A R S E

[Gary25]

Don't mean to sound all pessimistic, and I'm not really trying to spark a debate, but I can't imagine it ever happening in my lifetime. I've never seen it happen.

No-one could envisage us challenging in 2013-2014 season. Yes we had a genius of a player upfront then(fights back the tears), but football is ever changing, and gone are the days of United winning the thing every fucking year...well almost. It's more open now, and no team is invincible.

I think we'll challenge again.

 

[Halmeister]

No-one could envisage us challenging in 2013-2014 season. Yes we had a genius of a player upfront then(fights back the tears), but football is ever changing, and gone are the days of United winning the thing every fucking year...well almost. It's more open now, and no team is invincible.

I think we'll challenge again.

Challenging is different. I've seen us challenge, but never have I really thought it was possible we could win it in any of those three (I think) seasons.

I let myself believe after the Norwich game in 2014... look what happened next. And people wonder why I'm pessimistic.

If we do it, I will die happy. But I can't envisage it to be honest.

 

[reuque]

Challenging is different. I've seen us challenge, but never have I really thought it was possible we could win it in any of those three (I think) seasons.

I let myself believe after the Norwich game in 2014... look what happened next. And people wonder why I'm pessimistic.

If we do it, I will die happy. But I can't envisage it to be honest.

I'm convinced we're another takeover away from that happening. Condition being new set of owners have to be pissing money all over.

 

[gkmacca]

Whinger confirmed Wilshere, Welbeck and Rosicky will all miss the game.

 

[doctor_mac]

I don't think that damages them much unfortunately. Ramsey and Sanchez injured and I'd start to get excited.

 

[Halmeister]

They mustn't train or work on fitness at Arsenal. They constantly have masses of players out injured. Even players who were hardly ever injured at other clubs go there and become a fragile mess. They must just sit around preening themselves taking selfies and spend the day playing 5 yard passes and walking it into the net.

 

[mark1975]

They mustn't train or work on fitness at Arsenal. They constantly have masses of players out injured. Even players who were hardly ever injured at other clubs go there and become a fragile mess. They must just sit around preening themselves taking selfies and spend the day playing 5 yard passes and walking it into the net.

I think it's just part and parcel with having alot of lightweight technical players who rely on pace and balance, asking for trouble with regards to hamstrings etc.

 

[Hansern]

They've actually got very little injuries at the moment. A mate of mine who is an Arsenal fan said that they hired some the fitness team that used to work for the German national team. After that its been another story regarding injuries.

 

[mark1975]

Can't believe how easy we made this look.. Skrtel's second header is amazing and some great play over all. No Suarez goal either:

 

[OLD_Lewy]

God what a fucking great game that was, I love seeing our pace on the counter like that, and I can't wait to see phil and studge linking up again, hopefully him and bentekkers can develop the same kind of play

 

[Lastboyscout]

Comfortable and controlled 2-1 win for us

Negative bunch of mugs

 

[mark1975]

Skrtel's bagged a few against them now, hasn't he? We could be a big threat against them in the air, but yeah, I want to see us positive and not going into it like it's a damage limitation exercise.

 

[ILD]

Can't believe how easy we made this look.. Skrtel's second header is amazing and some great play over all. No Suarez goal either:

I was on the way back from a skiing trip in Austria during this game. Some hero turned on his roaming data and we watched in the airport on his tablet.

 

[peterhague]

That first half was the best performace from a Liverpool team I've ever seen. It was thrilling.

 

[dmishra]

Yep, I'd agree with that. It was a truly scintillating performance.

 

[leftpeg]

That first half was the best performace from a Liverpool team I've ever seen. It was thrilling.

I certainly can't think of a better one. Forest in 88 perhaps?

 

[peterhague]

I certainly can't think of a better one. Forest in 88 perhaps?

I was only 5 then.

Anything from about 1994 onwards counts for me.

 

[leftpeg]

I was only 5 then.

Anything from about 1994 onwards counts for me.

Yeah well fair enough, that was as good as it gets. We bullied them...it was a brutally good performance.

 

[Mamma Mia]

Don't mean to sound all pessimistic, and I'm not really trying to spark a debate, but I can't imagine it ever happening in my lifetime. I've never seen it happen.

Am I the only one thinking that we might have to kill Halmeister?

 

[peterhague]

Yeah well fair enough, that was as good as it gets. We bullied them...it was a brutally good performance.

You need that bullying characteristic to build dominant teams IMO. Obviously Shankly talked about it, but also Ferguson's Utd teams come to mind. They won titles because teams were genuinely scared of playing them.

 

[FreshRed]

Am I the only one thinking that we might have to kill Halmeister?

Absolutely not. So far, lots of parallels with two years.

1. Grinding out unattractive wins early on
2. Before every bigger game (Spurs, Arse, United) loads of worrying how we are playing poorly and will be lucky to compete and minimize damage.

Hopefully, the parallels remain and we attack them from the off and bury them by half-time. That would be beautiful. I don't believe that will happen, but I didn't then either.

 

[peterhague]

There seems to be a myth building that the three 1-0 wins that began the 13/14 season were notably unattractive and undeserved.

I don't think it's true. They were narrow wins but we played promisingly in all of them. Stoke in particular should've been put to bed long before their late saved penalty.

 

[FreshRed]

There seems to be a myth building that the three 1-0 wins that began the 13/14 season were notably unattractive and undeserved.

I don't think it's true. They were narrow wins but we played promisingly in all of them. Stoke in particular should've been put to bed long before their late saved penalty.

Debatable. Agree re: Stoke, but we also always looked vulnerable to conceding and the penalty was not surprising. The other wins: we were more fluid than now in possession, but never looked like we would score more than one.

So...maybe not a perfect parallel, but hopefully still valid. I would say this year we look better defensively and less coherent with the ball. Given all the changes this summer vs that summer, makes some sense.

 

[peterhague]

Tbh I think we've looked just as moribund as we always have done when Rodgers plays this 4231, only a bit more focused on defence.

Oh well, time will tell I guess.

 

[Red Astaire]

That first half was the best performace from a Liverpool team I've ever seen. It was thrilling.

Yeah I'll along with that. Everything just clicked. They were sublime that day.

 

[keniget]

That first half was the best performace from a Liverpool team I've ever seen. It was thrilling.

Yup. It doesn't really get much better than that. The extent to which we were destroying them was almost comical.

 

[FreshRed]

Tbh I think we've looked just as moribund as we always have done when Rodgers plays this 4231, only a bit more focused on defence.

Oh well, time will tell I guess.

I agree. I am hoping we play with the diamond, although this would greatly increase the pressure of the FBs. I think Clyne would be fine, but Gomez would be under a lot of pressure without much help. Two years ago, though, I was convinced that Flanno would get abused against Spurs and that turned out well.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

We're so gonna lose to Arse on Monday aren't we ?

 

[Skullflower]

We're so gonna lose to Arse on Monday aren't we ?

Yep

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

I was only 5 then.

Anything from about 1994 onwards counts for me.

Madrid in 09 was comparable in my opinion, but agreed it was stunning. The game was ridiculous. I was fully laughing out loud after Sturridge scored. 4-0 after 19 mins against the team top and having missed 2 or 3 good chances was insane. Making those preening cunts completely capitulate was very sweet. Their season fell apart after that.