Liverpool FC Forum

Owzat wrote:

fivecups wrote:

bigmick wrote:In fairness I can understand people wanting a bit more positivity, I think we all do. There are always over-reactions, if anybody did think we were "unstoppable" after we beat Newcastle then that would be a classic example. Equally, you are absolutely right in that just about everyone would have taken the position we currently find ourselves in at the start of the season, and it is worth remembering that.

I don't think it's being overly negative though to point out that we are currently level on points with Aston Villa I think. Given that, although we're unquestionably near the top of the table it's hard to argue that we've made massive strides from last season. Hopefully in between now and the end of the campaign we can get going again and put some daylight in between us and them (and indeed the rest of the Premiership), and then everyone can be happy again.

Whilst this shows that the top teams have scored less points than in recent seasons at this stage of the competition we have so far improved this year in the league. This is our best points tally after 22 games for 18 years. It's crucial we get out of this downturn immediately and start winning again in these next 2 games otherwise United are going to be out of sight.

This season we have 47 points after 22 games - 3pts off the lead
2007/8 we had 40 points - 11pts off the lead
2006/7 we had 40 points - 13pts off the lead
2005/6 we had 45 points - 16pts off the lead
2004/5 we had 37 points - 18pts off the lead
2003/4 we had 33 points - 19pts off the lead

Our best starts for 22 games.

1.  1987/88  -  56 points  [finished 1st:  90 points from 40 games]
2.  1990/91  -  50 points  [finished 2nd:  76 points from 38 games]
3.  1982/83  -  47 points  [finished 1st:  82 points from 42 games]
3.  2008/09  -  47 points
5.  1983/84  -  45 points  [finished 1st:  80 points from 42 games]
5.  1985/86  -  45 points  [finished 1st:  88 points from 42 games]
5.  2005/06  -  45 points  [finished 3rd:  82 points from 38 games]

stats source: rawk

Football is different from most of those examples at 22 games, like it or not.

No team has won the league having finished fourth or below since 1991/92. It is only three points at the moment, but the mancs are in good form and we're drifting through a spell of too many draws.


I don't blame negativity for our situation, I blame all those planks that (predictably) started threads about being "top of the table" in their attempts to be "positive" and jinxed the team. The situation was somewhat false anyway as the mancs had two games in hand when seven points behind us, the next two games we play could gift wrap the title for Man Utd.

And how about instead of people shouting at fans on here to be positive, they aim their frustrations at the manager who is seemingly clueless when it comes to beating any team that "defends with 10 men behind the ball". That's football Rafa, it's what teams who aren't good enough to outplay the 'big four' do to stifle their opponent's play and hit them on the counter / with a sucker punch. Weakness from set pieces, what has he done to address that? Not an f in lot, still conceding goals from it and they're flushing two points a time down the lav.

Here's a statistic for you, people were going on about us coming from behind in games early in the season and how we stuck at it until the end. Well we haven't won a game 2-1 or 3-2 or any close margin not involving a clean sheet since 18th October. Maybe that is an omen because that was against WIGAN. 21 games later and the only two one goal margins we've played in were the 1-2 defeat at spudz and the 1-0 win over Marseille - we've drawn NINE of those 21 games since Wigan.