KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Who else has strengthened from the top 4?

They have some very good players, but their identity is going to have to be redefined. Scholes is gone, Giggs is halfway out the door, and Fergie is gone too. Their defense is old, and it really showed last season. Vidic and Rio will have to be replaced, Evra will have to be replaced eventually (Jones looks good, but they still probably need two more CBs), and while their attack is devastating, they really need to replace their central midfield corps. Anderson is shiite, Fletcher is past it, Cleverly is blah, and they really need a DM to play next to Carrick. Nani is only good once every 5 games and Valencia is inconsistent, and Young seems to not be handling the pressure very well. Rooney isn't fit anymore, isn't the heart of the team anymore, and no one seems to know if he'll go or stay. Even if he doesn't go, whether he'll play or not is in question. The team is unsettled, unbalanced, and it is being led by a man who has never won anything. Moyes isn't a bad manager, but I'm not going to put my house on him to succeed.

Moyes hasn't a hope in hell. They've won games, cups and leagues with an average squad BECAUSE of ferguson. They've still got some decent players and a lot of money though, but I'd expect them to be battling out with Spurs for a CL place at best.

Agreed, but I think we have a fighting chance of finishing above them. I really believe Fergies importance will show this season without him. I hate the miserable git, but there isn't a better manager out there at the moment.

Probably right about united but I have a feeling they are going to sign a couple f top players before end of August that might put the cat among the pigeons

Ferguson will have been better placed to fight the Glazers for money to get the singings he wanted considering he's been at the club long before they arrived. Will Moyes have the same power? Or will they be tentative for a few windows to see how things go?

According to the papers

Yes I know

According to them he has a big budget

stanley if United do fall they will only drop 2 or 3 places at most, the gap between 5th place and 6th is huge anyway. I honestly believe there is more chance of your Fulham, Stoke and West Brom catching Liverpool and Everton than Liverpool and Everton catching Arsenal or even Spurs.

Hard to argue with that. Last season our closest competitors were west brom & swansea for most of the season. At no point did we look anything like being able to challenge spurs or arsenal.

well some of the fergie magic has probably rubbed of on the players to see them through most of the games. i dont think these players have played under him for years without learning a few things. they are not going to foret within a few months

It's when they have a bad patch that things will get interesting, the crowd getting a bit restless, the papers circling and then he starts tinker with players and formations..

It's been so stable there for so long, we could be in for a bit of a show. What's the very worst that can happen anyway? They keep on winning? No biggie.

But if they struggle..... Ohhhhhhh and please, please lord let them struggle...
(rubshandstogetherdelightfully* )