Who?

[PTP]

I know, the squad if ****ing dire, but then again, we wouldn't be playing so many squad players in normal circumstances. Our midfield was totally non-existent once again, which is the biggest worry.

Pepe
Agger
Carra
Johnson
Masch
Gerrard
Torres

Aquilani ???

3/4 players short of a title winning team.

not sure about 3/4 players maybe 5 or 6

I agree though in the sense that

reina
johnson
carra
agger
mascher
gerrard
torres
and hopefully aquilani - are good enough to play for any top team (obv when on form)

then there is a gap!!

and then there is
Yossi
Kuyt
Riera
Skrtel
Aurelio
Insua
Who i'd argue are good enough 'squad' players to play and compete


It's the gap thats the issue - maybe knee jerk, maybe fed up, either way i think we need 4 maybe 5 players to fill that gap to give us a good enough title winning squad. - So that would gives say 18/19 top class to good to solid players - I am willing to give the youth a chance (kelly/spearing/ngog etc)

Anyone not listed can be taken out back and shot.

[dww]

It's the gap thats the issue - maybe knee jerk, maybe fed up, either way i think we need 4 maybe 5 players to fill that gap to give us a good enough title winning squad. - So that would gives say 18/19 top class to good to solid players - I am willing to give the youth a chance (kelly/spearing/ngog etc)

Anyone not listed can be taken out back and shot.

I actually don't think that this is the main issue at all. I think the problem is in combinations and the fact that key components of the currently available squad don't naturally gel and we lack a calm head to organise the team. For years Alonso was said to be Rafa's remote control - keeping the team playing to his plan and now that is gone and we haven't got players who make the most of one another.

The main pairings that have been problematic this season have been central midfield and central defense. We have seen Lucas and Gerrard combine well in a shape that is good at destroying poor teams but looks like it is specialised for that purpose other than that we have really struggled.

Perhaps Agger can aid both these parts of the team as passing out from the back should push Mascherano and Lucas further forward and a smaller gap between them and our attacking players should benefit them. The problem is that again it leaves us relying on one player to make the system work. It is possible that with Aquilani and Agger both fit that we would have options that could make the whole squad look much more robust. We are simply carrying too many injuries to players that we require to make the team adapt to a change of style.

The one area I see real weakness in the squad is a backup for Torres. I have a lot of hope for Ngog in the future but right here, right now he is not the answer.

[-V-]

I do not want to see Rafa sacked. No way, not at this stage. We have injuries and thats the problem.

However, the only available replacement for me is King Kenny. I don't care how long he's been out the game. He's intelligent and perfectly capable of doing the job

[Shaggy]

Benitez 10/1 to be gone by midnight Sunday:

KENNY HE EVER COME BACK TO LIVERPOOL?

KENNY DALGLISH has been made 2/1 favourite to succeed Rafa Benitez as permanent Liverpool manager by William Hill, who make Rafa 10/1 to be gone by midnight on Sunday when Liverpool play Manchester United. Hills also offer 5/4 that he will be be gone before the end of the season and 4/7 that he will see the campaign out. 'With every successive defeat, Benitez loses the support of more and more fans, and it is ultimately their reaction which will determine his long term future.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Next Liverpool Manager K DALGLISH 2/1......J MOURINHO 4/1 .....R MANCINI 6/1.....J KLINSMANN 6/1........F RIJKAARD 8/1.......M VAN BASTEN 10/1......M ONEILL 14/1.....M LIPPI 20/1....K KEEGAN 25/1....A CURBISHLEY 33/1.....H REDKNAPP 33/1.....P SCOLARI 33/1......S LEE 33/1......S MCLAREN 50/1.....J TOSHACK 50/1.....P INCE 100/1.....J BARNES 200/1
When Will Liverpool Next Win?......Man Utd (h)...13/8......Arsenal (a) 10/3........Fulham (a) 5/2......Lyon (a) 8/1.......Birmingham (h) 11/2........None Of These 25/1
CAN LIVERPOOL QUALIFY? YOU BET THEY WON'T!

[Guest]

If Rafa goes, then surely that will mean we've really become on a par with the Newcastle's of this world.

[Exiled_red]

not sure about 3/4 players maybe 5 or 6

I agree though in the sense that

reina
johnson
carra
agger
mascher
gerrard
torres
and hopefully aquilani - are good enough to play for any top team (obv when on form)

then there is a gap!!

and then there is
Yossi
Kuyt
Riera
Skrtel
Aurelio
Insua
Who i'd argue are good enough 'squad' players to play and compete


It's the gap thats the issue - maybe knee jerk, maybe fed up, either way i think we need 4 maybe 5 players to fill that gap to give us a good enough title winning squad. - So that would gives say 18/19 top class to good to solid players - I am willing to give the youth a chance (kelly/spearing/ngog etc)

Anyone not listed can be taken out back and shot.

To be honest I don't think the problem is with the ability of the players, we have a decent enough squad and a squad that barring major injuries can challenge for the title. The problem for me is a lack of belief, confidence and drive amongst the majority of the players. When we go a goal behind people like Gerrard Torres and Alonso last season had a determination to get us back into the game, the other players saw this and they believed too, gave that little bit extra and we turned things around. I think the problem is that we don't have enough players who will take it upon themselves to change the game (i'm not talking about ability I'm talking about attitude). Hence when we go behind heads go down and we get worse.

