Have we addressed our away form?

[RedNik]

Having a look at last years league table, a few things struck me... nothing new, but just something to maybe talk about.

 

1. 46 of our 68 pts were at home, compared to Man U's 47 from 89. Our away form was absolutely woeful, totalling clearly, 22 points, with just 6 wins and 9 losses. Whats more is we scored only 18 goals (averaging just about 1 per game) and conceded 20.

 

2. This Liverpool side prides itself on its solid defense, yet we finished only 5th in defense away from home, after Everton.

 

3. We were tied for fourth in total goals scored, along with Tottenham. Total of 57 goals, at an average of just about 1.5 per game. We had teams such as Everton and Reading beaten by a total of 5 goals.

 

 

The signings we've made this year have been to address our needs in attack. This is both at home and away, as we have lacked goals on both fronts. Have we though done enough to meet our needs away from home? By this are we going to a) be able to dominate games (in terms of attacking posessions) more, create and take more chances and lastly defend more like we do at home?

 

I can't really pin-point the reason why we conceded 3 times as many goals away as we did at anfield. Either way we need to ensure that we impose ourselves more when we travel away, especially at lower and mid table sides. I think by signing players like Torres and Babel, we've firmly added the threat of the counter attack, which we have lacked throughout Rafa's time here. I'd expect more direct, quick football (similar to what we playe against Barca at Anfield), only this time in Torres we have the attacker who can finish off the chances he gets - another problem we suffered from last season.

 

Benayoun and Voronin are signings who'll probably allow us to better keep posession in the final third, to build our attacks and really dominate games against lesser sides. By all means Torres and Babel should help in this regard too.

 

 

Do you think we've done enough in the transfer market to ensure we pick up atleast another 10-15 points away from home?

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Maybe

[Gunga Din]

we havent played an away league game for months. we wont know til we play a few

Edited July 24, 2007 by big wayne

[RedNik]

Yup definitely, I'm just unsure as to whether signings alone will be enough to propel us to being challengers this season. I think we've got to change our tactical approach to away games.

 

I should add that we were I think 7th or 8th from bottom in goals scored away from home. Even Wigan and Man City had more than us.

Edited July 24, 2007 by RedNik

[IgPig]

Your customer title is very accurate.

 

[RedNik]

Your customer title is very accurate.

 

 

 

Any time mate!

[Guest Sabre]

Towards the end of last season I thought we were really starting to control games from start to finish. Our problem was finishing the chances we were creating. We'll only know if we've done enough by playing competitive matches

[jon_hall]

Yep we're s****, not won any away games in the league all season.

 

FFS it's not even f***ing August yet.

[fred milne]

Another question would be why our league form last season was so much worse than the season before.

 

In that season, we had two very good runs (end of October to mid-January and mid-February to May), whereas last year we never seemed to build up any momentum except for a short spell between the time of the Chelsea win and the Utd defeat/draw with Everton.

 

Hangover from the World Cup probably played a part - Reina, Carragher, Alonso and Gerrard all had slow starts to the season. We obviously also had a longer run in the European Cup.

 

Sissoko's injury / poor form on his return was also a factor - along with Crouch, he had been key to our improved showing the year before. The under-use of Crouch was a bit of puzzle.

 

EDIT: Forgot about Kewell's injury too.

Edited July 24, 2007 by fred milne

[RedNik]

Another question would be why our league form last season was so much worse than the season before.

 

In that season, we had two very good runs (end of October to mid-January and mid-February to May), whereas last year we never seemed to build up any momentum except for a short spell between the time of the Chelsea win and the Utd defeat/draw with Everton.

 

Hangover from the World Cup probably played a part - Reina, Carragher, Alonso and Gerrard all had slow starts to the season.

 

Sissoko's injury / poor form on his return was also a factor - along with Crouch, he had been key to our improved showing the year before. The under-use of Crouch was also a bit of puzzle.

 

Thats all probably true, it though doesn't really explain why our defesive numbers are so average away from home. I think a lot of people focus on our inability to score away, but we also conceded far more than we should.

[Ombudsam]

we havent played an away league game for months. we wont know til we play a few

 

surely the first thing anyone thought upon reading the title

[sned]

We were often too negative away from home, and payed too much respect to teams we should be turning over easily. The Mancs on the other hand just went for it, played positive aggressive football, and it worked.

 

With the additions to our strike force, and the return of Kewell, we are in a far better position this season to be more positive & confident. Just hope the boss sees it that way as well.

Edited July 24, 2007 by sned

[mick]

Yep we're s****, not won any away games in the league all season.

 

FFS it's not even f***ing August yet.

 

I assume your taking the p!ss with that response

[RedNik]

We were often too negative away from home, and payed too much respect to teams we should be turning over easily. The Mancs on the other hand just went for it, played positive aggressive football, and it worked.

 

With the additions to our strike force, and the return of Kewell, we are in a far better position this season to be more positive & confident. Just hope the boss sees it that way as well.

 

Recalling the games from last season, I tend to agree with that. However I think just as much as we need to score more goals away from home, we need to sure up our defense. Not even being in the top 10 defensively away from home shocked me and I'm surprised others haven't reacted the same way.

 

Perhaps I'm looking too much into the statistics but I find it really interesting that the fact that we had conceded so many away has gone by unnoticed.

 

As for the others, its obvious that we haven't played yet and so we don't know. Frankly most of us here on the forum never know, still we post, to get other peoples opinions and insight on a matter and maye just to kill some time. I find it strange how off late every topic of discussion is halted by people saying either that we don't know enough or that we should have blind faith in Rafa and thats that.

