Champions League: Semi-finals 20. - 28.4. 2010

[destinydude]

Selling Babel, Riera and Maxi wouldn't raise more than around 12-14 million which is barely enough to bring in 1 decent winger. It would also leave us very short of cover.

Its possible you could hit the jackpot and find a 20 goal a season forward for 15 million but unlikely. Look at the Prem's consistently best attacking players - Torres, Rooney, Tevez, Adebayor, Drogba - who all cost well over 20 million each. This is the sort of quality we need if we're going to able to challenge for the league again.

Belief and positive energy may be harder to get back than you think. Without the right investment in the squad we may see morale sink even lower.

Let me see, for a 4-4-2 we need a very good striker like the ones that you've mentioned. But we are going to play a 4-2-3-1 most of the times with Rafa in charge. SO realistically a 15m Forward would suffice.

Diego Milito costed Inter 9m last yr, if we look around well we'll get one for 15m.

We have two positions for wingers on the pitch, and we need 4 players in a squad to cover for it. We have five now. Sell three buy two and you'll still have four and you have Pacheco who can play there at times, albeit not a traditional winger but someone on the right side like he does whenever he comes on. Drift wide and say there.

Babel+Riera+Maxi will defo get you 15m. [8+6+1 respectively] Maxi to be fair will go for more than a million.

It isnt hard to drill belief and postive spirit into a squad, when you play with the right team and start to get results, the beilief will automatically kick in.

How many times this yr have we played our strongest XI when everyone was available or the strongest XI of the ones that were available? Be honest and count for yourself.

[Lecter]

1.First up you need belief and mental strength around the squad something he brings wherever he goes.

2. If you cant trust the players you've seen for 3-4 years then god help us. Even the Mancs have O'shea and Wes Brown who hav ebeen deteriorating yr by yr. That's not a prollem with back ups, with the right attitude and energy they can do their roles very well. It's mentally where we've crumbled this season combined with some baffling tactics.

3. If you cant trust Aquilani with the CM role, shunt Gerrard in there and go with two upfront. And it's getting boring now. You dotn trust Gerrard, you dont have enough faith in Aquilani or Johnson and to you Carragher and Skrtel arent good enough? You've seriously got to be kidding me.

4. To win the tilte you have to be in the race first and with the additons I've been calling for we can definitely fight for it and if we win teh crucial games (Head to Head ones with Chelsea,ManU and Arsenal) we can as well win the title.

Chelsea've won 5/5 this season in the games against Big Four and that's the reason why they are top. Do they have a team /squad that's so good as to not even lose a single game in these matches? NO. Sometimes right tactics and belief can get you there.

5. We need a change mentally and tactically and 25m wil be sufficient.

[B] I still havent got a number, a number which you think will be good enough for us to win the title

To me our best defensive pairing is Carragher and Agger. I keep hearing that Skrtel and Agger are the future BUT defending isnt all about talent its a lot about being a unit. Its about talking and organising and that is my beef with the Skrtel / Agger partnership. When I have seen it in practice it hasnt looked that organised. Now with Carragher coming to the end of his career IMO we have to find someone capable of organising the back four and that is why I would look to bring in someone else to compliment Agger or Skrtel

Aquilani I just dont see what you do sorry

Gerrard is fantastic but his most effective position is off Torres. If Torres isnt playing then maybe there is a case for dropping him back but generally when he plays central midfield he lets players run of him (he loses concentration too much and he also vacates his position far too often ala Johnson)

Its impossible to just pluck a number from thin air and say that = the title

To me the more you spend the more you increase your chances of winning the title its a sliding scale

£25 million NETT doesnt give a future Liverpool manager a hope no matter who they are

Even a £100 million NETT spend wouldnt guarantee you the title because you'd have to factor in what other teams are doing

[destinydude]

Skrtel has made 14 appearances this season, Agger has made 21 so far. Frankly Agger has been head and shoulders above Skrtel in terms of performance. Its nothing to do with him being injured its been his performances when hes played have been shocking

Johnson I think leaves us very very exposed and puts more pressure on the centrehalf positions (see Atletico's goal for an example of that)

Has Aquilani actually played against any of the big clubs?? That to me is the proof that hes worthy of a place, because from what I've seen on him so far barring a couple of performances hes struggled badly

As for Rafa staying, I frankly dont mind who is manager because thats not what we are discussing. We are discussing whether morinho could win the league given £25 million NETT to spend. I dont think he has a hope in hell of doing that and thats not a reflection on Mourinho I dont think ANY manager could win us the league with that little money to spend

So, give me a number and a name rather than saying no amount and no one can win it or fight for the title.

You are being depressingly pessimistic. Skrtel has been in and out and he had nagging injuries. He was more than good last season when Agger looked a bit out of shape and touch.

