Author Topic: It's just a battle for the order of the first 4 spots now between 5 teams...  (Read 554841 times)

Offline owens_2k

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2920 on: February 25, 2014, 12:25:04 am »
Yes. That would be the expensively assembled City with Hart, Aguero, Balotelli, Toure, Silva, Nasri, Kompany, Zabaleta, Dzeko, Zabaleta and Tevez, managed by the Serie A winning Roberto Mancini.

United are managed by David Moyes.
zabaletta so good you named him twice!

Offline PhaseOfPlay

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2921 on: February 25, 2014, 12:25:48 am »
zabaletta so good you named him twice!

He played two positions :D
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Offline SquirrelandGman

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2922 on: February 25, 2014, 12:27:57 am »
If we win this.. would it be bigger than istanbul?

me thinks so.

Offline TheDarkKnight

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2923 on: February 25, 2014, 12:50:16 am »
Roaring at the fact that some people on here are concerned Man Utd may win the Champions League.

It's like these guys don't consider just who they could up against in the Quarter Final, should they get there. Bayern Munich? Best team on the planet, only perhaps van Persie or Rooney would get in to their side and even that is debatable. Barcelona? Still a world class team. Real Madrid? Absolutely flying at the moment. Ronaldo and Bale alone would cause carnage to Man Utd, but if that's not enough then check out the Real midfield in comparison to United's. PSG? A ridiculously good attack, the world's best defender, a midfield stronger than that of United's. Dortmund? Superior in most departments. Atletico? A very well oiled machine. Chelsea? Managed by a man who has won the Champions League twice and boasts a very impressive record against United. I could go on and on.

That's even if they manage to get past Olympiakos. They should, because the Greeks have sold their two best attacking players (Mitroglou and Weiss), but it's not beyond the realms of possibility United go out at this stage with David Moyes in charge.

To even compare their chances to ours in 2005 is insane in itself. We had a great manager, one of the best tactical minds in the game, a solid defence, two of the best midfielders around and a big game forward in the form of Luis Garcia. This United side has a man in charge whose record against big clubs is utterly diabolical. Their defence has players who are either past it or young and not all that. Midfield is, as everyone knows, a complete mess. Attack, top drawer I'll grant you, but can you really see them getting the ball up to Rooney and van Persie against the likes of Bayern and Barca? They'd do well to surpass 30% possession against those sides.

There isn't zero chance of them winning the competition, it would be foolish to say that, but they are incredibly unlikely to do so that it's not worth thinking about unless they somehow spawn their way to the semi-finals. There's actually more chance of them finishing 4th than of them winning the European Cup this season in my opinion, and the chances of that happening are ridiculously slim as it is.

So chill.

Offline ElstonGunn

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2924 on: February 25, 2014, 12:56:48 am »
Haven't read any of the posts since Swansea, but as I've been saying for a few weeks, the race for 4th place is over. We're 6 points ahead of our nearest rivals (people seem to underrate how big a gap that is at this point in the season, but it's HUGE), and we're, by virtually every measure, simply on another level quality-wise from Sherwood's Spurs. Our job now is to overtake those above us.

Offline Red_Rich

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2925 on: February 25, 2014, 01:12:49 am »
We could be 21 points clear with 7 games to go and you'd still be telling us they could over take us ;)

 ;D

Seriously though, out of the 12 games we have left, how many do you think we can win....?

Before the Fulham game I said this and I'm going to stick to it ...

W9  D2  L2  .... of our remaining

So now it's  W7  D2  L2  of our last 11 games.
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Offline Hij

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2926 on: February 25, 2014, 01:57:31 am »
;D

Before the Fulham game I said this and I'm going to stick to it ...

So now it's  W7  D2  L2  of our last 11 games.

That's actually fairly positive! Would give us 79 points.

Tottenham would have to W9 D2 to match that, and their goal difference still wouldn't beat it. So W10 D1 it is. Man U and Everton can't catch us if we go by your run of form!
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Offline Juan Loco

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2927 on: February 25, 2014, 02:04:44 am »
Haven't read any of the posts since Swansea, but as I've been saying for a few weeks, the race for 4th place is over. We're 6 points ahead of our nearest rivals (people seem to underrate how big a gap that is at this point in the season, but it's HUGE), and we're, by virtually every measure, simply on another level quality-wise from Sherwood's Spurs. Our job now is to overtake those above us.