If you look at the Man Utd squad over the past few years they have won the league with some average players playing regularly (Wes Brown, Anderson, Phil Neville etc) but they have always had the other players that whatever situation they were in they could turn it around I guess it's a winning mentality, and from me our biggest problem is that we don't have that enough (even when we're doing well).

[zimbo]

Benitez 10/1 to be gone by midnight Sunday:

KENNY HE EVER COME BACK TO LIVERPOOL?

KENNY DALGLISH has been made 2/1 favourite to succeed Rafa Benitez as permanent Liverpool manager by William Hill, who make Rafa 10/1 to be gone by midnight on Sunday when Liverpool play Manchester United. Hills also offer 5/4 that he will be be gone before the end of the season and 4/7 that he will see the campaign out. 'With every successive defeat, Benitez loses the support of more and more fans, and it is ultimately their reaction which will determine his long term future.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Next Liverpool Manager K DALGLISH 2/1......J MOURINHO 4/1 .....R MANCINI 6/1.....J KLINSMANN 6/1........F RIJKAARD 8/1.......M VAN BASTEN 10/1......M ONEILL 14/1.....M LIPPI 20/1....K KEEGAN 25/1....A CURBISHLEY 33/1.....H REDKNAPP 33/1.....P SCOLARI 33/1......S LEE 33/1......S MCLAREN 50/1.....J TOSHACK 50/1.....P INCE 100/1.....J BARNES 200/1
When Will Liverpool Next Win?......Man Utd (h)...13/8......Arsenal (a) 10/3........Fulham (a) 5/2......Lyon (a) 8/1.......Birmingham (h) 11/2........None Of These 25/1
CAN LIVERPOOL QUALIFY? YOU BET THEY WON'T!

Bit disappointed not to see Howard Kendall on that list, to be honest. Oh well, we'll have to make do with Steve McLaren then.

[el matador]

people who think that dalglish is the answer are deluding themselves. he hasnt managed for years and age wise I dont think this is the right job for him.

Football has moved on significantly since we won our last league title and Im not sure if putting kenny in charge would be fair to him.

As for Rafa, ive already said in many posts previously that Im not his biggest fan and my reasons for that are clear. However, no manager worth his salt would want to come to Liverpool while we are owned by hicks and gillette and have such a huge debt issue which will seriously affect our ability to buy the right types of players.

If rafa gets sacked (he wont walk away from a huge payday) then that's next seasons transfer budget gone. If we dont qualify for the champions league then thats torres gone.

The year after gerrard will effectively retire and then all of a sudden things dont look so great without our captain and top scorer.

Leave rafa in charge, lets get behind him and the rest of the lads and get ourselves back into the CL for next season. There is no other alternative.

[Tee]

If Rafa goes, then surely that will mean we've really become on a par with the Newcastle's of this world.

Don't want him to go anywhere but it would of course be argued that he had 5 years, a fair crack of the whip by any standards.

[Guest]

Don't want him to go anywhere but it would of course be argued that he had 5 years, a fair crack of the whip by any standards.

5 years is not enough. It will pay to be persistent with him, we just have to keep going and believing.

Some people believe in god even though he's never delivered to them.

[Exiled_red]

5 years is not enough. It will pay to be persistent with him, we just have to keep going and believing.

Some people believe in god even though he's never delivered to them.

Fowler always delivered

[Guest]

Fowler always delivered

You have a point.

[wildman]

after last night shambolic performance and rafa's obvious tactical **** ups ( ngog was isolated with no-one within 50 feet of him at times, benni taken off?!?!?!? and bringing voronin on instead of babel and playing so defensivly against a distinctly average lyon team ) i'm starting to wonder if bringing in a new man might be the answer. we simply have to salvage our season which at the moment looks in free-fall. in kenny dalglish we have the perfect answer already employed. he could easily slip into the dugout for the remainder of the season and would no doubt give the team the boost it so badly needs.

only problem ishe hasn't been a manager for how long

[Shaggy]

people who think that dalglish is the answer are deluding themselves. he hasnt managed for years and age wise I dont think this is the right job for him.

Football has moved on significantly since we won our last league title and Im not sure if putting kenny in charge would be fair to him.

Too right mate. I have a pal who screams "GET KENNY IN!" every time we ****ing lose and bugs the **** out of me. As much as we all love Kenny, what are his credentials exactly? I just don't get it. If we gave Kenny the job it would be a disaster, and I suspect Kenny would know it and wouldn't take the job in the first place.

[dww]

Too right mate. I have a pal who screams "GET KENNY IN!" every time we ****ing lose and bugs the **** out of me. As much as we all love Kenny, what are his credentials exactly? I just don't get it. If we gave Kenny the job it would be a disaster, and I suspect Kenny would know it and wouldn't take the job in the first place.

It makes no sense. The only conceivable way it could be a good idea was if we used him to get people on side and to act as a flak shield for a younger manager we wanted to give a chance. As it is I see noone out there who would be remotely worth taking the risk for.