Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:49 am

Now the dust has settled after winning the CL and everyones back down to earth, what can we expect to happen this season?
I must admit if I am honest I am a bit dissapointed we havent got 2 or 3 good quality players in.
Ok Rafa has strengthend the team, but a good few players have left, and now Le Tallecs gone on loan to Sunderland, I would have kept him to play alongside Pongolle when he is back fit.

Ok we won the CL but lets not forget, we finished so many points below the leaders and we only played one more game than them which was the final.
I know they have have quality subs and we had an awful lot of damaging injuries that spoiled our campaign, we missed Michael Owens goals, but can we really be honest and say we can compete with Chelsea, Arsenal or Manure?

I dont really think so, not yet anyway maybe we can win 1 or 2 tropheys, but i dont think we can win the league, not yet anyway.
And the stronger Chelsea get the harder its going to be for us, ok we should have beat them on new years day only for Mike :censored:

Reilly

We would have beat them in the Carling Cup if it wasnt for the own goal, we could have beat them at Stamford Bridge in the first leg and we did beat them at anfield in the CL.
But we hung on for dear life and defended like lions, but do we really want to see our Liverpool play like that?
I know I dont.

We can beat anyone on our day, but for years now our team doesnt have that winning mentality to last over a season, usually we are out of the premiership race by January.
How is Rafa going to change this mentality?
He has a very hard job on his hands, Arsenal took us apart the first half at Highbury the end of last season, it was embarressing not as bad as the bitters 7-0 mauling but hey we are Liverpool F.C. Arsenal, Chelsea, manure and the rest of the bunch used to fear for their lives playing against the mighty Liverpool.

How can we get that stature back?
Can we ever get it back?
ok we have one of the best managers in Europe, but we dont have the best players YET.
We wasnt able to field a team of our first 11 last season until the final.
We are desperate for reinforcements in our defence, Carra is our rock at the back, Finnan is also superb, but Hyypia and Traore are our weakest links, and this is one half of the problem, plus Dudek has made some clangers in his time.
Havent seen much of Reina to make an opinion on him yet, and the real test will be in the prem.

Garcia his best position is in the hole behind a striker he loses the ball to much on the wing, I love him dont get me wrong and we wouldnt have won the CL without him, but Rafa should play him where hes best.

Now for them teams that have been promoted Wigan, Sunderland, and West Ham how are we going to play against the likes of these? How are we going to get that winning mentality that we will beat all in front of us, against the likes of City, Boro, Brum?
These are the teams that worry me the most, the ones who we could destroy 4-5 nil but they made us look like them when we played them last season.
I hope to see a seriously challenging the top 3 this season, I would get Michael Owen back, if Milan is going, two good quality no nonsense defenders in.
Then we will be on the right track.

Before anyone says oh ciggy why so negative, well Im not Im just being honest, because us as fans cant settle for mediocre any longer 4th is not a target, 3rd will be ok, and 2nd or 1st is a must, plus some shiny silverware to add to our already illustrious cabinets.

COME ON YOU REDS LETS DO IT.

by **The Ace1983** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:36 am

I think I posted on another thread my expectations, but what the hell, I'll do it again.

I expect LFC to be fighting with the big boys at the top, but I can't see us being Champs. I expect us to win more away from home, be fitter, stronger, deeper, sharper and less injury prone. I expect some cup runs and I think we should be looking for some form of domestic silver, although when it comes to our domestic cups, luck is such a huge factor. I expect us not to go to sleep at the back any more, and to net more upfront. In short, I expect us to take the first steps forward to becomeing the LFC of Old.

Come on you Reds!!!

by **Kopboyau** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 12:28 pm

2nd or 3rd this season and with a good run with injuries who knows. I mean Xabi and Dibj surely can't break legs and ankles again.

by **Architect** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:31 pm

I'm pleased that no-one has suggested we'll win the Premiership this season. I'm sorry to say folks, that it aint going to happen.

We finished 37 points behind Chelsea last season, and we're not going to make up that gap in a year. Realistically, I think the best we can hope for is 3rd place. I just can't see us finishing in the top two, unfortunately.

Our away form was bloody abysmal last season - eleven defeats away from Anfield. That has to be improved this season. Maybe the lanky beanpole up front will enable us to hold the ball up better when under pressure away from home.

I had to smile watching the England/Columbia friendly match during the summer on the BBC. Owen (who scored a hat-trick) was partnered up front by Peter Crouch.

