Re: Liverpool 14/15 season

by iftikhar Fri Sep 05, 2014 1:19 am

RedOranje wrote:The post about the current season's results that are in the thread created for last season, yes.

by iftikhar Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:30 pm

September Fixtures (all competitions)

September 13: Aston Villa (EPL/Home)
September 16: Ludogorets (UCL/Home)
September 20: West Ham (EPL/Away)
September 23: Middlesbrough (COC/Home)
September 27: Everton (EPL/Home)

Hectic but easy schedule. Shouldn't pose any problem.

by McAgger Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:02 pm

4 home matches and 1 away, all very very very winnable.

by Helmer Sat Sep 13, 2014 5:45 am

Don't call me James wrote:4 home matches and 1 away, all very very very winnable.

not again pls Neutral

by iftikhar Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:05 pm

iftikhar wrote:September Fixtures (all competitions)

September 13: Aston Villa (EPL/Home)
September 16: Ludogorets (UCL/Home)
September 20: West Ham (EPL/Away)
September 23: Middlesbrough (COC/Home)
September 27: Everton (EPL/Home)

Hectic but easy schedule. Shouldn't pose any problem.

by Helmer Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:35 pm

top 4 my priority as it always was :coffee:

by DeletedUser#1 Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:48 pm

I am man enough to apologize to Red Alert. He was right. Absoltue car crash of a season...but Brendan gets a free year from me and should get from the fans until this transition of Suarez-less life is complete and we integrate all the new faces.

Be a miracle if we get top 4.

by Red Alert Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:25 pm

We're like 5 games in relax…

We'll be fine once Mario settles and start playing consistent football as a team again.

by iftikhar Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:13 am

iftikhar wrote:
iftikhar wrote:September Fixtures (all competitions)

September 13: Aston Villa (EPL/Home)
September 16: Ludogorets (UCL/Home)
September 20: West Ham (EPL/Away)
September 23: Middlesbrough (COC/Home)
September 27: Everton (EPL/Home)

Hectic but easy schedule. Shouldn't pose any problem.

by McAgger Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:30 am

Please don't ever make those next 6 games posts. Do you not remember how terribly they jinxed us in 2011 when Sepi was making them. Laughing

And I think my post fits this thread better than the matchday thread

Don't call me James wrote:Ok go to the summer transfer window thread we had in our section and look back at the posts when we were first linked with Lovren. Every single one of us here laughed at the prospect of signing him for 20m because we all felt he wasn't at all an improvement over the already average CB's we had. And well he's been SHIT. It's not hindsight at all to say this because we all knew he wasn't good enough (except maybe one person I don't remember who). It's embarrassing for scouts, the transfer committee and even Rodgers that a bunch of people on the internet can spot something they apparently can't. He's got to improve because whether we like it or not we're stuck with him this season at least.

Skrtel The biggest culprit alongside Johnson for last season *bleep* ups defensively is still the love child for Rodgers. He was utterly dross against Soton and City, his injury was even a blessing in disguise but he walks straight back into the team. It's embarrassing. Every blind man can see 30 year old Skrtel is shit and not good enough for our level or our system. But once again MUST improve because we're stuck with him whether we like it or not.

Sakho has been terrible for us. As good as he is for France, he's sooooooooooo bad for us and our system. Just doesn't at all fit the sort of player we need back there.

Booting Agger for these 3 worthless players

We're stuck with them 3 this season so for me I expect an absolutely terrible defensive campaign once again. We're not going to do shit in CL with these CB's. The competition where you must be able to keep clean sheets and we're more open than a brothel.

The only silver lining for me is that Moreno and Manquillo are quality. And also that we're sooooooo bad defensively that it couldn't possibly get any worse.

All of my hope for our CB's rests on Ilori's potential. Like I preached all summer it would've been best to just give him the starting position and let him grow here. It could NOT possibly be any worse than having the other 3 clowns on this form.

AND FOR THE LOVE GOD VALDES PLEASE GET FIT QUICK AND SIGN.

Mignolet is a terrific shotstopper. Period. Literally period. He's absolutely worthless in everything else. I've never seen a less commanding keeper my life.

That's only for the defense. And it doesn't help that we've got a 35 year old playing 3 90 minutes matches in a week.

Rodgers must take the blame because he's the one making these decision in terms who should play. And they are wrong decisions. However he's very young and will only learn. He can only learn on the defensive side of the game because he's really not improved us at all defensive in these 2+ years.

HOWEVER, Rodgers is still the same tactically astute manager. Because EVERYONE and their mothers have figured out how to play against us and shadow mark Stevie out of the matches, his next challenge is to figure how to get us past that. The obvious decision should be to drop Stevie if every team shadow marks him out because he's useless otherwise. But nobody in the world would have the balls to drop Stevie, NO ONE. So he plays and Rodgers must find a way to counter these shadow marking tactics.

