Title Race

[Fierce]

I believe, and his name is Brenad Rogers.

[BigChief]

I just can't see us beating Chelsea. Probably a draw. More chance of exposing City's backline and that is a must win, or forget it, game. Then just pray that Everton can grab a draw off them.

[The Birdman]

I just can't see us beating Chelsea. Probably a draw. More chance of exposing City's backline and that is a must win, or forget it, game. Then just pray that Everton can grab a draw off them.

The same Chelsea that have just lost to Villa and Palace?
Unless things change drastically Chelsea will have to come to Anfield and win, either that or they'll be out of it and resting players for Europe.

Do you think Mourinho will leave Cahill and Terry exposed vs Sturridge and Suarez?? not a chance he'll have 2 sitters in front and full backs tucked in. That's 7 players not hurting us straight away.

They've got numerous very good players but only 1 consistent match winner and that's Hazard.

[Beary]

Chelsea will 4 points down when they come to play us.

[Fierce]

The same Chelsea that have just lost to Villa and Palace?
Unless things change drastically Chelsea will have to come to Anfield and win, either that or they'll be out of it and resting players for Europe.

Do you think Mourinho will leave Cahill and Terry exposed vs Sturridge and Suarez?? not a chance he'll have 2 sitters in front and full backs tucked in. That's 7 players not hurting us straight away.

They've got numerous very good players but only 1 consistent match winner and that's Hazard.

They are eminently beatable.

As are City though to be fair, we saw that with both Xmas games that we were very unlucky to lose; and we are a vastly improved team since then too

[Yozza]

Liverpool face their ultimate test of nerve as Brendan Rodgers's side edges ever closer to Premier League title

Liverpool have defied all expectations with their march to the Premier League summit, but now fear of failure is their biggest obstacle in the chase for the title

Now Liverpool face their ultimate test of nerve as Premier League crown edges ever closer

By Alan Hansen

Liverpool are now entering dangerous territory in their pursuit of the Premier League title and Brendan Rodgers must somehow manage a sense of expectation that is threatening to go through the roof at Anfield.

After a 24-year wait to become league champions again, you can smell the excitement, belief and desire that is infusing the whole club. But Liverpool have not yet smelt fear and, having experienced countless title run-ins during my time at the club, the only certainty is that it will come sooner or later and how Rodgers’ players deal with that will decide the outcome of the title race.

At some point, players will become scared because the title will feel so close that a setback here or there will inevitably spark negative thoughts.

From this point on, it really does become a test of nerve for everybody involved – players, coaches and supporters.

When I paraded the old Football League championship trophy around Anfield at the end of the 1989-90 season, I could never have imagined that I would become the last Liverpool captain for almost a quarter of a century to lead the club to the title.

Twenty-four years is an awfully long time and the prospect of ending that agonising wait this season is why Liverpool supporters, both inside Anfield and across the globe, are beginning to believe that this will finally be their year.

Even I am starting to feel that Liverpool will win it this season and I should know better because, until you have experienced and endured the pressures of a run-in, it is impossible to predict how it will go.

It is difficult to explain how the pressure takes hold, but the hardest title to win is the first one and Liverpool have to overcome that.

Manchester City, who won the title two years ago, know how to negotiate the final six games of a season and that is an advantage they will have over Liverpool. But I now believe it is a two-way fight between City and Liverpool and the game between the clubs at Anfield on April 13 will be monumental.

Liverpool’s problem is managing the expectation that has rocketed in recent weeks.
At the start of the season, Liverpool would have bitten your hand off for fourth place, but the targets have been raised progressively.

It has gone to wanting to claim automatic Champions League qualification with a top-three finish and on to believing that they really had a chance of winning the title.
The stage Liverpool are at now is that people are thinking that they are actually going to win the league and that can be fatal.

This is the point where Rodgers and his senior players must say all the right things and keep a lid on everything.

No matter how confident you may be, you are never the league champions until you have the medal in your hand, but Liverpool still have six games to play.

They have won eight on the bounce, but nobody has ever won 14 successive Premier League games, so if a blip comes, where will it be and how damaging will it be?

Liverpool have to take it one game at a time, but that is difficult because it is impossible to avoid looking at the fixtures and second-guessing results. They must also banish complacency because complacency is the enemy of success.

In Liverpool’s favour, though, is the reality that they have dealt with every big test that has been put in front of them since the turn of the year.

Both Everton and Arsenal arrived at Anfield with high hopes and big belief, but Liverpool tore them apart with an explosion of pace and goals.

They then went to Old Trafford and came away with a 3-0 victory after dominating Manchester United, while Tottenham were brushed aside at Anfield on Sunday.
So many teams are visiting Anfield and being forced into mistake after mistake and Liverpool are playing without a hint of pressure.

