The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[orangeman]

Horrible way to end up tonight. You have to feel sorry for the Liverpool players. Surely City can't get lose it now .

[Tony Baloney]

Horrible way to end up tonight. You have to feel sorry for the Liverpool players. Surely City can't get lose it now .

It will give Gerrard some sleepless nights that's for sure. Big turnaround within a fortnight.

[Shrewdness]

Galway Bay Boy, don't make a gobshite out of yourself. Anyone can see that Liverpool have possibly let this title slip when they had it in their own hands. You know that too.

[blewuporstuffed]

Well, thats that you would imagine.
Unbelievable to throw that game away last night, and to be honest, you cant expect to win the title losing a 3 goal lead with 11 minutes to go in the second last game of the season.

Rodgers overall has been fantastic this season, and has gotten almost every other call right during the year, but i feel his inexperience cost them last night. at 3-1, instead of chasing more goals, the attitude should have been right, we hold on to this win and shut up shop.
In his defence, the players at his disposal to do this were very limited, especially with Henderson unavailable, but there is no way CP should have been allowed back into the game.
In a game like that you look to your experienced senior players, and i have to say, as the only player at the club with a  premier league medal, Glen johnson was shocking and can take major blame for all 3 palace goals.Sums up his season really and is one position that needs looked at in the summer.

Despite what alot of united fans would like to think, this has been a fantastic season for Liverpool. They have went from also rans in the PL to a team still in contention in the last day of the season for the title.
Admittedly it is hugely disappointing that they couldn't see it out, but there is certainly alot to build on this year.
Some of the young players uncovered have been superb in sterling & flanagan, Suarez has shown he truly is world class, Sturridge has scored over 20 league goals, Gerrard has shown there is a few years left in him yet.
It has also highlighted the big holes in the squad and the defensive problems which need addressed going into next season.

[seafoid]

Liverpool is all about romance but they spend half as much on player salaries than Man City 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/18/premier-league-finances-club-by-club

[Mikhailov]

Laoislad, why are you unable to write anything without bringing United into it. You seem obsessed with our wonderful club. Liverpool fans might try to delude themselves that they've had a ''great'' season, and i suppose by their normal season flops, they have. But make no mistake about it, if they don't win the title, it will be because they bottled it. Before the Chelsea game, they had it in their own hands to win the title. Tonights collapse will haunt them for years if they don't win the title. After their last 2 games, when great players should stand up and be counted, Liverpool have been exposed.

Is this the same type of 'bottled it' that happened Manure in 2011 when they were 8 clear of City with only 4 games left and still blew it - where were you great leaders & legends in that period... also remember United throwing away a 13 point lead to Arsenal in recent years as well and then when a point will do it let the Gooners win at the 0-3 arena via an Overmars goal.

[johnneycool]

Did Glen Johnston get out of that changing room alive last night? WTF was he thinking??

A good boot up the hole for that one.

[EC Unique]

Laoislad, why are you unable to write anything without bringing United into it. You seem obsessed with our wonderful club. Liverpool fans might try to delude themselves that they've had a ''great'' season, and i suppose by their normal season flops, they have. But make no mistake about it, if they don't win the title, it will be because they bottled it. Before the Chelsea game, they had it in their own hands to win the title. Tonights collapse will haunt them for years if they don't win the title. After their last 2 games, when great players should stand up and be counted, Liverpool have been exposed.

Is this the same type of 'bottled it' that happened Manure in 2011 when they were 8 clear of City with only 4 games left and still blew it - where were you great leaders & legends in that period... also remember United throwing away a 13 point lead to Arsenal in recent years as well and then when a point will do it let the Gooners win at the 0-3 arena via an Overmars goal.

Winning the thing the season before and indeed the season after eased the pain some what!

[Bingo]

Still hard to get the head round that one. Kinda summed up the season and the title challenge.

It was gutting to say the least, while after the Chelsea game, winning it was going to be a tall order, you still had a small hope that something could happen. Last night was just a kick in the stones and put all thoughts of winning it to one side.

First 75 minutes was perfect, looked dangerous going forward, dominating possession and comfortable at the back. Then wallop.

Suarez's reaction said it all.

Roll on next Sunday and it will be all be put to bed.

[Armamike]

Did Glen Johnston get out of that changing room alive last night? WTF was he thinking??

A good boot up the hole for that one.

He has been poor all season, especially defensively.  He could get the odd roasting at the world cup.

[deiseach]

I see the official Spurs Twitter feed was a wee bit naughty last night. Funny stuff - although not necessarily in the way they intended.

