SIGHTED ENOUGH TO REALISE THAT, unlike the fans who cannot see past their own noses. FSG and Rodgers have all likened to turning LFC around to that of a huge ship as opposed to a speedboat. What part of that dont fans get? Sure having a sugar daddy from the mid east MAY solve these problems, but i gurantee LFC will lose their footballing souls if they go that route. At least with FSG they understand Liverpool, (maybe not the game itself haha) but they get the city, its people, heck Bostonian are not so different. Rodgers needs time and support, i have a feeling FSG will give him both. Lastly, shanks managed LFC in the SECOND DIV! It was a different time but the pain of failure is what came bring greatness, same as fergie and shanks , having tasted bitter bitter defeat rose to amazing rewards and glory. Lets hope we include brendon in that list!!!!!
Raj I do love your enthusiasm my friend for the current project but football is a pretty simple game and it’s even simpler if you are a coach at liverpool…win. .win…win…. The resources are there so do your best if the best is not good enough after 2.5 seasons and £250 million later then your not good enough and need to be replaced by somebody who can regardless of age . Regarding this trend of young managers etc..well not everybody is guardiola with Messi and Co and simeone has been a winning coach from the very start of his career look at his achievements in Argentina before Madrid !
Titanic is a good pointer – the man in charge thought he knew everything and the ship couldn’t sink…
Fair play to Dave for responding to criticisms, even strange and seemingly contradictory ones.
We aren’t going to win the next 6. We werent even if Daniel was fit. We won’t win 4 if Rodgers doesn’t change things. I doubt he will. We’re probably looking at 3 wins and 3 draws which, truth be told, wouldnt be a disaster given how things have played out so far. Avoiding defeat in 6 games regardless of opposition would be an achievement for us when you take confidence into account.
If Sakho and Mario are good to go, to get the best possible results I’d be going with the following at home:
Mignolet
Manquillo Toure Sakho Moreno
Lucas
Can Coutinho
Sterling
Borini Balotelli
And changing things a bit away from home, going 4-3-2-1 with Henderson in for Coutinho, Allen in for Lucas and Lallana in for Borini in a free-ish role but much closer to Balotelli.
Gerrard comes on after 60 for one of the midfield 3 both home and away.
Why does Gerrard come on?
Obviously circumstances need to call for his coming on but at the minute I can’t see many circumstances that won’t call for it, especially considering Can’s fitness, Henderson’s loss of form and Lucas’ lack of pace, particularly deep in games and Allen’s inability to effect change using the ball. So for a number of reasons, in no particular order:
One, to do what he is supposed to do and lead. He has know-how in different situations late in games that few of our young lads have, be it behind in a game, needing a winner or protecting a lead. Primarily with dictating the pace of the game and yapping at anyone whose concentration may begin to go with tiring legs. His leadership and authority has been greatly diminished by the fact his performances have been so hideous, taking away his right to bollock anyone else. This changes when he comes on and looks a lot better than he has been doing and uses his knowledge to, in theory, ensure better results.
Two, this begins to faze him out. I don’t think it is wise just to get rid of him. It has been a shock enough to have no Suarez and no Sturridge for so long. Taking out another mainstay for every minute only adds to a feeling of unfamiliarity and never-ending change. It needs to be managed in a sensible way so that whenever he retires/leaves the midfield doesn’t feel a shock to the system.
Three, Gerrard vs a fit and fresh premier league footballer is fucked. Devoid of the legs and as a result no confidence to perform and influence the game positively. Gerrard vs tiring legs gets to the ball a half yard quicker, confidence returns and influences the game in a manner similar to what he once did. This is how Giggs and Scholes were used at the end of their careers. It helped their longevity and sustained their quality. For the last 3/4 years, whenever they started (rare) they were atrocious.
Four, it helps keeps players fresher and takes away from the chance of injury. So instead of Steven sitting on the bench/in the stands every minute of every game, allowing Lucas or Henderson a 20 minute break here or there can only be a good thing come March/April/May as they don’t have the minutes racked up so high and do have more gas in the tank.
Im not saying Gerrard must come on every game or that he should never start again. He should start on average 1 in 4/5 or something like that and when he’s not playing come on 3 times out of 4. What I am saying is that overall he’s probably the 5th best centre midfielder but has talents/skills/knowledge that other lads don’t have and that we should make use of them later in games when he is less danger of being overrun and, for the want of a better word, “outathleted.”
Glad to see the last point. He mustn’t come on for the sake of coming on. He’s hardly the best at seeing out a game, now, is he?
Not sure about the know how, or the leadership, he’s always had a rick in him, if anyone’s going to make a defensive error or misplace a pass I’m afraid it’ll be the skipper. Haven’t seen much leadership this year.
I have my reservations, am pretty sure his legs are gone whether he plays 90 mins or 30, but you may be right, we haven’t really seen him as an impact sub.
With you on all picks, bar Allen. He seems to do a lot if running for precious little return. And Lucas is absolutely essential if we have a flaky keeper causing nerves in the centre defence.
