well i think if king kenny is at the helm next season i really believe we will. why? just look at the results we have got since he has been in charge,yep another what if? i,e if he had been in charge when rafa left. we are not frightened of the likes of man utd chelsea and arsenal,this seasons results have proved that,so what we need is to be consistent against teams we should be beating,i,e the stokes boltons wba wolves etc etc and not get STUPID defeats at home against teams like these. since roy has left our away form has improved and if we can keep that up next season we should be there or there abouts man city, spuds? na sorry a good couple of seasons and thats it,man city may have money,but money does not buy a team that can play together as a unit,no fights at the training ground, no split dressing rooms etc etc,football is about teamwork not individuals,as TORRES found out,its about being in it together and i believe kenny will have team who will be in it together,to fight for each point to have that mental understanding that they are here to play for liverpool,the fans the club the name,and just not the money.
We will just have to see won't we. I don't agree with your assessment of man city though, they will add better players over the summer which can only improve them. Relying on some cliches about team spirit does not hide the fact that they have a very very good squad.
I really do hope so! I just want to see more youngsters blooded in, a few quality signings and for some of the rubbish to be floated off and then we can finally be looking towards those top spots and maybe even a title. It would be a storybook title if we got it next year though. Rafa taken us as far as he can go, we're lounging in the depths of the top half of the table out in mid table obscurity along comes Roy the evil saboteur and he takes us to new depths. But then suddenly we get new owners who have an all seeing eye. The all-seeing eye notices Roy's incompetence and appoints King kenny to the throne who takes us to the Europa league and finally onto the Premier league title the next season.
the problem with man city is that man city is not a name that is renowned around the world,and the reason they attract players is that they say ok come and join us and we will give you a massive signing on fee and pay you ã200,000 a week.
ze i totally agree,the youngsters he has brought in have done a wonderful job, all credit to them and dont forget there are a few more to come through.
You may be getting ahead of yourself a bit there crazy. Not only have we not won anything yet this season, but there is no guarantee that we will be the ones who need to be challenged next season! Who knows who the early season pacesetters will be, and a lot depends on what happens over the summer. I can't see the Russian being able to resist flashing his chequebook around in another Champ Man inspired spree, even if they do nick the league. Wenger appears to have finally realised he needs some proven defenders and DMs. Even if Citeh don't attract the best in the world they will have the CL to pull in the big names, and still have a good enough squad to challenge. Heck, if Tevez and Mascherano will go to West Ham then City can definitely get the players they need! And whilst Spurs will almost 100% not be challenging for the title you can't rule them out of the top 4, particularly if they miss out on Europe and can focus entirely on the league again.
Swarbs for some reason you've put on your anti Liverpool glasses and are not seeing the reality. Let me make a few points. Liverpool have found under Kenny a togetherness and unity that is an Alex Ferguson trademark.This is something that Ferguson has always instilled into his players and is one of the main reasons why Man United are currently top of the league. I'll give an example.Maxi Rodriguez was left out of the Liverpool squad for a month,re-appeared last saturday and scored a hat-trick,He gets subbed today and when coming off,there was no petulance,no sulking,He high fived the manager.Would this occur at Man City or Chelsea who seem to not have this sense of togetherness and unity?Examples against Liverpool,James Milner got subbed by Mancini,his atitude was ''I'm James Milner,I'm an England International,how dare you sub me''.At Chelsea,Drogba has been sulking for months.Then you look at Man United,Berbatov gets games when Ferguson says so,does he sulk?No of course,not,He knows he'll get games and the club is more important than any individual.Did Hernandez sulk when he was left out on a number of occasions this season?Again no.Why was this?,its down to togetherness and unity. Wenger is set in his ways,and won't change his philosophy.I heard a rumour that the coffers at Arsenal are not as full as would made to believe.As they have not sold as many apartments at the site of the old highbury due to the economic crisis.Wenger is a front man,and even though their chairman is saying one thing,Wenger is demonstrating the opposite,which possibly could be the truth. As for Spurs,They are a busted flush,they have reached their standard after all the money Redknapp has spent,he has spent twice net what Rafa Benitez did in 6 years as Liverpool boss,and has not matched Rafa Benitez' achievements.Rafa Benitez WON the champions league with Liverpool at his first attempt at managing Liverpool in it.Spurs managed the qtr final with Redknapp. So to suggest that Kenny cannot succeed and take Liverpool to the top with clever management and continuing on as he has done,and adding a bit of much needed flair,then you are mistaken.Before you say he bottled the last time,He was unwell and had to look after himself.It was not the pressure of the job,it was the hell he went through two years previous that took its toll on him.It would have destroyed a lesser man,and was something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.Why did he take it on?He did it because he cared,and should be admired,not mocked.You never lose the ability to win when you are a winner,and Kenny is a winner.
