They must be worried...

[RoadEnd]

Whoever wrote this is really scraping the barrel - and probably a Manc.
I hope they read the comments left.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/27102008/58/premier-league-liverpool-won-t-win-title.html

[Neil Young]

What a silly article. If it has any internal logic then I can't detect it.

[Shanks]

Why Liverpool won't win the title
Eurosport - Mon, 27 Oct 13:31:00 2008

Liverpool top the table after nine games following their triumph at Chelsea - but how does their start compare to previous seasons under Rafael Benitez?


2007/08:

Merseyside title hopefuls beware: they were also unbeaten at this stage last season, having won five and drawn four of their nine opening fixtures.

That put them on 19 points, six adrift of table toppers Arsenal, who looked for the first half of the campaign as though they were going to run away with it.

However, the Gunners faded and ended four points behind champions Manchester United.

The 'Pool, meanwhile, finished fourth, a further seven points behind Arsenal.

Liverpool's goals for and against column is worse this season: the record of 14 scored and six conceded compares unfavourably with the 16 scored and five conceded in 2007-08.

However of those 16 strikes six came in one unanswered match at home to last year's laughing stock Derby.

2006/07:

Two seasons ago things were looking bleak for Benitez. His side had picked up only 11 points - won three, drawn two, lost four - and conceded 11 goals while scoring only nine.

Man Utd were at the summit after nine matches with 22 points and went on to finally win Alex Ferguson's ninth title after watching Arsenal then Chelsea dominate in the previous three seasons.

Liverpool garnered eight points fewer than in the following season - but finished higher in third, a massive 21 points off the champions.

2005/06:

With the Champions League trophy safely stashed at Anfield in August 2005, optimism was rife on Merseyside that the Spaniard could finally deliver the league championship; how wrong those excited Scousers were.

Nine games in they were no longer under any illusion of the task facing Steven Gerrard et al if they are to clinch the title.

As Jose Mourinho's Chelsea won each and every one of their opening nine fixtures before roaring on to retain their crown, Liverpool whimpered their way to 13 points with three wins and four draws - scoring only seven and conceding eight.

Benitez saw the futility in playing for a point with Chelsea so clinical, especially at Stamford Bridge - they did not lose a league game at home for another three years, until Sunday's defeat - and only three further games were drawn in that campaign as he ultimately led them to a huge total of 82 points.

Enough to win the league in many other seasons throughout history, on this occasion they were only good enough for third. Chelsea topped the final table with an incredible 91 points.

2004/05:

Benitez fared better at the start of his first domestic campaign, taking 16 points with five wins, three defeats and only one draw, scoring 16 and letting in only half that at the other end.

Arsenal were leading the table at that point - their 25 points indicated a team focused on defending their title after the 'Invincibles' season.

But as he romped to a surprise win in Europe, the former Valencia boss could not get to grips with the requirements of a full English season - and Liverpool finished behind Everton in fifth with only 58 points while Chelsea gathered an improbably 95 under Mourinho.




Deffo a worrried Manc. They often refer to us as The Pool

[DannyMan2006]

To sum up the article, we can't win the title 'cos we've never won it before under Rafa Benitez.

Great Article.

[Norbs]

There's some good points on there, and our management will be taking them on board. I prefer us to stay underdogs because once the pressure's really on it could start to wiegh pretty heavily on the players.

[Shanks]

I prefer us to stay underdogs because once the pressure's really on it could start to wiegh pretty heavily on the players.

[yukpo]

There's some good points on there, and our management will be taking them on board. I prefer us to stay underdogs because once the pressure's really on it could start to wiegh pretty heavily on the players.

yeah, if we're still fighting after january/february, then all that 18 years business will crop up and that will start to weigh heavily on the lads.

also dont subscribe to this notion that anyone who doesnt write glowingly about a liverpool side that lets face it, hasnt really done anything in the league to warrant respect yet , is automatically a manc

you have to earn that sort of respect and in october its early

[Mystery]

Good point regarding being underdogs.

This article is crap:

2007/08: Merseyside title hopefuls beware: they were also unbeaten at this stage last season, having won five and drawn four of their nine opening fixtures.

Well the thing is Einstein, that the reason people are starting to belive is because we get 3 points in games we would draw last season.

Liverpool's goals for and against column is worse this season: the record of 14 scored and six conceded compares unfavourably with the 16 scored and five conceded in 2007-08. However of those 16 strikes six came in one unanswered match at home to last year's laughing stock Derby.

So what you're saying is, that is actually better this year?

I read the rest of the article, but couldn't find one single argument in there.

The author should donate his salary to charity..

[Elvoz]

the thing about our start which i said from day one btw is that by having such a good one average player start to think they are good and good start to think they are great - the confidence angle can never be under estimated

let them all say why we cant win it

but we will and i will say so until march when i expect us to of won it

[Norbs]

the thing about our start which i said from day one btw is that by having such a good one average player start to think they are good and good start to think they are great - the confidence angle can never be under estimated

let them all say why we cant win it

but we will and i will say so until march when i expect us to of won it

let them carry on saying we can't win it for a little longer though please. Let them say it until we're in a position where it's plainly obvious that we can because that moment hasn't arrived yet.

[Mystery]

the thing about our start which i said from day one btw is that by having such a good one average player start to think they are good and good start to think they are great - the confidence angle can never be under estimated

let them all say why we cant win it

but we will and i will say so until march when i expect us to of won it

Exactly!

The fact that we won against Man United without Torres and Gerrard has influenced the other players. I was worried at the start of the season, because a lot of players, such as Kuyt and Keane, was too reliable on Torres to work his magic. There were several occasions where for example Kuyt didn't know what to do with the ball so he passed it to Torres in a difficult position and hoped he would do something special.

We've made some great come back this year and got great results against Everton, Man United and Chelsea which have made us believe.

People around us are waiting for us to fail, and as long as this run continues we will always hear that "next match is critical" or "this will be make or break for Liverpool".

If we don't get 6 points from the next two matches, we are still in a great position and it's our job to make the players believe this could be our year.

[Skillz]

Man City Away = tick
Everton Away = tick
Aston Villa Away = ok
Chelsea away = tick
Manu home = tick

Played a lot of tough games already and still 3 points clear.

[kris90210]

Man City Away = tick
Everton Away = tick
Aston Villa Away = ok
Chelsea away = tick
Manu home = tick

Played a lot of tough games already and still 3 points clear.

Absolutely. Now lets hope we can start winning games comfourtably against the not-so-tough teams and pick up a bit of momentum going into Christmas

[Skillz]

Absolutely. Now lets hope we can start winning games comfourtably against the not-so-tough teams and pick up a bit of momentum going into Christmas

= the key to the title, for me. If we can bypass the bus we will be hard to stop.

[Craig_H]

Man City Away = tick
Everton Away = tick
Aston Villa Away = ok
Chelsea away = tick
Manu home = tick

Played a lot of tough games already and still 3 points clear.

That is utterly crucial, i think. Like you say, look at the games we've played and it's even more incredible how well we're doing.

If we do what we'd expect to do with our eyes closed - eg, beat the 'weak' sides, then that, along with the results at Everton, Villa, Chelsea and beating Man Utd, will put us in a very favourable position.