End of season report

KEEP

Reina - A very, very, poor season by his standards, beaten too easily on numerous occasions and more often than not when it really mattered too. Distribution has been excellent as usual, but shot stopping, positioning and dealing with crosses has been way below the level expected.

Johnson - not my favourite Liverpool player, but has been one of the better players this season. While always a little suspect defensively, has on the whole defended reasonably well, while often proving to be one of our best outlets and most dangerous attackers.

Enrique - Started the season like a house on fire, pace, strength, commitment, but faded badly in the second half of the season, partly no doubt due to the loss of Lucas, as at times he has had to cope with more than one attacker in front of him since Lucas disappeared.

Skrtel - Probably my player of the season. Never rated him very highly and I was keen to sign Cahill in the Summer, but has been as good as any centreback and better than most this season. Plays much better and much more assured with Agger than he ever did with Carra.

Agger - Another good season from Danny, but for his frequent injuries we would be set at centreback for the next few years with the Skrtel and Agger partnership which imo will only get better.   

Downing - Very disappointing season after an excellent start too. He has looked uncomfortable with the ball and uninterested without it for most of the season. I still believe if we can give him the confidence he needs he can become a good player for us, but needs to be more dynamic both on and off the ball.

Gerrard - Sadly a season of fits and starts, brief cameo's of what he once produced game after game. Still an inspiration, but I am worried that we have seen his best and now he's more like all the rest. Hopefully he still has more to offer next season, but a forgettable season on the whole by our Captain.

Spearing - Hard worker, but the step up to first team regular was a step too far imo. Good squad player but just not quite good enough to fill Lucas's shoes.

Henderson - Probably my biggest disappointment this season. Excellent crosser of the ball, good passer and excellent shot, just some of the attributes that we have seen........ but all too rarely from him this season. Needs to impose himself more on games and start to dominate and display his obvious talent more frequently. Disappears when things go wrong and plays too safe most of the time. Needs to look and pick his pass rather than playing it backwards all the time. 

Bellamy - Another player that I wasn't too keen on Kenny bringing in. Excellent early in the season, but has struggled a little since his injury,  his freekicks and corners have been as good as any from a Liverpool player. Not quite the flyer he once was, but still one of the few players with genuine pace with and without the ball.

Suarez - but for his poor finishing and suspension, would no doubt be my player of the year. Sadly his finishing hasn't been as clinical as we hoped and for all his amazing energy, skill, ability it's his finishing that has cost him and us too many times. Wonderful memories and some great goals, but so far a scorer of great goals not a great goalscorer.     

Kelly - Another that has done himself proud for most of the season, but another that has fallen below his best in recent times. Lack of regular football, injuries and perhaps the team also not playing to it's best, seems to have set him back a little. Early form had many including myself wondering if perhaps he should get the nod over Johnson, lately Johnson has been unchallenged as first choice.

Lucas - I don't believe Lucas is QUITE as good as many think. Without doubt a very good player who we have missed tremendously this season, but more a reflection of how average our other options were, rather than Lucas being world class (imo). An excellent player and certainly good enough for Liverpool for years to come. 

Adam - better than many think, not to blame for every bad result, certainly not world class but has more to offer than many give him credit for. Hopefully a fringe player next season, coming on to change things around and create chances rather than a regular starter, but still getting his fair share of games.

Carroll - Plan "B" for me next season. While I don't believe he is as bad as some think, I don't believe he is has good as some want to have us believe either. Showed the right sort of attitude of late, and may just have saved his Liverpool career. 

Shelvey - Improved tremendously since his short spell on loan. Before he went he looked immature, overconfident and brash, since his loan he has looked confident and has a good chance of securing a future at the club. Very impressed with the progress he has made since his return.

Coates - Still not sure about this one. Seems to set himself way too early before he tackles, but has age and size on his side. Might be quite a while before he really challenges for a first team place, but with Agger's injuries..... you never know.

Flanagan - Really gone backwards this season. Needs the summer break to rebuild his confidence and re-evaluate what is expected and needed if he is to make progress again..... Possibility he could be loaned out?

Kenny - Not a great season, but good enough to deserve another chance to get things right. He has struggled throughout the season to cope without a genuine clinical striker, bad luck, injuries to key players and age catching up with some good players. The Gerrard of a few years ago would no doubt have helped tremendously, sadly not quite this season. Kenny needs to get some important decisions right in the summer and we need to see a significant improvement in the league next season. I think we will win the league...... but then I always do.
   

OUT 

Maxi - Disappears too often for comfort, neat and tidy passer who rarely loses possession and has scored a lot of goals from a midfield that otherwise contributes few. Not quite good enough for the first team but could have been a valued squad player. The fact that I believe he will leave says more about what I believe Kenny is looking for rather than what Maxi lacks. 

