Reasons to be Positive about 2015-16

There has been a fair amount of negativity in this place of late and I have certainly contributed to some of it (see the Benteke transfer thread for plenty of complaining) but as the season draws near it's my nature to think more positively about things despite having some reservations. So here are a few of my reasons for feeling Positive along with a good few, 'if's and 'maybes'.

1/ We've added starters to this squad. Last summer we definitely needed extra bodies to deal with playing in four competitions (remember we had a very small squad the year before) but the lads coming in were just that, extra bodies. It was a scatter gun approach that was ill thought out. This window there has been no hanging around, it feels like targets have been identified and the club have just gone out and got them. FSG take a bunch of stick (plenty of it from me) but everybody must have been impressed at the way we steamed in and nabbed Firmino. But not just him, I look at our transfers this summer and I'm guessing we are talking four first-team players in Milner, Firmino, Clyne and Benteke. We were shi...t last year. Put four new players in your starting line-up and you become a completely different side. Milner has settled quickly and already looks like he will give us a solid 7-8 out of 10 every week, I like Clyne a lot, I've watched a bunch of tape on Firmino and I believe he will be superb. More on Benteke later!

2/ if Benteke works we could be pretty decent yanno. Shedding off my doubts about the lad and the impact on our style of play. IF Brendan CAN get this guy moving, running channels, busting a gut, bullying defenders and pressing the ball we could be in a really good place. We know the lad can score goals, he can score all types, tap-ins, headers, long shots. If Brendan can merge some of his strengths WITH our quick passing, hight tempo approach we could be awesome as an attacking side. I think it will be difficult but if he gets it right......

3/ The new coaching staff. Brave move moving on Pascoe and Marsh. We all thought it was down to the owners but Brendan has come out and said it was his call. I like that he has done it, it's a gutsy decision. 4 new starters in the first 11 and a brand new coaching set-up. Let's see if it pays off.

4/ going back to those extra bodies we recruited last summer. I've got high hopes for two of them. I think we can all agree that Can shows a lot of promise. I still think he is a little overweight and would like to see him get about the pitch a bit quicker but he has all the attributes to play box to box or PERHAPS to play the sitting role (throwing in the odd rampaging dribble from deep) although I'm not sure his long-term future is at this spot. The 2nd is Adam Lallana. No pre-season last year and a few niggly injuries throughout the season, he showed some glimpses but not enough end product. He looks pretty sharp this pre-season and has grabbed himself a couple of goals. I don't think he'll start every game in the EPL but I fancy him to pay back a bit of the transfer fee this season.

5/ Jordan Ibe. Sky is the limit for this kid. If your old enough your good enough they say, well this kid is good enough. I'm very sorry to have seen Sterling go but this kid will have most reds forgetting Sterling (if they haven't already). I suspect Brendan will try and protect the kid by playing him off the bench but he will be too good to leave there. I bet he is a first team fixture by mid-season.

6/ more kids coming through. Really impressed with the youngster Gomez from Charlton. Won't be surprised to see him get a start at Stoke. Looks really promising, strong in the tackle, attacks the ball in the air and comfortable on the ball. Rossiter looks stronger this pre-season and is the one I'd tip to come through next, I like this kid (I think everybody does)

6/ The Gerrard effect. Who knows if it will be a good thing or not. Stevie was Captain of this club for so many years, I can't remember a player having the arm band for so long at any other club (Adams, Terry, Keane maybe?). Such an iconic player, He casted a pretty big shadow and maybe we will see a few players grow now that the responsibility is to be shared. Henderson appears to be the one who may benefit the most but it may have an effect on others in the side as well.

7/ The Roof! I know it's not intrinsically linked to the performance of the players this season but after years of talk, stadium designs and Texan Bullshi.....t its exciting to know that the stadium is finally getting bigger.

Onwards and upwards and roll on the new season you Redmen!

Yeah IF Benteke proves to be a 20+ a goal season striker, IF our coaches to turn out to be masterstrokes, IF our defence stops conceding ridiculously simple to defend goals, IF Sturridge remains fit the entire season, IF Brendan has learned from his mistakes, IF his in-game management has improved, IF he realises he can use 3 substitutes in a match and IF Can proves to be a brilliant DLPM then we MAY win the league.

