End of season report

BOLLOCKS

Satisfied with the season. One cup and one cup final. If we can win those games against smaller oppositions that is ok for me. We fought hard in the last 20 mins of FA cup final. Losing to bigger teams are not a concern for me as we are in a transition phase plus we are one man less (if downing is on the pitch)

 

Satisfied with the season. One cup and one cup final. If we can win those games against smaller oppositions that is ok for me. We fought hard in the last 20 mins of FA cup final. Losing to bigger teams are not a concern for me as we are in a transition phase plus we are one man less (if downing is on the pitch)

Funny, first time I have ever heard a Liverpool supporter calling Chelsea a bigger team, In fact I have never heard a supporter call any team bigger than LFC. 

We've had some excellent results this year, won a trophy and got to the final of another which is great and played some excellent attacking football also.

Problem being though we have been very two dimensional in a lot of games - all out attack or all out defend with the all out attack being complicated by a hell of a lot of awful fininshing. And that is what it has been, awful finishing. Don't even try me with the 'we've hit the post a million times' line. Although its mad how many times we have hit it, every time we have it counts as a miss not a goal so poor fininshing, end of. As close to being wide as being a goal.

Tactically, on far too many occasions we have been poor. Defended far too deep and invited pressure - look how many goals have been scored from the six yard box against us.

Lucas getting injured affected our season as did our poor finishing but a hell of a lot of people seen that this was going to be the case a long time ago so why weren't the problems addressed in January?

I'll post what I think re the ins and outs. Will never happen I know but I'm with this:

OUT:

Aurelio, Maxi, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Wilson, Spearing and Adam.

IN:
(I'll put who I think can play in the various positions to highlight where I think we should strenghten)

GK:

Reina
Doni
Jones

RB

Johnson
Kelly
Flanagan
Carragher

CB:

Skrtel
Agger
Coates
Kelly
Carragher

LB

Enrique
Johnson
Robinson
Agger

RM

New AM 1
New AM 2
Gerrard
Bellamy

DM

Lucas
New DM
Gerrard

CM

Gerrard
New AM 1
New AM 2
Shelvey

LM

New AM 1
New AM 2
Sterling
Bellamy

CF

Suarez
Carroll
New CF 1 (an out and out goal scorer - big buy)
New CF 2 (cheaper younger option)
Bellamy

First options for me are a DM, two versatile AM's (maybe 3 TBH) and two strikers. I know a lot want to see Carra gone but he would have to be replaced so I would address these positions first and foremost.

EDIT* Apologies - didn't give that a final once over before posting, a lot of mistyping in my OP so just done a lot of editing.

Ok now I think.

Lucas getting injured affected our season as did our lack of poor finishing but a hell of a lot of people seen that this was going to be the case a long time ago so why weren't the problems addressed in January?

Above all else (in my opinion) this is the most telling and costly of all our failings/mistakes this season. Could this be the actual reason Comolli got the old Spanish archer? I think so. 

BOLLOCKS

  that's made me smile .

Lowest I've felt at the end of a season.

Would also agree-
Failure to do business in January has ultimately resulted in failure on the pitch.
Replacement for Lucas and a striker would have turned our season.

Lowest I've felt at the end of a season.

Would also agree-
Failure to do business in January has ultimately resulted in failure on the pitch.
Replacement for Lucas and a striker would have turned our season.

racer it has been a lousy season leaguewise but we will come good,we have to come good because we are LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.WE have so much history and tradition there is not another club that can come anywhere near us.Just have belief mate.

Home: Won 5, Drawn 9, Lost 4

Away: Won 8, Drawn 1, Lost 9


No Smiling please !

Great thread starter Saint. I will respond but it's all a bit depressing at the moment so i'm gonna have a day or two trying to pretend i don't like football anymore.

 Most of the comments in the opening post are hard to argue with. My thoughts going forward:

 Reina: IMO has given the club a difficult decision so bad has he been this season. Another one like it and we won't get much for him (I really do think he has been desperately poor far too often), but obviously we live in hope he can reproduce his best form (which is/was fantastic). Do we sell him and take the cash, or wait? I know many will go berserk at such sacrilage, but good goalkeepers win you football matches. Yesterday was a prime example.

 Enrique:As S@int says, he's fallen away badly along with the rest of the team. His partnership with Downing is much like two people trying to get through the bus doors at the same time. Still a good buy at 6 mill, but needs to improve a fair bit.

 Skrtel & Agger: Both have been very good for us this season and as long as Agger can stay fit, we should be sorted. Carra looks like he is on his way down, while Coates needs to improve a bit further but will take up the 3rd choice spot next season. We'll probably need another centra half before the end of the next campaign.

 Johnson: I like him a lot and if we dovetail him with Gerrard on the right next season (which I think we should) then they will provide balance, goals and assists in abundance. Lets just do it.

