Begining to feel differently - Positive

[Nicey]

Over the past year my love affair with football not just Liverpool Fc has been severely tested. A combination of cynical business influences entering into the fray on mass, a lack of sportsmanship which goes deep into the very dna of the game, a sense of a dissconnect with the fans from the clubs, a personal sense of a disconnect with large sections of my fellow red fans, players who dont seem to thump there badge when they score, pundits who dont even watch the ****ing games let alone have anything worth listening too or reading for that matter, a now now now mentality which create crisis's and uptopias on weekly basis and a sense that perhaps the game is bent has made want to walk away from a sport which has consumed me for a large proportion of my life.

I told myself, if these two numpties were in charge at the start of the season, I would put my support on hold, that turned into you know what football is **** and does not represent the person I am, which lead to the world cup is ****, these douchebags deserve a slap even the managers now are acting like cunts...

But Roy Hodgson is beginning to ease the pain. I was never against the idea of Hodgson, it would take a fool not to know he is a top top manager with some special qualities but like a lot of people, I was probably still in shock at losing a manager who I personally idolized, so much so I had his name on every kit I bought. The feeling that only a truly Marque managerial name could ease the pain in hindsight was not born out of a clear mind. When Roy was appointed it was met by a mooted oh good, because on most levels I knew he was a good solid appointment for the club.

Now that that dust as somewhat settled, I am starting to think we are in a much better position than we were 6 mths ago. Dont get me wrong I am not dismissing Rafa as the right man for Liverpool FC, but I think under the present circumstances he probably was not. When you bump heads with your Boss or Bosses that much over a short time, it takes it toll eventually and as long as these two Guys in control of the club it was probally best all round for the move to happen. A new energy enters the club, the squad all of the squad have a chance to stake there claim once again and the manager has not got specfic player loyalties.

I read Roys latest press statement and I honestly feel he knows exactly the situation, hes knows most of us are not daft and thank god he is not blowing smoke up are ass's. I am completely made up about siging Joe Cole, a player I have always rated very highly, a signing any title chasing club would be over the moon with and for free in a non champions lg season cant be described as anything but a major coup The club need to be congratulated on that peice of business.

Our captain finally breaking cover and pinning his flag to the club is another fantastic piece of news, Pepe commiting himself in the middle of the **** storm was a bit special for me. I like Roy Hodgson, he seems like a honest man and Honestly is something I treasure.

I am hoping this circus can get resolved soon, but in the meantime Roy like every other Liverpool Manager will get nothing but 100% from me. I am actually looking forward to the season once again and with the signing of Joe Cole perhaps maybe we can hope lady luck is shining on us once again.

Walk on Brothers and Sisters Lets ****ing stick it to them this season and let them know on our travels We Are Liverpool FC and at Home This Is Anfield !

[Neil Young]

The cynical business influences are worse than ever. The lack of sportsmanship is as bad as ever. The club has, in my opinion, been stolen. The senior management (on the non-playing side) I despise. I think there is a massive spin operation going on.

I wish Roy Hodgson well and I think this season may not be as bad as I had feared - obviously Gerrard staying is important - but this is how I currently feel about Liverpool FC.

Sometimes it's distorted
Not clear to you
Sometimes the beauty of love
Just comes ringin' through
New glass in the window
New leaf on the tree
New distance between us
You and me

[Nicey]

Nice man

[kenny_89]

Positivity

Through the wind and rain eh, nice post.
Yes there appears to be a few shafts of light my friend,
we are not out of the woods by any means but all of
a sudden a few things dare I say it 'feel right'.

This forum has had some pretty bleak writing on it
of late and the great thing about forums like this
it gives us a chance to vent our feelings rightly or
wrongly. Lets all back Roy and our men in red, you never know.

[barnes10]

ive actually cancelled sky sports on the basis that im overdosed on the sportsmanship less football, with my club's soul beaten to a pulp, and to rub it in, sky is basically like watching the sun. i basically want none of it.

[DannyMan2006]

I too am feeling positive for now, but as Hodgson says himself, the proof will be in the results they get on the pitch. A good start to the season and the shutting of the transfer window with a competitive squad will leave me feeling very positive.

Too many questions without answers for now to really decide what we are about to face for the next season. But it's safe to say that the selling fo the dross and bringing in quality additions will only help turn people from thinking Europa League at best to Champions League finish and who knows what else.

[red g]

I am feeling very positive about next season. I think Rafa had assembled a squad that was probably 80% and just needed some fine tuning and I am glad he has gone as to many question marks hung over his management atyle and treatment of players for my liking.

