Topic: How many points would you expect in the next 5 league games - 2014/15 edition

[PhaseOfPlay]

I don't disagree that we have more depth than we've had for a long time, my point was that changing more than half a teams worth of players and for those players to be of even slightly less ability than the ones they're replacing is asking for trouble. Chelsea etc haven't always got away with it either. I do understand utilising those players where necessary and ensuring players are rested when they need it but if you need to change 5 or more players rather than perhaps rotating 2/3 even when playing the weaker teams that is likely to be where we drop points

We'll have to see how it works out. But the point was that whether we make 5+ changes, or 2-3 changes, we should have more than enough to beat what is currently the third from bottom team, who are likely to get worse as the season goes on.

[S]

Think we'll get 11, and I'd be pretty happy with that too.

[Twelfth Man]

All of them.

[duvva 💅]

We'll have to see how it works out. But the point was that whether we make 5+ changes, or 2-3 changes, we should have more than enough to beat what is currently the third from bottom team, who are likely to get worse as the season goes on.

To be honest I'd like to be wrong and you're right even with that number of changes we should be able to beat them, it just makes me uneasy having seen that type of wisdom go wrong often enough previously.

Out of these 5 games in particular the one that bothers me most is the next. We haven't played well against Villa at home the last twice and we're coming off the international break which can mean some have less recovery time. It's the late game on the Saturday but despite knowing we should win it well out of the next lot I think it's the potential banana skin

[PhaseOfPlay]

To be honest I'd like to be wrong and you're right even with that number of changes we should be able to beat them, it just makes me uneasy having seen that type of wisdom go wrong often enough previously.

Out of these 5 games in particular the one that bothers me most is the next. We haven't played well against Villa at home the last twice and we're coming off the international break which can mean some have less recovery time. It's the late game on the Saturday but despite knowing we should win it well out of the next lot I think it's the potential banana skin

We haven't been in this situation previously under Rodgers though.

Re: International break - there will be 5 games between the last match and the Villa game, so we should be okay, this early on in the season, in terms of recovery time. The only problem is with how international managers train our players. But all things being equal, physically the international break shouldn't hurt us for the next game.

[SARed]

I think it would be best to split DS and MB for the European games, and bring one or the other off the bench for the last 20 if absolutely necessary. Dan needs to be managed well and I believe should be maximised for the EPL, with Markovic and Balotelli specifically expected to contribute in Europe on the goals front. League Cup game/s should be used to blood youngsters and Lambert should lead the line. Proper preparation for EPL games should allow us to get a minimum of 12, with none of our next opponents being underestimated. Head says 11 or 13, heart says 15.

[mgs88]

What I'm saying, ye cheeky get , is that most teams who have won the league in the last 11 years have had at least one run of games where they have won at least 7 of them. It's rare for a team to win the league and not win at least 7 games in a row, once. This next run of games, on paper, and up until the Chelsea one, offers an early - if not the best - chance to do that. If we do that, we put ourselves in the position of pace setters or close to pace setters going into the December holiday period of games (which are much kinder to us than they were last season. With an early 7 or 8-win run of games in the first half of the season, we could emerge from the holiday period as genuine league leaders forcing everyone to catch up to us.

This would make me very happy considering how we finish strong under Brendan & the players have the experience of last year. Exciting times ahead for all of us.

15 from the next 5 for me too.

[kcbworth]

Could be an exciting little period for us here. Play to our potential and we'll be right up there over the next few months

We do have a few cups to consider in the next period too, mind you...

[Bobinhood]

Last year though was thought of as the most competitive in years and on the early evidence and the spending of it all its only getting tighter still.

Teams of all kinds may well drop lots of points here and there, willy nilly. March 1 the whole top ten may be in with a shot at top four    ok maybe not that many points but away points might come dear in this season im supposing.

[d3lu5ion]

Aston Villa - Home - 3 Points
West Ham - Away - 3 Points
Everton - Home - 1 Point at least (3 would be nice, I am taking into consideration the Boro Game on Monday, Everton over weekend and then Basel on the coming midweek)
West Brom - Home - 1 Point at least (they have always been our boogey team)
QPR - Away - 3 Points

So 11 Points would be nice.. 9 would be little bit disappointing.. anything less than 9 is worrisome and anything more than 11 is job well done..

[The Mule]

They haven't won a game yet, are in the bottom three, and are likely to stay there. Irvine is a good coach, but he might try to change things too soon in terms of bringing them to a more passing game. This team:

Mignolet
Flanagan---Toure---Lovren---Enrique
Can
Henderson---------Lallana
Markovic---Lambert---Coutinho

... should have more than enough to beat West Brom

I think we're well placed to go on winning league runs and also play strong teams in both the league and Champions League this season

Plus they'll be missing their new, super-reliable right back

[dast18]

13

[Red-Dread]

Think we'll get 11, maybe 12.

If we play like we did against Spurs then 15 wouldn't be a shock though.

["21C or 70F?" SchizoidWeatherMan!]

13 points

[turkish kopite]

13 pts

[Sarge]

13 Sep   5:30 pm   PR   Aston Villa (H)   -      
16 Sep   7:45 pm   CH   PFC Ludogorets (H)   -      
20 Sep   5:30 pm   PR   West Ham (A)   -      
23 Sep   7:45 pm   LE   Middlesbrough (H)   -      
27 Sep   12:45 pm   PR   Everton (H)   -      
01 Oct   7:45 pm   CH   FC Basel (A)   -      
04 Oct   3:00 pm   PR   West Brom (H)   -      

7 Games in 21 Days. Busy Busy.

[Upinsmoke]

We have to win our home games, so that leaves west ham and QPR away. What an opportunity to get maximum points. I'm always gonna back us at home, i mean only Soton' and Chelsea beat us didn't they last season and those two aways we have to be looking at winning.

