My start of the season assessment

[JohnDoe]

Pre season is finally over, and we're less than a week away from what could become the closest and most congested title race in years. Don't let the results in meaningless friendly matches fool you: There is very little separating Liverpool from their main rivals, Man United and Chelsea, and if Arsenal make a couple of shrewd signings in key positions, they could easily click and become a serious threat to the other three (though in my personal opinion I doubt that). Man City have also been spending heavily, and although they aren't considered to be ready, they will definitely be an annoyance and a cause for long term concern to the four clubs who have monopolized the top 4 positions in recent years.

The summer transfer window has been a very interesting one in the Premier League but for a different reason than what we're used to. It has been a very quiet summer, especially for the top clubs, and it could be argued that all of them have either stood still, or even weakened. For the first time in years, there are no favourites in my eyes. I don't have a clue who will win the title after grudgingly predicting a Man United title win in the last couple of years every summer. Each team seems to have glaring weaknesses which you can't properly weigh against each other. No one will have that aura of invincibility this season. Injuries will play as a key factor, as well as young players stepping up and filling in for high profile departures. The overall quality of the Premier League seems to have regressed, though I still consider it to be superior to La Liga.

According to their respective managers, Chelsea and Man United are done in the transfer marker. I, for once, believe them. I also don't expect us or Arsenal to make any big signings at this stage too. The market has gone mad and it seems like the top 4 are not willing to play ball with what's been happening in La Liga.

So how do we compare?

Missing the towering Finn and filling the treatment room

Right now, Liverpool have three first team centre backs. One is turning 32 this season, while the other two have had long term injuries in the last couple of years and also carry fitness worries before the start of the season. We've also lost one of our greatest legends in the last 20 years, a loyal and extremely reliable defender whom we could always count on in times of crisis. Hyypia, who was our "4th choice" centre back, started 12 Premier League games last season!

Make no mistake; we cannot start the season without bringing in another defender. Our young Spanish reserves are nowhere near ready, and Martin Kelly, our most promising defensive prospect, is being viewed as a right back by Rafa. One long term injury could leave us in a serious defensive crisis which we can't afford if we want to land a proper title challenge. Such a signing is vital and is my first priority before everything else.

Chelsea have four quality centre backs and another youngster who looks like a good prospect. Man United have three centre backs as well as two more versatile defenders who have experience playing there, excluding youngsters. Even Arsenal and Everton currently have more depth in that position.

Buying this defender though isn't easy, and is similar to buying a back up goalkeeper, because if he's too "good", he'd want first team football which we can't guarantee and he will also be too expensive to justify a purchase, but if he's not good enough to start for us, what is the point of signing him? (See Arsenal's capture of Silvestre last season). It would be wise to get in someone versatile enough to cover for one of the full backs positions as well, which will also help him get games.

In the full back positions, things are looking rosier. I've been extremely impressed with Johnson and Insua, who will start the season as first choice. Johnson is quality going forward and could add an entirely new dimension to our play behind Dirk Kuyt. He's got all the physical and technical attributes to become a world class full back. His biggest concern is his defensive reliability, but if anyone can sort that out, it's Rafa. Insua has been even more impressive, and continues his progress from last season. He has gained some muscle during the summer, and looks even stronger and sharper than before. His crossing is superb, and he's a very tough player to beat on the defensive end. He also seems to have that "it" factor, that self sustaining confidence and awareness which separates good players from great players. Together I see Johnson and Insua as a somewhat overlooked upgrade, which could be massive over the course of the season because they seem to gel with our attacking players more than what we've seen last season. When breaking inferior teams down, our main problem, the role of full backs is crucial.

Like central defence, the depth in our full back positions is a bit difficult. We have the numbers but there are doubts about our quality and reliability. Degen is looking like a serious problem though the emergence of Kelly could help. Dossena looked to be on the way out and could still go, which leaves us with another injury prone defender in Aurelio, who's a quality defender but can't be trusted to last a full season. As said earlier, a centre back with the capability of playing wide could help.

A dagger in the hearts of the opposition

One of the most encouraging things Rafa has said during this summer is the acknowledgment of Agger's qualities in helping Liverpool as an attacking unit. His composure on the ball and ability to make surging runs forward with purpose and precision make him a valuable asset and unique to our other two CB's. Compact teams find it very difficult to defend against such players and it often either leaves him with an opportunity at goal, in which Agger has shown competence, or an opening for an attacking player to exploit. His ability to calmly organize things from the back also gives him a crucial role in helping us ease the absence of Xabi Alonso which will be discussed later. The further forward Lucas and Mascherano are able to sit due to our defence's improved distribution from the back, the better it is to our general play, and the more dangerous Gerrard and Torres become.

