|
|
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,813
Under 23 Player
|
|
Under 23 Player
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,813 |
results at the weekend have certainly re-ignited my optimism for top four this season when a couple of months ago i was more or less ready to write it off completely.
credit to rodgers for turning it around.
there are so many teams struggling for consistency this year so maybe it could go down to the wire. if the return of sturridge helps add more goals to our game and counter acts the amount of errors we make at the back then theres no reason why we can't make it, even possibly make a case for 3rd.
arsenal, spurs, united all looking dodgy and in my experience, teams like southampton who are the surprise package tend to drop off after christmas. similar to how newcastle did a couple of years ago. i'd be surprised if they kept it up all season. Oh my  When you think about it, it's not actually too far away from us. The odd goal here or there, which Sturridge is more than capable of bringing, could well see us at least 8 or 9 points better off, which would plonk us in 3rd place. It's perfectly reasonable to think that he could have got us winners against everton, hull and/or sunderland. As far as I know, we are the only large club who has their best player on his way back, meaning a definite improvement is almost certainly on the cards. As has been pointed out, only 2 teams have shown title winning form and they are more or less out of sight - everyone else has had ups & downs and not been anywhere near good enough.....none of the CL challengers are very far away from us. Arsenal are 4pts ahead and Utd are 5pts ahead. In all likelihood 3rd & 4th place will be occupied by arsenal, utd or liverpool. Don't give up just yet....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926
Liverpool Legend
|
|
Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926 |
results at the weekend have certainly re-ignited my optimism for top four this season when a couple of months ago i was more or less ready to write it off completely.
credit to rodgers for turning it around.
there are so many teams struggling for consistency this year so maybe it could go down to the wire. if the return of sturridge helps add more goals to our game and counter acts the amount of errors we make at the back then theres no reason why we can't make it, even possibly make a case for 3rd.
arsenal, spurs, united all looking dodgy and in my experience, teams like southampton who are the surprise package tend to drop off after christmas. similar to how newcastle did a couple of years ago. i'd be surprised if they kept it up all season. Oh my When you think about it, it's not actually too far away from us. The odd goal here or there, which Sturridge is more than capable of bringing, could well see us at least 8 or 9 points better off, which would plonk us in 3rd place. It's perfectly reasonable to think that he could have got us winners against everton, hull and/or sunderland. As far as I know, we are the only large club who has their best player on his way back, meaning a definite improvement is almost certainly on the cards. As has been pointed out, only 2 teams have shown title winning form and they are more or less out of sight - everyone else has had ups & downs and not been anywhere near good enough.....none of the CL challengers are very far away from us. Arsenal are 4pts ahead and Utd are 5pts ahead. In all likelihood 3rd & 4th place will be occupied by arsenal, utd or liverpool. Don't give up just yet.... It's always good to hope I suppose
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,243
Under 23 Player
|
|
Under 23 Player
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,243 |
Honestly, Arsenal have been the least convincing of the usual big boys to me. I'm more worried about Southampton than them, really. and personally i think from most seasons gone by the surprise package of the league usually tends to drop off after christmas. southampton are a really good side, but do you honestly think they'll finish where they are now come the end of the season?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 8,564
1st Team Squad
|
|
1st Team Squad
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 8,564 |
Stranger things have happened. Weren't we the surprise package last season? We didn't win the title, but we definitely stayed in the top 4. They've been solid at the back and deadly going forward, and much more consistent than us, United, Spurs, or Arsenal. A couple of their losses were unfortunate as well. They deserved to beat us and United in the first half of the season.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,205
1st Team Squad
|
|
1st Team Squad
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,205 |
Honestly, Arsenal have been the least convincing of the usual big boys to me. I'm more worried about Southampton than them, really. and personally i think from most seasons gone by the surprise package of the league usually tends to drop off after christmas. southampton are a really good side, but do you honestly think they'll finish where they are now come the end of the season? Thing is, the big boys aren't usually as weak as they are right now so this season might throw up a few surprises. From what I've seen this year of us, Utd & Arsenal - I would put my money on Arsenal finishing third this season. Utd may have more points and we may be only 4 pts behind the Gunners, but the Goons actually look a decent side - just not getting the results they deserve. Liverpool and Utd are pretty much where they should be, points wise. I think the points will be close between City & Chelsea for first & second - points totals just as close between Arsenal, Southampton, Utd & Liverpool for 3rd through 6th... 1) City 2) Chelsea 3) Arsenal 4) Southampton 5) Utd 6) Liverpool
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595
1st Team Squad
|
|
1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595 |
Honestly, Arsenal have been the least convincing of the usual big boys to me. I'm more worried about Southampton than them, really. and personally i think from most seasons gone by the surprise package of the league usually tends to drop off after christmas. southampton are a really good side, but do you honestly think they'll finish where they are now come the end of the season? I’d love to have confidence, but the best I can muster is hope, as you’ve so eloquently put it, its possible, and given the way we’ve performed this season who would have thought it would still be possible at this point? So yes theres hope. I agree Southampton will likely fall away as the season progresses, an injury here, an suspension there, fatigue creeping in and so on, will likely see to that. The question remains will we strengthen in January? Goalkeeper? Striker? Defense? and then what will the likes of United do? Will they invest in top drawer quality again? Lot’s and lot’s of question marks still. And then if we dont strengthen, how long will it take Sturridge to regain top form? So all things considered, it”s hope for me with very little confidence, sadly.
