A round up of the stories on the club site today. http://www.liverpoolfc.com/ Rodgers: Wait until we really hit form Gerrard: Let's end 2012 in the mix Joe: It was a good feeling
Really positive stuff. Been a great week and we have 3 wins on the bounce (including the EL game), but more importantly, we have a VERY GOOD chance of extending this run with home games against Fulham and Villa. Credit to Joe Cole and Henderson - they have received a lot of stick recently (from myself included) but they haven't moaned or anything. They've just got on with the job and remained professional.
It's important not to get to carried away, we've had many false dawns over the last few years but right now we're going in the right direction. I hope we continue to progress, you can feel the belief starting to creep back in to the team and the fans, which shows what a good job Rodgers is doing right now. We still have a long way to go but I'm willing to give Rodgers the time, which is necessary for us to ultimately be where we want to be, challenging again. January will be a massive transfer window, it's time for the owners to back Rodgers fully and give him the necessary funds we need to make that extra push up, and hopefully in the coming weeks Sterling will sign a long-term contract so we can concentrate on bringing players in without the added stress with potentially losing our best players.
Don't want to go on like a broken record, I want signings done NOW and to be unveiled on the 1st Jan.. I don't want us to be part of "Transfer Deadline day" if we are, I'll be uber pished off!
I was contemplating set up a separate thread, but realised it was not really warranted: My question was whether Joe Cole's goal yesterday means we have to re-appraise his overall performance (which I think was average) So ...are goals all that count? (rhetorical question) GKRK (braces himself for sympathy post reply)
I finding the vilification of Cole pretty funny atm, in the match thread it was like everyone was throwing there toys out of the pram when he came on. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter if he plays rubbish every game if he scores goals, thats where his experience counts. In a similar way we all look at united's midfield and say they are not good enough for them, they are average week in week out, but when united are really struggling they always seem to pop up and get a winner despite having a crap game and it where experience shows. Thats how you win the PL having a good balance of youth and experience, where you can chop and change between the two depending on the opposition and the state of the game. I think Rodgers showed he is more than capable in doing that in the Westham game, afterall he could hardly play shelvey, suso and sterling up front like many suggested, there would be no experience, and no composure like Cole showed for his goal(if not anywhere else). I guess what i'm really getting at is I think people need to stop trashing the team and the manager, Cole scored a great goal(one of our best this season) and hes adding to the squad in the games we need him to. Rodgers is getting better with selection and results despite the performances not being great, which shows tactically hes doing ok. I would like to see some investment this jan, we have needed some support up front for as long as i can remember, but I'm not sure its coming. The owners refused to give KK money last Jan, and I can see the same happening this year. So we all need to stop the whining and get on with supporting all of the team as best we can. If it all goes to pot by the summer then the finger pointing start then, it does nobody any favors to be complaining at every little thing that goes wrong in the mean time.
Cole has bought himself more time for me. At the end of the day he is one of the few players capable of a change of pace/movement and a good finish. He also has good vision in the final third. What people havent considered previous is his match fitness. He's always looked fat for us. He doesn't now, and with more games comes match fitness. I hope he can kick on.
Fair point, but it completely neglects the fact that Cole could have lost us the game by repeatedly giving away posession from the first touch he had til his last. Great, one goal, but on another day he'd have flapped his chance and gifted them two. Credit where it's due, he scored an important goal, but the guy's still **** and offers us very little - certainly not enough for what we pay him. He needs to go and that money invested into someone elses wages.
The question is can we get anybody better? its not like we have the best players in Europe knocking on the door to play for us and we wont until we are challenging for trophies again. Cole used to be a good player if we can get him back to anything like he was then he'll be useful this season, there certainly no point in getting an unproven player just to save on wages his goals could prove decisive when it comes securing 4th or in the EL.
I agree, if he came on and was showing his experience by keeping the ball and doing the right things on the pitch I'd understand, his first 4 passes were not completed and the 5th deflected of a West Ham player to one of ours. I don't think he's good enough and certainly not worth his wage, as always I hope he proves me wrong.
Lets hope its a rusty/confidence thing. BR intends to play him more so in theory his touch and passing should improve as well as his fitness. (Hope.....hope......hope) Maybe his attitude after seeing how fans react to 'good' performances (all 2 of them) will also improve. He said he knows he's a good footballer; ok I'll believe him: but show us don't tell us.
Wasn't this all in one situation? Where he had three or four West Ham players around him? Bit harsh to highlight the opening five passes IMO
I've moaned and condemned Joe Cole as much as the next guy but I was very happy to see him get a standing ovation when he was taken off the other week. Superb Anfield reaction and it was fully deserved too. As you say, hopefully that can encourage him
Do you really want to know? April 23rd 2011 - Birmingham 5-0 April 30th 2011 - Newcastle 3-0 May 7th 2011 - Fulham 5-2
