We need to finish in the top four in the coming season to keep our top players.Liverpool have not been in champion league now for three seasons.To finish in the top four we need to displace one of these teams, 1.Manchester City. 2.Manchester United. 3.Arsenal. 4.Chelsea. Tottenham and Newcastle also fighting for a place, we also need to finish above Tottenham and Newcastle. With all the spending of these clubs,which club do you think is going to finish outside the top four in 2012/2013?.
the only way we would get top 4 this coming season for me is for everything to fall into place straight away, ie tactics and a few more good signings, and one of those 4 teams to have a bad season and us capitalise on it. top 6 this season seems a more realistic target for me, unless things click and maybe next season we will get top 4, too early to be saying top 4 for me, sorry.
Nowhere near enough goals in the squad to get 4th. As things stand, I can't see any advance on last season's points tally.
Ah David!, back to normal then - yet another 'considered' negative opinion. The season hasn't started, the transfer window hasn't closed and the way we will play hasn't been revealed. Think I'll follow the my own advice - hope for forth but take a more considered stances after about 10/12 games when you can get a better feel as to how things are shaping-up with both us and our opponents.
Liverpool have such a difficult start it could well be an uphill battle for Rogers .Presumably the supporters will give him more time than Hodgson was afforded but presumably that would've been down to the awful style more than anything.Last season I felt there was something lacking against the smaller teams as opposed to the highly motivated unit that turned out against the top sides.Lucas free from injury will be worth a place or two as I don't think you recovered from his injury 4th is likely to be a big ask
Agreed None of us really know what to expect yet and the first few games will indeed be tough but as you say the biggest issue last year (and for quite a few years) has been with the teams we should be beating. If Rodgers can address this issue we will be closer to top four than last year. A full season from Lucas, Suarez AND Agger (if he hasn't been swiped) would be massively beneficial as well. It would be unfair to expect top 4 in BRs first year but people forget that we were still in with a shout of top 4 until we played Arsenal at home last year (March) and that game we absolutely dominated and deserved far better. League positions don't lie I guess but fair to say last years didnt particularly reflect how the team had played in the main.
In the last 2 seasons Liverpool at Anfield have battered us for long periods of games,especially in the 3-0 game at the end of the previous season,no other club has come close to doing that. But it's such a waste if you then get beat by Wigan or Swansea
Absolutely mate one of our worst games last season was Stoke at home. We were playing well at the time but went out and played with practically ten men behind the ball against a team who were never going to even try to get out of their own half. BR if he is to stand a chance needs to cut out that kind of crap. Any of the teams chasing top 4 can afford to lose a few games against their rivals but only if they are beating the teams they should be beating.
I think it could be a good start personally! Man U don't 'normally' have the best starts to the season, City are where they are at present, unless they bring in more players I think they could be found out by the other teams. Arsenal, well what can you say about Arsenal? A couple of good signings, a player who seriously doesn't want to be there could make their start worse than last years but you never know with them! I think we 'could' hit the ground running in which case we could take points out of our first 5 games. If and it's a big if I appreciate, we take those points we'll be ahead of the top four! Logically thinking, we could be in the mix for Christmas. On theother side, this could all be 'pie in the sky' and we could be at the wrong end of the table by Christmas, but I'm ever the optimist and feel we'll avoid that scenario!
One thing that has been deserting us for a while is luck and I hope we get some next season. I think top 4 is extremely difficult but not impossible nor is it that far off. I think we do have a good chance, probably the same as Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle. But as mentioned by another poster, we need everything to click. Players need to gel and deliver. The signings from last season should progress this season, and hopefully the new signings can hit the ground running. We were playing good football last season but struggled to score goals. Then we had the whole Suarez incident which really put the media spotlight on us which only creates more negative attention and pressure. Then we also had Lucas injured. I still would like for us to sign a couple of attackers - probably a winger (or someone to play as the inside forward in the forward 3) and a goal scorer.
Our chances of top four are dependent on our home form. That must improve ten fold on last season. Our away form was impressive and as good as anyones to be honest. I don't think we need to improve our away form. Thats where the ''Plan B'' must be be used. Should we win 13-14 home games and 8 away games, we'll finish top four with some to spare. However Brendan has a ''baptism of fire'' with the opening 5 games. He will be in serious trouble and the fans will turn on him quickly if he doesn't collect at least 10 points from the opening 5 games. However I do think that is achievable. We're well capable of beating Manchester United and Arsenal at home and the two away games aren't exactly impossible to win either. A point at home to City would do just fine.
I think top 4 is possible even if we don't sign anyone else. Yes it will be hard and no guatentee it depends on how good br can be in the season wide long run. This may sound odd but we weren't that far from being a lot better Las year. Against big teams we proved to be very dangerous. We were always just a little off-sharp... hitting the bar instead of the net. Tackles just slightly mistimed. Most games had one good half and one bad half... if we could be consistent across both halves loses would be draws... draws would be wins. We can get a lot more points with just more focus and few improvements here and there. How our rivals do is big too. Utd and City will be above us. So that leaves two spots for Chelsea, us, Spurs, Arse, and maybe Newcastle to fight for. Chelsea had a similar season to us... They dramatically underperformed. Can Torres pick up the mantle now AVB has left... if so they will likely finish third. Newcastle will have difficulties replicating last season... It is never easy for a team to make such a leap and do so well twice in a row... maybe they will but I see us likely above them. Spurs already seem to be having squad problems with AVB there... this will be a rocky season for them. I see Arsenal as our main threat for fourth... yes they've last key players... but that's never stopped them in the past. They've been in slow decline for a longtime... but I think its a toss up... us or them for fourth... personally I think they have one more top 4 in them.
I don't think we will get top four, I think it will be the four you highlighted (although Chelsea didn't get top four last year) with Chelsea pushing for the title. Arsenal, Tottenham and ourselves to battle it out for fourth but Arsenal we claim it with games to spare. I think Newcastle will have a difficult season, I hope not but obviously not to our detriment
Very much agree with this. I understand not wanting to get carryed away and shout for top four but i dont think were a million miles away. Last season if a couple of results went our way, we kept lucas and suarez all season, and god forbid didnt hit the post 3 times a match we could have been alot closer than we were. City, United and chelsea are on a different level but for fourth i can see us challenging arsenal and spurs. I dont think castle will do anywere near as well this season. The team looks more balanced and more fluid. a couple more signings and a slice of luck and i firmly belive we will be challenging