AND FINALLY WTF HAPPENED TO OUR PRESSING. JESUS, THE REMEDY THAT WORKED SO WELL FOR US AND WE'VE COMPLETELY STOPPED USING IT. PRESS!!! PRESS!! PRESS!! FFS CMON.

by McAgger Sun Sep 21, 2014 1:02 am

Our attack is fine. Once Sturridge comes back, Mario-Raheem-Dan is a fantastic trio. Not worried up there. Markovic, Lallana and Coutinho provide good creative options as well. Fabio can *bleep* off though. Origi coming back cannot come soon enough.

The biggest concern is obviously the Defense+GK+DM(minus fullbacks). Personnel wise we've got the wrong type of players for CB's, DM, and GK.

DM:

Stevie does not offer anything defensively when we're not completely obliterating teams. When we are killing teams then yes Stevie looks fantastic both offensively and defensively in that holding role. He acts as that anchor which works to perfection. However the second you mark Stevie out of the game, it throws away the whole system. WHEN teams are able to dominate the midfield (which automatically happens when you handicap Stevie by shadow-marking him) then teams are able to hit us on the transition. AND keep in mind, possession does not equal dominating. This is where Stevie's job all of a sudden becomes that of a DM. STEVIE IS NOT A DM, so naturally he'll look terrible trying to defend space in front of the back four. This in turn makes our defense a chaos festival (particularly the CBs).

So dropping Stevie is a must in games that we know he will be marked out. We need to play with an actual DM or someone in the Fernandinho mold who who is equally efficient in his defensive work and attacking contribution. Longer term Emre can be the answer, but we still badly need another DM here. January we'll re-asses but at this point it looks like we must buy here and buy quality. Lucas OUT.

Stevie for me ideally would only play 30 games a season from now on in all comps (maybe more but the rest from the bench). Second we play against a team say like Spurs or Newcastle that aren't gonna harass Stevie then throw him in and let him revel in the space.

GK:

No words needed. Mignolet is not the answer. He's 26 (turning 27 this season). Fantastic shot stopper but with the way we play we need a more commanding figure at GK specially with our defense. He's not gonna all of a sudden change his style of play and become imposing in the box. Two times he tried to do that and failed miserably this season (Aguero goal and Ludo goal). VALDES IN.

CBs:

I think Ilori is the answer for one of the CB spots (can play both RCB/LCB equally well, ideally though he's RCB). It's criminal that this kid is loaned out when we've got a circus at the back ourselves. I've been preaching this choir for the longest and I'll say it again, Ilori is better than anyone we have in this position.

The other position though is wide open. I would hate to have to buy another CB for the 3rd summer running. So hopefully Ilori can match up well with either Sakho or Lovren. It's hard to see this though. Wisdom for me doesn't have a future with us. KOLO and Skrtel OUT.

Completely wrong personnel at the moment in these positions.

by Art Morte Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:03 am

Against Southampton: Mediocre performance & win.
Against Man City: OK performance & loss.
Against Tottenham: Great performance & win.
Against Aston Villa: Poor performance & loss.
Against West Ham: Poor performance & loss.

What worries me that we've only really played well in just one of our five Premier League matches.

Don't really care about the cup game against Middlesbrough now, the only thing that matters is correcting our PL form. Next weekend it's the Merseyside derby at Anfield and what a huge game that will be.

by Helmer Sun Sep 21, 2014 4:44 am

I will f**** *bleep* everybody if f**** BR starts our XI-starters for this f**** cup game Mad

And I am damn sure we are going to win against Everton :coffee:

we just need to stick together as a team and keep getting results in this season, I hope BR realizes this and doesnt go f***** adventurous in every f**** game till we are settled

by Helmer Sun Sep 21, 2014 5:56 am

Liverpool 14/15 season - Page 2 ByCiZdHIUAAzjFq

that sums up all that we were always shite defensively und we will be until BR sorts that out, I am in no mood to blame any individual for our defensive problems.

by iftikhar Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:25 am

After 10 games, how do you rate our season! What's the way forward!! Our record so far: W4 D2 L4 GF14 GA 14.

We haven't scored many. While a lot of us are hopeful that things will improve on the return of Sturridge, it's questionable how much and how long he can carry us when three of his back-ups combined have scored one goal. But Sturridge is one of the best strikers in EPL and Balotelli too is likely to benefit playing alongside or behind him. So even if marginally, we are likely to be more prolific when the season resumes.

