4 games from being Champions.

[Guest Snorky]

If we'd of done the double over the Mancs and Styles not awarded the Ghost Pen. And turned one of the Arsenal draws into a win we would have had 83 points instead of 73 points,

 

Man Utd would have had 78 points and Chelsea 82 points, and a win at White Hart Lane would have given us No.19.

 

Are we really just four games away ?

[muleskinner]

We are not too far away at all. Decent wide players and we would be right in it IMO.

[philippe]

seems so. that's how tight it is.

hopefully, this summer's activities will remedy this.

 

4 games. it's not much to ask.

[stressederic]

The margins at the top can be incredibly slim. Are we 4 games away? Difficult to say. I certainly think the Styles game and one of the Arsenal games could have been wins. The double over United is tougher to imagine. They did their usual smash and grab at Anfield and we bottled it at OT.

 

I think we're getting to the point where it is the games against the other challengers that will determine if we are challengers. We had that poor spell against some poor teams mid-season which cost us, drew some games we should have seen out. Those games against United wouldn't necessarily be looked at as so crucial if we'd have beaten the likes of Villa, Spurs and Wigan at Anfield like we should have.

 

Rather then take those games agaisnt the other "Big 4" I'd rather we put to bed some of the teams we should have been beating.

 

If for next season someone offered me draws home and away against, Arsenal, Chelsea and United I'd take it and let us focus on beating everyone else.

[Cobs]

4 games = 10% of the season

 

 

sounds like quite a lot

 

 

a non-bottling performance v the mancs at Anfield would most likely see them stuck on 16 too

[Mono]

I'm blaming Ivanhoe if the mancs win this one :rant:

[Foo]

I we won all our games, we'd be champions.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Hesky isn't going to be too popular at Anfield if he doesn't single-handedly win the game against the Mancs.

 

The stupid git

[R A Softlad]

We are not too far away at all. Decent wide players and we would be right in it IMO.

 

Maybe another top drawer goal scorer.

[Maldini]

Our problems are not enough threat from out wide and not enough belief.

[Paul_LFC]

Heskey had a superman type performance on the last day of last season against Sheff Utd to keep Wigan up, lets hope he can save his best performance this season for the last day again.

[Clay Davis]

Our problems are not enough threat from out wide and not enough belief.

Aye. A new right hand side would do us and has to be the priority.

 

Then a back up striker, if Crouch goes.

[Dmitch]

also think of some of the stupid draws we have had..... Really not that far away... Again lets start the high expectations for next season.... Next year we SHOULD be up there challenging for the top 2 places... or at least i hope!

[SkippyjonJones]

6 draws at home. how many were we leading in - 5 I think? keep the leadin them and turn the manc loss into a draw...

 

thats how close we are..

 

 

so is defense really the issue - the loss of Agger and lack of depth in defense could be the real issue here..

 

get agger back - a new full back or 2 and another striker..... job could be done for the summer.

 

 

we are way ahead of last summer.

[Guest the Dude abides]

United Chelsea and Arsenal can all look back at games where they should have gotten results they didn't. So its really pointless to do it.

[Guest Snorky]

United Chelsea and Arsenal can all look back at games where they should have gotten results they didn't. So its really pointless to do it.

 

Yes that's true, but I've chosen the six pointer ones.

[SkippyjonJones]

. So its really pointless to do it.

 

ok then.

 

 

 

hows the weather ?

[CaptainXabi]

4 games = 10% of the season

sounds like quite a lot

a non-bottling performance v the mancs at Anfield would most likely see them stuck on 16 too

Pretty much, but there is some hope. I think next season we might get something off the Mancs. First we were able to match Arsenal consistently, then the Chavs, and the Mancs are next. I think that goal from Torres at Stamford Bridge will really be critical. We fell behind away at a "Big 4" opponent and clawed our way back (come to think of it have we done that at home even?). We now know we can do it. The game is no longer over after the first goal

[Steven]

I prefer too look at Wigan and Birmingham at home as well as possibly Pompey away (Benching Torres) as the key points dropped this season.

[Saintslfc13]

The margins at the top can be incredibly slim. Are we 4 games away? Difficult to say. I certainly think the Styles game and one of the Arsenal games could have been wins. The double over United is tougher to imagine. They did their usual smash and grab at Anfield and we bottled it at OT.

