Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea have far better teams. (Which the league table clearly shows) Liverpool used to be in the Top 4, but now they don't even belong to the best 6. They are in a league with the likes of Everton or Sunderland, hence they are mid-table club. Their keeper is good, their centrebacks as well but the rest wouldn't make the first XI at the above mentioned clubs (except Gerrard in topform). They need to change the manager and hire some proper scouts. I mean they can't be too happy with the fact that Newcastle bought players like Cisse, Ben Arfa, Ba, Cabaye etc. for a fraction of the money they wasted in Carroll, Henderson, Adam, Downing etc. I would rather reach the Champions League every season without winning trophies than winning a Carling Cup, win **** all and miss out on the biggest club competition 3 years running. Even if you don't win it, the money you earn playing in CL is vital to keep up with the top sides. I think someone like Steven Gerrard can't be happy to see mediocre players like Henderson and Spearing playing in positions where just 3 years Xabi Alonso and Mascherano had played. Before Liverpool becomes a Top 4 side again, it is more realistic that they disappear in mediocrity.
I think on a purely results based view we're justified anything from a 4th-8th place finish. Our starting 11 is arguably stronger than Arsenal and perhaps Chelsea, as we're all very even right now, but squad-wise we've nothing on United or City. Spurs too have a more dynamic, dangerous team. We certainly lack guile and pace. We've suffered this year from, yes, a lack of real quality, but also horrendous form, off the pitch issues and bad luck. I mean, it's been remarkable. Infrastructure-wise we fill a stadium that's better than most in the league. We sell shirts with the best of them worldwide, and have huge worldwide support, rivalled really by United, Barca, Madrid, Bayern and Milan. We have rich owners who have shown a willingness to spend. We are still recovering from the butchering of our 2008-2009 squad by Hicks and Gillett. We have a youth set up that is finally sparking into life again - Kelly, Spearing, Robinson, Flanagan, Shelvey, Sterling etc are coming into the first team more and more. Overall, we're definitely not good enough yet, but we'll get there soon enough, hopefully. Around 3/4 good signings - wingers, a striker, a CM and another CB and we'll be much closer. You should, finally, ask yourself where Arsenal would be without RVP. I'm not trying to aggravate, it's a serious point. He's holding you above water right now.
like i said before mate i'm one of the few who said you are still a top club...i like your club but can't stand your manager though...having said that i think you'll spend big and unfortunately come back all guns blazing. I don't apprpove of splurging cash but thats the way i see things going and think you ought to give kenny another chance. I dont think we're as dependent on rvp as people make out. In fact i dont think we're dependent on him at all though he is a good player. Thats just my opinion though i may be proved wrong next year...we'll just have to wait and see.
btw i really think you should give some of your youth a chance. I keep up with these things and the likes of sterling, wisdom, coady, suso etc are excellent they really are going to waste and i've heard adam morgan (sp) is some talent.
Enrique would start for Arsenal, arguably Man City, Tottenham and Newcastle. Johnson would start for United, Chelsea and I'd certainly rather have him than Kyle Walker (who just runs very very fast). Lucas would start for United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle. I'm not saying Spurs because Parker and Modric run like clockwork. Adam, Downing and Henderson would not start for any of those teams, in fairness they were terrible business. Gerrard would star for all the above teams. He's world class and shows it 99% of the time he's on the pitch. Don't suggest otherwise - it's like saying RVP wouldn't start for every PL team. Suarez could start for United in tandem with Rooney, he'd start for Spurs (who wanted him) and he'd certainly start for Arsenal (behind RVP) and Newcastle (again, behind or on the wing). I think a combined Arsenal - Liverpool team would look like -----------------------------Reina-------------------------- Sagna-----------Skrtel--------Agger---------Enrique --------------Lucas----------Wilshere------------------ OXO------------Gerrard-------------Suarez------ --------------------------RVP------------------------------
I don't think so. You cannot deny we outplayed you (without key players) when you beat us 2-1 at Anfield. RVP is the heartbeat of everything you do and he's performing fantastically. Apart from that, you've a decent keeper, a shaky defence, a decent midfield, headless chicken wingers (Walcott, Gervinho), OXO and RVP. I wouldn't say by any stretch that it's 'far' better. It's very even. This season we've simply not had a run of form that allows players to show what they're capable of. They're not brilliant but they're a lot better than the table says.
Thanks. No team is a 'one man team', but RVP has been your best player by a country mile this year. For instance, without him you would have lost at Anfield, hands down, and deservedly so.
I was at anfield.that day and have to agree with you there we were outplayed but thays football.for you! I dont wum bcse it comes back to.haunt me and also.i fully expect you to challenge for top honours next year. However i expect us to as well irrespective of whether we have rvp. I actuallu prefer both mersey side clubs to manchester clubs but must say i know quite a few liverpool.fans (bro includes) and they really make LOTS of fun.of me so you not.like youbguys wiuld have done any different though when i went to liverpool people there were quite welconing though i didnt know.anyone there.
I'm not sure if this is relevant, are you just being devil's advocate here or are you trying to make a point? Maxi is positionally experienced and is a master at scoring tap ins, which makes fans rave about him every while. He's decent, was a different player 5 or so years ago. He hardly dragged us through the game - Skrtel, Shelvey and Carroll all played better (of course you have to ignore the logical fallacy that Maxi scored twice). Also, we deserved to beat Blackburn based on the two teams' relative performances, another difference to the game I mentioned, in which we really should have won.
I like to think I'm realistic. I don't think we'll challenge for the league itself for quite a while unless something drastic happens. I'm not sure if I'd like us to become that sort of club either (like City). I like Arsenal, I don't really understand the vitriol. I certainly didn't wum back in autumn - quite the opposite in fact. I'd much rather Arsenal did well than United, Chelsea or Spurs.
Combined arsenal and liverpool side: Reina - good keeper Sagna - top class Vermalen Kolscielny - ur cb's are poor Enrique - not great but above gibbs Wilshire Song - above lucas easily rosicky - better than gerrard suarez rvp someone - maybe oxo but this spot would be up for grabs.
thanks though its going to be an interesting summer next year hopefully top four will be much more competitive. Though you guys are going to spend quite a bit (probably) i thinik like i suggested before some of your reserve players are top class and deserve a chance...at least sterling and maybe wisdom and coady if no one else!
To be honest its disgusting behaviour to be aggresive to someone doing their job. Harry Redknapp springs to mind when he got called a "wheeler dealer" too.
Thanks. I'm not sure why Coady doesn't get a look in. He might not make it. He played well preseason but has disappeared. I suppose you've changed the formation favourably, I can work with that. Vermaelen (sp?) was great last year but looks very shaky now. Skrtel is definitely a better and more reliable choice. Agger would start ahead of Koscielny. I like him, don't get me wrong, but Agger would be one of the best in the league if it wasn't for his injuries. Lucas, I'm afraid, would definitely start above Song. Song is decent, but is much, much more wasteful than Lucas, who is an equal passer and a much better tackler (statistically the best in the league last year and up until his injury this season). Rosicky ahead of Gerrard? Are you joking? Rosicky's taken a couple of years to turn up! Give the 20 EPL managers the choice and all 20 would say Gerrard.
