A fair and honest assessment of our season

[friedk]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-20921354/

The point about rotation is spot on.

[JohnDoe]

I'll paste it here...


Liverpool FC season review: Reasons to hope as Reds close in

May 16 2008 Tony Barrett
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres celebrate in Milan

IF THE standards of most other clubs were applied to Liverpool over the last season they would currently be basking in the glow of a memorable campaign.

In the Premier League, the Reds improved their points tally by eight points and cut the deficit on the champions from 21 to a more manageable 11 and they also managed to secure Champions League qualification having met Steven Gerrard's "minimum acceptable requirement" of finishing fourth in the league.

While in Europe there was yet another wonderful run in the Champions League, featuring dramatic and memorable victories against Inter Milan and Arsenal, which was only ended at the semi-final stage when Chelsea edged them out by the narrowest of margins.

Unfortunately for Rafa Benitez, his staff and the Liverpool players, Liverpool have always set their own exacting standards which are so high that any season which ends without a trophy has to be viewed as a disappointment, if not a failure.

"Liverpool Football Club exists to win trophies" has challenged "You'll Never Walk Alone" as the dominant Anfield mantra for the past four decades and when that raison d'etre is not maintained it is inevitable that criticism will come along.

The magic spell Arsene Wenger has cast over sections of the media which seems to preclude him or his club from criticism when they fail to deliver on the trophy front does not apply to Liverpool and Benitez.

And anyone thinking that Liverpool, like other clubs, can point to a good cup run and an improved showing in the league as a sign of achievement is almost as misguided as John Arne Riise's shooting has been all season.

But that does not mean Liverpool have not made progress since the season kicked off last August, and there is more than enough statistical and anecdotal evidence to suggest that giant strides have been made in the last nine months.

Perhaps most importantly, Benitez finally managed to find the last piece of the jigsaw which every Reds boss since 1990 has tried and failed to track down.

Fernando Torres is that final piece – a goalscorer extraordinaire who has the talent to turn a good team into title challengers and who has even managed to make his £20m fee look a bargain – the only problem is, there are several more basic pieces which have gone astray.

The centre of Benitez's jigsaw puzzle is now pretty much complete with Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger (when fit), Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and the superlative Torres representing a spine as formidable as any other in the Premiership.

But the flanks remain threadbare with both the full back and wide midfield positions being occupied by players who are not equipped to be part of a title challenging team.

Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and Yossi Benayoun are squad players but no more than that. Ryan Babel has huge potential but is still working out how to make the most of his clear talent and would probably be more effective used in a more central position anyway.

Riise and Jermaine Pennant have failed to deliver on far too many occasions and will be pushed through the Anfield exit door this summer.

Only Dirk Kuyt has excelled in a wide position and that was as an auxiliary right sided midfielder who provided perspiration far more often than he provided inspiration.

The good thing is, rarely has it been so clear where a team needs to improve. Quality additions in the wide areas would transform this Liverpool side and if the right players are recruited this summer then the title challenge which was expected, and pretty much demanded, last time around could be delivered in the forthcoming campaign.

For that to happen, Benitez might have to make slight alterations to his own philosophies, though.

Rotation is not the busted flush which some commentators would have us believe, and it has certainly served Sir Alex Ferguson well in a championship winning campaign in which he chopped and changed players more often than any other manager.

But unless Benitez has a squad at his disposal which is the equal of his counterpart's at the other end of the M62, rotation is unlikely to be as effective at Anfield as it is at Old Trafford.

Having said that, Liverpool again ended the season looking fresher than most of their opponents and the fact that they picked up more points in the last three months of the campaign than any other team in the league tells its own story.

But even within that run there were indicators to where Liverpool's problems lie as they failed to beat Arsenal, Chelsea and United yet again.

The league results at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates were creditable and Liverpool could quite easily have won both of these games but the 3-0 reversal at Old Trafford was a low which could not be explained away by Mascherano's first half dismissal.

There is a gap which still needs to be bridged. In points terms, the gap between United and Liverpool is identical to the one which separates the Reds from Mersey rivals Everton.

A succession of disappointing draws during the winter months and home and away defeats to United are the reason for this gap and it will only be closed next time around if Benitez is given the necessary financial backing to build a squad to compete with Ferguson's, and if the current inferiority complex which bedevils Liverpool whenever they face United is eradicated.

