I firmly believe we're going to have a season that will surpass most people's expectations.
Pre-season reflections
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I firmly believe we're going to have a season that will surpass most people's expectations.
I think we could win the league. Unlikely though.
I'm sure that's right about managers...and in our Brendan's case he'd prefer to have the coaching time!
Wasn't the Swindon game added after the end of the season?
I think people still massively underrate Can, he's a talent waiting to explode onto the scene. Watching him yesterday he's got everything you want in a modern midfielder, give or take a bit of naivety which is fine at his age. Good passing, physical and athletic and gets around the pitch well. He's got to be under consideration for a starting place, possibly ahead of Lucas and Allen now at that this stage. Yesterday wasn't great, but it was alot more dynamic a team, particularly around midfield.
As for Ibe, anyone writing him off as a sub is daft, given he's clearly been a focal point of our preseason in the strong line ups we've put out. I think it'll be a first choice front three of Firmino, Benteke and Ibe, with Coutinho in behind. Lallana pushing for a place amongst those four spots, along with our other strikers (most of whom will be subs and cup players)
As for Ibe, anyone writing him off as a sub is daft, given he's clearly been a focal point of our preseason in the strong line ups we've put out. I think it'll be a first choice front three of Firmino, Benteke and Ibe, with Coutinho in behind. Lallana pushing for a place amongst those four spots, along with our other strikers (most of whom will be subs and cup players)
We're not synonymous enough to win the league. I blame Rodgers.
I bet there not pissed off with the extra millions it puts in the transfer kitty though.
Can has talent, clearly, but those two players are more disciplined than him in a holding position. Lucas especially. Lucas is okay an' all, but I really wish we had bought someone else for that position because Lucas on his bill isn't going to cut it.
First the negatives;
I find it unacceptable that we still have Mig in goal, we should have made signing a quality goalkeeper a priority last summer and his performances over the entire season did nothing to convince me that he is good enough. It's the one position where you can't just be good some of the time. I'm only being harsh because he was often being shit.
Defence is simply unproven and I do not know what Rodgers has got planned back there and that is worrying...
Not knowing who will play can work both ways of course and it may well be that the fact that it is so totally up for grabs brings the best out of the personnel we have. That said one look at Chelsea and its chalk and cheese.
Midfield.
Also re-jigged now without Gerrard, I would feel happier if we were to have a more defensive minded player in there and think we lack quality in that regard. Almost ridiculous riches in an attacking midfield sense and I wonder how that will shape up. What is certain is that we need players like Lallana and Coutinho and Firmino to score goals, I wonder if they have the minerals for that... I'm poised nicely between excited and dreading it.
Attack.
The real problem last season when we were ludicrously toothless. There was a valid excuse in losing Suarez and then Sturridge to injury, NO team would have coped with the loss of those two or at least no team with Ballotelli Borini and Sterling could... I realize his style isn't quite in keeping with our own of the last few seasons but I'm very optimistic about Benteke, I really don't think we will be as impotent as last year and that in itself is a reason to be optimistic. The forgotten ace in the hole is of course Sturridge, the second best player In the league the season before and if he can return to that form we ca be very very dangerous. I think because of his annoying injuries and perhaps a perception that he was somehow being precious and unwilling to play and take one for the team people got pissed off with Sturridge and discounted him completely... he was sensational the season before... I really hope he can get back onto the road he was on beforehand... He is as good as any striker in the league when he playeslike that.
Intangibles.
I think we lack a superstar player a la Gerrard or Suarez or Torres or... The list goes on.... In my memory we have ALWAYS had at least one player the world coveted and it will be unusual to be a team of Roundheads without a cavalier. This can always cut both ways and one of them can really step up, maybe Coutinho for example can start to add consistent finishing to his game and don the mantle of superstar. It's a shame we don't have that player yet nor have we bought anyone in that mould but then that's what happens when you meekly fall out the Champs league.
Leadership.
Also will be interesting, for so long we were lead by Stevie and there could be a vacuum of leadership, I like Henderson I think he is a good team man but he simply isn't the same quality as his predecessor. That said I never thought Stevie's saturnine chops were well suited to being captain... Henderson as a new Carra? Would be nice... Milner too strikes me as a man who wants to play... I'm hoping for big things from him.
Management.
Rodgers needs to learn to shut up that's a given, some of his tinkering was extreme last season but then in truth we were in dire straits. Get your head down and work at it... That's all I want... IF he can inspire them to knock it around like the season before last we will all be happy. I'm hoping that last years humiliation hasn't gone unnoticed and he stops with the messiah complex and gets down to it.
Overall.
Fuck knows. We could be a disjointed leaky mess or a real thing to behold, we've got a deep squad especially I. Regards to attacking options but we are almost completely new all over the park so...
My inner gambler is saying we are gonna do well but the pragmatist in me looks at the fixture list and the plethora of new players and worries...
Prediction.
Champions. You heard it here first.
