So When Are We 'Title Challengers'

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They've had them from the start of the season too and they're still behind us.

Considering we have been without Suarez for the opening 5 league games and Sturridge, Enrique, Aspas have been out, johnson and coutinho for spells as well we've done a fantastic job. If we can get everyone fit for the new year and add to it....

But the main point was - you can have a great big squad of stars on paper but it doesn't mean you will just win most of your games suddenly....Look at the mancs last year.

My emphasis is on the DEPTH not necessarily the starting 11 quality. + They are bound to overcome their away form hoodoo, especially when they are so sublime at home. I'm hoping we don't get more injuries
 
My emphasis is on the DEPTH not necessarily the starting 11 quality. I'm hoping we don't get more injuries

No I agree with you totally, no doubt the depth City have is superior to most teams (if not all).

I would totally understand if they were where Arsenal were at the top and then did em 6-3 but at this point in time I don't like the whole 'It's City's this year' as if no one has a chance when they're currently 4th!
 
No I agree with you totally, no doubt the depth City have is superior to most teams (if not all).

I would totally understand if they were where Arsenal were at the top and then did em 6-3 but at this point in time I don't like the whole 'It's City's this year' as if no one has a chance when they're currently 4th!

well they do have Aguero out for at least a month, so lets try and keep them in 4th lol (wishful thinking i know)

seen their results at home against teams, and Hulls 2-0 defeat was the best of a bad result, from what i saw or remember.
 
we'd be top now if it weren't for that awful result at Hull! I still shudder. :mad:

As for the title. I'd be very surprised for all of the reasons already posted. Right now, I'm more interested opening a points cushion between us and 5th!
 
We'd all managed the expectation perfectly well until Sunday mate <laugh> In fairness the way City are playing at home they might manage our expectations for us on Boxing Day....or we could just not turn up against Cardiff at the weekend....who knows eh but I do know I'm enjoying us being up there for now and the fact that the league is genuinely so open at the moment.

It's great that for the first time in donkeys, both clubs are playing some boss football & genuinely competing at the top of the table.

When was the last time we could have a half sensible discussion about a 'title challenge' without being mocked by hoards of other clubs supporters?

I don't see any laughing at the minute, as they know the tide might have turned......

As you rightly say though, things can soon change, but at least we can enjoy the ride for once <ok>
 
It's great that for the first time in donkeys, both clubs are playing some boss football & genuinely competing at the top of the table.

When was the last time we could have a half sensible discussion about a 'title challenge' without being mocked by hoards of other clubs supporters?

I don't see any laughing at the minute, as they know the tide might have turned......

As you rightly say though, things can soon change, but at least we can enjoy the ride for once


It's like a trip back to the 80's mate <laugh>
 
I think that's still a bit early. The true title race starts with ten games to go IMO.

Its like 1500m running; if you're on the leader's shoulder at the bell, you're in with a shout. We need to be there with 8-10 games to go. BUT we have to sustain the position, so once the first ten games are gone, you have to be up on the shoulder. Its hard to come from 12 points back to hit the front because you're relying on others to fail...
 
There's a big difference in saying we can win it to saying we will win it.
It's not ridiculous to say we can challenge, but in the end we probably haven't got enough strength in depth.
However, we might as well stop watching now if we're just going to accept that it can't happen.

At the start of the season I'd never have guessed we'd be where we are at this stage.
 
Of course we can win it. People said we'd never win the CL, same for Chavski, but we did.

You go out, aim to win every game - If you don't, or you're Moyes, you're asking to fail - and see where you end up. So far, we're doing well.

It's still more than likely that City and Chelsea will skip past us towards the tail end of the season, but then we also thought that 5 games ago and we're still up top.
 
the views on this thread are interesting. this time i actually read them before replying to the OP.

I must say that usually threads are derailed by page 3 thats why i reply first then read back

I think says we are not title challengers is merely putting off that spot light... no pundits take us seriously basically. there will come a time after christmas that if we are still in top 4 and close to arsneal or whomever is top.... well they will start to cover their arses and the spotlight will come one.

I must say that we are right there right now. its as good as 2009... anything can happen if we can keep up OR go on a 10 match winning run. remember 2007? 10 matches of clean sheets... anything can happen once the harder games are done. equally we could be 6th very shortly and not talked about

everyone bar spurs ;) are still in it.... hoddle and spurs... implosion?
 
