Progress

[Will]

We have more points this season than last, with 3 games remaining

 

Good stuff

 

(cue whinging)

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

yeah, it's better.

 

I'm sure even Rafa would agree that it's been a disappointing season in the League, nonetheless

[fyds]

Lost many less, still drawing too many. We have a top draw striker, 3 of the best midfielders anywhere and need tweaking not overhauling. On the pitch at least, some definite progress, yes.

[Eskimo]

especially considering the off-field goings on...

[Hassony]

If you discount the games against the the other teams in the top four the table will looke like this

 

Chelsea 73

united 68

arsenal 68

Liverpool 65

 

 

there isn't really much difference between the teams, we do need to beat to get more than 4 points againt chelsea, united and arsenal if we are to challenge for the title IMO

[Ronnie Whelan]

I think we are a more formidable side then this time last year also.

[Mikey]

I always think a 'top'side should at least average 2 points a game over a season, we're almost at that point now and any poor results due to CL etc shouldn't detract from it.

 

Good starting point to next season but I feel this Summers transfer business is probably the most important since Rafa took over. We don't want another Diao, Diouf, Cheyrou fiasco.

[Spion kop]

yeah, it's better.

 

I'm sure even Rafa would agree that it's been a disappointing season in the League, nonetheless

ok then, how many points behind first were we last year compared with this year. Is kaiszer about?

[hideNseek]

Only losing 4 games is bloody good. Pity 2 we're against the mancs.

 

Yes we've drawn to many but that's mainly because our wide men just aren't good enough and we need one more decent striker, Rafa sorts that out and we will challenge.

[Hassony]

Only losing 4 games is bloody good. Pity 2 we're against the mancs.

 

Yes we've drawn to many but that's mainly because our wide men just aren't good enough and we need one more decent striker, Rafa sorts that out and we will challenge.

Eto wants to leave Barca

[Gunga Din]

We have more points this season than last, with 3 games remaining

 

Good stuff

 

(cue whinging)

 

 

we're also going to finish a place lower. Last year we finished with 14 points fewer than we did the year before. Progress measured over Rafas entire tenure n the league would suggest that progress is minimal. 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th is hardly massive progress domestically no matter what way you look at it.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Gunga Din

[Gilps]

If you discount the games against the the other teams in the top four

 

Not much point doing so unless the league decide to do likewise.

[Andy @ Allerton]

If we can turn some of those draws into wins and can do better against the Mancs next term - then it's starting to look very promising for the future.

[madaboutlfc]

we're also going to finish a place lower. Last year we finished with 14 points fewer than we did the year before. Progress measured over Rafas entire tenure n the league would suggest that progress is minimal. 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th is hardly massive progress domestically no matter what way you look at it.

progress in the league should be measured by league points as you can influence other teams results

[Gunga Din]

progress in the league should be measured by league points as you can influence other teams results

 

 

well in that case he has taken us backward domestically since 2006

[madaboutlfc]

well in that case he has taken us backward domestically since 2006

that is true as we cannot better 82 points..

[Herbie von Smalls]

i think this season's been a disappointment domestically overall. after a strong start, the dip in form was long and again our title chances were written off early.

 

on the plus side, our away record has improved. we've avoided defeat to arsenal & chelsea. and we're getting more goals.

 

on the down side, our home record has faltered. we've lost all points to man utd. we've failed to kill off considerably weaker teams.

 

on the whole, there are signs of progress. we're consistently strong in europe. we've got a 20+ a season (in the league) striker. Rafa's found a system to accommodate our best players that has seen us having a blistering run-in since the f.a. cup exit.

 

it's one thing to put our bad patch down to boardroom wranglings, but a title-winning side can't afford a points-dropping streak like ours in the league. it's good that our progress through the european knockout stages hasn't affected our league form dramatically, however.

 

at the start of the season i wouldn't have taken fourth place, would've been expecting third, optimistic of second, and hopeful of the title. so that's why it's been a let-down, regardless of the positive stats.

