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    The King speaks

    A lot is being said and written about recent performances, but the important thing to remember and focus on is that we are top of the league table. Let's enjoy it.


    You always want to play well and you always want to win games, but the big thing is to take as many points from as many matches as you possibly can. This season there has only been one game where we didn't take anything - away at Tottenham - so clearly the boys are doing their best.

    You want to try and capitalise on any mistakes Chelsea make and, okay, we didn't do that in the way we would have wanted against West Ham, but we still picked up a point and it could prove to be a big point at the end of the season.

    I know it has been said over the last couple of weeks that the fans are nervous and anxious and that it might be affecting the players, but I don't really go along with that way of thinking.

    The top of the league is the best place to be, full stop. The players have to enjoy being where they are and get on with the job of staying there. If they keep winning games then nobody will overtake them, it's as simple as that.

    What you don't want to be doing before games is thinking too much about the league table and league positions. You have to try and beat the opposition, you don't want to have to try and beat yourself as well.

    The league table isn't an obstacle or a team to overcome and it shouldn't be in the players' minds when they take on Blackburn this weekend. You play against the opposition, not against the league table.

    There is nobody above us at the moment and that is a fact to be enjoyed, not frightened of.

    There's no reason for anxiety among the fans either in any way, shape or form. We have made great progress during 2008 and have got ourselves into a position where we can really challenge for the Premier League title for the first time in many years. That's not something to feel anxious about.

    The players go onto the pitch before every game with every ambition to do as well as they possibly can, and the people go through the turnstiles wanting to support their team as well as they can. It's much easier when both factions are together. If it's not going right then you will get one or two groans - like against West Ham - but I'm sure those people went away for a pint with their mates after the game and said to themselves and others 'we're top of the league'.

    It's great to see us looking down on everyone else and no matter what you might think about performances or players, don't lose sight of the fact that the boys have picked up more points than any other team this season and have beaten Chelsea and Manchester United along the way.

    It's shaping up to be a really interesting title race, with all of the main contenders having suffered a few problems already this season.


    Chelsea's away record is unblemished but, strangely, they have struggled for home points so far. Manchester United have played the 'big three' away from home and only picked up a point while Arsenal have done well against Chelsea and United but lost a number of games to other teams. It's hard to predict how results are going to go from week to week.

    I mentioned in my column last month that fans have a habit of wanting to look four or five games into the future and try to predict what's going to happen. If football was that simple to predict it would be a dull game.

    People would have been looking at the fixtures a couple of weeks ago and saying we've got to play Fulham and West Ham at home and Bolton away so that was going to be a certain nine points. And here we are sitting with just five points from those three games.

    Who'd have thought we've have dropped four points at home in our last two league games? Who'd have thought the top five wouldn't be able to score a goal between them the previous weekend?

    Football is full of surprises but it's how you recover and react to setbacks which is important and Liverpool have to be positive.

    We have to get over the disappointment of not beating West Ham and go and take three points away from Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon. If we do that then we stay top of the table with another game having been played.

    It won't be easy though because I'm sure Paul Ince will have them fired up for the match. They don't seem to have a lot of luck going for them at the moment and they're struggling for results, but I'm sure he can get them out of the trouble they find themselves in at the present time.

    Incey has done brilliantly in his managerial career so far and it's good to see him being given a chance in the Premier League. He did fantastically well at Macclesfield when people probably thought he was mad to take the job. He rescued them by keeping them up and then went and did an equally good job at MK Dons. It's going to be tough for him at Blackburn - especially following in Mark Hughes' footsteps there - but I'm sure he has the credentials to do well. He just needs a bit of luck.

    From a personal point of view it's always a special fixture when Liverpool go to Blackburn because I have very fond memories of my time at Ewood Park. The people of Blackburn are good people - I just wish both teams could win this weekend!

    From a confidence and building a momentum point of view, it's important to get the victory on Saturday as it would put us in good shape as we head closer towards the Christmas programme of games.

    Although we've had one or two setbacks so far, I've seen nothing to change my pre-season opinion that this is the best chance we've had to go close to winning - or to win - the Premier League title.

    I said that three or four months ago and I stand by it today. I just thought at the start of the season that we looked really strong all through the team and as the season developed and we beat Manchester United and Chelsea, it only strengthened my belief that we can do it this year.