Man city will spend money on average players like Milner and Lescott for 20 mill each. I expect them to lose Tevez and apart from him I'm not really jealous of the players they have anyway. To be honest I dont think there is an outstanding team at the moment, the quality at the top has dipped in last 2-3 years. Utd will be there or thereabouts and Arsenal probably get a defender in and improve. Dont fancy chelsea too much but they could go out and sign a few players. If we get in a couple of players and get off to a good start I'll fancy us.
umm silva? He is quality, is not properly used by mancini. As for buying Milner and Lescott..... they will have Champs league football, so who do you think will say no to a fat paycheck and the top Euro competition? I can see them getting some big names in. Now with that being said, they are no where near a team due to all of this dosh thrown around. When they get that gelled it will be scary but until then they will always be a team that will do well and then suddenly look like they have no clue who each other are.
Welcome Welshred! I think next year is going to be amazing! There will be loads of competition for the title. I think, as Swarbs hinted, that it might not be Man U we are chasing. I actualy think it will be Chelsea for large parts, but I also expect it will be tight up to the end with all the top 5 teams in the mix. Chelsea - need to invest and will. I think Torres will do it for them, if not he will be replaced. They will be fired up next year. Man U - again need to invest, Fergie has done brilliantly to get the best out of what I believe to be a limited squad. They will invest, and as usualy will be in the chase, especialy towards the end of the season. Arsenal - Wenger will be desperate to win next year and I expect them to come close. But they must invest first first! Man City - Massive season for them. No more excuses about needing a couple of years. They should be right up there, but there is still that question mark. If that can be sorted, and the plums in the squad dealt with, they could win it, or be a very close second- maybe to Arsenal! If they replace Mancini however, I don't think they will win. Spurs - I think Spurs will have a tough season next year. I think others will improve and start getting results over them more consitantly. Not having Champs League is a massive blow for them, as it shows they havent built on last year. They put everything into getting forth in previous years, and when they got, they'v lost it straight away. Now they have to do it all over again. A big effort. Investment in big players will be key for them. If they can get them, then have a good chance at third/forth. If they start to lose them, including VDV and Bale, I can see them going backwards. Will Harry stay? Liverpool - Humm. Very hard to call. Are we over performing atm as the Kenny effect is still kicking in? Or are we actualy quite good, and this is what we should expect from Kenny? I think we are with Spurs in that crossroads between 5th and top four. If we can take advantage of this upsurge in form and bring some players in -big players, I believe we can be right up there. With Kenny there keeping everyone together, we can push on - the players seem to believe in themselves now. If Gerrard wants a league medal, then next year will have to be it. Big players in, Kenny at the helm, you never know.
Honestly think 5 teams will be in the hunt next season. United, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Us. United, do they have the money to spend big? City will the owners continue to spend big? Chelsea how many of there aging squad need replacing? Arsenal, will Wegner swallow his pride and by a goalkeeper and midfield general? Liverpool, will we get what the squad needs? Its a huge summer for many, going to be a lot of coming and goings. Spurs lot depends on whether they qualify for any form of European football.
Things may not be as rosey at Manchester United as some may think.Its all rosey now because they are top of the league and the verge of the champions league final.Supposing and this supposing Chelsea beat them next week and go on to take the title and then Barcelona beat them to a pulp in the champions league final.They end up with nothing.The old questions that Wayne Rooney was asking will resurface. Have they got the money to strengthen significantly considering they have ã90 million(ã45 million every 6 months) a season interest repayments?The bond interest is 16% per annum and 16% of ã504 million is ã90 million. Some of their fans say its okay,they can service it.But would it be better to not have them? Arsenal could wipe the floor with the rest of the premier-league if Wenger signs 3-4 6ft battering rams.City need to be better managed as their squad currently is light years ahead of the rest of the leagues.Chelsea need fresh investment in their squad and need to ship out a lot of oldies.Spurs are a busted flush,if they don't compete in Europe next season they won't be a threat.As for Liverpool,This will be a key summer from Kenny's and the owners point of view.If he can get the signings right and is let get the signings right,then Liverpool will have a major say on where the title will end up.They possibly and just possibly take it themselves.
