Beat the bottom ten home and away gives you 60pt base. Only need 12pts-15pts from.the other eighteen games to get CL footy. Obviously doesn't quite work like that but shows your point about only beating lower ranked sides for what it is.
Read the first line of my post It doesn't put a dampner on things. We all know the situation as it is but if the fixture list throws up those game you still have to go out and get as many points as poss. Points on the board are what matters, however we all know there are tougher tests ahead where we may come unstuck. Bring it on I say. You can't tell me we haven't got players capable of winning the big games so we have to show we can now if we want to get back up to the top.
Adding top level experience is key to our squad. Rodgers has done this with Coutinho, Sturridge, Sakho, Toure which can only help achieve the level of consistency required. These are players who are used to the big stage and performing week in week out for their former clubs.
The fact that we can now finish off the lesser teams is what has really transformed us, it's why we are so happy with the way we are playing. If you look at BR's record in the big games, it's not great. But it's not bad either. We've only played a couple this season so the truer scope of how we have progressed will come at the end of December (usually our worst month). Man City H 2 2 Arsenal H 0 2 Man United H 1 2 Everton A 2 2 Chelsea A 1 1 Tottenham A 2 1 Man United A 2 1 Arsenal A 2 2 Man City A 2 2 Tottenham H 3 2 Chelsea H 2 2 Everton H 0 0 Man United H 1 0 Arsenal A 2 0 As you can see, we've drawn most of the big games. Which is good as it stops our rivals gaining points on us. I'd happily draw them all as long as we keep winning against the smaller teams. But would rather win obvs!
Psychologically every game is important; every game is winnable, hence the ultimate goal is to be the best - the best that we can. If that best proves to be better than the others then we win the title. If it's not quite that good then we stand a far better chance of securing our secondary objective of achieving top 4. All the talk of leaving ourselves somehow vulnerable in following this philosophy is rubbish. Now we may need more quality personnel in January to achieve this but we need the essence of this psychology to be embedded in our team now. The pundits and opposing fans (the non-wums) continue to try and peddle the "you're making progress but ... not this year". Listen to them and that year will never arrive (like Everton's Youth Policy). So believe it and make it happen.
Agree with this I honestly can't see why the pressure would be too much because the manager says we want to achieve something. I don't believe we have one player in our squad who is not aiming to get LFC back in to the CL. Saying it out loud does not make people crumble imo.
Interesting though that looking at those players none were playing regularly (I know your point was slightly different) when we bought them in. Just shows that going for first teamers isn't essential to picking up talent.
Good point - I think being in a high pressure environment such Chelsea (Sturridge), Inter Milan and the whole of Brazil (Coutinho), Arsenal and City (Toure) and PSG (Sakho) is valuable experience. Someone mentioned that Rodgers didn't really appreciate the size of the job he accepted, and that it took him a while to really get to grips with the club's size and stature. Having these players in from their respective backgrounds (despite their recent lack of first team football) meant that they were able to come to Liverpool already well aware of the pressures and expectations that come with playing for a big club. They didn't shy away from it. If you look at the likes of Downing, Adam, Aspas etc - you can see the difference.
If your target is primarily to win the title, then coming 2nd or 4th means you have failed. Never mind if YOU feel that this is ok. If you set a target of success to be a champions league place then achieving it means success. Winning the title would be an overachievement...a bonus. Your target MUST be realistic...
In theory you are right. But in practice it is different. You play at the Etihad where City are currently dismantling teams. Does Rodgers set out to win? Of course he doesn't and trust me he won't. He is not that stupid. He will set out to draw. He will be happy with a point and if he can steal another 2 that will be a bonus. The same when you go to the Chavs or to United. Set out to win so that he could get a draw? Jose and David will be laughing...
No he won't - he'll be looking for the win. He'll be content with a point but he won't be setting his team to go looking for just a point.
Not only have they not shyed away from it they look like they have a point to prove. Probabl still a tad early to judge Sakho and Toure's impact but certainly Sturrinho and Coutidge look keen as the proverbial mustard.
