Examples please.
Eh, I also recall Machida/Macheda rescuing a few points late on for United. And Spurs capitulating. Does that count as luck?
Off the top of my head the match away vs Pompey and a match at home to Middlesborough were times Liverpool got some late goals. Kiko Machedas goal against Villa swung the League back in Uniteds favour.
and what is wrong with late goals? Farmer asked about refereeing decisions that swung the season as being lucky. I doubt any team who has a good year has never had late goals decide games.
Ah come on now Farmer - You know I only deal in shitehawkery and bluster, rarely backing up my argument with examples or facts.
Glad you said it TT. Saves me having to.
On a more serious note - I firmly believe last year was a flash in the pan for Liverpool. Liverpool hadn’t realisticaly challanged for the title for years before and aren’t going to this year. If Liverpool don’t make the top 4 this year either Gerrard or Torres (or both) will have to be sold, as the Yanks have to keep making their payments. I don’t know how much they would get for Gerrard either, he must be nearly 30?
Been meaning to put together a serious piece about Liverpool for a while now. Perhaps over the weekend. With a couple of caveats, I reckon that this is a team capable of winning the Premiership.
-----------------Reina------------------
—Johnson—Skrtel----Agger—Aurelio–
------------Aquilani–Mascherano---------
-----Kuyt---------Gerrard-----Benayoun—
------------------Torres-----------------
The caveats are biggish/somewhat unrealistic though: no injuries and Aquilani being nearly as useful as Alonso. The lack of squad depth is the most alarming thing tbh.
[quote=“ClarkeyCat”]Been meaning to put together a serious piece about Liverpool for a while now. Perhaps over the weekend. With a couple of caveats, I reckon that this is a team capable of winning the Premiership.
-----------------Reina------------------
—Johnson—Skrtel----Agger—Aurelio–
------------Aquilani–Mascherano---------
-----Kuyt---------Gerrard-----Benayoun—
------------------Torres-----------------
The caveats are biggish/somewhat unrealistic though: no injuries and Aquilani being nearly as useful as Alonso. The lack of squad depth is the most alarming thing tbh.[/quote]
surely there’s smoething for moving agger into midfield in place of lucas, he passes better, can defend and has one hell of a shot ? and would also protect skrtel and carragher through midfield
That defence looks dodgy to me.
I’v only seen Aquilani play a few times but he strikes me as the type that might struggle in the Premiership against the likes of Catermole or Brown.
Kuyt and Benayoun are average enough players - not league winning material.
Agger to midfield? - In a league winning side! - on yer bike foley.
Fair point. Not sure how mobile he is though and I’d prefer to see him develop as a centre half.
[quote=“tipptops*”]That defence looks dodgy to me.
I’v only seen Aquilani play a few times but he strikes me as the type that might struggle in the Premiership against the likes of Catermole or Brown.
Kuyt and Benayoun are average enough players - not league winning material.
Agger to midfield? - In a league winning side! - on yer bike foley.[/quote]
Benayoun was superb last season and was one of the key factors in that great run in. That is just crazy thing to say. As was Kuyt actually.
Interesting as well you are judging Aquilani with some half baked cliche without ever having seen him play in the EPL.
You should have stayed away.
Aquilani is huge. He could be, as Alonso was, the difference between a title challenging side and not.
Without him, and with Lucas in there, we are hopelessly poor in midfield.
We also need to seriously tighten up defensively.
[quote=“tipptops*”]That defence looks dodgy to me.
I’v only seen Aquilani play a few times but he strikes me as the type that might struggle in the Premiership against the likes of Catermole or Brown.
Kuyt and Benayoun are average enough players - not league winning material.
Agger to midfield? - In a league winning side! - on yer bike foley.[/quote]
:rolleyes:
Plonker.
[quote=“tipptops*”]That defence looks dodgy to me.
I’v only seen Aquilani play a few times but he strikes me as the type that might struggle in the Premiership against the likes of Catermole or Brown.
Kuyt and Benayoun are average enough players - not league winning material.
Agger to midfield? - In a league winning side! - on yer bike foley.[/quote]
Benayoun is a class act imo. I used to be a huge critic of Kuyt and there are plenty of players that Liverpool can’t afford that I’d prefer to have, but he does have his uses.
I think both Benayoun’s and Kuyt’s recent stats stack up well.
Benayoun
EPL 09/10 - Games 9 Goals 3 Assists 2
EPL 08/09 - Games 32 (11 as sub) Goals 8 Assists 5
Kuyt
EPL 09/10 - Games 9 Goals 3 Assists 2
EPL 08/09 - Games 38 Goals 12 Assists 8
[quote=“Mullach Ide”]In fairness quite a few of them do.
There was a good t-shirt on sale outside OT in May, “Only fools and scousers” with Rafa and Stevie G as Delboy and Rodney with the tagline - " This time next year we’ll be champions"
Looked funny anyway.[/quote]
Definitely were quite a lot of Liverpool fans thinking this would be their year. I heard loads of them saying it.
Can’t say I blame them really with the way they finished last year and the fact that United seemed to have got considerably weaker and Chelsea another year older and not much better.
Doesn’t look like it now though, which is quite funny.
In hindsight their strength in depth is ridiculously non existant.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Benayoun was superb last season and was one of the key factors in that great run in. That is just crazy thing to say. As was Kuyt actually.
Interesting as well you are judging Aquilani with some half baked cliche without ever having seen him play in the EPL.
You should have stayed away.[/quote]
Was that the great run in when they came 2nd? Jaysus if Liverpool fans are calling coming 2nd in the League great then you know they are getting desparate. What can be gleaned from last season is the amount of home draws Liverpool had against “lesser teams” Breaking down lesser teams in your home ground is all about stretching them and using your wingers. Liverpool fell down badly here.
As for Aquilani, lets wait and see on that one shall we.
[quote=“tipptops*”]Was that the great run in when they came 2nd? Jaysus if Liverpool fans are calling coming 2nd in the League great then you know they are getting desparate. What can be gleaned from last season is the amount of home draws Liverpool had against “lesser teams” Breaking down lesser teams in your home ground is all about stretching them and using your wingers. Liverpool fell down badly here.
As for Aquilani, lets wait and see on that one shall we.[/quote]
The great run in where they drew one game out of about 12.
I would call that a great run in. That is when players really stand up and be counted and Benayoun and Kuyt certainly did that.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]The great run in where they drew one game out of about 12.
I would call that a great run in. That is when players really stand up and be counted and Benayoun and Kuyt certainly did that.[/quote]
No Trophy though Farmer. The Question is - Are those players good enough over a full season to take home the Premier League Title? Kuyt has been around for a while - No Trophy, Benayoun not so long but No Trophy. Ye lads are giving yere opinion which is - They are good enough to win the League. I am merely saying they haven’t done it in the past and they won’t do it this year. Its Opinion Vs Fact.
Are you a United fan TT? I think Kuyt and Benayoun are good enough to be part of a title winning squad and were unlucky not to be last season. I’d rather have Kuyt or Benayoun over, say, Valencia, Nani, Malouda, Kalou.
Nobody is denying they haven’t been part of a title winning side but you’re opining that they’re not good enough the same as others are claiming they are. Don’t try and cloud that.