I'm sticking with my opinion. We AIM for the top until it is mathematically impossible In the mean time I hope that we stay under the media radar and they continue to limit our expectation at top 4 level. That way we keep the pressure of expectation as low as possible.

But if we are in or around the top spot with about 10 matches to go then we go for it with all guns blazing. 2014 could be very good for us. Our major opponents all have to come to Anfield. Chelsea, Arsenal, United and City all have European involvement. By the end of January we should have Gerrard, Sturridge and Enrique should all be available again - making our top options all the stronger.

So, there's no reason why we can't win it this season. But let's not burden ourselves with that prospect until it becomes achievable - whilst working towards that outcome all the time.
 
I'm sticking with my opinion. We AIM for the top until it is mathematically impossible In the mean time I hope that we stay under the media radar and they continue to limit our expectation at top 4 level. That way we keep the pressure of expectation as low as possible.

But if we are in or around the top spot with about 10 matches to go then we go for it with all guns blazing. 2014 could be very good for us. Our major opponents all have to come to Anfield. Chelsea, Arsenal, United and City all have European involvement. By the end of January we should have Gerrard, Sturridge and Enrique should all be available again - making our top options all the stronger.

So, there's no reason why we can't win it this season. But let's not burden ourselves with that prospect until it becomes achievable - whilst working towards that outcome all the time.

aim for the top is how lfc fans ought to be thinking. settling for 4th as a goal is not good IMO. however realism might say next year was really where we would think this could happen but if its there this year and we get a bit of luck (suarez plays all remaining games and scores a shed load)

then jonny is dead right... one game at a time thats also the lfc way. do this and may takes care of itself.
 
I don't really get the strength of depth of the squad argument for the simple reason we are not in Europe in any shape or form. Also every time we have a bit of adversity we come through quite well. Suarez missed first 5 Prem games and we were saying if we can get through them and get a few points once he is back we can start putting some form together, well 3 wins, a draw, and a single loss later he came back so we were not too bad without him. Sturridge out and we are still winning and scoring goals with others starting to chip in, Enrique out, Gerard out, 5 nil away at spuds, we haven't got a bad squad and we have to take a game at a time and believe and then see where we are with ten to go. I am sure Fungas wasn't telling his players we can't win it for twenty six years and then on 13 occasions saying "O look we have", I am sure Martinez is not telling the blue boys that they can't win it. I am just keeping the faith and will think about what might be nearer the time.

One more thing if you look at names in team squads it means diddly squat, city look like they have an awesome squad but can't play them all at once and as someone said they have had this squad since the summer and aren't in front of us yet.
 
aim for the top is how lfc fans ought to be thinking. settling for 4th as a goal is not good IMO. however realism might say next year was really where we would think this could happen but if its there this year and we get a bit of luck (suarez plays all remaining games and scores a shed load)

then jonny is dead right... one game at a time thats also the lfc way. do this and may takes care of itself.

There is little logic in football. Therefore the time frame for development is a totally inexact science. Add to that we, probably more than any other club, are a set of supporters who are desperate to see the return of league success. The perhaps next season syndrome has become as big a stick with which to beat us as "this is our year" had become. So let's stop being childish and admit we do have a chance this season - with or without Suarez (after all we didn't have him for the first 5 games). We CAN win the title this season and we WILL win the title if we prove that we are good enough.

BTW one game at a time was NOT the LFC way. It may have become so during our 'wilderness' years but in our true glory days it was the expectation that we WOULD win.
 
We are not sure if Sergio Aguero injury is going affect City, however, they have a big squad.We are lucky he is not going to be there when weare playing City away on boxing day.
 
We are not sure if Sergio Aguero injury is going affect City, however, they have a big squad.We are lucky he is not going to be there when weare playing City away on boxing day.

Equally, all things being equal, they are unlucky that Suarez is likely to be playing but lucky that Sturridge will not be playing - breaks both ways. Uless that is you are trying to say that Aguero is better than Suarez?
 
Equally, all things being equal, they are unlucky that Suarez is likely to be playing but lucky that Sturridge will not be playing - breaks both ways. Uless that is you are trying to say that Aguero is better than Suarez?

Think he's just saying it's a bonus for us that he isn't playing.