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.

I actually expect us to finish 5th as it happens BUT that is a pre-season prediction and if the first few games suggest that Benteke works (and more importantly we still work as a side) then I will certainly find myself raising expectations. I guess that's what the thread is about really, that if a few things go our way we could be in a pretty decent place

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.

I did say that mate and at the time it's how I felt. I have never hidden the fact that I thought it was time to move Brendan on but once it was clear that wasn't happpening I think the club have acted swiftly and positively and everything that has happened this summer indictaes to me that lessons have been learnedall round and everyone at the club seems to have a clear focus for the plan for the season ahead.

As I've said a few times this summer I just don't have it in me to keep fuming oover things like others seem to as I like to get some enjoyment out of following the club and I think we have signed good players, the manager seems to have ideas to help us in a coaching capacity, the stadium is getting done and in general I like the way we have went about our business this summer.

I don't think I'm setting myself up for a fall because for one I think we may well surprise a few this season, our own supporters included, and also if we don't succeed then FSG have went 'all in' with the manager and at the end of this season there really will be no option but to make that change if things don't go to plan.

Not sure I can wait that long.
Nice OP though.

I don't think I'm setting myself up for a fall because for one I think we may well surprise a few this season, our own supporters included, and also if we don't succeed then FSG have went 'all in' with the manager and at the end of this season there really will beno option but to make that change if things don't go to plan.

While I agree with everything you said before this I believe this is the crux of the topic at hand. You're willing to lay your hopes, dare I say, above your expectations where others perhaps hope that we exceed our expectations but believe in their expectations above their hopes. While it might seem like they're almost identical I honestly believe that is a real difference that essentially encapsulates the divide between the two groups.

In answer to your 'all in', I'm personally not quite convinced about that. We've sold Sterling for £49m and bought what with it? I very much believe that unless there's a few more purchases that a plan B could be in place, that is for another thread entirely though.

While I agree with everything you said before this I believe this is the crux of the topic at hand. You're willing to lay your hopes, dare I say, above your expectations where others perhaps hope that we exceed our expectations but believe in their expectations above their hopes. While it might seem like they're almost identical I honestly believe that is a real difference that essentially encapsulates the divide between the two groups.

In answer to your 'all in', I'm personally not quite convinced about that. We've sold Sterling for £49m and bought what with it? I very much believe that unless there's a few more purchases that a plan B could be in place, that is for another thread entirely though.

My hopes and expectations are always roughly the same mate and this summer isn't much different in that I hope we try and win the league, try and win some silverware and if all else fails finish as high as we can. My expectations are more or less the same as that.

As far as FSG going 'all in' I think they have in that they seem to have done everything the manager wants and needs for the season ahead. Just because you, I or anyone else maybe would buy other players with the money I think it's pretty clear FSG have backed the manager and got him his players this summer and add the fact Brendan was the man behind the backroom changes it seems to me FSG have went 'all in' with Brendan and his plan.

Like I said if it works all well and good but if it doesn't then anyone who really wanted Brendan out will probably only have to wait a year to get their wish.

My hopes and expectations are always roughly the same mate and this summer isn't much different in that I hope we try and win the league, try and win some silverware and if all else fails finish as high as we can. My expectations are more or less the same as that.

Fair enough Si, sometimes it's difficult to separate our hopes from our expectations but there should definitely be some differentiation. I'd personally set winning the league as my dreams, a cup or top 4 as my hope and 5th and no trophies as my expectation.

As far as FSG going 'all in' I think they have in that they seem to have done everything the manager wants and needs for the season ahead. Just because you, I or anyone else maybe would buy other players with the money I think it's pretty clear FSG have backed the manager and got him his players this summer and add the fact Brendan was the man behind the backroom changes it seems to me FSG have went 'all in' with Brendan and his plan.

Like I said if it works all well and good but if it doesn't then anyone who really wanted Brendan out will probably only have to wait a year to get their wish.

