Chewie

Not having any of that...here's what my blind faith is based on: 1. In 18 games kenny amassed 33 pts and to be fair it should've been at least 36 but for a crazy last two games. Work that out over 38 games and that's 70 points. 2. This was whilst trying to bed in a new strikeforce who will now be even better for us 3. This was largely without stevie who is itching to get back 4. During this period a number of young players emerged who will now be stronger and wiser... Flanagan, Kelly, Robinson, spearing 5. To all this we have added players that fit our bill ... Intelligent ball players who ALL are capable of pass and move, goals and assists...crucially across the middle of the park where games get controlled.. 6. Our defensive organisation during those 18 games was miserly 7. We have the best keeper in the league Put all that together and my 'blind faith' reckons that 70 points is the minimum we should aim for, it's realistic to expect all of the above to add 5 more points and not unrealistic to hope if all goes well it could add 10. If that puts us anywhere near a shout fir things I think we'll be competitive... Now add the aura factor, the collective belief that comes not from blind faith but from deserved trust in the manager who loves this club as much as we do, from the sense that we are back and everyone can see it, and why shouldn't we look forward to what could be a great season! Trying to compare where this club is at right now with last summer is just plain stupid. Chewie

Get in. This. I can't freaking wait. The players we have with the manager we have. It's a club again, a team, a myth, an aura... Carroll, Suarez, Henderson, Adam, downing...all of them...still to win and still to prove themselves... Hunger, desire... throw in Kelly, robbo, Flanagan... Biting at the heels...run thru brick walls mentality for the manager and the club...then there's that mean streak we displayed at the back under Clarke's organisation, then there's scoring in every game till we ran outta steam...then there's gerrard and carra who must feel like theyre walking on air after wading knee dip in the proverbial for 2-3 seasons...then think about never say die hardened premiership campaigners...kuyt, Lucas...somebody somewhere stop n think for one flaming second bout having the best keeper in the league... now back to the man at the helm, a man whose nads are so big he took over after hysel and who sold a legend called rush cos he wasn't afraid to build a team without the biggest name... A man inspired every minute of every working day to put smiles on our faces...I cannot freaking wait...all this moaning about who hasn't signed for us...who cares...if they cannot play for us then what single gain can be made by worrying about who ain't in our team?! Last time I looked our manager spoke of our inspirational captain when he was injured and without demeaning him or causing a media circus about a rift simply reminded us and the press of a shankly fact...even if you do belong to us but you are injured you are out of mind till you are out on the pitch... Get.with.this.picture. It's gonna be awesome because the Liverpool football club I grew up with is back worrying about no one but itself...and aye, there's even a Scotsman in the team... What's not to love and even more so...what's to fear? In this league..under this manager? Nothing. No-one. And here's the real beauty...the others know it too.. This. Chewie

Ayre we go Ayre we go again 19's on it's way The clown and the gimp are go-ee-on And 6 it won't be lo-ee-ong... Ever n always... Chewie

I just can't remember entering a new season with this much anticipation. The year after we lost to the scum on 86 pts I was excited but we had just sold Xabi and H&G were starting to smell... this year it's like we have our club back again. The change in 12 months is unbelievable... could you ever have imagined that within 12 months of last July... - H&G would be gone...100% pure joy - Purslow - gone.... mixed bag, got us the High Court victory but did so much damage - Hodgson - gone... even if we hoped he'd be a decent steady hand was anyone inspired by the decision to hire - Torres - gone... of course we did not ever countenance this tho we came close to it last summer...but... - Henry and Werner and the era of Moneyball and a key rule... sell your players when you know they are going off the boil but your competitors have yet to see that yet...ergo £50 mil for Nando... and here we go... The KING - back and leading and looking like a Liverpool manager Ther backroom staff - looking solid and totally focussed The commercial side...what a turnaround...Big Ayre doing an amazing job on the pitch... in the last 12 months - Suarez (in the world's top 5), Big Andy (think he'll be a legend), emergence of youth - Kelly, Robbo, Flanagan, Downing, Adam, Henderson, prob plus at least one more... it's like a new team... then add to this... getting to 58 pts under the king when he only had 18 games and we were hovering above relegation then add to this... playing like a Liverpool team again and feeling like the club is back then add to this... seeing our captain and one of the most influential players in the country with his mojo back and ready and hungry to fight for success then consider all of the points the original poster made... and I cannot wait! Realistically I think we can expect 70 points. Look at Kenny's record in 18 games with a limited pool of players, add the new signings, throw in a full season and a fit captain and I think 70 is there for the taking... that's the minimum I think we can aim for. After that is just gonna depend on momentum, good fortune, injuries and so on... but let's get with this blend of aspirational logical all out dreaming!!! Chewie

No photo of him standing on the pitch holding a scarf aloft! Maybe it's not true..looks a bit lonely the lad tho ... Kenny come home! Chewie

