What do you think the main reason for our season so far has been?

[BatChainPuller]

It's been hell since Smicer left.

 

He's roma, he's great, he's homers simpsons mate, Vladiiiimir

[RoboRiise]

I'm definitely in the gypsy curse camp, only I think the gypsy curse has caused a little of all the other things to happen.

 

OK, I know it's too easy to use bad luck as an all-encompassing excuse for our losses on the road this season and there's certainly much more to it than that. There's also the old adage about the best sides making their own luck, but I really don't feel that we've been playing consistently badly away from Anfield. We've had lapses of concentration, we've had goals ruled out (correctly) for offside, but sometimes those lapses don't lead to goals and sometimes those decisions go the other way.

 

Luck is always going to be an element in football - it's an integral part of the game and no amount of tinkering from Blatter and his cronies, no amount of technology or refereeing directives will ever change that. At the moment, I'm thinking our pre-season must have featured a meal at a Greek restaurant with mirrored plates or something (maybe paintball at the Pilkingtons site?) because every cock-up is leading to a goal, every half-chance is going wide or off the woodwork and every borderline decision is going against us.

 

All that said, we're not helping ourselves, there's no getting away from it. The players, collectively, need to take responsibility for the situation and start to focus on sorting it out. Quickly.

 

If we can't defend set pieces and either clear the ball or retain possession, or win the ball in defence or midfield and move it fluidly through the side to create chances, not only are we not a decent football team, we're not a Liverpool football team. Controlling the ball, using possession effectively and providing chances for teammates are abilities and values that should be ingrained into our players from the first time they pull on the shirt. The foundation provided by doing those simple things well is what everything else we do on the pitch is build on and at times this season I think the team as a whole has lost sight of that.

 

The thing we need to watch out for now is players starting to play for themselves rather than the team. It's a natural reaction to a point, after all players want to be seen to be having a good game when the heat is on, but it won't help the situation at all. If we get the focus back on doing the basics and doing them well, hopefully things will start to click and we can start getting the season back on track.

[G Richards]

I voted for integration of new players. We seem worse than last season, though there's still a long way to go. I believe Kuyt will be very good, Bellamy will have an important role to play and Agger will come to the fore as Sami fades. Jury's out on the other newbies for me.

[Brownie]

I think it's a combination of things, although if pushed i'd opt for the 'lack of quality' option.

 

I hate to keep harping on about it, but many will know that I didn't expect us to be winning the league this season - I didn't expect us to have so little points at this stage either though. Maybe that's down to the fixtures we've had thus far, or maybe it's because of more deep-rooted problems. Only time will tell on that I guess.

[coop]

Agree with Ian that its a few of the options but i went for tactics - by that i mean playing players out of positions and going to places like Bolton hoping to get a draw.

[Strontium]

Oh wow, I feel bad - I'm the only person to have voted "fitness".

 

But I feel that the intensive fitness work the players did at the start of the season left them physically shattered, and in their first half-dozen games they really looked spent. Even yesterday Arsenal ran rings round us, and our most hard-working player is Dirk Kuyt - the only one of the team who didn't have a Liverpool FC pre-season. QED.

[FortressAnfield]

I voted 'lack of quality'. I thought we had an excellent squad that could challenge for the title - a bit optimistic, with hindsight. We need top class players, and we have few. We have a lot of good players, but I'd say we only have 4 or 5 top-class players (Carra, Gerard, Kuyt, Xabi, Momo possibly), about the same number of good players, and the rest average-ish. We need to get a couple more top-class players, and this summer we got Pennant and Bellamy. They're not adding to the team, and too many others are playing below their best. Strength in depth is also not good enough to be successful in 4 competitions (which is probably why our success has come in cup competitions only).

 

I like Crouch, but he isn't, in my view, top class. Our big buys over the last couple of years have been Sissoko, Kuyt, Crouch, Pennant and Bellamy. Sissoko and Kuyt are good, but none of the others can transform a side. Not criticising Rafa - maybe that was all we could get. So where do we go from here? Over to you, Rafa - think you may have more idea than me. (For the sake of the club, I hope to God you have more idea than me!)

[Joeys Pogo]

I'm blaming George Sephton.

