Barnes calls for Kop fans reality check

Liverpool legend John Barnes has told Liverpool fans it’s time to take a reality check and ­accept they are only a top 10 club.

Defeat in Manchester today will end any hope of winning a trophy this season – but Barnes thinks fans should accept the club’s decline.

Hodgson has been axed after a disastrous reign but Barnes said: “You have to be realistic in terms of what you expect. Liverpool now are not the Liverpool of the 1980s, or even 1970s.

“Liverpool fans still think they should have another Bill Shankly – or a Jose Mourinho. But they have to be realistic. In terms of money and squad, they are just a top 10 club. They have been in a transition for 10 to 12 years.

”

Not got a job in the new set up John?

You must be joking John not in a million years will we accept it ,we"d never crawl out of this dark hole if we think that way.

How do we need a reality check John? We know full well where we stand.
He is selling us short by saying we are only a top 10 club, we are only in this position because of the yanks. Now we can rebuild, AND I FULLY EXPECT US TO GET BACK CHALLENGING FOR TITLES!!

Sounds as if there's a bit of the "Green eyed Monster" in there somewhere. 

F**k me barnsie what are you f**king at. Another lad deluding himself it wasnt roys fault. We are three players away from winning a championship

The hasn't ended yet. Where are you quoting this from?

"Defeat in Manchester today will end any hope of winning a trophy this season"

Well, apparently the Europa League counts for less than nothing?

I love Barnes and one of my all time favourite players but he is taking absolute s***e here.

We are way better than a top 10 club and to say the club has been in transition for the last 10 to 12 years is ridiculous. We may not have been winning the title but we have won the FA cup twice, League Cup twice, Uefa Cup once, Super Cup and best of all the 5th European Cup in that period.

I'm sure a hell of a lot of clubs would like a transition period like that!

"Defeat in Manchester today will end any hope of winning a trophy this season"

Well, apparently the Europa League counts for less than nothing?

Was just about to say that. Barnes : Have you listened to what John W. Henry said ? He have not said anything about the last 10-12 years, but he has spoken a lot of the future and maybe you should rest your focus on that as well.

"Defeat in Manchester today will end any hope of winning a trophy this season"

Well, apparently the Europa League counts for less than nothing?

was gunna say i dont remember being knocked out of europe

Digger's right in the sense we're not the team of the 70s or 80s. But lets be honest no side today is the side(s) we had back then.

Are we only a top ten club? No, we're a title winning side waiting to happen.

”

Where are you quoting from?

We probably lack a few players to effectively challenge for all the honours every season but to say we are just a top 10 team is really out of order.

We are way better than.

Are we only a top ten club? No, we're a title winning side waiting to happen.

I love your attitude with us going into every game DLS. Like me you always expect us to go out and win and that's what I believe any manager should be doing.

If too many people listen to all the s**t about our so called decline then some players and others within the club may start to believe it.

The likes of John Barnes should no this better than most.

I love your attitude with us going into every game DLS. Like me you always expect us to go out and win and that's what I believe any manager should be doing.

If too many people listen to all the s**t about our so called decline then some players and others within the club may start to believe it.

The likes of John Barnes should no this better than most.

If they believe we're on the decline mate, then they should F**k off cos it's that attitude that will bring decline. If the players, managers and fans don't believe we'll win every game then we won't.

And like I said, Digger did have a point about us not being the side we were. The sides of the 70s and 80s were almost untouchable. But this side, is still much more than "just" a top ten side. We are top ten side, because we're top of the top ten. But we're not "just" a top ten side by any stretch of anybody's imagination.

Poor old Barnes - trying to get off ch5 and get a better job with sky.

bless him.

If they believe we're on the decline mate, then they should f**k off cos it's that attitude that will bring decline. If the players, managers and fans don't believe we'll win every game then we won't.

Exactly.