I think Roy is bringing more harmony to the club and it seems that we are less at war now whether this is a good thing I am not sure.......I hope we are all working to a common goal and its not becuase he is a yes man!

[DannyMan2006]

Hopefully Hodgson will make changes before the 65th minute, that would be a nice start

[red g]

Hopefully Hodgson will make changes before the 65th minute, that would be a nice start

and maybe not have 10 players in the penalty box for oppo corners. that infuriates me

[SimonNo7]

Over the past year my love affair with football not just Liverpool Fc has been severely tested. A combination of cynical business influences entering into the fray on mass, a lack of sportsmanship which goes deep into the very dna of the game, a sense of a dissconnect with the fans from the clubs, a personal sense of a disconnect with large sections of my fellow red fans, players who dont seem to thump there badge when they score, pundits who dont even watch the ****ing games let alone have anything worth listening too or reading for that matter, a now now now mentality which create crisis's and uptopias on weekly basis and a sense that perhaps the game is bent has made want to walk away from a sport which has consumed me for a large proportion of my life.

I told myself, if these two numpties were in charge at the start of the season, I would put my support on hold, that turned into you know what football is **** and does not represent the person I am, which lead to the world cup is ****, these douchebags deserve a slap even the managers now are acting like cunts...

But Roy Hodgson is beginning to ease the pain. I was never against the idea of Hodgson, it would take a fool not to know he is a top top manager with some special qualities but like a lot of people, I was probably still in shock at losing a manager who I personally idolized, so much so I had his name on every kit I bought. The feeling that only a truly Marque managerial name could ease the pain in hindsight was not born out of a clear mind. When Roy was appointed it was met by a mooted oh good, because on most levels I knew he was a good solid appointment for the club.

Now that that dust as somewhat settled, I am starting to think we are in a much better position than we were 6 mths ago. Dont get me wrong I am not dismissing Rafa as the right man for Liverpool FC, but I think under the present circumstances he probably was not. When you bump heads with your Boss or Bosses that much over a short time, it takes it toll eventually and as long as these two Guys in control of the club it was probally best all round for the move to happen. A new energy enters the club, the squad all of the squad have a chance to stake there claim once again and the manager has not got specfic player loyalties.

I read Roys latest press statement and I honestly feel he knows exactly the situation, hes knows most of us are not daft and thank god he is not blowing smoke up are ass's. I am completely made up about siging Joe Cole, a player I have always rated very highly, a signing any title chasing club would be over the moon with and for free in a non champions lg season cant be described as anything but a major coup The club need to be congratulated on that peice of business.

Our captain finally breaking cover and pinning his flag to the club is another fantastic piece of news, Pepe commiting himself in the middle of the **** storm was a bit special for me. I like Roy Hodgson, he seems like a honest man and Honestly is something I treasure.

I am hoping this circus can get resolved soon, but in the meantime Roy like every other Liverpool Manager will get nothing but 100% from me. I am actually looking forward to the season once again and with the signing of Joe Cole perhaps maybe we can hope lady luck is shining on us once again.

Walk on Brothers and Sisters Lets ****ing stick it to them this season and let them know on our travels We Are Liverpool FC and at Home This Is Anfield !

That para sums up my feelings exactly, especially the bits about the cynical business influences, the complete lack of sportsmanship and because of some completely outrageous decisions in games a feeling that this fantastic sport, like in some of our other European countries, could well of become bent in some quarters.

Nice piece Nicey

[PTP]

i too have slowly started to turn and i’m looking forward to the start of the season, where a few weeks or so ago I was dreading it.

I think it comes down to the really low point , where my expectations had slipped so low it was getting to suicidal..........i think you need to get to that point, before you can then start looking at things in a better light.

I’m not expecting a title challenge, even a 4th finish looks difficult – but now i’ve made my peace with that I’m looking forward to a fresh start. The signing of Joe Cole is a massive boost, Gerrard staying and apparently being happy is another boost (funny how all the rumours about his personal life have disappeared now he’s going nowhere), I’m hoping jovanovic might be a bit of bargain and become a bit of cult hero. We seem to be on a bit of a clear out of some of the dross and I’m also very hopeful that we are going to see quite a bit of british youth pushing through with Kelly, Wilson and Shelvey and with a bit of luck maybe one or two of the others in the squad like Pacheco, dalla valle etc.

The next issue is getting Torres to commit....something i am hopeful is becoming more likely, after that sign a good left back and we will be raring to go.........the only other issues are the mascherano will he won’t he and the possibility of another striker..................but if we get torres to stay and sign the left back, anything else after that doesn’t seem as major –

If torres stays, we sign a good left back......then worst case scenario is mascherano goes and we don’t sign anyone else (cover or extra striker) to be honest I could live with. – If mascher goes and we bring a striker and replacement, then happy days.......if mascher stays and we bring in a striker, then **** me sideways

[red g]

Lucas is feeling it to

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has revealed details about the “new style” Roy Hodgson is bringing to the club behind the scenes.