So not to derail this excellent thread I'll simply say that I believe they've held some money back, at the moment, for a rainy day while still accepting the points you put across mate. 

2105-16. I feel like Buck Rogers, hopefully we have have won the the league by 2105 and I've just woken up from a time-warp sleep.

The only concern I have is the CB's and the bloke in front of them. That little triangle/square area between the CB and the last central midfielder. I know it's been stated time and time again that Rodgers doesn't 'do' a holding midfielder and all that jazz; but IMO he must. It's soft, it's there to be attacked and it really does need rectifying and NOT to do so IMO would be suicide.

I said way back that we needed a DM, but we seem to recruit AM and strikers and overlook this part constantly. I just wonder with the signing of Benteke we could play one up front and use a Rafa type formation. I know goals were our Achilles heel last season, but that will come with the players and striker(s) we now have. It's the other end where we lack steel.


                                             Mignolet

                       Clyne          Skertel     Sahko      Gomez

                                         Lucas     Milner

                               Ibe          Coutinho      Firminho

                                              Benteke

I'd be happy with that kind of formation rather than having all the midfielders bar ONE running ahead of the ball and doing damage up the other end, like we seem to do. I think we should play an extra man deeper (like where Milner is alongside Lucas) to shore up that soft center.

I agree with Scott, there are a lot of things to look forward to.

For me sacking Pascoe and Marsh was a good decision. BR clearly saw them as the weak link and sorted that out. McAllister joining will prove to be a masterstroke.

We have moved quickly in the market and unlike last season, I cannot complain about any of the signings we have made. Good solid signings, a mixture of youth and experience, and the number one for me, Johnson has gone!

Good times ahead, onwards and upwards!

I don't see how you can look at the team going into this season and think it's going to be the same or worse than last year's effort.

Positives

--- I'm not particularly keen on Benteke, but he's miles ahead of Balotelli in my opinion. He's a better finisher, plays like he's actually a striker, and doesn't try hopeless shots from 40 yards out.

--- Firmino is a class act that's going to add flair, creativity and goals to the side. Last year it was Coutinho's tricks or Sterling's pace, and that was all we could rely on. Firmino's got a little of everything and is a better finisher than either of them.

--- Milner gets about the pitch like no one else -- and as much as we all love Stevie, his lack of mobility hampered whoever played beside him. Anytime it was Gerrard and Henderson, Gerrard and Lucas (shudders), Gerrard and Allen, one of them had to do the running of two men. No one can ever replace Stevie's ball-playing and sheer class as a player, but Milner makes us much more mobile and dynamic than with Gerrard. He's also severely underrated by some on here.

--- Clyne might not be the best RB in the league, but Lordy is he better than Johnson. Our RBs were so sh*t last year we had to play Can severely out of position.

--- Ings and Origi will be prove to be better bench strikers than Borini and Lambert (though I think everyone was very unfair on Rickie). Origi is very raw, but I can see him making an impact off the bench since he's got a perfect combination of size, strength and pace. The big difference between Borini and Ings is Ings adds a goal touch to his work rate, whereas Borini just kind of ran tirelessly.

--- Someone like Lallana is going to improve this year. For all the over-the-top criticism he received last year, it might be time to realize he scored the same number of league goals as Coutinho despite playing 1,000 less minutes and getting shifted around a bit. Add in that he didn't have a preseason and was unlucky with injury, etc.

Negatives

--- Lovren. I just don't see any big improvements in his game, and he's still very erratic at times and buckles under pressure. (And I don't mean an opposing player closing in on him, I mean in big games and when we're expected to win.) Even so, he can't possibly play any worse than last season, so that in and of itself is a slight improvement.

--- Skrtel. So damn erratic in a high line system and neither a leader nor an organizer. I really feel that if we're being honest with ourselves as a club, we'd have moved him on and brought in a top CB.

