Our Rivals squad next season - Liverpool

Wumminator

The Qatar Pounder
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Obertans #1 fan.
Yes I know. Historically Liverpool have been one of (if not the biggest) rival to our much beloved Manchester United. But league wise they haven't been a patch on us for a while (a loooonnnggg while)

But you can never write their team off. With such natural winners as Gerrard and Kolo Toure, perhaps a new day is dawning at Liverpool. And as my scouse mates point out, Moyes hasn't ever won a premier league trophy and they have the experience Brendan Rodgers.

So let's look at their squad.

1. Pepe Reina
2. Glen Johnson
3. Fabio Borini
4. Kolo Toure
5. Daniel Agger
6. Martin Skrtel
7. Jose Enrique
8. Lucas
9. Luis Suarez
10. Iago Aspas
11. Simon Mignolet
12. Oussama Assaidi
13. Sebastian Coates
14. Steven Gerrard
15. Martin Kelly
16. Dani Pacheco
17. Jay Spearing
18. Brad Jones
19. Stewart Downing
20. Daniel Sturridge
21. Joe Allen
22. Jordan Henderson

Their notable U21 players include Coutinho, Luis Alberto, Suso, Sterling and Flanagan.

They actually have a really young squad. Unfortunately it seems to be lacking in quality (and players who aren't massive pricks)
 
Will reina and suarez be there at the start of the season... I have my doubts

Dont see them getting in the top 4 but if some of their younger players develop and they keep / replace suarez then I could ses them getting a bit closer to the battle for 4th & 5th
 
Gerrard despite statistically doing quite well was noticeably slower and off the pace on a lot of games last year. To the point where I genuinely saw him walking about and not getting involved which I thought was worrying. I'd be surprised if he has a good season this season off the back of last year and especially with the little niggle he picked up going into last season. The surgery will not help his cause imo this season in the typical marauding style that he's comfortable with, there was just not enough power in his game last season to tell me that he could continue at that level. He just looks absolutely neutered in the 'deep playmaker' type role Rogers had him playing in last year as well.

Will be interesting. They have spent a chunk on some hopefuls so you never know.
 
Would be interested to know what Liverpool fans expectations are this season. With Spurs and Arse seemingly doing good business they will struggle to get above 6th.
 
For where they are in the table, they now have decent defensive resources and decent forwards to choose from. However, they are utterly devoid of any quality in central or wide midfield. Downing and Sterling are their only real wingers, and aside from Gerrard their central options are Allen, Henderson, Spearing and Lucas.

Either way, no part of that squad suggests they have much prospect of climbing the table.
 
It's a young squad that has potential, but I think it's a season to early for them. They have some creativity high up the pitch, and they have some strength in depth from a defensive point of view but as is always the modern day Liverpool teams; they lack quality wingers. Downing isn't good enough, Sterling possibly, but they still lack depth out wide. Gerrard was no-where near as effective last year playing in that deeper role, and the likes Henderson, Lucas and Allen are average at best for me. Certainly not top 6 quality.

If Suarez leaves they can write the season off for me, but if Arsenal and Spurs actually strengthen, then I can't see them making any form of Europe anyway.
 
Coutinho does look like a potential top class player. with him and sturridge they can fight for the fifth or sixth place, with or without suarez.
 
We finished 12 points off a CL position last season. Taking just 2 points out of our first 5 games, & losing at home to United & Arsenal in the process, hardly helped our cause. But as the season went on we saw a gradual improvement. I think most of us would have happily accepted 7th place with 61 points after having just 2 out of a possible 15. Rodgers wasn't helped defensively by Martin Skrtel's form. The same lad who was Liverpool's player of the year before, & had City sniffing around with talks of a £20 million bid, had a absolute nightmare first half of the season. So much so that he hardly featured in any of our remaining games in the 2nd half of the season, with our manager bringing back Jamie Carragher to steady the ship. So with Carragher now gone, a lot will depend on how Toure settles in, & hopefully Skrtel's brain-farts are a thing of the past. I wouldn't be surprised though if we were to bring in another centre-back. Martin Kelly missed most of last season with a serious knee injury, so having him back could be a big bonus.

Irrespective of whether or not Suarez stays or goes, a lot will depend on how the new lads settle in. We've been short of game-changers for a while now. A little bit of quality to come off the bench & do something special, that could save, or win us a game. Again, we're hoping the likes of Alberto & Aspas are 2 players that make a difference on that score.

At the end of the day though, regardless of who comes & goes, great football teams do well because they've got great managers. All things considered I thought Rodgers did quite well in his first season. Can he do even better in his second term & close that 12 point gap ? Most would say it's a tough ask. But I draw hope from the fact that Spurs finished 8th in 2009 with 51 points. 12 months later they'd secured 4th place with 70 points. My realistic hope is that we can be in contention for a CL spot right up til the end of the season. A points total in the late 60's would be a solid improvement & a sign that Brendan Rodgers is doing a good job.
 
