11 vs 11 (vs 11)

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

dunno what I'm trying to do here, but after 22 games - 21 for the filthy c**** - here's the split:

 

1st 11

 

Chels 8-2-1 - 26

LFC 8-2-1 - 26

Mancs 6-3-2 - 21

 

2nd 11

 

LFC 5-6-0 - 21

Mancs 8-2-0 - 26

Chels 5-4-2 - 19

 

That puts us and the mancs on 47 equal. I suppose over the next 11 games - leaving us on 33, with 5 to play - for the drunk or mathematically challenged - we need to be on about 70-75 points, assuming 80-85 to win it this season i.e. we need 23-28 more points between now & then.

 

If we play our next 11 like the last 11, we can pretty-much forget it.

 

Another thing of note - we're 2 GD behind them but we've scored 2 more, so that's a plus as things stand and Chelsea's ridiculous GD is down to 7 better than us - they've scored 6 more...

Edited January 22, 2009 by Macca

[Stevie H]

one game at a time numbnuts.

[cymrococh]

Not sure what your point is here Macca.

 

Is there anyone who doesn't think we need to improve on current form?

Edited January 22, 2009 by Paul Caruso

[libero]

Not sure what your point is here Macca.

 

Is there anyone who doesn't think we need to improve on current form?

The old drunk manager down the road

[Mike]

Not sure what your point is here Macca.

 

Is there anyone who doesn't think we need to improve on current form?

 

mancs have clawed back 8 points on us over the last 6 games. another s**** winter period. ground hog season.

[beejay]

mancs have clawed back 8 points on us over the last 6 games. another s**** winter period. ground hog season.

 

We looked world beaters up to New Year but have gone off the boil a bit since yet have still lost only once all season, even that in injury time of a game we should have walked. Knocking the bluesh*te out of the cup and a win at Wigan will set us up nicely for the Chelsea game

[sean]

We looked world beaters up to New Year but have gone off the boil a bit since yet have still lost only once all season, even that in injury time of a game we should have walked. Knocking the bluesh*te out of the cup and a win at Wigan will set us up nicely for the Chelsea game

 

 

I'd say Wigan is our big 'must win' game so far this season, as we've dropped off a fair bit in terms of performance since Newcastle.

[IcelandicFan]

The Wigan game won´t be easy. I fear a bad result there

[Farmer's Tan]

mancs have clawed back 8 points on us over the last 6 games. another s**** winter period. ground hog season.

 

i cant remember a team that went through a season without a dip,even chelsea when they got their 95point hall had a period of a few draws(not sure if they lost a game in that period),not as much as we have had but still.the important thing now is that we start winning,one game at a time build up some steam.we just have to turn that ever elusive "corner"

[Molby]

the problem is that each time we learn a tactical lesson, we forget another one and we relearn that one, we forget the previous one

 

 

egs: Kuyt is not to play wide right in a 4-4-2

 

pace is important, and having no threat of pace anywhere is costly

 

Xabi can't be dropped and if he's unavailable we must radically rethink the shape of the team

 

Babel, although he has a lot to prove, is probably indispensible...he may have to come good if we are to have a chance of winning it unless El Zahr gets a chance on the right and immediately takes it

 

Agger is desperately needed as a way of carrying the ball forward and setting up attacks

 

It's better to go all out for 3 points than sit back on 1, and when we try to see out games we run the risk of it backfiring

 

fullbacks are important - if we win the PL we will be the first team I have ever seen that didn't have flying, attacking fullbacks and every Liverpool team I have ever seen that won the league had them

 

it's these things, notwithstanding all the other great things Rafa does, that worry me, rather than 'blips'

[sean]

the problem is that each time we learn a tactical lesson, we forget another one and we relearn that one, we forget the previous one

egs: Kuyt is not to play wide right in a 4-4-2

 

pace is important, and having no threat of pace anywhere is costly

 

Xabi can't be dropped and if he's unavailable we must radically rethink the shape of the team

 

Babel, although he has a lot to prove, is probably indispensible...he may have to come good if we are to have a chance of winning it unless El Zahr gets a chance on the right and immediately takes it

 

Agger is desperately needed as a way of carrying the ball forward and setting up attacks

 

It's better to go all out for 3 points than sit back on 1, and when we try to see out games we run the risk of it backfiring

 

fullbacks are important - if we win the PL we will be the first team I have ever seen that didn't have flying, attacking fullbacks and every Liverpool team I have ever seen that won the league had them

 

it's these things, notwithstanding all the other great things Rafa does, that worry me, rather than 'blips'

 

 

You're old school purist Molby, I think and I agree on a lot of the points, but I think Rafa really needs to start trusting his more creative players, the likes of Babel, Xabi and even Keane. Let them go and win the thing. Suffocating sides will not win us the league, not this year, or any other.

[Mike]

taking all your strikers off when you're sitting on a one nil lead won't help.

[sean]

taking all your strikers off when you're sitting on a one nil lead won't help.

 

Agreed. Packing midfield at that point is knob all use.

[Hassony]

taking all your strikers off when you're sitting on a one nil lead won't help.

 

Kuyt was still there

[sean]

Kuyt was still there

 

 

Playing left wing, Hassony.

[Molby]

You're old school purist Molby, I think and I agree on a lot of the points, but I think Rafa really needs to start trusting his more creative players, the likes of Babel, Xabi and even Keane. Let them go and win the thing. Suffocating sides will not win us the league, not this year, or any other.

 

 

thing is though, we can do both: suffocate the other top 3 (but don't forget to hit them purposefully on the break) and sweep everyone else out the way

 

Chelsea away and Bolton away were good models of that

[yellow jumper]

if only the spaniard understood all this.

[Hassony]

Playing left wing, Hassony.

 

thats Kuyt for you though!

 

The thing that I don't understand is that most of Babel's success last season was when he came on when we were winning, why has Rafa stopped using him this way this season?

[Molby]

if only the spaniard understood all this.

 

 

he understands some OTHER things that I don't

 

there, hope your view of how the world works has been restored now...I hope I was able to help you..in short:

 

HTH

[sean]

thing is though, we can do both: suffocate the other top 3 (but don't forget to hit them purposefully on the break) and sweep everyone else out the way

 

Chelsea away and Bolton away were good models of that

 

 

Yes, Chelsea away was a perfect away performance. Purposeful possession without ever looking like losing a goal.

[Toni]

I think Rafa really needs to start trusting his more creative players, the likes of Babel, Xabi and even Keane. Let them go and win the thing. Suffocating sides will not win us the league, not this year, or any other.

 

music to my ears

[Mr Makaveli]

I'd say Wigan is our big 'must win' game so far this season, as we've dropped off a fair bit in terms of performance since Newcastle.

 

Stoke was our big must win game if you ask me. That was the turning point. Im hoping we can get it together of course but It's going to be tough and the league is now Utds to lose. Having said that... Id be happy with a close 2nd, new owners who invest wisely (allow Rafa full control) and thgen we can aim to outspend utd in the summer and maybe win the next title to put them back behind us.

[Mr Makaveli]

As for this argument that Rafa should let the leash off player like keane, Alonso and Babel....

 

Babel is either in a horrible dip this season as he's been rubbish whenever he's played.

 

Keane is not clinical at all. He would probably come good in the team if given the chance but I personally prefer Gerrard in the support striker position with 2 holding midfielders behind him...

 

Alonso is having a great season if you ask me. He wasnt amazing against Everton but he wasnt too bad... you could see what he was trying to do but was just putting too much on the passes a lot of the time.

 

 

For the next derby Id place Mascherano and Alonso in together for sure.