All things considered, where should we be?

It Now seems quite likely that we will finish the season out of the top 4 and without a trophy.
Given the way the season has gone in terms of injuries to key players, having to bed in New players, and losing our only world class player, was it realistic to expect a repeat of last season?

We can blame people for the quality of players brought in, (and we do!) But looking at our squad at the start of the season, should we have expected more from this season? Or has it panned out about right? Where should we be?

It Now seems quite likely that we will finish the season out of the top 4 and without a trophy.
Given the way the season has gone in terms of injuries to key players, having to bed in New players, and losing our only world class player, was it realistic to expect a repeat of last season?

We can blame people for the quality of players brought in, (and we do!) But looking at our squad at the start of the season, should we have expected more from this season? Or has it panned out about right? Where should we be?

I think if Danny was healthy all year and had 15 goals/5 assists versus the 4/1 he currently had we would be in 3rd right now.

That is why I think it is insane to just throw away the gaffer.

All things considered and given the adversities we had to deal with along with the roster's weakening last summer being in the top 4, realistically speaking, should be considered out of our power so arguably we are where we are now.

Feel some bitterness though because of the way we missed out on another chance to add some more silverware in our tally through FA cup. Was way below us.

if we used our heads and not our hearts we would have known full well this was coming.

i am using my head now and can't imagine anything but another bad season next season. :\

In the fooking cup final for a start!

Given the money spent last summer and with the momentum from last season, even with Suarez leaving, top 4 and a cup win was minimum for me.

Studger & Lucas been injured way too much, and folk should not dismiss the loss of flanno this season.

We have been unlucky in some respects, and have done well to get back challenging for top 4, considering the slow start with all the new players.

5th is probably ok, and 2 semi finals is ok, but we all wanted and expected more. so it is a fail no matter the reasons.

As discussed in other threads, for next season we need those 3 fit most of the time, and we need at least 3\4 top top players, striker, midf, RB and new goalie.

And probably a few dead wood will leave like borini & lambert, Manquilla, jones.

For me, the season was about consolidation of a CL spot and a trophy to go with it. Although spending loads on players alá Spurs last season and Brendan this season should equate to a title push, that was always going to be a tall order with the increased number of games and "bedding in" new players (which has just not happened).

So at it stands, in my eyes this season has been a complete failure.

It Now seems quite likely that we will finish the season out of the top 4 and without a trophy.
Given the way the season has gone in terms of injuries to key players, having to bed in New players, and losing our only world class player, was it realistic to expect a repeat of last season?

We can blame people for the quality of players brought in, (and we do!) But looking at our squad at the start of the season, should we have expected more from this season? Or has it panned out about right? Where should we be?

We lost 1 player... not 2,3 or 4 just the 1! Albeit he was/is one the best in the world but he was only 1 man! We then replaced that 1 player with several big money signings.

we were never going to reach the standard of last year, but a top 4 place was achievable seeing as how the other teams aren’t that much better...

So in answer to your question: Yes it was realistic to expect more... top 4 a minimum!!!

In conclusion: we lost out on the league on the last day by 2 points, lose 1 player (gain several more) and then finish the next season outside the top 4. This is a calamity of a season!

After just missing out on the first League title for 20 odd years, the manager could lose his job over this year. I hope he stays and this doesn’t happen but this should tell you the enormity of the failure this season

Studger & Lucas been injured way too much, and folk should not dismiss the loss of flanno this season.

We have been unlucky in some respects, and have done well to get back challenging for top 4, considering the slow start with all the new players.

5th is probably ok, and 2 semi finals is ok, but we all wanted and expected more. so it is a fail no matter the reasons.

As discussed in other threads, for next season we need those 3 fit most of the time, and we need at least 3\4 top top players, striker, midf, RB and new goalie.

And probably a few dead wood will leave like borini & lambert, Manquilla, jones.

In full agreement mate with every point you make.

Lucas is on his lazzies and while his input is still invaluable provision should be in place for his expected absences/lack of form at this stage of his career, no fault of the player's but his consistency cannot be taken for granted.

To take a cynical view of the Sturridge side of things the lad wouldn't be here if Chelsea had not had reservations about his fitness levels and/or injury issues, a credible like for like replacement should be in place.

We have been lucky for the most part this season and to an extent last season when we actually over-achieved, nevertheless the scenario described with Lucas and Sturridge can be applied in a wider context with regard to the whole squad.
Provision is not made for a substantive challenge over the full term for trophies; the squad is not equipped to compete on a level footing with our rivals.

What more proof is needed than the consistent tailing off at the remaining hurdles in the season culminating in a predictable also ran status for a frustrated thoroughbred!?

