liverpool losing

[Paxton Dazo]

my money would go on spurs!

I'll have a pint of what your on. Very nice to be in this position, this is exactly what I wanted at the start of the season, I don't think we've been top of the League since August '98. I know for a fact it wont last, and I'll still take 6th right now. But I think if we're going to break the top 4 this is the year to do it - now or never, type thing,.

Can't say I enjoyed Liverpool losing, because I want Them/Man United to win the league!

 

[Simon Morgan]

When I watched Spurs v Liverpool on the opening day, Glenn Hoddle made a point I really agreed with. He said, to the ridicule of others in the sky studio, that Spurs have a better squad than Liverpool. If you look at it, he's right. Upfront Liverpool have Torres, who is clearly better than anything Spurs have. But that's ALL they've got. Who is their second best striker? On the other hand, Spurs have Defoe, Keane, Crouch and Pavluychenko. I know which option I'd have if I wanted goals in EVERY game of the season. In midfield, Liverpool rely on Gerrard and have a competent holder in Mascherano. The rest is dross - Kuyt, Lucas, Benayoun, Babel etc. Spurs have Palacios, Modric, Lennon, Huddlestone and more. Again, Liverpool may have the best individual player, but Spurs have got far more quality players. Even at the back, which you'd say is a strength of Liverpool's, they do look ageing and slow.

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make, other than to say that how can Liverpool expect to win trophies when a team like Spurs clearly have a better squad, and you wouldn't expect them to do any better than about 6th before the season started.

Right, so why were Tottenham's brilliant squad not performing a bit better last season? It's all well and good Harry saying 'look where we were when I took over', but if 2 points from 8 games is the benchmark you compare yourself to, then good luck to you. Liverpool are a good team with some average individuals. Last season, I'm pretty sure they lost the least games, kept the most clean sheets and even scored the most goals? I may be wrong. But if that is the case, they can't be THAT bad.

Reina, as you rightly say, is a great keeper. The defence is solid enough, without being spectacular. Mascherano is excellent and in Benayoun and Aurelio they have a couple of players who came on leaps and bounds last season. Gerrard and Torres are one of the best attacking double-acts in the world and players like Riera and Kuyt are also decent enough options. Liverpool's problem last season was not finishing off teams like Stoke, West Ham, and Fulham. However, having watched those games, on a few occassions, they were unlucky not to win, although this isn't really an excuse, as they scored a lot of late goals. Benitez was at the helm when they dicked United (at home without Torres and Gerrard) and Chelsea home and away was he not? Obviously he shouldn't have said all that crap about Ferguson but I think he actually did a pretty decent job last year.

Whilst he sometimes becomes a bit clueless against the 'lesser' teams, 2 defeats all season (one in which they completely OUTPLAYED spurs) is not a bad return, and IMO they deserved to win the league.

The biggest mistake he has made is selling Alonso. It is his fault, despite what he has said about the whole affair. Aquilani is a decent player and will provide a quality different option, but IMO Alonso is irreplacable.

Spurs, IMO are a dream team of mid-table premier league players. They are completely overrated by a collection of hyperactive idiots who think that the Big 4 will be broken up in the near future.

 

[jordanseagull]

I'll have a pint of what your on. Very nice to be in this position, this is exactly what I wanted at the start of the season, I don't think we've been top of the League since August '98. I know for a fact it wont last, and I'll still take 6th right now. But I think if we're going to break the top 4 this is the year to do it - now or never, type thing,.

Can't say I enjoyed Liverpool losing, because I want Them/Man United to win the league!

So you don't think Spurs hae even the slightest chance of winning it?

 

[Andrew]

My friend is putting a pound on Spurs to win the prem at 40/1

What a waste of a pound

 

[Simon Morgan]

You've missed the point. I wasn't saying Spurs are a better team than Liverpool, and I'm quite aware of what both teams did last season. My point is that Liverpool's SQUAD is pathetic at the level they're trying to compete at. And, as evidence of that, I've made the comparison with Spurs - a team I've said "wouldn't expect to finish higher than 6th." And despite lower expectations, they actually have FOUR good strikers compared to Liverpool's one. Liverpool have some good individuals that carry them, but what I'm saying is after five years and £150m+ in transfer fees, I'd expect a little more than one good striker and two good midfielders. Facts are that if Torres gets injured for any length of time Liverpool will have Voronin and Kuyt upfront, and that isn't even mid-table premiership standard. For my money, I'd expect a bit more from good old Rafa.

I think you've missed my point, actually. If they have such a pathetic squad, then why did they nearly win the league last year? Torres wasn't fully fit last season, he missed a few games I seem to remember and some that he did play he didn't look 100%. Who knows what would have happened had he been fully fit? To say that Liverpool only have one good striker and 2 good midfielders is simply incorrect and suggests you have something against the club. What they achieved last season PROVES they are better than what you are saying.

 

[Simon Morgan]

No, I understand you fully. Torres and Gerrard missed games in the first half of the season when, correct me if I'm wrong, they dropped loads of points against Stoke/West Ham/Fulham and plenty more. In the second half of the season, with those two fit, they were unstoppable. Which suggests to me they're too heavily reliant on the pair of them being fit. In this day and age, it's simply unrealistic to expect them both to play 50 matches a season, so they need adequate back-up. Look at United - when Rooney doesn't play they can bring in Berbatov and Owen. When Chelsea are missing Drogba they can play Anelka. When Liverpool have to play without Torres they have Voronin and Kuyt. And THAT is why they won't win the title. To a lesser extent, it's the same story in midfield. I'm not arguing that their TEAM is good (well, at least it was last year with Alonso in it) but their SQUAD is a disaster. And that's also where my Spurs comparison comes in. Ok, Liverpool's first eleven is marginally better, but Spurs have LOTS more to call upon in reserve. And that's just for a team that'll finish 6th if they're lucky.

Whoops, it appears I did miss the point slightly. In that case, I do agree with what you're saying. As a team, Liverpool are disciplined at the back and decent enough going forward. Up front, without Gerrard and Torres, they are a bit toothless as you rightly say. Having said this, some of the fringe players aren't that bad and as I said, beat teams like United at home. Benitez's big problem is that he pays too much attention to his first 11 and not enough to the bench, that's become quite obvious over the years.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Spurs, IMO are a dream team of mid-table premier league players. They are completely overrated by a collection of hyperactive idiots who think that the Big 4 will be broken up in the near future.

Every club has them, just look at NSC pre season.

Considering spurs took 2 points from 8 games last seaso thanks to Ramos we finished 8th, 2 points behind a european place.

Thats not bad!

Bu I would be happy with 6th now

 

[8ace]

Bollocks, thought Villa were too big at 8-1 to win this but didn't get round to having a bet. :US:
Think Liverpool will miss Alonso more than United will miss Ronaldo this season.

 

[itszamora]

I find myself agreeing a lot with the Badger here. I think he's a bit unfair on Mascherano, Gerrard and Carragher, but generally he's right and they just don't have the cover in key positions that the other sides do.

Selling Alonso, again as others have already said, was IMO a huge mistake. Mascherano won the ball back, gave it to him and he then had the creativity, vision and ability to get it to the likes of Gerrard and Torres in dangerous positions. Aquilani might be able to do that, but he's injured at the moment and in the meantime Lucas just isn't good enough for that role.