 

His muisical choices are dire and his unforgivable bigging up of Chris de Burgh's son and latest single at the last home gane was the final straw.

 

Give someone else a go you old has been.

 

Get some Undertones and Teardrop Explodes on.

[BENIRL]

But Rafa has to take a lot of the responsibility for what is happening at the moment. Every paper, sports program and cunt and his dog says he should play Gerrard in the middle but sheer bloody mindedness seems to have him playing Gerrard on the right. Bit like Houlliers persistence with Heskey.

 

Alonso was probably the best of a bad bunch yesterday but he has not been good this season. Pennant and Gonzalez may or may not come good but the confidence seems to be low probably because they keep getting dropped.. Back four have lost all confidence with each other and Reina. Kuyt does look very good and Bellamy can come good. Crouch is Crouch.

 

So it must be a curse.

[kopitegaz]

The new players (Kuyt excepted) havent gelled yet. And there's been too many players off form at the same time.

[thechap]

Definately a combination of all. However there has been FAR too much rotation thereby not giving a TEAM any time to bed down. I have gone for the Curse but I think it has been helped by rotation. Which has in turn led to lots of players not getting chances to perform well. Which has in turn fed into the rotation. A vicious circle.

 

What I know for a fact however is that the book stops with Rafa. And I've not yet looked at the piss-poor thread 'Rafa Out'.

[thechap]

Plus a mate of mine recokns Reina has been particularly shite and responsible for most conceded goals. He wants Dudek given a chance, particularly after his solid performance mid-week.

 

While I don't full agree with the Reina bit - and he is certainly not responsible for MOST goals - I might be tempted to give Dudek a go. After all, why hasn't Rafa rotated the goalies?

[thechap]

I voted 'lack of quality'. I thought we had an excellent squad that could challenge for the title - a bit optimistic, with hindsight. We need top class players, and we have few. We have a lot of good players, but I'd say we only have 4 or 5 top-class players (Carra, Gerard, Kuyt, Xabi, Momo possibly), about the same number of good players, and the rest average-ish.

 

You say that, but how many truly top-class players do manure field? Giggs and Rooney - yes. Ronaldo - cunt. The rest - not top class. Yet they are sat atop the table.

[crazy_pool_fan]

Tactics quite evidently. The blame has to be taken by Rafa and/or the board.

 

I start with selling players in the summer or sending them out on loan - getting them off your wage bill - either pressure from the board or Rafa wanted to look very good.

 

As a manager you must anticipate that all signings won't work immediately or your key players might go off form. So you put together a squad. But if in the squad you have substitute for key players (when off-form) are new signings - not sure what else it indicates.

 

If "quality" is the problem then unfortunately here is the case of - "I went to buy lampshade got some cushions instead". Manager's tactics should be such that players look much better when playing the system. If players are looking bad and they are new we have either bought wrong players or they have not gelled in properly.

 

The very fact that one can list that many possible reasons for such a start to the season says there is something definitely wrong at the top.

[Paul]

How do all you "not enough quality in the squad" voters square that view with last season? How does a squad that has retained all of last season's significant players (with apologies to Didi and Djimi) suddenly not have enough quality? Or do none of you rate 82 points as a massive achievement? In my view, there's absolutely no way you can ascribe 82 points in an English league season to luck, organisation or anything else other than quality players and management.

[Brownie]

How do all you "not enough quality in the squad" voters square that view with last season? How does a squad that has retained all of last season's significant players (with apologies to Didi and Djimi) suddenly not have enough quality? Or do none of you rate 82 points as a massive achievement? In my view, there's absolutely no way you can ascribe 82 points in an English league season to luck, organisation or anything else other than quality players and management.

 

Last season we lost at Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea so the quality hasn't always been there anyway. Granted, the Everton and Bolton results differ but the lack of quality was still an issue last season because we didn't win the league.

 

As I said above, I think it's bits of most options you gave, but more-so a lack of quality in the squad.

[MLB]

Also, people can deny it as much as they want, but Kewell and Cisse made a big contribution for us last season when they played.

[RedKnight]

Also, people can deny it as much as they want, but Kewell and Cisse made a big contribution for us last season when they played.

