Benítez: We could not afford to lose

[The Birdman]

That's just it though mate - we dont. If we'd won most of those home games, we'd be up there with United right now. Did we need another £45m worth of players to do that??

We've beaten United and Chelsea twice with the players we already have. Are you saying we need £45m worth of top players to beat Hull and Stoke? Fulham and West Ham? City and Everton? That's surely not true.

Teams without top class players beat them, so to say that we still need £45m worth of players is wrong.

You've answered your own point there, we didn't beat them did we? other teams have because Hull, Fulham et... approach an away game at say Sunderland for example differently to how they approach coming to anfield therefore teams lower in the league and with less quality in the team get results.
Man U and Chelsea have struggled at home this season as well, they 'grind' out results as the pundits like to say because they have more attacking options and more flair players who can change the game. Man U beat Bolton at OT earlier this season 1-0 with a 1st min goal from Rooney and didn't have another shot on target all night.
We struggle at home because we're over relient on Torres and Gerrard and generally we have no width down our right hand side.
It'll take 45m approx to bring in 3 players that would improve the team/squad to give us more of a threat at home, we don't have that money.
Watch the **** hit the fan if Arsenal finish outside the top 4

[Craig_H]

You've answered your own point there, we didn't beat them did we? other teams have because Hull, Fulham et... approach an away game at say Sunderland for example differently to how they approach coming to anfield therefore teams lower in the league and with less quality in the team get results.
Man U and Chelsea have struggled at home this season as well, they 'grind' out results as the pundits like to say because they have more attacking options and more flair players who can change the game. Man U beat Bolton at OT earlier this season 1-0 with a 1st min goal from Rooney and didn't have another shot on target all night.
We struggle at home because we're over relient on Torres and Gerrard and generally we have no width down our right hand side.
It'll take 45m approx to bring in 3 players that would improve the team/squad to give us more of a threat at home, we don't have that money.
Watch the **** hit the fan if Arsenal finish outside the top 4

So you think we didnt beat them simply because we cant?

It's not cos the manager got anything wrong and employed the wrong tactics?

[Finnish_Red]

I was having a discussion with BFG mate.

You can put me on ignore. Thanks very much.

Done, your discussions are beyond boring, have been for years...

[The Birdman]

So you think we didnt beat them simply because we cant?

It's not cos the manager got anything wrong and employed the wrong tactics?

I'm not saying that mate, check my other posts and you'll see that while I'm a Benitez fan I don't think he's above criticism.
Have Gerrard and Torres's injury problems this season been because Rafa has 'rotated' less?? has he made less changes because he realises the squad dosen't have the depth to cope and we're now paying the price due to fatigue injuries (Torres, Gerrard, Arbeola all suffering hamstring injuries)
I think that without a good right sided player, a better right back and someone to cover/play alongside Torres we'll always be punching above our weight so in one off games against the other top sides we're good enough to compete, over the course of the season we're not.
We can't keep a clean sheet with a first choice back 5 playing, Man U went 14 games with Vidic and Ferdinand missing games and they are the best pairing in the league by miles

[Craig_H]

It could be that some of the players arent good enough. It could also be that some are not playing to their best level, which the manager needs to bring out of them.

[Shaggy]

Well I certainly don’t think we’re equipped to attain 90 points over a season. 90 points is some going, whichever way you look at it. We’ve got within 8 points of it, once. What makes you think we should be accumulating so many points? 90 points is the benchmark. You’re saying we should be finishing on 90 points+ as well as United? When was the last time two teams achieved around the 90 point mark?

[Craig_H]

Well I certainly don’t think we’re equipped to attain 90 points over a season. 90 points is some going, whichever way you look at it. We’ve got within 8 points of it, once. What makes you think we should be accumulating so many points? 90 points is the benchmark. You’re saying we should be finishing on 90 points+ as well as United? When was the last time two teams achieved around the 90 point mark?

No, i'm saying we should be close to them towards the end of March and into April.

They're not doing enough for the title to be over by mid March, as it pretty much will be.

As it goes, we're out of it now. And they havent stormed to such a total at this stage, to justify us being left eating their dust.

The overriding point is that people are pointing to United's run as if it's something which has blown everyone out of the way, when it reality it's OUR failings which have killed our challenge. They've just done what league leaders tend to do en-route to winning the title.

[Shaggy]

The overriding point is that people are pointing to United's run as if it's something which has blown everyone out of the way, when it reality it's OUR failings which have killed our challenge.

Clearly, in reality, it is a combination of both. That's what champions do - win every game, relentlessly and without even conceding a damn goal - and apply so much pressure that their rivals wilt. And that's what we've done.

[Craig_H]

Clearly, in reality, it is a combination of both. That's what champions do - win every game, relentlessly and without even conceding a damn goal - and apply so much pressure that their rivals wilt. And that's what we've done.

I'd go along with that. It's the fact that we've wilted when we really shouldnt have, that is annoying.