Liverpool FC Forum

[Bam]

Cast your minds back to August 08' and most of you including myself would of chewed limbs off to be in our current situation. Yes I know many will put their hands up and point out the facts that we should of made light between ourselves and everyone one else. During the December/January months, lets get this out the way quickly. I'm not happy that we've dropped points to the likes of Stoke, Fulham and Wigan. But there isnt a single thing anyone of us can do about that now. Its becoming tedious and tiresome to drone over those results of what could of been.

Still, although this place has looked like a morgue recently keep your mindset back in August 08'. And things dont look so grim, even after spunking a descent lead. We're still in with a sniff of the title which is more than can be said for Chelsea and Arsenal IMO.

Heading into the final furlong it looks a two horse race, with Villa the dark horses. Although we trail Manchester United currently by five points, I certainly dont think the Fat lady is ready to sing just yet.


Here is Man Uniteds and ours upcoming fixtures ..

Man.U Vs Blackburn                     

3 days later they play Inter away.

Sun 1st Man.U Vs Spurs in the CC

Wed 4th Newcastle Vs Man U

Sat 7th Swansea/Fulham Vs Man U FA cup

Wed 11 Man. U Vs Inter

Sat 14th Man.U Vs Liverpool

Sat 21st Fulham Vs Man. U

Apr 4th  Man. U Vs Aston Villa

Sat 11th Sunderland Vs Man.U

Sat 18th Wigan Vs Man. U

Sat 25th Man. U Vs Tottenham

May 2nd Middlesborugh Vs Man.U

May 9th Man.U Vs Man.C

Sat 16th Man. U Vs Arsenal

24 th Final day of season... Hull Vs Man.U

Our remaining fixtures ..

22nd Liverpool Vs Man.C

3 days later we're away to Madrid.

Sat 28 Middlesborugh Vs Liverpool

March 10th Liverpool Vs Madrid

Sat 14th Man. U Vs Liverpool

Sun 22nd Liverpool Vs Aston Villa

Apr 4 th Fulham Vs Liverpool

Sat 11th Liverpool Vs Blackburn

Sat 18th Liverpool Vs Arsenal

Sat 25th Hull Vs Liverpool

May 2nd Liverpool Vs Newcastle

Sat 9th West Ham Vs Liverpool

Sat 16th West Brom Vs Liverpool

Sun 24 th final game of the season we're at Home to Spurs.



Looking at the remaining fixtures its much of a muchness in compairing our run in with Man U's. I'm not going to try and predict anything from that lot, its pointless, even if it maybe easier to predict the remaining fixtures than one of Rafa's teams. We may have it slightly harder and I'm sure they'll be able to put out second stringers for their FA cup games. Obviously if the team can keep getting three points up until the 14 th of March, when we face the Mancs. This game will be fecking HUGE ! So we've got the small case of Madrid tied in with Boro and Citeh before we face the Mancs. If we take six points from both Premiership games then head to Old Trafford knowing a win will only do. We're IMO still in with a very good chance.

Thing is, I'm slightly more worried with the fact that we may not be able to win most of these games, more so than United dropping points. Its the biggest IF, but IF this Liverpool side can churn draws into results we'll have United under the cosh. You never know, Villa, Arsenal or Citeh could do us a favour along the way. By that same token we have to beat those three too. Its not going to be easy, but the crunch game for me obviously lies at Old Trafford.

We havent done well their for a while and its a big ask for any team to go there and get a result. If the likes of Gerrard especially, and Torres are on form we stand a chance. For me Gerrard has usually gone missing in this fixture. If he intends to be a true leader and a captain our boys to glory, that day at Old Trafford is the day he'll need to show it most. The poor bugger has so much on his shoulders and TBH its sad to expect 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff from him everytime it comes to the crunch. Unfortunately like with the Evertonians, the Mancs get on his back and he for me doesnt play to his capabilities in these fixtures, thats just my opinion. This time around he and his 10 other colleagues (lets not forget them) must stand up and be counted for. Take three points off United and its a massive psycological advantage and could really burst Uniteds bubble. Like I said earlier I tend to worry about our form more than Uniteds. IE it wouldnt atall totally surprise me to see us beat the Mancs then eight days later stutter at home to Villa. Thats the kind of team we are, thats our problem after winning a game of such magnitude (hypothetically against the Mancs of course). Most teams could pick up a run of form, with us its not so cut and dry.

