Liverpool FC Forum

by **RUSHIE#9** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:28 pm

Personally I think we have a fight on our hands to retain 2nd given that the new manager factor will probably kick in with the chavs over the closing weeks.
In recent games we have looked distinctly average going forward and our inability to close games out may cost us more than second place I fear. The incessant bickering and infighting at management level within the club does seem to be really taking it's toll now and Rafa SHOULD be working hard to focus the players. Sadly as he is instigating a lot of the boardroom bickering (although Twit 'n Twat have waded in with their fair share) the team is losing focus and losing ground in the table.

On paper we should be able to take 33 of the remaining 36 pts available but in reality I see that figure being closer to the 25 - 28 pts mark. If we can take closer to the 30pt mark then 2nd will be ours. Had I been told back in August that we'd be reaching March with a title challenge still mathematically possible I'd have been more than happy.
However, looking at the poor quality of the Premiership this season we have blown a massive chance to claim no.19. The more galling fact is that we've inflicted a lot of the damage on ourselves and not from another teams fantastic form.
In hindsight this season has been a very poor season all round for the Premiership and that fact more than anything is probably what has helped us to sustain the title challenge for so long.

by **bigmick** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:33 pm

Talking of man City playig on Thurday Away in Europe, did they play ano of the team which started this match? It's an interesting one as far as the "resting" and "freshness" goes if they did.

Equally on the same subject, how we laughed at Arsenal last season as they led the prem for most of the season before falling away limply into third. It was because Wenger didn't rotate enough I was told at the time. I was reminded of that fact when we began our rotaionary exploits aoround Novemeber (just about the time when we began to draw lots of games as coincidence would have it but I digress). When I moaned about it (the rotation) at the time, I was reminded that we didn't want to "do an Arsenal". As it is, we aren't quite managing to do "an Arsenal", as they were right in it until the last half dozen games or so as I remember.

by **tonyeh** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:05 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:Personally I think we have a fight on our hands to retain 2nd given that the new manager factor will probably kick in with the chavs over the closing weeks.
In recent games we have looked distinctly average going forward and our inability to close games out may cost us more than second place I fear. The incessant bickering and infighting at management level within the club does seem to be really taking it's toll now and Rafa SHOULD be working hard to focus the players. Sadly as he is instigating a lot of the boardroom bickering (although Twit 'n Twat have waded in with their fair share) the team is losing focus and losing ground in the table.

On paper we should be able to take 33 of the remaining 36 pts available but in reality I see that figure being closer to the 25 - 28 pts mark. If we can take closer to the 30pt mark then 2nd will be ours. Had I been told back in August that we'd be reaching March with a title challenge still mathematically possible I'd have been more than happy.
However, looking at the poor quality of the Premiership this season we have blown a massive chance to claim no.19. The more galling fact is that we've inflicted a lot of the damage on ourselves and not from another teams fantastic form.
In hindsight this season has been a very poor season all round for the Premiership and that fact more than anything is probably what has helped us to sustain the title challenge for so long.

Have to say, I agree. But, I think people thinking we'll bag the vast majority of our remaining points are hoping for a bit much.

Looking at our recent form, I can easily see us at least drawing to Villa, Arsenal, Man Utd and West Ham. In fact, I wouldn't be that surprised if we drew against Hull and Fulham again.

Liverpool could well end up 3rd or 4th this season, as Rafa will probably give up the ghost on the Prem and concentrate fully on the CL.

by **Raffmaker** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:07 pm

I agree that it is still possible.but will utd lose 3 games?

it is out of our hands mick. :down:

by **tubby** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:13 pm

I think we will finish in 3rd and go out of Europe in the semis.

by **Greavesie** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:26 pm

I think we'll have another trophyless one I'm afraid

by **fivecups** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:58 pm

Regarding the Champions League - we're going to have to establish some modicum of form or we'll be out this round. Real Madrid are in superlative form at the minute with plenty of experience and world class players. If we play like we did today they could be out of sight by the end of Wednesday night. As I'm depressed at the minute my prediction is we'll go out this round (probably think differently tomorrow though - kneejerker that I am).

I'll say we'll get third comfortably in the league just missing out to Chelsea - 10 points back on United.

Feck that's so negative.

by **Sir Roger** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:05 pm

Records are there to be broken
I wouldnt give them the satisfaction of letting them know I was gutted
Just congratulate the manc t.wats and lets look forward to next season

Hopefully Rafa will have got all his problems out of his system and will concentrate on his team

by **KennyisGod....still** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:30 pm

I dunno where i stand with this......

I'm well happy that late february we're 2nd in the prem an lookin forward to a two legger against owen's thieves. However, i aint sure whether this time next month our season could be over either.

I readily admit i aint a Rafa basher - never have been, never will. After all he instigated some of the best few days of my life that i'v had to watch on video since to remember proply!! But i'll also say he baffles me, and i know i aint alone.

