New Season ahead...New Manager, What are your Expectations?

Liverpool FC always do better when we are the underdogs. In the 08/09 season, people expected the league to be between Man U and Chelsea with us and Arsenal fighting for the 3rd and 4th places with City, Villa, and Spurs.

We were the best team in the league until about February/March. That was the point when everyone took our title challenge serious. Until then we were top of the league, and still underdogs.

Last season, after finishing 2nd the previous one, people expected us to be up there again. Maybe all the focus on us put too much pressure on us, or maybe it changed the way other teams played against us.

This season, no-one will expect us to improve upon last season. Hopefully we can use that to out advantage.

And because our squad hasn't dramatically changed from the 08/09 one, I still hope we can challenge for the title.
When we kick off the season and have our finished squad for the campaign, I'll have a better idea of what to expect.

I understand where you are coming from mate. But I think the mentality of the club has to be we are in this to win, not to be underdogs. If you tell the players we are underdogs you may as well tell them that we are not expected to win anything so it will be no great shame if we don't. At Liverpool Football Club the pressure should be on at all times from the top to the bottom to be the best. Some players will not be up for it, some will rise to it, some will even grab it and improve and take their game to a level we did not think they had. The ones who are not up for it will soon fall by the wayside. What you eventually want to end up with is a mentality right throughout the club that is a winning mentality. That will filter to kirkby and the academy. Once you get everyone on the playing front pulling for the same thing, all determined to accept nothing less than 1st, that gives you something money cannot buy. Back in the day that is how it was. I remember a story one pre-season of Ronnie Moran coming into melwood with a brown box and throwing the league winners medals around from the previous season. Almost as quickly the players were told that those medals now meant f**k all and to put them away, focus and do it again. That was the mentality of the club, no historyonics, no superstars, no egos, just a club driven from top to bottom to win, that only existed to win. Thats what shanks built us for. We can do it again, it will be difficult to achieve. But it is not difficult to reinstall those ethos and traditions. There are too many in that squad at the moment in their comfort zone. Once they are weeded out we will be stronger, both on the pitch and off it.

I understand where you are coming from mate. But I think the mentality of the club has to be we are in this to win, not to be underdogs. If you tell the players we are underdogs you may as well tell them that we are not expected to win anything so it will be no great shame if we don't. At Liverpool Football Club the pressure should be on at all times from the top to the bottom to be the best. Some players will not be up for it, some will rise to it, some will even grab it and improve and take their game to a level we did not think they had. The ones who are not up for it will soon fall by the wayside. What you eventually want to end up with is a mentality right throughout the club that is a winning mentality. That will filter to kirkby and the academy. Once you get everyone on the playing front pulling for the same thing, all determined to accept nothing less than 1st, that gives you something money cannot buy. Back in the day that is how it was. I remember a story one pre-season of Ronnie Moran coming into melwood with a brown box and throwing the league winners medals around from the previous season. Almost as quickly the players were told that those medals now meant f**k all and to put them away, focus and do it again. That was the mentality of the club, no historyonics, no superstars, no egos, just a club driven from top to bottom to win, that only existed to win. Thats what shanks built us for. We can do it again, it will be difficult to achieve. But it is not difficult to reinstall those ethos and traditions. There are too many in that squad at the moment in their comfort zone. Once they are weeded out we will be stronger, both on the pitch and off it.

Of course the players need to have that attitude, I never said tell them they are underdogs.

WE ARE underdogs this season, as we were when we finished 2nd in 2009. As we were when we won the european cup in 2005. Nobody told the players that. I'm sure they all believe they can do it. Being an underdog doesn't mean you think you're not the best. You have to think you are the best and believe in yourself to win, no matter what.

I'm saying that the fact that we will be big underdogs this season could be a benefit, because it has been in the past.
I never mentioned anything about the players having a lack of belief or us settling for less than 1st place.

What have I said that is neg Res, I only stated facts there, the teams that have the highest wage bills finish in the highest place.

 Spurs replaced us in the top 4 this year after being the highest spenders barring City in the last 18 months. Real and Barc have pulled away in the Spanish league due to spending large sums of money, which other teams in the league are unable to do.

 I didn't state opinion there I stated facts what exactly is neg Res, the truth is it.

