To JWH, Dalglish and Comolli

[Rich]

The more games we throw away with out inability to score the more likely we will buy a **** hot striker

[Imy]

Ok, so if we all agree that we need to not repeat mistakes, can we all dry our eyes now?

yeah, but about that car...

[sean_lfc]

If you compare Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas (even Riera) to Adam, Henderson (although I believe he will come good, just like Lucas), Downing, then I think there is a real gulf in class in my humblest of opinions, and I just don't believe that players such as Adam and Downing, who are first-teamers warrant a place in an aspiring team. I just can't see it. Adam is too clumsy anywhere in the final third, he's frustrating and loses possession in silly places. Henderson is young and can't take that role. Spearing is a worker.

Downing unfortunately is just too poor for me. The strikers suffer, and they're not the best. Kuyt is getting on, Suarez really can make things happen but can't do it all on his own and Carroll needs real quality crosses, such as Barton/Gerrard style whipping action. It's just very sad sometimes (often) watching us play football half-decently, not burrying chances and the others taking advantage of that.

Well, whatever. Carling Cup. Woo.

[MrMichael]

If you compare Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas (even Riera) to Adam, Henderson (although I believe he will come good, just like Lucas), Downing, then I think there is a real gulf in class in my humblest of opinions, and I just don't believe that players such as Adam and Downing, who are first-teamers warrant a place in an aspiring team. I just can't see it. Adam is too clumsy anywhere in the final third, he's frustrating and loses possession in silly places. Henderson is young and can't take that role. Spearing is a worker.

Downing unfortunately is just too poor for me. The strikers suffer, and they're not the best. Kuyt is getting on, Suarez really can make things happen but can't do it all on his own and Carroll needs real quality crosses, such as Barton/Gerrard style whipping action. It's just very sad sometimes (often) watching us play football half-decently, not burrying chances and the others taking advantage of that.

Well, whatever. Carling Cup. Woo.

Do you think those comparisons are incredibly fair though Sean? Was Lucas in his first season all that different from Henderson? Would Alonso and Masch have come without European footy and Benitez reputation? Riera... sorry but Riera was really not that good. What about the Pennants, Josemis, Nunezes (!) et al we went through building that side which nearly (should have) won the league in 2008? I agree that Adam and Downing are not top quality, but could anyone really have thought Downing would produce so little for us this year? The fee was too much sure, but the signing wasn't entirely mental.

Ultimately, we've had a good defence this year, the midfield has suffered from Gerrard and then Lucas' injuries, but what's cost us a real shot at 4th has been finishing. 6 missed penalties. Untold shots off the woodwork. Suarez suspension & lack of form in front of goal hasn't helped, neither has the rather disastrous Carroll transfer, but really its been a fine line. And it was always going to be, competition for that 4th spot has never been as hot and really, we were always going to be the ones with the most catching up to do after 3 years of chronic underinvestment until FSG took over.

Utd and City are obviously the championship challengers, and Spurs team is at its peak. That's left one spot between us, Arsenal and Chelsea. Arsenal, for all their woes, still have some decent players. Plus they have RVP. Chelsea, well, people are going on about the money we've spent, what about the amount they've spent? Luis, Torres, Cahill, Lukaku, Mata etc etc, and they were starting from a point way ahead of us to begin with. Sure we've made errors in the market, spent too much on some, and others just haven't really worked out, but no matter what, a £40m net spent was never going to guarantee us that 4th place and people need to stop acting like it was imo.

[Craig_H]

Do you think those comparisons are incredibly fair though Sean? Was Lucas in his first season all that different from Henderson? Would Alonso and Masch have come without European footy and Benitez reputation? Riera... sorry but Riera was really not that good. I agree that Adam and Downing are not top quality, but could anyone really have thought Downing would produce so little for us this year? The fee was too much sure, but the signing wasn't entirely mental.

Ultimately, we've had a good defence this year, the midfield has suffered from Gerrard and then Lucas' injuries, but what's cost us a real shot at 4th has been finishing. 6 missed penalties. Untold shots off the woodwork. Suarez suspension & lack of form in front of goal hasn't helped, neither has the rather disastrous Carroll transfer, but really its been a fine line. And it was always going to be, competition for that 4th spot has never been as hot and really, we were always going to be the ones with the most catching up to do after 3 years of chronic underinvestment until FSG took over.

