The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Arne to Slot right in?

[Cúig huaire]

Lot of rumours doing the rounds over the weekend regarding Rafas future.
I was at the opening game of the season and I can safely say I never saw a more disjointed performance from Liverpool in my life. Didnt see last weeks win but if Liverpool keep performing like this then there will be more than rumours. I dont rate Benitez as a manager, he has done very little with Liverpool. You can argue all you want about the CL in 2005, but that was Houlliers team. Rafa made it clear in the run up to the 2008/9 season that he wanted to replace Alonso with Barry. He lost Alonso because of this and has not replaced him.
Liverpool are a lot like Down were last season, they are effectively managerless and the yanks are comparable to our county board.

[GalwayBayBoy]

You can argue all you want about the CL in 2005, but that was Houlliers team.

Makes it even more impressive if anything.

Rafa made it clear in the run up to the 2008/9 season that he wanted to replace Alonso with Barry. He lost Alonso because of this and has not replaced him.

While that seems like madness after Alonso's last season the thing is he had 2 very average seasons before that.

[Capt Pat]

Who would be the cover up front then?

No matter what way u dress it up, it's clueless.  FACHT   

Benayoun and Ngog would do as cover. Not ideal, but could that be any more clueless than Liverpool look right now?

Quite frankly, Voronin and Babel do not deserve to be considered as 'cover' for anyone. They are rubbish, and have always been rubbish as long as they have been at Anfield. Voronin has never done anything of note. Babel looked good for 20 minutes against Newcastle last season and won a penalty against Arsenal in the Champions League once. That's not good enough for the money that was lashed out for him. Usual nonsense tonight, trying to dribble past the whole team and trying ridiculous shots from distance.

And Kuyt? He works hard. That's all we ever hear about him. He's not top-drawer, either as a striker or as a winger. If Liverpool are not going to buy top-drawer, they're not going to win the Premiership.

The only point I disagree with there is Voronin is rubbish, you left out the "for Liverpool" bit. Sell him to Hertha Berlin who he was very good for and make some mney.

[stiffler]

I always thought last year was our best ever opportunity to win the premiership.

This team has lost its drive...compare it to the team that finished the season so strongly last year.

Rafa has made some big calls in the past few season with players;  Keane, Alonso, Crouch etc. The form of Aquliani could well make or break our season.

Seemed to lack creativity tonight, I also thought this was missing against spurs. Hard to see how we are gonna compete with chelsea at this stage, though all is not lost as of yet.

[J70]

In two sentences you've managed to write off the striker with the best goal per games ratio in the Premiership, while talking up a player who hasn't looked like a footballer for 3 years.

I said Duffer was cheap in relative terms, 4m I think? That's not bad value and could have been used in the squad.

If you come back with Torres stats versus say the big 5 teams last year, i.e Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Everton, and say Villa then you might have a point. Its against the big teams that counts not against the mediocre mid-table teams. Drogba and Ebdeyor are much more valuable players to have in a team rather than a light enough fella like Torres.

I think you should pay a bit more attention to the teams Torres scores against before coming out with shite like that.

[J70]

I think some of you need to get a grip. There's only three games gone and they're going through a bad patch. We heard the same panicky kneejerk shite last January when they hit a bad run and they got it together and came damn close in the end. Liverpool will be thereabouts at the end. Bad start yes, but there's 35 games to go. Give them a chance.

[GBXII]

I think some of you need to get a grip. There's only three games gone and they're going through a bad patch. We heard the same panicky kneejerk shite last January when they hit a bad run and they got it together and came damn close in the end. Liverpool will be thereabouts at the end. Bad start yes, but there's 35 games to go. Give them a chance.

Too right, I'm not even a Liverpool fan but the amount of ignorant crap written here is unbelievable. Theres only been 3 games played this season and people are making these huge sweeping statements about how one team or another is going to do. Wait a while and see how things pan out, the transfer window isn't even closed.

[brokencrossbar1]

I don't want to discuss tonite as it was a shame and I know J70 it is a bad patch but last year 2 games lost all season, this year 2 lost in 3 games.  I know Manure lost a few last year so there is hope, but there cannot be many more slips between now and the end of the season. 

What is clear though is that the Yanks have to put their hands in their pockets before the end of the window.  Babel, Vorinin, Dossena, maybe Lucas not good enough.  They might bring in £20 million in todays inflated market if a buyer could be found.  Road them, obviously Van Der Vaart has been touted as a possible.  There was talk too that Pandev from Lazio may be available cheap enough.  One year on his contract and seemingly handy enough.  I don't know but there is need for new attacking pl;ayers.  I know the defence have been shaky, but that will come good.  Johnson and Insua have been the better players so far this season. 

I don't know if there will be money but 2 new players are needed and if they don't come then it is goodbye League.

[orangeman]

2 losses in all of last season and 2 losses after 3 games. Not good.

[Chrisowc]

Individual errors costing goals and points at the minute.

You can't legislate for own goals.  They happen and in a way I feel sorry for Lucas because every time he seems to take one step forward he ends up taking 2 back.  In short, everything he touches turns to sh*t.

The other 2 goals lastnight were from errors from senior members of the squad who should know better.  Pepe lost the plot and should have been concentrating on defending his corner, not arguing with the ref.  As for Gerrard's challenge for the penalty.  Brutal.  Just when we were getting some momentum.

[Goats Do Shave]

I bet next year with 1 or 2 good signings, & another full eclipse & if Deirdre Barlow gets married again, & another president is assinated Liverpool will win the league! I'm sure of it!

[full back]

Another loss isnt a good sign for the scousers so early in the season.

Having now equalled the total amount of loses for the whole of last season is it safe to assume another loss & there will be no PL again?

Not that Utd have much room to gloat
I have already said I think Chelsea will win the league & by the looks of it by quite a few points.
Honestly cant see them dropping many points this season

[EC Unique]

Rafa's worst ever start to a premiership season. I feel sorry for Johnson. He looks sharp and is bursting himself. He must be wondering if he made the right choice at this stage? I said a couple of weeks ago that I thought Liverpool would struggle with the current squad and if Rafa does not/is not allowed to spend now then Liverpool will not finish top 4 as they will be too far behind by January window. 3 or 4 top quality players with the rest very average.

[blewuporstuffed]

the problem is when things arnt happening for the likes of gerard & torres (like last night) the players they have to bring on to change the game, like babel & vorinin just arent good enough.
i feel they need to clear out babel, vorinin & lucas and bring in a first choice winger and decent backup midfielder & striker.
at least then they would have someone like benny on the bench who is capable of changing things when introduced.
the plus points so far this season have beem johnson & insua, both have looked good and johnson seems to have settled straight away.
i would like to see a first choice team of,
reina
johnson,skertl,agger,insua
kuyt,aqualani,mascharano,silva/sjneider
gerard,torres

leaving a bench of
carragher,benayoun,van der vaart,aurellio, tuncay/gudjohson/negredo(what ever striker they bring in)

[Gunnergael]

Liverpool have the sixth best squad in the league.  Last year was an overperformance by Liverpool and it created unrealistic expectaion among fans and pundits alike.