Topic: TWO finals in your first full season back...

[vivabobbygraham]

It has for everybody. Never known a season like it.

However the rest of your post makes no sense to me although I'm sure it does for many. Its not that its written poorly, it isn't , its well written. I just disagree with most of it.

like so many you comment on results - we actually played better football against WBA than we did against Fulham last season - just the result was different - 3 goals in a nano second, 2 of which were thrown in by Fulham  tend to completely change peoples perception of that Fulham game and thats the game most people hold up as how great we were last seson not the dismal games against Spurs or Villa at the end of the seaosn.

All that has been missing this season has been goals - we've got excellent defensive stats, excellent stats for creating chances, good chances, none of this 'our chances aren't good enough' bollocks, thats just people trying to find reasons for their own prejudices - the stats just dont support it - we create enough we just dont score - missed pens, woodwork, crsap finishing.

The only stat that matters is we haven't scored enough goals - but its not just the goals imagine what not scoring does to the players - imagine the doubt it creates, the confidence it drains - for a number of the lads we are judging them at a low point, one where very little has gone right for them and yet, despite this we still played WBA off the park - I've lost count of the opposition managers and players who've gone away laughing at how they've nicked a result - yet all some of our supporters see is that result and thats what they comment on.

Case in point the league cup final we played crap, better than Cardiff but crap yet nobody cares its just about the trophy. That embodies football. Chelsea get outplayed home and away by Barcelona who gets all the plaudits - Chelsea - results dictate how we perceive a match. Yet the result can be random, they aren't always 'deserved', they just are. Of course there are things like will to win,  belief etc that can make a difference but even these often grow with results - you get that confidence when those last minute winners go in and go in regularly.

People comparing the dismall games under Hodgson to those under Dalglish - which team did you want to be last weekend - the battered WBA who fluke a win or the team that battered them but lost?

The other bit of revisonism is the transfers last year - the ideas were obvious - we built a balanced squad - we had cover for every position , the quality may not have been great but we had cover - no 'massive' gaps - we made 'safe' buys - I didn't particularly like them but you could see why they were made.

Agreed Vulmea. Added to that the loss of Lucas, Agger, Johnson at important times, the uncertainty over Gerrard, the Suarez 8 game ban and the all round jitteriness of the fans in and around Anfield fearing United on their way to a 20th....maybe, which must have had an effect on the new players. One off cup games must have been a welcome relief and how well have they played under those circumstances?

[Fat Scouser]

Vulmea mate, the only problem with this, is it's becoming habit. It's deja vue wrapped up in groundhog day, all over again and again and again.
I've lost count of the times, I've thought to meself, We're gonna panel this shower today. And we've got fuck all out of it.

You know I enjoy reading your posts, and your loyalty. And you know what I think of Kenny, and what I think needs to happen at the club. But I don't think managers are walking away from Anfield bemused at how they got something out of the game. I think they're coming to Anfield with a very simple plan in mind and knowing full well, if they stick with it and get a bit of luck along the way, chances are, they'll come away with at least 1 point, maybe 3.

I've said it before, but I stand by it... one of the great things about football is it's unpredictability. But for most of the games this season, I could have written the script before a ball was kicked.

The one thing I will say about that, though... if a mug like me can see it, then Kenny will already be a few steps ahead and working on solving it. I just hope he gets the time, the money, and the pieces he needs to complete the jigsaw, because, if he doesn't get it right in the summer, he won't be round much longer.

[vivabobbygraham]

Vulmea mate, the only problem with this, is it's becoming habit. It's deja vue wrapped up in groundhog day, all over again and again and again.
I've lost count of the times, I've thought to meself, We're gonna panel this shower today. And we've got fuck all out of it.

You know I enjoy reading your posts, and your loyalty. And you know what I think of Kenny, and what I think needs to happen at the club. But I don't think managers are walking away from Anfield bemused at how they got something out of the game. I think they're coming to Anfield with a very simple plan in mind and knowing full well, if they stick with it and get a bit of luck along the way, chances are, they'll come away with at least 1 point, maybe 3.

I've said it before, but I stand by it... one of the great things about football is it's unpredictability. But for most of the games this season, I could have written the script before a ball was kicked.

The one thing I will say about that, though... if a mug like me can see it, then Kenny will already be a few steps ahead and working on solving it. I just hope he gets the time, the money, and the pieces he needs to complete the jigsaw, because, if he doesn't get it right in the summer, he won't be round much longer.