Realistically 15, minimum would be 13, thats four wins and a draw. we can't be getting beat by any of them.

[Magz50]

15

[Kopenhagen]

15.

[The Batman.]

I know it's 5 games but I'm going to say 6 as those 6 stretch across the next 2 months.

If we are going to challenge for the title then this is where we lay our marker down. It's one of, if not the, easiest run of games all season. Whilst we play 4 home games against the likes of Hull, West Brom, Villa and Everton, our only 2 aways are West Ham and QPR. I'll be disappointed if we don't come out of these 6 with at least 14 points. I'd be hoping for more to be honest, 16 or 18 points. If we can put that run together then I'd expect we will be sitting top of the table because across the next 2 months the big teams all clash a few times. City/Arsenal/Chelsea all have a number of matches against each other with a few games against the likes of Spurs and United also in there. This is a critical time of the season if we want to challenge for the league IMO, and perhaps more importantly for some I guess, it could be a chance to put a gap of 5 points or so between us and 5th.

[Peabee]

I expect 13, but we could obtain all 15.

Villa, Everton, West Brom, QPR - wins.  West Ham (a) - possibility of a draw.

[Floop]

Obviously 15 points would be fantastic, and we are certainly capable of doing so, but Villa were excellent at Anfield last season, West Ham are tricky, and Everton is the derby, and so will be tricky regardless of them seemingly having a Martinez defence now.

[Peabee]

Obviously 15 points would be fantastic, and we are certainly capable of doing so, but Villa were excellent at Anfield last season, West Ham are tricky, and Everton is the derby, and so will be tricky regardless of them seemingly having a Martinez defence now.

I think we'll be too good for Villa at home this season; though they have had a good start.

[sturridginho]

12-13 to stay on target for the league against this opposition.
15 is very possible, less than 10 would be a worry.

[Floop]

I think we'll be too good for Villa at home this season; though they have had a good start.

We all thought that last time as well though. I have no doubt in my mind that we should defeat them, whether we will or not is another matter entirely.

[End Product]

Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 1

villa will be full of confidence and have better record at anfield than probably anyone in the last few years.

Might lose the 1st goal but we have enough in the 2nd half to win.   

West Ham 1 Liverpool 3

No Big Andy Carroll what will we worry about all week? We will get two early on they pull one back we get a thrid on the counter in the last 5.

Liverpool 4 Everton 3

Game of the season.  Mario will be heavily involved.

Liverpool 1 West Brom 0

Euro hangover, but still enough to win.

QPR 1Liverpool 1

We go down to ten a lose the lead Borini with a late goal.


I await the tea leaves....

[lamonti]

We all thought that last time as well though. I have no doubt in my mind that we should defeat them, whether we will or not is another matter entirely.

We played like clowns against Villa last year, specifically with the thought that we were too good for them. Play our own game and we should be confident that we'll come out on top against them at home.

[Cid]

I would hope for 15 from that.   I'd be fairly happy with 12 though.

[The Batman.]

Lets just remember Villa last season at home was before our true run for the title, it was Gerrard's first game in DM and it was the most shambolic half of tactics in Rodgers' time at Liverpool. Circumstances have completely changed now. I'd expect us to win comfortably. I heard the other day that in Villa's first 3 matches they have only had something like 5 shots on target.

Score a couple goals and it should be enough.

[exCite]

Hoping on 15, happy enough to take 13. We should be winning our home games.

[LFC UNTIL THE MANAGER IS NO LONGER DESERVING OF MY SYMPATHY]

Heart says 15

Head says 15

[Petadroli]

Many of you have West Ham away marked down as a win, I think it is our most dangerous fixture over the next 5. Last year we scraped a win with two penalties, something that surely isn't gonna happen again. Plus West Ham do show signs of improvement. They create more chances and shots than before. Credit where credit is due, Fat Sam is changing their style of play. I can see them finish in the top half.

[iVapor]

Many of you have West Ham away marked down as a win, I think it is our most dangerous fixture over the next 5. Last year we scraped a win with two penalties, something that surely isn't gonna happen again. Plus West Ham do show signs of improvement. They create more chances and shots than before. Credit where credit is due, Fat Sam is changing their style of play. I can see them finish in the top half.

If they are being more attacking it will suit us, we only struggling last year when teams parked the bus.

I'm going for 15.

[sattapaartridge]

10 points maintains our 2points per game target for champions league qualification, but more puts us into Championship challengers realm. I think they're all winnable. but the thing is, rotation is going to be key.

I'm just a bit worried that Gerrard wont be on the pitch at all times. His distribution is important.

[L666KOP]

I'll be shocked if we don't get 13 points.

[artanis]

I think we get the full 15 points.
That gets us some room for error in our quest not to go under 2 pts per game for the season.
Our first CL game and league cup game we can play our second string team to make sure the first team is fresh for the league.

[Roger Federer]

I think we'll go on a winning run until we face Chelsea at home (which could go either way). So, 15 from the next five then.

[L666KOP]

I think we get the full 15 points.
That gets us some room for error in our quest not to go under 2 pts per game for the season.
Our first CL game and league cup game we can play our second string team to make sure the first team is fresh for the league.

I think we'll go full strength for our opening champions league games, or close to it. The last thing we need is to be in a position whereby we 'need' results against RM.

I think we may see 'weakened' teams in the league, with the big guns on the bench, or start them all full strength but sub our key players off early.

The potential problems should only really arise around the RM/Chelsea games.

[Crazy Diamond]

If you look at each game in isolation,  you would say that we would be favourites to take 3 points in each. There's always the potential to drop points in football, you can't take anything for granted,  but I do think we can (and should) get all 15 from these games.

[rickardinho1]