Having lost fewer league games than United last season, they have no reason to feel inferior to them, but what they do have to do is add that ruthless winning edge which their North West rivals are able to call upon seemingly at will.

The statistics do not lie. Zero trophies won means 2007/08 was not a great season for Liverpool.

But having scored more goals than any other English team, kept more clean sheets and almost halved the deficit on the champions there is much to suggest it was far from being a bad one.

Significantly, it was also a campaign which showed that, at the very least, Liverpool retain the potential to go on and challenge for the title. Now they just have to prove it.

GOOD TIMES

STEVEN GERRARD'S last minute winner at Villa Park on the opening day of the season.

Fernando Torres' first Liverpool goal against Chelsea – a sign of things to come.

Victories over Inter and Arsenal in the Champions League.
Dirk Kuyt celebrates at Goodison

The double over neighbours Everton.

Beating Derby County 6-0 at a time when no-one realised how bad Derby really were.

Jamie Carragher adding to his legend status by playing his 500th game for the club.

Hammering Besiktas 8-0 at Anfield.

BAD TIMES

DEFEATS to Besiktas and Marseille in the group stages of the Champions League.

Losing 3-1 away to Reading.

Non-league Havant & Waterlooville scoring twice at Anfield.

John Arne Riise's last gasp own goal which resulted in Chelsea, not Liverpool, contesting the Champions League final.

Titus Bramble depriving the Reds of an Anfield victory against Wigan with the most unlikely goal of the season.

Being knocked out of the FA Cup at home by Championship side Barnsley.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON

FERNANDO TORRES: Honourable mentions go to Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard, but for sheer edge of the seat brilliance week in, week out, the honours must go to Torres.

GOAL OF THE SEASON

FERNANDO TORRES against Newcastle at Anfield.

For the vision and passing ability of Steven Gerrard and Torres' perfectly timed run, dummy and finish – poetry in motion.

MOMENT OF THE SEASON

RYAN BABEL'S goal against Arsenal to seal a place in the Champions League semi-finals which nearly brought the Anfield house down.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE SEASON

THE 3-0 reversal at Old Trafford. Losing to Manchester United is one thing, not competing is another

[dww]

Torres is clearly not the 'final piece' of the jigsaw. The game against United was proof of that to me. We may have made progress but we still seem to have a block against them and in general continue to not have enough creativity in the final third or make enough of our set pieces.

[Shaggy]

Good read.

[Nic83]

Torres is clearly not the 'final piece' of the jigsaw. The game against United was proof of that to me. We may have made progress but we still seem to have a block against them and in general continue to not have enough creativity in the final third or make enough of our set pieces.

No, the first 11 is still short of 3 top players.

[slimbimjim]

My God we will be awesome with decent wingers and full backs.

This summer has to deliver something good in the transfer market. I'm not sure if the Euro's will help us or hinder us.

Nasri, Degen and Bentley will do me fine!

[machiavelli]

Torres is clearly not the 'final piece' of the jigsaw. The game against United was proof of that to me. We may have made progress but we still seem to have a block against them and in general continue to not have enough creativity in the final third or make enough of our set pieces.

We in the final third we need more of a threat to provide more opitions and make the defenders worry more about other players than just gerrard and torres

[friedk]

Torres is clearly not the 'final piece' of the jigsaw. The game against United was proof of that to me. We may have made progress but we still seem to have a block against them and in general continue to not have enough creativity in the final third or make enough of our set pieces.

perhaps you missed this line

But the flanks remain threadbare with both the full back and wide midfield positions being occupied by players who are not equipped to be part of a title challenging team.

[brightred]

Great read

We do have a really good spine as the article says.
I just hope Rafa is given the money to bring us to the next level.

****, I wish it was August.

[Parm]

I am a bit worried that if the ownership dispute carries on, Rafa will only be able to buy only when he has sol or snap up freebies. There is a risk that we may miss out on the quality signings we are crying out for.

[1979]

I agree, if anything this summer could be a total waste of time, as far as Benitez is concerned. If he doesn't get the funds for this first choice players, then we can write off next season now.