That can be said of all managers at all away games, FS. Home form has been fucking awful no point trying to defend it. I do believe fans frustrations and tensions in the ground have been part of the problem this season as it must have transmitted to a relatively new set of players believing Anfield to be a bastion of fanatical support and finding the opposite on some occasions. That would unnerve anybody and sow seeds of doubt. Maybe that has highlighted character flaws in them that were not obvious before. I believe Kenny will be ruthless end of season with those who he now believes to be 'wafty' when it comes to the challenge ahead. It happens. No manager on this Earth has got it right 100% in the transfer market or even 75%, Christ it would be interesting for the statto's to come up with a stat for the other fellah regarding this. If punters don't think Kenny has the bollocks to get rid end of the season, think again.

[Vulmea]

Vulmea mate, the only problem with this, is it's becoming habit. It's deja vue wrapped up in groundhog day, all over again and again and again.
I've lost count of the times, I've thought to meself, We're gonna panel this shower today. And we've got fuck all out of it.

You know I enjoy reading your posts, and your loyalty. And you know what I think of Kenny, and what I think needs to happen at the club. But I don't think managers are walking away from Anfield bemused at how they got something out of the game. I think they're coming to Anfield with a very simple plan in mind and knowing full well, if they stick with it and get a bit of luck along the way, chances are, they'll come away with at least 1 point, maybe 3.

I've said it before, but I stand by it... one of the great things about football is it's unpredictability. But for most of the games this season, I could have written the script before a ball was kicked.

The one thing I will say about that, though... if a mug like me can see it, then Kenny will already be a few steps ahead and working on solving it. I just hope he gets the time, the money, and the pieces he needs to complete the jigsaw, because, if he doesn't get it right in the summer, he won't be round much longer.

Don't disagree.  I think since Christmas it has been predictable but you can see how it could get inside their heads - 'oh no here we go again' and once its in there it a bastard to get out. Kenny has spoken about it  - how we've felt sorry for ourselves - so he is aware but the trick is what do you do about it - fresh faces, a new coach, new training - one of the things that did worry me was when he said we weren't doing anything specific to address it - of course that might be just for the press but you'd hope some new drills,, a new coach , a new training game something to just shake the bastards up.

It could be a sign of weak mentality, some of the players certainly are under scrutiny for that. It could be a fault of Kenny,  he's always trusted his players too much, expected them to be better than even they think they are. Yet we do keep creating chances. The issue is how we react when something goes against us, whether its hitting the woodwork or conceeding,  thats what needs to be improved - one game  at a time - forget whats gone before and focus on winning the next one - thats the trick they have to get into their heads.

When Rafa arrived he said getting that winning mentality was the hardest thing to do.

[Fat Scouser]

We've played some cracking football this season. It's there. It's just sustaining it. We do the same thing, week in, week out... batter away at teams for 20 minutes, playing some lovely togger along the way. We don't score, the frustration sets in. It goes from the pitch to the terraces, and vicea versa. The grumbling starts. Then we know where we go from there.

I watched the Barca Chelsea thread in here the other night. Bad example maybe because of the result, and the fact that Barca can be beaten if teams play that way against them. But me point is... before half time pretty much everyone in that thread was in a frenzy, wanting the ball knocked long, or sent wide and crossed in to the middle. I'm going all round the world and using bad examples, but it does make me point.... teams that expect to win, such as Barca or the Mancs, will stick to their game plan, no matter how frustrated, right up to the whistle, because it's how they play and they know it works.

We have also settled into a pattern... 20 mins great footy, frustration, drop back, defend deeper, by pass midfield with balls lumped up in hope.
It needs sorting out pronto, but I think a few wins will solve it. We're away today. The crowd won't be a factor. The travelling kop will get behind the lads. Norwich will play the game and not just park the tractor. They'll leave us some space to work with. Hopefully, the lads will get an early break through. We could well panel them then. It's going to happen sometime. I hope it starts today and gives the players a bit of optimism and belief for next week.

[Always_A_Red]

What's your point?

I've been trying to work that one out myself.....didnt realise I was suggesting that I knew how to run a football club to be honest 

[DangerScouse]

Maybe because he's not in control of our transfer policy, do you think?

If you think Kenny has no say in who we sign, or that players have been signed without his consent you're massively deluded.