Are we title contenders?

i dont think we have a strong enough squad to win the premier league. we lack strength in depth and the lack of width is a real worry.

Lack of width is a problem, although I don't think every team that has won the Premiership has done so with fantastic wingers.  It doesn't help but it doesn't stop us giving it a go if everything else is going well.

Two victories, albeit thanks to some last minute goals, and we didn't play well.  The big crunch is, and remains, when we play the other top four sides.  If we can play sh*t against them and get something then I really will start to have belief that this is another false dawn.

i think yea. we started winning 'ugly' and thats important to win Premier League.
Last season United won a lot of games playing badly, and winning with a stupid tevez goal in last's 5 minutes.
Maybe this will be our year. everyone needs some lucky to win premierleague actually. if we have, we must win.

Winning ugly is important.

yes.....and i think we will come close this year if not win it.

Winning ugly is easy, if Kuyt plays. He looks really ugly.   

I don't think we will win the title if we keep playing like in the first 2 games! COME ON you REDS! You have to improve!

I don't think we will win the title if we keep playing like in the first 2 games! COME ON you REDS! You have to improve!

Yes they do have to improve but they have improved from last season because we would have probably drawn them 2 league games so its a step in the right direction being able to grind out these results and win ugly. Its good to see that they can do it when it matters, even if it is in the 94th minute when the winner is scored

If we take some decent points at home from the other realistic contenders and sneak a few from them away, then I'll believe even more.

This is something that has to be addressed this season.

If we were the force at home last season that we are most seasons then we would have won the league.

We dropped 15 points at home and that is just not acceptable and is shocking IMO

Logically, there is no team in the world that we cant beat on our day. so the answer has to be yes, the problem year in year out with us is consistency, we will pull out awesome wins away against the tough teams then draw at home to the easy ones. i think alot of the time we get too laxidasical with the smaller teams. if we get the solid wins for everyone outside the other big 3. im sure even if we rack up losses to them team, (most likely we will get some result) im sure they will slip up somewhere. I think our biggest problems is the games we draw when we should win. and the thing about them is they are the easiest to turn around. I think our lack of breadth is not a big problem, its just a different approach. once we get that breadth we can alternate, change and adapt to suit. Yes we are title contenders, doesnt mean we will win but we are definately contenders. and im sure our year/(s) will come soon.

I don't think we will win the title if we keep playing like in the first 2 games! COME ON you REDS! You have to improve!

If we played every game like the first few, and still won, I'd be happy for us to carry playing like that!

Logically, there is no team in the world that we cant beat on our day. so the answer has to be yes, the problem year in year out with us is consistency, we will pull out awesome wins away against the tough teams then draw at home to the easy ones. I think alot of the time we get too laxidasical with the smaller teams. if we get the solid wins for everyone outside the other big 3. im sure even if we rack up losses to them team, (most likely we will get some result) im sure they will slip up somewhere. I think our biggest problems is the games we draw when we should win. and the thing about them is they are the easiest to turn around. I think our lack of breadth is not a big problem, its just a different approach. once we get that breadth we can alternate, change and adapt to suit. Yes we are title contenders, doesnt mean we will win but we are definately contenders. and im sure our year/(s) will come soon.

Have to agree with you we are contenders, but doesn't mean we will win it.
Just have to continue plugging away and pick up points when we're playin sh*te, like the last games. And hopefully we still be in with a shout come april!

IRWT

i would be happy if we won the remaining 36 games by a scrappy goal if it means we win the league

No.

i would be happy if we won the remaining 36 games by a scrappy goal if it means we win the league

I think we all would!

OK, we'd be happy at winning the league, but scrappy goals is not what liverpool football club is all about, and never has been. I didnt see Mellor, sinama-pongolle and gerrard pulling out a scrappy goals against olympiakos to put us through to the CL knockouts in 2005. I didnt see a scrappy goal in the CL final (maybe alonso's) and i know gerrards winner in the FA cup wasnt scrappy either. If we are gonna win, we'll do it with the style that we all know liverpool have. and as far as this season goes, we're not going far wrong. ok they were last minute goals, but they we not scrappy.
As i said in my previous post, i think one of liverpools main problems if getting too laid back and accepting less than the best. we can win this league, but the squad needs to put the work in to do it.!