 

I think we're getting to the point where it is the games against the other challengers that will determine if we are challengers. We had that poor spell against some poor teams mid-season which cost us, drew some games we should have seen out. Those games against United wouldn't necessarily be looked at as so crucial if we'd have beaten the likes of Villa, Spurs and Wigan at Anfield like we should have.

 

Rather then take those games agaisnt the other "Big 4" I'd rather we put to bed some of the teams we should have been beating.

 

If for next season someone offered me draws home and away against, Arsenal, Chelsea and United I'd take it and let us focus on beating everyone else.

 

Don't forget Reading away, thats four games right there and I know we were away at that one, but we really shouldn't have lost to Reading at all let alone the way we did. If we turned all those into wins then surely we'd be right in the thick of it, if not on the verge of winning.

 

We really do have a habit of playing down to the competition and that should be sorted by Rafa over the summer, also we need to get rid of this fear we seem to have when it comes to playing United. At Anfield this season we could've won but instead we let them hang around and they nick a late winner, which ALWAYS seems to happen for them. The only game against any big four side that I thought we deserved to lose was United away and the whole Bennet/Cashley/Ref saga from the week before forced us into the role of example, Masch gave bennet the chance for his 15 min and the guy took it and ran with it. (Not blaming him for the booking, just saying his attitude on the day was such that you knew he was getting sent off right when he got the first one, especially with a manc ref on the pitch for a Bloodhunt.)

[fyds]

Our problems are not enough threat from out wide and not enough belief.

Maybe - I think it's more plain old consistency, especially in converting the many, many chances we usually make. It's the draws that have done for us this year - not defeats - draws in many cases we made enough chances in to win twice over. Not belief, just poor finishing.

[Bootle Buck]

I think if the Yanks wouldn't have undermined and distracted Rafa during Dec. and Jan. when we dropped silly points it might have been game on.

[madaboutlfc]

Ifs and buts are a means to delude yourself.. we are where we are because of lack of cover at the back and not solving last years problems which was getting better fullbacks.. One thing which still mystifies me is why we sold Mark Gonzalez without giving him a second season.. ok we made a profit but Liverpool has never been run in the past like that.. the guy had pace and i believe would have complemented Babel well

[fyds]

Ifs and buts are a means to delude yourself.. we are where we are because of lack of cover at the back and not solving last years problems which was getting better fullbacks.. One thing which still mystifies me is why we sold Mark Gonzalez without giving him a second season.. ok we made a profit but Liverpool has never been run in the past like that.. the guy had pace and i believe would have complemented Babel well

The 'cover at the back' bit doesn't hold up - look at this lot:

 

United - lost 5, Chelsea, Lost 3, Arsenal Lost 3, Liverpool lost 4.

 

Goals against : United 22, Chelsea 25, Arsenal 31, Liverpool 28

 

Goals for : United 78, Chelsea 62, Arsenal 72, Liverpool 64

 

Wins : United 26, Chelsea 24, Arsenal 23, Liverpool 19

 

Draws : United 6, Chelsea 9, Arsenal 11, Liverpool 13

 

And in those two bold stats you see the difference as to why we're not going into this week with a challenge still -the only two statistics where we are definitely losing out this year. had we 'selectively' scored just the difference between ourselves and Arsenal - 6 more goals across those 13 draws - we would be 12 points better off. If you consider we were robbed by Styles in the Chelsea draw, that would leave just five goals in five games to have found - games in which we were easily on top but failed to score that one extra vital goal - that's how thin the margins really are. That's not delusion, that's how it is.

[RedNik]

I think this thread makes us appear closer than we truly are.

 

Fact is we're 1 injury away from a disaster season. How many goals do you really see in this team without Torres? Chelsea and ManU both have more scoring options and diversity than us - this is what we need to address.

 

I think we've looked great in the new formation, and we're perhaps an attacking midfielder and another 15 goal striker away from being genuine challenges. Again we're extremely strong in the center, both in midfield and defense. This makes the interest in Barry a little strange - for me it either means Rafa sees him as a left sided midfielder or either of Alonso or Lucas (likely the former) are off.

 

We basically need to sign replacements for those who are leaving and add to this with a creative midfielder who can keep hold of possession.