burjennio wrote:LFC only lost 4 games last season in the PL, and 2 to the champions at that.
Man Utd lost FIVE games and won the title by ELEVEN points so how exactly does your point have any relevance? The problem wasn't losing, it was a lack of wins. I've long believed you need to win 27+ games to win the title and the mancs won exactly 27. The problem wasn't defeats, it was draws :-
Home records 2007/8
Man Utd P19 W17 D1 L1 F47 A7 PTS 52
Liverpool P19 W12 D6 L1 F43 A13 PTS 42
So there is explained simply all but one of the 11 points difference, too many draws at home. Only two of those draws were against sides that finished above us so of games against the teams that finished below us we won only 3/4 at home
And of course we dropped three points at Reading and four against brum all told so seven against relegated sides
burjennio wrote:The reds hit a sticky patch mid season which caused a loss of momentum in the title race, which could easily be blamed on the politics with the owners and the manager.
That is an all too convenient smokescreen, but you are right in regards it is "easily blamed on the politics with the owners and the manager". Funny that any wins were in spite of that, it also doesn't quite tally with your previous comment about losing only four games which is less than we lost in 2005/6 when we managed 82 points.
What really cost Liverpool was careless defending and lack of goals in home draws against spudz, villa, Wigan and brum. And as much as the boardroom shenanigans is claimed to be a factor, I believe stupid defeat at home to Marseille and subsequent CL distractions also cost Liverpool. It lead to team tinkering, only in the last third of the season did we see an effective formation and a bit of consistency
CL Timeline
Liverpool 0-1 Marseille : Left Liverpool with one point out of six in the Champions League, Liverpool were then P7 W4 D3 L0 PTS 15 in the Premiership. That was good but the draws were already a worry
Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool : Left Liverpool needing to win the last three games, that put pressure on the manager and team to balance league and Champions League. Liverpool had added four more league points to be P9 W5 D4 L0 PTS 19. Still right up there but the draws still a worry, three at home already with a fourth the very next game at home to Arsenal.
By the time Liverpool lost their first league game to Reading they'd drawn another couple and won three (scoring nine goals) to be P14 W8 D6 L0 PTS 30. So into December Liverpool were still well in the title race, it wasn't defeats or boardroom shenanigans hampering them at this point, but sloppy draws.
In stark contrast our Premiership run-in saw us win 10 of the last 13 games scoring 27 goals in the process
burjennio wrote:If the club pulls together in the right direction this season the squad, with 1 or 2 additions in key areas is pretty close to giving the rest a real run for there money on all fronts. top 2 finish for me and a trophy would be a successful season.
To me we need to sign key players in key positions, so far we've added players who on face value don't add a lot of strength to the side. Degen and Cavalieri may well become squad players and add to them Dossena at £7m and we've already spent £10m on not a lot to enhance our title bid. Another £18m on a CM we don't need and what you've said and what we've done won't tally, I agree in principle although I think trophies and cup runs can be distractions.
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