Liverpool FC Forum

by **JC_81** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:47 pm

How close are we to Chelsea? Very close I think. Last year 37 points was the gap, this year it is 15. If we had beaten Chelsea twice in the league this year instead of the reverse, the gap would be only 3 points. That's right, 3 points. Against them at Anfield was our worst performance of the season and at Stamford Bridge in the league we were unlucky. Our record against all the other Premiership teams is not far behind theirs.

I've said it before but I think they're going to struggle next season, and we are only going to improve with the inevitable addition to firepower up front. Mourinho is worried and so he should be, tactically he is well behind Benitez and he knows it. He knows that once Benitez assembles the squad of players he wants he won't be able to match him and it's as simple as that.

by **Sabre** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:49 pm

Very interesting post from Bigmick, but that's not new.

I'm not so pessimistic though about Chelsea's reinforcements impact, I think that when Rafa ends his puzzle and that will be this summer, will go for the EPL. Real Madrid is a classic example in which you see names do not make team, when you see a row of names like Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Casillas, Woodgate (well, when he's not injured), Robinho, Raul, you say oh what a team! but in fact, they're not. A team needs a couple or three stars, but then you haev to build a team. Look Barcelona, they have Ronaldinho and Etoo, but then they have the Marquezs and Decos, and Giuly (what a player, he's being underrated there and he'd be excellent signing) that haven't that much name like Ballack, but make an excellent team.

The future is bright for me, the future is red.

BTW. I've known a couple of names for the rumour mill, note this name "Stephan Sunny Sunday" who apart from having a funny name, he might end up in Worcester reserves next summer. I have a friend who knows his representant very well, and Liverpool F.C. has asked about the situation of this player of the Polideportivo Ejido (segunda division). I trust the guy, he talks no :censored:

. It would be another good incursion in the Spanish second Division (like Gonzalez).

by **bigmick** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:22 pm

john craig wrote: Mourinho is worried and so he should be, tactically he is well behind Benitez and he knows it.

I'm with you all the way on Mourinho being worried John. He mentions us in practically every interview and I think that he knows that were it not for the remarkable talents of Wayne Rooney, Liverpool would be comfortably Chelsea's closest challengers and are the only team capable of catching them anytime soon.
Benitez also seems to be the only manager who is capable of winding him up, though I must confess on a personal level I prefer it when our manager doesn't get involved in such nonsense.
Like I said in the earlier post, where Rafa has the edge is in his lack of ego. He's not trying to make himself look clever, he just wants to win the football match. Mourinho's selection and tactics yesterday were absolutely bizarre and a blatent attempt to make himself look more tactically astute than he actually is. I notice in the press today he is claiming that playing Ferriera wide right of midfield and Geremi at full-back wasn't a mistake at all. The man is in danger of becoming a parody of himself, and I have a sneaking suspicion that another season without Champions League success may lead to a slightly less sympathetic analysis of his prowess both by the press and his employers.
I've considered it all day and still can't think of a single signing he's amde which could truly be thought to have come off. Cech, Lampard, Robben, Cole etc etc are all Ranieri's buys. Had we have prevailed over Chelsea on Saturday and the tinkerman still been in charge, I suspect he may have taken defeat like the gentleman that he clearly is. The Premiership was a poorer place the day he departed, and in time and with the benefit of hindsight the powers that be at Stamford Bridge may consider themselves worse off aswell.

by **Bad Bob** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:39 pm

I defintely agree with Mick, Ivor and others who have suggested that Mourinho's tactical nous is VASTLY overrated. No one can dispute that a solid defense is the backbone of a championship winning team (hell, we've seen Liverpool move rapidly in that direction under Rafa) but Mourinho seems to fetishize defense at the expense of everything else.

Match after match, Chelsea seem to sit back, soak up pressure and counter-attack with long balls into the channels. Sometimes this comes off straight away, they establish an early lead and then shut up shop for the rest of the match. On a number of occasions, though, (as Ivor pointed out in the Mourinho thread) this 'tactic' doesn't pay off right away and then its a war of attrition: Chelsea sit back, clog up the middle and break up their opponent's attacks over and over again. At about the 70 minute mark, they through a fresh pair of pacey legs--a Robben, Duff, SWP or Cole--and, presto, craft a goal when their opponents have tired. These negative tactics, coupled with the awe many opponents' seem to regard them with, allow Chelsea to grind out 1-0 or 2-0 results week in, week out. It'll win you the title but it's far from inspiring.

Yesterday, Mourinho's game-plan seemed to be to stifle our build-up play for 60-70 minutes before sending on the wingers to punish us once we'd tired. That shows just what a limited, unimaginative manager he is, IMO. When you have the likes of Robben, Duff, Cole and SWP (not to mention the talented "square pegs" that Big Mick has already pointed out: Essien and Crespo) in your side you should be taking the game to your opponents not looking to spoil their attacking play and nick a goal once they've tired.

Chelsea have the personnel to be the most exciting attacking team in the league--better even than Arsenal or the Mancs--but Mourinho's conservativism keeps them all shackled. We'd best hope that he doesn't feck off back across the Channel because a more imaginative manager might really make them a force!

As Mick says, we're definitely going to start seeing some big names head for the Stamford Bridge exit door over the next couple seasons. Particularly some of the wingers who, I'm sure, scratch their heads at the team sheet each week (especially after this recent conversion to a narrow 4-4-2) and who are getting tired of being hauled off at half time if the other team looks even remotely threatening.

Mark my words, Chelsea's bubble's going to burst next season and I can't wait to hear what the "Special One" has to say then!

by **andy_g** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:43 pm

despite what many people are saying about chelsea's square pegs in round holes, rudimentary tactics and war of attrition approach to beating teams there is no doubt that it's working. they are on their way to a second consecutive premiership crown without ever looking like anyone was going to challenge them for it. what they lack in certain areas of finesse they make up for in a depth of talent and a regular bench that most clubs would die for. imagine if they combined that potential with a manager who was as good at getting his team to work to its fullest potential as he was with one-liners, outrageous reactions to defeat and graceless comments about his rivals. the fact that chelsea are on their way to their second premiership with a guy who is not such a special one when all is said and done is pretty alarming.

i think we are closer to them but not exactly close. it goes without saying really - last season 37 points behind, this season 15 and counting. next season maybe we'll close the gap even more and maybe even challenge them for a while but i don't have a conviction that we'll be better than them, even with some new signings coming in. i always have the feeling that we will struggle to beat them in any match and expect to have the same feeling next season.

i don't mean to be defeatist at all by saying any of this, just realistic. for any new signings and improvements we make they will make the same or better. maybe they'll suffer the real madrid effect of style over content but maybe they'll come off. we are a vastly improved team and one that will be even better next season, we'll probably beat chelsea again out of god knows how many meetings, but it'll be another little while before we have the upper hand.

by **RAGE UK** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:00 pm

Don't any of you be under any illusion we are right up there with them just remember how much it cost them to get up there with us yes and I mean up there at the top with us.
Remember this if you take the ££££££ out of Chelsea you are left with Leeds united.
I can’t understand how they think they are so good with out a champ’s league cup
They are no where near good enough to compete in any europium cup.
All they have done is confuse the premiership teams with there big money players bought last season
Remember who has been there year in year out we have and under our own steam not steam injected into us be a rich man. They have got a lot to prove to me before I see them as any kind of champions at all.
That is y I say it is them that are up here with us.

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