I very much doubt that any team gets all it's targets all the time. We also live in a mis-information age in which every player we watch or have an interest in is known, supposedly, to all and sundry giving an appearance of failure more often than not...which is actually as it should be if we are doing our job correctly... given the extent of knowledge on players the world over you have to imagine we have a range of targets for every position. What may be of interest, though it's purely speculation, is whether other clubs feel less resigned to losing their player when we go in rather than united. In the past if Liverpool came knocking clubs kinda realised they couldn't get in the players way of going to us because we were clearly superior. I think perhaps united have that now bug wonder if the likes of villa etc think...we're as big as they are (deluded of course!) but think it may impact on the extent to which they fight to hold on to players... Pure speculation of course but it'd be a good thing to get that aura of greatness back Chewie

Squad evolution is such a deceptive thing... think how we've changed... Kelly, Robinson, Flanagan, Adams, Henderson, Cole, Mereiles, Aqualani, Suarez, Carroll... Of course we'll discount Cole and who knows what Aquilani will be like if he stays..but it is strange how the make up of the playing staff evolves... Not to mention a couple more no doubt on the way... Chewie

I hate this window... it's like water torture only its self inflicted... imagine doing that to yerself 857 pages now of a human behavioural pyschologists dream...observing the insanity that prevails... we get linked to a player...someone says they like him (or don't)... the obligatory twitter feed follows... then for the next 10 pages we're pouring over his possible addition to the side...most of which - bar the BiGnAmEpLaYeRs - we seriously dispute will add to our first 11...then when we don't sign these players who were quite possibly only ever the whisper of a rumour arising from a conversation that arose from an opinion of someone who simlpy wants webhits - we go apoplectic over the future and how could we ever lose such a stellar signing... it's madness...I'm going mad... like alex decending into hell with a bottle of milk... heck...milk... there's rafa brought back into conversation it's his fault must be... then there's Woy and Purslow...actually do believe a good deal of it is their fault!! then there's Ra's Al Comolli, Mr Bean and the league of moneyball shadows...what the heck are they up to... and in the middle of it all...nobody seriously seems to know anything, nor for the last 6 months does anyone seem to have been able to call much of what happened... Suarez, carroll, Ayre and Ra's Al Comolli getting promoted, Kenny signing permanent, Sammy leaving, hendewho coming... so either everyone knows a little bit of everything and yet no-one gets proved right...or the club knows what its at and ain't telling anyone until its done I believe the latter cos I think it's true and it's what i want to happen... but then I've gone mad so don't trust me until I post it on twitter... Chewie

who needs a budget when you've got a warchest Chewie

steady on... kinda suggests the rest wasn't worth the effort!!! tis copy n paste for ya!! a scourge on all pedants everywhere... but the heart remains the same... long live King Kenny and roll on next year... the man who got us to 58 points in those games with that team will surely get us to at least 70 with a full season, two new strikers since Jan, a fit gerrard and the rest of the dalglish jigsaw... time to believe!!!! Chewie

Antynwa.... I said that Grabiner... intentional my friend... the last name on that piece is as it should be Chewie

To all you naysayers doomsdayers mancfearers and hope slayers I have but one name Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish this is the greatest player our club has ever known a three times European cup holder a double winner the creator of one of the most gifted teams in my or in many a generation his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish this is the restorer of hope who in just 18 games yes, 18 took us from relegation to the brink of European qualification his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish who managed all this with the kids at his disposal a little genius finding his feet with barely his captain to play and a half-fit battering ram just finding his way his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish who brought unity and hope uniting the legends leading the legions inspiring the players with hope in our hearts and songs to sing his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish it is this man who is building and bleeding and living only and always for the good of LFC it is this man who is planning and buying and selling always and ever for the greatness of LFC his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish we dream of league titles and so does he we dream of champions league finals and so does he we dream a football world in red and so does he his name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish so all you daughters and sisters all you fathers and sons speak not of the past as of days now long gone in the spirit of Shankly Attaturk, Istanbul the legend of Paisley, the name Liverpool stand up and acclaim him herald his name his promise, his presence his glory, his fame the true number 7 the legend the boss who stands above all but lives among us fear not for the future and banish concern a new hope is rising and new songs to learn with all of our might and all of our power we claim this day, this minute, this hour to trust and believe to boldly proclaim to say it with pride to sing it, his name… Kenneth… Feel it… Matthieson … Believe it… The King… Decree it… Our manager, our legend Our hope, our pride His name… Kenneth Matthieson Dalglish

So whaddya all think of Martin jol's opinion of Comolli? Said he over ruled on football matters and that he (Jol) brought Bale and Lennon... Only time is gonna tell eh... Chewie

reckon that we should go back to the glory days under ged when we had... the club captain who could never play through injury the fan's choice who gets made captain but only played cos the manager sometimes thinks he has to... the obvious captain who should simply have been made captain if the manager had the cojones to do what he knew needed to be done rather than maintaining the position of a crock who was done and a scally who was about to get done... in those days it was just so simple chewie

Sorry to not roll this into one post... I kinda agree with this. Last thing I meant to add was that we've been beaten before in a straight race for a player with Newcastle on the basis of price and after 4 years of the midget bleeding them dry and getting relegated I reckon we can say it was a good call! I'm not being on a downer bout this...just watching and wondering if finally we are getting it right or if we've just dropped a clanger... My main hope lies in how we are doing business... I think there's gonna be a few signings that just take us by surprise...if there ain't then what do we need scouts and a DOF for!?! Chewie

