A Years A Long Time In Football

[Red Nick]

Had to believe That it's a year to the day that Rafa first arrived at Liverpool.

 

Somtimes you just need to step back and admire what the great man has done for this great club.

 

The doom and gloom around Anfield V Newcastle last game of the season seems a long distance memory and were now probably the most optimiistic weve been going into a new season since the treble season.

 

How many of you could imangine us being European champions a year later with the squad at the disposal of Rafa benitez.

 

I still dont think he's been given the credit he deserves for the greatest coaching achievment in modern times disposing of teams like Juve, Milan and CFC who overall have much better players than us.

 

The squad that starts next season will be totally transformed from what he took over and i'm sure he has learnt from any mistakes he may have made in last season's PL.

 

For what Rafa has achieved in one year is truly remarkable.

[Mr Piechnik]

He has done a remarkable job granted, exceeding the expectations of even the most optimistic fan.

 

However, i still think we are a long way off winning the premiership. I hope most fans dont let the euphoria of last season give them a false impression of what we can achieve next season. We have to be 100% behind Rafa like nearly all our supporters were last season and accept that it could be another dissapointing premiership year (god that sounds pessimistic)

[Red Nick]

He has done a remarkable job granted, exceeding the expectations of even the most optimistic fan.

 

However, i still think we are a long way off winning the premiership. I hope most fans dont let the euphoria of last season give them a false impression of what we can achieve next season. We have to be 100% behind Rafa like nearly all our supporters were last season and accept that it could be another dissapointing premiership year (god that sounds pessimistic)

 

realistically if we got to 75 points this season that would be a great start but trying to bridge 37 points in one season just aint gonna happen. However i think we will chalenge the season after this one

[Mr Piechnik]

Yep i think the year after next could be the one

[Barrington Womble]

i hate all this if we get to 75 points this season and then next year we can get more stuff. football just doesn't work like that. every year the amount of points you need to achieve certain levels varies. look at the last 2 season. massive points totals for the champions, yet man u have won the league with less than 80 points. the look at the relegation. west ham went down with about 42 points the other year didn't they? while about 36 points was enough to stay up this season.

 

what i want to see is over a season, to be close enough, so when we get to the last 10 games we're in the mix. once the pressure is on, teams can crack and sides like ours who are perhaps still not to the level of an arsenal or chelsea, may, just may be able to take advantage. i don't care too much about our final points total - it's if we can keep ourselves in touch with whatever the top teams are, and who's to say next years champions will need 85+ points to win?

[Red Nick]

i hate all this if we get to 75 points this season and then next year we can get more stuff. football just doesn't work like that. every year the amount of points you need to achieve certain levels varies. look at the last 2 season. massive points totals for the champions, yet man u have won the league with less than 80 points. the look at the relegation. west ham went down with about 42 points the other year didn't they? while about 36 points was enough to stay up this season.

 

what i want to see is over a season, to be close enough, so when we get to the last 10 games we're in the mix. once the pressure is on, teams can crack and sides like ours who are perhaps still not to the level of an arsenal or chelsea, may, just may be able to take advantage. i don't care too much about our final points total - it's if we can keep ourselves in touch with whatever the top teams are, and who's to say next years champions will need 85+ points to win?

 

fair enough all im saying is id be happy with 75 plus points total as that would show we were heading in the right direction, As you say you never know with Rafa he migh surprise us and turn it totally around and end up with 85 points but that would be a greater achievement than winning the CL considering his starting point.

[Barrington Womble]

fair enough all im saying is id be happy with 75 plus points total as that would show we were heading in the right direction, As you say you never know with Rafa he migh surprise us and turn it totally around and end up with 85 points but that would be a greater achievement than winning the CL considering his starting point.

 

or we could win the league with 75 points - it all depends if clubs are dropping points. rafa won one of his championships with valencia with about 76 points i think. the main point is we need to be close-ish with 10 games to go.

[Red Nick]

or we could win the league with 75 points - it all depends if clubs are dropping points. rafa won one of his championships with valencia with about 76 points i think. the main point is we need to be close-ish with 10 games to go.

 

Cant see our league ever being one with 76 points again and when you compare us to Valencia title the standard and competion was much stronger very few weak teams, i cant imagine any team in spain getting 95 points.

 

take your point though, personally it will have to be well over 80 points to land the league whatever that total is.

[JER]

Cant see our league ever being one with 76 points again and when you compare us to Valencia title the standard and competion was much stronger very few weak teams, i cant imagine any team in spain getting 95 points.

 

take your point though, personally it will have to be well over 80 points to land the league whatever that total is.

 

The problem is that the top teams are so consistant - Utd didn't lose for months but still managed to finish miles off the top. We need the mediocre teams to start taking more points of Chelsea and Arsenal. Unfortunatly, can't see it happening.

[Tom R]

yeah, we've gone from nobodies to European Champions in 12 months, but is it progress?

[Red Nick]

yeah, we've gone from nobodies to European Champions in 12 months, but is it progress?

 

:D :D

 

But our league form was SHiete :wallbutt:

[Rex]

I am a bit fearfull for Rafa though. There is now huge expectation and to come close to last season he would have to win the Prem or Champs League again. I don't think we can do either yet. I hope we all stick by him and we see real progress. I will be happy if we are challenging or very close to it going into the last 10 or so games and maybe doing well in one of the Cups.

[MLB]

We have progressed as a european team, but we have remained pretty much static as a Premiership side. I don't see why things have to be so black and white. Shades of grey, people!

[Barrington Womble]

Cant see our league ever being one with 76 points again and when you compare us to Valencia title the standard and competion was much stronger very few weak teams, i cant imagine any team in spain getting 95 points.

 

take your point though, personally it will have to be well over 80 points to land the league whatever that total is.

 

i would expect the same, but then i wouldn't have said 34-36 points would be enough to stay up last season. some of this is to do with luck and teams getting on runs - and also parhaps the likes of us who might be inconsistent to be taking 4 points off arsenal and chelsea.

 

the point i was really trying to make is i don't want to look at point totals, as every season is different and i'm not convinced it really shows any improvement or lack of it at all. it's all about can we be involved. our league season has been over at the end of september in just about every yeat since about 97 or 98 - even the year we were 2nd we were never really on the pace. i want for once to still be having hope at the run up to easter - that i will count as progress.

[Al Campbell]

I'll see progress as closing the gap on the eventual winners regardless of point total.

[Red Nick]

I'll see progress as closing the gap on the eventual winners regardless of point total.

 

exactly and that will defo happen its just a case of by how much

[Red Nick]

We have progressed as a european team, but we have remained pretty much static as a Premiership side. I don't see why things have to be so black and white. Shades of grey, people!

 

if were 50% better off next season on the injury front and SG signs extension then id say we'll be 10 points better off before the season starts and thats before the new players have an influence on the team.

 

Rafa has improved the team fantastically since Houllier left.