Skrtel may be a better, "no nonsense" type of defender and a good option in difficult away games, but playing Agger will, in my opinion, help us defensively even more than Skrtel in most games because he will give us more minutes of possession and less of pressure. Agger, who's also quite an underrated defender, needs to start the season as first choice and should be playing at least every home game during the season, when fit. When looking at the statistics, our defensive record is excellent against the top sides but falls behind against inferior sides. This may be food for thought.

Engine room no longer Basques in its brilliance

A lot has been said on Alonso. So much that it's become a bit tiring. Perhaps even as tiring as reading this article, or one of Paul Tomkins'. His departure has spawned a huge debate over what should be our course of action to replace him. There is no doubt he has been a huge influence on our game. There is no doubt that he was a quality player for us, my favourite player too. He was our pacemaker, and nearly every one of our attacks went through him. He's also been one of our best performers last season, but he's gone now. We need to move on.

Whatever the reasons why Rafa decided to cash on Xabi, there is no doubt in my mind that some of them, if not most of them, were professional reasons. Xabi had three years left on his contract and we could have kept him if we really wanted to, as can be seen by Rafa's treatment of Mascherano who made similar voices of wanting to leave. He's put the Argentinean's fire out quickly and swiftly, while he was willing to listen to offers for the Spaniard. That is a facht.

With Xabi leaving, the potential for problems is there for all to see. I find it hard to imagine a Liverpool game in which Alonso isn't there to pick up the ball from defence and starts to impose himself on the game. I have dreaded every match last season in which Alonso hasn't featured and I still cringe a bit when I'm thinking about the next game and remembering I can't fit him in the formation I have in my mind. Fans who love their tic-tacs are mourning his loss everywhere.

After all, Mascherano is no playmaker, and doesn't have the vision or passing ability to fill that role. Gerrard is rightfully being kept where he is best at, because moving him 30 yards back could take the edge out of his game and unsettle the entire team as a result. You don't break the best strike force in the league to fill a hole in a team.

But what is seen as a painful departure could be viewed as an opportunity. Instead of replacing Alonso, who's a very rare type of player, we replace him with someone who has different strengths which can, overall, improve us as an attacking unit. This makes Aquilani a fascinating signing.

I've often described Aquilani as a Lamparded Alonso. He's got the quality and talent to perform the role Alonso does, but he doesn't match the Spaniard in terms of the variety in his passing, his defensive toughness and most importantly, experience and primacy. But what Aquilani does have is increased mobility, excellent off the ball movement, close control, dribbling and a genuine threat going forward. His long range shots are superb as well as his defence splitting forward runs in which he can finish attacks in ways Alonso never could.

In tough games against top opposition, Liverpool may not excel as much as it did last season with Alonso, but against inferior sides, it stands a much better chance at winning games. There have been many games last season where we could have broken a team down if we had some more penetration from the middle instead of two sitting midfielders trying to pass the ball into the box. You could say that Rafa has sacrificed some control and stability for more potency and unpredictability in the final third, or as I told a mate of mine while under the influence: "We've shrunk our testicles a bit for a bigger penis!"

But alas, there is a problem. We can't expect Aquilani to settle in straight away, and despite our staff's confidence that his injuries are behind him, he's still a worry. And not only is he a worry, we're going to start the first month or two without him. This signals two things: Rafa rates Aquilani so much that he's willing to take a chance on him, and it also means Rafa's very confident in a certain Brazilian to step up and make a serious claim for a first team spot, one he's described as our best performer in pre-season.

The Lucas conundrum

Like it or not, Lucas will have a key role in our title challenge this year. He's getting thrown into the deep end, and he could sink or swim. His critics, including myself, point out to his one glaring weakness: He just doesn't stand out. He's pretty decent in all aspects of the game (and he's surprisingly good in the air), but there just isn't anything that makes him exceptional. He lacks assertion, seems incapable of confidently holding our midfield together, and he's also a bit erratic defensively.

Lucas is also the most criticized player in our squad and seems to have little rapport with the Liverpool fans, a difficult position for any young player to find himself in.
But the fact is that Rafa sees in him something many of us don't, and it's those small details that evade the spectators at home and the fans at the stadium.

