What I thought and what I now think

[CJ]

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.

my question is why for 20 years have players we wouldnt have in our first team one leagues and we havent?

cant help having tinted specs thats why we are supporters if we didnt have them we would hate the game wouldnt we?

[warrenpeace]

I don't know what to think. I can't really argue with Marsh's post, but since Kenny we've effectively had new signings without signing anyone - Maxi, Flanaghan, Spearing and other players have improved out of sight. The transformation is phenomenal. Our "best player" has been missing and no one has really noticed

If it is new manager bounce it is the giggest bounce I can think of by miles but if it is just the way things are going to be from here on that knighthood should be nailed on and, given a good transfer window the sky is the limit.

[CJ]

I don't know what to think. I can't really argue with Marsh's post, but since Kenny we've effectively had new signings without signing anyone - Maxi, Flanaghan, Spearing and other players have improved out of sight. The transformation is phenomenal. Our "best player" has been missing and no one has really noticed

If it is new manager bounce it is the giggest bounce I can think of by miles but if it is just the way things are going to be from here on that knighthood should be nailed on and, given a good transfer window the sky is the limit.

the whole outlook is soo different, i am really looking forward to next season and enjoying the smiles of peoples faces

on the pitch apart from players i thought might not be good enough for a title winning team making me at the very least think again, i am loving the movement on the pitch. For quite a while our movement has been pants

[BrooklynRed]

my question is why for 20 years have players we wouldnt have in our first team one leagues and we havent?

cant help having tinted specs thats why we are supporters if we didnt have them we would hate the game wouldnt we?

I think it comes down to squad depth and the system of football that they play. It has to do with the manager and them getting players for the system; SAF has done a great job of targeting the right players for the style and system he plays; quick, controlled passing, physical midfield, positional discipline and everyone who walks into the team knows their role and plays it. Wenger was the same with his style; when he had Henry, Bergkamp and Pires in their primes, Arsenal were unstoppable; perfect for his system. When they were too old, Arsenal has been unable to duplicate that success because they stopped spending on the right players. City has the money to have depth at every position and have overcome their sloppy defense with deep talent; I hate they way they play, Manicini seems out of his depth to me, but when you have top-shelf talent three deep at every spot, you're in much better shape than blooding young, unproven talent as subs (Ngog, Shelvey, Spearing-- all of them have been, in the past, out of their depth when coming on for us). Chelsea had both a great, shut down system under Mourinho and the money to buy the depth and the right players for the system.

Before Kenny, only Rafa seemed to have something in place that resembled these systems and he was supported at nowhere near the level required by Moores or G&H. This idea that Liverpool was a family club owned by a "sportsman" or that it was an ATM for hedgefund owners to bleed dry-- neither of these ownership schemes reflected what is required for modern football. How many of Rafa's targets did we NOT get for a lack of will to spend? How many players did we get rid of for one reason or another who were outstanding fits? Rafa had a core of great players surrounded by mid-level players. I love the man, but I feel he underachieved because he was required to battle the owners, owners who did not build the team around his way of playing, to get the support required to bring us 19 and 6. He never got it; we got Roy, whose system was laughable, and now we have Kenny back and FSG, which for me is a match made in heaven; a manager who lets the team buzz around, enjoy the football and still play with discipline in defense, and owners who GET IT, who are as competitive men as the players and manager are, who recognize that this team needs to win to make money, who understand what they do not know and allow Kenny's style and results to speak for themselves. Have FSG put a foot wrong since taking over? Roy's gone, Suarez is here, Carroll is here, Reina is resigned and now Kenny... makes me proud to be an American. We are coming, everyone better buckle up when they play Liverpool because we will enjoy destroying you. Logic, system, players and, with the right investment this summer, some required depth and system-specific players who can help us fly. I'm a believer.

[CJ]

I think it comes down to squad depth and the system of football that they play. It has to do with the manager and them getting players for the system; SAF has done a great job of targeting the right players for the style and system he plays; quick, controlled passing, physical midfield, positional discipline and everyone who walks into the team knows their role and plays it. Wenger was the same with his style; when he had Henry, Bergkamp and Pires in their primes, Arsenal were unstoppable; perfect for his system. When they were too old, Arsenal has been unable to duplicate that success because they stopped spending on the right players. City has the money to have depth at every position and have overcome their sloppy defense with deep talent; I hate they way they play, Manicini seems out of his depth to me, but when you have top-shelf talent three deep at every spot, you're in much better shape than blooding young, unproven talent as subs (Ngog, Shelvey, Spearing-- all of them have been, in the past, out of their depth when coming on for us). Chelsea had both a great, shut down system under Mourinho and the money to buy the depth and the right players for the system.