If Suarez stays they have a chance at finishing 6th or so but if he goes (which looks increasingly likely) I can see them finishing 8-9th. I'm still unsure about Rogers I think he's highly overrated and is living off his 'success' at Swansea even though they played good football before he joined and have gone on to be a better team after he left, before that job he'd had a pretty terrible record.
 
The "problem" is that Liverpool usually gets knocked out of anything worth fighting for in the league early, thus spending most of the season without any sort of pressure and tend to look better than they actually are. As soon as they are under any sort of pressure to perform, they collapse. I dont really see them being able to compete against anyone in the top 6, simply because they lack the quality.
 
I think we have to aim at top 4, whether that as the season progresses is realistic I am not sure. It won't be easy getting in front of Arsenal and Tottenham which is what we will have to do but that's the target.
It's hard to really say at the moment until the squad is fully assembled.

I don't quite understand the Mignolet signing unless Reina is leaving, despite what Brendan says.
I have seen a bit of Aspas and like him, he could be good value.
Alberto I know little about, but not being able to force his way into Barcelona's team is hardly something that suggests he doesn't have ability.
Toure I think is a useful signing, given our lack of experience, he brings just that.

Really hoped we would have signed 'Micky Ryan' , rumours on Alonso, Eriksen now doing the rounds. Not sure Xabi is the same type of player.

Suarez I don't know what is happening, it's clear Real Madrid haven't put a bid in, if he does go and we can use that money that's fine by me.
I just suspect RM are waiting as late as possible trying to get him on the cheap - I think LFC will tell them to get lost if they start messing about.
Just needs sorting once and for all soon.

Big season for Allen and Borini - both badly hampered by injury last year, I wouldn't be surprised if they did well next season. Coutinho could be a real star for us.
Skrtel had a nightmare start to the season, but was our best player the one before - assuming he stays will be interesting to see how he does especially in the early games. Irrespective of whether he does, still for me need a dominant centre half, I can't see Coates getting a look in so if he left that would be a positive.
Left back competition for Enrique and a goal scoring midfielder still for me needed.
Anyone else may depend on what happens with Suarez.

As it stands with Carroll and Shelvey gone the club haven't spent much at all - hopefully that means some quality still to come in.

Kelly coming back is a big bonus, and will be interesting how Ibe, Wisdom and Suso do assuming they won't get as many games because of no European football - or how Alberto, Aspas and more fit into the shape of the side. Not sure where all these young lads are going to play to be honest, especially with Allen, Borini and Sterling now available after bad injuries.

Just a note on that squad list - Assaidi, Spearing and Pacheco won't be at LFC next season.
 
6th at best, United, City and Chelsea are lightyears ahead and Arsenal/Spurs are doing some decent business (adding to their already superior teams) and easily have a better squad too. No European distraction and no pressure means they might mount a challenge for top four, but in the end there won't be much progress compared to previous seasons IMO. I just don't see the quality, the front line with Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge aside. It's all upper mid-table, as was shown in the table over the last 3-4 years.
 
I think 6th but that in the next few years will make a bigger challenge to the top 4.
 
If they can keep hold of Suarez they have an outside chance of 5th place. If Suarez fecks off then they'll struggle to score goals imo. Sturridge had an excellent start at Liverpool but soon faded, there will be a lot of expectations on Sturridge to carry that team.
 
johnny boy said:
Big season for Allen and Borini - both badly hampered by injury last year, I wouldn't be surprised if they did well next season and surprised
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Really? Allen played 90 minutes in the majority of games in the first half of the season. Finished on the injured list but Allen was largely underwhelming even when making 27 appearances.

Borini like I said in the other thread, looked supremely garbage even in the appearances he made before genuinely ruining his season through injury.
 
RedSky At Night said:
If they can keep hold of Suarez they have an outside chance of 5th place. If Suarez fecks off then they'll struggle to score goals imo. Sturridge had an excellent start at Liverpool but soon faded, there will be a lot of expectations on Sturridge to carry that team.
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Arsenal only scored one goal less after losing RVP to United, & they obtained 3 more points than they did in his final season when he scored 30 goals for the Gunners. Provided we don't re-sign Andy Carroll, there's nothing to suggest that we can't continue with some of the excellent attacking football we witnessed in the 2nd half of last season.....with or without Suarez.
 
retardman5 said:
Arsenal only scored one goal less after losing RVP to United, & they obtained 3 more points than they did in his final season when he scored 30 goals for the Gunners. Provided we don't re-sign Andy Carroll, there's nothing to suggest that we can't continue with some of the excellent attacking football we witnessed in the 2nd half of last season.....with or without Suarez.
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There is the whole 'pressure of trying to achieve something' thing though.
 
ghaliboy said:
Really? Allen played 90 minutes in the majority of games in the first half of the season. Finished on the injured list but Allen was largely underwhelming even when making 27 appearances.