Utd and City are obviously the championship challengers, and Spurs team is at its peak. That's left one spot between us, Arsenal and Chelsea. Arsenal, for all their woes, still have some decent players. Plus they have RVP. Chelsea, well, people are going on about the money we've spent, what about the amount they've spent? Luis, Torres, Cahill, Lukaku, Mata etc etc, and they were starting from a point way ahead of us to begin with. Sure we've made errors in the market, spent too much on some, and others just haven't really worked out, but no matter what, a £40m net spent was never going to guarantee us that 4th place and people need to stop acting like it was imo.

[Catrin]

Thank goodness for that!

Please feel free to ignore my posts. I have no respect for your opinions so I won't be offended.

[Craig_H]

Ironically, until you became laughable tonight, i'd always been ignoring your posts.

[MrMichael]

Stop that you two, its just opinions (which everyone are entitled to have), no need to get catty.

[Craig_H]

My 'thank goodness for that' comment was actually in reference to him saying "I don't recall ever shedding any tears over football, not even tears of joy. It is only a game, there is more to life." rather than the bit about him only having xyz number of posts

[Slinky Skills]

All this about not giving Kenny more money because he 'squandered' hundreds of millions....

First, it's £40m net spend.

Second - the only majorly thing wrong with the side is the inability to convert chances. We're the better side most games, we've dominated plenty of games and we've been actually outplayed about 3 times all season.

So the bulk of that team is clearly doing something right - which doesnt correspond with the idea that Kenny ****ed up in the market. The bit that hasnt worked as well as we need it to, has been Carroll - and even now he isnt being given a proper run in the side.

To say Kenny's ****ed up in the market, when his team has ONE significant flaw in it that is, granted, costing us, seems a heck of an exaggeration.

Great post mate.

Although we do create chances and that is clear we do struggle to score, there is not one player on our team that you could say is clinical and that's what we are lacking the most.

We must sign a clinical finisher and at least two decent midifielders, preferably creative ones or one creative mid and one DM to help support Lucas when he's back.

I don't think sacking Kenny would be the way forward but I do agree with what some others have said and that is that FSG are not going to be impressed with us finishing 6th, potentially 7th or 8th and that's not me being negative I'm being realisitic.

On a more positive note we have improved massively defensively, there is also a great team spirit and togetherness and that is down to Dalglish. There is a siege mentality within the club which has been missing for too long and Dalglish is always positive even though sometimes he can be quite agressive and at times smart arse in press conferences/after match interviews he takes no **** whatsoever. This is because he is sick to death of the club being run down.

He wants us back as number 1, where we rightfully belong you can see that evertime he talks.

[Mattshark]

Mr M, yes Lucas was far better in his first season than Henderson has been this season.

[MrMichael]

Mr M, yes Lucas was far better in his first season than Henderson has been this season.

Nonsense

Edit - sorry, I'll elaborate. He really wasn't Matt, indeed it was really only the season before this one when he properly started to show what he was capable of. I don't want to have to dig up the threads, but I remember an awful lot of people criticising him and saying they couldn't see what he actually does, way after the excuse of a young player moving to a foreign league had been exhausted.

[Mattshark]

Nonsense

If you want, I think the idea that Lucas was as bad as everyone claims is nonsense. I also find it doubtful Henderson will ever reach the level Lucas has.

[MrMichael]

If you want, I think the idea that Lucas was as bad as everyone claims is nonsense. I also find it doubtful Henderson will ever reach the level Lucas has.

Oh come on Matt, Lucas did very little in his first couple of seasons at the club apart from pass the ball sideways and look a bit scared. He wasn't abysmal, but he certainly wasn't even close to the player he has matured into now. As for Henderson, I've got no problem with suggesting the lad has played too much this season, or that we paid too much for him, but I don't think the comparison with Lucas in his first season is at all unfair.

[Fosterbloke]

if you look at the players bought rather than the overall team, he has spent 100m. Badly.

Correct. I don't see the relationship on players out to players in.

The players we bought were not dependent on the players we sold. What if we'd bought 20 Lower Division players for less that what we recuperated in sales, would that make the transfers great? No.

So from now on, unless we are talking in a business or financial sense, Kenny spent £100m; some great signings, some bad and some for the future.

I say we start looking for the next Falcao/Ronaldo instead of buying over the odds for the hottest striker right now. I mean look what happened with Torres! It's no guarantee of success!