Football 2010-2011

[strummer77]

You do realise the irony of your post, considering the username of the Liverpool faan you are replying to don't you

[TheGayTent]

Ba looks great. He might save you yet.

Edited February 14, 2011 by TheGayTent

[Benj]

Not really. in general you are. Only see you posting about us for example

[eFestivals]

so tonight .... will Spurs get spanked by Milan?

[Benj]

so tonight .... will Spurs get spanked by Milan?

[Tugger2k]

Its a shame they're missing so many players, heard that Modric, Bale and Van de Vaart could be out, would've been an ace match otherwise.

[Benj]

its a shame BOTH sides are missing players

on our side, VDV is FIT, luka's good enough to give us half an hour, its about whether crouch is fit - rubbish domestic season but cant argue with his goals in europe this year

on their side, Inzaghi, Zambrotta, Ambrosini and Pirlo are all out, Nesta only made the bench on the weekend

their a very good side, and their striking options are scary, but get past their front 11 tonight and the bench doesnt have many options

3 things tonight are key. Keeping 11 men on the pitch (cant do what we did last time at the san siro), 2 keeping it tight for an hour while letting Niko and Azza run at them, 3 exploiting their age in the last half hour

personally, id be ecstatic with a draw, but think even a 1 goal loss (as long as we score) will be good enough to get us through at the lane when vdv, luka and the boyo will be fully fit and we'll tear them a new one

[Tugger2k]

Oh

*watches Eastenders instead*

[strummer77]

Typical RS, not even knowing RS 'banter'. Maybe you'll get to the match one day and understand.

"I would go but I can't get a ticket"

"but they haven't sold out most of their games this season"

"erm..yeah, I was busy those days"

hahahahhahahahha, tits

Edited February 15, 2011 by strummer77

[The Nal]

tbf, they can still line up like this

abbiati bonera T.silva Nesta Antonini Flamini Gattuso Seedorf Pato Robinho Ibrahimovic

which is very decent indeed, they just dont have anything on the bench if they do

[eFestivals]

personally, id be ecstatic with a draw, but think even a 1 goal loss (as long as we score) will be good enough to get us through at the lane when vdv, luka and the boyo will be fully fit and we'll tear them a new one

as long as Spurs haven't turned into Chelsea too () then I reckon you should get something around what you're hoping.

But if I were you I'd be telling 'Arry to give up on the Chumps for this year to concentrate on the league. Things are looking better for you right now than at just about any point this season - and dropping out of those Chumps places again will be a bigger blow to you than going out of the Chumps in this round.

It's weird how quickly things turn around this season. A few weeks ago shitty were looking upwards at over-hauling Utd, while now they're squarely in a dog-fight with Chelsea and Spurs for two Chumps places ... and while it's probably not going to happen, there's the possibility (given their up-turn in form) of Liverpool getting in there too and making it a four-way fight.

[Tugger2k]

VERY decent, and playing very well too these days. Silva is turning into a worldy of a defender, great going forward too. No Bale tonight is a massive miss for you kids. Cant be understated how big a miss he is. Although Kranjcar is a cracking player.

[Tugger2k]

as long as Spurs haven't turned into Chelsea too () then I reckon you should get something around what you're hoping.

But if I were you I'd be telling 'Arry to give up on the Chumps for this year to concentrate on the league. Things are looking better for you right now than at just about any point this season - and dropping out of those Chumps places again will be a bigger blow to you than going out of the Chumps in this round.

It's weird how quickly things turn around this season. A few weeks ago shitty were looking upwards at over-hauling Utd, while now they're squarely in a dog-fight with Chelsea and Spurs for two Chumps places ... and while it's probably not going to happen, there's the possibility (given their up-turn in form) of Liverpool getting in there too and making it a four-way fight.

[strummer77]

as for liverpools 'upturn', *cough* Wigan *splutter*, they have proved that even with kenny, their squad is simply 150 million pounds light, and they are 3 years away from pushing the current top 5

[eFestivals]

as for liverpools 'upturn', *cough* Wigan *splutter*, they have proved that even with kenny, their squad is simply 150 million pounds light, and they are 3 years away from pushing the current top 5

While the squad is defo light and there's only so much that Kenny can polish turds, any team can lose to any other team at times - such as the top team getting beaten by the bottom team not much more than a week ago - and Wigan are one of those teams that manage to stay in top flight via points picked up in matches that they shouldn't really pick points up from.

As I said, I don't expect Liverpool to really get amongst those Chumps places, but this has been a strange season all round - just about everyone thought the title fight would be Utd/Chelsea again when the season started, and I'd guess that you'd have expected Spurs to have more points right now than they actually have. So while strange things keep happening, one of those strange things might be Liverpool keeping climbing the table. It's a shame that Kenny took over so late in the season, cos I don't think Liverpool would have been as poor as they have been if he'd been in charge since the start.

And of course, regarding their squad, Betty still has to get into his stride and there's Carroll still to come too - so things aren't quite as bad as they could have been, and those new additions might have a greater impact than most (including me) are expecting.