United and Spurs fans are now doing the sort of thing people on here have been doing the past X years. Looking 5 fixtures down the line and building up these ideas of "well if they only get 2 points from the next 12..." or "if we get 13 from 15...".

Let's get this right kids - statistically we've been closer to the three sides above us than we have the teams 'competing for 4th'. "Oh, but stats don't tell you the whole picture, you can twist them however you want". Well, "the league table doesn't lie" and all that nonsense. We're 6 points ahead of anyone else competing for 4th. That's 6 points with a +32 goal difference on Spurs. That's a three game swing over eleven games. Spurs, the closest challenger for 4th, need us to drop points in 3 more games than them between now and the end of the season. Everton need us to drop points in 3 more games than them between now and the end of the season. Manchester United need us to lose four more games than them. Over the next 11. Not draw. Lose. Do you know how many we've lost this season? 5. Do you know how many league games we've lost since the start of 2013? 8 in 45. I'll go back even further. Since United won at Anfield last season on the 23rd of September 2012, we've lost 10 games. Out of 60 in the league. That's not with Sturridge or Coutinho. That's Rodgers record besides the first 5 games. We aren't an easy team to beat. Haven't been in a long fucking time. More than long enough to say it's part of the Brendan Rodgers Liverpool DNA, not a streak. We've lost one set of back-to-back fixtures under Rodgers, and they were away to City and Chelsea. But hey, we must be fucking due a collapse, because that's what piss-pants logic dictates, right?

There is literally fucking nothing suggesting we're in a race for 4th instead of a title. I'm not even attempting to be an arrogant dickhead about it. It's just the only thing saying that is fucking cowards logic.

Practically every decent statistical model has us nailed on for top four. Our goal difference (usually a decent indicator) is 2nd best in the league. We're the only team to have kept even remotely within touching distance of City's goalscoring. This Liverpool team had scored more goals after 25 games than any of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal teams had. More than any of Ferguson's league winning teams had. More than any of Chelsea's teams. More than Keegan's Newcastle, more than fucking London club or Keegan's Newcastle. More than the 87-88 team. We're not lucky to be where we are. We're closer to the top than we are to anyone who thinks they're in a 'race for 4th'. We've been picking up 2 points a game steady enough for long over a year now. With Suarez, without Suarez. With Sturridge, without Sturridge. The only thing that doesn't look 'title contenders' about us is our defensive record. And y'know what? It's roughly in the same ball park as United's and Spurs' ones. Not that it fucking matters, because no team below us in the league has scored more than our front 3, never mind the rest of the team.

I'll just say this to end:

If the league had started January 1st 2014, we'd be top.

On December 25 2013, we were top.

Here's a fucking thought for you - maybe we are in a false position. But maybe it's not because we're 'due' to slip up or United or Spurs are ready to pounce and hanging in there. Maybe it's because we were unlucky having the two toughest fixtures in the calender back-to-back, over 3 days, during the most congested period in the calender? Maybe that's it. Because we were top of the league before those two games to the bankrolled pair. We're top of the form league since those two games. Maybe we are in a false position after all...

Or fucking maybe, just maybe I should be scared of the name of other clubs, or guard against optimism lest I look foolish for actually being bullish about what is one of the best teams in the country, whether you want to measure by form, underlining statistics, the league table, basic common sense gleaned from watching matches or anything else that isn't piss-pants cowards logic because you're scared to fail and think your posts on here matter a jot about what will happen between now and the end of the season.
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Offline CraigDS

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2928 on: February 25, 2014, 02:08:34 am »
^^ great post

Offline Haemoglobin

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2929 on: February 25, 2014, 02:12:07 am »
If we win this.. would it be bigger than istanbul?

me thinks so.
The European Cup is the pinnacle, and the way we won that one to keep the trophy will never, ever be eclipsed.

But our very first Premier League title? A 38-game marathon, with a ridiculously thin squad, up against some of the oil-richest clubs in world football, having finished barely above midtable for four consecutive seasons prior? As an achievement, it would be beyond absurd.


Whatever happens this year, we know we can compete next.
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Offline CraigDS

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2930 on: February 25, 2014, 02:13:43 am »
Only our match with them looks like one where they wouldn't be favored coming into the fixture.  Of course, Spurs and Arsenal might cause them problems, but overall its a reasonable schedule for them, with 4 points on us.

Of course, the way we are scoring we could just as well near run the table....

