Sneaking up on the rails?

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crocarno

crocarno

Member
Feb 3, 2011
480
16
18
Not exactly my favourite team (in fact, probably the one I despise the most), but Liverpool seem to have been making some reasonable signings during 2013: Coutinho, Sturridge, Toure, Mignolet, Aspas & Alberto.

Whilst none of them are likely to win a Player of the Year award, I think that will more than likely have an impact on their squad as a whole. Yes, I can see Suarez leaving, but with those purchases (and maybe a few more), they seem to have been fairly sensible in team strengthening. For a while now, Liverpool's 1st 11 have been reasonable, but with a poor/weak bench. It looks like that are buying reasonably well.

With all the talk about Man U / City and Spurs/Arsenal, will Liverpool be the ones that sneak up unnoticed?
 
crocarno said:
With all the talk about Man U / City and Spurs/Arsenal, will Liverpool be the ones that sneak up unnoticed?
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Nope.

Goofy is reported (yet again) as having been mouthing off to the press about how he wants out of 'Pool. If he truly believed that 'Pool had even the slightest chance of finishing in the top 4 there is no way he'd be acting the way he has been. Losing him will be a massive blow to 'Pool; and even if some of their latest signings have enabled then to take two steps forward on their rivals, Goofy leaving will entail them taking ten steps backwards.
 
HIAG/totsfan - let's hope his exit hurts them bad. I could really do without them doing well or showing anything half-decent.
 
I said, four or five seasons back, that it would take 'Pool at least a decade to recover from their financial collapse. Don't forget that they had been leaking all of their best talent for several seasons before the bank stepped in and forced a sale.

Mousers, at the time, completely derided me for what I said, and I was even expelled from their board over it, but, four seasons later, and I remain correct in what I said. I simply cannot see 'Pool having the consistency required for a serious top 4 campaign. Spurs find it difficult enough, and our squad and manager are far superior to 'Pool's.
 
totsfan said:
some of them are good buy's but i don't think they will be good enough for top 4
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I agree. Liverpool over the past few seasons have made a habit of making signings that look good, but ultimately don't drive the team forwards.

In 2009 it was Johnson, Aquilani and Maxi
In 2010 it was Meireles, Shelvey and Col
In 2011 it was Suarez, Carroll, Downing, Henderson and Enrique
In 2012 it was Allen, Borini, Assaidi and Sahin

Some of those players flopped, some did well, some did very well. But ultimately Liverpool finished comfortably 6th - 8th every season, and any benefits from players joining were balanced out by players leaving, losing form or getting old. If Suarez leaves then I don't see there being much change in that situation, unless all their signings perform at their best level right from the off.
 
Hoddle Is A God said:
Nope.

Goofy is reported (yet again) as having been mouthing off to the press about how he wants out of 'Pool. If he truly believed that 'Pool had even the slightest chance of finishing in the top 4 there is no way he'd be acting the way he has been. Losing him will be a massive blow to 'Pool; and even if some of their latest signings have enabled then to take two steps forward on their rivals, Goofy leaving will entail them taking ten steps backwards.
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No one is seriously interested in what you have to say buster, go wum somewhere else where you're not banned. <ok>
 
I have a sneaking suspicion, Liverpool will move forward next year! Brendan Rodgers is much more experienced and with these signings ,I really think they have a chance of sneaking 4th.
 
bluemoon2 said:
I have a sneaking suspicion, Liverpool will move forward next year! Brendan Rodgers is much more experienced and with these signings ,I really think they have a chance of sneaking 4th.
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I just don't see it.

Last season they had one game a week from Christmas and very little pressure in any games towards the end of the season and still they couldn't get above Everton. These signing could be more Borini's. Coutinho did do well but it was in the circumstances I mentioned above and this season I expect teams to be much more aware of him and think he'll be less effective. If they lose Suarez they have to find 20+ goals from somewhere and I can't see that in the signings they've made. If Suarez stays he'll be unhappy about it so wouldn't be at all surprised if he was involved in another major incident with every defender and crowd winding the filthy weasel up.

I so no change, 6th - 8th.
 
CPofL KTBFFH said:
I just don't see it.

Last season they had one game a week from Christmas and very little pressure in any games towards the end of the season and still they couldn't get above Everton. These signing could be more Borini's. Coutinho did do well but it was in the circumstances I mentioned above and this season I expect teams to be much more aware of him and think he'll be less effective. If they lose Suarez they have to find 20+ goals from somewhere and I can't see that in the signings they've made. If Suarez stays he'll be unhappy about it so wouldn't be at all surprised if he was involved in another major incident with every defender and crowd winding the filthy weasel up.

I so no change, 6th - 8th.
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Our league position was damaged by our form before Christmas, not after it. That's where we lost the ground. Our form afterwards was easily top 4 standard. Borini was blighted by injuries this season, so no wonder the lad didn't get up to speed. Judge him after this coming season if he's a flop or not. Not saying he'll be a world beater, but he can be decent enough to have an impact. Losing Suarez will hurt, but there are plenty of stats lying around (yeah yeah, stats) which say we only gained about 7 points from Suarez's goals. I think his influence is over estimated a little, brilliant as he is. I think Coutinho can step up as the creator in the number 10 role to replace him, but I worry where the goals will come from to close those 2-1 close matches into comfortable 3-1 guaranteed wins. Sturridge I don't see getting more than 15.

