Finally transferred his Valencian flavour?

[FatTony]

There were a couple of low key stories a couple of months ago...and I just have a feeling in my bones

[the rev leeroy brown]

not sure we'll keep this attacking attitude for the start of next season. it's all very well playing some attractive football and scoring goals for fun but our defense has never looked so shaky under rafa before. we have shipped silly goals by the bucket load and we dont look so composed when we're on the ball at the back. we've been attacking hard because its desperate measures needed to catch manure right now and we have nothing to lose. i just have the feeling rafa will revert to the cautious approach to start the season.

[Baldemort]

I think he finally has a squad he has confidence in. It's always felt to me as though Rafa has always held back and been cautious as he has built his squad up to a level that he feels is capable of attacking as it is now and still being able to defend well (even though at times we haven't). It's ben a joy to watch and I do think it will continue into next season. The addition of new squad members next year will only help our cause.

[Angry Dan]

I was at both games - and i was talking about Anfield

Fair enough, I thought the fans at the bridge were brilliant to be honest, best game I have been to for a while atmosphere wise, which was what suprised me about your post.

Was unable to get to home leg so am unable to comment on that game.

[Angry Dan]

I think a lot will depend on the fixture list and who we get at the begining.

[Fowler_God]

There were a couple of low key stories a couple of months ago...and I just have a feeling in my bones

Id be devastated if we lost Pepe! We just wouldnt be able to replace him.

The only place i could ever see him going is back to Barca and it would take a crazy bid at that.

[Elvoz]

Fair enough, I thought the fans at the bridge were brilliant to be honest, best game I have been to for a while atmosphere wise, which was what suprised me about your post.

Was unable to get to home leg so am unable to comment on that game.

home leg the atmosphere was strange and imo not like a good cl game should be

[Craig_H]

Totally agree about the away leg, fans were great, players gave it everything and i left the ground with a feeling of immense pride.

The home leg was strange, it didnt feel like a typical 'big european night' at Anfield, and i think the focus of most was with the title race - players included.

[Infadel]

Wait and see what odds the bookies give after all the transfer wheeling and dealing is done before the season starts - they normally are the best judges on who will win things.

[Vermilion]

The Arsenal game at home was an anomaly imo, Arshavin just had one of those games, as did a couple of our defenders, but even taking our mistakes into account i doubt he'll score 4 goals like that in a game again.

Bit like 'the beast' on that other sorry night, where is he now btw.

[Baldemort]

The Arsenal game at home was an anomaly imo, Arshavin just had one of those games, as did a couple of our defenders, but even taking our mistakes into account i doubt he'll score 4 goals like that in a game again.

Bit like 'the beast' on that other sorry night, where is he now btw.

I agree. His finishing was top class. On another night, he'd have missed a couple of those, or more importantly, we'd have not given him the opportunities in the first place.

[Joe King]

Personally, the United game was the catalyst, not the Real game. The Real players and media may have stoked the fire but it was the result and the superb performance at Old Trafford which gave the players confidence to go out against lesser sides and hand out a similar punishment. Also, the players started to believe that they could win the title which would have also helped with their hunger, ambition and desire to succeed.

Liverpool have always had the ability to play like this, its unfortunate we have had players at different times, key players I should add, who have been injured. Torres for me is absolutely key in the manner the side plays. He gives pace, directness and a bit of an edge which no disrespect, Kuyt doesn't add despite his whole hearted approach to the game. Injuries as well as players are now reaching their top form - Mascherano is looking like how he was playing last season, Alonso has been instrumental, Gerrard looks on fire. The only problems have been the wing areas, which should be addressed in the summer.

Sort those problems out, we will have an even better chance of winning the title.

[MrMichael]

The last 2-3 months has seen us playing in a way i've never seen under Rafa and, to be frank, i never thought i'd ever see.

We've been overpowering teams, moving the ball beautifully, seeing overlapping fullbacks and smashing in goals left, right and centre.

Are we finally seeing the Valencia model that Rafa's been shaping?

And more importantly, will this be the permanent 'new Liverpool' going into next season? Or have we only been playing like this simply because we've known that we've had to win virtually every game?

The Liverpool of the past 10 weeks or so, has been a sight to behold.

I've absolutely loved the way we've played and as someone who had specific ideas about how Rafa would let us play and how he wouldnt, i'm delighted to see us playing in a way i never thought Rafa would advocate.

I'd be devestated if, come next season, we were to revert to type.

How do you expect us to play next season?

Decent thread this.

To an extent I think you are right, basically we are finally starting to see real evidence that Rafa can "understand" the Prem and put together a team with his ethos that can actually win it. How much exactly what we have been seeing lately is the "Valencia model" I'm not too sure, Valencia were never free-scoring and certainly more solid at the back than we've looked since Christmas, but in terms of having a real identity and sharpness to our attacking play along with a crushing machine attitude, especially in midfield, there is still something of a comparison, having been adapted to this league.

In all honesty I think its possible to trace the development of this over more than one season though. Towards the end of last season certainly, when Rafa had finally settled on 4-2-3-1, we also actually played some good football and were starting to look like we were getting close, if not as close as we look now. I'm generalising, but each year it seems to have taken us half the season to figure out the best way of using what we've got and come up with a settled team and tactic, with the number of points accrued up to then through grit and individual brilliance dictating what we actually had to play for from then on.

A big part of this seems to me to have been a difficulty trying to fit square pegs into round holes, Keane being the obvious prime example from this season, the likes of Pennant, Bellamy etc in previous ones. Players who sometimes had talent but meant the team had to change its style to accommodate, doing neither them nor it any favours. This is why I think its crucial that anyone brought in during the summer can hit the ground running in the team as it is now, rather than Rafa having to spend months adapting things once again.

Ultimately we have most definitely improved this season and genuinely demonstrated that a Rafa team can play good enough football to truly challenge for the title. Where it goes from here will (hopefully) be fun......

[magicalbarnes]

Does anybody else feel that our best football coinceded with Keane leaving?

[Tee]

Does anybody else feel that our best football coinceded with Keane leaving?

More like when Torres and Gerrard were fully fit and back up front together.