Are we title contenders?

From what i've seen so far, we are still in need of two quality wingers and a bit of inventiveness in mid field. Until Xabi came on against Sunderland we were continualy going sideways and backwards, and he won't be around for long if Rafa gets offered a decent price. Sorry, with what we've bought in so far I still think we're short of winning the prem. A bit too much like last season. We'll be relying on Torres too much. He's brilliant but not super human. Not sure if Keane will jell with him. I hope so, but if not, much the same again. The yanks need to get the cash to support Rfa so he can set his sights higher when considering new players. At the moment, due to thier lack of comitment we seem to be settleing for mediocre players or youngsters for the future. Investment in quality youngsters is not a bad thing, it just doesn't move us forward now. I know we've got Masch and Babel to come back in but that doesn't move us forward from last season, it just improves what we can field at present. Thats if they return un injured. I still think we have a fair way to go yet, just hope I'm proved wrong. I'll still be backing us to win every game as usual, just talking from the head and not the heart.

Couple of points Kenny, we spread the play quite nicely from what I've seen, it's once it's been spread which is where the problems start hence our desperate need for a winger, something which is very well publicised on here.

Defend better? We've got two clean sheets in two games, can't get better than that. Bit of a piss take because I think our defendin has been shockin, especially against Standard Liege where they won every ball that went into our box without a Liverpool player even challenging. Carra was back to his best against Sunderland something which I fully expected this year. But still two clean sheets and we're grumblin about defending. No pleasing some people

As for relying on Torres well in my opinion we should be relying on him, not solely (which I assume is what you meant) but certainly for a lot of our goals. We spent 20million plus on him to score goals, so we should be reliant on him to score them. Fortunately he does. Like I said, it shouldn't be solely left to him because of the talent we've got around him.

It seems like you've read into what I've said too much mate.

It's quite simple. I said after our last two games with us lacking danger out wide and vulnerable defending my gut feeling is no - a reply to the first post in this thread.

By spreading the play I mean using the width of the pitch with effect - in the last two games I feel we've not done this. There's been too much coming inside and hesitancy on the ball.

By defending better I mean not having Pepe to be called into action as much as he has in the last two games. Not to mention a bit of determination to clear the ball in a 50/50.

And it's obvious I meant not relying on Torres solely. But it was something we ended up having to do in the last game.

It's worth noting that I said I believe we can play a whole lot better with the team we've got. But the last two games haven't been good enough for LFC and if we continue to play like that for the large majority of the season, we'll come undone.

The clean sheet thing you mention is true. But I know from past experience that you'll be punished if that defending isn't solid and steady mate. Especially where winning the league is concerned. So no! There's certainly no pleasing me!! 

fair enough Kenny. In the main I agree with it. I think unless we pull our socks up, soon, we will be found out. The wide problems are having a knock on effect as well because the opposing full backs know there's no threat from there so are just moving over and making it four centre backs, meaning Keane and Torres have got two people marking them at all times rather than just one centre half each. The defending has been shocking, but I think with the quality we have at the back, especially through the middle including Pepe, that'll sort itself out realtively soon (hopefully with a settled pairing at the heart of the defence)

So no! There's certainly no pleasing me!! 

god help your missus then

fair enough Kenny. In the main I agree with it. I think unless we pull our socks up, soon, we will be found out. The wide problems are having a knock on effect as well because the opposing full backs know there's no threat from there so are just moving over and making it four centre backs, meaning Keane and Torres have got two people marking them at all times rather than just one centre half each. The defending has been shocking, but I think with the quality we have at the back, especially through the middle including Pepe, that'll sort itself out realtively soon (hopefully with a settled pairing at the heart of the defence)

god help your missus then

Spot on about the width problem causing congestion in the middle. It's been displayed in the last two games.

As I said earlier, we can only really base opinions on this right now from last season, where we failed to finish teams off. Keane's been brought in to help with that, so on paper we should be (hopefully) doing better in that sense.

I'll wait to see how things pan out before I honestly believe we can win the title - of course, in desperation that we will be able to do so. Until then, it's all hands to the pumps getting behind the reds.

And as for my missus, keep your voice down!!! She's in the fridge sleeping. 

Well your nice and positive aren't you..........just what we need at the start of the season 

Well done mate, another Rafa basher !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats what I should have said to that little scrote bag. Cheers mate. I mean what is it with these people and their negativaty. We have the best manager in the land. Look what he has done. Fergie had his team readily made when the youth came through many years ago and has built around it since, unlike our beloved Rafa who has really built from scratch almost.

I think the people who are negative need to lighten up a bit, but pricks who slate our manager should just do one.

