Football 2012-2013

[kaosmark2]

Fixture list out!

Harsh welcome for Southampton with a trip to Citeh. QPR away/West Ham at home is a decent start for whoever the new Swansea manager is.

Ours is alright. Potential away games suit me as well, unlike last season where I failed to get to any, kinda helped by the fact that 3 Southern teams have come up as well. Doubt I'll get tickets, but I'll be hoping to get back up at Easter for the Mackems game.

[eFestivals]

more interesting to me are the League Cup fixtures .... Aldershot have a trip to Wolves.

Where's Langdale when you want him?

[The Nal]

Welcome to Liverpool B Rodgers - City, Utd and Arsenal 3 of the first 5 games.

[eFestivals]

Welcome to Liverpool B Rodgers - City, Utd and Arsenal 3 of the first 5 games.

could be worse - those three are all home ties.

[the_hedge]

Looking at the last 6 games I would bang all my money on City winning it again.

[kaosmark2]

could be worse - those three are all home ties.

[eFestivals]

the guy who's done the League Two fixtures and table for the beeb is clearly a Womble - the fucker has put them out of alphabetical order, relegating Aldershot to 3rd from 2nd for the starting table (as well as listing the wimbledon fixures first for all the season).

I wouldn't mind, but that starting table is always our best league position of the season.

[eFestivals]

Yeah, but when you're lacking quality as much as Liverpool are it's still awful.

they ain't that awful despite their awful league position.

It's not like they were getting outplayed by too many teams or failing to create lots of great chances. If they'd have managed the average conversion rate thru the season then how they are as a team would be viewed very differently to how they are.

While they might not win those tough three games, unless Rodgers takes them seriously backwards then people like you will be choking on words like "lacking quality as much as Liverpool are" long before the end of the season I'd say. The only quality they seriously lacked last season was an ability to get the ball in to the actual net. Their luck won't run that badly two seasons on the trot.

[pink_triangle]

I have always wondered how these fixtures are worked out. Is it purely by chance or do they fiddle it a bit to suit sky and their need for super Sundays. I have also noticed its rare to have derbies on the last game of the season and Man Utd always seem to play mid/lower teams on the last game. It may be the same for other big sides but Man U have really stood out to me probably because they have been involved more years.

[kaosmark2]

they ain't that awful despite their awful league position.

It's not like they were getting outplayed by too many teams or failing to create lots of great chances. If they'd have managed the average conversion rate thru the season then how they are as a team would be viewed very differently to how they are.

While they might not win those tough three games, unless Rodgers takes them seriously backwards then people like you will be choking on words like "lacking quality as much as Liverpool are" long before the end of the season I'd say. The only quality they seriously lacked last season was an ability to get the ball in to the actual net. Their luck won't run that badly two seasons on the trot.

[The Nal]

Utd have away games against big opposition after 5 out of 6 Champions League group games this season. Liverpool, Toon, Chelski, Villa, Citeh.

[kaosmark2]

I have always wondered how these fixtures are worked out. Is it purely by chance or do they fiddle it a bit to suit sky and their need for super Sundays. I have also noticed its rare to have derbies on the last game of the season and Man Utd always seem to play mid/lower teams on the last game. It may be the same for other big sides but Man U have really stood out to me probably because they have been involved more years.

[kaosmark2]

Utd have away games against big opposition after 5 out of 6 Champions League group games this season. Liverpool, Toon, Chelski, Villa, Citeh.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

I have always wondered how these fixtures are worked out. Is it purely by chance or do they fiddle it a bit to suit sky and their need for super Sundays. I have also noticed its rare to have derbies on the last game of the season and Man Utd always seem to play mid/lower teams on the last game. It may be the same for other big sides but Man U have really stood out to me probably because they have been involved more years.

Edited June 18, 2012 by thesecretingredientiscrime

[eFestivals]

They've got a fair number of average players. Downing, Adam, etc. They should be able to keep the ball and create chances again, after all, if Rodgers got Swansea's players doing so he should be able to get Liverpool's, but I don't think there are many top quality players who can make those teams scared. Man U possibly, but Arsenal and City have better possession skills and can actually turn that into more than half-chances that got missed (the conversion rate issue wasn't as bad 2nd half, the performances were).

They need Lucas back fit, Gerrard to play consistently well again, another midfielder and a finisher, probably another winger as well.

I certainly don't disagree that too many of their players were too average, and that a number of them need upgrading to something better. But that just gets to make last season look even more (sort-of) impressive (if ignoring the actual results).

And I don't disagree that they were far worse in the 2nd half of the season either - but I think it's a reasonable assumption to think that Lucas' return should sort out much of that.

And more: I don't disagree that few - or even none at all - of their players should scare the better teams. But again, I sort-of think that (ignoring the actual results) shows how well they did last year. For what lots of people are saying is such a shit team they got to dominate teams they shouldn't have dominated.

I'm not really sure where the team should be strengthened for next season aside from needing someone who can finish (if they get Sturridge, I reckon they're well-sorted for that). Until it becomes clear how Rodgers wants to play things it's difficult to know what needs attention before other areas.

[TheGayTent]

Other than a nasty November, a very kind fixture list.

