It's all just a bit 2009/2010, isn't it?

Hate to be a pessimist here but let's go back to 2008/2009.

Our squad finishes a season where we should have won.  Creativity flowed with total ease as we steam-rolled teams week in - week out.

Our manager - a genius of fast-paced premier league football and (although BR hasn't yet got this) tactical ability in Europe.

Our transfer business brings in a high profile defender in Johnson (Lovren?) A seasoned pro looking for the last shot in Maxi (Lambert?) and an 'incredible talent' in Aquilani (Markovic anyone?)

We see a huge player leave a hole in our first team.  Alonso goes.  Crazy business.  But it happens and we move on, our creativity gone in the signing of a contract with a Spanish giant  (Suarez?)

The league can only be judged on progress so far, and after 6 games we sat 3rd with 12 points.  Our implosion that season happened during the winter months.  Currently *cries* we have 7 from 6.  It has to improve.

Champions Leagues then provides a grim reminder.  Drawing a group where qualification was predicted by almost everyone.

Fiorentina
Lyon   
Debrecen

Surely, 18 points there?

We narrowly beat Debrecen at home in a match I remember walking out of confident it's just nerves.  Before we are comfortably beaten away 2-0 in Italy. 

We came out of the CL that year and it's took us this long to get back into it.  But currently, it seems that we are right back where we left off.  Players have come and go.  Managers and back-room staff too.  All to get us back 'where we belong'

We seem like a mile off.

One other similarity is the League Cup.  An away draw to Leeds ends with a nervy 0-1 in a match we should have won by a lot more.

I'm not a fan of similarities.  I hate stats that will judge a team like Nottingham Forest on their last game in the European Cup.  It's pointless and a waste of radio and TV time.

But is this history repeating itself?

The second hangover of a season where we gave it our all and are still haunted by it? 

That's the impression I get from Brendan.  The constant talk of hitting "The type of form we showed last season". 
Well, I hate to say it but last season is a distant memory, and if all of these baron years without high quality football has taught me is to live in the here and now before it's gone.

08/09 2nd
09/10 7th

90/91 2nd
91/92 6th

13/14 2nd
14/15 ?

It's like deja vu all over again !

Don't forget 2001/2002 - 2nd. 2002/2003 - 5th.
We do love a title run hangover.

Hate to be a pessimist here but let's go back to 2008/2009.

Our squad finishes a season where we should have won.  Creativity flowed with total ease as we steam-rolled teams week in - week out.

Our manager - a genius of fast-paced premier league football and (although BR hasn't yet got this) tactical ability in Europe.

Our transfer business brings in a high profile defender in Johnson (Lovren?) A seasoned pro looking for the last shot (Maxi?) and an 'incredible talent' in Aquilani (Markovic anyone?)

We see a huge player leave a hole in our first team.  Alonso goes.  Crazy business.  But it happens and we move on, our creativity gone in the signing of a contract with a Spanish giant  (Suarez?)

The league can only be judged on progress so far, and after 6 games we sat 3rd with 12 points.  Our implosion that season happened during the winter months.  Currently *cries* we have 7 from 6.  It has to improve.

Champions Leagues then provides a grim reminder.  Drawing a group where qualification was predicted by almost everyone.

Fiorentina
Lyon   
Debrecen

Surely, 18 points there?

We narrowly beat Debrecen at home in a match I remember walking out of confident it's just nerves.  Before we are comfortably beaten away 2-0 in Italy. 

We came out of the CL that year and it's took us this long to get back into it.  But currently, it seems that we are right back where we left off.  Players have come and go.  Managers and back-room staff too.  All to get us back 'where we belong'

We seem like a mile off.

One other similarity is the League Cup.  An away draw to Leeds ends with a nervy 0-1 in a match we should have won by a lot more.

I'm not a fan of similarities.  I hate stats that will judge a team like Nottingham Forest on their last game in the European Cup.  It's pointless and a waste of radio and TV time.