 

*Puts hands to ears*

 

La, la, la ,la, la. I'm not listening.

[Paul]

Also, people can deny it as much as they want, but Kewell and Cisse made a big contribution for us last season when they played.

True. It's clear that we are weaker without Kewell as an outlet for possesion (at the very least) and Cisse for his pace and (whisper it) goals.

[Neil G]

How do all you "not enough quality in the squad" voters square that view with last season? How does a squad that has retained all of last season's significant players (with apologies to Didi and Djimi) suddenly not have enough quality? Or do none of you rate 82 points as a massive achievement? In my view, there's absolutely no way you can ascribe 82 points in an English league season to luck, organisation or anything else other than quality players and management.

 

Ditto.

 

For the umpteenth time on here. The squad is good enough.

 

Perhaps I can add to the question and ask those voters what further strengthening the squad needs to make us into the finished article (apart from Rashid, who repeats it every chance he gets). Specific types of players for specific roles and positions please, not just vague generalities like 'two or three world-class players instead of five or six decent ones'. Surely Pennant instead of Alves isn't the only difference between failure and success.

[Neil G]

True. It's clear that we are weaker without Kewell as an outlet for possesion (at the very least) and Cisse for his pace and (whisper it) goals.

 

Agree on Kewell, but losing Cisse as a striker hasn't hurt us. His pace was rarely an asset as he was so clueless about using it, and with Crouch and Kuyt knocking the goals in that's not a problem either. On the right wing though, he would offer us more than Pennant does.

[Paul]

Ditto.

 

For the umpteenth time on here. The squad is good enough.

 

Perhaps I can add to the question and ask those voters what further strengthening the squad needs to make us into the finished article (apart from Rashid, who repeats it every chance he gets). Specific types of players for specific roles and positions please, not just vague generalities like 'two or three world-class players instead of five or six decent ones'. Surely Pennant instead of Alves isn't the only difference between failure and success.

Neil, I actually think that request will blur the issue because there isn't a squad in the world that couldn't be strengthened. I reckon ours could be - and dramatically so. However, that doesn't change the fact that it is strong enough, in my opinion.

[Paul]

Agree on Kewell, but losing Cisse as a striker hasn't hurt us. His pace was rarely an asset as he was so clueless about using it, and with Crouch and Kuyt knocking the goals in that's not a problem either. On the right wing though, he would offer us more than Pennant does.

Goals are most definitely are problem for us this season. We've got one in six away from home - and that was a dubious penalty. Also, we've got a negative goal difference overall.

[Guest TK-421]

Ditto.

 

For the umpteenth time on here. The squad is good enough.

 

Perhaps I can add to the question and ask those voters what further strengthening the squad needs to make us into the finished article (apart from Rashid, who repeats it every chance he gets). Specific types of players for specific roles and positions please, not just vague generalities like 'two or three world-class players instead of five or six decent ones'. Surely Pennant instead of Alves isn't the only difference between failure and success.

 

I like Riise, but I've seen the left back position as a problem for years. Under Houllier we always seemed to concede goals when teams attacked down that side, and only Aurelio has been brought in to strengthen this position and he has hardly made the position his own. It happened again on Sunday when Hleb, who I thought was brilliant, cut in from the right side (our left) and caused havoc with a little threaded ball for the opening goal.

 

However I agree that in general terms the squad is strong enough to mount a sutstained challenge, I just think Rafa has made a pigs ear of it this season when it comes to team selection, tactics and so on. This has lead to a crisis of confidence amongst some of the players and the only way out of it is a big performance and/or a big result somewhere along the line.

[Neil G]

Neil, I actually think that request will blur the issue because there isn't a squad in the world that couldn't be strengthened. I reckon ours could be - and dramatically so. However, that doesn't change the fact that it is strong enough, in my opinion.

 

I said where the squad needs strengthening to make us into title contenders, not where it could be strengthened.

 

I know there's a risk of people saying we need to sign Ronaldinho, Henry and Cannavaro. I'm willing to take that risk because I want to hear from more thoughtful posters like Brownie, who never gave us a chance at the start of the season. He doesn't think the squad is strong enough to win the title, so where does he think we're lacking?