Is this the best first XI in the league?

[RobbieOR]

We were great in the second half of the season, but we flagged at the end. That's consistent with an overperforming team. I'm not sure Lucas is in our best team anymore. I'm not saying he definitely isn't, I'm saying I'm not sure. We're probably about 4th in terms of first team (or will be at the close of the transfer window).

 

I think he is, purely because he's our only defensive midfielder. We'll be two open if we have Adam and Gerrard as our two centre midfielders.

[WaltonRed]

It'll be the most consistent.

 

Its fucking on, get behind them, lets just go for it.

 

COME ON YOU REDMEN!

[WoOGii]

If Kelly can perform as well as he did in his short stint in the team, I’d be very pleased if Glen Johnson was given a chance as a right winger. He has pace, strength, good delivery and a good shot with both feet as well as being fit enough and having enough defensive prowess to track back and help Kelly.

 

Does anybody else agree with this idea?

[PaulMcC]

No.

 

The teams above us are a lot better at centre back especially.

 

Maybe not Arsenal, actually.

[Lee909]

I dont think its the best but its alot better than last year and i think it will get us into the top 4.We finish 10 pts outside the top 4 last year and we dropped 21pts against the bottom 6

[Abs]

Dont do this to yourself guys. Liverpools starting 11 is nowhere near the best and havent improved much from last season. Yes you have used alot of money to strengthen the squad. But your problem last season was even fit first 11 the quality wasnt as good as your rivals and not much have changed.

 

People talk like Adam is different level to meireles, like Hender is better than Lucas. Caroll has looked of the pace and it seems the team has to change tactics to get the better of him. he will make Liverpool more predictable and easier to play against. When Liverpool played with Kuyt and Suarez against smaller teams the movement was hard for those teams. Thats one thing smaller teams struggle with....movement. But with Caroll in the team its easier for them to play against Liverpool and that will be a big problem for you. I know this is something that alot of you will never admit to, but im sure it has crossed most of your minds. The talk about Downing is to get the better of Caroll, so basically it will be simple cross to Caroll until he heads in. I expect Liverpool to become more predictable and struggle with the smaller teams like last season. One thing Liverpool lacked last season was pace.....and that has not been addressed

[Lee909]

No.

 

The teams above us are a lot better at centre back especially.

 

Maybe not Arsenal, actually.

 

Im not sure spurs are better than us at the back,there players are very injury prone.

[Wor Horse]

Spurs imo have the best quad on paper Sunderland are getting close aswell.

 

Finally some sense.

[Wor Horse]

Dont do this to yourself guys. Liverpools starting 11 is nowhere near the best and havent improved much from last season. Yes you have used alot of money to strengthen the squad. But your problem last season was even fit first 11 the quality wasnt as good as your rivals and not much have changed.

 

People talk like Adam is different level to meireles, like Hender is better than Lucas. Caroll has looked of the pace and it seems the team has to change tactics to get the better of him. he will make Liverpool more predictable and easier to play against. When Liverpool played with Kuyt and Suarez against smaller teams the movement was hard for those teams. Thats one thing smaller teams struggle with....movement. But with Caroll in the team its easier for them to play against Liverpool and that will be a big problem for you. I know this is something that alot of you will never admit to, but im sure it has crossed most of your minds. The talk about Downing is to get the better of Caroll, so basically it will be simple cross to Caroll until he heads in. I expect Liverpool to become more predictable and struggle with the smaller teams like last season. One thing Liverpool lacked last season was pace.....and that has not been addressed

 

Fuck. The. Cunt. Off.

[Lee909]

Dont do this to yourself guys. Liverpools starting 11 is nowhere near the best and havent improved much from last season. Yes you have used alot of money to strengthen the squad. But your problem last season was even fit first 11 the quality wasnt as good as your rivals and not much have changed.

 

People talk like Adam is different level to meireles, like Hender is better than Lucas. Caroll has looked of the pace and it seems the team has to change tactics to get the better of him. he will make Liverpool more predictable and easier to play against. When Liverpool played with Kuyt and Suarez against smaller teams the movement was hard for those teams. Thats one thing smaller teams struggle with....movement. But with Caroll in the team its easier for them to play against Liverpool and that will be a big problem for you. I know this is something that alot of you will never admit to, but im sure it has crossed most of your minds. The talk about Downing is to get the better of Caroll, so basically it will be simple cross to Caroll until he heads in. I expect Liverpool to become more predictable and struggle with the smaller teams like last season. One thing Liverpool lacked last season was pace.....and that has not been addressed

 

I dont even get why i am getting into this with you, but have you considered that we want a plan B or should every team attempt to just stick with plan A.

[PaulMcC]

Im not sure spurs are better than us at the back,there players are very injury prone.

 

I fiogot Spurs were above us.

 

For some reason i just assume we'll definitely be ahead of Spurs.

[Lee909]

Finally some sense.

 

I still think they rely on some players that breakdown to much.There issue will be if they go on a poor run the fans wil turn on them and blame "Arry" of having his eyes on the england job

[Abs]

I dont even get why i am getting into this with you, but have you considered that we want a plan B or should every team attempt to just stick with plan A.