Regardless of who he's played against, the team looked more confident, more attacking and more good to watch. That to me is an indication that the team when picked rightly, has a positive influence on the squad rather than when it's picked with blatant favoritism towards certain players.

[Lecter]

When I say win, I mean be there till the end and nick it rather than maintaining a ten pt gap all the while and then win it with 3/4 games to go.

No one can 'guarantee' a title win because no one knows what can happen, but a realistic amount which you think we need to be there to fight with others.

Spurs,Villa,City can till spend an absolute fortune, but there still arent players like Gerrard,Torres,Masch Reina,Aquilani who they can get in the current market.

I just dont see £25 million NETT achieving a title win. Not with the current squad

I wouldnt put Aquilani in that list mate sorry but hes nowhere near in the same league as Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano & Reina

[Lecter]

So, give me a number and a name rather than saying no amount and no one can win it or fight for the title.

You are being depressingly pessimistic. Skrtel has been in and out and he had nagging injuries. He was more than good last season when Agger looked a bit out of shape and touch.

Regardless of who he's played against, the team looked more confident, more attacking and more good to watch. That to me is an indication that the team when picked rightly, has a positive influence on the squad rather than when it's picked with blatant favoritism towards certain players.

I've explained this above, why do I have to give you a name?? I'm not saying whether I do or dont want Mourinho I'm just stating I dont think he'd win the league with only £25 million NETT to spend

Sorry I just dont see it regarding Aquilani

not yet anyway

[destinydude]

To me our best defensive pairing is Carragher and Agger. I keep hearing that Skrtel and Agger are the future BUT defending isnt all about talent its a lot about being a unit. Its about talking and organising and that is my beef with the Skrtel / Agger partnership. When I have seen it in practice it hasnt looked that organised. Now with Carragher coming to the end of his career IMO we have to find someone capable of organising the back four and that is why I would look to bring in someone else to compliment Agger or Skrtel

Aquilani I just dont see what you do sorry

Gerrard is fantastic but his most effective position is off Torres. If Torres isnt playing then maybe there is a case for dropping him back but generally when he plays central midfield he lets players run of him (he loses concentration too much and he also vacates his position far too often ala Johnson)

Its impossible to just pluck a number from thin air and say that = the title

To me the more you spend the more you increase your chances of winning the title its a sliding scale

£25 million NETT doesnt give a future Liverpool manager a hope no matter who they are

Even a £100 million NETT spend wouldnt guarantee you the title because you'd have to factor in what other teams are doing

So you are refusing to commit to a number saying it is respective of what other teams spend which in my view says that you are really not that good when it comes to judging your team or the other team for that matter.

You know the players who are available right now and who the other teams have. No one is going to re-haul their entire squad over night. So with some perception and interpretation you can clearly give a view as to whether your team is good enough to be in the race or not. Regardless of what other teams spend and buy.

And if you still cant say with a £100m NET, if our team will be good enough to be in the race then exactly or who exactly in personnel(players+gaffer) do you need in the squad to be in the race?

There's nothing wrong with Skrtel-Agger partnership. They might not set the world alight and it's just NOT talent that I'm speaking of when I say they can play as a pair. They've played there a few times and havent looked out of place. Skrtel may be rash at times, but how many top teams have defenders who are 24 as a pair? It takes time to grow. They'll be there next season.

[destinydude]

I've explained this above, why do I have to give you a name?? I'm not saying whether I do or dont want Mourinho I'm just stating I dont think he'd win the league with only £25 million NETT to spend

Sorry I just dont see it regarding Aquilani

not yet anyway

May be I'm qualified enough to pass the judgment on him because I've seen him for like 3 yrs(a 1.5 yr net tho' considering his injuries)?

Okay forget about 'winning' the title, how much do you think do we need to 'fight' for the title and 'be in the race' like we've been last yr?

[Lecter]

May be I'm qualified enough to pass the judgment on him because I've seen him for like 3 yrs(a 1.5 yr net tho' considering his injuries)?

Okay forget about 'winning' the title, how much do you think do we need to 'fight' for the title and 'be in the race' like we've been last yr?

I've watched Aquilani on the box also, but there is a world of difference between Italian & Premier League football. IMO he aint anywhere near the level of Gerrard et al. Anyway did you get a degree or something to earn these qualifications?? I played semi-pro football and got quite a few of my coaching badges as a younger man does that make me qualified to talk about football??? FFS next you'll start with my dads bigger than yours etc...