--- FB depth. Yeah Gomez looks good, but it's preseason. Outside of Clyne, our depth at FB is fairly weak. Flanagan is out for an even longer stretch, and while I don't think Moreno will play as poorly as last year, I'm not sure he'll ever became a top FB for English football, either. Enrique only exists in the digital realm.

--- Not playing a DM/not playing Lucas. Our record with Lucas vs without him is night and day. I fear we're going to often play without Lucas, which will leave an already erratic backline exposed even more -- especially if Brendan trots out a Lovren/Skrtel pairing.

--------

Overall, there are far greater things to optimistic about than there are negatives. And even some of these negatives ^^ are known quantities, so you'd think the coaching would be aware of these things and work to eliminate or best limit them.

Besides, being negative never gets you anywhere but the end of a ledge.

YAAAAASSSSS MON THE POSITIVISM !

More please. :-)

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

Don't forget the games on the moon

Ooops !!! I think i took a wrong turn somewhere.

Even though we've got some tough away games in the first half of the season, it's not all bad.  If you break down the fixtures into blocks of 5 and aim for 2 points per game average which is usually enough to get into the Champions Leauge then it doesn't look so daunting.  There may be the odd block where we fall short of that target but then the following block gives us the opportunity to gain more than the 10 points.

Yes I do know I've not included any of the EL games and the travelling and playing Thursday/Sunday/Monday makes it tough but we have a strong enough and big enough squad now to rotate and rest players without weakening us like last season.

Stoke A
Bournemouth H
Arsenal A
West Ham H
Man Utd A

Norwich H
Aston Villa H
Everton A
Spurs A
Southampton H

Chelsea A
Crystal Palace H
Man City A
Swansea H
Newcastle A

West Brom H
Watford A
Leicester H
Sunderland A
West Ham A

Arsenal H
Man Utd H
Norwich A
Leicester A
Sunderland H

Aston Villa A
Everton H
Man City H
Crystal Palace A
Chelsea H

Southampton A
Spurs H
Stoke H
Bournemouth A
Newcastle H

Swansea A
Watford H
West Brom A

Love the finish to the season, if we are still in it after the chavski game we have a great chance of doing something.

Nice OP and as usual, count me in.

I'm going to take a slightly different approach. It's good to keep the good, the bad, and the ugly all in perspective. So:

Best moment of the summer (so far) - Signing our primary ST target Benteke

Biggest disappointment - Missing out on Depay

Reason to be optimistic - We have (on paper) two or more quality players in every position. This is probably the best squad depth we've ever had.

Reason to be sceptical - Many of the new recruits will require a bedding in period, and some (like Firmino) may find it difficult to adjust to the Prem.

Reason to be pessimistic - We have had a lot of change again this summer, while some of our rivals for the top 4 (Chelsea, Arsenal, and City) appear more settled, and the business United have done appears much better than our own (at least on paper).

Conclusion: I expect a real fight at the top end this season. If Studge and Benteke can both stay fit then we should have a good chance at a top 4 finish. If one or both have injury problems then we will likely struggle. United still seem the likeliest team to fall out of the top 4, with an injury to Rooney looking capable of derailing their ambitions. Arsenal could also struggle if Sanchez gets hit with a lengthy spell on the sidelines. At the very least, it should make for an interesting season!!

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!

Great OP mate. I'm an ever optimist too - you have to be if you've watched us in the 80s and had to cope with the 90s.

I think the summer signings so far has been shrewd. I've always been impressed with Clyne and think he will be here long term, possibly follow in footsteps of Arbeloa and Finnan. Milner will provide that work ethic and experience we're going to lack since Stevie's departure. I'm genuinely looking forward to Firminho. It's always a bet with foreign recruits, but I think ourstyle will suit him, not to mention his link up play with Coutinho.

Benteke is probably the only "gamble". No point in going into the whole debate, people can check his thread, but IF the gamble pays off, I think we could be looking at a genuinely strong, scoring forward to provide some leadership up front. For me, he is the only gamble so far, but isn't every signing?