I can give one example of such a case. Two years ago, a 23 year old Darren Fletcher was one of the most ridiculed players amongst Man United fans. He was labeled as useless, rubbish, and a Championship player at best who didn't stand out in any aspect of the game. Nobody understood why Ferguson persisted with him when others gave up long before. Today, Darren Fletcher is a first team player and is seen as one by the vast majority of Man United fans. I'll be damned if Lucas, through all his faults, is not at least as talented as him.

There are positive signs of maturity in Lucas. During pre-season he has done okay without standing out, but he was one of our best performers against Atletico Madrid and looked like finally imposing himself on the game. If he can continue his progress in the role he was brought on for in the first place, as a creative attacking midfielder and not a defensive midfielder, playing week in week out, he might surprise a few people, and we'll have a very good problem when Aquilani returns.

Needless to say, the question of Lucas will be answered very soon and it is crucial that he's able to hold his own at an early part of the season. A struggling Lucas could ruin the entire shape of our attack, forcing Gerrard to drop deeper to help with "playmaking" while making him less of a danger to the opposition. A confident Lucas who's capable of carrying the burden and telling Gerrard: "Stay forward, I've got this!" is what I want to see this season. I also never want him to grow his hair again.


The Flying Dutchman and The Zionist Zidane: Most effective pair of "wingers" in the league

In the wide positions, we are much stronger than many think and I have a feeling that those who expect us to get this nameless "world class" winger are about to be very disappointed. Over the last year, Dirk Kuyt has turned from a heated issue of debate into nearly a consensus. He had a spectacular season, with perhaps a month's regression of form. The numbers don't lie: Kuyt has been the most effective "winger" in the Premier League bar Ronaldo, scoring 12 league goals and providing 8 assists.

Kuyt is the player who symbolizes Rafa's Liverpool best: A machine, tirelessly working on the pitch and incredibly effective. He's one of the first names in the team sheet and will continue to play, all the freaking time. But now, it'll be to the delight of Liverpool fans, and not to their disappointment.

On the other flank, Yossi Benayoun has had a spectacular second half of the season in which he was arguably Liverpool's best performer. It has been quite a Kuyt-esque turn around in which he has evolved from a decent squad player to an important creative force in the first team, and yet I still think he's being underrated by a lot of Liverpool fans. Despite only playing 55% of Liverpool's Premier League minutes, he has scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists. In comparision, Dirk Kuyt has played 93% of the time, so Benayoun has been as productive as the Dutchman if not more when on the pitch.

I honestly believe that an on form Benayoun is that missing piece, that spark of brilliance, and the third genuine match winner we've been missing to win the title. The number of times he has stepped up and created a match winning goal or assist can not be ignored, and considering that he's also a very hard worker defensively despite his size (he's been running into the ground in pre-season flying into tackles), and one of Rafa's most trusted players, makes him another very valuable asset. David Silva has a sexy name, and is a top talent no doubt, but Benayoun is already settled, experienced and effective. I see no reason in unsettling that for the money being considered and with the new 4 year contract he's been given at the age of 29, I think Rafa agrees wholeheartedly.

But I'm not ignoring Riera or Babel. The only Spanish waiter left after the departure of Arbeloa is a technically sound, natural left sided winger who excels in possession, provides us with a different flavour than Benayoun, and definitely has the quality to challenge for a first team spot. He's also more solid defensively and can give us great balance and "possibilities". Babel will start the season, unlike the last, with very little expectations from anyone, which could work in his favour. There are no doubts about his talent; it is the mental aspect of the game that's been holding him back, but with the emergence of Riera, Benayoun and Kuyt, and even El Zhar earning Rafa's trust, a good season from Babel will be a bonus, not a necessity. There are encouraging signs of Babel's improvement, but I prefer to stay careful with that one.

The best strike force in the league… and then there's Voronin and N'Gog

It's quite simple math. Gerrard and Torres started together in less than half of our Premier League games last season. We finished 4 points off the top, behind a Man United side with Ronaldo. If Gerrard and Torres start more than 30 league games together, we win the league. This does not require a long analysis.