Anyway, that said, I'm surprised some of you think we could sneak 4th. Most LFC fans would be happy with simply closing the gap and being in the mix - although naturally we'll just keep aiming to win games and see how it goes. Spuds are looking strong, but I don't see Arsenal being in the CL spots next season. I suspect we'll end up 5th and Spuds 4th.
 
Two girls said:
Our league position was damaged by our form before Christmas, not after it. That's where we lost the ground. Our form afterwards was easily top 4 standard. Borini was blighted by injuries this season, so no wonder the lad didn't get up to speed. Judge him after this coming season if he's a flop or not. Not saying he'll be a world beater, but he can be decent enough to have an impact. Losing Suarez will hurt, but there are plenty of stats lying around (yeah yeah, stats) which say we only gained about 7 points from Suarez's goals. I think his influence is over estimated a little, brilliant as he is. I think Coutinho can step up as the creator in the number 10 role to replace him, but I worry where the goals will come from to close those 2-1 close matches into comfortable 3-1 guaranteed wins. Sturridge I don't see getting more than 15.

Anyway, that said, I'm surprised some of you think we could sneak 4th. Most LFC fans would be happy with simply closing the gap and being in the mix - although naturally we'll just keep aiming to win games and see how it goes. Spuds are looking strong, but I don't see Arsenal being in the CL spots next season. I suspect we'll end up 5th and Spuds 4th.
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You clearly didn't understand what I was saying. I know your form was good but I believe that was because you only had 1 game a week and no pressure games. That will change is you're going to challenge and you won't find it quite so easy to pick up points as you did the 2nd half of last season.
It's funny how Suarez is not as important to you now that he might be leaving. Last season he was the Moses leading you to the promised land.
 
CPofL KTBFFH said:
You clearly didn't understand what I was saying. I know your form was good but I believe that was because you only had 1 game a week and no pressure games. That will change is you're going to challenge and you won't find it quite so easy to pick up points as you did the 2nd half of last season.
It's funny how Suarez is not as important to you now that he might be leaving. Last season he was the Moses leading you to the promised land.
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I understand exactly what you said. You said we couldn't manage to finish above Everton despite an easy fixture list in the second half of the season, I'm pointing out that we failed to do so because our pre-Christmas form was so bad, but we gained alot of ground post-Christmas. It's very simple.

You can say we picked up because of less pressure or lack of cup games if you want, but Sturridge and Coutinho were also big factors. Our football was also far better and more fluid, we played less like strangers who'd never seen eachother before. Football, unfortunately, has alot of variables.

Suarez is important to us, I've never said otherwise. I said it would hurt us. I also said about 2 months ago the same fact about how many points we actually gained directly through Saurez. I've also mentioned previously about goals per game with Suarez in the team compared to when he's out the team (fyi, we score more on average without him). These aren't new revelations from 'deluded scouses' backtracking now that it looks like he's off, it's things we've said before. Only thing is people now decide to listen to what they want to hear becuase it suits them better than previously. Just like how people claimed he was overrated all season because it made them feel better, but when LFC fans dare to say he's not as important to us as people believe, we're wrong and he's an outstanding player.

Class player undoubtedly and important to us as our main creative threat, but we can play football without him too.
 
Liverpool have a lot of ground to make up to get top 4 or even come close. They've signed Aspas and Albertos this summer who we know little about and Toure who is weaker than the player they've lost in this position (Carragher). Coutinho looks the business but Sturridge is not a top 4 player as he has massive limitations as we know all too well. If (or when) they lose Suarez this season then they will need to make some big moves to get close.
 
None of their signings apart from Mignolet have convinced me. What Sturridge and Coutinho showed in the tail end of last season is nothing I haven't seen before, wasn't that long Maxi Rodriguez was scoring hat tricks for fun under Kenny Dalgleish. Lets see how they do when the pressure is on, my guess is they won't be finishing higher than 6th, especially if Suarez is off.
 
The signings they have made SHOULD strengthen their team, emphasis on should.
But Liverpool have signed alot of duff players in recent years for inflated prices that just havent worked out.
Liverpools other problem is that the teams above them are far better.
Liverpool MAY overhaul Everton, depends on what signings Everton make, and whether Martinez can get them playing well.
But there is no chance at all imo, of Liverpool over taking Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, City or United. Meaning 6th is the best they can hope for.

But they will still probably finish lower.
 
Two girls said:
I understand exactly what you said. You said we couldn't manage to finish above Everton despite an easy fixture list in the second half of the season, I'm pointing out that we failed to do so because our pre-Christmas form was so bad, but we gained alot of ground post-Christmas. It's very simple.

.
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On the 2nd of Jan you were 5 points behind Everton, you ended up 2 points behind. Not exactly the stuff of legends especially with 1 game a week and no pressure.
 
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