Before Kenny, only Rafa seemed to have something in place that resembled these systems and he was supported at nowhere near the level required by Moores or G&H. This idea that Liverpool was a family club owned by a "sportsman" or that it was an ATM for hedgefund owners to bleed dry-- neither of these ownership schemes reflected what is required for modern football. How many of Rafa's targets did we NOT get for a lack of will to spend? How many players did we get rid of for one reason or another who were outstanding fits? Rafa had a core of great players surrounded by mid-level players. I love the man, but I feel he underachieved because he was required to battle the owners, owners who did not build the team around his way of playing, to get the support required to bring us 19 and 6. He never got it; we got Roy, whose system was laughable, and now we have Kenny back and FSG, which for me is a match made in heaven; a manager who lets the team buzz around, enjoy the football and still play with discipline in defense, and owners who GET IT, who are as competitive men as the players and manager are, who recognize that this team needs to win to make money, who understand what they do not know and allow Kenny's style and results to speak for themselves. Have FSG put a foot wrong since taking over? Roy's gone, Suarez is here, Carroll is here, Reina is resigned and now Kenny... makes me proud to be an American. We are coming, everyone better buckle up when they play Liverpool because we will enjoy destroying you. Logic, system, players and, with the right investment this summer, some required depth and system-specific players who can help us fly. I'm a believer.

well put howevver i would add the mentallity of those players, thats where i worry. Having winners does make a difference.

[Mostar]

I think it comes down to squad depth and the system of football that they play. It has to do with the manager and them getting players for the system; SAF has done a great job of targeting the right players for the style and system he plays; quick, controlled passing, physical midfield, positional discipline and everyone who walks into the team knows their role and plays it. Wenger was the same with his style; when he had Henry, Bergkamp and Pires in their primes, Arsenal were unstoppable; perfect for his system. When they were too old, Arsenal has been unable to duplicate that success because they stopped spending on the right players. City has the money to have depth at every position and have overcome their sloppy defense with deep talent; I hate they way they play, Manicini seems out of his depth to me, but when you have top-shelf talent three deep at every spot, you're in much better shape than blooding young, unproven talent as subs (Ngog, Shelvey, Spearing-- all of them have been, in the past, out of their depth when coming on for us). Chelsea had both a great, shut down system under Mourinho and the money to buy the depth and the right players for the system.

Before Kenny, only Rafa seemed to have something in place that resembled these systems and he was supported at nowhere near the level required by Moores or G&H. This idea that Liverpool was a family club owned by a "sportsman" or that it was an ATM for hedgefund owners to bleed dry-- neither of these ownership schemes reflected what is required for modern football. How many of Rafa's targets did we NOT get for a lack of will to spend? How many players did we get rid of for one reason or another who were outstanding fits? Rafa had a core of great players surrounded by mid-level players. I love the man, but I feel he underachieved because he was required to battle the owners, owners who did not build the team around his way of playing, to get the support required to bring us 19 and 6. He never got it; we got Roy, whose system was laughable, and now we have Kenny back and FSG, which for me is a match made in heaven; a manager who lets the team buzz around, enjoy the football and still play with discipline in defense, and owners who GET IT, who are as competitive men as the players and manager are, who recognize that this team needs to win to make money, who understand what they do not know and allow Kenny's style and results to speak for themselves. Have FSG put a foot wrong since taking over? Roy's gone, Suarez is here, Carroll is here, Reina is resigned and now Kenny... makes me proud to be an American. We are coming, everyone better buckle up when they play Liverpool because we will enjoy destroying you. Logic, system, players and, with the right investment this summer, some required depth and system-specific players who can help us fly. I'm a believer.

Great to see you post again.

[Shaggy]

I think it comes down to squad depth and the system of football that they play. It has to do with the manager and them getting players for the system; SAF has done a great job of targeting the right players for the style and system he plays; quick, controlled passing, physical midfield, positional discipline and everyone who walks into the team knows their role and plays it. Wenger was the same with his style; when he had Henry, Bergkamp and Pires in their primes, Arsenal were unstoppable; perfect for his system. When they were too old, Arsenal has been unable to duplicate that success because they stopped spending on the right players. City has the money to have depth at every position and have overcome their sloppy defense with deep talent; I hate they way they play, Manicini seems out of his depth to me, but when you have top-shelf talent three deep at every spot, you're in much better shape than blooding young, unproven talent as subs (Ngog, Shelvey, Spearing-- all of them have been, in the past, out of their depth when coming on for us). Chelsea had both a great, shut down system under Mourinho and the money to buy the depth and the right players for the system.

