Aquilani

[Dirk]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

[Guest the boy]

When you have a "winger" getting 30-40 goals a season you can sacrifice a few goals from midfield. I don't think we have that luxury we need goals from everywhere.

 

No.

 

Our luxury, our equivalents are Torres and Gerrard. Between them, they can be expected to get as many goals as Rooney and Ronaldo did for United, and both partnerships are, or were, the fulcrums of those teams. When Torres and Gerrard are playing for us, as when Rooney and Ronaldo were playing for United, you rarely need goals from anywhere else on the pitch, so long as the defence can function or at least limit the opposition to a goal a game max. Our defence has been absolutely dysfunctional.

 

Ronaldo, though, rarely missed a game for them, which can't be said of either of our two. Even Rooney's played far more over the past 18 months than Torres or Gerrard. And, as has been documented, we don't have (up until recently) Tevez, Berbatov and Nani sitting on the bench who can change a game. We don't have £70,000,000 of attacking players to sit on the bench. At this point no doubt people will look, wrongly, askance towards Benitez.

 

Only exceptional teams get goals from all over the pitch. Not league-title winning teams; exceptional teams.

[PaulMcC]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

 

That's some optimism.

[jackofdk]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

 

I just heard that if we win our remaining games this season, we will finish with more points than last year. It makes me feel a bit like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber to say this but it actually made me just a bit hopeful.

 

But as you say, tonight can - and probably will - send me back into a football depression.

[Carra_is_legend]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

 

You are right, press are saying we are bad.

 

I say we have been total shite.

[coop]

There is no way you can dress been in 8th place as anything other then bad.

 

As a rule the only time i will accept being in 8th place is when the fixtures have just been released.

 

What is different this season compared to last is a run of 7-8 wins in a row would put us right up into the top four and no doubt a lot closer to the leaders then we are now.

 

Finishing purely in the top four is a poor season, especially after last season but potentially winning either the Fa Cup or the Europa League would make it an acceptable campaign.

 

The problem is we don't look like winning two games on a row you mind about 7 or 8 and if we are not careful we will run out of games or the other teams will impove around us.

 

We need to hit form and we need to hit it now otherwise this season will end up as a disaster both on and off the pitch.

[Troubadour]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

 

And we are how many points off bottom?

 

It's a weird season, and the really frustrating thing is that if we'd done what we did last season this year, we'd have walked the league. It looks like 80 will be enough to get the title this year.

 

We aren't in the title race, obviously, but there is merit to the argument that it's more like the Championship this season than usual, in that a few wins in a row (say three or four) and suddenly your entire outlook changes. Arsenal were down in the scrap for third and fourth three weeks ago, they won a couple and now they're in the thick of the title race.

 

The problem is that we may have let too much ground slip if the teams around us start winning regularly, as City look like they will until February, because the fixtures have been kind to them. We have the easiest run-in of the four going for fourth, so we just need to keep pace until then.

 

But just as it's not unrealistic that we'll finish 10th, it's also not unrealistic that we'll finish within about 10 points of whoever wins it. It's just frustrating that this is the easiest Premier League to win for years, and we've fucked it up.

[Dirk]

I just heard that if we win our remaining games this season, we will finish with more points than last year. It makes me feel a bit like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber to say this but it actually made me just a bit hopeful.

 

But as you say, tonight can - and probably will - send me back into a football depression.

 

Some of the teams have quite tough run ins; United, Spurts, City and Chelsea.

 

United have Chelsea, City and Spurs in their last 6 games.

 

Chelsea's last seven games includes matches against Villa, United, Spurs and Liverpool.

 

Spurs have back-to-back games against Arsenal, Cheslea and United.

 

City have back-to-back games against United, Arsenal and Villa.

 

Arsenal have an easier run in with games against Spurs and City but play Fulham at home final day of the season.

 

We have Chelsea second to last game of the season.

 

I think we have a decent chance of finishing in the top 4.

[piscinin]

No.

 

Our luxury, our equivalents are Torres and Gerrard. Between them, they can be expected to get as many goals as Rooney and Ronaldo did for United, and both partnerships are, or were, the fulcrums of those teams. When Torres and Gerrard are playing for us, as when Rooney and Ronaldo were playing for United, you rarely need goals from anywhere else on the pitch, so long as the defence can function or at least limit the opposition to a goal a game max. Our defence has been absolutely dysfunctional.

 

Ronaldo, though, rarely missed a game for them, which can't be said of either of our two. Even Rooney's played far more over the past 18 months than Torres or Gerrard. And, as has been documented, we don't have (up until recently) Tevez, Berbatov and Nani sitting on the bench who can change a game. We don't have £70,000,000 of attacking players to sit on the bench. At this point no doubt people will look, wrongly, askance towards Benitez.

 

Only exceptional teams get goals from all over the pitch. Not league-title winning teams; exceptional teams.

 

Maybe, the manure midfield of the last few years has only needed to get the ball forward to anyone of 4 30m+ 20+ goal a season forwards in Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov. Our midfield doesn't have that luxury.

 

There's not question that our defence is the weakest link though.

[Dirk]

And we are how many points off bottom?

 

It's a weird season, and the really frustrating thing is that if we'd done what we did last season this year, we'd have walked the league. It looks like 80 will be enough to get the title this year.