Rafa is an amazing manager but he doesn't concentrate on the premiership too much for my liking. I ain't slating him before anybody bothers crying about my comments . He is a tactical genius, maybe Benitez and Ferguson should meet up sometime and discuss how Ferguson can become as good as us in europe and also how we can be as good as them in the premiership haha.

I think the upbeat vibe from the team coming into this season is amazing, hopefully we prove how good our team can do on the day.

The 2008/09 season is going to be the season that Liverpool Football Club finally win that Premiership title. It’s been far too long since we had our hands on the biggest prize in English football. For the past fifteen years we’ve heard how great United, Arsenal and Chelsea are and how far behind the top three we are. But the truth is we’re not that far away. We’re as good as any side in the world in terms of player and manager quality what we haven’t quite mastered yet is consistency. That will come in time once we’ve got a good enough eleven, fortunately this year we do have that eleven when everybody is available. Confidence, both mentally and in terms of performance, will pick up once the results are good enough. We can’t determine luck but we’re good enough to overcome any bad luck we get and we’re also good enough to take advantage of the luck that comes our way.
   
Throughout the season we’ll be constantly put down by every part of the media (telly, radio, papers) but that won’t knock our confidence. We’ll overcome any criticism because we know it’s through sheer jealousy. No club on these shores can match our achievements and it’s only a matter of months before we’re dominating English football again because we’ve been able to assemble a side containing some of the world’s greatest players. Along with that we’ve got the most talented youth squad in the world. Everything is in our favour and no side is capable of beating us except ourselves.

Last year we heard nothing but “50 years on from the Munich Air Disaster” well if it was fate that United had to win the Champions League, well it’s 20 years on since our disaster in Sheffield, so it’s fate that we’ll win the league this year. Our 96 heroes, may they rest in peace, will guide us right from the Heavens along with Shanks, Bob and Joe while Rafa and Stevie guide us properly on the pitch.

This great side is moving in the right direction and come the 24th of May when we play Tottenham at Anfield we’ll be rightfully crowned Premiership champions. We’re going to equal Arsenal’s record of going through a season unbeaten and reclaim our rightful position as England’s number one. Our fan base is massive throughout the world and every single one of us has been waiting too long. Well the long wait will be over this year because our absent friend is waiting for us in May.

It's not all about Rafa's ability as a manager. I was told today that we should be title contenders after all the money he has spent. The problem is, it's a lot of money but he's not been given big enough amounts at the crucial times and has missed out on main targets only to get second best options. The mass of money he has had comes from lots of 8m amd 10 m deals where if he was given 30m at a time he would have bought less players but higher quality. Still spent the same money but on fewer players. We would then have had a higher quality squad. It's the financial backing that has let him down and continues to do so. Rio Ferdinand, 32m was it ? about six years ago? Rafa can't get that for one player now. There lies the difference.

I'll say this:

We have thought it's going to be our year every year - I'll admit, I haven't. I didn't see the squad winning it, but challenging for it.

This year, however, I can see us winning it. It's a gut-feeling I have, and I hope I'm right. I never usually get these feelings unless I think something is right.

Well I'll say it again we are title contenders Another three points yesterday after a gritty, character building performance. We're not playing well and still picking up maximum points, something champions do. The thing that every other club should be fearing is we can only play better and if we can win playing badly then we'll be steam rolling sides when we're playing well.

Liverpool Football Club Premiership Champions 2008/09.

Grinding out victories.... good sign indeed

Last year I was really thinking we can do it, this year I think it will be more of the same, I feel it may be on others not to do as well, sorry.
But a good start all the same.

To be title contenders you have to be able to grind out results and thats what we have done in the last 2 games.

Based on performances NO, based on results YES.

Based on performances NO, based on results YES.

And its the results that count at the end of the day

lets be honest and realistic here people, were not gonna win the league this year are we.

id be over the moon if we challenge but thats the best we can hope for im afraid,
id love to say we are awesome and this and that but after two games, and you could say also lucky wins, we look no better than last season. some would say we look worse !

and i know its early doors but it needs sorting now.....we have utd, villla and everton coming up soon too !!

we still have very little quality out wide and absolutely no width at all !
we're too easy to play against and sooner or later the luck will run out unless we address this.

bottom line is torres and keane need much better service so they can thrive, they cannot do it alone all the time. neither can gerrard.

alonso looks like he has carried on from last season, which is playing quite averagely again.

so come on rafa please sign some quality out wide and replace alonso if needs be as he is not doing it for me..

now i expect there will be plenty of people who will get annoyed by this post call me negative etc etc.
im just being realistic and if you can offer a valid argument of why we will win the league then bring it on

in reply to marcuk03, here's a real sensible realistic argument as to why we WILL win the league.