[AZOffaly]

Sin mar a bhfuil é. Very disappointing last night, and to be honest unacceptable. A complete brain fart by Rodgers I think, and shocking stuff from Glen Johnson and Skrtel when you needed some leadership. I suppose, as we have been saying all season, we were just not quite good enough to get there, and defensive madness like that is just not going to do the job. I would never say that losing to Chelsea was 'bottling' it, as that game was a game that could have played out in a couple of ways, and the individual error was vital. But last night was absolutely a blown chance, and the players and management have to accept that, and learn from it. As soon as Palace score the second, the writing was on the wall, and Glen Johnson should be ashamed of his 'effort' at blocking Deleaney's shot for the first. Leadership was a real problem in those panicked 20 minutes, and when things start to go against you you need you experienced players to stand up, but every one of them seemed to shrink into themselves. By the way, I thought Coutinho was shocking when he came on as well. People talk about blown titles, and I disagree, but last night was a blown opportunity for 3 points, and would have been brutal at any stage of the season. To do it when you might be putting pressure on City was unforgivable. I could understand (maybe) if the team failed to come back from the Chelsea defeat and put in a flat performance, but they handled that fine. 3-0 up and cruising with other chances and I was thinking 'fair play to them, they've shown a great bounce back here'.  So the last 20 minutes had nothing to do with Chelsea, and everything to do with a panicked collapse due to a complete lack of confidence in the defensive side of the game, which has been an issue (and a known issue) all season.

So if it's over, then fair play to Man City, they have a great squad and play nice soccer.

That all being said, I think we need to contextualise the whole season. Look back on our posts from the summer, and juxtapose them with the position now. By any standards that is a successful season, and serious progress. But that's what it is, one good season, progress, and good footing for continuing to progress. Rodgers has done a phenomenal job, but it will need to be backed up, and I think everyone is aware that the squad needs to be strengthened, and the first team also needs a bit of quality at the back. The squad is threadbare, and to have lost Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard and others for long stretches, and still have had such a brilliant run to haul in the leaders was a great, great performance. To be bringing on Victor Moses in a big situation like last night shows how thin the squad is. Moses had checked out of this season about 5 months ago. So, a great season, a brilliant run and a great team to watch (albeit heart stopping), but as all the lads slagging now have pointed out, next season is a brand new start, and we need to get far stronger in certain areas, because the likes of United, Arsenal, Chelsea and City will. I'm encouraged though, because not only do I think we have a chance to buy some quality now, but I also think Rodgers philosophy is a good one, and he has still got scope to improve the players he already has. Sterling, Sturridge, Henderson, Coutinho, Flanagan, Allen etc. Gerrard won't improve much at this stage obviously, and while he is there, Lucas is a fish out of water, but a bit more money, together with the confidence that they can compete for a title, plus even more time for Rodgers to refine things, and Liverpool will be fine.

They say you have to lose one to win one

[blewuporstuffed]

The core of a really really good team is there but the depth of the squad needs addressing.
Rodgers is talking about 5 or 6 in and i think he is right as there are 3/4 who need to go the other way.
If he can bring in upgrades on those players going out and add a couple more players with quality, then there is something to work with.

Moses will go,so should Aspas & Coates.
As much as it pains me to say it, i would get rid of Lucas and Agger too and these are the two positions were the upgrades need to be really top class players.

Kelly is another one who would probably benefit from moving on and could bring in a few quid.

Glen johnson should be moved on.
He is one of the top earners in the club and the reason you pay players like that big money is for their experience & leadership and as demonstrated last night, he isnt offering either of those sufficiently at the minute.

Suso & wisdom will be back from loan and hopefully will have progressed enough to strengthen the squad so that might balance some of that out.

When you write that all down it seems like major surgery for a squad that will most likely finish second in the PL, but in order to compete again next year, alongside a CL campaign alot of work needs done over the summer.

[North Longford]

Poor laoislad was accused of obsession....think if you check this out you'll get another great example. ..http://www.redcafe.net/

Listening to Rodgers today he doesn't seem to have instructed them to keep pushing and I reckon they would have been delighted with 3 nil before it started.  The 2 goals so quickly was in hindsight probably a bad thing as the plan that a win was enough got overtaken by the mistaken belief that they could score at will. Staying at 2 nil for 15 mins would have more likely ended in a 2 nil or 3 nil win. Anyway certain andy carroll is goin to bury a header from a downing cross next sunday......just hope its a last minute winner! !

[Billys Boots]

Was just talking with a Liverpool fan on Friday night for a few pints and we agreed that (should Liverpool win the title) it would have been the worst defence to have ever done so.  Dimichelis would be a first choice if he were in the Liverpool squad - all season long.