 

Instead of people think im p!ssing them off....lets have a discussion. Is it wrong to say one of Liverpools problems last season was lack of pace throughout the team? What has Liverpool done to fix this problem? I dont wanna be a d!ck....but I still see the same problem as last season, Liverpool will do well against better teams as those teams will not sit back and Liverpool have good enough players to punish them. But when smaller teams sit deep and defend, i just dont see enough pace and flair in that team.

[Lee909]

Lets see what else is done over the rest of the summer.Yes the squad lacks some pace but there is little poin in pace if the players do not have a football brain.Id rather have a Downing that have some pace than a Lennon that has pace to burn but cant cross the ball for shit.Our set pieces will be a damn sight better than they have been in years with the Adam,Suarez on free kick duty,with Gerrard actually able to get into the box now.

We still lack a another player like Suarez/Gerrard who can change a game on his own.

A good left back will help stretch the play as both Johnson and Kelly can get forward from the right.

[Il Fenomeno]

Instead of people think im p!ssing them off....lets have a discussion. Is it wrong to say one of Liverpools problems last season was lack of pace throughout the team? What has Liverpool done to fix this problem? I dont wanna be a d!ck....but I still see the same problem as last season, Liverpool will do well against better teams as those teams will not sit back and Liverpool have good enough players to punish them. But when smaller teams sit deep and defend, i just dont see enough pace and flair in that team.

 

The big problem was Roy Hodgson. Pace isn't even that important, Barcelona's team isn't blessed with great pace yet they do fine for themselves.

[Section_31]

Instead of people think im p!ssing them off....lets have a discussion. Is it wrong to say one of Liverpools problems last season was lack of pace throughout the team? What has Liverpool done to fix this problem? I dont wanna be a d!ck....but I still see the same problem as last season, Liverpool will do well against better teams as those teams will not sit back and Liverpool have good enough players to punish them. But when smaller teams sit deep and defend, i just dont see enough pace and flair in that team.

 

You don't need pace and flair to destroy inferior teams, that's why Arsenal always fuck up.

 

What you need is width, men running into the box from midfield and aerial ability which prevents them from sitting back. Oh wait.

[Juan Galonso]

The big problem was Roy Hodgson. Pace isn't even that important, Barcelona's team isn't blessed with great pace yet they do fine for themselves.

 

Different mentality though that with Barcelona.

 

Man United in our own league have won numerous titles due to having genuine class and pace out wide which particularly at Old Trafford on that big pitch because they have had players who can beat a man and stretch teams in tight games. Pace isn't the be all and end all as you say but it certainly helps. In our league.

[Abs]

Different mentality though that with Barcelona.

 

Man United in our own league have won numerous titles due to having genuine class and pace out wide which particularly at Old Trafford on that big pitch because they have had players who can beat a man and stretch teams in tight games. Pace isn't the be all and end all as you say but it certainly helps. In our league.

 

without doubt this is man u strength, it helps alot in the PL if you have wide men who can beat their man and create space for others

[MLB]

We could do with a pacy wide player who can play left or right, if only as another option. Unless I'm forgetting someone, the only real back-up we have for Downing is Maxi, and we don't really have any pace on the right either. I suspect this is why we were looking at Marveaux.

 

As for the original post, well, I don't think we'll know until we've seen them all playing together for a run of games. I can see Henderson starting before Lucas, but I'm not sure which one out of him and Gerrard will play the "holding" role. They both seem more suited to it than Adam.

 

What's good is that we have options and we have clearly bought players with the overall functioning of the team in mind. It looks good on paper, now we just have to make it work on the pitch. If we hit the ground running I honestly don't see why we can't challenge.

[Juan Galonso]

By rights Arsenal should have won more titles than they have over the past few years but it isn't their attacking players which have hindered them it's their soft defensive underbelly and them cracking at the drop of a hat when they are put under any real pressure. If Arsenal had have had any two of Carragher, Ferdinand, Terry or Vidic over the past few years and any one of Reina, Van der Sar or to a lesser extent Cech they would have won at least two titles in my opinion over the past five years or so.

[SlugTrail]

Parker instead of Lucas? Fuck me.

 

I know how you feel, some people on here seem to think that Parker is some kind of footballing god and Lucas is Diao Mark 2.

[Juan Galonso]

I know how you feel, some people on here seem to think that Parker is some kind of footballing god and Lucas is Diao Mark 2.

 

Or people may just have an opinion that they think Parker is a better player than Lucas. I think Parker is a very good player, I think Lucas is a decent player. There are a lot of people who's view isn't as extreme as you are making out.

[Anubis]

Abs - your team is full of technically gifted players who are also shithouses. And Nicholas Bendtner. And Stuart Downing knocked you back. All true.

[Guest LFD]

I amazed how people don't rate seem to rate our first XI.

[Section_31]

Being lectured on football by an arsenal fan is ironic seeing as, pre-Wenger, they built their reputation on (a) driving people to suicide because they were so fucking dull and (b) having a squad full of pissheads.

 

Arsenal are like France after France 98, they think because they've won something they can suddenly start lecturing the world on how to play football.

 

Fuck off, and come back when you've got a better European pedigree than Aston Villa.