But is this history repeating itself?

The second hangover of a season where we gave it our all and are still haunted by it? 

That's the impression I get from Brendan.  The constant talk of hitting "The type of form we showed last season". 
Well, I hate to say it but last season is a distant memory, and if all of these baron years without high quality football has taught me is to live in the here and now before it's gone.

08/09 2nd
09/10 7th

90/91 2nd
91/92 6th

13/14 2nd
14/15 ?

The similarities are there for sure but the difference should be the owners. We all know the hell Rafa had to put up with in the transfer market that year so let's not revisit it but this time around we've spent well over £100m.

Can £10m
Lallana £25m
Lovren £20m
Origi £10m
Moreno £12m
Manquillo £2m
Lambert £4m
Markovic £25m
Balotelli £16m

£124m by my reckoning, we shouldn't be falling from grace as we are and so far my biggest fear about how we do our transfer business is being confirmed.

Even if you believe our version that we got £75m for Suarez that is a near £50m net spend. £50m net spend on top of finishing 2nd should at least keep you near where you are, at our current rate I think we're going to be lucky to be top half of the table let alone top 4.

Reminds me more 2011/12, with the too high expectations surrounding Kenny after his excellent caretaker spell turning into extreme negativity when his expensive new recruits failed to live up to them.

Reminds me more 2011/12.

Reminds me of most seasons..

Hate to be a pessimist here but let's go back to 2008/2009.

Our squad finishes a season where we should have won.  Creativity flowed with total ease as we steam-rolled teams week in - week out.

Our manager - a genius of fast-paced premier league football and (although BR hasn't yet got this) tactical ability in Europe.

Our transfer business brings in a high profile defender in Johnson (Lovren?) A seasoned pro looking for the last shot (Maxi?) and an 'incredible talent' in Aquilani (Markovic anyone?)

We see a huge player leave a hole in our first team.  Alonso goes.  Crazy business.  But it happens and we move on, our creativity gone in the signing of a contract with a Spanish giant  (Suarez?)

The league can only be judged on progress so far, and after 6 games we sat 3rd with 12 points.  Our implosion that season happened during the winter months.  Currently *cries* we have 7 from 6.  It has to improve.

Champions Leagues then provides a grim reminder.  Drawing a group where qualification was predicted by almost everyone.

Fiorentina
Lyon   
Debrecen

Surely, 18 points there?

We narrowly beat Debrecen at home in a match I remember walking out of confident it's just nerves.  Before we are comfortably beaten away 2-0 in Italy. 

We came out of the CL that year and it's took us this long to get back into it.  But currently, it seems that we are right back where we left off.  Players have come and go.  Managers and back-room staff too.  All to get us back 'where we belong'

We seem like a mile off.

One other similarity is the League Cup.  An away draw to Leeds ends with a nervy 0-1 in a match we should have won by a lot more.

I'm not a fan of similarities.  I hate stats that will judge a team like Nottingham Forest on their last game in the European Cup.  It's pointless and a waste of radio and TV time.

But is this history repeating itself?

The second hangover of a season where we gave it our all and are still haunted by it? 

That's the impression I get from Brendan.  The constant talk of hitting "The type of form we showed last season". 
Well, I hate to say it but last season is a distant memory, and if all of these baron years without high quality football has taught me is to live in the here and now before it's gone.

08/09 2nd
09/10 7th

90/91 2nd
91/92 6th

13/14 2nd
14/15 ?

What you saying that history is repeating itself? Every season is different why the need for incessant comparisons to years gone by. Dyou hear Chelsea saying "oh dyou remember when we started great under Big Phil but were sh*t"
We're in danger of self-perpetuating the demise of this team.
I've always felt that you can in no way judge a team until approaching Xmas when the international games are out the way. If we're in mid-table by then I'll worry but can we all just pull it in a little and get begind the team.
Being a supporter works 2 ways. It's easy to be great fans when we're playing Chelsea for the title. The team gave us a hell of a lot of joy last season, let's repay them by getting behind them now when they properly need us

The similarities are there for sure but the difference should be the owners. We all know the hell Rafa had to put up with in the transfer market that year so let's not revisit it but this time around we've spent well over £100m.

