Football 2015/16

[thetime]

there's more decent players in that squad than you're crediting.

There's three (or more?) England first-choicers.

Is that a good thing?

[eFestivals]

Is that a good thing?

I did wonder as I wrote it.

And yet a few years ago, you'd have flagged up the England internationals in the Utd squad and used that as a measure of their capabilities.

I'm not trying to claim Liverpool will beat all-comers. I'm merely pointing out that their squad - on paper, at least - is significantly better than most other teams in the league. It's certainly better than the teams around their level of Spurs, Soton, etc.

[Gucci Piggy]

Liverpool have a German first choice player?

[mungo57]

Brendan:

 

STAYED WITH THE WATFORD

YOU SHOULDA STAYED WITH THE WATFORD

[mungo57]

Liverpool have a German first choice player?

isn't Emre Can German?

[ThomThomDrum]

isn't Emre Can German?

 

Yep

[thetime]

Liverpool have a German first choice player?

He's played once...

[eFestivals]

there's no one working form their prejudices and not the facts here, oh no.

[eFestivals]

He's played once...

cos he's just stepped up from the u-21s.

[thetime]

cos he's just stepped up from the u-21s.

Wouldn't describe him as a 1st choicer after one cap though.

Bit like saying shelvey and vardy are 1st choicers.

Edited October 6, 2015 by thetime

[TheGayTent]

Lots of straw clutching going on.

[eFestivals]

Wouldn't describe him as a 1st choicer after one cap though.

Bit like saying shelvey and vardy are 1st choicers.

nope, it's really not. Can is solidly thought of as a part of the German team, not someone passing thru.

But anyway, my point was more about Liverpool having a better squad than the likes of Spurs (a team who finishes around the same position). I'm sure they'll be some who disagree with that, but I'm also sure they'll be a minority.

[TheGayTent]

Hamburg, Wolfsburg, and Hertha Berlin tickets now bought. Flights and hotels sorted. 5 weeks away now, can't wait, bring on the steins!

[TheGayTent]

The quality of that Liverpool squad is pretty pony - it's not the 4th best for sure. However, I rate Klopp and I reckon he'll get that squad achieving greater than the sum of its parts.

[kaosmark2]

nope, it's really not. Can is solidly thought of as a part of the German team, not someone passing thru.

But anyway, my point was more about Liverpool having a better squad than the likes of Spurs (a team who finishes around the same position). I'm sure they'll be some who disagree with that, but I'm also sure they'll be a minority.

Cleverley was going to be solidly part of the England team, not just passing through.

 

I do rate Can though, it's just "first choice german international" is stretching it.

 

And yes, Liverpool have probably the 5th best squad in the league.

[eFestivals]

The quality of that Liverpool squad is pretty pony - it's not the 4th best for sure. However, I rate Klopp and I reckon he'll get that squad achieving greater than the sum of its parts.

I wouldn't claim it's the 4th best either.... tho the opportunity to be 4th best this season is there for the taking by more than just Liverpool, as things stand.

I would say that on paper it's the 5th best, tho. As I say, it's better than the Spurs squad, which I'd say is the next best (tho of course in any season against a previous one, things can be shown to have changed; perhaps CP will prove they've the 5th best squad this season).

 

Whether Liverpool can prove they've the 5th best squad depends on how they play, of course.

[eFestivals]

Cleverley was going to be solidly part of the England team, not just passing through.

was he?

I think to anyone paying attention he never was. It was fergie hype and nothing more.

People everywhere weren't asking "what's the point of Cleverly" because he was showing good skills.

 

I do rate Can though, it's just "first choice german international" is stretching it.

 

And yes, Liverpool have probably the 5th best squad in the league.

It's stretching things about Can on that one appearance. It's not on how he's thought of within that German set-up.

 

But anyway, I'm glad you accept the point I was really getting at. If they're the 5th best, with Chelsea's current woes 4th shouldn't be outside of what's possible for them this season if a new manager can get the team playing to their abilities.

Edited October 6, 2015 by eFestivals

[kingcrawler]

So it just splits and then everyone in each half plays each other once more? What decides home/away etc?

Generally they try and balance it out so that all teams play 19 home 19 away but it never works out like that. If for example Aberdeen had played St. Johnstone at home twice and away once, ideally they'd play away to them in the split. There's always at least one team who they can't fit into it though so there's a couple of teams each year who play 20 home games and 18 away games and vice versa. I think the idea is that the next time those teams are affected by fixtures in the spit they'd be more likely to have 18 home games to balance it out but I'm not sure if that actually happens.

[kingcrawler]

Doesn't that mean that finishing top of the bottom half is better than finishing bottom of the top half?

Not really. There's been times where the team in 7th (top of the bottom half) has ended up with more points than the team in 6th (bottom of the top half) but the team in 6th still finishes above them even though they have less points.

[eFestivals]

Not really. There's been times where the team in 7th (top of the bottom half) has ended up with more points than the team in 6th (bottom of the top half) but the team in 6th still finishes above them even though they have less points.

[kingcrawler]

Yeah, on the whole I'm a fan of the split but when that happens it just looks a bit ridiculous.

[DomDom1984]

Why is that a problem?

[pink_triangle]

was he?

I think to anyone paying attention he never was. It was fergie hype and nothing more.

People everywhere weren't asking "what's the point of Cleverly" because he was showing good skills.

It's stretching things about Can on that one appearance. It's not on how he's thought of within that German set-up.

But anyway, I'm glad you accept the point I was really getting at. If they're the 5th best, with Chelsea's current woes 4th shouldn't be outside of what's possible for them this season if a new manager can get the team playing to their abilities.

Wasn't your original point that this liverpool squad was better than the last man u title winning one. While that man u squad were on the decline, that's a bit of a stretch as this liverpool squad has beaten nobody of note and very few of the players have achieved much of note.

In terms of comparing liverpool and spurs squads, I think there's very little in it, if I was to combine the 2 into one squad it would probably be a 50/50 split. Your. Right that both must try and take advantage of others weaknesses to get an occasional 4th finish, I have doubts either can unless they uncover some gems in january.

[kaosmark2]

In terms of comparing liverpool and spurs squads, I think there's very little in it, if I was to combine the 2 into one squad it would probably be a 50/50 split. Your. Right that both must try and take advantage of others weaknesses to get an occasional 4th finish, I have doubts either can unless they uncover some gems in january.

I'd say combining the 2 squads, Lloris and Eriksen would be the standout players, but there'd probably be more Liverpool names.

[eFestivals]

Wasn't your original point that this liverpool squad was better than the last man u title winning one.

Nope.

My point was that it is better than the Utd squad who finished 7th.