Thoughts on our season

Now our season is over I think it's important to reflect because city's results should not affect our perception of LFC's season. It has been quite amazing really. The main issues are;
1. Brendan Rogers has been a revelation. His man management particularly of Suarez, developing younger players and media management has been exceptional, as has his work with Dr Steve Peters. The main questions for me will be around 'ameliorating' our style for games which require a more cautious set up and spending a lot more cash than usual wisely.
2. Our front 4, and how breathtaking SSS and Coutinho can be.
3. Henderson, Sterling, Flanagan and to a lesser extent Allen really coming on. Sterling has a frightening potential and the turn around from court appearances and that performance against Hull away is incredible.
4. moving streets ahead of Spurs and United which suggests that we could tighten our grip on the top 4. Spurs' starting 11 will need additions to Lloris, Veronghen, Walker, Erikssen, Paulinho, and Adebayor. That's a lot of additions which may again not settle in addition to selling the majority of the dross they bought and getting a non-mediocre manager in. United's squad and manager issues are also well documented.
5. We are in the champions league again which is exciting and means we can compete in the transfer market.

There aren't too many issues. You worry about Gerrard because of the last two games and their psychological impact but I think he's good enough to recover and convince Suarez to stay. I think we will have two players in each position next year;
Mig, Jones
Enrique, Flanagan
Johnson (because he's Brendan's type of fullback), and another good right back. Kelly and Wisdom will go I think
Skrtel, Sakho, Ilori (after keeping out Messi and Co), and a new Agger. I think Agger will go because he won't play alongside Sakho (two left footers) and Skrtel (see Swansea game). I am also concerned about the Ox and Soldado outrunning him. Toure or Coates may go.
Gerrard, Lucas
Henderson, Allen
Coutinho, Suso
Suarez, Sturridge, Borini, Sterling
Llalana will hopefully come in also.

Aspas, Alberto, Taxeira and Ibe will need some consideration.

Really proud to be a fan. I ll be cheering on at the Aviva on Wednesday

Positives are as follow:

1. Suarez

2. Sturridge

3. Sterling

4. CL Football

5. WE ARE BACK!

Fantastic season. Ultimately we've achieved our pre-season goal, although ATM that is of little consolation.  Our thread bare squad has achieved more than they realistically should have. They have shown utter quality,  consistency and determination more often than not. All we need to do is add 5 or 6 quality signings in the summer, consolidate CL status again next season, and then keep pushing.

whatever the case may be, I am hugely proud of the redmen.

Great season, offense is stellar and we need to keep our key players. Dump Aspas somewhere. I don't know if we should get rid of some of our defenders or not but would rather bring on quality defenders and create competition with our current squad.

Despite a great season of playing such attacking football scoring over 100 goals in the Premiership alone. I cannot help feeling a sense of anti climax that the lads did not quite win the title. Perhaps expecting too much too soon maybe. Defence being the major concern tbh feel we need a whole new back four. Sort the defence out with a back up keeper and we will surely be genuine title defenders next season.

A fantastic season. So proud of what these players and staff have achieved.
Only the obscene spendings of a billionaire deprived a team that scored over 100 goals (amassing 84 points in the process) of the title. The Premier League title is purchased annually, but we nearly bucked that trend. City have the trophy but we have the respect of anyone who understands what true sport is about.

Overall a great season. Hard to not be disappointed at how it all ended.

Major work to that back line needs to be done. But we're back, and with some quality signings we'll be around for a long time to come.

Never thought I'd feel so deflated about finishing 2nd with 101 goals for the season. Great season it may be but the fact remains, we blew the title. Big Summer ahead of us.

Never thought I'd feel so deflated about finishing 2nd with 101 goals for the season. Great season it may be but the fact remains, we blew the title. Big Summer ahead of us.

We only had it in our hands for a couple of weeks and even that had to take ELEVEN straight wins just to get that far. Blow the title? How about the simple fact that Man City WON the title.

We should have won the league.  We go out to finish first, not second or third or fourth.  we had it in our hands and we bottled it.  F***ing gutted and you could tell Stevie was too in his interview post-match.  And if I hear one more time that we ran out of steam or we were never expected to win the league therefore it's not a big deal that we didn't---if I hear that one more time I might break something.  Let's put it this way: if we were in 5th place with three games left---Chelsea at home, Palace away, and Newcastle at home, and we needed 7 points from those games to finish fourth, well... it would be considered a failure.  We should be getting 7 points from those games.

