Liverpool 2:1 Newcastle. In game & post match discussion.

Quite heartbreaking to hear Gerrard's post match interview on the LFC website, he's clearly 'devastated'. I guess ultimately as Bill Shankly once said 'if you are first you are first, if you are second you are nothing'. Of course many positives to take away from the season, but I do hope Gerrard can win the league before he retires

As always, Lawrenson is first to put the boot in:

"Liverpool's season has been very good but they went out of the two domestic cup competitions relatively early. They weren't even in the Europa League. For the last three months of the season they hardly played any midweek games. They had all week to prepare for the opposition at the weekend. It will be very different next season with the Champions League.

"It will be difficult next year, because Chelsea will strengthen and go and buy a world-class striker, for example. And Manchester City will go out and spend their money. At the top of the league you have to go out and spend and improve your team, and they will all do that."

As always, Lawrenson is first to put the boot in:

Why is he so bitter? We're progressing FFS.

Now we have champions league football we have a better standing ground in bringing in better players than the last couple of seasons, we can only get better!

He hasn't had a sh*te season. Not great, but not sh*te. Certainly a handy squad player as he proved in some tricky away fixtures in our 11 game run as well as earlier away fixtures like when we beat Spurs 5-0. Sh*te season? What the hell have you been watching?

I agree we should keep him, but he should be backup.  He doesn't quite create enough and can leave the back exposed a bit.  He's actually a decent all round midfielder but can make some costly mistakes. He's had some solid games and other games fans wonder why he's playing for us. I'd say he's a bit hit and miss. We need a stronger midfielder and I could see Allen as a player on our bench next season. He's had a lot of games this season because of Lucas being injured and performing poor. Allen is better than Lucas. Lucas is a bit of a one dimensional player.  Allen can play DM, CM... He's a handy utility player. To call him quality would be exaggerating though. He's in the acceptable bracket.

As always, Lawrenson is first to put the boot in:

Agree on the CL point alright, we will be more stretched next year competition wise, travelling etc. But that's bleedin obvious.

We have made huge strides this year. If BR can build, and make similar progress next year, then we should challenge again. Appreciate tho overcoming the final 10% gap (rough number) can be the toughest gap to bridge, but it can be done.

Chavs, City, Utd etc will spend money. So we deffo DO need FSG to put the hand in the pocket. Disappointed we didn't strengthen in Jan, maybe one or two players might have made a difference this season, maybe not. We'll never know cause they didn't bother their arse.
BR can't do it without money to spend - over to you FSG. Re. picking the right players, BR will have choices to make.

Just on Lawro - I remember after the Norwich match him on the radio saying Liverpool were destined to win the title. It was crap then, it's crap now. Deserves really has got nothin to do with it.

As always, Lawrenson is first to put the boot in:

Why haven't the BBC given him the injection to put him and every other football fan out of their misery?

So, so proud of those lads, and gutted for Stevie that he doesn't get the medal he so richly deserves. Next season will be tougher , no doubt  but as long as Brendan gets his transfers right, I think we'll be in the mix again.

Twice the keeper? Don't think so. People tend to neglect the fact Reina's last two seasons with us weren't beneficial for us by a long shot, he made unforced errors and his shot stopping took a massive dip in form. Yes he could distribute the ball well but he wasn't amazing at coming for crosses either.

With a consistent back four, another pre-season i feel Mignolet will come out stronger and better. He needs competition for his place and IMO its not Reina, i personally wouldn't have a problem with Vorm being his back up, as those who complain about the lack of distribution from Mignolet can have it in Vorm.

At the same time isn't it funny how it was always Pepe's fault when goals went in last season but when it happens this season it's never Migs fault, it's the defenders. Anyway, great to go out with a win and if you'd offered me 2nd place this season, 2 points off 1st, I'd have snapped your hand off. I think we all would have.

But Brendan really needs to work out a counter for this 5-4-1 formation teams are starting to play against us, otherwise we're going to struggle. We need to be able to break teams down as well as blow them away.

Agree on the CL point alright, we will be more stretched next year competition wise, travelling etc. But that's bleedin obvious.

But alternatively it could inspire us, who knows what could happen we could end up winning the CL.

More competitions means the players will be a lot more competitive amongst one another than this year, therefore whenever they get the chance to play they have no excuses to put a 100% in. They'll be competing week in week out to represent us in our own league and across Europe i feel participation in the CL will only bring us on more.

 

As always, Lawrenson is first to put the boot in:

lawro is talking garbage. I think Liverpool will be just as active in the window than chelsea. Chelsea's team is getting old. Lampard,  Cole,  Eto, Terry..... this is arguably Chelsea's spine and I can't see them putting in whole games let alone whole seasons. As for City, they're looking at 50 million fine, squad and wage restrictions.