Still, we're in with a chance we havent been here for twenty fecking years. Its time to look forward towards something instead of scrutinising everything. Cast your minds back again to August 08' you would of chewed a limb off to be where we are now. Its time for a bit more optimisim and less scrutinising.

In saying all that, if we dont win against Citeh on Sunday its all over  Every game from now on is like a cup final ! I sincerely hope Rafa and the lads treat it like that.

[Owzat]

I was toying with starting a thread based on this :-

Rafael Benitez has said Liverpool need to win all of their remaining games if they are to win the Premier League this season. (Various)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1....897.stm

But as it's more or less the same theme I'll simply quote it in here. For me the biggest worries are :-

- we play not to lose rather than to win
- so we drop silly points through draws, especially at home
- as a consequence, our other wins have less impact eg we've beaten the mancs and Chelsea and are still five points behind the mancs
- and the Champions League distraction, no matter how much Rafa may deny it, he is in love with the competition and it will be hard for him to agree to a divorce
- and then there's Rafa's tactics - even with our strongest XI, we don't click often enough and the starting XI, substitutions and tactics are questionable and questioned nearly every game. How often do we say "Rafa got it spot on" ? I think a few did generously because of the last ditch win the other week at FP, others including myself think he got away with it and lessons need to be learned sharpish. If we'd not taken 210 mins to lose to the bitters, we should have beaten them, then we wouldn't have lost Lucas or probably Gerrard who limped off in the replay that shouldn't have been necessary. Then the XI against Portsmouth might have been very different, as two might be the XI on Sunday

The last worry is ongoing, apologies for repeating it but it completes a set. A lot on here were "happy clappy" back when Chelsea were (perceived) as our nearest rivals, now it is clear they've had a bit of a mare and they could drop points just as often as we did - so our double over them made a difference. But the mancs are a different animal entirely, they'd shoot their whole family if it could buy them a win in a Premiership. For all those who wax lyrical and shoot their load over man utd's success, they haven't done it through glorious attacking football alone and solid boring defence, they've dived and cheated, harrassed referees and done everything possible to win each and every game. Some of their qualities are admirable, but they are not squeaky clean and their "win at all costs" mentality is something more shameful. I remember a match, must have been when Blackburn or Arsenal won the league, where Ole Cheating Gunnar Solksjaer sprinted to catch and then cynically fouled a rival who had got clear on the counter and they were losing. He walked off knowing he would see red, he started so far behind the rival, but so quickly that he could have reached his own goal and sprinted back to tackle him outside the penalty area. Instead he took a red card to hope his teammates could salvage the game, he should have got a much longer ban than for the red card alone as that isn't what we want to see in football. Cynical fouling and diving should receive a red card.

[Roger Red Hat]

only problem I can see is Man.U (as much as it pains me to say this) are playing good football and winning.

We're a bit hit and miss in the football quality area but we still seem to be hovering between a win and a draw. Man.U seem to get in front and then be able to kill the game off. Whereas we struggle doing that.

just an observation

[bigmick]

I like Bams optimism, and Ill revisit my analogy of earlier about the boxing match which was quite a good one for me. We're pretty much down and out, we're staggering around in the ring but we ain't dead yet. We've got a punchers chance, and what we absolutely must do is cling on, hold on, tie em up, bide some time and stay in touch till we go to Old Trafford. If, and it's a big IF, we can land a big swinging haymaker there we might just wobble em and give ourselves a chance.

I've not been doom and gloomy at all about the Mancs hoovering up points, that's what they do. They'll beat Blackburn on Saturday as well, but it doesn't increase the pressure on us one bit. It doesn't matter if they win 10-0, we know what we've got to do. If the manager says we've got win all 13 from here on in, I'm not going to argue with him. Even that might not be enough in truth, and although I wouldn't be putting my mortgage on it even the most doomiest and gloomiest amongst us must still be a fraction fired up at least.

[112-1077774096]

we will see how much he wants to win when making crazy subs bringing on defensive players for attacking ones when we need a goal.

[Bam]

Good observation Lee J.

Thats another worry, even if we do win all thirteen of our remaining matches which I'm not sure we will (although I like to believe in fairytales). There is no gurantee that would secure a league title, but surely the Mancs wont get thirteen straight wins from here on in. Even though out of us and them they're probably more likely to get maximum points. That cant happen if we beat them at OT, but that fixture in itself is a tall order.

