Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

Liverpool, 11:42, October 8, 2008
Rafa Benitez has played down talk of a title challenge and urged his Liverpool side to start scoring in the first half of games.

The Reds currently only trail Chelsea by goal difference at the top of the Premier League after making an impressive start to the season but Benitez has quickly played down talk of a title bid.

"It's important to send the right messages," the boss told the club's website. "We have a long, long way to go. We have to do things properly both now, in one month's time and in three months' time.

"We can have a lot of confidence in ourselves but we must keep our feet on the ground.

"We (the squad) were talking about this before, although we can enjoy being at the top of the table. But the players know we must keep going until the end. You can't win a title now - you can only win it at the end of the season."

Remarkably, the only goal Benitez's side have scored in the first half of a game in the Premier League this season is Wes Brown's own goal in the 2-1 win over Manchester United and the Reds boss admits an improvement is needed in the first 45 minutes.

"It's very positive that we are scoring a lot of goals in the second half but also dangerous," he added. "We need to change it, start scoring in the first half and have some easier games. 

"Having said that, when you can come back like we have, that is very pleasing."

[GYBS]

Still up on the top of the table - just behind chelsea on goal difference. Kuyt banging in the goals . Agger back.

[GYBS]

top of the league

[DanAn]

Biggest positive is definitely the performance of our midfield this year. I think it is the best midfeild in the world at the moment and really allows us to control games:

Kuyt, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Reira are all fantastic form and really the basis of our winning streak in a time when Torres, Skrrtle, Aurelio and Babel have all missed games through injury.

Just think what this team can do when we get Torres back at full flight and on fire. I don't think he's even been able to get out of second gear yet.

[Ben1988]

Best in the world is pushing it.... we are very very good in there... i like the flexibilty we have with kuyt/gerrard on the righ and even pennant. riera and bable good on the left. And yes masch alonso and gerrard are actually ur right i would go with it that they are the best central midfield partnership in the world.

We have a top class manager and without him things would fall apart. In rafa we trust, give him a contract, yanks out!

[stmichael]

I think Patrick Barclay makes some good points here, referring to how we are starting to look like a modern day version of Rafa's Valencia side:

http://link.brightcove.com/service....9735302

[GYBS]

Still top of the table by 3 points

[hazzaLFC]

Ok guys, yesterdays defeat was hard to take, especially as we should have been well out of sight by the time Spurs got their equalizer!

But lets put things into perspective:  11 games gone, still not hit top gear yet, and we sit joint top of the table. We’ve beaten the Mancs. We’ve ended Chelsea’s 86 game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge. We comfortably won at Goodison.  3  of our toughest fixtures!

The sign of true Champs, is how you recover from a defeat.  Since Chelsea lost to us, they’ve gained 6 points in 4 days, scoring 8 goals.

Our remaining Premier League games of 2008 are;

West Brom (H)
Bolton (A)
Fulham (H)
West Ham (H)
Blackburn (A)
Hull (H)
Arsenal (A)
Bolton (H)
Newcastle (A)

Now looking at these fixtures, theres not much here to concern us.  Torres will soon be back banging in the goals, Srktel should be back by the New Year, and you would expect to see the best of Robbie Keane before too long!

So I’m remaining confident that by the turn of the New Year, we will still be well in the race for the Title. Top 2 going into January and we can give it a real go in the second half of the season!

COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   

[Owzat]

Ok guys, yesterdays defeat was hard to take, especially as we should have been well out of sight by the time Spurs got their equalizer!

But lets put things into perspective:  11 games gone, still not hit top gear yet, and we sit joint top of the table. We’ve beaten the Mancs. We’ve ended Chelsea’s 86 game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge. We comfortably won at Goodison.  3  of our toughest fixtures!

The sign of true Champs, is how you recover from a defeat.  Since Chelsea lost to us, they’ve gained 6 points in 4 days, scoring 8 goals.

Our remaining Premier League games of 2008 are;

West Brom (H)
Bolton (A)
Fulham (H)
West Ham (H)
Blackburn (A)
Hull (H)
Arsenal (A)
Bolton (H)
Newcastle (A)

Now looking at these fixtures, theres not much here to concern us.  Torres will soon be back banging in the goals, Srktel should be back by the New Year, and you would expect to see the best of Robbie Keane before too long!

So I’m remaining confident that by the turn of the New Year, we will still be well in the race for the Title. Top 2 going into January and we can give it a real go in the second half of the season!

COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   

We need to win at least six or seven of those games,

Other positives :

- in 2007/8 we went unbeaten for the first 14 games, we picked up 30 points which is only four more than we have in 2008/9 with THREE games in hand.

- the most Premiership wins Liverpool have managed in a calendar year is 24 (2006) We are currently on 19 with those FIVE home games and four away games to come.

- we've only lost two home games in our last 119 Premiership games, that might not be eighty whatever, but it's nearly as impressive. Unfortunately in that same spell we've lost 18 away games 

- Our record in our last 38 Premiership games is P38 W24 D9 L5 F66 A30 PTS 81 - not perfect, but bearing in mind we've won eight of the first 11 this season it is improving to the kind of level it needs to be - and that's five points more than we finished on in 2007/8 and only one less than Rafa managed in his best season of 2005/6 (82) - that with the last 38 games including THREE against Man Utd (including one away), two away to Chelsea, Tottenham AND Man City, and Arsenal away ie EIGHT tough away games where you would normally only get five in a season. And all that despite Liverpool's last 38 games in the Premiership being exactly split down the middle in terms of home and away.

- We've played our toughest away game (Chelsea) and one of our toughest home games (mancs) and won both. The 'big four' have played the following games of the 'big four' clashes :

Liverpool WW : Chelsea (a), Man Utd (h)
Arsenal n/a : none (Man Utd at home on November 8th)
Man Utd DD : Liverpool (a), Chelsea (a)
Chelsea DL : Man Utd (h), Liverpool (h)

Might be a bit premature to write Arsenal off on that basis, although they have lost three times already this season which is as many as the others combined (one each). Chelsea have picked up a single point from six against 'big four' rivals at HOME. Man Utd also have just a single point from six against 'big four' rivals, albeit both away, while we have six out of six so far

- good news is Chelsea have played six at home and five away while we've played five at home and six away. Bad news is Chelsea have a 100% record away from home in the Premiership so far, winning at Middlesboro, Hull, Wigan, Man City and Stoke. Bad news is we have played Boro, Wigan and Stoke at home and dropped two points, only just winning the two games we did

- and finally an ironic positive of sorts - none of the 'big four' has played Tottenham and picked up more than a point so far. Tottenham drew at Stamford Bridge, The Emirates and beat us at White Hart Lane.

[GYBS]

Top of the table
Through to the last 16 of the CL
Rafa getting a new contract

[rushy09999]

we have a very decent chance of making a champions league spot