In the midfield, Lallana has shown glimpses of his old self in the last game. But I hope Coutinho sorts out whatever is bugging him during the break. We have sorely missed his creative flare and that led to squeezing all the juice out of Raheem. The return of Allen & Emre will definitely improve our midfield as we have been lacking in the pressing/possession as much as in creativity. Also, if these 10 games are anything to go by, we need to start thinking about replacing Gerrard in the deepest midfield position.

In the defense we need a stable CB-pair.

by Helmer Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:16 am

One Studge returns, his intelligence and runs will help others a lot. He will himself finish few chances and also will create much more for others. Cant wait to see him Play again, I hope BR has learned though this time something and uses it in the future in case Studge gets injured again silent

i will rate our season till now as 5/10. I am sure it will improve as the season progresses.

by McAgger Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:00 pm

Alright so monthly evaluation of the summer signings. With August and September over, how would you rank our summer signings in terms quality they've brought in thus far.

For me:

1. Moreno
2. Lallana
3. Manquillo
4. Balotelli
5. Emre Can
6. Markovic
7. Lambert
8. Lovren

Lovren has been by far the most disappointing one.

Lallana would probably be first but he was injured for quite a while and he's had only a couple of games where he looks to have gone back to his Soton form.

Moreno has been very impressive. Can see him getting even better. Same with Manquillo, impressive but his age shows that he's still very inexperienced.

Mario we've already discussed a lot. His individual game has been very decent but definitely can and, I think, will get better with injured players returning.

Emre has played very little and the injury was very unfortunate because he would've played a lot during this last month. But he's shown nice glimpses of good potential. More than Marko tbh. Who's age is showing. It's a complete new country and settling in for a 20 year old is probably difficult. Expecting a lot from both of them.

Lambert meh. I said it a million times and I'll say it again. If he wasn't scouse, he would not be here.

by Nishankly Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:48 am

1. Moreno: Great signing. Makes me feel so comfortable that we have finally sorted our LB worries. Enrique and Moreno is very good depth at LB.

2. Lallana: As i said earlier in other threads, I still expect him to be our best signing this season. Adds another dimension to our playmaking with those immaculate and unforeseen turns, Always felt he would have flourished with Suarez, But i still expect him to do very well with Sturridge.

3. Manquillo: Doesnt Barcelona have the first refusal on him? Good for his age, Will only improve.

4. Balotelli: Okay here's the thing, Without another SS, He is inept at this moment to lead our line. Im ready to give him some more time.

5. Emre Can: Why did you get injured? NA on the ratings.

6. Markovic: Has absolutely 0 confidence, At this rate i still expect him to square the ball to a teammate after rounding the keeper. 20m tag putting on the pressure, But anything's possible with this signing.

7. Lambert: Too nervous, Keep shouting *bleep* off after every misplaced pass or shot or miss. He'll settle well once he scores. He actually tries to cross to Sterling in the box sometimes, He's that nervous. XD

8. Lovren: meh

Ratings after the little time they've been here:

1. Moreno - 8
2. Lallana - 8
3. Manquillo -6.5
4. Balotelli - 5
5. Emre Can - NA
6. Markovic - 4
7. Lambert - 4
8. Lovren -5

by iftikhar Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:15 am

Remaining games in November:

November 8: Chelsea (Home/EPL)
November 23: Palace (Away/EPL)
November 26: Ludogorets (Away/CL)
November 29: Stoke (Home/EPL)

Is there another international break between 8-23!!! I guess Sturridge would be available (for some parts at least) for the Chelsea game.

by Curtinho Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:32 am

I find it hard to really rank them. I'll just give them ratings from A to F.

Moreno - B - I think he's been good at times and really bad at times. Directly responsible for two of our losses at least, but he's also done a lot of good and shown his potential.

Lallana - B - Similar to Moreno in that he has shown some good and bad. His dribbling and ability to open up chances has been really nice, but at the same time his decision making and passing have been quite off at times as well. I think he's still settling in so hopefully he'll improve.

Balotelli - B- - I would actually say if Balotelli could have finished a few more times he would have been our best signing thus far. He's working hard (unlike advertised), he does well with the ball, he gets into space and looks to link up with his teammates...he's just not really much of a lone striker and he's been very wasteful in front of goal. I think that with two strikers we could see his value skyrocket on the pitch. Not sure why he hasn't been playing with Borini.

Manquillo - C+ - He's been ok. I think at the moment he's our best option at rightback, which isn't saying much, but I think he's done a solid job considering the circumstances. Defensively he's quite solid, and though he has shown some nice offence he is largely lacking there so far for me.

