What I thought and what I now think

[CJ]

Obviously a big thank you to the King and Clarke and FSG

i never thought we were as bad as bodge made us look i thought our squad was about the 6th best

i thought Kuyt while working hard and providing a lot to win the leauge we would need better i thought the same about Lucas i thought spearing wouldnt make it with us.

we have seen a huge lift and the fact that people are enjoying their football is making a huge difference. I hope this is not just new manager bounce but a sign of things to come.

I still think that our squad isnt the 1st or 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th best in the league. Whilst this group of players has improved hugely and those players in particular and the addition of suarez has moved us on.

one doubt remains and that is, are enough of the squad strong enough mentally or do we have enough winners in the squad.

as much as i hate the scum with a team i dont think is good enough to win the leauge they have shown to be winners and that is something the bad scum teams have managed in the last 20 years.

you can have a team that is good enough to be second but it doesnt always mean they are near getting first place second can be the peak for some players or groups of players.

also carra and gerrard who i am an open critique of hopefully will benefit from what happened to sami the odd rest and used sensibly, lets not forget for a season many fans thought he had become a liability but from sensible management he came back as strong and contributed.

i would be happy with a top 4 finish next year it will enable us to keep building but I dont see this lot as league winners with Kenny or Rafa or anyone else as manager.

this is meant to be a criticism of anyone at the club just a thinking aloud type post

[Mostar]

We are playing with such euphoria atm (like being on drugs) and I am concerned that our squad is still way too weak and too thin to get us into top 4 next season.

We need to make a heavy investment into our squad and it shouldn't be overlooked that majority of top teams significantly underperformed this season and they will definitely strengthen their squads in the summer and we must follow the suit.

Imo we need at least 5,6 high quality players for the next season if we want momentum to continue.

There is a lot to be optimistic and lot to build on but also we cannot think for the second that we are good enough to challenge for top honors again (and repeat the success of the second half of the season) without significant summer transfer outlay..

[CJ]

We are playing with such euphoria atm (like being on drugs) and I am concerned that our squad is still way too weak and too thin to get us into top 4 next season.

We need to make a heavy investment into our squad and it shouldn't be overlooked that majority of top teams significantly underperformed this season and they will definitely strengthen their squads in the summer and we must follow the suit.

Imo we need at least 5,6 high quality players for the next season if we want momentum to continue.

There is a lot to be optimistic and lot to build on but also we cannot think for the second that we are good enough to challenge for top honors again (and repeat the success of the second half of the season) without significant summer transfer outlay..

i agree but we are on the right path which feels good

[Mostar]

i agree but we are on the right path which feels good

It feels amazing, for a change, and we need to buy right players in the summer if we want this feeling to stay.

[Fernandinho]

Suarez is a ****ing winner if i saw one. we need more players like him. sometimes you need players who other teams have/who seem like cunts because they are the winners.

[Alex]

Marsh, you pretty much think exactly the same as me. Only think I think different, is that our Best 11 is as good as anyone in the league. Put them up and they can beat anyone. Its the squad that lacks. Which is what we need to build on.

[Mostar]

That's just it. We need more players like Suarez if we want to make a genuine push. If we marginally improve our squad I don't think we'll be "flying" next year.

[Rudo]

Suarez is a ****ing winner if i saw one. we need more players like him. sometimes you need players who other teams have/who seem like cunts because they are the winners.

It's that South American spirit pal. they love their footie, enthusiastic shines though every time.

[Fernandinho]

that was a horrible grammatical post with typos. sorry guys

[Fernandinho]

It's that South American spirit pal. they love their footie, enthusiastic shines though every time.

Yeah mate, we need more of it whatever it is

[Lecter]

I'm not overly concerned about it being a bounce or the players being high on euphoria or anything like that

From what I have heard our on the field performances have mirrored what is going on in training

Under Roy the training was dour, negative, focussed on holding positions and generally brainwashing the players - and that is exactly what came out

Under Kenny the training is bright, inovative, very quick, involves lots of passing and movement and players are actively encouraged to have belief and take responsibility in possession - all of that is coming out on the pitch

[red g]

It's that South American spirit pal. they love their footie, enthusiastic shines though every time.

these lot would beg to differ.........

Gonzalez, Veron, Forlan, Angeliri, riveros, marcelinnho, mirandinha, gilberto, roque junior, cacapa, robinho, kleberson, jo, alves

[CJ]

Marsh, you pretty much think exactly the same as me. Only think I think different, is that our Best 11 is as good as anyone in the league. Put them up and they can beat anyone. Its the squad that lacks. Which is what we need to build on.

my counter to that is the wolves argument. They have shown that on their day they can beat anyone. It doenst follow that they need tweaking to win the prem league. Now i know its an extreme point but if i tone it down and say that we have beaten top teams for a while and under different managers always believing that a little tweak one player and the league is ours.

we have consistently lost to teams we beleive we shouldnt. We need to win more games and lose and draw less, thats against teams all through the table.

i do agree though that on our day our first 11 can beat anyone but the problem is that on hte right day teams can beat us.

I personally think its down to mental attutide or lack or winners rather than lack of fitness or skill.

but its a better thing to dicsuss rather than the owners etc isnt it. what a difference a few months makes eh

[CJ]

I'm not overly concerned about it being a bounce or the players being high on euphoria or anything like that

From what I have heard our on the field performances have mirrored what is going on in training

Under Roy the training was dour, negative, focussed on holding positions and generally brainwashing the players - and that is exactly what came out

Under Kenny the training is bright, inovative, very quick, involves lots of passing and movement and players are actively encouraged to have belief and take responsibility in possession - all of that is coming out on the pitch

thats good to hear. Also i liked how relaxed Kenny was when Robinson ( i think) was coming off the bench for his debut. The relaxed and fun atmosphere has really been transmited through the squad. I guess the challengge is to keep that going.

Whilst not wanting to get into a Rafa debate, This is certainly one area where the King seems to be more benificial. Also i wonder if Rafa suffered because Pako was his "good cop" and when things started turning there was not the balance in the back room team.

also on the theme of what i thought then and do now i thought that old football was naive in the face of current tacticians. That looks to be wrong but the mixing of those two approaches will be something to be hold and already is

[BrooklynRed]

We need to get healthy as I see it. With a healthy Gerrard, Carroll, Meireles, Kelly, Agger, I think we are in VERY good shape. Obviously, some of those names may never come good again. So, we need to buy some width on the left, strength at the back, maybe an LB, but I am far less concerned than I would be.

Not looking through Scouse colored glasses, but I look at United, Chelsea, City and Arsenal, and I look at their players and there are very few of them I would take over ours. There are difference makers there at CB and on the wings, our weakest spots, but otherwise, I'd be having Gerrard/Meireles/Lucas over the core of any of them, Suarez and Carroll can be up there. I don't think we're that far away, really. If we play the style Kenny has us playing, get some reinforcements in and some quality at the back and out wide, I think we're flying next season.