I was thinking more about it last night: okay, Mourinho parked the bus.  But basically, if at the first whistle, his lot had gone back and parked the bus, and our lot had gone back and parked the bus, and both teams had just sat on their arses in front of the goal and let the ball stay at the half way line---if we had done that we would have gotten a point.  Then all we would have needed would have been to throw 2 more CBs on 3-0 away at Palace and we'd be holding the title right now. 

And FFS don't start with this "winning the right way" bollocks.  We won the right way 99% of the season.  If winning the title meant parking the bus for one game against Chelsea and then the last 15 minutes against Palace, then I would take it every day of the week.  Anyone here who says "I'd rather not win the title if it means we have to sit deep for a game" is lying. 

It's all the more important because we have no idea if we're going to be back here anytime soon.  the Mancs gave us a gift with that tw*t Moyes, Arsenal bottled it, Chelsea were young and inexperienced---the stars aligned for us this season.  Next season the Mancs are getting a proven world-class manager with a huge cash injection in the summer.  City will be City again.  Chelsea will stock up again.  We'll have more money for sure but we'll never be able to compete financially with the likes of those three.  Plus we'll have CL to deal with next season.

I don't know.  Second place is not a trophy.  We should be the ones celebrating winning the league today.  I don't see how anyone can be anything but gutted.  "Yea, we finished second!"  Leave that to Arsenal supporters.  We had the best chance to win the league in 20 years and we blew it.  And worst of all we didn't have to.  We had it in our hands.

I'm F***ing gutted.

I was thinking more about it last night: okay, Mourinho parked the bus.  But basically, if at the first whistle, his lot had gone back and parked the bus, and our lot had gone back and parked the bus, and both teams had just sat on their arses in front of the goal and let the ball stay at the half way line---if we had done that we would have gotten a point.  Then all we would have needed would have been to throw 2 more CBs on 3-0 away at Palace and we'd be holding the title right now.

And FFS don't start with this "winning the right way" bollocks.  We won the right way 99% of the season.  If winning the title meant parking the bus for one game against Chelsea and then the last 15 minutes against Palace, then I would take it every day of the week.  Anyone here who says "I'd rather not win the title if it means we have to sit deep for a game" is lying.

It's all the more important because we have no idea if we're going to be back here anytime soon.  the Mancs gave us a gift with that tw*t Moyes, Arsenal bottled it, Chelsea were young and inexperienced---the stars aligned for us this season.  Next season the Mancs are getting a proven world-class manager with a huge cash injection in the summer.  City will be City again.  Chelsea will stock up again.  We'll have more money for sure but we'll never be able to compete financially with the likes of those three.  Plus we'll have CL to deal with next season.

Great. Another master of disguising hindsight as predetermined fact.

Blowhard nobs.

Fantastic season, for me, best yet since the premier league started.

The only negative is our defending, rest has been positive, positive and positive.

We keep the core players in tact, improve defensively and we'll be challenging for Champions league and the Premier league next season.

I was thinking more about it last night: okay, Mourinho parked the bus.  But basically, if at the first whistle, his lot had gone back and parked the bus, and our lot had gone back and parked the bus, and both teams had just sat on their arses in front of the goal and let the ball stay at the half way line---if we had done that we would have gotten a point.  Then all we would have needed would have been to throw 2 more CBs on 3-0 away at Palace and we'd be holding the title right now.

Yeah and then with 10 minutes to go he changes tactics (because they needed the win) and get a goal, what then Fed? We look like complete tits for sitting in our own half for 80 minutes while they weren't even threatening, the whole thing is based purely on hindsight.

Look what happened at Palace, if we drew against Chelsea we still wouldn't have won the league. Sure you can say but at 3-0 we'd have managed the game better. Who's to say we'd have got to 3-0 we would have started the game more cautiously I reckon and probably wouldn't have got to 3-0. Maybe we wouldn't have thrown it away and had the legs to finish the game then, who knows.

The truth is nobody actually knows and it's too convenient to play the game of absolutes when based on hindsight. Stevie doesn't slip we don't know how that game finishes, it's that simple.

Yeah and then with 10 minutes to go he changes tactics (because they needed the win) and get a goal, what then Fed? We look like complete tits for sitting in our own half for 80 minutes while they weren't even threatening, the whole thing is based purely on hindsight.

Look what happened at Palace, if we drew against Chelsea we still wouldn't have won the league. Sure you can say but at 3-0 we'd have managed the game better. Who's to say we'd have got to 3-0 we would have started the game more cautiously I reckon and probably wouldn't have got to 3-0. Maybe we wouldn't have thrown it away and had the legs to finish the game then, who knows.