1 - we're playing poorly and winning so when we get back to our best we'll be steam rolling the opposition
2 - we haven't had a full strenght squad, yet still picking up results. Masch and Babel will sort out the two problems you mentioned (out wide and Alonso)
3 - Keane is still adapting to our style and especially Torres' style of play. That can only get better which will mean we can only get better
4 - we may have Villa, United, Everton coming up but every side has to play each other so I really don't see any point in that debate. We also have Stoke coming up whoopty do.
5 - we're turning draws into wins and fighting for the win till the last second if need be.
6 - we're not letting our heads drop and accepting anything but a league title.
7 - we've got the best spine that the world can offer, with plenty of quality to replace some of the spine. (Alonso, Lucas, Skrtel, Sami)
8 - two of the other "top 4" haven't ground out those wins (United v Newcatle and Arsenal v Fulham)
9 - we've put up with so much sh*te off the pitch that it's fate we win the league this year. Liverpool never do things without a struggle somewhere along the way.
10 - I just think we're too good not to win it (mind you I've said that for 17 years now and it still hasn't rung truth )

Posted on: Today at 12:52:29Posted by: dunlop_liddell_shankly 
Insert Quote
in reply to marcuk03, here's a real sensible realistic argument as to why we WILL win the league.

1 - we're playing poorly and winning so when we get back to our best we'll be steam rolling the opposition
2 - we haven't had a full strenght squad, yet still picking up results. Masch and Babel will sort out the two problems you mentioned (out wide and Alonso)
3 - Keane is still adapting to our style and especially Torres' style of play. That can only get better which will mean we can only get better
4 - we may have Villa, United, Everton coming up but every side has to play each other so I really don't see any point in that debate. We also have Stoke coming up whoopty do.
5 - we're turning draws into wins and fighting for the win till the last second if need be.
6 - we're not letting our heads drop and accepting anything but a league title.
7 - we've got the best spine that the world can offer, with plenty of quality to replace some of the spine. (Alonso, Lucas, Skrtel, Sami)
8 - two of the other "top 4" haven't ground out those wins (United v Newcatle and Arsenal v Fulham)
9 - we've put up with so much sh*te off the pitch that it's fate we win the league this year. Liverpool never do things without a struggle somewhere along the way.
10 - I just think we're too good not to win it (mind you I've said that for 17 years now and it still hasn't rung truth  )

hey i so hope your right mate !

but im just not so sure, i believe we miss masch so so much and he makes alonso look a much better player.
i think babel is awesome but hes better as a forward, not really a winger IMO

i just think were missing one outstanding wide man to complete the side and give us a chance to win and not just challenge.

god im a miserable sod this morning arent i ?

(make that this afternoon! )

mustve been the tequila's and dodgy kebab i can still taste this morning ouch...

i think stevie on the right of a 4-4-2 might do wonders for us with the players we have too !

i think stevie on the right of a 4-4-2 might do wonders for us with the players we have too !

Stevie is my choice on the right as well, Babel on the left. That way we have two world class central midfielders (Xabi/Masch) as well as the world's best player (Stevie) and a massively raw talent on the left (Babel) instead of two world class central midfielders (Stevie/Masch) and two below average wingers (Benayoun/Kuyt)

yes agreed, thats the best way to accomodate keane IMO

although would be interesting to see if rafa will play 4-3-3 again with keane and babel either side of torres.

that could be awesome.. we'll see..

and as for dirk kuyt, hes a hard working typically well liked guy but is such a poor football player especially when on the wing!
benni has some talent i believe but these two are just not good enough to start for LFC.

we do have a world class spine, but i just think alonso gets exposed when we play 4-4-2

p.s wheres danny agger?

Xabi is said to be given a more advanced role this year and I think we'll see this once Masch is back in the middle beside him. That will hopefully bring Xabi's best form back because he is a very talented player.

Kuyt and Benayoun are not good enough to start on the flanks for Liverpool. Simple as that. Kuyt works hard and Benayoun will pop up with the odd goal here and there but both lack enough overall quality.

Danny Agger is still working his way back to full fitness. I think that's why he played in the Champions League in Belgium. I don't think Rafa was expecting them to give us such a game.

Every season we get talked up (mostly by ourselves) about our chances of landing the Premiership in the year ahead.

Early days so far but with the players we have brought in, and after the first two competitive games what's your gut feeling?

Are we in with a shout of being the best team in the country THIS season?

Still to early to tell at this stage I think as we may have learned to win ugly but can we win beautiful too?? If we still havent lost by December then I would say we have as good a chance as anyone else. I just got a feeling though that its all going to be a lot closer this season across the board as all the teams except Spurs seem to have improved. One thing is for sure though we will definately be in the top 3 and the clubs getting relegated will be Wigan West Ham and Spurs.

Nice sig Vydex