We've got to beat them and City at Anfield, we do that and its 1 point from the both of them with 10 games to make it up counting from now (presuming City win the game in hand).

Offline Hij

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Offline EmotionalCitrus

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Offline Hij

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2933 on: February 25, 2014, 02:35:38 am »
This Liverpool team had scored more goals after 25 games than any of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal teams had. More than any of Ferguson's league winning teams had. More than any of Chelsea's teams. More than Keegan's Newcastle, more than fucking London club or Keegan's Newcastle.

I didn't know all of these were true either!
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Offline Juan Loco

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2934 on: February 25, 2014, 02:38:36 am »
I didn't know all of these were true either!

Yup. Both Newcastles.

And London Club (which I may just start calling Spurs anyways, 'cos they're so fucking Landaaahn).
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Offline Gifted Right Foot

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Offline Juan Loco

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2936 on: February 25, 2014, 02:44:08 am »
Yeah, but he's only doing that because the Everton game was cancelled. Keeps us ahead in the race for fourth.
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Offline Noelle

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2937 on: February 25, 2014, 02:46:28 am »
...

Hopping on the great post bandwagon. Pretty much sums up anything I could possibly say on the matter, but going to anyway because I like to hear myself talk obviously.

It's a wee bit nuts but we are legitimately title challengers right now. Outside shot, maybe, relative to Chelsea and City (the latter of whom have that tricky game in hand and have also been crazy good this year). Not so much Arsenal at this point in time I'd say, but okay, maybe them too. Fair enough. But we're there. If we screw this up now it's not because of bad refs or anything like that. It's because we screwed it up by ourselves, for ourselves. Go out there and twat Southampton, then steamroll the rest of them. It's ours for the taking. Go take it. Talking about "challening for top four" or whatever atm is missing the damn point. (Also worth noting if we maintain our current new year's PPG over the last run of games, that's another 27.5 (so we'll cheat & round up to 28) pts. So even if we just maintain the level we've been at since January, we're looking at 84 pts this year; while if Chelsea, Arsenal, and City maintained theirs they'd be on 88, 82, and 84 respectively. So we could be looking at 2nd/3rd even if we just maintain our current level). Top four is there. It's over. Bigger and better things await us.

Offline CRAZY HORSE EMLYN

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2938 on: February 25, 2014, 02:46:32 am »
Juan Loco, great post.

Haemogoblin, next year I've already started thinking / worrying about… about how this might be our best opportunity before others around us strengthen. But now I'll refer to that as 'piss-pants cowards logic' :)

Offline elpistolero7

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2939 on: February 25, 2014, 02:48:17 am »
Meh, that gif will be nothing compared to the one showing Gerrard's celebration when he rips one in from 40 yards at home to Chelsea.
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Offline elpistolero7

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2940 on: February 25, 2014, 02:50:44 am »
United and Spurs fans are now doing the sort of thing people on here have been doing the past X years. Looking 5 fixtures down the line and building up these ideas of "well if they only get 2 points from the next 12..." or "if we get 13 from 15...".

Let's get this right kids - statistically we've been closer to the three sides above us than we have the teams 'competing for 4th'. "Oh, but stats don't tell you the whole picture, you can twist them however you want". Well, "the league table doesn't lie" and all that nonsense. We're 6 points ahead of anyone else competing for 4th. That's 6 points with a +32 goal difference on Spurs. That's a three game swing over eleven games. Spurs, the closest challenger for 4th, need us to drop points in 3 more games than them between now and the end of the season. Everton need us to drop points in 3 more games than them between now and the end of the season. Manchester United need us to lose four more games than them. Over the next 11. Not draw. Lose. Do you know how many we've lost this season? 5. Do you know how many league games we've lost since the start of 2013? 8 in 45. I'll go back even further. Since United won at Anfield last season on the 23rd of September 2012, we've lost 10 games. Out of 60 in the league. That's not with Sturridge or Coutinho. That's Rodgers record besides the first 5 games. We aren't an easy team to beat. Haven't been in a long fucking time. More than long enough to say it's part of the Brendan Rodgers Liverpool DNA, not a streak. We've lost one set of back-to-back fixtures under Rodgers, and they were away to City and Chelsea. But hey, we must be fucking due a collapse, because that's what piss-pants logic dictates, right?

