KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Still on track...

It seems to me, despite a comprehensive defeat yesterday and the doom that follows, we're still pretty much on track.

- People say United are out of form but you could argue so are we, and we're still 3 points ahead of last years runnaway champions.
- Arsenal are potential champs and beat us at home, did anyone expect us to get a good result?
- We're still in the top 4.

Considering the last 3 seasons, I think we'd all agree that if BR got us top 4, it would be nothing short of a miracle, considering the spend of all those around us. After 10 games, we're still there but forget January, everyone else has as much, if not more chance of strengthening than we do.
Who did we expect to knock out the top 4 realistically?

The biggest problem yesterday was obviously our midfield.

1. Flanno and Cissokho were never going to be good as wing backs. The latter just seems awkward to me. So does Sakho, but as a centre back he looks tough to get past. Johnson and Enrique are the only players we can play there.

2. CM's...
Lucas - was he ever actually that good?

Gerrard - Getting painful to watch now, especially against a team like Arsenal. He seems to want to re-invent himself but he never had the ability to be a great player there. His strengths were pace and power, which seem to have instantly deserted him. He's seems incapable of breaking into a sprint, or more than a slow jog.

Henderson - It's surely time to admit he'll never be a Champs League player.

None of those 3 actually contribute that much to the team and Moses/Alberto don't seem favoured.

We were hoping SAS would nick a goal or 2 yesterday but they're just left isolated most of the time, which seems like it might be enough to get us past the weaker teams, but it will mostly fall short against the top teams. Luckily Coutinho's back for our run of tough games but without decent wingers, it's hard to see where the goals will come from.

On track for what ?

got to agree with all of that omega the only point i will say is we do need a holding midfielder either lucas or gerrard not 2 of them but putting hendo in there aswell yesterday made the midfield so slow and pedestrian it was embarrassing at times we need to get some creativity in that midfield the service to the front 2 was pathatic to say the least

on track for the bitters to win today and go second. we failed yet again, swansea,saints,arsenal all games where we had the opportunity to push on!

You could see Coutinho try to supply the front two when he came on. His vision is excellent, unfortunately his passing was just a couple yards off, which is to be expected after just coming back. Hopefully he'll get his sharpness back quickly and will go along way to solving the problem. Then we just need to replace 1 of Lucas/Gerrard with a proper B2B midfielder

i think whats getting to you is the fact the s---te could go above us today i wouldnt be to bothered about them we will beat fulham next week and then go into the derby still well in touch and we alawys do well there so ive not got to many worries there as for the games youve pointed out every team will drop points ok the home game v saints we should be winning but the others could take points of any other top 6 teams so i wouldnt be to concerned what concerns me is people are going mad over every defeat we are going to lose games and a good few because our aim is to get into top 4 not win the league that aint gonna happen so defeats are going to be coming along now and again i think were still right in the mix for a top 4 challenge

I don't agree with a few of your points Omega:

- for a start, there's no doom. there is however, disappointment and concern.

- disappointment after being defeated is expected. the concern however is to do with the performance and the nature of the defeat.

- I don't agree that getting into the top 4 would be a miracle. Winning the league, yes - maybe that would be a miracle. But getting into the top 4 is achievable if the top teams keep dropping points like Chelsea did yesterday.

- I don't think we can forget January. even BR explained it's a key part of the strategy...' get to Jan with what we have, stay in touch and then look to strengthen'. The key will be how well we use the Jan window. Some of the top teams don't like to trade in Jan as their targets are CL cup tied. Spurs have probably done their spending for the season. In contrast, no quality players seem to want to come to us in the summer, but we may have a better chance of persuading them in January, e.g. if they're not getting games an there's a world cup coming up. Remember - Suarez, Sturridge & Coutinho were all January buys.

I would agree with this, in particular to the top 4 finish not being a miracle. It's not because we haven't made it in the previous 3 seasons that we cannot make it now, this is what is called improvement and we are supposed to continuously improve. BR has been given stability which was not there prevoiusly, no manager got 2 seasons since Benitez.

+1

yes, BR is in some ways very lucky.

Rafa, much as I like him, always seemed to be in a fight with either a player or two, other managers, club officials. Perhaps the bias press made mor of it all just bcos it was Rafa, but it certainly gave us headaches. Then we had the Roy fiasco followed by Kenny's unfortunate stint.

So the club is sick and tired of disruptive change to the team management. added to the fact that the media give him such an easy ride, BR is very lucky to be given the time he has been. I hope he doesn't blow it.