Then: We started the season with the worst start since 1927 Now: 10 points off 4th with the possibility (with an almost impossible swing of results) to finish 5th just 1 point from 4th What a turnaround that would be!!! In all seriousness though... I think its safe to say that not only have we improved under Rodgers but we're starting to really get going. Post positive thoughts here!!
I'm happy about some parts of the season but still think there's a lot to do, the players we buy in the Summer will be the making or breaking of Rodgers. I hope it goes well and that we are a better team next season.
Happy that we're finally tonking teams like we were threatening to do last season, there's been numerous occasions we've scored 3+ goals in a match this season which is encouraging. Even though last Summers signings haven't hit the ground running, if Henderson and Downing are anything to go by next season we could see Borini and Allen contribute in a good manner.
Our season really got going after the January window when Sturridge and Coutinho came in. Sturridge has scored around 8 goals and Coutinho has created a few chances (as well as a few goals). We're finally putting away our chances but we're still guilty of missing chances - need to improve our conversion rate. If we can add to the squad in the same way we did in January, then I'll be happy and I'll be confident that Rodgers can take us to the next level. However, if we're hell bent on overspending on Michu, Benteke, Williams etc, then I'll be concerned.
happy enough with the progress made as its pretty much where I expected us to be, playing better football quicker than I thought by this stage. transfers have been 50/50 regarding instant success so about the norm for a club not throwing silly money around. I think it depends on how successful the 2 main transfers in the summer are which will decide if we challenge properly for top four next year.
Positive thoughts. 1. lets talk transfers. the single most important thing a manager needs to be able to do is pick a player. If rodgers was tracking coutinho and not our own scouts then that's great. If he picked sturridge great. Rodgers has one more shot at getting it right this summer. Borini, allen ,assiadi are not top 4 players.. if he wnet ofr what he knew that doesn't bode well for the coutinho point. I hope he can pull off a proper signing coup this summer. 2. Defense: he dropped skertl. thats was an interesting move though agger keep phooking up. this relates to point one as well in that if he buys here is signals a desire to improve. 3. football style. generally good. I feel gerrards role needs to be sorted, i don't like two cbs messing with it and midfielders way up the park, i don't like false 9s. I think generally he's trying to play patterns to open sides and its based on passing but theres an awful lot of improvement on movement and one touch passing to be made... in other words we can step this up with the right signings and be better. 4. open mindedness - in fairness to rodgers he's not done a rafa and blanked guys but given everyone a chance to prove himself. Enrique, downing, henderson for example. He did blank carroll day one though. one wonders if carroll had have shown bottle to stay would he vae proved himself too? enrique has weaknesses but he adds a lot to the game plan. henderson has had to really fight for it and is still fighting for it over the love child but at least he gets his go. 5. Youth progress. Like it or no we have very young players with talent and we put miles on thier clocks as it were. we'll benefit from it next year. Is this positive enough for ya!
Positives: We've overcome the mental block we had second half of last season in terms of putting the ball in the back of the net. We now have a few options up front as shown on Saturday. Even though we've been consistently inconsistent when we do play well we still look a match for any team we play. Good Jan signings were essential for us and not only did we make them we also got them in early which gave them time to settle. Up until last weekend I'd have also said the club have done a good job of keeping out of the headlines for the wrong reason and I was impressed with how settled players like Gerrard and Suarez looked under Rodgers Gerrard playing a full season for the first time in a long time. Plenty of work still to be done and yes the summer signings will be critical but so far not a bad start to life under Rodgers.
As you'd expect, I disagree with your assessment. 5th with almost impossible results? You should be a spin doctor. We were challenging for top four a lot of last season but once the chance was gone we tailed off - rightly so, no point getting injuries for **** all when there was a cup final to play. We played some brilliant football last season and many pundits said we were better than 8th. Oh yeah, and two cup finals. From winners to whatevers.
You're not helping there is truth in what you say and had we been bulging the onion sack instead of anywhere but we'd have bagged 4th as well as 2 cup finals but it is what it is. We are better than we were after the first 10 games so it's an improvement from that. That's all that matters.
But the thread is about the improvement between early season and now. I agree that last season was more successful than this (Lfc is about winning trophies after all) but we are where we are and given the start we had I'm glad we've shown more positive signs second half of the season. I think everyone accepts we could still go either way under Rodgers (as we could have under Kenny) but as of now I'm much more positive about the future than I was 7 months ago.
Getting a pot is great, but league performance is more important as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather we were making a serious challenge for the title with decent cup runs thrown in than win the COC and be in a relegation battle. We have improved, imo. Not as much as I'd hoped, but we've increased our points tally and got rid of the woodwork fetish so it remains to be seen if we can build on that.
Mate I'm on bloody babysitting duties Sunday gutted coz I'd have been able to go if it was 4pm kick off. I'm working on it as we speak so any change and I'll let you know
LFC have improved only when the easy games like NEWCASTLE came round when we played anyone decent we messed up.
Fair enough Saint but I think league wise it's hard to judge against last season as we're pretty much where we were last year. Miles off the top and out of CL places. It's just been a mirror image really, started well last season and finished poorly, started poorly this season and finishing better. Last year I could see quite clearly where we needed to improve and we've done that. This year it's blatantly obvious where we need to improve so fingers crossed Rodgers can keep the attacking flair whilst making us more solid at the back.
She's in work so I've been nagging her all week to get a shift swap...her dad's going the match and my folks are away so I'm running low on options I've even had 3 tickets offered to me this mornin...get the feeling God is mocking me...I need a word with that Jesus fella see if he can work me a miracle (either that or I'm going to have to resort to the Gary Glitter babysitting service)
