So what do we need to address as no1 priority this summer?

[Dreambeliever]

Position wise.

LB?

Certainly one of Rafa's biggest blunders in his 6 year reign. He sold the very solid if not totally one demisional JAR and has spent twice heavily failing to replace him.
So far we have failures in Aurelio (sicknote) Insua (Just not up to scratch at the very highest level) and Dossena (Need we mention our record defensive signing prior to GJ)

CM?

We sold Alonso, the man that made the Gerrard/Torres combo look so effortless and explosive last season and have failed to replace him. Rafa had hoped perhaps that Lucas could fill that void. For this alone he should be sacked. From day 1 away to Spurs it was obvious we were missing the drive, forward passing and workrate of Alonso in the middle and that lucas would never be that. Lucas isn't all bad by no standards is he good enough for the role he has at Liverpool. Gerrard in there is the sensible option at least until the end of the season.

LW?

Anothe blunder season after season from Rafa. Mark G, Leto, Babel, Yossi, Maxi, Reira Zendan even Bellamy has been tried out on the left and none have been able to hold down a regular place there. In fact he only one who has looked half decent there was apparently dropped at the start of the season for being to confident ffs!!


CF?

We all none Torres will never be fit for 38 games a year and we struggle badly for a cutting edge when he is out. We have seen the likes of Bellamy, Crouch, Cisse, Baros, Keane, Voronin and Moreintes come and go and nobody looked capable of keeping Rafa happy. Even his love child Kuyt got bombed out of his preferred position after 1 season.
Right now we have Torres and when's out Kuyt or N'Gog definately a place where we need more.


So where is the biggest problem?

For me its CM and has been evident for some time. Above all else I either want the formation changed or Lucas dropped. He simply does not give enough going forward considering he's got the best DM sitting beside him/just behind him. What is it now 1 assist and 0 goals all year. He doesn't get Gerrard or Torres involved enough for where he plays and needs removing pronto.

 

[Avmenon]

Manager.

 

[refugee]

[quote author=Dreambeliever link=topic=39633.msg1081187#msg1081187 date=1270299100]
Position wise.

LB?

Certainly one of Rafa's biggest blunders in his 6 year reign. He sold the very solid if not totally one demisional JAR and has spent twice heavily failing to replace him.
So far we have failures in Aurelio (sicknote) Insua (Just not up to scratch at the very highest level) and Dossena (Need we mention our record defensive signing prior to GJ)

[/quote]

Dossena and ....?

 

[spider-Neil]

LB

 

[franklyfrank]

Left Back.

Fuck knows what Rafa was thinking when he sold Riise.

 

[RolandG]

Change formation to 442. Drop Gerrard to CM, get Villa to partner Torres and address our chronic lack of width.

 

[kingjulian]

[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=39633.msg1081258#msg1081258 date=1270306439]
Manager.
[/quote]

what he said...

 

[Vlads Quiff]

Oh FFS, I don't fucking believe it, there are people as crackers as Rafa on this site.

Anyone who does not say CF wants their fucking head feeling, and has been living in a cave since last August.
[size=60pt]Wake UP!!!![/size]
Have you not see what the fuck happens to us when Torres is missing? We don't need 1 we need two, we have been woefully bereft in that area since Benitez arrived.


*staggers off shaking his head*

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=franklyfrank link=topic=39633.msg1081266#msg1081266 date=1270307684]
Left Back.

Fuck knows what Rafa was thinking when he sold Riise.
[/quote]

He was thinking we needed to improve at LB, and there weren't many who disagreed either. The problem wasn't what he was thinking, it was failing to find the right replacement.

 

[Mojo]

[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=39633.msg1081324#msg1081324 date=1270312615]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=39633.msg1081258#msg1081258 date=1270306439]
Manager.
[/quote]

what he said...
[/quote]

What they said...

 

[singlerider]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081331#msg1081331 date=1270312860]
Oh FFS, I don't fucking believe it, there are people as crackers as Rafa on this site.

Anyone who does not say CF wants their fucking head feeling, and has been living in a cave since last August.
[size=60pt]Wake UP!!!![/size]
Have you not see what the fuck happens to us when Torres is missing? We don't need 1 we need two, we have been woefully bereft in that area since Benitez arrived.


*staggers off shaking his head*
[/quote]

Unless we buy quality for the wings and have Kuyt and Babel as back up for up top?

 

[Vlads Quiff]

*stunned*

 

[Vlads Quiff]

[quote author=singlerider link=topic=39633.msg1081362#msg1081362 date=1270320233]
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081331#msg1081331 date=1270312860]
Oh FFS, I don't fucking believe it, there are people as crackers as Rafa on this site.

Anyone who does not say CF wants their fucking head feeling, and has been living in a cave since last August.
[size=60pt]Wake UP!!!![/size]
Have you not see what the fuck happens to us when Torres is missing? We don't need 1 we need two, we have been woefully bereft in that area since Benitez arrived.


*staggers off shaking his head*
[/quote]

Unless we buy quality for the wings and have Kuyt and Babel as back up for up top?
[/quote]

Kuyt and Babel are what they should be - back up.
Neither are good enough to be first choice


regards

 

[Squiggles]

First choice left back, new striker, left mid, new cm They all desperately need replacing. Left back would be my first priority

 

[ZhaoYun]

Fuck off the manager and we will be fine.