 Downing: My suspicion before we signed him was that he is a bread and butter Premiership player. Decent but unspectacular, I thought we had paid way over the top for him and that we would have been far better off signing his Aston Villa teammate. I think I was right on this one. Still, we've paid a fortune for him, he'll be on big money so we are extremely unlikely to be able to move him on. He is left footed which is rare, and he can play much better than he has this term. Economics dictate we're probably just going to have to cross our fingers and hope he delivers.

 Gerrard: Still a wonderful footballer but he and us are going to have to find the best way to play him. For me, playing off the front man is no longer within his compass. He either needs to play as a holding midfielder or on the right. The second option screams out as the right one for me.

 Henderson: I was an advocate of his signing but I was wrong. For me he is a mile away from being good enough and I have severe doubts now that he will get there. Lacks the physicality to be able to play in central midfield in anything other than a sitting role, and makes next to zero telling contributions to matches. If we could persuade anyone to pay 8-10 million for him I'd bite their arm off at the elbow, but my suspicion is that it won't happen. Could turn out to be Aquilani mark 2 I'm afraid, and in my view we desperately need a quality replacement.

 Lucas: A quality holding midfielder, but when you select him you give yourself a small connundrum. You MUST dovetail him with a dynamic partner, simply because the Brazillian provides next to zero going forward. Unfortunately for us, Gerrard can no longer be that partner IMHO, while Charlie Adam can't do it on a consistent basis and Jordan Henderson will never be able to do it while he's got a hole in his @rse. We need a top quality central midfielder IMHO, particularly if we are going to play a pure holder like Lucas. 

 Spearing: A scouser and a good kid. Like Henderson though, a long way from being good enough to be a regular starter in a top team. The much maligned Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikkel were head and shoulders better than either yesterday. Squad player at a stretch.

 Adam: I quite like him and he would have been an improvement on either of our two central midfielders yesterday. That said, we cannot seriously compete wiothout a really top top quality central midfielder who is going to make things happen regularly. Gerrard is increasingly looking like he is no longer able to fill the role, so we must recruit and relegate the likes of Charlie to the squad role he actually fits.

 Suarez: A fantastic footballer who we must build the team around. When he plays with Carroll, they are kind of like two three year olds playing in a room in that they play beside each other rather than together. The answer IMHo is to sign another striker who can interchange with both.

 Carroll: I remain convinced that one day he will make a beast of a centre forward. His dynamic performance yesterday which almost allowed him to single-handedly flip the game on its head was hugely encouraging. I'm an advocate and would stay with him.

 Kuyt/Maxi I'd move both on.

 Kelly/Shelvey/Flanaghan all need to improve a fair bit if they're going to make it IMHO. Kelly might actually be a centre half as well.

 Jack Robinson: I like this lad and think he's our best kid. Will play International football IMHO.   

D-. Really poor season.  Our performance in the league has being so poor.  If Kenny is to keep his job we need a drastic improvement straight away next season.  Our home record this season has set all sorts of records.

D-. Really poor season.  Our performance in the league has being so poor.  If Kenny is to keep his job we need a drastic improvement straight away next season.  Our home record this season has set all sorts of records.

 I know that's what you think mate, but with the greatest respect this thread isn't really the appropriate place to put the boot into Kenny. It's a players thread, and an interesting one at that.

Stay

Pepe Reina - still one of the best for me. Been a poor season for him but he'll be back.

Johnson - one of the better right backs in the league.

Agger - classiest defender in the league and always puts  a good performance when he plays.

Skrtel - top form and has been for quite awhile now.

Enrique - started well but ever since 2012, has been caught out quite alot but we've been crying out loud for an LB for a while now.

Lucas - well, nothing to say here, just Lucas has been boss.

Gerrard - last 2 seasons have been hit by injuries, hopefully has all his injuries behind him. Top player on his day.

Adam - At best a squad player.

Downing - I like him but still at best a squad player.

Suarez - nothing needed here.

Carroll - I am still unsure if he's the right partner for Suarez and the right striker for us because his talents are shown off and on but I'd keep him because he offers different strengths to the team.

Kelly - Young and has a future. Also can do a job when Glen is to be played on the left or when he's out.

Coates - Has been playing well when he starts and is for the future.

Flanagan - Started out well last season but alot of getting caught on this season but only 19 so is a decent cover.

Shelvey - Keep because he's the closest thing to the next Gerrard with him. Only 20 and has a future as well.

Henderson - I quite like him. He doesn't shine and I don't know if he will, but he certainly isn't the poorest. Just alot of simple things from him which I'm unsure whether it's good for the club in the long term...

Spearing - at best a squad player

Bellamy - good player when starts and also when comes off the bench. If only he was 25 years old ...

Out

Carragher - love the man but I think his time is up. Has been more of a liability than asset in recent years.