But if they have injury plagued seasons, we're in trouble because our second string attack is well bellow the standards of our rivals. N'Gog and Voronin are not bad players, but they're just not the quality we require, and their finishing is very unreliable (I'm ready to be proved wrong). The bigger problem is that unlike the CB "crisis", Rafa is content with what we have. It is not easy to find a back up striker who has the quality required and is willing to sit on the bench, it is also quite a financial investment, but I'm very concerned with our options in case one of Gerrard or Torres get injured for any period of time, and unfortunately, it will happen. With Gerrard it is less of a problem somewhat, because Yossi Benayoun is very competent in that role and provides us with a good alternative (And in case Lucas horribly fails, it could be the only viable option if we move Gerrard back, in my opinion).

If Torres gets injured, the only "established" striker we have who's capable of leading the line is N'Gog. Just think about how scary that is for a second. Potential or not, he's just not ready to be thrust into the first team in case of an injury. There are solutions in the squad though, and I'm hoping Rafa sees them. Nemeth may lack the physicality, but he's an excellent finisher. He's also a bit older than N'Gog, so surely it's time to give him the chance? Babel also has the potential to become Torres' understudy. Physically, he's perfect for the role, but he lacks the brain. It could be argued though, that Babel lacks the brain to play any role, so maybe sticking him up front in his favourite position and telling him to "run wild" on the opposition will be the wisest choice. He is a pretty good finisher, and tends to get into good positions.

My key factors in winning the title:

1. Johnson, Insua and Agger cement their place in the first team.
2. Lucas holds the midfield together in Aquilani's absence; we don't lose ground until he gets fit.
3. Aquilani scores more than 5 league goals to provide us with an attacking edge from the middle.
4. Kuyt and Benayoun retain last season's form and productivity.
5. Gerrard and Torres start in 75% of our league games together.

Regards,
John Doe

[Sprouty]

Good post, i enjoyed reading it.

Agree with pretty much all you said as well.

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

i think i'll pass on reading it

i read this though :

My key factors in winning the title:

1. Johnson, Insua and Agger cement their place in the first team.
2. Lucas holds the midfield together in Aquilani's absence; we don't lose ground until he gets fit.
3. Aquilani scores more than 5 league goals to provide us with an attacking edge from the middle.
4. Kuyt and Benayoun retain last season's form and productivity.
5. Gerrard and Torres start in 75% of our league games together.



did you just call zidane a zionist?

[kingfunk]

I still think we need one more "WOW" player to win the league. like Kun or Villa playing the Gerrard role from last season and pulling Gerrard back into CM, I think that would be just as, if not more effective than the Stevie/Torres partnership last year.

[the rev leeroy brown]

Originally Posted by kingfunk

I still think we need one more "WOW" player to win the league. like Kun or Villa playing the Gerrard role from last season and pulling Gerrard back into CM, I think that would be just as, if not more effective than the Stevie/Torres partnership last year.

agreed we need one more WOW player but i'd prefer that to be a wide or creative midfield player and leave stevie up top. torres and gerard up top if they get a full season together will be the most feared and potent attacking force in europe.

[Lee]

Fuck me, your post makes Mr Tompkins' columns look like Ian Cotton statements

Agree with pretty much everything in it though - good read

[mersey86]

Originally Posted by Lee

Fuck me, your post makes Mr Tompkins' columns look like Ian Cotton statements

Agree with pretty much everything in it though - good read

My thoughts, exactly. "Are you Tompkins in disguise!!!" You set yourself up there, but its a very thoughtful and clear-minded analysis. I agree that Lucas' impact could be pivotal this year. On the 3 central defenders - its a tough one. That's a position you don't want to rotate. Hopefully 3 will be enough.

[lfc1394]

I would have like to see an attacking player added, but the crazy prices mean that for £20 odd mil. you'd be getting a player of questionable ability, it would make sense to keep the (hopefully) improving Babel and Ngog as back up.

[Fierce]

Summary? I jest, it was a good read and well written. Do more

Originally Posted by Fierce

Summary? I jest, it was a good read and well written. Do more

1. Johnson, Insua and Agger cement their place in the first team.
2. Lucas holds the midfield together in Aquilani's absence; we don't lose ground until he gets fit.
3. Aquilani scores more than 5 league goals to provide us with an attacking edge from the middle.
4. Kuyt and Benayoun retain last season's form and productivity.
5. Gerrard and Torres start in 75% of our league games together.

[MrMichael]

That's a very worthwhile read dude, bit tired now to respond properly but will do tomorrow when brain function is approaching normal.

Mind if I move it to the Articles section in a day or two when it starts to drop in here? Deserves preservation imo.