I find it unacceptable that we still have Mig in goal, we should have made signing a quality goalkeeper a priority last summer and his performances over the entire season did nothing to convince me that he is good enough. It's the one position where you can't just be good some of the time. I'm only being harsh because he was often being shit.
Defence is simply unproven and I do not know what Rodgers has got planned back there and that is worrying...
Not knowing who will play can work both ways of course and it may well be that the fact that it is so totally up for grabs brings the best out of the personnel we have. That said one look at Chelsea and its chalk and cheese.
Midfield.
Also re-jigged now without Gerrard, I would feel happier if we were to have a more defensive minded player in there and think we lack quality in that regard. Almost ridiculous riches in an attacking midfield sense and I wonder how that will shape up. What is certain is that we need players like Lallana and Coutinho and Firmino to score goals, I wonder if they have the minerals for that... I'm poised nicely between excited and dreading it.
Attack.
The real problem last season when we were ludicrously toothless. There was a valid excuse in losing Suarez and then Sturridge to injury, NO team would have coped with the loss of those two or at least no team with Ballotelli Borini and Sterling could... I realize his style isn't quite in keeping with our own of the last few seasons but I'm very optimistic about Benteke, I really don't think we will be as impotent as last year and that in itself is a reason to be optimistic. The forgotten ace in the hole is of course Sturridge, the second best player In the league the season before and if he can return to that form we ca be very very dangerous. I think because of his annoying injuries and perhaps a perception that he was somehow being precious and unwilling to play and take one for the team people got pissed off with Sturridge and discounted him completely... he was sensational the season before... I really hope he can get back onto the road he was on beforehand... He is as good as any striker in the league when he playeslike that.
Intangibles.
I think we lack a superstar player a la Gerrard or Suarez or Torres or... The list goes on.... In my memory we have ALWAYS had at least one player the world coveted and it will be unusual to be a team of Roundheads without a cavalier. This can always cut both ways and one of them can really step up, maybe Coutinho for example can start to add consistent finishing to his game and don the mantle of superstar. It's a shame we don't have that player yet nor have we bought anyone in that mould but then that's what happens when you meekly fall out the Champs league.
Leadership.
Also will be interesting, for so long we were lead by Stevie and there could be a vacuum of leadership, I like Henderson I think he is a good team man but he simply isn't the same quality as his predecessor. That said I never thought Stevie's saturnine chops were well suited to being captain... Henderson as a new Carra? Would be nice... Milner too strikes me as a man who wants to play... I'm hoping for big things from him.
Management.
Rodgers needs to learn to shut up that's a given, some of his tinkering was extreme last season but then in truth we were in dire straits. Get your head down and work at it... That's all I want... IF he can inspire them to knock it around like the season before last we will all be happy. I'm hoping that last years humiliation hasn't gone unnoticed and he stops with the messiah complex and gets down to it.
Overall.
Fuck knows. We could be a disjointed leaky mess or a real thing to behold, we've got a deep squad especially I. Regards to attacking options but we are almost completely new all over the park so...
My inner gambler is saying we are gonna do well but the pragmatist in me looks at the fixture list and the plethora of new players and worries...
Prediction.
Champions. You heard it here first.
Depends how low your expectation are, I guess.
Well said.
Disagree about Mignolet. He was playing very well indeed by the end of last season, and the fact that he ended the season like that after such a poor start says a lot for his strength of character. We should always be looking to improve any position we can, but I don't agree that improving on Mignolet was top priority, if it was even necessary - on the contrary, IMO it would have been a travesty if we'd spent significant money on doing so when we had far greater need of improvement elsewhere.
Excellent post otherwise. Can't see us winning the title but I defo think we're in with a shout for top four.
Ming - agree with JJ. He sorted his shit out and if anyone was bothered to read how it did it then they should also realise that maybe it wasn't just luck his form improved out of all comparison with early season - which seems to be ingrained in some people's minds. As a shot-stopper he's right up there and he almost won the Golden Gloves didn't he. Yeah shite keeper.
Gomez - I love that BR is going all-in with this lad. He looks head and shoulders better (and taller) than Moreno. I hope he keeps it going in the PL but with 24 games for Charlton in the Championship he's not exactly a newbie, just young.
Lovren - fuck me. Was Sakho a committee signing ? We know Rodgers was insistent on signing Lovren and it just seems that he is determined to prove he was right regardless of the consequences. We all saw Lovren in pre-season, and against inferior opposition. He terrifies me. Clyne-Skrtel-Sakho-Gomez is a very good back-line.
We have an obvious deficiency in midfield, I can't believe Rodgers had done nothing to address it. Unless he is relying on Can to break though and make the most defensive slot in our midfield his own. I really worry about his lack of discipline though.
Henderson and Milner are going to run and tackle the balls off of most midfields.