 F**k me would people prefer we mask all our problems at the moment, the post your talking about I didn't even really mention us but again Res another unwanted hop off me by you for F**k all.

You're basically saying we don't have the money, therefore won't compete.

I don't see it that way. Conflicting opinions buddy, I don't do "unwanted hops".

I reckon we'll do the double on City. Truth of the matter is, it was a major oversight to not take into consideration the amount of injuries and the timing of those injuries. We're a better team than where we placed last time around. We have the players who are capable of pushing any team back once there is confidence in the squad. That was the major shortcoming last season, the team lacked enough confidence to go on and win games not quality. The Man U game is a prime example. Anyway, I do believe with the manager we have we'll probably just secure fourth place. If we had Rafa I would have expected a title this season.

Which is a fair point by me Res a lot of people on here were saying last year why should we finish any better when we have the 5th highest wage bill, which I think was a good point when defending Rafa.

I think Roy Hodgson has a very hard job next season and I think due to the circumstances at the club it would be very hard to call him a failure if he doesn't finish in the top 4 due to not having the funds to compete with other clubs.

If he manages to finish in the top 4 I think Hodgson first season at the club will be an overwhelming success.

Of course the players need to have that attitude, I never said tell them they are underdogs.

WE ARE underdogs this season, as we were when we finished 2nd in 2009. As we were when we won the european cup in 2005. Nobody told the players that. I'm sure they all believe they can do it. Being an underdog doesn't mean you think you're not the best. You have to think you are the best and believe in yourself to win, no matter what.

I'm saying that the fact that we will be big underdogs this season could be a benefit, because it has been in the past.
I never mentioned anything about the players having a lack of belief or us settling for less than 1st place.

Fair enough bud, i see what you mean. Yeah we will be underdogs this season and there will be plenty out there just waiting to knock us at the earliest opportunity. We have a very difficult start. Lets get behind them from the start. Positive is the key word. From our team selections you would have thought we were the underdog in most of our games last season, 1 upfront and 8 defenders. Lets get it down and play with flair and confidence. let the players express themselves and instill the belief in them. I believe we can have a good season. But as already posted, we have to wait and see who we have in the squad come August. If we still have Torres and Gerrard with the right additions then who knows. But whatever happens, lets get behind them, too much negativity about last season!

How do we know? Rafa always played him left mid.

Yes Rafa played him on the left wing but when he was put up-front, you could see his movement was not right for a striker and i think he can be very optimistic with some of his shots. I would be willing to try him again but i am not liking him as a striker.

I am expecting alot but i am a realist and i know it will take time but,,

Top 4 place, Attacking football, compete in all competitions and not put out inexperienced teams.

^ This.

I F***ing want Steven Gerrard Pepe Reina lifting it up in May at Anfield.

Can we do it? Probably not, but I'll still believe if we can keep our current squad.

^ This.

I f**king want Steven Gerrard Pepe Reina lifting it up in May at Anfield.

Can we do it? Probably not, but I'll still believe if we can keep our current squad.

Is right. Our current squad plus one or two qwalitee additions and who knows.

I think get a few more players in keep Steve,Nando we will have a chance We got more chance than City its ok for city to splash the cash but have they had history at the top of the table ? and the players need to gel. for Me

1. Steve and Nando to stay
2. Finnish top 4
3. Bring in new Talent ( British if possible )
4. New Owners.
5. Go for the Fa and the Leauge Cup.

AND 6. play better football than last season.

^ This.

I f**king want Steven Gerrard Pepe Reina lifting it up in May at Anfield.

Can we do it? Probably not, but I'll still believe if we can keep our current squad.

europa 4 sure but a first up win in epl be even better

At the moment all we can think about is what we could 'wish' for, its impossible to talk about expectations until the transfer window shuts and we know who we've got in our squad. But IF everyone stays and with a few quality additions we should be able to compete shouldnt we? O.K we finished a bad 7th, but it was only a couple of points in it between 4th and 7th , and that was our nightmare season. So hopefully we'll have luck on the injury front and players focused this time, we can repair the damage im sure. All teams need luck as well as playing well. With a decent start we just might surprise a few people, weve got a point to prove. Cmon the redmen.

