KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum 2012/2013 Season: Hope & Expectations

OK. I know it's been a long and difficult season. However, we have got through it now, and pre-season is upon us and with Kenny sacked and a new manager brought in, we have got an opportunity to bring in a few fresh new ideas. Obviously, at LFC the hope is to win the title. Now, bear with me, that shouldn't ever change because the spirit of this Club and the standing, respect and culture we have shouldn't change that. The feeling amongst other teams when they come to Anfield is that of fear and, if we can sort the home form out this season, we actually do have a chance of challenging. It goes without saying that we'll have to perform to the optimum throughout the season. However, if we can win our first three games, which will be the hardest, then the confidence will be sky high and can set us up for the rest of the season.
Moreover, the Cup runs we had last season suggests that when it matters, players like Suarez, Carroll and Henderson can produce the goods. Our back five is the best in the league, I think. Best keeper and CB partnerships. Enrique is the best LB in Europe and Johnno did superb for England, one of the players of the tournament.
Gerrard is one of the best midfielders in the world and his injury problems are a thing of the past. Lucas is back and his DM qualties are second to none. He is the best DM in the world, no questions. The problems come when we look at the RW, Downing is fine LW. RW we need a much more attacking option and then a third and fourth choice striker. If we can get Borini, Dempsey and a RW, then we can challenge.
Then we come on to the manager. What a coup this is. You can't underestimate the power of Brenden Rodgers. He is a fantastic manager, great tactician. His man-management is first class and he is a great man. His Press conferences so far have been immaculate and he is very forthright. He may not want Andy Carroll at the club, so be it. BR's decisions have to be respected and his Shankly-esque manner suggests that we should be thinking of big things from the start. Never mind 4th place, we should be thinking of the title. Aim high. Achieve higher. We don't want to have an Everton mentality of "hoping for the best" and then delivering very little. We destroy them year in, year out because our attitude is generally first class. We need to maintain that. Below are my hopes and, being a realist, I am aware of what we can get and then, if we push that little bit extra, what we can achieve. Apart from the Manchester sides, no other team in the country has anything special to trump us with.

LEAGUE: HOPE - 1st. REALISTIC: 3rd
FA CUP: HOPE: WIN. REALISTIC: WIN
LEAGUE CUP: HOPE: WIN REALISTIC: WIN
EUROPA LEAGUE: WIN REALISTIC: SEMI-FINAL

It's the way you tell 'em!!!!

What are you on about?!! I swear we had the same spine when we came second, bar Torres. Suarez has replaced him and our spine is fantastic. We should be challenging and need more depth to the squad, then we'll win it.

Kuyt, Alsonso, Masch. . .

My grandad has the same spine as when he fought in the 2nd world war - send him out to afghanistan tomorrow though and he's fvcked!

LOL @ this thread...

Okay, I couldn't even finish reading all of the original post. The hopes/expectations are WAYYY off though, buddy!

Pointless saying what the hopes are, so for expectations I'll say the same for all cup competitions - any decent run in any of them will be a bonus, and winning any will be brilliant. The league has to be - and will be - the main focus. The aim will be 4th, but realistically, 5th would be a very good finish.

If we get knocked out of every cup competition in the first rounds and finish 4th in the league, it would be classed as a MASSIVE success. This is where we're at - not doing cup trebles and challenging for the title..

For me its 4th place. I know thats going to be difficult but so what? Last season had we got our act together we could have achieved 4th Arsenal and Chelsea both dipped badly but we were worse. We went into probably the worst season in living memory league wise. I feel lasy year we under achieved by some way. Even just putting us on an even keel would put us back to 5th and yes it will be hard but there is no reason at all we cannot achieve 4th place. League title no I am sorry but thats a long way off and you could argue out of our reach for good now with the money needed to get to the top now. But champions league football is the first step. WE MUST ACHIEVE IT its not an aspiration its an essential

I'd love it if we got back into the CL but think we are several years away from that. Last season was 8th - 6th next season would have to be considered an achievement. It's easy to say 'we should finish above everton and newcastle', but "why" should we? If our players are as good as we think, then we WOULD have finished above them.

6th for next season - anything more would be a miracle.

I'd like to say 4th for the following season but Gerrard will be as good as finished by then and all the money in the world can't replace him. Were it not for him, our cups and league positions in the last 10 years would be less impressive. I think we'll be hovering around 5th, 6th, 7th for a good few years yet. First we need to close the gap on the 2 teams immediately above us - then we need to move ahead of the likes of chelsea, arsenal, tottenham - we need to outspend them just to catch up and keep level but they will be outspending us. We need to accept that CL football is a LONG way off. If people want to 'expect' that we will get it this year or the next, they will be very disappointed.

Will the FFP rule help or hinder us? Who knows - all I know is that there's a documentary about Shakin' Stevens on BBC1 tonight!

Whats his availability at the minute?

i hope for 4th but expect 5th or 6th.