There is literally fucking nothing suggesting we're in a race for 4th instead of a title. I'm not even attempting to be an arrogant dickhead about it. It's just the only thing saying that is fucking cowards logic.

Practically every decent statistical model has us nailed on for top four. Our goal difference (usually a decent indicator) is 2nd best in the league. We're the only team to have kept even remotely within touching distance of City's goalscoring. This Liverpool team had scored more goals after 25 games than any of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal teams had. More than any of Ferguson's league winning teams had. More than any of Chelsea's teams. More than Keegan's Newcastle, more than fucking London club or Keegan's Newcastle. More than the 87-88 team. We're not lucky to be where we are. We're closer to the top than we are to anyone who thinks they're in a 'race for 4th'. We've been picking up 2 points a game steady enough for long over a year now. With Suarez, without Suarez. With Sturridge, without Sturridge. The only thing that doesn't look 'title contenders' about us is our defensive record. And y'know what? It's roughly in the same ball park as United's and Spurs' ones. Not that it fucking matters, because no team below us in the league has scored more than our front 3, never mind the rest of the team.

I'll just say this to end:

If the league had started January 1st 2014, we'd be top.

On December 25 2013, we were top.

Here's a fucking thought for you - maybe we are in a false position. But maybe it's not because we're 'due' to slip up or United or Spurs are ready to pounce and hanging in there. Maybe it's because we were unlucky having the two toughest fixtures in the calender back-to-back, over 3 days, during the most congested period in the calender? Maybe that's it. Because we were top of the league before those two games to the bankrolled pair. We're top of the form league since those two games. Maybe we are in a false position after all...

Or fucking maybe, just maybe I should be scared of the name of other clubs, or guard against optimism lest I look foolish for actually being bullish about what is one of the best teams in the country, whether you want to measure by form, underlining statistics, the league table, basic common sense gleaned from watching matches or anything else that isn't piss-pants cowards logic because you're scared to fail and think your posts on here matter a jot about what will happen between now and the end of the season.

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Offline Po The Panda

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2941 on: February 25, 2014, 02:54:56 am »
Juan Loco, great post.

Haemogoblin, next year I've already started thinking / worrying about… about how this might be our best opportunity before others around us strengthen. But now I'll refer to that as 'piss-pants cowards logic' :)
I'm sure they are just as worried about us getting stronger  :)

Offline RoshanA

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2942 on: February 25, 2014, 02:57:08 am »
Chelsea's last minute goal against Everton is a massive blow to our hope of catching Chelsea.

While i do hope/believe they'll drop points ... i also believe we will too.

We just have to keep within that 6 point range before they meet us.

Then we have City to deal with as well. And they'll likely have no Champions League to distract them, Augero back, so they're looking strong too.

You do wonder how we would have fared had we had Sturridge available for those two games against Chelsea and City.

Offline Haemoglobin

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2943 on: February 25, 2014, 02:59:03 am »
Juan Loco, great post.

Haemogoblin, next year I've already started thinking / worrying about… about how this might be our best opportunity before others around us strengthen. But now I'll refer to that as 'piss-pants cowards logic' :)
Mate, I'm just as fucking pumped for next year as Juan is for this.


Of course, we could always play silly beggars in the transfer market and fail to capitalise, or even weaken. But to hell with that shit - I'm imagining we augment what we've got here, lose none of our best, and then ramp it up a notch, whatever the fuck the others do. Our attack does not look like a bunch of expensive footballers just thrown together, in fact at times it looks like they were born to do this together in the same side, and it took LFC to make it happen.

I'm a little tipsy right now, but really, I'm drunk on this team (or roughly just under two thirds of it!).
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Offline bailey90

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2944 on: February 25, 2014, 03:01:57 am »


I like how Henderson is practically stood next to Stevie by the time the ball hits the net.
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Offline Hij

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2945 on: February 25, 2014, 03:02:31 am »
Chelsea's last minute goal against Everton is a massive blow to our hope of catching Chelsea.

I know. They fail to score there and Toure doesn't do that pass.... we're ahead of them :(

But for every Toure mistake we can remember Mignolet saving a penalty to protect 2 points, I think our total is perhaps fair, but I'll always look back on the shit reffing at Chelsea/Man City specifically because we deserved 2 additional points for those, and them to both have lost 2 points. Would be 1 point separating us/Arsenal and Chelsea then 59/58/58, Man City on 55 with a game in hand.

I fucking hate Howard Webb.

