FA Cup Final Post Match

[Bender]

[McDermotX]

Ah Linda.....

[Exiled_red]

Erm, if we don't win both our remaining games we are on course for our worst ever prem season. This is akin to a Souness season.

To say the league strong is not true imo, City are stronger and Spurs have improved, but Chelsea, United and Arsenal are weaker.

We did yes, and since then we have gone backwards.

In Houllier's first season we got 54 points which whether we have our worst PL finish or finish on 55 points is a comparable amount of points.

Chelsea/Arsenal/Man Utd may be weaker than they have been but there are now 6 teams that are genuinely competing for the CL spots which is more than there have been so IMO the league as a whole is stronger

[Mattshark]

In Houllier's first season we got 54 points which whether we have our worst PL finish or finish on 55 points is a comparable amount of points.

Chelsea/Arsenal/Man Utd may be weaker than they have been but there are now 6 teams that are genuinely competing for the CL spots which is more than there have been so IMO the league as a whole is stronger

That wasn't really his first full season though was it, he started off with it in joint charge with Evans. His first full season in sole charge gave us 67 points.
And as I said we have to win both remaining games to beat that, since we have only won 4 league games this calender year, it is hard to imagine we can win both games quite frankly.

I disagree, bar city, league is weaker as a whole is weaker.

[Muddled]

I don't think the league is weaker, I think it's more competitive.

[Mattshark]

I don't think the league is weaker, I think it's more competitive.

I think it's both. The quality has been on the decline for the last few seasons imo.

[danperkins]

Just to contradict my previous post about being constructive, not a bad response there Craig.

[Daniel 7]

I wonder where the opinions would be if the first 17 games were the last 17 games. Its quite feasible that Lucas could have been injured in August and we would have been equally as exposed - there was no movement to fortify a glaring weakness in the squad.

That it happened in November and wasn't accounted for in the impending transfer window was a sackable offence - was that Comolli or not?

Anyway, form tables seemed to count for a lot last season when Dalglish came in from January to the end of the season. He took over from Hodgson with LFC in a relegation place. We have effectively mirrored that, and on form tables, are right back where we started despite having spent an absolute fortune on terrible players.

Thats in no way good enough. That level of performance is unacceptable. We haven't ever gone through this before in the modern era, so if a sacking or the manager stepping aside for a better qualified candidate is what it takes, then so be it. That isn't short term, thats looking out for the long term health of an ailing club.

[Craig_H]

What do we do if the new man comes in and we get the same set of 17 results? Sack him too?

[Paul12]

It is of course true that Rome was not built in a day, and my impression is that Kenny is trying to build a team that plays in a very different way to Rafa's team; it usually takes time to achieve such a change. If we are comfortable about the changes Kenny is trying to make (for eg we weren't comfortable about the changes Roy was trying to make) and we believe Kenny is capable of delivering them, we should shut up and give him more time.

So does he have a plan and the ability to deliver on that plan. I think the signs are not good:

(a) He seems to be thrashing around for a system,
(b) The purchases last summer did not seem designed to fit within an overall plan. (Were we buying for the future (Henderson) or today (Adam) - and could we afford to do both? Why didn't we have 3 proper strikers in the squad from the beginning? Why haven't we given the kids (ie Robinson and Flannagan) loan experience so they are better placed to step up)? Are we going to play with players between the lines or not? And so on.
(c) The actual purchases made last summer were a bit under-whelming (Adams and Downing were not and never will be top of the table players), even before the players stepped onto the pitch on has largely borne that out, and
(d) Kenny does not seem able to get a consistently good performance out of any of the players (apart perhaps from Skrtel).

Bearing all this in mind, I think it is legitimate for the owners to look very closely at Kenny's position and I also think it is madness to place too much faith in heroes.

[Daniel 7]

What do we do if the new man comes in and we get the same set of 17 results? Sack him too?

You advocated that with a previous manager.

There's a balance, of course. The recruitment, the expenditure, the decision making, the tactics, the man management, the handling of the Suarez situation, the press conferences, the stubbornness - its not just results though is it?

Like I said, we have gone through unprecedented times over the last few seasons. I'm not trying to change your mind Craig, I wouldn't bother, I'm just giving my reasons for why I don't think Dalglish is suited to be LFC manager now. Equally, I won't change my mind on that. This season has been a shambles, and it would have been regardless of the results in the cup finals.

Ask Birmingham fans what they thought of their Carling Cup win last season.

[Craig_H]

The previous manager had us in the relegation zone, outplayed by nearly everyone and humbled by Northampton. The comparison doesnt merit serious discussion, like the Birmingham one doesnt.

[Daniel 7]

So how do you classify our worst home record in the PL? Worth a mention? Or the return to the position where he took over? Inconsequential? Just because we've played prettier football?

You can't dismiss it all, nor the other areas we have lacked in so far.

[Mattshark]

The previous manager had us in the relegation zone, outplayed by nearly everyone and humbled by Northampton. The comparison doesnt merit serious discussion, like the Birmingham one doesnt.

We have the 2nd worst form since new year, that is equally as bad. Just so happens we had a better start than last season. If our form at the start had been like this we'd be been in the bottom 3.

[Craig_H]

Where have i dismissed it all? Do you actually read my posts mate? Not just the ones directed to you, but others as well. If so, you'll have how i classify it.

There's no comparison to be drawn between Dalglish and Hodgson, likewise none between us and Birmingham.