Aye...that's the response I suggested WE might take in the first post...and technically it's the right response... but we have had far too long a time of not getting the players we want due to poor management... Parry made an art out of it.. my sole concern is nothing to do with forum opinion, it's just to watch and look and ask a) was this a player the club actually wanted, and if yeah b) why did we lose out to Newcastle? I think it's far too simplistic to suggest if someone signs we got it right and if they dont then we don't want them or they're useless anyway... couple of pages back someone suggested that Downing mightn't come cos we ain't gonna pay the wages...others have said we walked away from Barton on account of wages... I'm not too unhappy about not paying excessive wages to average players, but at the same time we're giving 60 k to Jordan Henderson.. so it's not as if we ain't gonna pay if we think it's worth paying for..(I realise that in thinking out loud I'm actually rationalising our transfer policy) but I hope it's a very clear and purposeful policy rather than an inept one. Arguing that thr club know what they're doing would suggest... There's a number of targets we really want and are prepared to spend on There's a larger number of targets that we will not go over the top for and are being ruthless about this. If this means we don't do a Leeds this is a good thing, if it means we become a Villa it's not a good thing.. The third alternative is that actually we are royally messing up when it comes to signings...then we become parryesque... By the end of this summer we'll know but at this stage the jury is deffo out Chewie

what if it was actually just his choice though? How certain can we be about medicals? What if, despite forum lore, the club wanted him but he chose Newcastle...? The idealistic response is to say if he didn't want to play for us then better he's away...or that he's just greedy...but in the real and daily world of signing players and negotiating contracts what if we've dropped the ball here...? Not being on a downer ...just would be glad if it could be confirmed we were not interested... The speed at which another deal has been sorted with nufc makes me sceptical though.. Chewie

I know I probably agree with this but there's another train of thought in my head that says we got 58 pts last year playing 20 games under the worst manager in our modern history, having made our worst start for decades, playing without our captain for thr better half of our season, and with Suarez and Carroll having had a settling in period, not to mention giving experience to some young player who we now know can do a v good job in short bursts... I see our team next year as being added to by a fit gerrard, a fit Carroll, a more experienced Suarez...then add new signings... Surely all this under the king is worth an extra 12 pts over 38 games...pushing us up to at least 70? In any year that is CL football, this year that would have been close to a title challenge.. Chewie

Do you think if kenny did not go on to be such a big influence on the whole club that barnes might even compete for the greatest tag? Chewie

Tosh and Smithdown totally agree with both points and was gonna make them when posting... just didn't want to overload the initial post with questions!! was actually thinking about Flanagan and how much it'd cost us to say buy him from the likes of Blackburn if he had started there... probably the one player I can think of who didn't necessarily stand out at a young age, and in fact who took a lot of stick, but who benefitted from already being with us and being given opportunities to improve from within, is Carra? We probably would never have bought him... I do wonder though if some of the slightly better than average young players would be better served and give themselves more opportunity to try and make it with mid table clubs, or even lower table clubs in the PL rather than slogging it out thinking they are gonna make it at us...? do well and then they might even make the move back, or at least have a career around the same type of clubs. Too many of the players who leave us are never really heard of again except for at lower league clubs chewie

yup... reckon the Glichy bid might just be a little bit of a reminder to Newcastle of the sort of market price there is out there for proven left backs who have one year to go on their contracts, and a little comparator given that Glichy has played in the CL... think we will settle for either and reckon Glichy might just kick on with a new challenge, new coaches to prove and with Steve Clark setting us up defensively... GloJo and Skrtl are already testimony to what can be achieved with proper coaching Chewie

so we're signing Young to sell him to the mancs now... Chewie

in the past week both we and the scum have forked out shed loads for two lads who have developed their careers at clubs like Sunderland and Blackburn. Is it the case that these guys are genuinely just better footballers than some of the players in our youth ands reserve ranks, or are they maybe marginally better but have been given more opportunities at the top level and so have 'proved' themselves (if that is possible given the short span of their careers to date...) it is obvious we are developing our own young players from within but for these young players what is the better route to success... actually playing first team level football regularly in the PL at the age of 19-20 with everyone saying - he's a good player in the bandwagoning fashion that is the media circus surrounding the PL, or developing at the academy etc? With Henderson and Jones is it a like for like with say Shelvey (only one year younger than Jordan) or Wilson, or are these the sort of players who, like Owen was at a young age, simply stand out and you know they are truly better than their peers and the best young player in their position by a country mile (cos on that note there has been nothing to suggest that Henderson has stood out like say Wilshere has)? Any thoughts Chewie

Now that it's official n all a big welcome to Jordan. Nice first interview and this is the last line..coulda been spoken by the king himself... here's hoping he keeps learning from the king.. Asked about a message to the fans... "Hopefully they'll enjoy watching me as much as I'll enjoy playing for this club." Good lad...now go win some league titles Chewie

When can we actually officially sign anybody? Can we agree and announce things now and simply make it offal on 1st July or is that risky? Am confused as to when things can happen...any ideas? Chewie