Can £10m
Lallana £25m
Lovren £20m
Origi £10m
Moreno £12m
Manquillo £2m
Lambert £4m
Markovic £25m
Balotelli £16m

£124m by my reckoning, we shouldn't be falling from grace as we are and so far my biggest fear about how we do our transfer business is being confirmed.

Even if you believe our version that we got £75m for Suarez that is a near £50m net spend. £50m net spend on top of finishing 2nd should at least keep you near where you are, at our current rate I think we're going to be lucky to be top half of the table let alone top 4.

I wonder with Sakho spitting his dummy out is their some unease within the squad it would appear that we are  not a happy bunch of campers.Having spent that much we shouldn't be praying for one player to be fit for Saturday and he wasn't even last seasons top scorer.
Brendan has a huge battle now to get this squad back on track.

The similarities are there for sure but the difference should be the owners. We all know the hell Rafa had to put up with in the transfer market that year so let's not revisit it but this time around we've spent well over £100m.

Can £10m
Lallana £25m
Lovren £20m
Origi £10m
Moreno £12m
Manquillo £2m
Lambert £4m
Markovic £25m
Balotelli £16m

£124m by my reckoning, we shouldn't be falling from grace as we are and so far my biggest fear about how we do our transfer business is being confirmed.

Even if you believe our version that we got £75m for Suarez that is a near £50m net spend. £50m net spend on top of finishing 2nd should at least keep you near where you are, at our current rate I think we're going to be lucky to be top half of the table let alone top 4.

£119m

Sanchez 35m
Schneiderlain 25m
Moreno 12m
Higuain 35m
Can 10m
Manquillo 2m

Certainly is now that the injury list is stacking up.
2009 injuries to first team -  Gerrard, Torres, Riera, Agger, Johnson, Aquilani, Benayoun, Aurelio

This season, so far:

Sturridge
Allen
Can
Flanagan
Johnson
Sakho
Suso
Rossiter

with Enrique only back.

Team picks itself now, because there is nobody else available.

Where did we finish in this year you speak of, 7th? Nah, we'll be comfortably higher than that.

Where did we finish in this year you speak of, 7th? Nah, we'll be comfortably higher than that.

The big difference being that there is a lot of young talent in the squad,
rather than ageing players.

Come on guys FFS we have only played 6 games and are just 3 pts off 4th.

Thank GOD our competition for 4th have only been marginally less sh*te than us!

Come on guys FFS we have only played 6 games and are just 3 pts off 4th.

Thank GOD our competition for 4th have only been marginally less sh*te than us!

A sign that a lot of teams have, thankfully, had a stuttering start.
Just as well.

After 7 games in 09/10 we had 18 points.
Right now we have 7. Need a win badly.

It was the next batches of games where it fell apart in 09/10.
We need to recover in this batch of 5 or we will face the same fate.

Yup.

Have to agree .

We are a selling club. We do well, then we sell our star player, then we end back in mid table.

What we could have had if we were not a selling club:

I don't remember us struggling with so many injuries back in 09/10.

We are a selling club. We do well, then we sell our star player, then we end back in mid table.

What we could have had if we were not a selling club:

All teams sell players look at AM and Dortmund its your planning and foresight in preparing for that to happen and on that front our track record has been poor for quite a while.

Nothing like it.

This is more like Kenny's last season here.

After KD took over from Roy, we signed Suarez and Carrol, since Carrol was injured we played Suarez,Maxi,Kuyt as the attackers and they were playing very good one touch football. Then the hope grew for next season, then came Downing,Adam,Henderson(Pretty similar to Markovic now, no confidence whatsoever.). Then to fit the new player KD completely dismantled the system that worked like treat and tried to fit Carrol and Downing into the XI. Slowly we became a side with very slow build up, no creativity, relied on individual brilliance from Suarez(who fas a frustrating finisher those days), and more importantly no one really attacked the box.