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by JohnDoe

My key factors in winning the title:

1. Johnson, Insua and Agger cement their place in the first team.
2. Lucas holds the midfield together in Aquilani's absence; we don't lose ground until he gets fit.
3. Aquilani scores more than 5 league goals to provide us with an attacking edge from the middle.
4. Kuyt and Benayoun retain last season's form and productivity.
5. Gerrard and Torres start in 75% of our league games together.

Regards,
John Doe

1. I don't think it is key Agger and Insua hold their positions. Skrtel and Aurelio are just as good players IMO.

2. Agree with this, but I guess we could say losing ground at anytime could be a fatal blow. You can't afford to lose too much ground in the premiership in the modern day.

3. I don't think it is essential that Aquilani scores any goals at all. He is stepping in for a player who virtually scored none anyhow so he has no shoes to fill in that respect. What is key is that he keeps the play moving and knits the team together in the way Alonso did, just higher up the pitch as Rafa wishes him to do so.

4. Agree with this, though I guess the best way would be to say that the wide players continue to support the team with goals and assists as they did last year. It matters not whether the players doing so are Kuyt and Yossi or Riera and Babel.

- Though I should also point out that Kuyt and Yossi had spells upfront at times last season and I'm sure a more attacking role helped with their goal and assist totals.

5. Agree with this. Even more so in respect to Torres because as you point out in the main article are replacements for him are of such a low standard.

I'm still hopefull of signing a striker.

[JohnDoe]

Originally Posted by MrMichael

Mind if I move it to the Articles section in a day or two when it starts to drop in here? Deserves preservation imo.

Don't mind that at all, cheers.

[dww]

Originally Posted by DannyMan2006

1. I don't think it is key Agger and Insua hold their positions. Skrtel and Aurelio are just as good players IMO.

I think the Agger point is valid in the sense that if he deserves his place on his defending then his passing out of defence is exceptional and can really transform the way we play at times. Skrtel doesn't have that in his game. I thin both however still have a lot to prove.

I'd completely agree about Aurelio and Insua ability wise but I do feel we need to see young players coming through and the encouragement of seeing Insua cemented in the team could be important to us long term as we may not be able to compete financially in the future.

[PC Plod]

Very good post. Would love to post more one this, but busy at mo. I think we are considerably weaker than last year, but then so are Scum, hence I make the Chavs favourites.

We need a CB/utility defender plus a LW who can fill in up top. The thought of Ngog or Voronin up top really depresses me. If we dont sign a striker, I'll really question why we didnt pick up the Midget Judas Scumbag. I think Yossi is ace, but I really dont think LW is his position at all & even tho I like Riera, that is the area of the pitch we need more from.

We need Lucas to play up really well & Aquliani to really settle & Be fit.

Cannot see where all the money has gone. Very disappointed in our lack of signings.

[PTP]

good read - i'd pretty much agree with it all - firstly, keeping gerrard and torres fit is obv vital, if they start the majoruty of games i'd say we would be favourite to win the game regardless of who else we pick - two truely world class footballers (united won 3 league with just one!)

we defo need a bit of cover at centre back

and for me, the major major worry is i feel we are one class player short in attack - torres/gerrard/kuyt/yossi i am happy with - riera can give us some balance - but ngog babel, voronin, nemeth and pacheco don't offer us much imo - i'd happily sell say babel(say £8m) and voronin (£4m) if it meant we could replace them with just one decent attacker to come in and liven things up a bit. One good player will be more effective than those two, and we still would have the prospects of ngog/nemeth/pacheco as back up

[Imy]

Originally Posted by PTP

good read - i'd pretty much agree with it all - firstly, keeping gerrard and torres fit is obv vital, if they start the majoruty of games i'd say we would be favourite to win the game regardless of who else we pick - two truely world class footballers (united won 3 league with just one!)

we defo need a bit of cover at centre back

and for me, the major major worry is i feel we are one class player short in attack - torres/gerrard/kuyt/yossi i am happy with - riera can give us some balance - but ngog babel, voronin, nemeth and pacheco don't offer us much imo - i'd happily sell say babel(say £8m) and voronin (£4m) if it meant we could replace them with just one decent attacker to come in and liven things up a bit. One good player will be more effective than those two, and we still would have the prospects of ngog/nemeth/pacheco as back up

we need to add another consistent match winner to aid Gerrard and Torres.