Yeah IF Benteke proves to be a 20+ a goal season striker, IF our coaches to turn out to be masterstrokes, IF our defence stops conceding ridiculously simple to defend goals, IF Sturridge remains fit the entire season, IF Brendan has learned from his mistakes, IF his in-game management has improved, IF he realises he can use 3 substitutes in a match and IF Can proves to be a brilliant DLPM then we MAY win the league.

I'm not sure this is the thread for you Luke! I'm not feeling the positivity!

There has been a fair amount of negativity in this place of late and I have certainly contributed to some of it (see the Benteke transfer thread for plenty of complaining) but as the season draws near it's my nature to think more positively about things despite having some reservations. So here are a few of my reasons for feeling Positive along with a good few, 'if's and 'maybes'.

1/ We've added starters to this squad. Last summer we definitely needed extra bodies to deal with playing in four competitions (remember we had a very small squad the year before) but the lads coming in were just that, extra bodies. It was a scatter gun approach that was ill thought out. This window there has been no hanging around, it feels like targets have been identified and the club have just gone out and got them. FSG take a bunch of stick (plenty of it from me) but everybody must have been impressed at the way we steamed in and nabbed Firmino. But not just him, I look at our transfers this summer and I'm guessing we are talking four first-team players in Milner, Firmino, Clyne and Benteke. We were shi...t last year. Put four new players in your starting line-up and you become a completely different side. Milner has settled quickly and already looks like he will give us a solid 7-8 out of 10 every week, I like Clyne a lot, I've watched a bunch of tape on Firmino and I believe he will be superb. More on Benteke later!

2/ if Benteke works we could be pretty decent yanno. Shedding off my doubts about the lad and the impact on our style of play. IF Brendan CAN get this guy moving, running channels, busting a gut, bullying defenders and pressing the ball we could be in a really good place. We know the lad can score goals, he can score all types, tap-ins, headers, long shots. If Brendan can merge some of his strengths WITH our quick passing, hight tempo approach we could be awesome as an attacking side. I think it will be difficult but if he gets it right......

3/ The new coaching staff. Brave move moving on Pascoe and Marsh. We all thought it was down to the owners but Brendan has come out and said it was his call. I like that he has done it, it's a gutsy decision. 4 new starters in the first 11 and a brand new coaching set-up. Let's see if it pays off.

4/ going back to those extra bodies we recruited last summer. I've got high hopes for two of them. I think we can all agree that Can shows a lot of promise. I still think he is a little overweight and would like to see him get about the pitch a bit quicker but he has all the attributes to play box to box or PERHAPS to play the sitting role (throwing in the odd rampaging dribble from deep) although I'm not sure his long-term future is at this spot. The 2nd is Adam Lallana. No pre-season last year and a few niggly injuries throughout the season, he showed some glimpses but not enough end product. He looks pretty sharp this pre-season and has grabbed himself a couple of goals. I don't think he'll start every game in the EPL but I fancy him to pay back a bit of the transfer fee this season.

5/ Jordan Ibe. Sky is the limit for this kid. If your old enough your good enough they say, well this kid is good enough. I'm very sorry to have seen Sterling go but this kid will have most reds forgetting Sterling (if they haven't already). I suspect Brendan will try and protect the kid by playing him off the bench but he will be too good to leave there. I bet he is a first team fixture by mid-season.

6/ more kids coming through. Really impressed with the youngster Gomez from Charlton. Won't be surprised to see him get a start at Stoke. Looks really promising, strong in the tackle, attacks the ball in the air and comfortable on the ball. Rossiter looks stronger this pre-season and is the one I'd tip to come through next, I like this kid (I think everybody does)

6/ The Gerrard effect. Who knows if it will be a good thing or not. Stevie was Captain of this club for so many years, I can't remember a player having the arm band for so long at any other club (Adams, Terry, Keane maybe?). Such an iconic player, He casted a pretty big shadow and maybe we will see a few players grow now that the responsibility is to be shared. Henderson appears to be the one who may benefit the most but it may have an effect on others in the side as well.

