With everything you've just said there, you've just proved how little you know about football and more importantly our club.
So you can go ahead and piss off now David, you've just embarrassed yourself - no point exacerbating the situation.
That is much different from saying he has 10 first team players waiting to come in. It's just not viable to have a full squad of top players, and that's why our entire squad doesn't need an overhaul like you claim. As for claiming Utd won 'despite losing key players for large parts of the season', well that has to be one of the laziest, ill-informed comments going. Valencia missed the first half of the season due to a leg-break last year. Ferdinand missed spells in the same way he has done for the last couple of years. Rooney had a couple of weeks out at the same time it probably suited him the way his contract was going. I'm fairly sure they are the only severe injuries Utd had all season, and Nani, Berbatov, Vidic, Van Der Sar, Giggs, Carrick, Fletcher, Hernandez all remained fit for most of the games in the league (and that's just key players) Liverpool were without Gerrard for almost the entire season, Carragher out for 3months with a dislocated shoulder, Carroll missed nearly all games with us since Christmas (i understand he was injured when he signed for us but being out for as much as he was wasn't forseen), Agger had various injuries including concussion and managed 16 appearances in total before his season was finished in April, Fabio Aurelio (our best left back) was permanently crocked, Martin Kelly out since the end of February. There are more than that (Mereiles for example had a couple of injuries, Shelvey missed months, Johnson missed about a third of the season), but our injuries were so bad we had to play Glen Johnson (when he was fit) at left back, and then had to play a 17year old and an 18year old as fullbacks when he wasn't. Now that is 'despite key players'. If anything the injury issue is something that suggests ground is there to be gained for Liverpool next season.
I would have Suarez, Carroll and Lucas over Mascherano and Torres anyday. Mascherano may be a better pure destroyer than Lucas but he often slowed play down with his poor technique and lack of first touch while Lucas can keep play going better and keeps things fluid like Busquets does for Barca. Suarez & Carroll have the potential to get 15-20 goals a season each, Torres didn't contribute that much on his own for us in the 4 years he was here, he wasn't adaptable either unlike Suarez who can play 4 different positions or Carroll who can actually play with a strike partner. And Gerrard will be playing alongside Lucas in the midfield, so I'd say he's actually a better midfielder than Alonso, so no loss there, really. Then you've got Dirk Kuyt and Henderson to play on the right, which gives us better depth than what we had previously when we had Dirk Kuyt then El Zhar. On the left Riera played the majority of the games in the title challenging season, now we're apparently looking at the likes of Downing, N'Zogbia and Mata to play for us on the left, any of these would be an improvement on Riera. We could do with a new left back, although Insua and Aurelio were hardly brilliant choices in the title challenging season, and we've still got them on our books. The Right side has been considerably strengthened now that we have Flanagan, Kelly and Johnson there, compared to just Arbeloa in the 08/09 season. We could do with a new centre half to bolster our team but apart from that our team is probably stronger than it was 2 years ago, and it's fair to say every other team has gone backwards since then. Schofield, who do you support anyway ya boring twat?
Now now I'm not standing for that! Boring he most certainly is but (if we must use the term) a twat has some uses whereas he doesn't
Hodgson would have finished the season where Kenny finished. I'm hearing it all now. Hodgson in the first 20 games won 7.Kenny in the remaning 18 games won 10.Kenny picked 8 points more in 2 games less.Now even Souness never had such a poor return after 20 games played.Kenny's win return was far superior to Hodgsons.Hodgsons was 35% and Kenny's was 56%.So that blows your ''supposed arguement'' out of the water.Oops I forgot Kenny had a ''Honeymoon period'' that lasted five months.
Hodgson was the Manager under a corrupt and crumbling regime, he had to see the Club through a period of near financial collapse are you seriously suggesting that he wasn't hampered by that? Goodness me. Check out what he did prior to Liverpool and immediately after, he is a good Manager and certainly one capable of finishing ahead of the dross of the Prem + Everton and Villa.
Hodgson helped West Brom to 5 wins and 5 draws from 12 remaining games including an important win against the club that sacked him earlier in the season. Beating Liverpool 2-1 at The Hawthorns.[79] Hodgson lead West Brom to a Premier League finish of 11th, the best finish the club has had in nearly 30 years (finishing 11th in Division 1 - 1982/83). 20 points from 12 games. With West Brom, and crucially, under enormous pressure as they were bottom of the League when he took over. Yes. I think Hodgson could have had you finish 6th.
Evening all, I don't think it's deluded it's just a different view to yourself. Back to the original question : I think people will have noticed Liverpools improvement but I think they have a little way to go before people start 'worrying' about them. Still at least it's a step in the right direction for you
And you are WRONG. Hodgson proved that he was not capable of managing Liverpool. His frailty as a manager were clearly demonstrated as he stood on the touchline at Newcastle and Spurs rubbing his chin and not knowing what to do. He didn't understand the club and he didn't understand the Liverpool way of playing. When seasoned professionals describe his training methods as antique then you know there's not really much hope.
Roy Hodgson is a mid-table manager with a mid-table atitude.He's at his level with West Brom.Incredibly nice bloke,but he's not Liverpool material.He was what Hicks and Gillett wanted...a ''Yes man..a lap-dog''.Someone that wouldn't give them grief like Rafa did.I admire what Rafa did,he fought for the fans,He knew things weren't right,and he was proved right.The only problem was he let all the politics take over and forgot to concentrate on coaching. Okay the circumstances he went into weren't the best,but Rafa got more out of that squad under the same circumstances.Okay in the end it all unravelled,but he couldn't get any more out.He wasn't able.The squad stagnated. I do admit Kenny got the job at just about the right time.He should never have been manager under Hicks and Gillett.They would have sacked him.If they thought Rafa gave them grief.They've never seen Kenny in a foul mood.Its not a pretty sight.Rafa is a mild mannered Spaniard.Kenny is a gruff Glaswegian.He's a incredibly nice bloke,but step on his toes and he'll turn into a living nightmare.He would never put up with the rubbish Rafa was expected to tolerate. Kenny's got the job with far better circumstances.Stable and ambitious owners,that are intent on one thing only and thats returning Liverpool to the top and their rightful place at the summit of English football.Under FSG and Kenny Liverpool are going to reclaim their throne.
Foredeck "Hodgson proved that he was not capable of managing Liverpool". Can you not agree that Hodgson only proved he was not capable of managing Liverpool at that time? No Manager would have been able to work under the circumstances he had to and prospered.
No manager would have been able to work under the circumstances he had to and prospered. Rafa Benitez did it for 3 years,and did prosper..until he was no longer able to.He got every ounce of sweat out of that squad until they were no longer able to fight.It stagnated.Rafa had to weaken the squad in order to improve the team.Now how is any manager expected to succeed under these circumstances.
On the subject of the whole 'To be contenders, I believe you would need to buy another 10 Players who are 1st Team Ready' can I just ask you a question? Lets half that and say if you took 5 players Vidic, Rooney, Hernandes, Giggs and Nani out of Utd are you seriously trying to say you would have a better squad than us? Take the 3 best players out of any of the top teams and they would struggle to make top 6.
Woah; such a clever move - taking my words and making them your own. It's almost akin to: "You're stupid!" "No you're stupid!"
