Let’s face it, Liverpool did not have a good season last year. Fans will point to their Carling Cup success but I doubt a single fan would have been happy with just that. The FA Cup final was also an achievement, but they ultimately failed in that conquest. This season they are under new helms, there’s a sense of a buzz about this year. New manager, new start. Unfortunately, we’ve seen it all before. They continued in their poor fashion by getting thumped by West Brom on the opening day, who were by far the better side. This isn’t the sort of levels Liverpool should be at, but in truth it’s what they should expect for a number of reasons.
Firstly, their squad is just not good enough to complete at the top of the Premier League. Reina is a superb keeper, but he’s always been one to make errors. There’s a lot of keepers in the Premier League like this, but not at the top clubs. Their defence was pretty poor last season and on the opening weekend it was even worse. 2 penalties conceded, one red card. Not exactly the start they wanted. I could go on. In all honesty, there’s an issue with every area of their line up. The quality of their midfield has slipped. In the past they’ve had Alonso, Mascherano to name a few.
Now, they have Charlie Adam and Lucas Leiva. Liverpool fans will argue that they are not poor footballers, which is true. But are they good enough for Liverpool? Lucas, possibly, but Adam, not at all. On top of this they have strikers of which none can be expected to grab 20+ goals a season. They lack a goal getter. They’ve had Owen, Torres, the sort of players that when on form will finish the chances they are given nine times out of 10. With Carroll and Suarez, Liverpool would be lucky to get 9 shots on target. Again, I’m not slating their abilities as footballers. They are both good enough for Liverpool, but they need help. Desperately.
The main problem for Liverpool’s decline is simple in my eyes. They’ve sold players that are world class to top teams, teams that were previously their rivals. Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barca have all benefitted from purchasing from Liverpool. This could have happened in any era, but in previous era’s Liverpool would have replaced well. They haven’t this time round. Take a look back at their recent signings. How many of them were big marquee signings, that raised eyebrows throughout the league?
Your answer is probably Suarez, which is true, but apart from that there’s no one. Charlie Adam was signed after one season of Premier League football, Carroll had just 6 months. Henderson had only recently emerged in the limelight at Sunderland and Downing was far from the stand out player at Villa. For a club like Liverpool, their signings have been poor.
The next issue concerns new manager Brendan Rodgers, also time will tell as to whether this is an issue or not. My concern for Liverpool fans is that it’s a dramatic change of huge, a huge step up. Rodgers is a class manager, there’s no doubt about it, but I’m worried it may have been a step too soon. At Swansea he was in charge of a team with low expectations, punching high above their weight and impressing. When they lost, it wasn’t too much of a big deal, when they won it was spectacular. Now it’s changed. Any loss won’t be viewed as acceptable by the Anfield faithful. They are used to winning. Rodgers needs time to make the team his own at Liverpool and its difficult to predict whether he will get it.
The fact is simply that Liverpool fans are living in the past, remembering past successes and heroes, wanting moments like that again. With their current squad, I can’t see it happening. Europa League success is probably a step out of reach and they’ll have a real battle to gain European football next season. Liverpool won’t like me saying this but Everton have a better squad and are led by a manager with vast experience and knowledge. Perhaps it’s their time to shine again. Liverpool need to rebuild and regrow, but while they do that their neighbours across the park are picking up the pace. Times may be changing, they certainly have at Liverpool. The balance of power may be shifting in the city.
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Am a Liverpool fan n dis is by far one the best articles i’ve eva read….Though it might seem difficult to tak its a truth which needs to be taken in gud faith!!!!!Da sums use in purchasin such average playas last season has plunged da club into a low class status!!!!!
Unfortunately, this is one of the most accurate assessments of the current state of affairs at LFC that I have read in the press recently. You had me agreeing with every observation until you threw in that Everton have a better squad and that it may be their time to shine again. They haven’t and they won’t and I doubt they ever will. I agree with your point about the manager though, he does excellently with very little talent available to him. Mind you, even if the bluenoses won every available trophy in a season, I would die in a ditch before I said they were of any consequence.
that has to be the worst story i have read so far. honestly, is that the best you have. if so, you really need to do some research into the game, the club, the players and the manager… oh, im guessing your not an optimistic kind of person are you…
CLOWN FOOLGLISH destroyed are club last season ? Carroll who is Shite ? Adam who is Pathetic ? Downing who is a joke ? Henderson is Mr invisible ? Adam ? Who ate all the PIES ? Then the IDIOT gives jay Spearing a new contract 🙁 What a complete IDIOT CLOWN FOOLGLISH is ??? I hate the MAN !!! Cheers FOOLGLISH for Destroying are CLUB ? Walk alone you idiot 🙁
Poor observations, sloppy conclusions and the old chestnut of LFC fans living in the past. We don’t, we know more than anybody how long it’s been, we’ve been supporting the team throughout!
I notice when you pick out midfielders you ignore Gerrard, and Lucas has been one of if not the best DM in the league until his injury last year.
Downing has been poor, but “far from the standout player at Villa ” you say? Errr, he was their player of the year, and had the league’s highest crossing stats
We overpaid for Downing, Henderson and Carroll, but net spend was still only enough to buy one marquee signing like Aguero esp when wages are taken into account. Yes Everton finished above us, but they won nothing so it’s a bit rich to talk about the balance of power shifting and laughable to say they have a better squad. All their players played close to if not at their true potential, Pool had many, many underachievers so that suggestion is ridiculous.
Bredan Rodgers will get time. All we need to see is commitment and an improvement in the level of performance. The rest will follow
I give you 2 out of 10 mate
i can say i agree a bit with this article, but i know that with a bit of God’s favor, Rodgers can make a big difference in this club like bill shankly and the rest of them
Unfortunately, this is one of the worst grammatically incorrect articles I have read. Who do you support quite clearly not Liverpool? Now the big difference between a Liverpool fan and a football fan of another team, is we can’t be ars*d to write absolute bulls*it articles about other teams like this. I have a strong desire to tear you a new arseh*le but don’t feel like it as it’s Saturday. So I will start with a few point’s instead.
1. Pepe Reina is one of the top goal keepers in the world.
2. Liverpool had one of the best defences in the league last season.
3. I actually agree that our squad isn’t that strong in all honesty we only have 12 quality players.
However your judgement on Liverpool is quite clearly misguided and like the atrocious and bias media in this country you make your self look like a tw*t, with stale comment’s and no facts to back up your erroneous bulls*it.
Agree with few points, BR needs support from the owners and fans and he needs time. Everton ipdoes not have a better squad. Downing and Hendo will come good, Adam and spearing I am nt so sure of and Carroll needs playing time. Btw we had one of the best defensive side in the pl after city. If it wasn’t for them we would have probably ended with the drop.and we have a much better chance than Everton to finish in the top 4, and no liverpool fans have stopped living in the past. We are at the moment only a top 6 team.