Kuyt - love the man as well but frustrates me alot. Not a player who can exactly change things from the bench.

Maxi - well, has been underused and definitely look like a player not wanted.

Aurelio - always injured. Class on his day but probably behind Enrique and Johnson even.

Cole - Not wanted.

Aquilani - Not wanted.

Sign

Two wingers - we need pace on the wings. In the last few years, we've played with Kuyt, Maxi, Henderson, Meireles - all whom aren't wingers. we need speed, wingers who can put in killer balls and who can score.

Midfielder - definitely someone in the centre beside Lucas who is a creative player and strong. I'm not sure if we should get two cause I like someone like De Jong to whack the sh*t out of opposition.

Striker - 31 times hitting the woodwork, lowest conversion rate in the league. Definitely need a goalscorer.

This is end of season report and the buck stops with Kenny unless you want me to ignore that massive fact.  Not good enough from players or manager this season.  This season should never be acceptable for Liverpool football club.

This is end of season report and the buck stops with Kenny unless you want me to ignore that massive fact.  Not good enough from players or manager this season.  This season should never be acceptable for Liverpool football club.

 Yawn. I left the forum alone for a bit because I was getting bored with it, I just remembered what causes it most of the time.

I think the fact that our stand out players this season have been Skrtel and Agger tells us all we need to know about this season.
Losing Lucas and Adam is something we weren't prepared for as a squad.
We have seen obvious areas that need addressing.
Kuyt and Maxi will need replacing and it will come down to quality of replacement.

The yawn is for you Mick. I call it blind faith. Why im steering clear of the forum most of the time lately posters like you.

The yawn is for you Mick. I call it blind faith. Why im steering clear of the forum most of the time lately posters like you.

Please piss us off after the season is over not now when well me not sure about others feel physically sick.

Please piss us off after the season is over

The season is over kid - pride at stake but thats about it.

Most of the comments in the opening post are hard to argue with. My thoughts going forward:

 Reina: IMO has given the club a difficult decision so bad has he been this season. Another one like it and we won't get much for him (I really do think he has been desperately poor far too often), but obviously we live in hope he can reproduce his best form (which is/was fantastic). Do we sell him and take the cash, or wait? I know many will go berserk at such sacrilage, but good goalkeepers win you football matches. Yesterday was a prime example.

 Enrique:As S@int says, he's fallen away badly along with the rest of the team. His partnership with Downing is much like two people trying to get through the bus doors at the same time. Still a good buy at 6 mill, but needs to improve a fair bit.

 Skrtel & Agger: Both have been very good for us this season and as long as Agger can stay fit, we should be sorted. Carra looks like he is on his way down, while Coates needs to improve a bit further but will take up the 3rd choice spot next season. We'll probably need another centra half before the end of the next campaign.

 Johnson: I like him a lot and if we dovetail him with Gerrard on the right next season (which I think we should) then they will provide balance, goals and assists in abundance. Lets just do it.

 Downing: My suspicion before we signed him was that he is a bread and butter Premiership player. Decent but unspectacular, I thought we had paid way over the top for him and that we would have been far better off signing his Aston Villa teammate. I think I was right on this one. Still, we've paid a fortune for him, he'll be on big money so we are extremely unlikely to be able to move him on. He is left footed which is rare, and he can play much better than he has this term. Economics dictate we're probably just going to have to cross our fingers and hope he delivers.

 Gerrard: Still a wonderful footballer but he and us are going to have to find the best way to play him. For me, playing off the front man is no longer within his compass. He either needs to play as a holding midfielder or on the right. The second option screams out as the right one for me.

 Henderson: I was an advocate of his signing but I was wrong. For me he is a mile away from being good enough and I have severe doubts now that he will get there. Lacks the physicality to be able to play in central midfield in anything other than a sitting role, and makes next to zero telling contributions to matches. If we could persuade anyone to pay 8-10 million for him I'd bite their arm off at the elbow, but my suspicion is that it won't happen. Could turn out to be Aquilani mark 2 I'm afraid, and in my view we desperately need a quality replacement.

 Lucas: A quality holding midfielder, but when you select him you give yourself a small connundrum. You MUST dovetail him with a dynamic partner, simply because the Brazillian provides next to zero going forward. Unfortunately for us, Gerrard can no longer be that partner IMHO, while Charlie Adam can't do it on a consistent basis and Jordan Henderson will never be able to do it while he's got a hole in his @rse. We need a top quality central midfielder IMHO, particularly if we are going to play a pure holder like Lucas. 

 Spearing: A scouser and a good kid. Like Henderson though, a long way from being good enough to be a regular starter in a top team. The much maligned Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikkel were head and shoulders better than either yesterday. Squad player at a stretch.