 

We aren't in the title race, obviously, but there is merit to the argument that it's more like the Championship this season than usual, in that a few wins in a row (say three or four) and suddenly your entire outlook changes. Arsenal were down in the scrap for third and fourth three weeks ago, they won a couple and now they're in the thick of the title race.

 

The problem is that we may have let too much ground slip if the teams around us start winning regularly, as City look like they will until February, because the fixtures have been kind to them. We have the easiest run-in of the four going for fourth, so we just need to keep pace until then.

 

But just as it's not unrealistic that we'll finish 10th, it's also not unrealistic that we'll finish within about 10 points of whoever wins it. It's just frustrating that this is the easiest Premier League to win for years, and we've fucked it up.

 

Agree with all of that. I think, as a club, fans and players alike conceded the title was over far too early; back in October we were saying it was over and, in hindsight, had we not been so shit from that point we'd have had a realistic chance of winning it.

[PaulMcC]

We have been bad.

[Catch22]

And we are how many points off bottom?

 

It's a weird season, and the really frustrating thing is that if we'd done what we did last season this year, we'd have walked the league. It looks like 80 will be enough to get the title this year.

 

We aren't in the title race, obviously, but there is merit to the argument that it's more like the Championship this season than usual, in that a few wins in a row (say three or four) and suddenly your entire outlook changes. Arsenal were down in the scrap for third and fourth three weeks ago, they won a couple and now they're in the thick of the title race.

 

The problem is that we may have let too much ground slip if the teams around us start winning regularly, as City look like they will until February, because the fixtures have been kind to them. We have the easiest run-in of the four going for fourth, so we just need to keep pace until then.

 

But just as it's not unrealistic that we'll finish 10th, it's also not unrealistic that we'll finish within about 10 points of whoever wins it. It's just frustrating that this is the easiest Premier League to win for years, and we've fucked it up.

 

 

 

When people say that it is a much easier PL to win for years & then complain that we have fucked up, they are being completely inconsistent.

 

The reason that it is weaker is that all the top teams suffered from the tax/FC/City/RM effect driving up wages & costing them players.

 

We would be better with Alonso

The Mancs would be better with Tevez/LadyBoy

All 3 of them solely left because they were offered a great deal more money elsewhere.

 

I am not saying that we have dealt well with that enforced loss because we haven't.

 

But it is ridiculous to say that the PL is weaker but bemoan us not maintaining our squad when the same forces are causing both.

[Dirk]

We have been bad.

 

Of course we have, but the situation we are in isn't as "bad" as is being made out. It could be much, much better but it isn't going to get any better by the entire club mourning the season, we just have to get on with it and deal with the fall out, if there is one, at the end.

[Little Sammy]

We were 10 points behind the leaders in February last season. We will be 12 behind if we win tonight. A decent run of form would put us right back in there. With teams losing more games this season, compared to last, it's probably easier to overhaul a 10 point gap this season should a team be able to put some consistent form together. We won't win the league but I don't think it's as bad as the press are making out. Tonight could change all that, though.

 

I agree. We've been totally fucking shit.

[Dirk]

I agree. We've been totally fucking shit.

 

A win tonight and we will have got more points in December than the league leaders. It's bad but the spineless bitching from our fans is just as bad, if not worse.

[Red Phoenix]

Tell me he's gonna start tonight. We surely need the midfield to be better at passing forward and attacking, and with him we should have that. If we see Lucas and Masch does that mean he'll just play it cautious?

[Carra_is_legend]

Tell me he's gonna start tonight. We surely need the midfield to be better at passing forward and attacking, and with him we should have that. If we see Lucas and Masch does that mean he'll just play it cautious?

 

I bet you 1 billion pounds we won't see Masch tonight.

[PaulMcC]

I bet you 1 billion pounds we won't see Masch tonight.

 

I'd do that bet too.

[Red Phoenix]

I bet you 1 billion pounds we won't see Masch tonight.

 

Argentina? I read that Rafa/Liverpool were going to block it, thought that'd happen too if so.

 

edit : ahh...lol.

[El Rojo]

More flashes of his passing range tonight, but plenty of bad positioning and misplaced passes too.

 

He'll get better with every game and the more Torres and Gerrard get on his wavelength, so it's vital we keep playing him.

 

Fitness permitting, no reason for him not to start against Reading at the weekend.

[Fugitive]

Coming into the team for the first time over Christmas period, whilst were playing poorly and also in those conditions ain't the easiest way to start your Liverpool career but I'm confident he'll come through just nicely.

[rebel23]

I like how he plays it forward a lot and also you can see the other players have confidence in him

 

Gerrard let him take a free kick !

 

Obviously he needs to get sharper and adjust

[Carra_is_legend]

No point in judging him at least until Feb/March if not next season.

[Anny Road]

Far Far too early to judge but appears to do simple well but showing very little goal threat which I thought was a strength.

I personally was looking for him to drop the killer ball on the edge of the box, like a world class Yossi. He seems to just ship it on to the nearest player.

Early days yet but he does seem to suit Lucas. Good balance.

[Brownie]

Far, far too early to judge him. My gut tells me he'll be a great player for us but only time will tell on that.