[sned]

However I think just as much as we need to score more goals away from home, we need to sure up our defense. Not even being in the top 10 defensively away from home shocked me and I'm surprised others haven't reacted the same way.

If we score more goals than we concede in each game, it doesn't matter whether we're in the top 2, or the top 15. Where we went wrong last year is we sat back far too often, hoping the oppo wouldn't score and that we'd sneak a winner on the counter attack. When it didn't happen we had no plan B, or our game plan was too negative to score more than a solitary goal, so we were screwed. Our home performances were much more positive, we scored more, and so got our rewards.

[_00_deathscar]

If we score more goals than we concede in each game, it doesn't matter whether we're in the top 2, or the top 15.

 

If we score more goals than we concede in each game, chances are, we'll be first.

[Extraordinary Swindle]

We were absolute rubbish at the start of last season and our initial away fixtures didn't do us any favours.

 

Sheff Utd : 1-1

Everton : 0-3

Chelsea : 0-1

Bolton : 0-2

Man Utd : 0-2

Arsenal : 0-3

 

There's 12 of 20 goals conceded accounted for! Another 3 were conceded by the second string teams that played the final few games of the season.

 

Portsmouth : 1-2

Fulham : 0-1

 

When the team found their feet the opposition were battered.

e.g.

Wigan : 4-0

Charlton : 3-0

 

The problem was that in some games the ball refused to go in to the net.

e.g.

Newcastle : 1-2

Middlesbrough : 0-0

Blackburn : 0-1

Man City : 0-0

 

Signing Babel and Benayoun and the return of Kewell should resolve the lack of creativity we experienced in the final third of the pitch and improve the quality of the chances created for the forwards. And the signings of Voronin and Torres should sort out the getting the ball in the back of the opposition's net when a chance is created.

 

The most important thing this season is that the team needs to start well.

 

2006-07 : 10 points from the first possible 21.

2005-06 : 10 points from the first possible 21.

2004-05 : 10 points from the first possible 21.

 

That's the damning statistic of Rafa's reign, by the end of September we've been out of the title race the past three seasons and that has to be put right.

[sned]

If we score more goals than we concede in each game, chances are, we'll be first.

yep, could well be right on that one...

Edited July 24, 2007 by sned

[Case]

It's about attitude. ManU don't give a monkeys whether they play home or away - their focus is the same - they play the same way. We don't or (at least last year) can't because of (relative) lack of movement on the left side, up front and in 'the hole'. Why this is different away from home as AT home? Well, AT home we press (forward) from the first minute - the crowd will play a part as will the defensive mindset of the away team. When we're AWAY we don't press from the outset, even against the likes of Sheff U or Boro.

 

It's all about ATTITUDE. F*cking go for these teams from the first minute. WHY do we have the best defensive record at home? - Maybe it's because teams can't score from their own half (unless Carson is in goal for us, perhaps? ). Make it the same at Fulham, at Derby, at West Ham, at VILLA - from day one.

 

The squad is good enough - the mindset is what needs to change.

[Gerrardrules]

It's about attitude. ManU don't give a monkeys whether they play home or away - their focus is the same - they play the same way. We don't or (at least last year) can't because of (relative) lack of movement on the left side, up front and in 'the hole'. Why this is different away from home as AT home? Well, AT home we press (forward) from the first minute - the crowd will play a part as will the defensive mindset of the away team. When we're AWAY we don't press from the outset, even against the likes of Sheff U or Boro.

 

It's all about ATTITUDE. F*cking go for these teams from the first minute. WHY do we have the best defensive record at home? - Maybe it's because teams can't score from their own half (unless Carson is in goal for us, perhaps? ). Make it the same at Fulham, at Derby, at West Ham, at VILLA - from day one.

 

The squad is good enough - the mindset is what needs to change.

 

I agree with this. Rafa likes us to control the game and score the first goal. After that he wants to use the space being given away by the home team. But it doesn't always work like that. What if the home team scores first?

If we have the same attitude and match tactics as we have at Anfield we will be winning more games.

Time will tell what this season will happen! Only Rafa knows what tactics he wants to exploit this season!

[RP]

This Liverpool side prides itself on its solid defense, yet we finished only 5th in defense away from home, after Everton.

 

Not even being in the top 10 defensively away from home shocked me and I'm surprised others haven't reacted the same way.

 

 

Not only have we not addressed our away form, it appears that we have managed to actually make our record worse in the course of two hours between your posts.

 

 

 

On a more serious note, what a f***ing ridiculous thread.

[RedNik]

Not only have we not addressed our away form, it appears that we have managed to actually make our record worse in the course of two hours between your posts.

On a more serious note, what a f***ing ridiculous thread.

 

My apologies, what I meant to say was that we are 5th in defense and not in the top 10 in offense away from home.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=eng.1&cc=5739

 

On a more serious note, do you do anything much other than attack other people's posts and opinions?

[sutty]

That's more serious?

 

TBF actually, we have won all our away games so far.

 

China is a difficult place to go as well.

[RedNik]

That's more serious?

 

TBF actually, we have won all our away games so far.

 

China is a difficult place to go as well.

 

I was never suggesting that we haven't addressed this, I was merely asking for opinions on the matter.

Edited July 24, 2007 by RedNik

[sutty]

I was never suggesting that we haven't addressed this, I was merely asking for opinions on the matter.

 

Anybody's opinion on this will be speculation.

 

I think Fred Milne tried to phrase your question in a more sensible manner; (to summarise his post) what were the causes of last seasons problems away from home and have we done anything to move towards addressing the root causes.

 

f*** knows if that will have worked.