Edited February 15, 2011 by eFestivals

[Tugger2k]

Still an upturn with that draw included. Haven't lost in the last six, top of the form table. lack of depth in the squad still (last summer was ridiculous getting rid of Insua, Aquilani, Benayoun and Masch...) and that is why we won't get top 4 this year. We can't realistically keep that form up. Could have been possible at the start of the season but our position under Hodgson made that impossible.

But I don't think we're three years away at all, Spurs were far further off a couple of years a go. Reina, Kelly, Agger, Carragher, Johnson, Lucas, Meireles, Gerrard, Kuyt, Carroll and Suarez is a pretty good team that can beat anyone. But increased squad depth is needed to push on to the top- that or an impossibly injury free season.

[eFestivals]

johnson isnt even the best english right back at liverpool

agreed. Kelly has been superb.

But I've got to say too that Johnson on the left is inspired - he's been better at defending (never his strong point anyway) than he was on the right.

and biggest indictment of that team is lucas. any team that starts consistantly with him, isnt great

while his performances are generally pretty shit, I'm still thinking that has more to do with how he's used than his overall level. He's better in a more forward role than as a defensive midfielder, but the lack of alternatives means he ends up playing there.

[worm]

I AM NOT FOR ONE MOMENT COMPARING SUNDERLAND TO MILAN

[Tugger2k]

while his performances are generally pretty shit, I'm still thinking that has more to do with how he's used than his overall level. He's better in a more forward role than as a defensive midfielder, but the lack of alternatives means he ends up playing there.

[Tugger2k]

Shame.

You guys spawned it. Sunderland should have won even without three vital players. I wouldn't get too carried away about that result at all. Draw confidence from your games against Inter, not that flukey result.

[worm]

we have gained more points than any other club from losing positions this year.

[Tugger2k]

And we've thrown away more points from winning positions than any other club.

[eFestivals]

kind of makes my point

there are weakness's in that squad in key areas. im yet to be convinced that johnson will work long term on the left. there is zero width in the team. and they havent replaced either alonso or masch with players of equal ability

and the problem may be for them, that if they spend too long out of the champions league, they will find it harder to attract the quality needed. they will ALWAYS attract good players, they are liverpool fc, but they will either have to pay through the nose for them (other clubs knowing they have new owners, and new money) or buy potential

both of which they have had to do to get carroll.

I agree, Johnson isn't the long term solution for the left. I suspect he might well be sold in the summer too (for a heavy loss) - but it's good they're finding some decent use for him in the meantime cos they had no one for the left.

I think Gerrard is going to take much of the role that Alonso had, with Mereiles(sp?) taking the more forward role.

Attracting the quality is already difficult for them - but at the same time, it's what a manager can get out of the players he has. It's not so different with how Spurs were when 'Arry took over.

Carroll is a hugely expensive risk from one angle but I suspect he'll be OK if not stunning. That aside, I think them showing in the last window that they're prepared to spend big to get who they want, and that they won't let the better players get away without replacements, is going to prove hugely important to them going forwards - and any over-spend on Carroll will be got back because of that. If they'd not gone big at the same point they lost Torres then I reckon they'd have had to over-pay for players even more in the summer and beyond, because the perceived lack of ambition would have made it even harder to get decent players without paying silly money for transfers or wages.

[strummer77]

Do people watch Lucas? "Biggest indictment..."? "Generally pretty shit"?

He's been Liverpool's best player this season. Easily. Was MOTM in both games against Chelsea and has made more tackles and passes than anyone else, including an incredible success rate (and yes a lot do go forward). Every coach he's played for has rated him for club and country, and he's now a regular in the Braziian national team.

A year or two ago maybe he was shit. Now? No chance. Watch him, for the majority of this season he has been a shining light in an otherwise distinctly average team. Fans have warmed to him (well bar the idiots who just regurgitate opinions) and even critics in the press. If anyone thinks Lucas is anywhere near Liverpool's biggest problem they quite frankly don't know what they are on about. He's a better player than Anderson atm anyway, even most United fans I've spoken to agree. Unfortunately some people can't look past his struggles early on, which is a shame. He's been a pleasure to watch this season.

Edited February 15, 2011 by strummer77

[eFestivals]

Do people watch Lucas? "Generally pretty shit"?

He's been Liverpool's best player this season. Easily. Was MOTM in both games against Chelsea and has made more tackles and passes than anyone else, including an incredible success rate (and yes a lot do go forward). Every coach he's played for has rated him for club and country, and he's now a regular in the Braziian national team.

A year or two ago maybe he was shit. Now? No chance. Watch him, for the majority of this season he has been a shining light in an otherwise distinctly average team. Fans have warmed to him (well bar the idiots who just regurgitate opinions) and even critics in the press. If anyone thinks Lucas is anywhere near Liverpool's biggest problem they quite frankly don't know what they are on about. He's a better player than Anderson atm anyway, even most United fans I've spoken to agree. Unfortunately some people can't look past his struggles early on, which is a shame. He's been a pleasure to watch this season.

I defo wouldn't go as far as him being "Liverpool's best player" - he was dreadful on Saturday, for example, and that's not the first time.

But he's not a player I dismiss as worthless as many do despite those being my own "generally pretty shit" words above. Played as a defensive midfielder he often struggles with the role, but when he's allowed greater freedom you can see he's got far more to him than he often gets to show.