Football 2014/15

[ThomThomDrum]

If they lose only 1 of the 7 games I pay. It'd be well worth £20 !

Sorry I thought it was based on 4 games. So you will be happy if the draw 6 and lose 1. Grand.

[TheGayTent]

Sorry I thought it was based on 4 games. So you will be happy if the draw 6 and lose 1. Grand.

I'd hope if they only lost won, they'd not draw 6...but ultimately yes given our record against Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd etc I would be happy with draws against them.

We aren't very good.

[metallimuse]

Kenny McDowell has resigned from Rangers and will work a 12 month notice period. That is, of course, until he goes on gardening leave.

Is Terry Butcher back from his holiday then?

Would rather Stuart McCall,can't see Butcher doing much for us.

[DomDom1984]

John Brown would make a good firefighter type until the end of the season.

[ThomThomDrum]

Decent game by Liverpool this evening. Unlucky not to win it. Encouraging stuff. I wonder if they can build on that?

Sterlings goal was a peach

Costa looking like the new Drogaba? Troublesome, effective, yet loves an aul dive.....

[strummer77]

Decent game by Liverpool this evening. Unlucky not to win it. Encouraging stuff. I wonder if they can build on that?

Sterlings goal was a peach

Costa looking like the new Drogaba? Troublesome, effective, yet loves an aul dive.....

We've been pretty good for a while now really but that was especially encouraging to see. With Sturridge fit we could really push on, not counting any chickens until he gets a run of games though.

[ThomThomDrum]

We've been pretty good for a while now really but that was especially encouraging to see. With Sturridge fit we could really push on, not counting any chickens until he gets a run of games though.

I think it was very important to perform against a top team and they out classed the best team in England for most of the game. Shame they could not get more than the one goal but that defense and especially that keeper are really world class....

The moving of Gerrard more forward and Lucas to in front of the defense really is giving them a far better shape than they had over the first few months of the season

[ThomThomDrum]

Interesting to see that Liverpool have lost just 2 of 21 games Lucas has played in this season. They've lost 8 of their 12 games without him.....

[strummer77]

Also Sterling really is a lot better than Tony Daley isn't he...

[thetime]

Also Sterling really is a lot better than Tony Daley isn't he...

Yes but not as good as Russel Beardsmore.

[TheGayTent]

Also Sterling really is a lot better than Tony Daley isn't he...

On what basis?

[eFestivals]

Decent game by Liverpool this evening. Unlucky not to win it. Encouraging stuff. I wonder if they can build on that?

Sterlings goal was a peach

Costa looking like the new Drogaba? Troublesome, effective, yet loves an aul dive.....

Jose parked it again - no surprise - tho it exposed that they're vulnerable if you go at them. Two shots all night, with one of those being the penalty (and was there really another? Can't say I can remember it).

Liverpool blew it because, same as ever this season, they can't get it in the net (tho to be fair Chelsea also defended well).

Last night will mean nothing back at the bridge where Chelsea will clean up, but it does perhaps mean something towards Chelsea's chances of winning the title. I reckon it will encourage a few teams to get at them, especially as Spurs have also shown it can be done.

[DomDom1984]

Being a Morton supporter this season has been fairly poor. Stuck in the third tier of Scottish football not playing very well, and with a clueless wreck as a manager.

So the last couple of weeks transfers have been really good as a pick up. Peter MacDonald has signed with us. A guy who should be scoring about 30 goals in the third tier. Michael Tidser as well, who was excellent for us in the second tier and nearly helped to win us promotion to the premier.

Huge news, as this really is a poor league, and this should be crucial.

[The Nal]

Liverpool were veryu good, typical away performance from Jose though. The return leg is the real acid test for Liverpool.

They're worryingly getting better though.

Would you have a look at this helmet. The Dad, not the kid.

[eFestivals]

Sterlings goal was a peach

it was, tho I was sure he was gonna miss.

I liked that chip from the side he tried later on too. OK, it didn't work, but it was still smart.

It's easy to criticise his mostly-poor finishing, but a player of his style is rarely the finished product at such a young age. I thought last night was the first time in a while that suggested his improvement over the last year hasn't come to a halt.

[metallimuse]

Being a Morton supporter this season has been fairly poor. Stuck in the third tier of Scottish football not playing very well, and with a clueless wreck as a manager.