Lawrenson is going on as though Liverpool have some sort of transfer embargo, "Chelsea will spend, City will spend, etc." yet no mention of us spending and improving.

Chelsea spent big last summer and look what happened to them. They have F**k all to show for it and we finished above them in the league.

At the same time isn't it funny how it was always Pepe's fault when goals went in last season but when it happens this season it's never Migs fault, it's the defenders.

No, don't put words in my mouth. Don't get me wrong 'Migs' has made mistakes costing us goals, but unlike Reina he hasn't just signed for the club Reina's form dipped where as Mignolet should be given time to prove himself.

But alternatively it could inspire us, who knows what could happen we could end up winning the CL.

More competitions means the players will be a lot more competitive amongst one another than this year, therefore whenever they get the chance to play they have no excuses to put a 100% in. They'll be competing week in week out to represent us in our own league and across Europe i feel participation in the CL will only bring us on more.

It's more that we'll pick up injuries in the CL (and PL) they are tough games, European trips will have take it out of players etc. I rem. Aquero getting injured against Barca and missed a pile of PL matches. How would we do if Suarez got injured playing Madrid (or whoever) - we need guys to be able to come in that can keep us competing in BOTH  PL and CL (PL still the priority for me). Tbh, it's unreal how resistant Luis is to injuries, we've been pretty lucky this season in how many games the lad has actually played (when not suspended )

Same as you. I might not agree with you that Allen does not deserve to be here going by his last season with us. I think we can do better.

Technically we can do better than every player at the club, so do we replace them all?

Technically we can do better than every player at the club, so do we replace them all?

If we can do better than every player at the club like you said we can, and we have the means to do so, of course we should replace them all.

Why wouldn't we?

Lawrenson is going on as though Liverpool have some sort of transfer embargo, "Chelsea will spend, City will spend, etc." yet no mention of us spending and improving.

Chelsea spent big last summer and look what happened to them. They have F**k all to show for it and we finished above them in the league.

Lawrenson's has been spouting sh*t for years .

Suarez goal :

Physics Lesson.

If the ball was rolling towards him then when his foot impacted .... he stopped the ball for a nano second .....before changing direction.

Ah well. Luis made me smile and he has been doing that all season long.

Lawrenson is going on as though Liverpool have some sort of transfer embargo, "Chelsea will spend, City will spend, etc." yet no mention of us spending and improving.

Chelsea spent big last summer and look what happened to them. They have f**k all to show for it and we finished above them in the league.

As did the Spuds.

Ask Mr Levy.

As did the Spuds.

Ask Mr Levy.

United spent 60-70 million too.

Silly season, pile of bonkers? Have I pissed on your cornflakes or something? F**k me pal, get a grip on yourself and accept that people might have a different view point to you. Just because you might disagree doesn't mean you have to be a w**ker with your replies. Allen has had a sh*te season with a handful of good games, and I put a question mark there to emphasis it's not a given he should go. Go figure, as for the rest of the list, I'm right, but if it makes you happy, enjoy crapping all over the one discrepancy in your estimation

+1. You're right with the list. I'd have penned the same names if you had not come out with that and you've simply beat me to it. As much as we like some of the players, we need to ask ourselves an honest question will those players on the list bring us to a higher level next season? The answer is most probably no. CL is a different level, we will be competing among the best in Europe and it's a different ball game altogether and we need an upgrade version on some of the positions.

We dominated the league in the 70s and 80s simply because we have managers that don't rely on sentiments to make decisions, change and sell players. Players were shipped out with a blink of an eye as they're simply not good enough for us or they don't have the skills or technical ability to play the game the managers wanted it to be.

However, I may give Allen one more chance. he has shown the determination but no end product so far.

Kudos again, you've got the list of names right. I'd have ended up with the same names if I were to start a fresh list.

If we can do better than every player at the club like you said we can, and we have the means to do so, of course we should replace them all.

Why wouldn't we?

So why weren't Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Stevie on your list, because there are technically better players than them out there right now and as you said about replacing them, "why wouldn't we"

Where's the MotM poll?  Need to complete my spreadsheet.

An off-key performance and we still garner the three points, something we haven't done regularly for a long time.  Whilst not being our worst performance, it did remind me of Southampton (H), first half of Villa (H) and Hull (A), with the exception that we picked up the full haul. It's another string to our bow.

Was tougher than I expected didn't think Pardew would set up the way he did but he probably had the 6-0 thrashing in mind.

Gutted for Stevie more than anyone, but we have made extraordinary strides and a great platform to build on.