7/ The Roof! I know it's not intrinsically linked to the performance of the players this season but after years of talk, stadium designs and Texan Bullshi.....t its exciting to know that the stadium is finally getting bigger.

Onwards and upwards and roll on the new season you Redmen!

Positivity? On a forum? What kind of witchcraft is this? 

I'm not sure this is the thread for you Luke! I'm not feeling the positivity!

Well it seems to me that you can preface anything with IF these days and it suddenly becomes something that's going to happen, so IF I win the lottery...

Mate I'm more positive this pre-season than I was last pre-season if that gives you any solace. I still think we have work to do that wont be done though and that means the room for positivity will remain reserved for those who prefer to convince themselves rather than those that prefer to be convinced.

There's not much to add to your OP Scott and of course there's always ifs, buts and maybes which is the same for every team in the League, not just us.

Nobody knows how a new season will pan out, or how new players will fit or adapt but that's all part of the excitement and anticipation.  It would be a bit boring if we could predict the future and know already how we'll get on, there'd be no point watching if we knew all the results.

Thinking ahead a bit too much with the season choice mate. I don't think any of our signings this year will be playing in 2105-2116

Thinking ahead a bit too much with the season choice mate. I don't think any of our signings this year will be playing in 2105-2116

Well spotted mate!

I'm not sure this is the thread for you Luke! I'm not feeling the positivity!

Sadly I think I will have to join Luke on the sidelines mate. Just not feeling it at the moment.

Cracking opening post though Scott.

Thinking ahead a bit too much with the season choice mate. I don't think any of our signings this year will be playing in 2105-2116

Haha spot the lexdixic PE Teacher!

Am sure a Kind Mod will clean it up

We have a tough away schedule for the start of the season.. I think that is a great thing.

I believe getting these fixtures out of the way is amazing. I believe we'll get more points than some of you expect from the first 10 games.

Thinking ahead a bit too much with the season choice mate. I don't think any of our signings this year will be playing in 2105-2116

I don't know, maybe Kolo will still be here on a 1 year rolling contract! 

I'm cautiously optimistic. It's my nature to always be skeptical in sports because there is so much that can happen to derail the best laid plans, but I have to admit I'm feeling very good about this season with the changes made so far in the off season. Also part of me thinks we can't play any worse than we did last season. I truly believe that so that alone provides me a boost.

Not to mention, I'd much rather be positive and have hope and have those hopes be dashed, than to just be constantly pessimistic and negative. At least no one can blame me for dragging down others with my piss poor attitude. Unfortunately the negative nancies on this forum can't make that claim.

Good post, we could use a bit more positivity on this forum. Hold yer head up high and all you know.

im not doing it this year, every year as long as i can remember. i build up my expectaions and get crushed at the end of the season. this year i am trying to be realistic, im going to get alot if hate for this post because of negativity but i feel i have to share this.

my post is not meant to be assualt on people who are optimistic for this season. i wish i could too be optimistic but i cant. i am just sharing my opinion, like everybody else.

The way i see it is, that the top four team are alot better then us currently.

chelsea, has the best squad. with a c**t of a manager whom they have now, they are going to be in top 2.

city, great squad, all they need is a kick in the butt to get going. they could get a new manager or a new player that brings that extra boost to get them going again.

arsenal, few talented players who can single handly win them games, now with one of the best keepers around. combined with a manager who has finished top four for a long long time. they are better then us.

scum, in two years they have thrown around money and bougȟt players who are able, and talented enough to be in a top four team. their attack look dangerous and there is a reason for that. they have really good players now, where we bought talented young players. they went for players that are already developed.

liverpool, we have cou. daniel is always injured and i pray to god that benteke delievers. firminio is a good player and he will need time to settle, plus he is a type of players that need good players performing around him. dont expect him to dribble the whole team and score.
we have a young manager, whom i support but he is still learning his trade. we know our owners wont be throwing money to buy big players in jan, so with a current team and setup, i can see us landing fifth place at max.

thats not good enough, even fourth isnt good enough for us. i want us to f**king win the lead, and ship stablizing and rebuilding argument have i heard since 2007. i just wish we f**king learn from our mistakes and win the league.
im sorry for poluting your thread, but im feeling depressed and had to get it out. rant over.

oops: this was supposed to be posted in expections for new season thread. sorry mods.