We have an envious attacking midfield and striking lineup now. Benteke, Sturridge, Ings and Origi over Sturridge/Balotelli/Lambert and Borini ? Literally no comparison in striking depth there. Benteke also addresses a number of our greatest deficiencies from last season :
a) We were pathetic in the air (was it second lowest PL record of goals from headers ?) and now have the PL's best exponent of that dark art.
b) Last season we knew that almost all wide FKs, corners etc. were going to amount to nothing. We now pose a massive threat.
c) We also have much greater variety to our attack which will make us far more difficult to defend against
d) And finally we have been the weakling in the playground for too long, bullied by any physical team leading to depressing defeats to teams we should have beaten (Palace, Hull, Stoke), with the acquisition of Benteke, Milner, Firmino (who is supposedly very strong on the ball and in the tackle) and Gomez (far taller and it looks, stronger, that Moreno) hopefully we can now give as good as we receive.
Gomez - I love that BR is going all-in with this lad. He looks head and shoulders better (and taller) than Moreno. I hope he keeps it going in the PL but with 24 games for Charlton in the Championship he's not exactly a newbie, just young.
Lovren - fuck me. Was Sakho a committee signing ? We know Rodgers was insistent on signing Lovren and it just seems that he is determined to prove he was right regardless of the consequences. We all saw Lovren in pre-season, and against inferior opposition. He terrifies me. Clyne-Skrtel-Sakho-Gomez is a very good back-line.
We have an obvious deficiency in midfield, I can't believe Rodgers had done nothing to address it. Unless he is relying on Can to break though and make the most defensive slot in our midfield his own. I really worry about his lack of discipline though.
Henderson and Milner are going to run and tackle the balls off of most midfields.
We have an envious attacking midfield and striking lineup now. Benteke, Sturridge, Ings and Origi over Sturridge/Balotelli/Lambert and Borini ? Literally no comparison in striking depth there. Benteke also addresses a number of our greatest deficiencies from last season :
a) We were pathetic in the air (was it second lowest PL record of goals from headers ?) and now have the PL's best exponent of that dark art.
b) Last season we knew that almost all wide FKs, corners etc. were going to amount to nothing. We now pose a massive threat.
c) We also have much greater variety to our attack which will make us far more difficult to defend against
d) And finally we have been the weakling in the playground for too long, bullied by any physical team leading to depressing defeats to teams we should have beaten (Palace, Hull, Stoke), with the acquisition of Benteke, Milner, Firmino (who is supposedly very strong on the ball and in the tackle) and Gomez (far taller and it looks, stronger, that Moreno) hopefully we can now give as good as we receive.
Yup
As a big fan of Ibe I just hope he doesn't get pigeon-holed in the team as 'the one who crosses'. It looked like that, a bit, in the warm-up games. He needs as much freedom as Sterling had to roam around, cut inside and get in the area. He's still developing and I don't want him limited to just going down the line.
Then that maybe explains a lot.
If Rodgers is going to let internal politics be the decider of who is starting then he can fuck off.
For now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Interesting that Ayre was interviewed today and said that they've achieved everything that was on Rodgers transfer list before the season.
No place to hide now.
For now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Interesting that Ayre was interviewed today and said that they've achieved everything that was on Rodgers transfer list before the season.
No place to hide now.
JJ and frogfish, I do take your point re Mignolet and would like him to do well but to me his good spells aside I've seen to many flaps too many scared panicky looks dash across his face for me to trust him... And that's the point... You need to trust your goaly.
But it's an argument that's been done to death, personally I would have been far more ruthless The season before last let alone the fucking disgraceful half Last season.
That said I would be genuinely delighted to be proved wrong, trust me I want the lad to make amends in the best possible way and to end up with a statue of the man plonked alongside Shanks...
But it's an argument that's been done to death, personally I would have been far more ruthless The season before last let alone the fucking disgraceful half Last season.
That said I would be genuinely delighted to be proved wrong, trust me I want the lad to make amends in the best possible way and to end up with a statue of the man plonked alongside Shanks...
Definitely not, and it starts with the Stoke game this weekend. This season he won't be allowed to get away with the kind of slow start we've always had under him, tough fixture list or not.
With bells on... Totally agree... No excuses at all, it's a ridiculous run to start with but we have to go in looking to pick up the points. The pressure would be too much otherwise I expect.
Excellent. I'm genuinely terrified of Adam crocking one of our Brazilians though. Maybe both.
Another reason why Sakho needs to play, so he can be on the pitch to sort Adam out if the need arises.
I've quite enjoyed the pre-season. Some good practice games in far flung places, a real boost to see such firm support (especially Australia), and the introduction of some new signings and the emergence of some talent in Teixeira's come back, Ibe's continued development and Gomez's introduction. Just the one draw and the rest wins. Benteke's debut goal a highlight.
The players should be nice and confident and approaching a good level of fitness. The Manager has some new but experienced staff to help out and iron out some deficiencies. Our fixture list is very tough but should bring the team together quickly as the size of the challenge becomes clear. Time for the talking to stop.
The players should be nice and confident and approaching a good level of fitness. The Manager has some new but experienced staff to help out and iron out some deficiencies. Our fixture list is very tough but should bring the team together quickly as the size of the challenge becomes clear. Time for the talking to stop.
If Louvren starts ahead of Sakho Rodgers deserves everything he gets if it all goes wrong.
And if it doesn't?
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