Not for one minute do i think he's given up on the PL, but his actions kinda dont help. I wont bring todays games issues here, wrong thread, but you'd be forgiven for thinkin he's tryin to pI$$ his bosses off somewhat. December, when the problems were just beginnin, I had no doubts the PL was ours - we were in a great position and all was a little rosy tinted - but no-ones actually taken it off us, we'v rather thrown it away with abandon. I cant honestly say i anticipate our games too readily of late, even next weeks RM clash doesnt excite me like it should, instead I'm nervous and doubtin what we can achieve. I hope to christ Xabi's available wensdy cuz if SG dont make it we need someone with both vision and ability an that aint Lucas.

If we get past RM (IF!!) then who knows? None of the english teams have an easy draw, certainly not them basssstards down the road. We get to the theatre of queens havin beaten RM and them bein out then maybe game on. OK, we need to be takin maximum points from now but realistically to have a challenge we need that anyway, specially gainst boro and sundyland. How much of a boost would 6 points and Madrid's scalp be goin into that game, with their CL intentions outta the window?

Prediction wise I see us bein 2nd, a little nearer them than we are now. And that hurts to say, but its the truth as i see it. CL? As long as we dont get Barca, home first leg, then we can get to the final i think. And what a final that'd be gainst Barca.

Thing is, start of the season I'd almost laff at anyone sayin we'd be in this position and run em outta town for sayin we'd have been even better off if we'd 'held our nerve' at home.

For the record I'd like to see Rafa get and sign that new contract. I dont wanna have a few more years of someone elses re-buildin goin on while they pull away in terms of championship wins. I see a better side than Houllier ever had the pleasure of managin, but maybe not such a good squad. And thats been our fall down this season cuz (yes, Rafa's signins) the likes of Lucas just aint good enuff.

But thats a whole difrent thread!!

by **p_i_n_g_u** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:35 pm

Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Carrick, Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov. All starred for smaller clubs then bought by that other lot knowing they were good enough in the premiership. Add that to seemingly lots of kids coming through, the old heads and some good foreign buys and its no surprise they end up with a squad a fair bit better than ours. Benitez has greatly improved the squad since taking over but has too many average and some poor players with some hit and miss buying and no kids that have come through the system of late. Its going to be a sad day if and when they overtake us in league wins. Doubly bad day for me today as the cardiff keeper decided to throw the ball in his net to throw away a win at wolves:<

by **Madmax** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:23 am

Think will finish 2nd and just ahead of chelsea who will be a point or so behind us. Will be off the top by about 10 points. Mannure will drop some points and so will we. Also just got a bad feeling we will lose at old trafford. These sort of games are made for fergie. Yes we will play better then them but got a bad feeling they will nick it....
AS for the champions league may make it as far as the semis....

by **taff** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:32 am

First.

We will do well against Real Madrid which will give our season a kick and we will win loads on the bounce and the Mancs will have a loss and a draw before we play them

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:45 am

taff wrote:First.

We will do well against Real Madrid which will give our season a kick and we will win loads on the bounce and the Mancs will have a loss and a draw before we play them

Not in the league Taff. They only play one game before they play us mate...... Newcastle.

by **Toffeehater** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:50 am

Premier League champions , the greatest comeback ever

watch this space

by **Owzat** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:05 am

bigmick wrote:
THEBARON wrote:Fair comment - how do you think we will do in the Champions League ?

Well I think we'll go well TB to be honest. I certainly think we'll get past madrid OK, and nobody in the whole competition will fancy drawingn us that's for sure. It always starts getting s bit tricky once you get to the last 8 (that's where the competition starts really) and from there you need to win 3 ties. I think the semi's this season will once again be three English teams and someone else, probably Barca. I think we'll be one of the English teams.

22/02/1991 - Kenny Dalglish resigns as Liverpool manager and with him go Liverpool's title hopes and the long wait begins

22/02/2009 - Rafael Benitez buries his head in the sand, claims the title race isn't over and doesn't resign, the long wait continues

Benitez hangs on to title hopes

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez refused to concede the Premier League title after his side were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Manchester City.

But Benitez cut a despondent figure after a game that left the Reds seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who they play on 14 March.

"It's not easy but the main thing for me is to win our games and at Old Trafford we have to win," he said.

"When you are playing catch up you have to win so we are disappointed."

"I have confidence that we can still win it, but we must win our next two league games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and then win against Manchester United at Old Trafford," said Benitez.

"Then we may have a different situation. But I just accept that this has been a bad result and it clearly makes it more difficult for us to win the title.

"We have to win our games and see where that takes us. And clearly Manchester United are playing well and winning games."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7904798.stm

Yet again our home form and inability to win games is costing us. Didn't Rafa say we had to win every game and the very next game we didn't?!?! We could all paint scenarios that lead to Liverpool winning the league, but the fact is Rafa has shown the same achilles heels over and over and the mancs just win, win and win some more.

I think the season could go one of two ways, miraculous run-ins excepted and accepted as unlikely.

1) We go out to Real Madrid, this aids our league campaign and we finish 2nd or 3rd.

2) We do what we always do, go on a decent but not quite "all the way" run in the Champions League and finish 3rd or 4th as usual.

People talk of improvements, well we've drawn as many at home after 13 games as we did all last season. And our "best start" is now only three points better than any other in the Premiership, still eight points better than last season and yet STILL not good enough. And corresponding fixtures compared to last season is now tied 49-49 which is probably the best proof we haven't really improved, just the order of fixtures is better this season.

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