 This season,exact same thing happened, we completely threw out the fast paced attacking system out the door and signed a player who doesn't fit our system. Now we have became too much predictable and slow. in possession .


Most importantly , hoping that the season doesn't ends like that. We should support BR wherever we finish this season.

08/09 2nd
09/10 7th

90/91 2nd
91/92 6th

13/14 2nd
14/15 ?

3rd time lucky then eh .

09/10 season lacked any good performance - it seemed utter sh*t from the word go.

I know we have slim pickings this year, but the Spurs performance is cause for optimism unlike any performance from 09/10 - and a scrappy win against United doesn't count in 2009.

I think the main difference is the quality of players . After losing Xabi we were decidedly short of creativity in the side now we're inundated with these clever little players but we lack that structure in the team that Rafa instilled. It seems like all of our weaknesses back then have become our strengths and all of our strengths are now our weaknesses.

I think we have the players in the team to turn things around we just need to get the cohesion back into the team. Sturridge coming back will certainly help.

After 7 games in 09/10 we had 18 points.
Right now we have 7. Need a win badly.

It was the next batches of games where it fell apart in 09/10.

Din we lose 2 in the first 3? At WHL and @ Anfield vs Villa?

Agree about the next part though.. it was losses against Portsmouth, Fulham et al that compromised our top-4 spot that season mirrored by this season's losses against Villa & West Ham. If we make sure we don't do that this season, top-4 shouldn't be a problem

In 2009, we had civil war in the boardroom, were €300 million in debt, with a one tactic, controlling the game specialist on the sideline about to throw away his sixth attempt at winning the trophy he was hired for, and informing us that proud, legendary, Liverpool FC didn't need to win trophies.

Today, we are in relatively stable financial health, with a stable board and ambitious coaching set up, who are open to playing a variety of tactics and formations as necessary and want this club to win trophies. We have invested heavily in the side, are 1 point off a Top 4 spot, and in the League and European Cup.

No this isn't 2009, more like 1984 after Souness left. After a difficult start and having played the derby at home, we slipped towards the drop zone. We still comfortably finished 2nd in May and got to the European Cup Final, albeit one held in an already crumbling and hopelessly inadequate stadium. If we get to it this year, it will be in a fully equipped, state of the art stadium in one of the best cities in the world, for all Reds to sit in comfort and enjoy.

We're far better off today than in 2009. Then we were in meltdown. Now we have a good future ahead of us if we keep doing what got us where we are. Now is not the time to panic or draw rash conclusions. There are many clubs with no League Cup, European Cup or title challenge to look forward to.

In 2009, we had civil war in the boardroom, were €300 million in debt, with a one tactic, controlling the game specialist on the sideline about to throw away his sixth attempt at winning the trophy he was hired for, and informing us that proud, legendary, Liverpool FC didn't need to win trophies.

Today, we are in relatively stable financial health, with a stable board and ambitious coaching set up, who are open to playing a variety of tactics and formations as necessary and want this club to win trophies. We have invested heavily in the side, are 1 point off a Top 4 spot, and in the League and European Cup.

No this isn't 2009, more like 1984 after Souness left. After a difficult start and having played the derby at home, we slipped towards the drop zone. We still comfortably finished 2nd in May and got to the European Cup Final, albeit one held in an already crumbling and hopelessly inadequate stadium. If we get to it this year, it will be in a fully equipped, state of the art stadium in one of the best cities in the world, for all Reds to sit in comfort and enjoy.

We're far better off today than in 2009. Then we were in meltdown. Now we have a good future ahead of us if we keep doing what got us where we are. Now is not the time to panic or draw rash conclusions. There are many clubs with no League Cup, European Cup or title challenge to look forward to.

How positive.