John Motson was commenting on Crouch's aerial ability, when he said to Graeme Le Saux: "You were with Peter at Southampton. What's he like down below?"

by **laza** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:38 pm

I expect blood sweat and tears.
Great highs and disappointing lows, periods of pure anguish and frustration and moments of great happiness and unbashed joy
To lose when i dont expect us to and to win against all the odds.
At end of that all my hopes are for some good cups runs and decent challenge at title with minimum low being CL qualification position
I almost hoping for a couple more good signings before season starts

by **66-1120597113** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:54 pm

I dont see any reason why we cant finish second!Why not?With our new signings and Rafa having last yrs experience under his belt in the EPL we will be as good as Utd or Arsenal!
The main thing that annoyed me last yr was our away form so hope to see that improve a lot!All we can ask is for our boys to give 100% every time,if they do that n we get a bit of luck on the way who knows??
Who honestly expected to win the Champs lge?
Anything can happen it's football!! :nod

by **Siddy454** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:58 pm

I would be hapyy if we progressed in sum competitions and we we are a real threaet to the top 3 even if we cum 4th 3 points behind 3rd it will be a massive improvement.

by **El Nino_#9** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:29 pm

i expect us to win at least a trophy maybe even two out of the six competitions. (probally the club championship and the super cup)
i also expect us to get 4th as well, more comfortabley than last season anyway!
we can expect cisse to score over 15 goals at least.
we can expect sissoko to get the most yellow cards and even red cards.
we can expect kewell to get injured AGAIN!
we can expect gerrard to be his usual BRILLIANT self!
we can expect carra, reina and alonso to be KEY PLAYERS along with gerrard this season.
we can expect to do the double over everton!

by **padderz001** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 5:23 pm

I want to see more players other than gerrard or carrager looking like they want to win games, instead of sitting there expecting others to do the work, which happened far too much last season. There were some cracking reults last year and I just hope we can become more consistent. What can we expect at the end of the season...a top 3 finish....and maybe a domestic cup...oh and winning the CL again wouldnt go a miss

by **ALONSO_14** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 5:50 pm

we cant beat chelsea to the title full stop they are too strong but the manks and arsenal are getting weaker and if we have a good season i believe we can finish ahead of them 2 in 2nd but 3rd is most likely or even 4th which isnt too good

by **The_Rock** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 5:59 pm

ALONSO_14 wrote:we cant beat chelsea to the title full stop they are too strong but the manks and arsenal are getting weaker and if we have a good season i believe we can finish ahead of them 2 in 2nd but 3rd is most likely or even 4th which isnt too good

i disagree.....chelsea are not as unbeatable as u think. I just seen the charity shield...... (although it is somewhat of a friendly), i was not too impressed with them..... They have a great defence and all, but i believe we have the better midfield than them (at least central midfielders). I also believe that cisse is much better than drogba.

Last season, i predict we will win the champions league...well this season i predict we will win the league..... :cool:

rock on

by **Ciggy** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:04 pm

padderz001 wrote:I want to see more players other than gerrard or carrager looking like they want to win games, instead of sitting there expecting others to do the work, which happened far too much last season. There were some cracking reults last year and I just hope we can become more consistent. What can we expect at the end of the season...a top 3 finish....and maybe a domestic cup...oh and winning the CL again wouldnt go a miss

See this is summed up in one, we have only seen pre season games and CL qualifiers but once again its took Gerrard to score to win us games, and this is what no one wants, ok so he's earning 100 grand a week and we should expect it, but we want the whole team to have this mentality.
Not just carra and stevie, we can actually win everything if the team put their heart and effort in to it as much as we believe they can do it.
At the end of the day its 11 men against 11 men wether one mans worth 30 million or 3 million its just 11 against 11, plus the 12th man at anfield, but that 12th man needs to be at every game for them to believe what we believe. :buttrock

by **ALONSO_14** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:10 pm

i would love to say we can win the league but i just cant see us finishing ahead of chelsea. we have the best centre midfield partnership in the whole premiership for sure and we have a great strike force especially if owen comes back and this is why i beleieve we can finish high up the table but there are other areas of the team (wingers, defence) that are just not strong enough at the moment to win us the title, we have decent players in all positions but they are just not the players to win uis the title, maybe if we bring in an excellent right winger and an excellent centre back we might have a chance of challening i dont know but witht he current team i doubt it, with this team at present i would say top 2, top 3

by **ALONSO_14** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:21 pm

ok strike what ive just said. just been watching the f*ckin cocky chelsea fans on skyportsnews saying how the balance of power has shifted and all the cups are coming to chelsea now thats all there is to it :angry:

lets go and kick their a**es in the league this season and make them eat those words

by **vlady16.1** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:58 pm

truly we got alot of points to make up
truly chelsea have a good team

BUT: jose is really turning into an idiot -- he is putting bulletin board material in every dressing room -- the swashbuckling attitude will wear thin quickly -- sir alec and arsen are really out to get him -- it seems to be getting personnal

BUT: arsenal without vierra -- that will really hurt -- they will do well but will take some time

BUT: man u have real issues -- age, glazers and real high expectations

SO: we've gotten MUCH better
--- kept stevie ( playing like he's worth 100/week) got crouch reina zenden
--- can't be as hurt as last year -- impossible
--- no controversy - will mikey go?? will stevie go??? well not a problem this year
--- rafa now at home

so can we win the league -- possible but not probable
can we compete with the big boys -- CERTAINLY!!!
in reality a top 2 finish is highly probable
:buttrock

check this out -- with hockey back --
two best teams are red
liverpool and the red wings
best players stevie gerrard and stevie yzerman
and a chance for a treble-- fa cup, stanley cup and hockey gold at olympics-- don't say it -a world cup -would be nice too but we're a wee bit away from that
:rasp

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