Not been on here for ages. But that’s harsh criticism jim.
If you think that strongly about something you should write something yourself. I don’t know them but when I have communicated with them they were always polite and approachable. Give it a go.
Have any of you read Carra’s interview with Alonso in the …gulp…Daily Mail? I was particularly interested in his comments about how good managers approached games, and which plan they would employ. I hope our hierarchy read it, because we have no effing plans whatsoever.
Gerrard is a fine player, still, but he is not and never has been a leader, except by example. It’s not in his nature or personality to give a player a fee up or a bollocking. I thought we all realised that, that Carragher was the de facto captain, backed up by Reina. Natural leaders are rare, and your best player is seldom a leader, just as great players seldom make great managers. Gerrard will have to be ‘managed”, and if he doesn’t like it then too bad. Shankly would draw the curtain on a player a couple of years before it was time, but that was a different era. 8602
Agreed, and that’s the problem. We don’t have a Carra, Reina or Mascherano in the first eleven right now. Not sure about Shanks though – wasn’t that his one weakness? Bob was much better at identifying weaknesses and dealing with them.
Oh how this article stirred difficult memories i was trying hard to suppress.
To set the scene, firstly i’m a manc, (apologies for the one man invasion), rewind to August, and i couldnt believe how the Gods of the fixture list had smiled upon us. Like you I put on my realistic manager suit and club tie and looked at the bite size-chunk of the first six prem games…Swansea, Sunderland, Burnley, QPR, Leicester and West ham… ‘brilliant!’ I thought… ‘LVG starting his tenure with 18 points in the bag!’ I was even being realistic and counting the seventh game against Everton as our first big test.
So… game one, swansea at home, 1-2 loss. ‘ok’ I thought ‘fair enough, its tough schooling, it will actually do LVG good, the complacency and the task at hand and all that, the response will be superb… 15 out of the first 18 will still keep us near the top of the pack’…
Fast forward, 2 points from nine, face in hands wondering how i could be so optimistically naive.
Fast forward to now, here i sit, fixture list in one hand, injury list in the other, staring at the league table on BBC sport, doing the mental arithmetic and wondering if its possible to go 3 games without disaster… 1)get arsenal out of the way, take a draw maybe… good result… 2)Hull, stoke, southampton before 3)the scousers come… Of course there are no ‘easy win’ games in the prem anymore are there.
Then once again that little demon, the one that sits between Good and Evil who is called Delusional/optimistic/bindly hopeful pops up and says, hey… we CAN do it at arsenal, the other 3 are in the bag, that’s 12 points in the bag before the East lancs derby when we’ll be back on high. We HAVE the better players, we’re Man utd, we do what we want…
My chickens are counted, the little demon is whispering in my ear, “go on, tell everyone its 12 points in the bag and all is well, go on, whats the worst that can happen? we’ll be above City by christmas” then he takes a piss off my shouder and collapses in a drunken heap.
Be optimistic, but see you back here on the 14th where we can trade excuses and told you so’s. We never learn, Hope is the scarf that keeps you warm on a saturday afternoon.
Good man Phil,
We all live in hope eh!
As usual with this site another decent thought provoking piece followed by some good debate,
best footie site by a country mile.
Phil, yous are in a different position from us though. You have several game changing players in Rooney, Di Maria, Van Persie, Falcao and to a lesser degree Mata. You also have a manager with pedigree who has done it before, can attract big names and can command respect. Yous also have mountains of money to spend on transfer fees and more importantly wages. You have only been out of the CL for just the one season so your past successes are still fresh in players minds
Your manager is very new and can still get the players to gel. He already changed from the 3-5-2 from early in the season that wasn’t working. We’re still persisting with 1 up front when it’s clear as day it’s not working.
Our problems are more deep rooted than yours and I can see yous making top 4 this season.
and of course we’ve got fellaini… don’t forget fellaini…
And you don’t have a manager who is Shteve Maclaren-lite…
Liverpool FC is not the arena for a manager to learn about the game, still less a manager who refuses to learn, and lacks dignity and gravitas anyway. Even poor bloody Roy had some dignity and bearing.
Welcome to OUR site, by the way!!!
So… here we are, you declared your Six to win. Lost one. drawn one so far. Dejavu. My little demon woke with a terrible hangover and smug ‘told you so’ grin on his face.
On to the next 6 eh?
well , i’m back. And quite happy.
anyone? hello? anyone?
tumbleweed…
great. i make a date to meet you all back here on the 14th, and the whole of liverpool stand me up.
i’ll just post here for posterity, it may get read by some academics studying the demise of LFC in years to come
Brilliant game I thought. Liverpool had nothing. truly nothing. After uniteds game against southampton on Monday, and Liverpools dire showing agaisnt Basel, unlike last year, i came into this game confident of a win. I summised we had finishers and Liverpool had nothing. I even overestimated your chances by making my fiver scorecast 3-1, (dmn you de age)
bugger, accidentally posted that as i was trying to correct ‘damn you De Gae’.
anyway, where are you… lets be having you.