The truth is nobody actually knows and it's too convenient to play the game of absolutes when based on hindsight. Stevie doesn't slip we don't know how that game finishes, it's that simple.

It's pathetic it really is. You suspect it would be these same individuals leading the sh*t storms of protest if we had sat back at home AND LOST. You couldn't make it up could you?

I went for a shave at the end of the game and decided to reflect on the season with a face full of Gillette. 

At the end of the day, this has been an absolutely phenomenal season for us and we can really push on from here.

Man City not winning the league would have been an absolute disaster for them and Pellegrini would probably have been sacked for failing to secure the title.

Bearing in mind, if that scenario had played out, I think City could have potentially looked to Rodgers as a real option to take them forward. Imagine what Brendan could achieve with a bottomless pit of money available to him?!

So, I think missing out this season isn't the complete disaster that some people are making it out to be. We have a great young, albeit small squad that will gain experience and improve. With the right additions we can compete on all fronts next season.

The extra group stage Champions League games are often called a big distraction, although I think that is an easy throwaway excuse for not producing the goods in the league to be honest.

Chelsea and Man City have both finished in the top 4 having been in the Champions League this season and whilst they have had big squads to be able to cope, I think 5 or 6 additions will allow us to do the same.

Lots of neutrals are expecting us to fall by the wayside next season, but there is nothing to suggest that is going to happen.  Man United fans kept expecting their season to turn around at various points but there was no reason to even begin to think that would take place based on their form and ultimately it didn't. So I think we have a massive chance to kick on and compete for honours every season now.

I've been listening to the radio phone-in with Stan Collymore on Talksport which is always good for a bit of a laugh and some of the comments were eyebrow-raising to say the least.

A few people blaming Rodgers for us not winning the league, which is pretty incredible really considering he is responsible for us being in a position to challenge for it against all the odds in the first place.

Lots to look forward to over the summer with new signings being made and the squad being re-shaped and refined for battle next season. We should be able to attract some quality talent to the club and lots of players will see us as an exciting challenge who are going players with a young squad under a young manager.

Who wouldn't want to play alongside the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard after all?

Onwards and upwards. I'm a very proud Liverpool supporter today!

We are the first team since the Spuds in 1962-63 to score more than 100 league goals ...... and .......concede more than 50 in the same season.



We had not conceded 50+ goals in a 38-game top-flight season since 1914-15


Fachts

It's pathetic it really is. You suspect it would be these same individuals leading the sh*t storms of protest if we had sat back at home AND LOST. You couldn't make it up could you?

I agree. Like P.D. said in the match thread too when Riba tried to hang the blame on the other bad results we've had, City have had them too! I believe the best squad has won the league and we've done an absolutely astonishing job to finish 2nd to them.

Most entertaining team in the league.
Best player in the league.
Best manager.
Best young player.

We would have won so many new young reds this year that we have every right to take every crumb of encouragement from it. Anyone jumping on our ship now is in for a great ride I reckon.

Disapointed and happy at the same time, we achieved so much this season but gave it all away! Really made up though back into the champions league and big nights at Anfield, next season We Go Again.

Well, at least on the bright side, United's season was an utter shambles. Got to put a smile on the face of any true Liverpool supporter

As much as the last two weeks have broke my heart, I think a bit of perspective is needed.

We have finished second - ahead of Chelsea and all their oil millions. Ahead of a cash-splash happy Arsenal. Well ahead of United.

We have at times played some breathtaking, exhilarating football. We have some incredibly talented young players who will be the foundation of our team for years to come, coached by a talented bright young manager, who is a credit to our club.

The important thing now is to kick on in the right manner. We need to avoid the mistakes made in the past when we were in this position. (Houllier/Diouf) (Rafa and the Alonso/Barry debacle)

We go again.

Pride
Belief
Bittesweet

Pride
Belief
Bittesweet

Suarez not getting banned...

Suarez not getting banned...

Still missed the first 5 games

Let's hope he can go a full season without getting injured or banned, just imagine how many he would have had. The lad needs to understand that at one point during the season though he needs to take a rest. I think the last few games he's looked like he's been pushing himself against his body, granted one was through illness.

Think his mind never wants to take a rest but for his own sake and finishing the season in the best possible form when it feels like it counts more might mean he has to take a few games on the bench next season. No way I can see him playing a full world cup and then every possible game for us.