And in Steven Gerrard, they have a captain and leader who has become so influential in his holding midfield role that he is making everything tick for the team.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Steven write me out of the history books as the last Liverpool captain to lift the league championship trophy.

But because Liverpool are now so close, they have to go on and win it.

Anyone who says that finishing second will constitute a great season is talking rubbish.
The Liverpool ethos was always to adhere to the maxim that first is first and second is nowhere and, even after a 24 year wait, that remains the case.

A club of Liverpool’s standing and history are all about winning trophies and titles, so they have to go on and win it now.

This may be their best chance because City and Chelsea will strengthen, United will not be this bad again next season and it is impossible to imagine that Luis Suárez will have another campaign as good as this.

Liverpool really are facing six games that could redefine the club’s history and it is theirs to win if they play it right.

[Lecter]

If we win the league then it will probably go down as one of the greatest wins in Premier League history

To take a team from 7th to Champions in 12 months is incredible and that feat would rival Arsenals unbeatable season imo. We have definitely over-achieved this season whether we win the title or not and Brendan deserves a huge amount of credit

Will we win it? Well its certainly in our hands. Just 6 more wins for the title. 6 more wins is asking a lot though, even in isolation 6 wins on the bounce is an enormous ask but in the wider context of having already won 8 on the spin to put a run of 14 wins together to take the title would be incredible. If we do win the remaining 6 games then we will be deserved winners

[Roboklopp]

****ing ****ing ****ing nightmare. Just realised I'm at my mate's wedding on the 13th- the Citeh game.


Selfish ******* had his 30th meal the day we beat Chvs in the FA cup semi too (luckily I refused to go to the restaurant until the game was over & texted over my order).

[PTP]

pssst...ssshhhh....whisper

i've been saving this just in case - remember when we where top of the league on boxing day - i had about 30 everton fans taking the piss...."oh, we better give lfc winners medals now, cause apparently being top of the league at christmas means you have won it" - etc etc etc

if, by some chance, we go on and win this league....every single one of them cunts is a getting a message from....."yes you are right.....they should have just handed us the trophy at christmas "

[The Birdman]

The thing with Hansen's article is that while what he says is true we hardly played like we were struggling with the pressure on Sunday did we?
That was the game that we might have froze, playing after Chelsea lost and Man C drew, knowing a win put it in our own hands, knowing the win heaps the pressure on us because if we win all 6 then it's ours.

We then strolled out, flew at Spurs and battered them.

Didn't look like a side struggling with pressure and expectation to me, looked like a side who genuinely believe that they can and will beat anyone.

We might not win the PL but we won't freeze or 'bottle' it, that's for sure.

[fah-q]

If we win the league then it will probably go down as one of the greatest wins in Premier League history

To take a team from 7th to Champions in 12 months is incredible and that feat would rival Arsenals unbeatable season imo. We have definitely over-achieved this season whether we win the title or not and Brendan deserves a huge amount of credit

Will we win it? Well its certainly in our hands. Just 6 more wins for the title. 6 more wins is asking a lot though, even in isolation 6 wins on the bounce is an enormous ask but in the wider context of having already won 8 on the spin to put a run of 14 wins together to take the title would be incredible. If we do win the remaining 6 games then we will be deserved winners

Mentally it's like playing golf and taking a shot next to a lake. It's no different from hitting a shot on the fairway (I've never played golf so apologies if I get the terms wrong) but your brain instills the fear of shanking it into the lake instead of straight.

Those 8 games won are history, focus on hitting it straight and we'll win the title.

That sounded concise in my head but I'm still suffereing today.

[fah-q]

The thing with Hansen's article is that while what he says is true we hardly played like we were struggling with the pressure on Sunday did we?
That was the game that we might have froze, playing after Chelsea lost and Man C drew, knowing a win put it in our own hands, knowing the win heaps the pressure on us because if we win all 6 then it's ours.

We then strolled out, flew at Spurs and battered them.

Didn't look like a side struggling with pressure and expectation to me, looked like a side who genuinely believe that they can and will beat anyone.

We might not win the PL but we won't freeze or 'bottle' it, that's for sure.

If anything it's our collective inexperience and naivety of a title run in that might help us. We're (mostly) young and fearless and don't know we're supposed to feel the pressure. Plus, you know, Suarez and Sturridge.

[Muddled]

Dr Peters' time sheet for the next month will be littered with overtime claims.

I don't think you can underestimate his role in all of this and his input will be vital for the run-in.

[kev776]

If we finish 3rd, would it still be considered a huge success or are we now spoiled and anything other than winning the league would be a massive disappointment?

[Liverpool]

Dr Peters' time sheet for the next month will be littered with overtime claims.

I don't think you can underestimate his role in all of this and his input will be vital for the run-in.

Do we know how involved he actually is? Isnt working with GB and Sky cycling his day job?