 

all said & done, our summer signings have been encouraging and the foundations are in place for a stronger challenge next season. at this stage i'd take third, another good european run, a domestic cup win and a return to discreet ownership.

[MFletcher]

we're also going to finish a place lower. Last year we finished with 14 points fewer than we did the year before. Progress measured over Rafas entire tenure n the league would suggest that progress is minimal. 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th is hardly massive progress domestically no matter what way you look at it.

 

We have more points than last season already - and we're on course for 78.

 

Considering we've also reached the semis of the CL and had to deal with apparently infinite off field problems, I'd say we've had a pretty good season.

 

We also have genuine quality throughout the side now, with the signings in the past three transfer windows of Mascherano, Torres and Skrtel.

 

Anyone who can't see progress is daft.

[Gunga Din]

We have more points than last season already - and we're on course for 78.

 

Considering we've also reached the semis of the CL and had to deal with apparently infinite off field problems, I'd say we've had a pretty good season.

 

We also have genuine quality throughout the side now, with the signings in the past three transfer windows of Mascherano, Torres and Skrtel.

 

Anyone who can't see progress is daft.

 

 

i'm not talking about Europe. i'm talking about domestic progress. finishing 5th 3rd 3rd and 4th with no title challenge, is not progress.

[madaboutlfc]

We have more points than last season already - and we're on course for 78.

 

Considering we've also reached the semis of the CL and had to deal with apparently infinite off field problems, I'd say we've had a pretty good season.

 

We also have genuine quality throughout the side now, with the signings in the past three transfer windows of Mascherano, Torres and Skrtel.

 

Anyone who can't see progress is daft.

i think hes talking about league performances which have stagnated.. Although a a deeper analysis like Herbs is something i would agree with.. one thing no one mentioned is lack of cover we had at cb when agger got injured.. our form dipped due to that and that is the managers fault for not having a good enough cover as one injury changed our style of play..`

[Gunga Din]

i think hes talking about league performances which have stagnated.. Although a a deeper analysis like Herbs is something i would agree with.. one thing no one mentioned is lack of cover we had at cb when agger got injured.. our form dipped due to that and that is the managers fault for not having a good enough cover as one injury changed our style of play..`

 

 

i dont think its the lack of cover at CB. Hyypia would probably hardly have played had Agger stayed fit, yet he has been our best defender, and i've said many times on here throughout the season, our problems havent been in defence, they've been in our inability to kill teams off at home this season that have been the problem. Also,teams seemed to have worked out how to play their set pieces against us. the percentage of goals we concede from set pieces is outrageous. not many score aginst open play,but how many can say they are confident about our ability to defend against set pieces, particularly in swinging free kicks from the final third?

[Guest mao]

Anyone know what our form has been like since switching to 4-2-3-1?

[Bailo]

i dont think its the lack of cover at CB. Hyypia would probably hardly have played had Agger stayed fit, yet he has been our best defender, and i've said many times on here throughout the season, our problems havent been in defence, they've been in our inability to kill teams off at home this season that have been the problem.

I think that's linked to our defence though. When it was just Carra and Hyypia, we had a much shorter gap between midfield and defence, so as not to expose them to pace. Alonso/Lucas/Masch had to drop 10-15yds. Which made the gap between midfield and attack much wider.

 

I think we've been far better at breaking teams down since Skrtel came in and we wouldn't have struggled to break teams down as much with Agger around more IMO.

 

The next step would be a Ronaldo-esque winger to force compact teams apart.

[Guest Prongsy]

finishing 5th 3rd 3rd and 4th with no title challenge, is not progress.

 

We've progressed massively as a team, a club and in quality - however, so have the other teams. You've taken the only thing that doesn't show improvement (league position) but not counting the many, many things that show we have.

 

finishing 4th this season is a massive underachievement, that in itself shows progress - not being in the title race until the last day is underachievement where as it was once over achievement to get anywhere near.

[Gunga Din]

Anyone know what our form has been like since switching to 4-2-3-1?

 

 

better than it was at 4-4-2