Borini like I said in the other thread, looked supremely garbage even in the appearances he made before genuinely ruining his season through injury.
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Joe Allen looked really good for us in the early part of the season. Yet as perverse as it may sound, as the team started to play better, his performances grew worse. Having said that, I was at Anfield when Swansea drew 0-0 in 2011/12. They played us off the park that day, & Allen totally owned Lucas throughout the whole match. He bossed the midfield, with everything that was good about Swansea's play coming through him. I'm with SOT on this one insofar as I think he'll do well for us - Can't really say the same about Borini though. Be surprised if he's still about in 12 months time.
 
Seriously though if Suarez stays they're looking at what...

Coutinho - Sturridge - RW

Suarez

Gerrard - Lucas

LB - Agger - CB - Johnson

Reina/Mignolet​

One of Aspas or Alberto for the right sided spot, unless they're the new Assaidi and no one will ever hear of them again. You've also got Suso, Sterling, Downing and Borini to play in the front three. A bit of depth in terms of numbers, not a great deal of quality though either through mediocre players or youngsters yet to realise their talent.

Surely Rogers has something up his sleeve for CB that doesn't involve giving Kolo Toure a first team spot?

Finally, a new left back has to be coming in at some point right? Jose Enrique has been bad for 2 seasons now for god's sake.
 
retardman5 said:
Arsenal only scored one goal less after losing RVP to United, & they obtained 3 more points than they did in his final season when he scored 30 goals for the Gunners. Provided we don't re-sign Andy Carroll, there's nothing to suggest that we can't continue with some of the excellent attacking football we witnessed in the 2nd half of last season.....with or without Suarez.
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2nd half of the season you had no pressure mate. You weren't playing for anything. If you can perform like that in the 1st half of the season when it matters then perhaps you'll have a point.
 
ghaliboy said:
Really? Allen played 90 minutes in the majority of games in the first half of the season. Finished on the injured list but Allen was largely underwhelming even when making 27 appearances.

Borini like I said in the other thread, looked supremely garbage even in the appearances he made before genuinely ruining his season through injury.
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Allen was our best player the first 6 or so games of the season, what happened then I am not sure but he lost his confidence a little and then from October played with a shoulder inury that affected his performances.
Borini through several injury problems hasn't had a run in the side.

Both need to produce this season and stay injury free - we can only judge then.
 
RedSky At Night said:
2nd half of the season you had no pressure mate. You weren't playing for anything. If you can perform like that in the 1st half of the season when it matters then perhaps you'll have a point.
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The signings of Coutinho & Sturridge were a major factor in our good run after January. Rodgers bringing back Carragher as a replacement for Skrtel also helped us defensively. Nothing to do with pressure.
 
duffer said:
What do you expect of Everton this coming season?
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Anything lower than 8th and I'll be really disappointed. I don't expect us to be as challenging as we have been straight away but the points gap we had to 8th last year would cause for concern if we lost it.
 
Hitchcocker said:
Quick question, will United be your second team now that Moyes has taken over?
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Part of the reason why I post on a United forum is because when Rooney joined I took more of an interest in them. Plus to me they are the most likeable and watchable of the "big" teams.
 
SilentWitness said:
Part of the reason why I post on a United forum is because when Rooney joined I took more of an interest in them. Plus to me they are the most likeable and watchable of the "big" teams.
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I've always liked Everton as proper club since the 'School of Science'. 'The Golden Vision' is a fantastic docudrama by Ken Loach about a bunch of Toffees going down the smoke to see their team play The Arsenal in the 60s. It also has doc footage of Alex Young, a classy inside forward (TGV) who is worried about paying the rent and what he can do when he retires. It's in pieces on youtube and available from the usual sources . I was at the Arsenal v Everton game which stuck in my memory since it featured a headed goal from the 5' 6" George Johnston to get a 2-2 draw.
 
Before we can even think about top 4, we need to show a semblance of fight and the ability to cope with pressure and expectation. Throughout the last few seasons, any time we've had the opportunity to capitalize and move closer to 4th position we've fecked up. Games vs West Brom and Southampton being only two notable examples from last season. Making the jump from being completely noncompetitive to top 4 in one season is a huge ask.

Furthermore, Arsenal are on the verge of signing Higuain; Spurs have signed Paulinho - and both sides already have stronger squads than we do. On the other hand, we've missed out on our primary target in Mkhitaryan and have been seemingly priced out of a move for Papadopoulos. The signings we have made seem to have decent potential but have we addressed our key flaws? 1) leadership 2) defence 3) frailty in the middle of the park. I don't think we have, although the window's open for a while yet.

As things stand, finishing above 6th next season would be an achievement and a real sign of progression, in my eyes. Top 4 will be very difficult to break but a tangible challenge would be enough to satisfy me.
 
If Suarez leaves, it would be such a step backwards for them that I don't see much hope for even fighting for 6th place, he really is integral to them. I'm obviously not as knowledgeable as the Liverpool fans here, but you all seem to have little hope of top 6 too.
 
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