[PTP]

Originally Posted by Imy

we need to add another consistent match winner to aid Gerrard and Torres.

aye that for me has been the priority all summer (obv though we went and sold alonso meaning we needed someone in his place)

If we could add that, i'd be really pleased - if we could some how add some experience to fill in at rb/cb when needed then that would be the icing on the cake.

Without those two though i fear we might just come up short!! - every frigging season for about 15 years i always feel we are one or two players short (obv thats will always be the case as you always will find areas to improve) but i just wish we would take a fucking gamble and give rafa as strong a squad as possible.

It's a shame - cause on paper we have had the type of player i really want but they have never been up to it - look at babel now, and then the likes of Keane, even kewell etc - if they had performed even half as well as i had hoped for i think we'd be sorted.

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by PTP

aye that for me has been the priority all summer (obv though we went and sold alonso meaning we needed someone in his place)

I think amount of cash and the form of Yossi has convinced Rafa otherwise. Had Yossi not picked up his game I reckon we would have seen a new LM.

[Imy]

Originally Posted by DannyMan2006

I think amount of cash and the form of Yossi has convinced Rafa otherwise. Had Yossi not picked up his game I reckon we would have seen a new LM.

Yes he had a good end of season and when playing against teams who park the perennial bus in front of goal he is a good option.

However historically he has been way too inconsistent and to my mind we can't rely on him like we do with Gerrard and Torres when the chips are down.

We need another who is on par with Gerrard and Torres, hopefully if Aquilani can fill in where Xabi signed off AND can add a goal threat (similar to fat Frank) then theres another.

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by Imy

Yes he had a good end of season and when playing against teams who park the perennial bus in front of goal he is a good option.

However historically he has been way too inconsistent and to my mind we can't rely on him like we do with Gerrard and Torres when the chips are down.

We need another who is on par with Gerrard and Torres, hopefully if Aquilani can fill in where Xabi signed off AND can add a goal threat (similar to fat Frank) then theres another.

I think that's a big ask. Personally I'd be happy enough with another striking option brought in to act as cover for Torres. That and a CB and I think we'd be sorted.

[Darkon]

Good read Johndoe, keept me entertained for a while at work !

One thing I would like to add to your key points is no injuries at our wing positions.

We have very little competent backup in those positions, and if we get 2 injuries/bans we have problems there. Then we have to shift someone out there, or take a chance with a youngster.

I actually think that is more important than a striker backup, as we at least have some backup for that position - and we could even use more quality in the first eleven on the wings IMO.

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by Darkon

Good read Johndoe, keept me entertained for a while at work !

One thing I would like to add to your key points is no injuries at our wing positions.

We have very little competent backup in those positions, and if we get 2 injuries/bans we have problems there. Then we have to shift someone out there, or take a chance with a youngster.

I actually think that is more important than a striker backup, as we at least have some backup for that position - and we could even use more quality in the first eleven on the wings IMO.

Whilst the wing positions are not filled with sensational quality, Riera can fill in on the left and Babel is more than capable of illing in on the right. Then we also have El Zhar who showed some promise last year. If I was to spend big it would maybe be on a LW, but we do have reasonable cover.

[TonyR]

Great read - thanks for the effort you put in.

One thing - when Torres gets injured (thats a 'when' not an 'if') don't forget that Kuyt can lead the line!

[DannyMan2006]

Just reading this back now it is terrible to think that we all saw where the problems were going to be before a ball was even kicked in anger.

The 4th choice CB was highlighted by John and we ended up bringing one in too late, and who isn't Liverpool class.

Also the lack of back up to Gerrard and Torres, but we knew that in January when we let Keane go.

[Alex]

Whoops.

Good article, shame it was wrong in every respect last year ha ha

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by Alex

Whoops.

Good article, shame it was wrong in every respect last year ha ha

I think it was bang on and much of it applies to this year.

[DannyMan2006]

Originally Posted by DannyMan2006

Just reading this back now it is terrible to think that we all saw where the problems were going to be before a ball was even kicked in anger.

The 4th choice CB was highlighted by John and we ended up bringing one in too late, and who isn't Liverpool class.

Also the lack of back up to Gerrard and Torres, but we knew that in January when we let Keane go.

CB has obviously been cleared up. Kyrgiakos did better than I thought and Kelly and Wilson look set to be top players.

But I'm still waiting on that back up to Torres. If we don't sign someone it will be a complete joke.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by DannyMan2006

I think it was bang on and much of it applies to this year.

I was being ironic. We were shocking last year and the article predicted big things.