Away Day Blues

[Sir Bob]

Whilst last nights defeat of Reading was a welcome boost, it didn't answer any of the questions currently surrounding the team.

Thats not because we were playing a weakened Reading side. Nor is it because we are no nearer to solving the great 'where should SG play' debate.

The reason last night provided no solutions to our problems this season, was because we were at home. Our problems are of course away from Anfield. At home we are as good as anyone. Although we haven't always been at our best at anfield this season, our league record is still top notch, with 10 points out of 12. In fact ever since Rafa came to LFC, Anfield has been a fortress. By & large, we've been solid at the back and scored pretty freely upfront.

Away from home is a different tale. Being bored at work today, I looked up our league away form since Rafa took charge. Here it is:
Played 43
Won 15
Drawn 8
Lost 20
Goals For 47
Against 52
Points 53

Its a pretty sorry effort to be honest for a top side. In comparison to Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal its positively 2nd rate. In short we'll never bring no.19 home until this away form is solved. I love Rafa, he can stay at LFC until he dies in my book, but he needs to sort this problem out quickly. This is his 3rd season now, he knows the Premiership & what to expect away from home. Last season we did ok away from home, not good enough to win the league but a massive improvement on Rafa's 1st season. This season though, we are worse than ever. 5 games, 1 point & 1 goal (& that was a dodgy pen).

The leagues gone for this season but Rafa not only must secure at least 4th place, he also needs to solve our away day blues so that next season we can match the away form of our main rivals. If that means, playing 451 or 352 I don't know. If that means playing our best 11 away from home every game, I don't know. If that means a return to CM for SG, I don't know.

If Rafa doesn't sort our away form out permanently, then no. 19 will not happen and Rafa's tenure at the helm will be seriuosly questioned.

For Rafa to attain his place at the top table of LFC greats, he must win the league. Failure to do so & he will be cast alongside GH as a manager who promised & delivered plenty, but ultimately couldn't deliver the trophy we all crave so much.

Rafa.... its over to you.

[BobTheCharmer]

You love Rafa and he can stay till he dies in your book? What if he never gets our away form sorted? Why would you want him to stay forever? strange.

[Red_Polo]

Can I just say...

Talk of just securing 4th place now is for losers. We need to still be looking to the title or we'll never get anywhere. Setting your sights low is a self-fulfilling prophecy.


As for Rafa and our away form, I remain confident he will sort it out. Most of last season our away form was very good and I can see us getting back to that again. Come May I'm confident we won't have seen a repeat of his first season, when Rafa had far less quality at his disposal.

[Sir Bob]

Can I just say...

Talk of just securing 4th place now is for losers. We need to still be looking to the title or we'll never get anywhere. Setting your sights low is a self-fulfilling prophecy.


As for Rafa and our away form, I remain confident he will sort it out. Most of last season our away form was very good and I can see us getting back to that again. Come May I'm confident we won't have seen a repeat of his first season, when Rafa had far less quality at his disposal.

Talk of 4th place isn't for losers at all, its called being realistic. Also I doidin't say I'd settle for 4th place. I said Rafa must secure at leaset 4th place this season.

all this setting your sights low crap, is just that crap. I believe in setting realistic targets for the club, and a minimum of 4th palce is realistic. Anyone who still thinks we can win the title is deluding themselves.

[Sir Bob]

You love Rafa and he can stay till he dies in your book? What if he never gets our away form sorted? Why would you want him to stay forever? strange.

If Rafa wants to stay at LFC for the rest of his career, I'd welcome him with open arms. Now that might not always be as manager but he is undoubtedly one of the finest football brains around & would be a massive asset for LFC in a whole host of different roles.

[The Glove]

'The reason last night provided no solutions to our problems this season, was because we were at home.'


Not really. We fielded a team in which half of the players wouldnt get a sniff of league action unless we had a lot of injuries. We couldve won 8-0 or lost 8-0, it wouldnt have made any odds as half the team wont be near the side come Saturday or our next away game.