    Chelsea have been inconsistent, United haven't been on fire and they've still got the World Club Championship match in Japan today which means they'll fall behind with fixtures, and Arsenal are struggling to put any kind of run together.

    We're not losing many games, we're not conceding many goals and we're sat with more points than anybody else after 15 games. I just wish we could score a few more though because I have a feeling goal difference might prove to be very important this season and at this moment our tally is inferior to Chelsea's.

    With that in mind, we could have done without Fernando Torres suffering another injury, but if we don't rush him back and if he can return fully fit and feeling fresh then he could have a terrific second half of the season for us.

    There is still an awful lot to play for and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the boys can keep picking up the points and stay at the top of the table.

    Believe me, it's the best place to be.




    #2
    At the end of the day, if someone had said at the start of the season we would be a point clear at the top after 15 games I would have bitten your hand off.

    If by the start of March we're three or four points off the top of the table I'll start to truly believe.

    Comment


      #3
      King kenny is obviously 'not a realist'.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by fredo View Post
        King kenny is obviously 'not a realist'.
        Why do you always have to turn everything into a conflict?

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Craig_H View Post
          Why do you always have to turn everything into a conflict?
          I was mainly referring to a discussion I had with Sarb earlier.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by fredo View Post
            King kenny is obviously 'not a realist'.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by fredo View Post
              I was mainly referring to a discussion I had with Sarb earlier.
              If you want to continue personal, one-on-one tiffs, do it via PM.

              Comment


                #8
                Interesting to see that he thinks goal difference is important even at this stage. I really think that dwelling on that would be to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves. I think that the mentality that the top is where we want to be is one we need to foster in the club but it is hard. In some ways I actually think the current state where a lot of fans and most pundits think it is a false position is the best way it can be for many of the players to acclimatise. There isn't yet the hysteria there would have been if we were further ahead and that has killed teams like Newcastle in the past.

                I have to say I have worried for a while about the lack of any players who have won leagues in our squad. I think we will have to rely a lot on the experiences of our coaching staff to get through the pressure.

                Overall I have to say that I share Kenny's feelings that being top of the league has to be a good thing. There has been far too much negativity after the last two results. Especially as I thought the West Ham game at least saw an improved performance over the Fulham one. It is obvious we need to build on the possession and start getting goals but we have the perfect match in Blackburn at the weekend to help us continue. I think that Kenny is right that we need to generate momentum with a good win but I think we have a lot of players who have more to offer which in many ways is a very positive thing given that we are already top of the league (having played 2 out of 3 of the other top 4 from last year and Villa who are probably the next best team).
                "The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind."
                -- William Blake

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Craig_H View Post
                  If you want to continue personal, one-on-one tiffs, do it via PM.
                  He ain't got the balls

                  Comment


                    #10
                    You're not exactly helping Sarb.

                    You two should just be given a forum all to yourselves and be left there for a week.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Craig_H View Post
                      You're not exactly helping Sarb.

                      You two should just be given a forum all to yourselves and be left there for a week.
                      The Sin Bin's available...

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Craig_H View Post
                        If you want to continue personal, one-on-one tiffs, do it via PM.
                        Oh I can see you've mellowed a bit lately. Were you 'talked through it'?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          As DWW says it is def. a good thing we are on top, and there is far to much negativity on it.

                          We haven't played well in the last couple of games, but getting through that period and still being on top is great. King Kenny knows better than most how it is for players to be on top of the table, and I take comfort in him saying it is a big boost!!

                          I am an optimist and think we will be very close to the top, and it could be marginals deciding this season! The whole thing about goal difference is not a major concern to me, it is more a concern in the sense we have trouble closing some games early and that could end up costing us in the long run if it continues.

                          I hope we can cope with the pressure when entering the spring and hopefully still being at the top or close to it. Gerrard seems to thrive at these occations, and i am sure people like Carra and Hyypia will be invaluable in those situations. Hopefully our younger less experienced people can learn and stay calm in their and Rafa's presence.
                          Last edited by Darkon; 05-12-08, 08:58 AM.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Craig_H View Post
                            Why do you always have to turn everything into a conflict?

                            Nah. He won't win the Prem. You can quote me on that. - Sarb24

                            Comment


                              #15
                              All hail The King
                              Substance > Style

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