Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:44 am

Its in our own hands to beat all infront of us we still have to play the other top 3 5 times, tricky aways to Pompey, Blackburn and the Bitters.
I hope we dont bottle it, its up to us.

by **Lucky** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:55 am

Ace Ventura wrote:Rafa has changed the way he approaches games and we now seem to be far more offensive minded and even substitutions he is making are attack minded.

Yeah, that's something really encouraging and pleased to see. If I didn't get it wrong, this is the second game we've played this season with a striker substituting a midfielder and playing three strikers up front, and both were not forced gambling, but a reflection of great confidence and attack minded, which added more sweetness to our joyful win.
Yeah, we're top of the league, yet still 34 games to play, but for now, I say to myself, just enjoy! :laugh:

by **Rafa D** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:59 am

The thing is our next few games are winnable, especially if you have title aspirations.

If we can gain momentum like the Mancs did last year, it could get very interesting indeed.

by **Anfield rapper** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:28 am

Our next few games are must wins (Pompey, Brum and Wigan). Pompey are good at home but if we want to be champs we need to beat them. If we can get maximum points from those three games it will stand us in good sted for the next three trickier games. October will be a key month in our challenge for the title.

by **Rimetto_** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:00 am

It's been a long time coming but doesn't it feel good to be back where we belong, looking down at the rest. Just been to get the coffee's in for the 2 lads in work (Villa fans) as a thank you.

We are looking good at the moment and with every game we play the understanding of the players gets better and better, and i like most think we have a great chance this year (probably the best since the EPL started). But we haven't been tested yet because derby and sunderland are teams we'd expect to beat.

The test will be what results we get when we are not playing well, all teams have a dip in form but only title contenders get results during that period. We need to push on now while we in form maybe try to open up a gap of around 6/7 points going into christmas.

I'm getting butterfly's just typing about us winning the league "In Rafa We Trust"

by **Ace Ventura** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:21 am

Rafa-Dodd wrote:The thing is our next few games are winnable, especially if you have title aspirations.

If we can gain momentum like the Mancs did last year, it could get very interesting indeed.

VERY good point, i said all through last season uniteds start was very easy and allowed them to start quickly gaing loads of confidence and more importantly momentum. It also put pressure on the chasing pack from the start and every game Chelsea played last season they were under pressure to win as United were already building a lead.
Now with this start we have had and the fact that united and chelsea have already lost it gives us an opportunity to put them under pressure. We play early against Portsmouth again after an international break, its one of Rafa's pet hates but imo it gives us a major opportunity to put further pressure on our rivals, if we win there we are guaranteed to stay top due to goal difference.
United are away at Everton, Arsenal away at Spurs and Chelsea home to Blackburn, all difficult games.
I'll say it again, counting the days until the Portsmouth game.

By the way if Leon or any of our other way day fans see the Pompey bell ringer before the game please feel free to take it off him and proceed to wrap it around the back of his skull.
Watched the Arsenal game against them yesterday and it did me f;ckin head in, again.

by **lakes10** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:37 am

I posted something like this after the first day of this football year.
There are going to be no easy game (well apart from the one we just had).
If you look at some of the game that have been on telly there have only been on goal in it most of the time.
It seem that teams have got their act together and are just not sitting back anymore.

I still think we will see the same 5 names at the top this year but i could not say what order they will be in.

There are some team now that i feel can beat any team on a good day, Man C, West Ham ,Aston Villa, Newcastle United. they all seems to have some depth to their teams.

Its going to be one hell of a year for football.

by **maguskwt** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:08 am

for me what's more important than our league position after 4 games is that now because of the way we play we have managed to instill some fear and respect in the opponents and confidence in our own play... the battle is half won this way... this is what the title winning sides of man u, arsenal and us in the past had... man u is slowly losing that quality this season and chelsea never really had it that much... it looks like right now only us and arsenal have this kind of effect on the opponents... the battle is on!

by **stmichael** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:17 am

It's been an excellent start. However, my head then reminds me that we've only played four matches, three of which we should be winning anyway. Things are starting to look very good though, in terms of both results and performance. However, the old cliche applies: it's a marathon and not a sprint. We haven't gone behind in a game yet, and so far under Rafa, that's when we've struggled.