So the last couple of weeks transfers have been really good as a pick up. Peter MacDonald has signed with us. A guy who should be scoring about 30 goals in the third tier. Michael Tidser as well, who was excellent for us in the second tier and nearly helped to win us promotion to the premier.

Huge news, as this really is a poor league, and this should be crucial.

For some reason I thought you were a Hamilton fan.

[Wooderson]

Sterling is some talent. Most of LFC under 24 last night. 2nd half was the best they played all season.

[eFestivals]

Sterling is some talent.

Yep he is. But so was Danny Cadamarteri, which is what worries me.

So far this season, Sterling's progression has been about static. Last night was the first time I've seen him do something this season that was as-good-as or better than what he was doing last season.

Most of LFC under 24 last night.

yep, all of Can, Markovic and Moreno are starting to come good.

Poor Lovren.

[Wooderson]

Dynamic of footie has changed in recent years. How important have keepers been this season?

[eFestivals]

Dynamic of footie has changed in recent years. How important have keepers been this season?

it goes thru cycles. Teams set-up a certain way, and eventually the others learn how to break it down. So they find a different way and it all goes round again.

Last year was about a fast pressing game. This year is the return of the back three. Here's betting that the next trend is the return of the sweeper.

Goalies? Not sure if they've been any different to other years overall. The difference this year, perhaps, is that we're seeing top performances out of some of the top teams goalies, when it's been the likes of Besovic and dutch matey at Newc who've had the praise in the last few years.

[strummer77]

Yep he is. But so was Danny Cadamarteri, which is what worries me.

So far this season, Sterling's progression has been about static. Last night was the first time I've seen him do something this season that was as-good-as or better than what he was doing last season.

His effectiveness may have appeared static but don't think his progress has been static really. He's been the main focus for the opposition rather than fourth or fifth and has had to adapt to a lot more minutes, pressure and attention. For someone who has just turned 20 last month he has coped remarkably well.

Sterling is some talent. Most of LFC under 24 last night. 2nd half was the best they played all season.

Think that must be the plan. Hopefully. Let Moreno, Can, Sakho, Manquillo, Markovic, Flanagan, Coutinho, Sterling, Henderson, Sturridge grow together. Can that compete with the oil clubs over time? Who knows.

Edited January 21, 2015 by strummer77

[eFestivals]

Don't think it has been static really. He's been the main focus for the opposition rather than fourth or fifth and has had to adapt to a lot more minutes, pressure and attention. For someone who has just turned 20 last month he has coped remarkably well.

OK, let me re-phrase that. Being able to see any progression has been hard to do - quite possibly because he's been trying to do more with less-good players around him.

Last night his efforts made the impact they'd not really been doing so far this season.

Think that must be the plan. Hopefully. Let Moreno, Can, Sakho, Manquillo, Markovic, Flanagan, Coutinho, Sterling, Henderson, Sturridge grow together. Can that compete with the oil clubs over time? Who knows.

I reckon that's a good enough set of players (if they have suitable backups too) that could compete with the oil clubs down the line a little, but I also reckon the oil clubs will do what they can to try and make sure that doesn't happen by buying one or more for themselves.

You only have to look at how sales of extremely good developing players has knobbled Arsenal in recent years, with some of those players ending up at those oil clubs (tho not always directly).

[Gucci Piggy]

Yep he is. But so was Danny Cadamarteri, which is what worries me.

Long time since I've heard that name. One of the worst players I've ever seen at Doncaster.

[eFestivals]

Long time since I've heard that name. One of the worst players I've ever seen at Doncaster.

he was fantastic for a (very?) short spell at Everton, tho he's far from the only hot young prospect to fall well short of the hopes.

I've got my fingers crossed that the same doesn't happen with Sterling.

[pink_triangle]

Liverpool were veryu good, typical away performance from Jose though. The return leg is the real acid test for Liverpool.

They're worryingly getting better though.

Would you have a look at this helmet. The Dad, not the kid.

Liverpool were always going to get better, because they have a better squad than most of the teams who were performing at a similar or better level earlier on in the season. While there is some element of a team gelling, I think a lot of the improvement is regression to the mean and squad strength being more important as the season advances.

I see Liverpool as havng an outside chance of making the top 4, but worry that the league is so weak that the poorer teams wont take enough points off their rivals. To me their priority should be the Europa league which is very winnable.