What a poor league it is this season - so many average teams bar the top 6ish

[kaosmark2]

I certainly don't disagree that too many of their players were too average, and that a number of them need upgrading to something better. But that just gets to make last season look even more (sort-of) impressive (if ignoring the actual results).

And I don't disagree that they were far worse in the 2nd half of the season either - but I think it's a reasonable assumption to think that Lucas' return should sort out much of that.

And more: I don't disagree that few - or even none at all - of their players should scare the better teams. But again, I sort-of think that (ignoring the actual results) shows how well they did last year. For what lots of people are saying is such a shit team they got to dominate teams they shouldn't have dominated.

I'm not really sure where the team should be strengthened for next season aside from needing someone who can finish (if they get Sturridge, I reckon they're well-sorted for that). Until it becomes clear how Rodgers wants to play things it's difficult to know what needs attention before other areas.

[The Nal]

Villa are big opposition?

Saying we are could be pushing it....

[eFestivals]

I don't think you can spin it to be impressive considering the amount spent.

I'm not trying to spin anything. I'm simply looking at the way the games played out, and seeing that the number of points they would have got in different circumstances (better luck, run of the ball, however you want to say it) would have been considerably more than they did do.

There's no getting away from the fact that they dominated most of their games, and created heaps of great chances, that on a different day (or different season ) would have had the results pan out different to how they did. That "worst conversion rate in Europe" stat bears that out too.

There's plenty of not-good-enough players in their squad, but even so it's not only those not-good-enough players which caused their poor finishing. 'Luck' played a big part too.

The thing about Lucas' return is that Gerrard hadn't been played before. I wonder whether Gerrard + Lucas will play that well together, and if they do, who the 3rd mid is, and who the first reserve is. They definitely need another DM as understudy to Lucas and to play alongside in certain games. They've got a Europa campaign to deal with and need plenty of rotation.

I agree that they need another DM to cover for Lucas, but I've less doubts about Lucas/Gerrard than you appear to have. They've worked well together in the past.

Suarez will (assuming he's not suspended), and Gerrard if he hits form will, but that's about it. And I don't think you can say their dominance in possession meant a huge amount, they had an awful conversion rate, but some of that was due to the chances not being that brilliant (still should have had a much better conversion rate though). Swansea dominated similar teams to similar degrees, and in terms of average player quality they'd be lower than Liverpool.

The dominance led to those chances, and in another season many more of those chances would have hit the back of the net.

That's not said ignoring the fact that some of those missed chances were down to poor players either. Plenty were, but plenty weren't.

Considering both Liverpool and Swansea last season both played possession football to steadily build up and dominate the play I'd be surprised if they adjusted majorly.

Hmmm, not sure. Dalglish was always putting a team out where he'd have getting Carroll onto the field and (hopefully, haha) scoring goals in his thoughts.

I'd guess that Rodgers will feel less tied to Carroll, which is likely to mean less of a focus on trying to have wingers fire in high crosses, so I think there's a fair scope for a change in style.

Of course, awful as Downing was, he's still got more natural talent than Routledge who Rodgers got performing on the wings. I reckon they need another winger as well though, even if he can get Downing to play at his peak. And as I said earlier, another DM in the squad.

they defo need another (or two, Downing is shite) winger if trying to make every-game use of Carroll is top of Rodger's priorities, but I'm not entirely sure that's the way he'll go.

[kaosmark2]

Scrap Villa.

Toon away is a big game. Remember last season?

[The Nal]

Yes

[kaosmark2]

I'm not trying to spin anything. I'm simply looking at the way the games played out, and seeing that the number of points they would have got in different circumstances (better luck, run of the ball, however you want to say it) would have been considerably more than they did do.

There's no getting away from the fact that they dominated most of their games, and created heaps of great chances, that on a different day (or different season ) would have had the results pan out different to how they did. That "worst conversion rate in Europe" stat bears that out too.

There's plenty of not-good-enough players in their squad, but even so it's not only those not-good-enough players which caused their poor finishing. 'Luck' played a big part too.

[lharris92]

don't mind villa first, just glad it wasn't what people were rumouring (city away or man utd) but then again they were going round way before it was actually drawn.

difficult run in november/start of december otherwise nicely spread out for the top teams

[eFestivals]

Actually it's more general doubts about Gerrard and whether they'll need another AM regardless.

ahhh, agree with you totally there.

Even his "storm forwards and run into an opponent and fall over and claim a foul" act isn't working for him any more, based on the last few England games.

I'm pretty sure that Henderson has been bought as Gerrard's long term replacement, tho whether he'll ever get to anything like the same level remains to be seen.

But around the slagging Henderson's had for being called into the England squad, I saw a headline (I didn't read the article) somewhere which said something about Henderson being the next long-term England captain - so presumably a football writer somewhere rates his potential very highly.

I can't say I've seen enough of him to decide either way, because although he's at times been dreadful for Liverpool mostly when played on the right, he's looked much better when played more centrally &/or when Gerrard hasn't been on the field (which suggests to me he's intimidated a bit by Gerrard).

[Ed209]

Manchester derby conveniently placed at the beginning of April a few games from the end of the season ... again.