Well the first month of the season has been and gone and we're sitting pretty in second (joint top) with already the joint best defence in the league. We're still picking up results when not playing anywhere near our best. We haven't had our best XI fit and available for any Premiership game yet and still going well.

Yes we are title contenders and when we beat United on the 13th, smash Stoke for six and kill of Everton's season before it's even began people will have to take us more serious as title contenders. Number 19 is ours this year.

What worries me about our current form is, The players don't seem to be able to take the game by the scruff of the kneck and forcibly stamp thier authority. The must see and feel it's not going well out there. Nobody seems to be able to react to the situation. They all say after, we know we are not playing well, we just don't know why or what to do about it.  This sounds like Bolton, and with Sammy on board I'm begining to wonder ?

I think the first test of our intend will be against Utd. I hope we win the game, but if we don't and lets say we lose which we're not it is how we bouce back in the very next two games.   We have to show aggression, I feel in the closer games to pick all three points.  This is going to be an interesting season now that Man city will need to be beaten by the top 4.  This should go down to tactics and we all know we have the master tactician, so lets hope this will be the season. 

To be perfectly honest I'd have to say no at this moment in time unfortunately. At the start of this season I was hoping at least to see a 'title challenge' you know, the one that would see us make a real fist of it and still be within touching distance come May. Instead of recent years where we've wimpered out of the race well before December.

Thats what I'm hoping to see this season, Rafa and the team right up there breathing down Chelseas' and Man Uniteds back come the end of the season. I think its unrealistic to expect us to actually be a title "contender" this year, IMO we still have some catching up to do and bridging that gap between ourselves and the two other genuine contenders is a more realistic notion.

Of course I'd love to be proven wrong in my opinion, and judging by a first three games there is still a lot of work to be done out on the field and in the transfer market. With our current owners Rafa at this point now seems to have his hands well and truly tied by these to Muppets making a mockery of our club. The sooner there gone the better.

But Rafa still has plenty of work to do, even before considering who his next buy is. Firstly I'd like to see him well and truly slip out of his old habbits as far a 'rotating' the team to dizzyness goes. To be fair he hasnt tinkered as much this season unless hes' been forced to. This is one of a few gripes I have with him, and dont get me wrong I like the man, I think he is a good tactician and I'm still hoping he'll be the guy to bring us number 19. Although I think time is ticking down on him, as of yet in his first four seasons we havent even looked like title challengers, let or lone genuine contenders. This is why I dont expect us to be genuine "contenders" this year as we're still in the progress of catching up to the Uniteds and Chelseas of this league in terms of points and consistency.

I think the signing of Keane and the possibilty of signing Barry was to get the right players for some kind of assault on the league this year. Whether Barry was truly needed is another debate altogether, but the fact Rafa shelled out 20 million for a player aged around 28 years of age tells us, its about here and now. Not a future signing, or a hot prospect he got in Keane for an expensive price it must be said, to help push us on more this season domestically. A proven premiership player in his prime, likewise with Barry. Whether Rafa feels time is running out on him I honestly dont know, but signing those kind of players implements to me that he is looking to make a serious assault on the league this year ... Once and for all.

Unfortunately the doubts go on, because our problems are STILL the flanks. Rafa still hasnt filled in these two key positions during his time at the club. Which is frustrating and worrying, hes shelled out over 200 million pounds in transfer fees, and of course has recouped some money. But buying the likes of Gonzalez, Leto, Nunez ?, Zenden, Babel, Benayoun and Pennant has had more food for thought than answers in Rafas thinking behind these positions. Babel like Kuyt were brought as  strikers, but because Rafa has brought medicore players in in the wider positions, Babel and Kuyt have had to adapt to an entirely different ball game altogether out on the wing, as did Keane on Sunday which was also perplexing. He has brougnt in c.rap, sold 'cr.ap' to replace it with 'c.rap'  and we're still no better off.

The wide areas are a problem as Sunday showed and looking at a first few peformances its going to take alot more than sheer grit and determination to be "genuine contenders" this year. We still need some true quality out on the flanks, we need twit and tw@t to open up their cheque books and then whether Rafa will be able to afford his man and get the right one is still another question to be answered. Hopefully this Rieira fella who I've never seen play can do the business, but going by some peoples opinons I'm not expecting too much from him.