[willa1975]

Overall, we definitely made progress. Consider that we made up 10 points on a United side that, with the addition of players like Tevez, Hargreaves and Anderson, spent quite a bit of money and were clearly a better side than they were a season ago.

That being said, the money's got to be there. Assuming we get something for the likes of Riise and Crouch, we could land two excellent signings without a ridiculous net spend. However, I'm not confident that we'll get anything with that muppet Hicks in charge. He'll have to sell eventually as he won't be able to pony up when the bank comes calling (thank God he wasn't able to put the entire sum of the last loan on the club), and I don't see him getting any more loans of that size, especially without his partner's support. But, I could see him sinking next season by hamstringing us in the transfer market this summer.

[dww]

perhaps you missed this line

But the flanks remain threadbare with both the full back and wide midfield positions being occupied by players who are not equipped to be part of a title challenging team.

I kind of agree but as United proved with Wes Brown you can get by with functional fullbacks - I think that Finnan, Arbeloa and Aurelio between them could potentially give us that. Finnan had a bad season but I'm not entirely sure he is finished. We do need to improve on the flanks but I would say this is largely in the creative areas covered in my original post.

I agree that fullbacks that were of a better standard would help this but I think to write the players we have off as categorically as you do is too strong.

[Parm]

I kind of agree but as United proved with Wes Brown you can get by with functional fullbacks - I think that Finnan, Arbeloa and Aurelio between them could potentially give us that. Finnan had a bad season but I'm not entirely sure he is finished. We do need to improve on the flanks but I would say this is largely in the creative areas covered in my original post.

I agree that fullbacks that were of a better standard would help this but I think to write the players we have off as categorically as you do is too strong.

could throw in oshea and Hargreves (makeshift rb) into that fray as well.
I think a lot of people do get a bit carried away when they want super fullbacks. As long as we have ones who are good defensively and canget forward when it is called for (rather than bombing up and down like a headless chicken or just stopping at halfway) we will be ok. As you say our fbs arent that bad, just not flash.

[PTP]

I kind of agree but as United proved with Wes Brown you can get by with functional fullbacks - I think that Finnan, Arbeloa and Aurelio between them could potentially give us that. Finnan had a bad season but I'm not entirely sure he is finished. We do need to improve on the flanks but I would say this is largely in the creative areas covered in my original post.

I agree that fullbacks that were of a better standard would help this but I think to write the players we have off as categorically as you do is too strong.

I think we need a Left back to be honest - aurelio, whilst solid, is too injury prone - i think he only played about 50 league games in 6 years at valencia and he has only played about 50 games in total for us.

So unless Insua really steps up to the plate next season and establishes himself as a top choice left back capable of playing 30+ games and prob some massive games too - we are a little bare there.

But if we signed Barry and Insua did step up at least we would have Barry as an extra option if needed at LB - I could live with that providing money is spent well elsewhere

Finnan has been great but he looks to be on his away - he's about 32/33 now, Arbeloa has been solid too but i feel we certainly need a top class rb with arbeloa acting as cover/being rotated.

As the article says - we have a great 'spine' and there a few pieces missing - i'd be happy if are squad/back up looked a bit like this

GK
Reina
Experienced Back up(taylor would do)

Right Back
Top class (everyone seems to fancy alves so that'll do )
Arbeloa
Carra if needed

LB
Insua stepping up big time
Aurelio if he can get fit for more than two games in a row
Barry or even Arbeloa if needed

CB
Carragher
Skirtel
Agger (please get back fully fit and all thos nasty rumours be a load of ****e)
Hyypia

can't complain with that

CM's
Masher
Gerrard
Barry
Alonso (if he stays)
Lucas
Plessis coming through if needed
as with defense no complaints.

Left Mid/winger
Babel - jury still out for me, needs to really improve next year
A class left winger who can get to the bye line and actually cross the ball (maybe barry could this? ) but for me I would like to see someone signed

Righ Mid
Sign a ****ing quality right winger
Kuyt/Yossi as cover/rotate

Strikers
Torres
Another class striker
Kuyt
And either one of the youngsters steps up or we sign someone etc as backup.



edit don't know if any that will make sense - i started typing over half an hour ago but keep geting dragged away for work and then coming back and adding to it