I think the Stevie comment is an interesting one. Whilst he is a legend and provided stability and leadership, I'm going to look upon his departure with positivity. I think Hendo can grow in his absence, and I also think we have some mentally strong characters on the pitch now.

We haven't got that player with the star appeal, I'd have loved it, but considering the business we have done, I'm quietly optimistic.

This is needed. We are quickly becoming the whineast fans ever. Seriously there are some fans now complaining about "not being able to fit all this talent, into the team".

We need a reality check. We support the best team in the world. Snap out of it and enjoy the ride.

I'm feeling pretty positive about the new season, certainly in the sense that I expect us to be significantly more competitive than last season anway.


Here's my predictions based on the players we've signed and a bestish case scenario.

Benteke: I hope he'll stay fit, score 26 goals in the Premiership and win the golden boot, he's certainly capable of it IMHO. Realistically he's likely to get injured at some point and take a little time to settle. If my life depended on it I'd go for 17 goals in the league.

Firmino: I hope he'll be at least 2/3 as good as the lads who've "been watching him since he was 11" say he is. If he is, he'll be about as good as Dennis Bergkamp was in his pomp at Arsenal. More realistically I expect he'll take a little time to settle and will turn out to be a good player.

Milner: No worries at all here. Our signing of the summer and our player of the year.

Clyne: I hope he instantly comes in and looks solid, I think he will.

Ings/Origi: I hope they instantly offer more than Balotelli, Borini and though it pains me to say it, Rickie Lambert. In fairness they could have signed me and achieved that, so I'm pretty confident here.

Older signings:

Sakho and the future captain. I'm hoping that we can cobble together a central defensive partnership which both looks solid and stays fit. My guess is it'll start off as being Skrtel and Sakho and I hope they can get it together. I've a slight hunch that by Christmas it may have morphed into Lovren/Sakho, but whoever it is we need a partnership that works.

Lallana: I hope we'll see a lot more of him changing games, here's hoping.

Can: More improvement needed, I hope he's leaving the currywurst alone over the summer.

Moreno and Markovic. I'm hoping one of them might develop to the point where we don't all facepalm when they get selected. Bit of an outsider this one though.



Based on all that, we'll finish fourth. The champions will be Arsenal, with Man City second and Chelsea third and ruing their failure to sign heavier in the summer. The Mancs will be fifth, one point behind us. It'll be the closest title race in history, all five top teams still being in with a shot with four games to go.   

Based on all that, we'll finish fourth. The champions will be Arsenal, with Man City second and Chelsea third and ruing their failure to sign heavier in the summer. The Mancs will be fifth, one point behind us. It'll be the closest title race in history, all five top teams still being in with a shot with four games to go.

I'm putting this in my diary for May 2016 sir...just warning you

This is needed. We are quickly becoming the whineast fans ever. Seriously there are some fans now complaining about "not being able to fit all this talent, into the team".

We need a reality check. We support the best team in the world. Snap out of it and enjoy the ride.

Agree 100%.

I may be wrong but the amount of moaning just seems to be getting worse even after the most clinical transfer window under FSG and changes to the backroom that most were moaning for all season.

Maybe many are still pissed off Brendan didn't get the sack and just can't get over it?

I'm getting more and more upbeat by the day and I'm as excited about the season ahead as I have been under Brendan and FSG.

Good opening post.

We need some of your yin to our yang.

Stadium development, although let's face it primarily aimed at the corporate market - is a step forward.

Liverpool look like they've bought better, although that wouldn't be hard after last season's purchases (typical Liverpool behaviour in a World Cup year).

I can understand why some aren't going overboard, after all we've had our hopes dashed so many times over the last 25 years but to have lost all hope when a new season beckons, I can't get my head round.

I'm feeling pretty positive about the new season, certainly in the sense that I expect us to be significantly more competitive than last season anway.


Here's my predictions based on the players we've signed and a bestish case scenario.