Kuyt - Time has finally got to Dirk imo, no longer the duracell man, but still gives everything in every game. Sadly for Kuyt the lack of goal threat, pace and first touch is no longer balanced by the hard work and important goals scored.

Carra - Tide and time wait for no man, and time has finally caught up with Carra. The mind still knows where he needs to go, but the legs no longer always get him there in time. Has struggled more often than not this season and at best would be 4th choice next season..... I think he will retire. Liverpool Legend without a doubt.

Simple must do better, see me after the final whistle

downing maybe not

fu**ed

Henderson - Probably my biggest disappointment this season. Excellent crosser of the ball, good passer and excellent shot, just some of the attributes that we have seen........ but all too rarely from him this season. Needs to impose himself more on games and start to dominate and display his obvious talent more frequently. Disappears when things go wrong and plays too safe most of the time. Needs to look and pick his pass rather than playing it backwards all the time.

I don't think you can say a player has an excellent shot if you have hardly seen it at all. How many good finishes he made the whole season? I can't think of many in which he forced the keeper to a good save, I really can't, and his only goal was against Bolton. Most of the time when he tries a long shot, it doesn't go anywhere near the target.

Anyway, interesting topic to debate, and I'll post my judgements later

Bring on next season, that is all.

Bring on next season, that is all.

How many days left mate?

Hit the bar against WBA, hit the post against Fulham, forced De Gea into one or two world class stops at Anfield etc. Hendo has a decent enough shot. I like him.

How many days left mate?

Week or so mate i hope.

I don't think you can say a player has an excellent shot if you have hardly seen it at all. How many good finishes he made the whole season? I can't think of many in which he forced the keeper to a good save, I really can't, and his only goal was against Bolton. Most of the time when he tries a long shot, it doesn't go anywhere near the target.

Anyway, interesting topic to debate, and I'll post my judgements later

He may not have scored many, but he did hit the bar against West Brom .... still not convinced ?   

Gerrard only scored one goal in his first couple of seasons ....

His hair looks nice tho

Week or so mate i hope.

No mate, was talking about till KO for the next season.

He may not have scored many, but he did hit the bar against West Brom .... still not convinced ?   

Not really

Hit the bar against WBA, hit the post against Fulham, forced De Gea into one or two world class stops at Anfield etc. Hendo has a decent enough shot. I like him.

Actually, I think when you can name all the good shots from a player for an entire season in one line, it's evidence he's not good at it at all

No mate, was talking about till KO for the next season.

 

F**k knows   .

Not really

Actually, I think when you can name all the good shots from a player for an entire season in one line, it's evidence he's not good at it at all

That made me spit water over the screen laughing. Very true.

Actually, I think when you can name all the good shots from a player for an entire season in one line, it's evidence he's not good at it at all

Chances are there are others I've forgotten from early on in the season. Hence the 'etc'.

Simple must do better, see me after the final whistle

1 Trophy won, 2 Cup Finals, 3 visits to Anfield South, back in Europe.

Could be worse.

Two cups finals was very good.
Won one of them, good.
League results; extremely poor. But clearly deserved more wins in many games before xmas.

Summer signings failed pitifully to improve the team from last season. Only Enrique and Bellamy were moderate successes. I'd easily prefer Joe Cole, Aquilani and Meireles in the squad to Downing, Henderson and Adam. Indeed we'd have probably finished higher in the league if we had kept those three and not bought the other three.

This thread is a bit like when SlySports announce the man of the match in injury time.

I gotta say I disagree with a lot of your player ideas. Specifically Lucas. You say he is not as great as some think but in the next paragraph say Adam is not as bad. Look at how good Adam was with Lucas, and how bad he was without. Without Lucas he looked as though he should be playing in the reserve squad or worse. With Lucas he looked like a very solid midfield distributor. And I also disagree about Coates and Henderson. Coates has been great every game he has featured in. His ability to make the smart tackle instead of the rash challenge is exceptional. Henderson has struggled but he also hasn't been given a real position yet. When in the center he has looked solid and at times has looked like the guy to play next to Lucas in a 4-2-3-1. When on the right he has looked lost, slow, and indecisive. He needs a bit of confidence and I think European competition will really help him next season.

And your having a go at Flannnnno! Common mate hes 18 and last season he played 2 cracker games and this year he has made some mistakes. These mistakes will make him a better player !

Very disappointing end to an up and down season, only consolation one trophy and back in Europe next season. Hopeful the side will go forward, with the addition of maybe one or two players of real quality.