[Red_Polo]

Talk of 4th place isn't for losers at all, its called being realistic. Also I doidin't say I'd settle for 4th place. I said Rafa must secure at leaset 4th place this season.

all this setting your sights low crap, is just that crap. I believe in setting realistic targets for the club, and a minimum of 4th palce is realistic. Anyone who still thinks we can win the title is deluding themselves.

I wasn't pointing what I said at you, I was just making a general point that just happened to strike me when reading your post.

No doubt winning the league is now a gargantuan task, but remarkable things only happen in sport when people refuse to give in and accept anything less than winning. Whilst it may be unrealistic to expect to win the league now, it would be completely wrong to throw in the towel.

It's all very well setting realistic targets but if you lower them every time you hit a bump in the road then you never get anywhere. You have to have the belief that for every spell that's worse than expected there's a spell better than expected around the corner. You can call me unrealistic, overly optimistic, deluded or whatever you want. We should be aiming to get back into the title race asap. That's how a winner thinks, and that's how we should be thinking if we want to be winners.

[Pacman]

'The reason last night provided no solutions to our problems this season, was because we were at home.'


Not really. We fielded a team in which half of the players wouldnt get a sniff of league action unless we had a lot of injuries. We couldve won 8-0 or lost 8-0, it wouldnt have made any odds as half the team wont be near the side come Saturday or our next away game.

Totally agree

[paulcooper4]

Can I just say...

Talk of just securing 4th place now is for losers. We need to still be looking to the title or we'll never get anywhere. Setting your sights low is a self-fulfilling prophecy.


As for Rafa and our away form, I remain confident he will sort it out. Most of last season our away form was very good and I can see us getting back to that again. Come May I'm confident we won't have seen a repeat of his first season, when Rafa had far less quality at his disposal.

[Sir Bob]

'The reason last night provided no solutions to our problems this season, was because we were at home.'


Not really. We fielded a team in which half of the players wouldnt get a sniff of league action unless we had a lot of injuries. We couldve won 8-0 or lost 8-0, it wouldnt have made any odds as half the team wont be near the side come Saturday or our next away game.

My point was that our form at home is not the problem, its away from Anfield where we struggle. Even if we beat Vill, bordeaux & Reading in the next 3 games, it won't show us we have turned the corner. The acid test is away from home as thats when we have real problems. 1 goal in 5 matches says it all.

[Morph]

To be honest though our away form was sorting itself out last season, the reason we've been so ****e away from home this season is the games really.

We've had a proper bollox of a run of away games, coinciding with us having a really bad patch of form. Had these been easier away games, we may well have scraped through with a few more points, now while that's no excuse I think it makes everything seem worse than it is.

Even if we have a good run of wins in 'easy' away games it still doesn't prove anything until we can go to the likes of Old Trafford and give them a pasting, and unfortunately we won't find this out till next season now.

[Redspin]

Can I just say...

Talk of just securing 4th place now is for losers. We need to still be looking to the title or we'll never get anywhere. Setting your sights low is a self-fulfilling prophecy.


As for Rafa and our away form, I remain confident he will sort it out. Most of last season our away form was very good and I can see us getting back to that again. Come May I'm confident we won't have seen a repeat of his first season, when Rafa had far less quality at his disposal.

Jesus H Christ - a sensible post in a sea of defeatism! Well done - I agree 100%.

[Redspin]

Talk of 4th place isn't for losers at all, its called being realistic. Also I doidin't say I'd settle for 4th place. I said Rafa must secure at leaset 4th place this season.

all this setting your sights low crap, is just that crap. I believe in setting realistic targets for the club, and a minimum of 4th palce is realistic. Anyone who still thinks we can win the title is deluding themselves.

.....and you know this how?

[friedk]

What the stats don't show is that from the first season under Rafa to the second, our away total went from 18 points (one of the worst in the league) to 34 points (3rd best in the league); it also doesn't show that, last season, we won our first away game to Villa on 5th of November last year.