Genuine title contenders - NO

Breaking/Closing the gap on Man U and Chelsea stronghold - YES (hopefully we're capable of that)

To be perfectly honest I'd have to say no at this moment in time unfortunately. At the start of this season I was hoping at least to see a 'title challenge' you know, the one that would see us make a real fist of it and still be within touching distance come May. Instead of recent years where we've wimpered out of the race well before December.

Thats what I'm hoping to see this season, Rafa and the team right up there breathing down Chelseas' and Man Uniteds back come the end of the season. I think its unrealistic to expect us to actually be a title "contender" this year, IMO we still have some catching up to do and bridging that gap between ourselves and the two other genuine contenders is a more realistic notion.

Of course I'd love to be proven wrong in my opinion, and judging by a first three games there is still a lot of work to be done out on the field and in the transfer market. With our current owners Rafa at this point now seems to have his hands well and truly tied by these to Muppets making a mockery of our club. The sooner there gone the better.

But Rafa still has plenty of work to do, even before considering who his next buy is. Firstly I'd like to see him well and truly slip out of his old habbits as far a 'rotating' the team to dizzyness goes. To be fair he hasnt tinkered as much this season unless hes' been forced to. This is one of a few gripes I have with him, and dont get me wrong I like the man, I think he is a good tactician and I'm still hoping he'll be the guy to bring us number 19. Although I think time is ticking down on him, as of yet in his first four seasons we havent even looked like title challengers, let or lone genuine contenders. This is why I dont expect us to be genuine "contenders" this year as we're still in the progress of catching up to the Uniteds and Chelseas of this league in terms of points and consistency.

I think the signing of Keane and the possibilty of signing Barry was to get the right players for some kind of assault on the league this year. Whether Barry was truly needed is another debate altogether, but the fact Rafa shelled out 20 million for a player aged around 28 years of age tells us, its about here and now. Not a future signing, or a hot prospect he got in Keane for an expensive price it must be said, to help push us on more this season domestically. A proven premiership player in his prime, likewise with Barry. Whether Rafa feels time is running out on him I honestly dont know, but signing those kind of players implements to me that he is looking to make a serious assault on the league this year ... Once and for all.

Unfortunately the doubts go on, because our problems are STILL the flanks. Rafa still hasnt filled in these two key positions during his time at the club. Which is frustrating and worrying, hes shelled out over 200 million pounds in transfer fees, and of course has recouped some money. But buying the likes of Gonzalez, Leto, Nunez ?, Zenden, Babel, Benayoun and Pennant has had more food for thought than answers in Rafas thinking behind these positions. Babel like Kuyt were brought as  strikers, but because Rafa has brought medicore players in in the wider positions, Babel and Kuyt have had to adapt to an entirely different ball game altogether out on the wing, as did Keane on Sunday which was also perplexing. He has brougnt in c.rap, sold 'cr.ap' to replace it with 'c.rap'  and we're still no better off.

The wide areas are a problem as Sunday showed and looking at a first few peformances its going to take alot more than sheer grit and determination to be "genuine contenders" this year. We still need some true quality out on the flanks, we need twit and tw@t to open up their cheque books and then whether Rafa will be able to afford his man and get the right one is still another question to be answered. Hopefully this Rieira fella who I've never seen play can do the business, but going by some peoples opinons I'm not expecting too much from him.

Genuine title contenders - NO

Breaking/Closing the gap on Man U and Chelsea stronghold - YES (hopefully we're capable of that)

Welcome aboard.......   fantastic reasoned post!!

Hello everyone!

This is my first post so thought I'd go for the BIG topic

I think the United is massive (not just because of the obvious) but the fact it comes around early and if we have any hopes of winning the title we must start beating the likes of the Mancs, Chelsea and Gooners.

If we can get our strongest eleven out I'm confident we can match anyone and what better confidence boost than to beat the Mancs early on. We should have beaten Chelsea at Anfield last year but were robbed of three points by that shocking decision.

As always it'll be tough, and the well documented lack of width etc already being highlighted. But if we can get that sorted along with a big confidence boost by beating Utd and Everton then surely we must at the very least be looking to still be in with a shout come easter time, and if we are then who knows.