The Reds will play their first pre-season friendly tonight, against Switzerland’s Grasshoppers, after a week at a luxury training resort in the Alps.

And Lucas has spoken about his delight at new boss Hodgson’s involvement in the training sessions and communication with the players, something which was Rafa Benitez‘s lack of involvement in was a criticism of Hodgson’s predecessor.

“We just have to keep focused and see where we will go,” he said. “The new manager likes to be involved in the training sessions all the time. He is always talking, he is keen to focus on the small details and it is good for us.

“It is a new style. I’ve not had too many club managers in my career – this is only the third one – and this is different but hopefully everyone will get his message.

“We can see what he wants to do and in another couple of weeks, when all the players are back, it will be better again.”

Lucas also said that there is a renewed sense of realistic optimism within the Reds camp after the disappointment of last season. He added, “The expectation last season was really high and everyone was talking about titles, especially the Premier League. Now things are more calm and we are waiting to see what will happen but we have faith that we can do really well.

“We have got important games from the start. There is the Europa League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and the league. As always we will try to win a trophy and we will do our best. I haven’t always had the best times in the three seasons I have been here.

“All I can do is keep trying to be strong in my mind. I just want to help the team and I have got to show two managers – here and with the national team – what I can do. All that matters is making Liverpool successful and I want to play my part.”

[red g]

giggs is feeling it too....


Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs has warned it would be foolish to rule out Liverpool as possible Premier League winners.

Liverpool only finished seventh last season after a disappointing campaign under Rafa Benitez and after the manager departed Anfield, later joining Inter Milan, it was rumoured that new boss Roy Hodgson would struggle to hold onto his better players.

But following the signing of Joe Cole on a free transfer, Steven Gerrard has pledged his future to the club and morale is resurgent on Merseyside.

Though Liverpool are not considered among the favourites to win the Premier League, Giggs is reluctant to rule out the possibility of the Reds beating United to a record 19th title.

"Two years ago they were close to winning the Premiership so you can never write them off," Giggs told ESPN. "They have got a new manager - it just depends how it goes really.

"It is dangerous to write off a team with Liverpool's history. They have won the same amount of leagues as us and you can't just dismiss that really. They are a huge football club and a massive team."

United's local rivals Manchester City are being tipped as outside challengers for the league having spent substantial sums on the likes of Jerome Boateng, David Silva and Yaya Toure this summer. City were beaten to fourth place by Tottenham last season but Giggs is aware of the threat of the club Sir Alex Ferguson famously described as the "noisy neighbours".

When asked if the Manchester rivalry was greater than ever, Giggs replied: "I think so. The rivalry has always been there but I think it has been turned up a notch purely because of how much money they have got.

"I felt that last season with the first game. The build-up to it was huge. The world was watching because they were watching the biggest team in the world, which is us, and the richest team in the world, which is them. It is great for the city to have that kind of interest, the world watching you, but it has probably gone up a notch with the rivalry."

When asked who would be in contention to compete at the top of the league, Giggs said: "I think the usual suspects really - Arsenal, Chelsea. I think it was an interesting season last year when everyone caught up with each other really.

"Aston Villa were fourth for a while, you have got Liverpool with a new manager, so it is difficult to say how they will do, but altogether I think it will be six or seven teams who will be going for that Champions League spot, whereas in the past it has only been four."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=809606&sec=england&cc=5739

[barnes10]

if we dont buy a really top quality striker then we could be struggling from a bad start.

we need torres to pick up a decent points tally from our start so if we dont have him, there's a good chance we could be in the doldrums come Oct.

however if we dont have him and jova/kuyt/cole/stevie can work some magic up front and we dont miss torres, then just imagine when he rejoins is fit and raring to go... that could be special...

still think we need a proper goalscorer added tho.

[PTP]

i do agree - another striker would be nice - but with our current attacking players without torres looking like

gerrard/aquilani/cole/kuyt/ngog/babel/ngog/jovanovic/pacheco/dalle valle/any missed - it's not to bad......not ideal, but workable at least.

I wish it could just get sorted now.....

mascher £35m, babel £8m, Riera £5m, few others (el zhar/plessis/degen/kyriakos) for combined £5m - sign mascher replacement £15m, Turan £10m, this remy dude or someone similar £10m, good left back £10m, cover for left back if needed £5m