 

[Dreambeliever]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081399#msg1081399 date=1270335535]
*stunned*
[/quote]

If we had Gerrard/Masher in CM all season with Yossi behind Torres/N'Gog/Kuyt depending on Torres's fitness I think we would be comfortably in the top 4.

 

[IGotALuvlyBunchOfCoconuts]

LW
CF
LB
CM
RW

In that order.

 

[Oncy]

Striker. Obv
LW
LB

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081331#msg1081331 date=1270312860]
Oh FFS, I don't fucking believe it, there are people as crackers as Rafa on this site.

Anyone who does not say CF wants their fucking head feeling, and has been living in a cave since last August.
[size=60pt]Wake UP!!!![/size]
Have you not see what the fuck happens to us when Torres is missing? We don't need 1 we need two, we have been woefully bereft in that area since Benitez arrived.


*staggers off shaking his head*
[/quote]

if you analise all the games drawn/lost this season have we been hurt more by failure to score or failing to hold onto a lead?

 

[Jürgen4PM]

Owners.

 

[keniget]

The first issue to address is what we're going to do with the formation and the Gerrard-Torres partnership. As things stand, the central midfield can't be relied upon and there is a lack of balance in the squad. Any other decision we make has to follow that otherwise we might again find ourselves planning and buying without any real purpose.

 

[Oncy]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=39633.msg1081567#msg1081567 date=1270377051]
The first issue to address is what we're going to do with the formation and the Gerrard-Torres partnership. As things stand, the central midfield can't be relied upon and there is a lack of balance in the squad. Any other decision we make has to follow that otherwise we might again find ourselves planning and buying without any real purpose.
[/quote]That doesnt in any way sound like Rafa's M.O

 

[gareth_thomas]

im with Vlad...

We need a forward desperately and have done for a while.. I think Torres and Bellamy would actually be terrific as it would mean defenders having to beware of two pacey tricky players that make clever runs.

At the moment we are seeing shite teams easily defend against us and then put us under pressure later in games.. Two quality strikers would certainly take the pressure off the wingbacks and central midfielders to attack.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

Thank Christ.

I am really incredulous, and I don't use the word lightly, that anyone, even those who I know are a bit daft when it comes to footy, could say that we are not absolutely desperate for a striker. It's like people have been hypnotised to forget what we are like when Torres is not there, and how utterly toothless we are without him.

regards

 

[Oncy]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081687#msg1081687 date=1270387545]
Thank Christ.

I am really incredulous, and I don't use the word lightly, that anyone, even those who I know are a bit daft when it comes to footy, could say that we are not absolutely desperate for a striker. It's like people have been hypnotised to forget what we are like when Torres is not there, and how utterly toothless we are without him.

regards
[/quote]AHEM!!

Striker. Obv
LW
LB

 

[keniget]

We've already got another striker for the squad in Jovovic who has got a pretty decent scoring record in the bullshit league he's playing in. As for getting another first-teamer - there is little point in getting all hysterical about it. There needs to be a real good think about how the team is going to line up next season and the summer needs to be planned accordingly.

 

[RedStar]

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=39633.msg1081705#msg1081705 date=1270389407]
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081687#msg1081687 date=1270387545]
Thank Christ.

I am really incredulous, and I don't use the word lightly, that anyone, even those who I know are a bit daft when it comes to footy, could say that we are not absolutely desperate for a striker. It's like people have been hypnotised to forget what we are like when Torres is not there, and how utterly toothless we are without him.

regards
[/quote]AHEM!!

Striker. Obv
LW
LB

[/quote]

if we dont intend playing a different formation next season then bringing in another top class striker would be pointless

 

[iseered]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=39633.msg1081467#msg1081467 date=1270370247]
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=39633.msg1081331#msg1081331 date=1270312860]
Oh FFS, I don't fucking believe it, there are people as crackers as Rafa on this site.

Anyone who does not say CF wants their fucking head feeling, and has been living in a cave since last August.
[size=60pt]Wake UP!!!![/size]
Have you not see what the fuck happens to us when Torres is missing? We don't need 1 we need two, we have been woefully bereft in that area since Benitez arrived.


*staggers off shaking his head*
[/quote]

if you analise all the games drawn/lost this season have we been hurt more by failure to score or failing to hold onto a lead?
[/quote]
either way we've been analised

 

[Vlads Quiff]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=39633.msg1081864#msg1081864 date=1270394518]
We've already got another striker for the squad in Jovovic who has got a pretty decent scoring record in the bullshit league he's playing in. As for getting another first-teamer - there is little point in getting all hysterical about it. There needs to be a real good think about how the team is going to line up next season and the summer needs to be planned accordingly.
[/quote]

Well, two things Ken, firstly we ain't got him yet, secondly we should have at least three decent strikers, and a top one is still needed.
Never mind how we are going line up, we can't have all our eggs in the Torres basket it is just plain daft.
Yes, I am hysterical about it as its so fucking obvious.

Oncey / of course I had noted your sane input ..............as per

regards

 

[keniget]

It is obvious and it's partially why it's been somewhat sidelined in these sorts of debates. We all know that we need to resolve the striker situation, but before we can do that we need to sort out the side as a whole.

It's all very well saying yeah bring in a striker, bring in a striker, but if we bring in a guy like Bent for example and then stick him on the bench for 3/4 a season, it'll end up being a waste of money because we'll have ruined him.