The manager should be instilling a winning mentality within the club and Roy simply did not do this. Kenny on the other hand will expect the very best out of every player in the squad as he has the best interest of the club at heart.

And like I said, Digger did have a point about us not being the side we were. The sides of the 70s and 80s were almost untouchable. But this side, is still much more than "just" a top ten side. We are top ten side, because we're top of the top ten. But we're not "just" a top ten side by any stretch of anybody's imagination.

He does have a point as those sides were truly brilliant but I really do believe with the right manager and attitude this squad with a couple of quality additions can challenge sooner than most people think.
  

We're not that far behind. Get 2 world class players and couple top player we will be competing for the title. It's not about how much you spend, its how you spend it.

Exactly.

The manager should be instilling a winning mentality within the club and Roy simply did not do this. Kenny on the other hand will expect the very best out of every player in the squad as he has the best interest of the club at heart.

He dose have a point as those side were truly brilliant but I really do believe with the right manager and attitude this squad with a couple of quality additions can challenge sooner than most people think.
 

Spot on mate on both fronts.

Kenny won't stand for any of the modern day footballer's sh*t. He won't stand for ego, reputation or wage packet. He'll simply put them in their place. And Kenny will always win that battle. If you're not pulling your weight, F**k off out the side. Kenny's attitude and one I wholeheartedly agree with.

And the second point about us being a few quality additions away is true. Although some of our players aren't good enough - period - some of them simply aren't good enough to be regular starters for this club but would be ample as squad players. Kuyt being the prime example in that for me.

I don't think Barnes is that far from the truth. Take Gerrard and Torres out of our team and sadly we probably are just a top ten team. Thankfully we still have Torres and Gerrard so what Barnes says isn't true. Although the way Torres has played this season has made Barnes statement truer than we would like.

In the last couple of years we have lost 3 of our best players (Sami/Alonso/Masch) who have not really been replaced by similar quality, Carra has reached a stage where maybe time is catching up with him, while Cole has been a disappointing replacement for Benny so far, and our buys have in the main been poor for a while ,mainly swopping journeymen for journeymen and when we have gambled big money(Keane /Aquilani/Johnson) they havent really been the unqualified success's we hoped for.

I think to expect anyone to come in and overnight turn us back into a top 4 side nevermind a title winning side without bringing in at least 3 top quality players is unrealistic. Certainly we are better than our position would suggest, and I hope against hope that the return of the King inspires the team to new hights of effort and achievement, but we still need investment if we are to get back to where we were a couple of seasons ago nevermind the teams of the 70's and 80's.   

   

I don't think Barnes is that far from the truth. Take Gerrard and Torres out of our team and sadly we probably are just a top ten team. Thankfully we still have Torres and Gerrard so what Barnes says isn't true. Although the way Torres has played this season has made Barnes statement truer than we would like.

In the last couple of years we have lost 3 of our best players (Sami/Alonso/Masch) who have not really been replaced by similar quality, Carra has reached a stage where maybe time is catching up with him, while Cole has been a disappointing replacement for Benny so far, and our buys have in the main been poor for a while ,mainly swopping journeymen for journeymen and when we have gambled big money(Keane /Aquilani/Johnson) they havent really been the unqualified success's we hoped for.

I think to expect anyone to come in and overnight turn us back into a top 4 side nevermind a title winning side without bringing in at least 3 top quality players is unrealistic. Certainly we are better than our position would suggest, and I hope against hope that the return of the King inspires the team to new hights of effort and achievement, but we still need investment if we are to get back to where we were a couple of seasons ago nevermind the teams of the 70's and 80's.   

   

So it is all Rafa's fault then?

So it is all Rafa's fault then?

Did I say that?

Nah mate, some is but most can probably be laid at the door of H&G. Players get older (Sami/Carra) and if you don't replace them you suffer. Players leave (for whatever reason) and if you don't replace them with similar or better quality the team suffers.

Just trying to be objective about where we are NOW mate, not trying to blame anyone.