Its going to be tight I reckon, and the media and LFC fans shouldnt write us off just yet.

[Bam]

we will see how much he wants to win when making crazy subs bringing on defensive players for attacking ones when we need a goal.

Be optimistic Peewee.

[bigmick]

I must confess I have always thought people are a bit unfair saying that the manger is "in love" with the Champions League. He's no fool isn't Rafa, and he knows if he wins the Premier League he's got a job for life so I don't accept this supposed obsession with the Champions League.

I do think though that he prioritises the Champions League over the Premiership simply because he thinks we've got a better chance of winning it. I can understand that sentiment,  because we have. You're really only got to win three or at the most four meaningful ties to get home in Europe, whereas in the league it's much harder.   

I think it said much about how Rafa is that we are going to win the League this season when you look at the teams he put out in the FA Cup. In both the third and fourth rounds he put out pretty much a full strength team, despite impending league committments. Like I say, he's not a fool by any means and he knows we could really do with winning a trophy this season, for a variety of reasons.

[Judge]

we will see how much he wants to win when making crazy subs bringing on defensive players for attacking ones when we need a goal.

Be optimistic Peewee.

be pessimistic

[lakes10]

It dont even matter if we win all our games from now, Man u need to slip up for us to win, if we had not up we would have had a good lead by now.

[Bam]

I must confess I have always thought people are a bit unfair saying that the manger is "in love" with the Champions League. He's no fool isn't Rafa, and he knows if he wins the Premier League he's got a job for life so I don't accept this supposed obsession with the Champions League.

I do think though that he prioritises the Champions League over the Premiership simply because he thinks we've got a better chance of winning it. I can understand that sentiment,  because we have. You're really only got to win three or at the most four meaningful ties to get home in Europe, whereas in the league it's much harder.   

I think it said much about how Rafa is that we are going to win the League this season when you look at the teams he put out in the FA Cup. In both the third and fourth rounds he put out pretty much a full strength team, despite impending league committments. Like I say, he's not a fool by any means and he knows we could really do with winning a trophy this season, for a variety of reasons.

I like your Boxing analogy Mick.

Whether he Prioritises the CL or is "in Love" with it, its pretty much the same to me. Far to often in years gone by he's played a heavily rotated team on the weekend in the Prem after a group stage game against the likes of Brugge or someone when he's picked a strong side.

I cant honestly remember the personel picked for the group stages this season. But this is the first season IMO where I've seen him put the Prem on par as his priorities with the CL. I do honestly believe he wanted to focus much more on the league this season. Instead of having both eyes on the CL he's got one eye on each, now an Optometrist maybe needed after placing one eye on each cup but IMO its needed.

I think with the summer chasing of Barry and Keane, to me indicated that Rafa wanted British/UK born players who knew the hussle and bussle of the Prem, to help make an assault on the league. I firmly believe this season he set out to make the Prem his priority, its just a shame some of his methods have hindered us.

[Judge]

I like Bams optimism,

bam, bigmick - get a room 

[Judge]

I must confess I have always thought people are a bit unfair saying that the manger is "in love" with the Champions League. He's no fool isn't Rafa, and he knows if he wins the Premier League he's got a job for life so I don't accept this supposed obsession with the Champions League.

I do think though that he prioritises the Champions League over the Premiership simply because he thinks we've got a better chance of winning it. I can understand that sentiment,  because we have. You're really only got to win three or at the most four meaningful ties to get home in Europe, whereas in the league it's much harder.   

I think it said much about how Rafa is that we are going to win the League this season when you look at the teams he put out in the FA Cup. In both the third and fourth rounds he put out pretty much a full strength team, despite impending league committments. Like I say, he's not a fool by any means and he knows we could really do with winning a trophy this season, for a variety of reasons.

I like your Boxing analogy Mick.

room boys

[Judge]

I LOVE 5 LIVE

[red_guy]

If we managed to win in our next 5 matches, i guess ManUre will be very worried and maybe that's going to be the factor whether we can win the premiership this season or not. Anyway, being realistic, the best we can get ...i would say 2nd place. Anyway, good LUCK to  rafa and all the lads, you're going to need lots of it.