We should be in the FA Cup final for a start.

We should have something more tangible to grab onto going into next season.

A sh*te start and potentially sh*te end to the season added to a rather underwhelming run of form and wins doesnt exactly sit alongside where I see this squad of players.

I voted 3rd in the summer and if we'd had either Sturridge fit, or any of our other strikers to have been slightly better than sh*t, that's probably where we'd be.

It's hard to say with the cups though, with Studge fit and firing, we could have done much better in the CL or EL rather than the FA or CC, too much of a lottery to say.

We lost 1 player... not 2,3 or 4 just the 1! Albeit he was/is one the best in the world but he was only 1 man! We then replaced that 1 player with several big money signings.

we were never going to reach the standard of last year, but a top 4 place was achievable seeing as how the other teams aren’t that much better...

So in answer to your question: Yes it was realistic to expect more... top 4 a minimum!!!

In conclusion: we lost out on the league on the last day by 2 points, lose 1 player (gain several more) and then finish the next season outside the top 4. This is a calamity of a season!

After just missing out on the first League title for 20 odd years, the manager could lose his job over this year. I hope he stays and this doesn’t happen but this should tell you the enormity of the failure this season

Not only did we lose Suarez, but we also lost Sturridge for the majority of the season! That's 50.goals right there!

i think we are where we belong to be fair and that's only because of the injuries we've had and the buys we got in the summer. I didnt think we needed a new CB with Sakho being around if so then why did we buy Ilori also will he just rot on loan and be sold at a loss.
I understand the lallana buy but not for what we paid we got ripped out big time with his age etc, we could have kept both their fees and just bought a 45mil forward which would have kept us in a top 4 shout. Unless we spend those kinds of figures on a single player we will always have a team full of potential and average which wont get us top 4. last season was because sturridge was 100% fit and we had the 3rd best striker in world football which we failed to replace. we had CL footy this season so we had the attraction next season is going to be tough unless the team over acheives we will struggle

Considering we lost the league's top scorer and replaced it with dross we are exactly where we should be,

Not only did we lose Suarez, but we also lost Sturridge for the majority of the season! That's 50.goals right there!

TBF that’s a fair shout... but 4th should of still be the minimum required!

TBF that’s a fair shout... but 4th should of still be the minimum required!

Yawn, give it a rest with the 4th place sh*t now, should never, ever be considered some sort of success finishing fourth!!

Because we are a big name in football and spend big(ish) in todays market we demand success which is a curse to the younger players which we seem to have alot of. there is massive pressure playing for our club as we want that league title more than anything and its getting further away each season. Last season we had world class in the side and we came close but now i wouldnt say we have a sigle world class player right now. Couthino is becoming that but still young the rest are potential or squad players.
unless we can get some world class in the side even if that means we get a 30yr old we do it as we need experiance next season with gerrard gone to drag the team through the mood when the times get tough. next season the squad will be wiser and older so we might shine and go on another unbeaten run. we are where we are nothign we can do but fight till the end that's all we want to see now a bit of fight from the so called superstars and future captains

Yawn, give it a rest with the 4th place sh*t now, should never, ever be considered some sort of success finishing fourth!!

Read it properly you gimp...I never said it was success, I said that’s the minimum requirement for the season

Yawn, give it a rest with the 4th place sh*t now, should never, ever be considered some sort of success finishing fourth!!

Agree mate.

Our season is already over.

All I know is that we are not where we should be right now.

With the squad we had at the end of the transfer window, even after Sturridge's injury, I felt we could've got top 4. There were way too many mistakes, from persisting in Gerrard as a DM, playing Balotelli wrong, to playing Balotelli as a Suarez.

The biggest difference was having a DM in midfield, be it, Allen or Lucas, it was then we became more of a unit and solidified. Having a mobile player up top helped too, but at the expense of Sterling in his better position. Yes, we were better in attack, but what we lacked was genuine goal threat, and a natural striker to make those runs in the box. I still believe if we had played Borini or Balotelli & Lambert correctly, we'd have been in a better position than now.

I think if Danny was healthy all year and had 15 goals/5 assists versus the 4/1 he currently had we would be in 3rd right now.

That is why I think it is insane to just throw away the gaffer.

And what makes you think if he was healthy he would have scored so many goals given the way we played this season ? Even Messi would have struggled with our football this season.

And what makes you think if he was healthy he would have scored so many goals given the way we played this season ? Even Messi would have struggled with our football this season.

Nobody can say with certainty things that haven't happened George

I mean if we had had Messi this season we would no doubt have played differently than we have this season.. As we probably would have done with 100% fit Sturridge all season

We will never know.