I think we can all agree that next year is going to be very exciting. The race for 4th and the title will be amazing considering how many teams could do it.
RVF. I agree. Lets be fair,and not let rivalry get in the way here.The premier league needs certain teams to be strong.Personally,If Man United went bankrupt I would hate it,as all the fun would go out of watching football.I would hate it too if Arsenal weren't strong.
Arsenal need to sign a leader, you look at there team and it reminds you of a page 3 model..pretty to look at, decent upfront, but not alot of substance. KPR..United's finiacial clout will be tested, Van Der Sar, Scholes, Giggs to name three need replacing. Rumoured that Nani and Berbatov want out, and will Rooney actually stay? Chelsea are an aging squad, Terry, Lampard and Drogba all 30 plus. Liverpool, need to buy the right players, no more taking second best we need quality out wide and a left back and center half. John Henry's made the right noises, and Suarez's signing showed intent. Man City, spent big and alot of quality, will top players want to come and be squad players? Tevez who makes them tick will be off, need to buy a replacement for him as Dezko and Ballotelli don't cut it for me.
City have made progress this season, Mancini wil be there next season with even more players that have plaued a bit longer together and worked on things over the summer, they will start well next year. Arsenal, who knows, new players means uncertainty as to how they work out. They performed very well defensively against United, if they could close and press like that all of the time they would be champions this season. It wasn't that United were rubbish, they weren't given a lick of pitch to play on in Arsenals half. Chelsea have and will have even more new staff next year so it is hard to predict what will happen especially with the trio of Nando Drogba Anelka the old and misfiring front line. United, will be there or there abouts, Fergie knows this league inside and out and how to "Play" a league over 39 games and makes that lot believe they are far better than they are, you can't argue, he is good at what he does, Nani was a joke at Arsenal and Fergie has him believing he is better than Ronaldo Again as at bolton a team shows how you remove Hernandez from a game and make him anonymous, very dangerous when United are camped in your half of the pitch but struggles to create his own chances, physically weak a bit for the prem too, said before, needs beefing up and yesterday showed that up big time. He will score loads next season in games wheere united dominate lesser teams. Liverpool will have to win the games they should be winning, for the past few seasons it has not been the top 4 minileague we have had a problem with, done decent this year too, double over chelsea 2 draws against arsenal and beat united once and lost once. If liverpool can again crack teams coming for a draw to Anfield on a regular basis, and I think Suarez Carroll and Kuyt fit thi bill, then we have every chance of being there or there abouts, it is not about 3 4 or 5 years, if we take those games one at a time and win them that is the major part of the job done, the league is not such that if you lost 4 games you were out of it like previously, so you can win all the games you should win and can afford to lose the 4 minileague ones, when United and Chelsea only lost 3 times in a season, then you had to win the top 4 minileague games because it was all so close, now I would be happy to beat WH spurs Newcastle Fulham Blackpool Blackburn WBrom Bolton Everton and then lose to Arsenal thats 27 out of 30 points, champion form
Uniteds financial clout will be tested.Supposing their season blows up in their faces in the same way Arsenals did.Will Rooney stay put?Will Rooneys concerns of last October resurface.Lets be fair Barcelona are light years ahead of them,and if Barcelona don't win the champions league it will be a travesty. As for the league,its on a knife-edge.United hold the cards,however when you are going into a run-in,Chelsea are the last team you want to play at the moment.United knocked them out of the champions league and they want revenge.It also seems that Ancellotti has gone back to the tried and trusted with Malouda and Kalou flanking Drogba with Torres as a sub.They look far better for it.It won them the double last season.They could easily end up with nothing.As far as I'm concerned if Chelsea and this is an ''if'' win next weekend,they will be crowned champions.Without a shadow of a doubt. Chelsea long term.They will have to re-invest for the long term and move players on and go into a transitional phase.Arsenal are like a blonde bimbo,decent to look at,but incredibly one dimensional.City are a group of players,but not a team.If Kenny can get it right and is given the freedom to get the signings in place that he wants,then we're going to have a major say next season.The league is no longer messing with the 2009/2010,2010/2011 Liverpool.We're more stable than we have been in years.We're on our way back up,and we're moving faster than expected having hit rock bottom.We're at our most dangerous when we're on our way back up.Kenny has woken the beast up and the beast is very very angry and will destroy anything that stands in its way.