Both Toulouse and Derby were cannon fodder and as impressive as we were in both, I don't think we can draw any conclusions on how good we'll be when the fixture list starts getting tougher.

I'm very encouraged so far though. The fairly easy fixture list has allowed the new lads time to settle, all the main attacking new boys have got that monkey off their back that is scoring your first goal, we finally have some pace in the side and the strength in depth (defence apart) is very impressive.

I think we'll have a far better idea of how we'll fair by the end of October.

by **NiftyNeil** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:31 am

stmichael wrote:It's been an excellent start. However, my head then reminds me that we've only played four matches, three of which we should be winning anyway. Things are starting to look very good though, in terms of both results and performance. However, the old cliche applies: it's a marathon and not a sprint. We haven't gone behind in a game yet, and so far under Rafa, that's when we've struggled.

Both Toulouse and Derby were cannon fodder and as impressive as we were in both, I don't think we can draw any conclusions on how good we'll be when the fixture list starts getting tougher.

I'm very encouraged so far though. The fairly easy fixture list has allowed the new lads time to settle, all the main attacking new boys have got that monkey off their back that is scoring your first goal, we finally have some pace in the side and the strength in depth (defence apart) is very impressive.

I think we'll have a far better idea of how we'll fair by the end of October.

Good post. I think it's important that everyone keeps their feet on the ground. The only top team we've played is Chelsea, and that was a draw.
I don't want to piss on anyones fire but teams like Charlton, Villa and even Sheffield Wednesday have topped the table going into September - it's no big deal (you only have to look at who's second

). Like StMick says, October will give us a truer reflection.

by **redtrader74** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:59 am

IMHO i think its a little smalltime to be bragging about being top of the league after 4 games. Thats not to say i am not chuffed to have had such a good start, but thats just what it is, a start. Two 'easy' games, one tricky and one tough, and we've performed well.

The most important things to take from our start has to be that Torres is scoring, so that the media have not had time to put " £25m flop" headlines, ala like the pressure that was on Crouch. That we have beaten teams 4-0 and 6-0, and outplayed Chelsea....performances like that put doubt in our next opponents mind and can mean we have almost won before playing.

Our next three games should be maximum points, by which time the top four will probably be us, manu, Asnl and Chelsea. That is when IMO we can start to look at the league table as an indicator, because right now, one loss and we could be in tenth place.

by **Owzat** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:00 pm

While we have only beaten sides we should if we're to be serious contenders then consider these results :

Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Aston Villa 2-0 Chelsea

Sunderland 0-2 Liverpool
Man Utd 1-0 Sunderland

Are we in top form? We've certainly got the chance to put some distance between our rivals within the first FIVE games of the season so why complain about it? We shouldn't get overexcited but then why not put a positive spin on what is a positive set of early season results. Were we at ANY stage of last season TWO points clear of the mancs with a game in hand? Were we level on points with Chelsea with a game in hand? Did I hear we weren't in the top four until something like December last season? So it was 'only' Derby, villa and Sunderland, games last season we might well have lost or drawn. Pompey will be tough, no two ways about it, but if we can win the next five or so games we will put pressure on the two arrogant swine who take first and second for granted

by **Torres 2007** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:17 pm

Who thinks Steven Gerrard and Carra will struggle to get back in the team?

10 goals in two games?

you look at the players left out too on Saturday: Stevie, Carra, Voronin, Crouch, Riise, BEnayoun, SIssoko, shows you the true depth there.

Keep playing every game with the same determination, like a mini cup final and we will be there or therabouts come may 2008.

Chuckle.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:23 pm

We need to keep our feet on the ground.

Remember how we took the p*ss out of the bluenoses t'other season for regaling the fact they were top after a couple of games?

Realism is required.

by **tubby** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:36 pm

Good shout Lando. I must say im happy with the start we have made but its very early yet. If after 15 games we are still top then I will start to think about the title but for now we must as Rafa says, take it one game a time. Pompey will be a tough game, they have strengthened pretty well and will give us a good test but im confident we can come through. The 3 that follow should all be won easily.

Liverpool FC Forum

We are top of the league - Say we are top of the league

Who is online