Benteke: I hope he'll stay fit, score 26 goals in the Premiership and win the golden boot, he's certainly capable of it IMHO. Realistically he's likely to get injured at some point and take a little time to settle. If my life depended on it I'd go for 17 goals in the league.

Firmino: I hope he'll be at least 2/3 as good as the lads who've "been watching him since he was 11" say he is. If he is, he'll be about as good as Dennis Bergkamp was in his pomp at Arsenal. More realistically I expect he'll take a little time to settle and will turn out to be a good player.

Milner: No worries at all here. Our signing of the summer and our player of the year.

Clyne: I hope he instantly comes in and looks solid, I think he will.

Ings/Origi: I hope they instantly offer more than Balotelli, Borini and though it pains me to say it, Rickie Lambert. In fairness they could have signed me and achieved that, so I'm pretty confident here.

Older signings:

Sakho and the future captain. I'm hoping that we can cobble together a central defensive partnership which both looks solid and stays fit. My guess is it'll start off as being Skrtel and Sakho and I hope they can get it together. I've a slight hunch that by Christmas it may have morphed into Lovren/Sakho, but whoever it is we need a partnership that works.

Lallana: I hope we'll see a lot more of him changing games, here's hoping.

Can: More improvement needed, I hope he's leaving the currywurst alone over the summer.

Moreno and Markovic. I'm hoping one of them might develop to the point where we don't all facepalm when they get selected. Bit of an outsider this one though.



Based on all that, we'll finish fourth. The champions will be Arsenal, with Man City second and Chelsea third and ruing their failure to sign heavier in the summer. The Mancs will be fifth, one point behind us. It'll be the closest title race in history, all five top teams still being in with a shot with four games to go.   

No shout for Coutinho or Sturridge Mick?

There are plenty of reasons to be positive about the upcoming season.
Firstly our signing have been pretty decent. We have bought goals goals and more goals. Firmino and will create them, and Benteke will score them. Then we have the premier league winning experience of Milner and hungry young players like Ings and Joe Gomez that will improve the depth in the squad ensuring that we can challenge on all fronts.

That brings me to squad depth. This is best squad we've had in terms of depth for years. Miles better than 13/14 in fact. We have some quality players that won't get a game week in week out and that is why the Europa League is beneficial to us next season. Players like Ibe, Markovic, Can, Balotelli, Ings will have an opportunity to find some form and play their way into being a first team regular. I think we have a great chance of going far in the Europa League this season.

The only worry is that we haven't really sorted ourselves out defensively. I think Clyne is a great acquisition and will prove to be solid defensively and great going forward but its our CB partnership that is inconsistent and lacking in leadership and organisation. And as good as Moreno is going forward, he's an absolute liability defensively. Hopefully Rodgers really emphasizes the defense in pre season training

At the end of the day, the way I see it, is that we are nailed on for 5th place atm. Spurs, Everton, Soton ect have all pretty much stayed where they are. Now if we can get Benteke or Sturridge scoring 25+ goals next season and also hope for the wheels to come off at one of the top 4 clubs then we're in with a shout of a top 4 place.

Maybe many are still pissed off Brendan didn't get the sack and just can't get over it?

Ye I think so. They can fook off and support another team. The team and management is what it is.... and it looks mighty fine to me!

a massive reason is we now have real options that could get into most top 4 teams so BR has to prove his tactical worth and get the best out of them all
1. benteke
2. milner
3. hendo
4. coutinho
5. firmino
6. sturridge
7. sakho

all the above could get into last seasons top 4 so now if the others start kicking on we could have a top 4 worthy team. this season might be to soon but you never know in this league.

Theres no way this season coul be worse than the last one,a lot of our players were injured and played most of the season out of their natural positions so with some good new players in there is a lot to be positive about in the curent season.

Theres no way this season coul be worse than the last one,a lot of our players were injured and played most of the season out of their natural positions so with some good new players in there is a lot to be positive about in the curent season.

agreed.