Liverpool FC Forum

[Gerrard30391]

I don't know about you guys but i just see are team more prepared than ever before.

We've made great signings and made them early so they have a fullpre-season with us.

We've had and will be having some good opposition in friendlies, and i just see us more of a unit already than in previous years.

Whats your thoughts?

YNWA

[NiftyNeil]

I think it should make the difference to previous years. It gives the new players time to get to know their team mates, settle down and get used to the training methods and team tactics. By the time the season kicks off, the players should have a sense of togetherness and be focussed on the job in hand.

[The Manhattan Project]

My thoughts are that tomorrow, we should win trophy # 1 of the season.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

I think it's important that the new lads have been able to settle down with the players who were already there, helps break the ice a little. Lucas has also just flown out to Hong Kong to meet his new team-mates. Also with Torres being out there he'll pick up the language easier.

[heimdall]

I think it's important that the new lads have been able to settle down with the players who were already there, helps break the ice a little. Lucas has also just flown out to Hong Kong to meet his new team-mates. Also with Torres being out there he'll pick up the language easier.

What, Cantonese !!!!         

[Owzat]

I will repeat, the scum made one serious change to their team/squad last season while Chelsea made too many and few were for the good, the team making the least changes won the title. Stability can be as good as any signing, we don't even know if the players we've signed will work, be an improvement on the players they displace or even if they'll gel. We made too many changes start of last season, a new look strikeforce did f all for our goalscoring.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

Yeah Cantoneese, he can run round the chippy for the lads now

[tubby]

Yeah Cantoneese, he can run round the chippy for the lads now

noob. And ps that irwin thread was a sick joke. Have some sense when posting next time.

[lakes10]

i dont think the team should have gone to Hong Kong for a start.
its too far and some playes are being told they must play. its too hot. it could lead to a poor start to the year.
i have always felt it was better to stay near home.

[Paul C]

The problem were had over the last few seasons is scoring goals, the midfield has chipped in but our strikers haven't scored enough, were always tight at the back but the finishing from the strikers has been very poor, hopefully with Torres and especially Voronin I think we'll convert more chances, Kuyt still worries me but fingers crossed he can score a few and gets confidence resulting in form.

60+ goals this season and we'll deffo challenge for the title

[tubby]

Yeah we need to take our chances when they come. We cant be letting the smaller teams sneak points of us this season.

[Paul C]

Yeah we need to take our chances when they come. We cant be letting the smaller teams sneak points of us this season.

Thats the thing, we created plenty of chances last season but didn't convert them, we don't need a striker that beats 5 men before slotting it home but someone who will beat the offside and make clever runs................... VORONIN!! 

[Wilhelmsson]

I will repeat, the scum made one serious change to their team/squad last season while Chelsea made too many and few were for the good, the team making the least changes won the title. Stability can be as good as any signing, we don't even know if the players we've signed will work, be an improvement on the players they displace or even if they'll gel. We made too many changes start of last season, a new look strikeforce did f all for our goalscoring.

I’m starting to wonder whether Rafa’s tactical approach is having negative repercussions on their performances.

The attacking players we sign stereotypically come into the club off the back of an accomplished season with sky high confidence and this gradually erodes through the season and by the end of the season, the players look a shadow of their former selves.

I understand that several of these players might not have been good enough signings in the first place, this is open to debate. I find it striking that a player can perform at the levels of Blackburn, Auxerre, Bratislava or Real Sociedad and fail so dismally despite being around players of a higher quality.

[scoby]

Borrowed this from another site but have a read n see what ya think
I'm beginning to think that Rafa's idea of the evolution of the attacking style and shape of the team might be rather less concerned with width than many fans are.

He's spent approximately £20m on a class striker who thrives on balls into feet, or spinning onto little through balls and one-twos around the area. The two supposed 'wide' signings are actually one player who is better suited to playing behind the striker(s) and another who thinks he is a striker. While Benayoun can play from a wide position, he's clearly going to cut inside and look to thread clever little balls rather than get to the byline and throw crosses in. Babel doesn't immediately look to have the off-the-ball movement of a top striker, he could be best picking the ball up centrally and running at defenders rather than out wide. Kuyt is somewhere between the two of them, and Voronin also looks well suited to clever link up play.

From what I've seen from Torres so far, he seems to have a 'weakness' - or at least an area of his game less noticeably strong than others. He doesn't attack crosses. His movement when receiving the ball to feet, or getting onto the end of a clever pass, is excellent. When the ball is out wide and about to be crossed, he seems unsure of his position and remains static, rather than positively gambling and attacking the ball. Last week against Portsmouth, Pennant cut inside a lot, looking to play (and succeeding several times) delicate through balls. Kewell, even if fit, is not going to be the speedy silky winger of his Leeds' youth, but still has the brains and ability to attack the corner of the box rather than get to the byline.

I think we might be better built for a variety of attacking options, with the wingers and crosses no longer our primary method of attack, but just another option. Perhaps against a side with weaker fullbacks, we'll focus a little more on the flanks. Against a side with less mobility in the centre, we may focus on patient possession, one-twos and the guile of someone like Benayoun. It could explain the lack of expenditure on a big-name winger many fans expected/hoped for; it could also explain the strength in depth in central midfield areas. Using Gerrard/Aurelio/Riise in the wide positions would fit the system better with less change in style from game to game, as the midfield can play narrower (much narrower on occasion, if needed) and focuses more frequently on the area around the edge of the box rather than down the sides of it.