The end of season report

[el matador]

Thanks everyone. My uncle passed away from a brain tumour and a friend committed suicide so its not been too easy.

That's life so I took some time out. cheers anyway boys.

[Fernandinho]

Hope all is well El Mat.

[SB]

As Muddy said I think it`s a forced rebuild. How big it needs to be is up to BR. Carra needs to be replaced, hopefully by someone good enough to go straight into the starting eleven. Coates doesn`t have a future here, but he doesn`t play anyway. The big thing is Skrtel leaving or not. If he stays we have a proven CB pair if a new signing fails, if he goes at least one of the new CBs has to be a succes from the start.

I hope BR & Skrtel can patch things up (if that's what's required) as I think we need that partnership of Skrtel & Agger to start the season & bed in Carra's replacement when the opportunity arises. I wouldn't mind another LB as Enrique looks best when played a bit further forward & it provides competition also if he's to be played at LB. a wide player to take over from Assaidi who's bound to be sold would be good.

[SB]

Thanks everyone. My uncle passed away from a brain tumour and a friend committed suicide so its not been too easy.

That's life so I took some time out. cheers anyway boys.

Sorry to hear that bud. Can't imagine how the family would feel when one commits suicide hey.

[frank the tank]

Sturridge needs to sort out that stupid fockin dance goal celebration thing

[SB]

Sturridge needs to sort out that stupid fockin dance goal celebration thing

As longs he keeps scoring he can practice whatever dance he chooses to do.

[Frenchie]

welcome back El M

[Norbs]

Anyone who thinks we have we have underachieved this season needs to remember that Brendan inherited a team that had just finished 8th, was in relegation form, had no style of play, had lost Maxi, Bellamy and Kuyt for nothing, was overloaded with mediocrity signed by Dalglish and Comolli and had scored 47 league goals all season !!
After a poor opening transfer window Brendan has implemented a clear style of play, sorted out our goal scoring problem, signed 2 very good players in Coutinho and Sturridge and most importantly IMO he has begun to instill a combative mindset in the players. What I mean by that is several times this season we have gone behind in a game and managed to fight back and win. Last season that would never, ever have happened, in fact you'd probably have to go back to the 2008/9 season to find instances were that has happened.
We're still far from the finished article and Brendan certainly isn't perfect, I don't know what next season will bring, football is unpredictable but I believe that if we sign the right players this summer we can at the very least be in the mix for 4th place from day one of next season.

A+

[spider-neil]

Coming from behind (fnar fnar) shows the team is gaining mental strength and becoming difficult to beat, the first and most important step towards consistency.

[Norbs]

As longs he keeps scoring he can practice whatever dance he chooses to do.

I hope Frank's driven to insanity from seeing it so much next season.

One positive from Luis's ban so far has been how we have coped without him, and to a lesser degree Stevie. Next season I think we'll see Henderson push on massively to become Stevie's natural successor so we're getting set for life without him.

[paulg]

For me, at the start of the season I wanted to see an improvement in our football. Seeing us play more as a unit, playing more attractive football. I hoped for a finish in 7th, as it would be an improvement on last year.

This year, IMO, has been a total transition so I wrote it off. I'm happy as I feel we're seeing definite progress that can be built upon. Next season I want to see a fight for top 4 and a good cup run, though.

[Norbs]

At the point where Bren was appointed I was absolutely fed up with change and a lack of direction. I didn't care about this season's finish and thought that a lack of European football would weedle out who really wanted to be here and those that don't. I wanted him to be given as much time as needed to implement his plans and nothing's changed on that front. I honestly think that if he's given a bit of money and 3 more years then we could challenge

[Captain Stu]

Overall: we're moving in the right direction. More points, better performances, reduced wagebill and looking more and more like a Rodgers team.

No coincidence that we looked better after abandoning the doomed 4-3-3 experiment and moved to the 4-2-3-1 lineup and then again changed to a more direct style of play which certainly suits us more with the resurgence of Henderson and the additions of Phil and Studge.

[SB]

I hope Frank's driven to insanity from seeing it so much next season.

One positive from Luis's ban so far has been how we have coped without him, and to a lesser degree Stevie. Next season I think we'll see Henderson push on massively to become Stevie's natural successor so we're getting set for life without him.

100% with ya.

[BG1973]

Actually you edited my original comment:

''What I mean by that is several times this season we have gone behind in a game and managed to fight back and win. Last season that would never, ever have happened, in fact you'd probably have to go back to the 2008/9 season to find instances were that has happened.''

So I'm still right in a way, the Newcastle result was a one off, the fact that we've come from behind several times this season in league games proves that those comebacks were not flukes and that BR has instilled a more positive mindset in the players than Dalglish ever did.

or... suarez finally learnt to put it between the white posts...

I would wager that has been the most significant reason we have scored more goals and thus staged more comebacks.. if indeed we have.