Have to say, after watching all of the pre-season games and seeing the big mixture of the team, everyone looks pretty damned focused and fit so far. Do you think the squad as a whole and Brendan have finally got on the same page and everyone realizes the enormity of the upcoming season? I know pre-seasons don't mean everything but you see how United haven't lit it up, Everton struggling, Juve, Inter Milan, etc all different teams I have watched that don't seem to be as sharp. This may all unravel at Celtic of course but I think so far our boys have looked sharp, looked to press quickly, move the ball about. I think we could still do a bit better with our finishing but again with it being pre-season now is the time to get it out. Anything else I have missed that you have been particularly impressed with and hope continues? Things you have seen that we are still shocking at?
good positive article bluff. but i will reserve judgement where we are at until we have been properly tested, not so sure we really have yet, get 3pts against Stoke there will be a good atmos around the place, lose and it will be fecking depressing lol esp with the Suarez thing still hanging if it is by then. good pre season and played some nice football going forward which looks very promising, not so sure we have been properly tested at the back. impressed with the new signings. why are we so **** at corners both ends? always felt this way since Hyypia left, he was a beast.
I got that feeling from the Olympiakos game but when watching the other games I've felt the opposition weren't strong enough.
Agree with the opposition but I was thinking more on us, how sharp we look. I mean United and teams better than us at the moment lost to chinese all-stars and the like so you still have to do the business!!!!! Also note that Carroll scored 6 goals in the Kenny pre-season and I think that was more than he scored all year in the league!!! Celtic as I said should be a good test but feel we have given everyone a fair crack at the team and that our fitness and touch are pretty good still a week + out.
I've got to agree. Normally I watch our pre-season campaign with dismay. The team normally looks disjointed and unfit, but it's always put down to the fact that it's 'just pre-season' and so it doesn't matter. I do wonder if there is any correlation between our normally poor start to the season and our generally poor pre-season. Although I do remember a commentor on here recently saying they remembered us having a great pre-season but starting poor again. But in any case I'm optimistic. Get off to a good win at Stoke and who knows how it'll go.
Even last year we had wins against valencia, bayer l, etc good teams, CL teams and then ........ got thumped by WBA. But you could see in the play that we were disjointed and not on the same page, new players not quite fitting on, old players trying to adapt. I don't see that this year, we look a unit and if we are going to do anything of note this year, it will be as a team I think and not one man carrying the squad ( even if none of the suarez stuff happened I would say the same thing). Need more players pitching in 10-12 goals, better defense overall ( not just clean sheets but keeping it to no more than 1 goal a game type of record).
I thought Valerenga would be a better test than it was since they're already part way through their season and we played a reserve team in the first half! I can feel the joy brother
We've lost Reina and Carragher's influence both on the pitch and dressing room. If Gerrard is out injured, who's the old experienced head going to be? And [if he stays - big if] will Suarez have to get changed 'on his own' or will they be speaking to him by then
they was big characters around the place though, maybe we will see a more vocal Agger and Lucas now on the pitch, some players come out their shell more when other players have gone.
The main thing I remember of last years pre-season was that goddawful American tour. We were so poor. Brendan's arrival in addition to players arriving back late from International tournaments made last years preparation pretty darn awful.
ya it was pretty poor. Struggling against TFC, played spurs to a dull draw, got bossed around by Roma. I also like the look ( early doors of course) of Alberto, Ibe, and Sterling. The latter two look ready to take over the wings and that is only going to be a good thing!
The pre-season hasn't shown us a thing. Apart that is from the fact that our squad is approaching match fitness. With all of the Suarez issues and Sturridge's injury we have not been able to even try out anything like our first choice attacking formation. The midfield in all of its phases is intriguing and looks both mobile and creative. The defence really depends upon who goes and who stays in the middle - though Tourre looks a better acquisition than I thought he would be. From our newboys, Aspas looks lively and Alberto appears to create time for himself on the ball. It's early days but it looks well. Somehow I get the feeling that we now have more ways to win a game than we have had for a long time. If we start well I think this group could take us a long way with a bit of luck
G, just for once I'll indulge your pedancy. "Somehow I get the feeling that we now have more strategic options as to how win a game than we have had for a long time."
Bluff i personally think rodgers learned form last year and has pushed VERY hard to have players peaking for the off. the danger of course is by christmas they are burned out, however one game a week? I'm hoping he'll also mind key players like gerrard to avoid such burn out. johnson looks so poor in the last 3 months last season. OH and olypiakos should be better than celtic so i have no concerns in dublin.... well only concern is that bunch of cloggers injure someone vital.... You've missed just 3 key things. 1. lucas is fit. 2. aspas, will he really be good or is it a hope at this point. 3. defense is still not worked on for goals IMO as we've seen consistent weaknesses from set piece in preseason... these 3 points will be IMO key to our start this season. Aspas needs to socre, lucas will be key to our game and we will leak goals.
