LFC 2013/14 Played 3, won 3... top of the table LFC 1993/4 20 years ago. PLayed 3, won 3 top of the table. by end of september that year we were 13th In 93/4 we finally say off souness when he resigned after the team simply flopped. Bristol city saw us off after a replay and souness fell on his own sword after Moores bottled sacking him for 2 seasons. Why do I say this? Absolutely no reason other than similar circumstance and certainly no wish to compare tow managers. You see...... a start is after all just a start. As LFC fans we can bask in being top for the international break as a nice change of pace form the past 3 years BUT as LFC fans we should all know full well that winning trophies is what counts and while the start is great we must sustain, then improve and try to go the distance. Prehaps LFC have turned a corner in terms of quality, squad depth or even tactical ability but we are just taking a few steps along a long journey from nowhere to hopefully the top. tHat jounrey should be long but we've stepped away from being mid table nothings in my opinion.... lets just not get carried away and then spit the dummy when the inevitable loss or draw comes. ...... discuss.....
For now I'm making the most of being top, and drawing up as many positives as I can within reason. Of course we probably won't be staying there, but for now we need to take it one game at a time. Because with every win we stay up there regardless of what happens around us. As said before, the biggest test will be how we react to defeat, that's when we can measure how far this team has come. But if you compare us as a club this season to the start of last season, we're better off in almost every aspect. For now, I'm milking it and no one can begrudge us that!
I'd like to see the team apply itself for the full 90. Three nervy 1-0 wins, all early scored goals, needs building on.
MITO you know as well as I do that making predictions before say 10 matches in is just a mugs game. All we can truly say is that so far the results have been very pleasing. Our transfer window activity has been focused upon the areas where we have needed improvement and cover. We do have the prospect of Suarez coming back soon. We look like we have the capability to withstand pressure and score goals. So far so good
no only begrudgers could possible after what we've had for a few year... ok so other clubs in other divisions have had terrible times like southampton or whats going on at Blackburn or see afc wimbledon for example but we had to endure somestuff and by all means enjoy it for what it is...
I agree with MITO that we should not get to excited, however compared to the start we have had to recent seasons we should be well pleased and just hope they can keep it up.I am sure as soon as we lose a game the Daily Fail and other Manc supporting papers will be full of headlines along the lines of " The Bubble Has Burst, LFC Start Downward Plunge, and Look At The TitS On That( The s**)" There will be hiccups on the way but I am feeling more confident this season than in recent years due to the fact we have got rid of a lot of the deadwood on high salaries and brought in some useful players.
indeed which is why i wanted to point out that i in no way wanted to compere teams or managers form the two years but merely results. the relief i felt in 1993/4 at a good started was replaced with totally endurance of souness dragging us down and moores bottling it week by week... the Dicks purchase for example. LFC today is not there. but I can see we need to continue the work and take the next steps and not rest on the laurels.
Sack BR before he flops and puts us 13th at the end of September. All the signs are there!! Everyone said the first 6 games would show how good we are as we struggle without our main man, well, half way there and things are going ok so far. In theory, we should get stronger when Suarez returns however how he integrates back into the team will be crucial. For the great player he is, without him the rest of the team seem to step up and Sturridge in particular. If after 19 games we're still up there, no reason why we can't count ourselves as strong contenders for top 4.
All I said is lets talk about turning the corner away from being mid table nothings. i think perhaps a little reread of what i wrote might be in order
Unlike other people, I don't really care about being top right now. Being top of the league only counts after the final game. What I am happy about though is that we've made a positive start to the season whereas we had previously been making shocking starts and we're keeping up (or ahead of) the other top four contenders when in previous seasons we'd have already lost ground. We shouldn't get comfortable or cocky at being top and winning; we've not been playing well for the entire 90 minutes yet. We've got alot of work to do - but we've started well and can build confidence from that.
While what you say is true (nobody wins anything now) surely you enjoy looking at the table with us topping it?
Yeah 2nd half we drop off, hoping that comes with fitness Ive seen some fans being cocky which is stupid theyre the younger ones though
Not really because it means nothing. If anything, it just gets people carried away with the idea that we can go on and win it and I'm used to seeing great results or performances followed by atrocious ones shortly after; that's what supporting Liverpool the last few years has been about. I've got ahead of myself and just ended up disappointed. So I don't care too much about where we are in the table right now so long as we're still in the mix when it comes to Christmas and playing well.
Yea it's the 'playing well' but for me that counts. Sorry guys but we ain't winning the prem with this squad - I just can't see it. The most we can hope for is signs if improvement and for the lads to play well and for each other. BR appears to have got them doing this right now and that is fantastic for a new, young manager.
Wait, who has said we're going to challenge for the title? Though I know we're not going to stay there, it makes a nice change looking at the table and seeing as up the right end, rather than near the bottom trailing behind the teams we look to finish ahead off. See it how ever you want, but three wins out of three is what it is, it's a perfect start - no one is seeing it as a false dawn, or the return of a title challenge, as LFC fans we all know too well where we're at as a squad, and that finishing in the top four will be tough. But hell, after a positive transfer window, keeping our 30 goal man and 4 wins out of 4 this season, you won't catch me sitting here dwelling on the inevitable slip-up, I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.
Also worth noting MITO, teams who start on a high tend to drop off quite a bit. Chelsea did it under RDM and Ancellotti during the seasons they got sacked. They looked unstoppable at the start. Wolves had 7/9 points in their first 3 games when they got relegated. Sunderland and Villa also had good starts in the late 90s. I'm not going to take it for granted that's for sure.
It's simple, our final league position will be decided on current form not ancient history. Those first three games were great, gave the fans a bit of much needed euphoria and the team some self-belief and positivity, but they are now the latter and irrelevant going into the next game against Swansea. The team need to treat each match individually and prepare for it professionally, past performances won't win it, how we handle them on the day will. Table gazing, whilst nice as we're at the top, is also probably inadvisable as it might lead to complacency in players and over-expectation in fans, as you say MITO. I think we can get a good result against Swansea and we just have to ride this thing as far as it takes us and not let a poor result or performance affect our momentum or threaten all the good work that's clearly been done, I'm sure Rodgers won't let that happen. The league will be incredibly tight this year. I'm not saying we're going to win it but we can be much more in the conversation with the right attitude. I'm feeling some real belief that we can be top four and have suppressed thoughts/hopes of a title win, maybe that is down to the artificiality of the early season table and now this short break.
Realistically 5th would be a good finish & progression. Top 4 would be over achieving, but the more I look at the fixtures running up to Xmas & early assessments of our rivals, the more I believe top four can be achievable.
its just all about have we turned a corner. our last 4 years = mid tbale mediocrity. 7ths and 8ths? so have we turned a corner and can look towards at least the europa and a cup run or two as we progress? the signs are hopefuly. We need to work and improve on where we are at. I think the journey to top 4 will be longer than some are willing to admit but at least theres a path to it.
one difference I've noticed is the feel of the fans, most including myself didn't think we would have a squad capable of competing for top 4 this season and only time will tell if we do but the signs are promising. we have coped well without Suarez so far, Hendo Sturridge and Coutinho have all become affective 1st team players, we have covered our defense with experience and potential and it seems lady luck is chipping in too which is always a plus. not getting carried away just yet but I think we are set to surprise a few people this year not least ourselves.