Money is worth f*ck all if its not invested in the right way. The Chelski and Citeh models are unsustainable in the long term. The clubs around them will bankrupt themselves attempting to stay in touch. The only chance we have...which Rafa knew... is that our overhauled youth system can in the future provide us with the stars we need. Yes we need to have a proper ownership model in place to help this along. We need owners who will invest in the squad as needed, providing us with a couple of star signings along the way. Obviously we dont have that at the moment and will continue to be a farce until we do.

I expected this coming season to be better no matter who was in charge, be that Rafa, Kenny, Hodgson or even Kim Jong-Il. 

if we had Kim Jong at the helm he'd cut us off from the rest of the country and have and open top parade around Liverpool with a fake trophy no matter were we finished- sadly i think that would be the closest we'd get to winning the league for a while.

I expect us to win the Europa League and fight all the way to the end for a top 4 spot taking 5th as the lowest position- but we'll have to wait and see how much the other teams improve and what improvements we make.

I hope and prey that the board has gone and new one is installed with fan representation on it.

But perhaps most importantly for me the club regains it's dignity.

Forget the league for now, a top 4 finish is what we should be aiming for this season, CL football is a must we have already lost financially this season being absent from Europes top Table, If we were to miss another season then we really will be in a world of sh*t, We need to be stamping our authority over teams like Citeh and f***in Yids, Oh and not forgetting Villa sh*t, I mean for F**k sake, last season was bonus time for those kunts never again do i want to see us behind those 3 pretenders, We must not set or hopes too high, We are in a transition period, Having said that we need to hit the ground running and gain early confidence and the momentum will follow, Top 4 is a must, Anything else than we trully are becoming a mediocre side.

My expectation is to win the League - it is every year, this is no different.

My realistic expectation will be decided when the transfer window closes and I see what squad we have left.

I said I'd wait until the window was closed before I can fathom realistic expectations. Well, the window is closed and I've seen us play for League games and my, realistic, expectations are we're fu**ed.

Last season was one of the hardest years for me to watch, this year looks like it's going the same way. World class keeper, centre halves looking solid yet still prone to make a mistake, inept full backs, wingers who create F**k all, central midfield pairing who are woeful, a captain who is walking round with a face like a slapped arse and a centre forward who looks lost. Oh what a year ahead.

I look at it and think, maybe it's not the manager. Maybe the fact is we've got sh*t players or maybe we're no longer a top side. Maybe our expectations should be that of a mid table side. Maybe we should be happy with a point away to Birmingham, it's not the easiest place to go for top sides let alone a mid table side. Maybe we should be hoping for a decent cup run instead of a push at the title.

Or maybe we F***ing shouldn't.

We are a top side with quality players. We're Liverpool Football Club and that means nothing but first is good enough. I'm sick of all this "as long we get in the top four" bollocks. F**k fourth, if we don't come first it's not good enough. We're Liverpool Football Club and we have to aim for the top.

That's where I'm aiming for, that's my expectation. My expectation is we win the League. That's what this club was built on, success. There's no success in coming second, third, fourth or anywhere other than first.

I also expect to see things that we didn't have last year. Things like pride, passion and the occasional bad arse mother who don't take no crap from a nobody. I expect to see our wingers do something out wide rather than waltz around getting nowhere. Actually go past the full back and put a cross in. I expect to see our full backs put defending first and defend properly. I expect to see our centre halves knock out these silly mistakes. I expect our captain to lead us, not F***ing sulk. I expect to see our centre forward fight and not end up on his arse for 50% of the game.

More importantly I expect our manager to grow a pair of balls and F**k this mid table mentality. We're not a mid table side, we're the biggest side in the world. We have to go for broke and look to win games. Sometimes you draw because it's just one of those days where you do everything but score. Sometimes you're lucky to come away with a draw because the opposition have twatted you. But sometimes, when the game is going nowhere, a point is not acceptable. Sometimes you have to throw on a forward at the expense of a midfielder and try and win.

As long as we try to win, I'll be satisfied. Accepting draws/defeats has been all too common at Liverpool for a few years now. I expect that to change. If it doesn't, then serious criticism will come the manager's and players' way.

All in all, I expect a mass improvement in everything that went on last year. Because last year was a shambles. I expect better.

Great post - couldn't agree more!

What do you expect of LFC next season with our new manager.