Then again, if we do it despite that, I'm booking the first train to Liverpool and getting absolutely bladdered
« Last Edit: February 25, 2014, 03:06:07 am by Hij »
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Offline Hij

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2946 on: February 25, 2014, 03:05:17 am »
I like how Henderson is practically stood next to Stevie by the time the ball hits the net.

Quite a good idea in terms of rebounds to run from far as the penalty taker is running actually, so you're ahead of pretty much everyone if it rebounds, never thought of that before.
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Offline PhaseOfPlay

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2947 on: February 25, 2014, 03:07:45 am »
Big picture thinking


Whether we do or don't this season - NEXT season we are already building towards another challenge.

Other teams can strengthen all they want. They can only put 11 players on the pitch at any one time, and field 14 in total in any one game. If we can gather together a top notch 15 players, plus the youth and reserves, we will be in as much a position as anyone else considered a "contender".

It's all in the coaching, people. Skillful football with an iron will, smart transfers and intelligent leadership will always compete with big money. Wenger showed that in 98 and 02 and 04.
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Offline Haemoglobin

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2948 on: February 25, 2014, 03:09:00 am »
Well as for Chelsea, we need only better their remaining results by a single point, and then beat them at our place. No mean feat, no, I do get that, but it isn't putting a man on the moon either. Eminently doable if we keep our shit together.
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Offline Juan Loco

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2949 on: February 25, 2014, 03:11:00 am »
If we can gather together a top notch 15 players, plus the youth and reserves, we will be in as much a position as anyone else considered a "contender".

You genuinely think that few? I think the sweet spot is around 18, providing they're versatile (and hey ho, ours bloody well are). 15 and you end up in a situation like we still get now where one injury can leave you with a weak or non-existent bench other than those youth and reserves.
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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2950 on: February 25, 2014, 03:13:41 am »
You genuinely think that few? I think the sweet spot is around 18, providing they're versatile (and hey ho, ours bloody well are). 15 and you end up in a situation like we still get now where one injury can leave you with a weak or non-existent bench other than those youth and reserves.

I meant to add that you need a bit of luck and good planning with injuries, sorry :)

But all else being equal, in terms of having a team capable of getting 25+ wins over 38 games, you only need to be able to field your maximum allocation of players in a game without a drop off in quality. Most teams don't even have 5 quality players. If we had 15/16, plus youth/reserves, we would be in a great position to challenge for the league. We would probably not do as well in the Champions League though.
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Offline Juan Loco

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2951 on: February 25, 2014, 03:21:48 am »
I meant to add that you need a bit of luck and good planning with injuries, sorry :)

But all else being equal, in terms of having a team capable of getting 25+ wins over 38 games, you only need to be able to field your maximum allocation of players in a game without a drop off in quality. Most teams don't even have 5 quality players. If we had 15/16, plus youth/reserves, we would be in a great position to challenge for the league. We would probably not do as well in the Champions League though.

Danger of getting into semantics over what constitutes 'quality' or not here. I'd say at the moment we have 12-14. I thinking in terms of players of Allen's standard where, if he'd started ahead of any of the 3 midfielders yesterday, I wouldn't have been unhappy. If he's on the bench, I'm not unhappy. Players who are interchangeable without a noticeable drop off in class. I'd argue the greatest need is for another one of those options up front though, because right now Joe Allen is our option for changing a midfield or an attack. Whether that's due to altering a formation like Arsenal last week when Henderson came on or at West Brom, or pushing Coutinho forward, like against Swansea.

... I was thinking 18 in terms of actually being good in Europe as well though ;) I think that's roughly around what Bayern have got (but you'd be hard pressed to match their tactical options with that few players).
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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2952 on: February 25, 2014, 03:30:07 am »
I was thinking 18 in terms of actually being good in Europe as well though ;) I think that's roughly around what Bayern have got (but you'd be hard pressed to match their tactical options with that few players).

Bayern have 20 I'd say, with Pizarro and Badstuber counting.

But their top 15 are all absolutely remarkable. In a higher tier. And at the present time, we only have Suarez and Sturridge who'd get into their team.

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2953 on: February 25, 2014, 03:31:45 am »
Well as for Chelsea, we need only better their remaining results by a single point, and then beat them at our place. No mean feat, no, I do get that, but it isn't putting a man on the moon either. Eminently doable if we keep our shit together.

