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Has the penny dropped?

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ILD

ILD

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Before anyone starts, I don't mean any disrespect towards Kenny with his thread but has the penny finally dropped with him tactic wise this season? I posted a thread a while back about how Kenny is jumbling up his tactics and attacking games with two game plans at the same time and it wasn't working out. We all wanted him to return to the high tempo pass and move approach which was most evident in the Fulham game last season and it looks like we're getting back to that level. Kenny seems settled on this approach and is willing to let Andy sit it out on the bench.

We looked a classy outfit against Chelsea last week adopting this approach. The league leaders came to town today and we went toe to toe with them and deserved to take home all the points. We did this deploying the game plan we all wanted to see being utilised. Disappointed not to see Maxi start again today and I feel he plays an integral part in our set up. Get Gerrard back and play him instead of Henderson and we'll pick it up another gear.

From the back we illustrated a passing ethos. Pepe relishing in his role as sweeper with the back four all available and willing to take the ball. Lucas and Adam constantly showing and it was nice to see movement in front of them. We didn't see Chuck having to force to many ball forward as he had an outlet each time.

Still looking for another player or two to add that spark and unpredictability factor in the final third. You never know it might be addressed in Jan. I'm a lot more confident with where we are going now and Kenny seems to 'know' exactly what he want's from his players. The Downing and Carroll combo seems such a waste now doesn't it? Suppose it can still be Plan B.
 
Appreciate you don't mean any disrespect to Kenny, but I still don't think saying "the penny's dropped" is fair. It's still a VERY new squad and Kenny and Steve Clarke are still in the process of assessing them fully as a unit under match conditions. We were never going to be the finished article right from the off this season.
 
I had a caveat in my first line to point out I was in no way being disrespectful with my use of "has the penny finally dropped".

A combination of the players we signed and the one's we let go (Meireles) meant we had to possibly change our style of play. A style that would suit the players bought for big money. At times, I felt Kenny was mixing up his tactics as he was allowing players find their feet (Which JJ touched on) which is fair enough. Players should be allowed find their feet but the game plan left us predictable and rigid at times. He now seems settled with a style of play that seems to be beneficial for us. I feel a lot of more confident in where we can go from here.

Hardly an attack or disrespectful towards Kenny is it? I'm just happy that we're improving as a side and finding some form. Unbeaten in 8 or 9 now and just need to turn some draws into wins.
 
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=47692.msg1433335#msg1433335 date=1322420099]
Appreciate you don't mean any disrespect to Kenny, but I still don't think saying "the penny's dropped" is fair. It's still a VERY new squad and Kenny and Steve Clarke are still in the process of assessing them fully as a unit under match conditions. We were never going to be the finished article right from the off this season.
[/quote]

hmm i see where you are coming from but one of the reasons this is a very new squad is obviously because we bought so many new players . Now when you buy players you should normally have an idea of what tactics, formations, style you want to play and so buy to fit that . At the moment it feels like Kenny wanted to go one route but has decided to change it a little as it wasn't working so well . Nothing wrong with that , it just makes the signings of some players (carroll obviously ) a bit of a waste .
 
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=47692.msg1433335#msg1433335 date=1322420099]
Appreciate you don't mean any disrespect to Kenny, but I still don't think saying "the penny's dropped" is fair. It's still a VERY new squad and Kenny and Steve Clarke are still in the process of assessing them fully as a unit under match conditions. We were never going to be the finished article right from the off this season.
[/quote]

Agree with all that JJ.

I think we were at our best under Kenny towards the end of last season. I felt we started the new campaign with a altered playing style perhaps trying to suit Carroll and the players brought in to aid him. I can't speak for the forum but that play was a far cry for the team that battered Fulham for example towards the end of last season. We've made strides to get back to the level and demonstrated it in periods today against the league leaders. Kenny seems to have settled on this approach and Carroll might find himself on the bench a lot. We can hurt teams a lot more by using Plan A, an axis of Suarez, Adam, Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy than deploying wingers to swing balls in for Andy. As I said that can always be plan B. I felt we we're jumbling up plan A and B as players found their feet but I think Plan A is the way forward.
 
[quote author=RedZeppelin link=topic=47692.msg1433352#msg1433352 date=1322421298]
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=47692.msg1433335#msg1433335 date=1322420099]
Appreciate you don't mean any disrespect to Kenny, but I still don't think saying "the penny's dropped" is fair. It's still a VERY new squad and Kenny and Steve Clarke are still in the process of assessing them fully as a unit under match conditions. We were never going to be the finished article right from the off this season.
[/quote]

hmm i see where you are coming from but one of the reasons this is a very new squad is obviously because we bought so many new players . Now when you buy players you should normally have an idea of what tactics, formations, style you want to play and so buy to fit that . At the moment it feels like Kenny wanted to go one route but has decided to change it a little as it wasn't working so well . Nothing wrong with that , it just makes the signings of some players (carroll obviously ) a bit of a waste .
[/quote]

That's the point i'm leaning towards Zep. We bought players to accentuate Carroll's strengths but it deviated from the style and ethos that served us so well last season. Kenny tried to fuse both idea's at times but seems settled on one game plan.

I think I should change the thread title as it might be misinterpreted. I'm not having a dig at Kenny at all.
 
Why are we acting as if Kenny is infallible?

He isn't; he is the greatest player in the history of this club and one of our best managers but he will never be bigger than the club. Which is something he has himself said in the past.

All managers make mistakes; and it doesnt make it less of a mistake if it's Kenny.
 
Liverpool performing well against the best opposition is nothing new whatsoever.

The recent performances have been positive, but I think it too early to start drawing conclusions from.
 
If we take full points from our next 4 games as we should then we can say the penny has dropped.

Competing with the top sides are very rarely been a problem for this club even during the bad seasons.
 
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=47692.msg1433622#msg1433622 date=1322453426]
Liverpool performing well against the best opposition is nothing new whatsoever.

The recent performances have been positive, but I think it too early to start drawing conclusions from.
[/quote]

That's exactly right.

That said, I do think there's truth in ILD's comments. It hasn't been the fact that we competed with the two most expensively assembled teams in the league but rather the manner in which we competed. That interchange of passing on the right that ended with Lucas feeding Suarez for a rasping shot is something that hasn't been happening at all this season - against the mancs or Arsenal either. Now we've had it happening two games on the trot against the best money can buy.

It's the style everyone in the D.A. would be the norm this season; I hope the fact it's been evident against the best is a good sign. We'll know after Fullham IMO.
 
King Kenny is far from infallible. He has made mistakes this season but that's my opinion. Henderson although looking improved is still not an automatic starter. How he gets in ahead of Maxi and Kuyt is beyond me. Blood the lad slowly and build his confidence. having said that, Kenny sees them on the training ground and that makes all the difference.

Carroll is looking a collosal loss and failed gamble. He just hasn't put in the work or look a Liverpool quality player. I hope that he doesnt think that he made it because he plays for Liverpool. He has been poor. Whether thats down to his lifestyle or poor training regime, I dont know. Pity because the raw talent is there and he is beastly when in the mood.
 
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