Before Kenny, only Rafa seemed to have something in place that resembled these systems and he was supported at nowhere near the level required by Moores or G&H. This idea that Liverpool was a family club owned by a "sportsman" or that it was an ATM for hedgefund owners to bleed dry-- neither of these ownership schemes reflected what is required for modern football. How many of Rafa's targets did we NOT get for a lack of will to spend? How many players did we get rid of for one reason or another who were outstanding fits? Rafa had a core of great players surrounded by mid-level players. I love the man, but I feel he underachieved because he was required to battle the owners, owners who did not build the team around his way of playing, to get the support required to bring us 19 and 6. He never got it; we got Roy, whose system was laughable, and now we have Kenny back and FSG, which for me is a match made in heaven; a manager who lets the team buzz around, enjoy the football and still play with discipline in defense, and owners who GET IT, who are as competitive men as the players and manager are, who recognize that this team needs to win to make money, who understand what they do not know and allow Kenny's style and results to speak for themselves. Have FSG put a foot wrong since taking over? Roy's gone, Suarez is here, Carroll is here, Reina is resigned and now Kenny... makes me proud to be an American. We are coming, everyone better buckle up when they play Liverpool because we will enjoy destroying you. Logic, system, players and, with the right investment this summer, some required depth and system-specific players who can help us fly. I'm a believer.

Great post

[little dave hedgehog]

proud to be an american, where at least i know i'm freeeeeeeee...

[DannyMan2006]

TBH, I don't think our squad is as bad as many of us thought. This is probably down to some of the young lads coming in and proving themselves to be good enough, because to be frank some of the senior players have proved to be as bad as many thought they would be.

You wonder where this team would be had the likes of Spearing, Robinson and Flanagan proved to be not good enough. We would have really struggled at times. And then our squad would have proved to be too short on quality.

But as well as young lads proving themselves to be good enough, we've also seen the return to form of key players like Kuyt and Carra, we've seen Skrtel and Maxi performing as well as they ever have and we've seen Lucas perform to a level we've nevere seen him hit previously. And they aren't the only ones, I could go on.

Either way you look at it, individual players withing the squad look a lot better than what they have done. And this in itself makes the squad stronger than what we thought it was.

[little dave hedgehog]

who would've imagined at the start of the season we'd see skrtel free in the area with the ball at his feet more than once?

[Galb]

I don't know what to think. I can't really argue with Marsh's post, but since Kenny we've effectively had new signings without signing anyone - Maxi, Flanaghan, Spearing and other players have improved out of sight. The transformation is phenomenal. Our "best player" has been missing and no one has really noticed

.

Just to be controversial ... is there any possibility our "best player" being missing has anything at all to do with the improvement in other players and the team overall?

Lucas for one always looks to me to play better when Gerrard is out, and I think the balance of the team is better when he's not in CM.

It will be interesting to see where Kenny sees him playing when he's back fit.

[DannyMan2006]

Just to be controversial ... is there any possibility our "best player" being missing has anything at all to do with the improvement in other players and the team overall?

Lucas for one always looks to me to play better when Gerrard is out, and I think the balance of the team is better when he's not in CM.

It will be interesting to see where Kenny sees him playing when he's back fit.

No, I don't think there is any possibility.

[BrooklynRed]

Great to see you post again.

I work like a slave from Jan-April, so I am not able to keep up on the site during that time... nice to have the time to talk about my passions again! Missed this place...

[little dave hedgehog]

b.r. is a straight up muckity muck

[CJ]

Just to be controversial ... is there any possibility our "best player" being missing has anything at all to do with the improvement in other players and the team overall?

Lucas for one always looks to me to play better when Gerrard is out, and I think the balance of the team is better when he's not in CM.

It will be interesting to see where Kenny sees him playing when he's back fit.

i think it is possible. it is also possible that Kenny would improve his game as he has others.

I am critical of SG but I also think he might be entering that lul that top players have as they get a certain age. The game takes its toll particularly as what he brought was explosiveness and the ability to turn a game through sheer will almost. It is very possible that he somehow changes his game and roll and has a few years left in him.

its also a worry that we play better than Carroll but again next season we will see and also remember we are building a squad as much as a team so we wait and see