I'm not sure if you mean to be able to win the thing - this would put us above Chelsea, but it would also have to,be more than Arsenal and City to finish top.

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2954 on: February 25, 2014, 03:46:31 am »
Chelsea's last minute goal against Everton is a massive blow to our hope of catching Chelsea.

While i do hope/believe they'll drop points ... i also believe we will too.

We just have to keep within that 6 point range before they meet us.

Then we have City to deal with as well. And they'll likely have no Champions League to distract them, Augero back, so they're looking strong too.

You do wonder how we would have fared had we had Sturridge available for those two games against Chelsea and City.





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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2955 on: February 25, 2014, 03:47:46 am »
I'm not sure if you mean to be able to win the thing - this would put us above Chelsea, but it would also have to,be more than Arsenal and City to finish top.
With their fixtures, most are expecting Chelsea to be the pace-setters now. You never know, but I doubt they'll slip up more than the other two, who each have a far tougher run-in. They will slip somewhere though, and we need only be 3 points off them with 3 games left for it all to go utterly mental.
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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2956 on: February 25, 2014, 04:04:23 am »
Colossal post, JL.

Agree with pretty much everything you said there. I think a lot of folk are yet to grasp just how good we've been going forward this season. As you said yourself, it's not just good, it's record breaking good.

I was actually thinking about the point you made re: the City/Chelsea away games today. Take away those two games (I know, I know) and we're pretty much level with them. We were top of the League before those games, and are now top of the 2014 table. Very simply, that says that for 25 out of 27 games we've been the best team in the League. I do wonder how differently things would've turned out had those games been spaced a bit further apart, and if we had Sturridge too. I thought Suarez was pretty isolated over the course of those games, particularly against Chelsea.

The next 11 games are all interesting by the very nature of the beast. Every game matters now. Saturday against Southampton could be massive. I expect it to be similar to the Fulham/Swansea games in that I'm 90% sure both teams will score, and if I was pressed on it I'd guess both will score at least 2. I'm guessing either a 2-2 or a 3-2 either way. If we get nothing from the Southampton game and Chelsea win, you'd have to think that would be it; were we to beat Southampton, then suddenly it becomes more and more 'real'. I know we have to play better teams than Southampton after Saturday, but those games are at Anfield. I'm confident we can beat anyone at Anfield. Southampton away is a different prospect all together. It would give the side another massive boost, which would then hopefully propel us into a positive performance against United. I do worry about that United game though. Not because I'm worried they'll catch us, but because I think they'll be right up for it, and will try to create a similar game to the one in which they beat Arsenal 1-0 at Old Trafford. They'll be dogged as fuck, and then hope Rooney or Van Persie can nick one for them.

At this stage of the season, I think we're more likely to finish 1st than we are 5th, and that's something everyone would have been happy with at the start of the season. Let's fucking enjoy it while we're here. Playing games that matter is something special. Every game matters for us now, and even though it fucks with your head and you'll probably feel like shitting your heart out a good few times over the next 10 weeks, embrace it. In the last third of each of the last 4 Premier League campaigns we've been playing relatively meaningless games. If we won them, great, if we didn't then no biggy; we weren't playing for anything anyway. Well now we are. We're not just a footnote in the Monday papers or the weekly podcasts, we're not the team that gets a fleeting mention after they talk about Man United, Chelsea, Man City in games that actually matter. We are the story now, because we are there on merit. Whether we finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th it's been fucking fun, hasn't it? However the season finishes, every single Liverpool fan will look back and think, "I fucking enjoyed that".

 
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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2957 on: February 25, 2014, 05:25:13 am »
Being greedy now, I don't want fourth, I want to win it all. 11 games to go, 4 points from the top. The folklore is still being written now ...
(Besides, 4th is Arsenal's trophy, anyway) :D
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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2958 on: February 25, 2014, 05:31:46 am »
I was looking behind us in the table, now I'm starting to look at the teams above us.  Eleven games to go and we're right in the mix for title.  Couldn't of asked for more.

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Re: Is it just a battle for 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st spot with 4 other teams now?
« Reply #2959 on: February 25, 2014, 05:43:51 am »
With a 6 point gap opening up to 5th place we can attack games without fear. Making a title challenge easier. And with a lot of 6 point games at anfield, the title race is in our own hands. The key is no pressure. We can do it and are in a good situation to do so, I know I believe we can, let's hope those in the dressing room believe too.