Why is it unacceptable? At the start of the season we hoped for 4th place as our realistic target. It looks like we are going to fall short but we have improved our squad and our style of play is far better (Sunderland, Bolton and Swansea excepted) than it has been for many years. We have won a trophy and are still in the FA Cup. We have hardly ever had our true first 11 on the pitch all season. We have lost our most exciting player for 9 games (immaterial if that was right or wrong) and we have given more than a good account of ourselves against the top sides. It IS progress and I truly believe that our Summer signings will ad to the quality that we have. Disappointing - YES but a little patience will help.
Just to back up that argument... Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enqique, Lucas, Gerrard and Suarez are considered our strongest eight players. How many times do you think have they all been on the pitch together this season...? That is right, you gueessed it, zero! If you ask a similar type question but make it seven of those eight, it is less than 15% of game time. I think that says a lot!
And? How often do teams ever have all their first 11 fit and playing together? Hell Newcastle had Tiote and Ba away for a few months and still dominated - their success this season puts us to shame. Our players should be embarrassed at their performances. We are only just holding on to 7th place, 7th place ffs!!
Here is the schism... I don't think we will all agree but you look at Man United, probably, acutally for me their weakest team in years, injuries left right and center and even brought a player out of retirement, yet look at where they are. They bought smart, they play to their strengths and above all they have a winning mentality, a strong mentality. They can cope, we cannot. I try not to make excuses but I think a strong look at our squad and do we have players that play to our strenghts, our philosophy, what we want to do, if not then we need to make sure we buy for that. Do we have players who are winners, who are mentality strong, if not we need to handle that. Can we blood our youth better? coates could have been loaned out, shelvey should have stayed on loan, robinson and flano should have been loaned, how often have they featured? These could all be important players next year. These are the questions that need to be answered for me.
Johnson > Bellamy? Really? And having seven of your top eight players on the pitch for around 15% of the time is pretty good tbh - we've only had Vidic and Rio together at the back for about 15% of our games this season!
Bluff, indirectly you answer your own question regarding possible loanees. We didn't because we can't. On paper it appears that we have cover for all areas of the pitch other than striker but that has not been true. Agger has played well this season but is injury prone. No probs we have Carra, but as has been seen his legs/mind have truly gone now and therefore Coates needed to be kept in the squad. Spearing was supposed to be cover for Lucas but found himself playing alongside an out of form Adam who himself was supposed to be cover for Gerrard - so Sheverly was loaned and recalled. Aurellio has been injured nigh on all season and with both Johnson and Kelly also being injured this has meant Flanno and Robinson being retained. The next 2 matches are key for us. We do need to put in a performance agiainst Everton and that is never easy in a Derby Match even if you are on a winning streak. We need to win the Stoke game. Lose either, or both of those and Dalgliesh will then really have to consider his options.
Why are they Key? I would have said the last two matches were key and will be the matches we reflect on at the end of the season. Even if we win the next two, so what? We'll still be well off the pace. I'd say now more than ever the pressure is actually off KK, 4th is all but gone now and all kenny has to worry about is the FA cup, I doubt FSG will have a different opinion on whether to keep Dalglish at the end of the season to their current opinion on him now - unless we drop further down the table!
Just like Shelvey though, we could still have loaned them out and recalled when necessary i feel. I get the depth part but if we could still recall them, I don't see why not.
I'll tell you why they are KEY. What's gone has gone and we can't do anything about that. We need to get back to winning ways and re-establish our faith in our style of play. Hence, whilst a win is necessary so is the way we achieve it. We also have to accept that the FA Cup is now our main target. lose to Stoke and that too has gone. At which point KK has to make a vital decision: does he play with what is supposedly his strongest side available or does he experiment in preparation for next season. That's where the pressure really lies.
Bellamy is a quality player but does not seem to be first choice. Fair point, however, We have had to have long spells without our three most important players in Gerrard, Suarez and Lucas, the latter being the biggest loss in both time and effectiveness. End of the day, injuries are just another excuse. It is a squad game nowadays and we should be able to cope with injuries. If we somehow pick up a win tomorrow evening then everything will suddenyl look that much better again.
What's wrong with saying the last two matches were key? This is emphasised by the fact we are now out of the race for the top 4. Obviously they are no longer key right this second as they are in the past...
Anyway I think(hope) City will still win the league. People are going on like its over already when United still have to go to City.
We've definitely been lucky to have lots of injuries this season. Liverpool need more injuries, if they had more injuries then Kenny wouldn't be able to pick the ****e that he invested all that money in. If only the scruffy kunt would realise that what he needs to be doing is going round knee capping his players!
True, but IIRC you didn't do much worse without Suarez that you did with him, and actually did better results-wise without Gerrard. So the only really big loss for you has been Lucas, and it's not like defending has been your worst area this season! Big game for your tomorrow - people were asking the same question about Utd after Blackburn and Newcastle - when's the last time Liverpool lost three games in a row? That would not be the best prep for the quarter final!
Nothing wrong with that pal, I thought we was talking about the present and upcoming matches though... Given the fixtures of Arsenal, Sunderland, Everton and QPR, I'd have said the Arsenal and Everton games were key. But, whats done is done and tomorrows game against Everton is very much key now.
^^This To get through a whole season, you need at least 17-18 players who can play a significant part. Injuries are inevitable and you need the back up to come in and do a job. The tricky part is keeping those 5 or 6 who aren't automatic first choices reasonably happy and not disrupting the club.
So you are a youngster then. I started going to Anfield in 1952 - seen more and experienced far more. BTW Liverpool's decline started well before the emergence of City and Chelsea - you can't put Arsenal in that frame.. Now, Go back and consult the record for the last 15 years. LFC have at least WON the CL - unlike any of the clubs that you mention and it's not until the last 2 seasons that we haven't qualified for the CL. Therefore your argument does not hold water and you have to look elsewhere for answers. If you truly knew about LFC then it would become clear to you that it was more a question of ownership and finance.