Last edited by Hercules/AF 58; 13/01/15 08:49 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,746
Under 23 Player
|
|
Under 23 Player
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,746 |
Arsenal as usual are susceptible to any side that goes at them like Southampton have and to some extent so did we.
Their biggest weakness for years has been a keeper who can be relied upon 100%. Szechny no better than Mignolet really. If they had a Cech or de Gea they would be very difficult to beat.
It is amazing to think that we are still within striking distance but we need another couple of weekends like the last one whilst still doing our bit. We have to earn it not try and run through beaten horses because at least one of those ahead will stay ahead.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,243
Under 23 Player
|
|
Under 23 Player
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,243 |
Stranger things have happened. Weren't we the surprise package last season? We didn't win the title, but we definitely stayed in the top 4. They've been solid at the back and deadly going forward, and much more consistent than us, United, Spurs, or Arsenal. A couple of their losses were unfortunate as well. They deserved to beat us and United in the first half of the season. they do look a good side. but usually once suspensions and injuries come into play these teams tend to struggle. like newcastle did a few years ago with Ba, Cissé, Cabaye etc. you could say we were the surprise package last season. but we had a world class forward already accustomed to the premier league playing alongside another top striker in sturridge tearing defences apart for fun. majority of the games southampton have won have been from very small margins (apart from an 8-0 win against sunderland) whereas we were putting 3 or 4 past most of the top clubs in the league. i think we're more than capable of over powering teams in a similar fashion to last season when sturridge comes back. hopefully we can step up and prove we belong in the top four
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,278
1st Team Squad
|
|
1st Team Squad
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,278 |
I hope those ten goals Danny might score
Are Last min winners ..all abt 3pts
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,381
Under 23 Player
|
|
Under 23 Player
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,381 |
Honestly, Arsenal have been the least convincing of the usual big boys to me. I'm more worried about Southampton than them, really. and personally i think from most seasons gone by the surprise package of the league usually tends to drop off after christmas. southampton are a really good side, but do you honestly think they'll finish where they are now come the end of the season? Thing is, the big boys aren't usually as weak as they are right now so this season might throw up a few surprises. From what I've seen this year of us, Utd & Arsenal - I would put my money on Arsenal finishing third this season. Utd may have more points and we may be only 4 pts behind the Gunners, but the Goons actually look a decent side - just not getting the results they deserve. Liverpool and Utd are pretty much where they should be, points wise. I think the points will be close between City & Chelsea for first & second - points totals just as close between Arsenal, Southampton, Utd & Liverpool for 3rd through 6th... 1) City 2) Chelsea 3) Arsenal 4) Southampton 5) Utd 6) Liverpool Really good points made here, I would swap Utd and Southampton round but other than that I'd say pretty much spot on. I think we will be "touching distance" as every likes to say until seasons end, probs within 2 games worth of points of getting top 4 which will keep Rodgers his job and some fans thinking we can do it next year with the right additions in the summer. But of course with this committee they will be ludicrous choices that won't help like they havent for the past 3 years on the whole. I'm not sure this is what Gerrard meant by 'we go again'.
|
|
|
|
|