I would like to at least challenge for the top 4.
I would at least like to see 2 players up front and not have 2 holding CDM's.
I would like to see us have a long and healthy cup run in all cup's, Europa/FA/Carling. We never seem to have a healthy run, maybe with Woy we could see this.

Transfers are a total different scenario, I want to know about tactical changes to the team and league postions, certain amount of wins etc...

Were the club's managerial expectations released today at all?

Well you can't wish for everything sigh.

The first thing I expect is for us to actually play as a team. In many occasions last season, we just look lost and the players looked like they don't recognise each other.

Sadly, it looked like that last night.

I highly believe is because of our mindset of having two holding midfielders. It shows a real lack of ambition in the team selections.

I think expectations for performance is based on what type of squad we have come the start of the season. We are Liverpool Football Club and our expaectation should always be to win the league and the players should be left in no doubt that this is what is expected. But in no particular order things I would like to see next season are:

In pre-season not too much experimentation. Come the end of preseason I want our first choice 11 to be playing. I understand world cup players may not get much preseason. Anybody who went to the Athletico Madrid friendly last season would have seen what a shambles we were and how under prepared we were 1 week before the season started. This cannot happen this season. We have to hit the ground running.

Following on from that I want to see Hodgson bringing back true competition for places. If you play well you stay in, if you are out of the team you have to train hard and wait for your chance. Under the last regime too many players were messed about and dropped after good performances whereas others turned in hapless performances every week and stayed in the team. One of our great strengths back in the day was that there were no favourites at Liverpool, all the players were treated the same. We have to get back to this!

Better and varied tactics for one. Last season if 4-2-3-1 did not work, which was often, there was no back up plan, just predictable substitutions like for like. 4-4-2, 4-3-3. We need to be flexible. The key to that of course is round pegs in round holes etc. Too often last season that was not the case.

Better standard of football. Lets get the ball down and play that pass and move football we made famous. Hodgsons teams play good football so there is no reason why that cannot happen.

A more attacking mentality. Let teams worry about us instead of constantly picking a side that shows we are worried about the opposition. I hope the players are allowed to express themselves and play with flair. Too many times last season players looked like they were just not enjoying it.

I would like to see more younger players brought through. Kelly, Pacheco and Shelvey for example. We have some quality experienced players. I think a blend of youth and experience could prove a good combination and hopefully a young vibrant team playing good attacking football can evolve. These young players can replace the dead wood that will hopefully be shipped out.

As for Hodgson, he has my full support. What I would like to see from him first and foremost is dignity and keep problems in house, like LFC used to do. I got sick mand tired last season of our dirty laundry being aired on SSN every other day by benitez. No more whinging, no more ego, no more giving sky headlines. Just get on with the job of keeping the players focussed on the field.

Obviously, the main problem at LFC is the owners. Hopefully by the end of the year the club will be sold and Tom Gerry and Broughton will have gone. It does not matter if the new owner is not a sugar daddy, as long as they have the best interests of LFC at heart.

Whoever comes in has to get back to the way LFC used to be run, within our means. We were always a well run club and we have to get back to this. Forget trying to compete with city, madrid etc with regard to spending beacause we cannot.

Only buy players who are better than what we have. If this means spending our budget on 1 player so be it. Ive become sick of 4/5 average players being brought in every summer who do not make us better. If we go into the market, it has to be for a player who can improve us, not just give us cover. On the flip side Kenny has an important role to play in making sure players are coming through from the academy. It cost us 10m to build. Lets start using it for what it was built for, to provide us with the next Fowlers and Gerrards etc.

Patience will be the key this season. Lets get behind Roy. We have a very difficult start. I would be happy getting back into the CL this season and hopefully get to wembley. But we have to build slowly and within our means and maximise the assets that we have and get the best out of them. A good attitude, hard work, togetherness can take you along way. Hodgson has to give the players confidence to play and express themselves. Too often last season it looked like players were having the confidence drained from them. If we can do that then good times will come around again!

Would like to read your post regarding as we stand.

I said this last season whilst the board continue to invest like a championship side then we have to expectations that coincide with that.

A top 4 finish would be over achieving whilst the clubs around us continue to invest in their squads.

So my expectations are for a top 10 finish, but my biggest expectation is to see our current owners gone by January.

I think we'll finish 3rd, and win the carling cup.

I stand by this..