Well I'm always optimistic at the start of every season.

We support Liverpool FC after all and I always believe we will challenge for the title. Obviously that enthusiasm gets dented quite early normally 

If Brendan can get our transition from attack to defence right will define our season.

thats not good enough, even fourth isnt good enough for us. i want us to f**king win the lead, and ship stablizing and rebuilding argument have i heard since 2007. i just wish we f**king learn from our mistakes and win the league.
im sorry for poluting your thread, but im feeling depressed and had to get it out. rant over.

oops: this was supposed to be posted in expections for new season thread. sorry mods.

Made me chuckle that you have accidentally posted it in this thread! 

Thinking ahead a bit too much with the season choice mate. I don't think any of our signings this year will be playing in 2105-2116

Hate to be "that guy" but that's an 11 year season...

obviously that means 380 extra games played abroad after the 1 extra was so lucrative

I'm cautiously optimistic. It's my nature to always be skeptical in sports because there is so much that can happen to derail the best laid plans, but I have to admit I'm feeling very good about this season with the changes made so far in the off season. Also part of me thinks we can't play any worse than we did last season. I truly believe that so that alone provides me a boost.

Not to mention, I'd much rather be positive and have hope and have those hopes be dashed, than to just be constantly pessimistic and negative. At least no one can blame me for dragging down others with my piss poor attitude. Unfortunately the negative nancies on this forum can't make that claim.

Good post, we could use a bit more positivity on this forum. Hold yer head up high and all you know.

im not doing it this year, every year as long as i can remember. i build up my expectaions and get crushed at the end of the season. this year i am trying to be realistic, im going to get alot if hate for this post because of negativity but i feel i have to share this.

my post is not meant to be assualt on people who are optimistic for this season. i wish i could too be optimistic but i cant. i am just sharing my opinion, like everybody else.

The way i see it is, that the top four team are alot better then us currently.

chelsea, has the best squad. with a c**t of a manager whom they have now, they are going to be in top 2.

city, great squad, all they need is a kick in the butt to get going. they could get a new manager or a new player that brings that extra boost to get them going again.

arsenal, few talented players who can single handly win them games, now with one of the best keepers around. combined with a manager who has finished top four for a long long time. they are better then us.

scum, in two years they have thrown around money and bougȟt players who are able, and talented enough to be in a top four team. their attack look dangerous and there is a reason for that. they have really good players now, where we bought talented young players. they went for players that are already developed.

liverpool, we have cou. daniel is always injured and i pray to god that benteke delievers. firminio is a good player and he will need time to settle, plus he is a type of players that need good players performing around him. dont expect him to dribble the whole team and score.
we have a young manager, whom i support but he is still learning his trade. we know our owners wont be throwing money to buy big players in jan, so with a current team and setup, i can see us landing fifth place at max.

thats not good enough, even fourth isnt good enough for us. i want us to f**king win the lead, and ship stablizing and rebuilding argument have i heard since 2007. i just wish we f**king learn from our mistakes and win the league.
im sorry for poluting your thread, but im feeling depressed and had to get it out. rant over.

oops: this was supposed to be posted in expections for new season thread. sorry mods.

Don't think it was the wrong thread personally Billo as I think it counters FL's argument quite well.

The problem with the Positive Pollys is that they get people feeling we're in a position to challenge, we do have a hope at winning the title etc etc and then those hopes are dashed again.

It's debatable what is better, to have hopes and see them dashed over and over or to start out without the hope and be pleasantly surprised when we exceed our low expectations, I'm honestly not sure.

Obviously the realistic view will lie somewhere in the middle and we all probably feel we're taking the realistic view. Personally I believe your view Billo is much near the realistic view of things than those of people who tell us IF IF IF IF IF IF etc.