Lovren - C+ - I think he started off the season pretty poor and has been a mixed bag since then. However, over the last two or three games his confidence seems to be coming in and he has played quite well for me. Sometimes he makes some pretty bad decisions and other times he looks quite capable. I'm hoping Rodgers can groom some consistency out him because the talent is clearly there.

Markovic - F - I was really excited when we signed Marko and obviously he deserves more time as he is very young...but right now I see nothing of what he was highly touted for. He handles the ball like a grenade, he doesn't seem to have any confidence, he doesn't use his suppose lightning speed at all, and he's being beaten on his side far too easily. There's no battle there. Hopefully it's a transitional period for him and he brings more.

Lambert - F - I was never keen on this signing. Too slow, old and inept to be playing with us. Even as someone who can come in to change our formation a bit there were about a million better options out there. Really disappointed as he doesn't seem to be on the same level with anyone on the team, and doesn't bring much to the table for us. Would much rather have Borini or even Yesil playing.

Can - N/A (B+/A-) - Honestly if we could see a bit more of him at the current level he is playing I would say he's been our best signing. I like what I see...confidence, industry, and a no-nonsense attitude in midfield. He's a beast of a player it seems and still quite young. I think that he should be starting with Henderson right now until he shows signs of struggle or fatigue. However, the sample size has been quite small so I can't really give him a full rating.

by Art Morte Thu Nov 06, 2014 8:07 am

iftikhar wrote:Remaining games in November:

November 8: Chelsea (Home/EPL)
November 23: Palace (Away/EPL)
November 26: Ludogorets (Away/CL)
November 29: Stoke (Home/EPL)

Is there another international break between 8-23!!! I guess Sturridge would be available (for some parts at least) for the Chelsea game.

Yeah, there's another int. break.

Win against Chelsea and we can go into that break in relatively high & hopeful spirits, lose and it will be pretty miserable. Draw, somewhere in between.

by Helmer Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:53 am

If we compare the fixture list of rivals and us

Manchester United vs. Stoke City
Southampton vs. Manchester United
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur vs.Manchester United

Leicester V Liverpool
Liverpool V Sunderland
~~Liverpool V FC Basel~~
Man Utd V Liverpool
~~Bournemouth V Liverpool~~
Liverpool V Arsenal
Burnley V Liverpool
Liverpool V Swansea

Guys we are just two (EPL)-three fixtures(including all comp) away from facing ManUtd. The list of fixtures seems to be OK, but not so encouraging also. If we catch up with them till the end of December, it will a good month, but I cant see it happening specially considering that basel Fixture is right before the H2H game with Utd and an away fixture to Bournemouth before Arsenal game. I will be really shocked if Arsenal are not in top 4 by the end of the December considering the their fixture list as:

Arsenal V Southampton
Stoke V Arsenal
~~Galatasaray V Arsenal~~
Arsenal V Newcastle
Liverpool V Arsenal
Arsenal V QPR
West Ham V Arsenal

by McAgger Wed Dec 17, 2014 9:32 am

Okay let's assume that our season just started and we were docked a bunch of points and we have to start from midtable. Assume that we had Europa League league from the beginning and now we are in the knockout rounds. Assume we we re luckily given a free ride to Quarterfinals of the League Cup.

What would you consider a successful end to the season?
What would save Brendan's job in your eyes?
Does a certain level of performance come into play?

For me:

League: Top 7
Europa League: Win
League Cup: Win
FA Cup: Deep run (quarterfinals or higher)

And playing some decent football (this is a must).

That's the only way Brendan's saves his job for me.

by Art Morte Wed Dec 17, 2014 10:02 am

Nah, I can't play this assumptions game. At the beginning of the season I would have said a top-4 finish counts as a successful season after losing Suarez, but having lots of money to spend. I stand by that. A top-4 finish and it will have been good. I still haven't given up hope on that. We're 7 points off, that's not an impossibility, there's still half a season to go. Up to Brendan to turn it around or up to FSG to sack him if he cannot turn it around.

I cannot start our season from here.

by Curtinho Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:58 pm

Sacking a manager after one bad season when he's been great his first two. Yes, let's just play the manager carousel thing. That won't hurt the team at all.

A top 5 finish, a good showing against Chelsea in the Capital One cup, quarterfinals of the FA cup and quarter finals of Europa would be fine with me from here on out. But to be honest I have no expectations for this season. I see where Rodgers is going with this team and I'm on board.

by Art Morte Wed Dec 17, 2014 3:23 pm

El Cujo wrote:Sacking a manager after one bad season when he's been great his first two. Yes, let's just play the manager carousel thing. That won't hurt the team at all.

That makes it sound like this is normal, but this is actually our worst points total since the 3 point games started after 16 matches since something like the 1960's. It's been simply shambolic and it cannot be shrugged off as normal.

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