I reckon £25-30 million NETT might and I mean might just about get us in the top 4 next year

I say that primarily because I expect City to spend **** loads of money in the summer, Spurs will also spend a large amount

[destinydude]

I reckon £25-30 million NETT might and I mean might just about get us in the top 4 next year

I say that primarily because I expect City to spend **** loads of money in the summer, Spurs will also spend a large amount

When you say 'just about' does it mean 'just about' like City/Spurs/us (whoever eventually get there) got there this season, with the same Rafa in charge?

He doesnt need to be Gerrard, he just needs to be what he was, a good play maker.

[destinydude]

Anyway did you get a degree or something to earn these qualifications?? I played semi-pro football and got quite a few of my coaching badges as a younger man does that make me qualified to talk about football??? FFS next you'll start with my dads bigger than yours etc..

I wouldnt. For the record, Jose Maureen hasnt played 'pro football' at any level and isnt he one of the 'top' managers right now

[dww]

I think the thing is that the problem we have had is that we have had to chose constantly between trying to gamble on top quality and getting the quantity of players we really need. A big problem this season and probably next season will be whether we can get enough genuine first team quality players and enough variety into the squad.

I think we could easily have achieved fourth if everyone had stayed fit this season. Unfortunately with a comparatively thin squad it is hard to guarentee that season in, season out and with Spurs and Man City strengthening that will become increasingly true if we maintain current investment levels and youth development doesn't fill the gap (which is presumably the long term goal).

I have a good feeling about next season actually but it will depend on people staying fit.

I actually think that we attempted positive tactical change this year and some of the steps made this year might only pay off next year. The problem is that we need new blood to make that happen and also to keep the players we have and get them fit. I think the same problems would persist no matter who was in charge.

I disagree with Lecter about the fact that Johnson was a sign of a tactical wrong turn but other than that I think his analysis of the scale of the task for the manager of LFC for the foreseeable future is pretty much spot on.

[Shaggy]

I disagree with Lecter about the fact that Johnson was a sign of a tactical wrong turn but other than that I think his analysis of the scale of the task for the manager of LFC for the foreseeable future is pretty much spot on.

[Lecter]

So you are refusing to commit to a number saying it is respective of what other teams spend which in my view says that you are really not that good when it comes to judging your team or the other team for that matter.

You know the players who are available right now and who the other teams have. No one is going to re-haul their entire squad over night. So with some perception and interpretation you can clearly give a view as to whether your team is good enough to be in the race or not. Regardless of what other teams spend and buy.

And if you still cant say with a £100m NET, if our team will be good enough to be in the race then exactly or who exactly in personnel(players+gaffer) do you need in the squad to be in the race?

There's nothing wrong with Skrtel-Agger partnership. They might not set the world alight and it's just NOT talent that I'm speaking of when I say they can play as a pair. They've played there a few times and havent looked out of place. Skrtel may be rash at times, but how many top teams have defenders who are 24 as a pair? It takes time to grow. They'll be there next season.

You know what sometimes in life its not what you do that gets you somewhere its circumstances and events elsewhere

I wont commit to a figure because its impossible to say £X wins you the title. If you read what I said earlier I stated I would be disappointed NOT to win the title having spent £100 million NETT BUT I WOULDNT GUARANTEE IT would happen. You have stated Mourinho would win the league with a £25 million NETT spend.

As for Skrtel / Agger in my experience they dont communicate well enough to be a top class pairing. That may change but at the moment I'm convinced you need a better organiser to play alongside one of them

[Lecter]

I disagree with Lecter about the fact that Johnson was a sign of a tactical wrong turn but other than that I think his analysis of the scale of the task for the manager of LFC for the foreseeable future is pretty much spot on.

My argument about Johnson goes back to Alonso

I think Johnson would have been a better buy with Alonso in the side

Without him I think we are more exposed and he is probably less effective

[destinydude]

You know what sometimes in life its not what you do that gets you somewhere its circumstances and events elsewhere

I wont commit to a figure because its impossible to say £X wins you the title. If you read what I said earlier I stated I would be disappointed NOT to win the title having spent £100 million NETT BUT I WOULDNT GUARANTEE IT would happen. You have stated Mourinho would win the league with a £25 million NETT spend.

As for Skrtel / Agger in my experience they dont communicate well enough to be a top class pairing. That may change but at the moment I'm convinced you need a better organiser to play alongside one of them

Most of the times I saw Agger-Skrtel play they dint look out of place. Honestly in 70%of the games over a season, you dont need to worry about organising your defense. It's only in the other 30% of the games that you need to be well drilled with defensive tactics.

We can revert to Carra-Skrtel or Carra-Agger for those games. It isnt that big an issue.

Still, forget about 'winning', how much do you think do we need for us to be the race next season, barring a bizarre sequence on injuries we've had like this season? [even with all the injuries, I still think being in the Top four should have been achieved albeit with a bit of difficulty]