To be in a more positive mind set I'd have had to see us secure a Reus / Muller / Hummels / Cech / Lacazette, I believe right now our squad is at best the 5th best squad in the league and if we don't improve it between now and the close of the window then it's only giving others the chance to surpass it. FSG have backed the manager this summer but they've also managed that while maintaining a very low net spend and while I can see our squad is now bloated with deadwood I do worry that we're actually no better off than when Kenny was sacked. All the talk of rebuilding and throwing away 3 years of work, when 'work' has essentially taken you backwards you're not actually throwing anything away.

Brendan has his chance and the argument of whether he deserved it or didn't is done. He now has the opportunity to convince us that we should be positive on our outlook for the future, it's a harsh lesson to admit you need help, let's hope that in appointing Old SOD (couldn't resist ) and Pepjin he takes on board that help and we step up our game because despite what the Positive Polly's try to tell you, the Negative Nancy's want to be Positive they just haven't been convinced yet that there's enough reason to believe.

I'll be drinking a Corona with lime if we trash Stoke. That's what I am looking forward to, one game at a time...

Realistically I'll be drinking before kickoff.

I think if you replaced Benteke with Lacazette there would be a lot of positivity in the air tbh. Clearly the Benteke signing is the one that has irked/worried many (including myself) but aside from that one (and let's be honest here, it is the pivotal signing) the others look pretty good. I don't think we were ever going to get the Mullers or Rues's of this world as Luke has listed a couple of posts above but Milner and Firmino were nice purchases who would not be out of place at any of the top four clubs. Clearly a lot needs to fall our way to jump back into that top four this season, we need the team to defend the way did during that 4 month run from last season when we actually looked like a really decent side. We need Studge to get fit and stay fit. I suspect we are going to need young Flanno to get himself fit and rescue Moreno from that left back slot. We need to get more goals from midfield. We need to negotiate a very difficult set of early away fixtures and be sitting in a healthy position Coe the end of them. There's a bunch of stuff we need to happen! Let's hope it does eh!

It must suck to be one of the poor people that's been brainwashed into being positive. Maybe we should setup a hotline for those sad folks?

Some of the stuff I've read on here.....

The problem with the Positive Pollys is that they get people feeling we're in a position to challenge, we do have a hope at winning the title etc etc and then those hopes are dashed again.

It's in my nature to be positive at the start of a season mate and if I wasn't I think I'd be done following the Reds and football in general.

I think nowadays people get far too hung up in the minute detail about transfers, formations etc etc and are far too cautious because they are afraid to look stupid if you sound too positive.

F**k that I say. I think we have a very good squad and think we'll have a rigth go this season and if we don't then I'll have a moan about it if and when it happens.

It's in my nature to be positive at the start of a season mate and if I wasn't I think I'd be done following the Reds and football in general.

I think nowadays people get far too hung up in the minute detail about transfers, formations etc etc and are far too cautious because they are afraid to look stupid if you sound too positive.

F**k that I say. I think we have a very good squad and think we'll have a rigth go this season and if we don't then I'll have a moan about it if and when it happens.

Fair enough Si.

The point of the entire post though was that those with a 'positive' mindset aren't massively far from those with a 'negative' mindset. I think you'll find that most people believe we'll finish between the positions 3rd and 6th. That difference is not massive and the difference largely hinges on the minute details that you seem to believe are not worth getting hung up on right now.

Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you also saying that Brendan had taken us as far as we can and isn't the main difference between the end of last season and the beginning of this mostly time?

Now I'm not saying you're wrong for changing your tune but I am saying that it's more likely you're setting yourself for another fall where those who consistently say that things are broken and need fixing properly are being viewed as negative by those who generally allow themselves to be convinced without substance.

Of course it's easy to become positive once the convincing has been done and I'll accept that in advance but I've also allowed myself to be overly optimistic in the past (yeah I know shock/horror) and time has taught me the lesson that the truth is usually there if you don't get caught up in the circus. So call me negative all you want I don't think expecting us to finish 5th or 6th is actually far from a realistic outlook at the moment.