 Adam: I quite like him and he would have been an improvement on either of our two central midfielders yesterday. That said, we cannot seriously compete wiothout a really top top quality central midfielder who is going to make things happen regularly. Gerrard is increasingly looking like he is no longer able to fill the role, so we must recruit and relegate the likes of Charlie to the squad role he actually fits.

 Suarez: A fantastic footballer who we must build the team around. When he plays with Carroll, they are kind of like two three year olds playing in a room in that they play beside each other rather than together. The answer IMHo is to sign another striker who can interchange with both.

 Carroll: I remain convinced that one day he will make a beast of a centre forward. His dynamic performance yesterday which almost allowed him to single-handedly flip the game on its head was hugely encouraging. I'm an advocate and would stay with him.

 Kuyt/Maxi I'd move both on.

 Kelly/Shelvey/Flanaghan all need to improve a fair bit if they're going to make it IMHO. Kelly might actually be a centre half as well.

 Jack Robinson: I like this lad and think he's our best kid. Will play International football IMHO.   

+1!

Spot on on 95% of what you said mate... Think Lucas forward passing is alot better than what you said though....

I can only agree on the rest!

2012/2013
Out - - Kuyt, Spearing (send him on loan or whatever but cant be a starting 11), Maxi
Should be sold but wont/cant be - Downing and Henderson
Keep as subs (Hopefully Impact) until prove otherwise - Adam, Downing, Hendo, Bellers, Carroll (Most promise since Newcastle), Shelvey! Nearly all our new signings! Shocking!
Signings - 2no. Attacking Wingers, 1 striker, 1 DM!
Break in to starting 11 - Sterling and Pacheco (Still think he has it)...

Definitely a tough one an none of us have a proper input into what will actually happen (unless kenny is on this forum?) but I just want this season to end now, glad weve reached wembley 3 times and certainly no complaints over our cup runs, wins over Everton, United, City, Chelscum (sadly not twice). But I think some of those home draws early on in the season probably set the mood really, we had soo many missed chances that set confidence and spirit low, strange because we could end up in the bottom half, but if we would have finished probably half of those easy chances weve had it would be a very different story, but dont want to take this to would haves, should haves and could haves.

Don't want to see too many players out or in actually as i think it could unsettle the team a little, just look at our squad this season, the majority of players havent been at the club for more than 2 years or are youngsters having their first 1 or 2 full seasons at the club. Constant progress of Kelly, Flanagan, Robinson, Shelvey, Spearing, Sterling an a couple others is VERY important as I would say at least 2 of them could be very important to us in a couple of years, I imagine they won't be in our primary first 11 so they should go out on loan, although would keep Kelly + Spearing for backup's. Think most people agree that time is up for Aurelio, Maxi + Kuyt, shame as they are top players on their day but just dont see them at our club anymore. With Aquilani + Cole coming back to us I think we definitely need to offload 1 or 2 midfielders that are maybe surplus to requirements, my bets on Aquialani, Cole and wouldnt be too suprised to see Adam go but not sure. I think getting Nuri Sahin in from Madrid would greatly benefit us, especially as they want to let him go and maybe Alonso + Arbeloa could give him some guidance to come here. Lucas will feel like a new signing to us next season and Im gonna expect to see Gerrard being on the bench a lot next season. Most important signing for us is a right-winger, over the past 10 years or so don't think weve had one right winger that ive been fully satisfied with, need a creative fast player such as Lennon or Walcott, maybe it could be Muniain from Bilbao (seen that the owners are keen to get a lot of under 23 talent in to the team) and weather we have the cash to sign a right winger + striker that are top quality an weather many players are willing to come to us is a different story but Im confident that next season our progress will be shown much greater, would happily take a good push for 4th, a good run in Europe and another day out at wembley think it is really promising times for the club.

Its been a season of hit and miss and ups and downs but personally I don't believe we have to do that much, we need to get rid of the players that have not featured much and replace them with players that can relegate some of our current starting XI players into squad players.

Personally I'd go.

Starting XI.

Reina.

Johnson
Skrtel
Agger
Enrique

Gerrard
Lucas

Suarez
Carroll

So that indicates we need two out and wingers for the starting XI that are a class above Downing.

Squad players.

Doni.

Kelly.
Coates.
Carra
Robinson.

Downing.
Adam.
Henderson.

That indicates we need two strikers and a right winger.

Youth/squad fillers

Gulacsi

Flannagan
Danny Wilson.

Shelvey
Sterling.

Out.

Brad Jones.

Aurelio.
Possibly Carra ??

Maxi
Aquilani
Cole
Kuyt

Bellamy.

Now with Lucas's injury its been shown we need a defensive midfielder.

So we'll go for ins.

Possibly a CB if Carra retires but I'd promote Coates to 3rd choice and make Wilson 4th choice.
DM
2 right wingers.
1 left winger.
2 strikers.

So possibly eight out and six players in.

Looks like a lot but its no different to what we done in the summer and our net spend wasn't really that high.