How much worse on paper are we now, than in 2008-09 season

Liverpool most frequent starting eleven in 2008-09:


Jose Reina

Alvaro Arbeloa----Jamie Carragher------Martin Skrtel------Fabio Aurelio

Javier Mascherano---------Xabi Alonso

Dirk Kuyt -----------------Steven Gerrard---------------- Albert Riera

Fernando Torres

Comparing this team to what we have now hurts me;

Jose Reina

Glen johnson--------Daniel Agger-------Martin Skrtel--------Enrique

Jordan Henderson-----Lucas Leiva-------Steven Gerrard-----Stewart Downing

AndyCarroll----------Luis Suarez

The back 5 im pretty satisfied with, it may even be an improvement, but in midfield we have been let down. As has already been documented we never replaced Alonso but maybe we did and sold him in the form of Alberto Aquilani and Raul Meireles?

However i am not that pessimistic, if we can get one World Class creative midfielder(which will be difficult when we are not in the CL), drop Carroll to the bench and play a 4-5-1 i believe 4th is 100% possible next season. I don't believe a striker is neccessary if Suarez finds his shooting boots

 

Come on mate the whole infrastructure has changed since then.

This is so negative and counter productive.

 

Looking at the teams which would you prefer? Thats my main point- and i think its obvious what the answer would be

 

I know. But what benefit is this for yourself?

Nothing will change. We have to look forward and non pine for the past.

 

They played completely different football...

Mascherano and Alonso were huge losses yeah but the wide players then arn't much different from the wide players now.

Hell even Torres for Carroll isn't a big difference in current times.

 

Oh wow! This is negative. You are going through a transistional period at the moment so expect a rocky ride. On the plus side, you are still not a million miles off of the top 4. Everyone seems to be dropping points left, right and centre (how else are we somehow up with you) so do not worry. I do not rate Kenny that highly personally but the name of Liverpool FC eminates throughout the footballing world. In terms of size, stature and success you have to be in the top 5 globally. Chill out, try to enjoy this season but remember things will improve

 

Here is my mix of the 2, not to bad really.

Jose Reina

Alvaro Arbeloa----Martin Skrtel------Daniel Agger------Enrique

Lucas---------Xabi Alonso

Henderson -----------------Steven Gerrard---------------- Bellamy

Suarez

 

Ah this is very unfair. Rafa had 6 years (and a lot of transfers in and out) to form that squad. This is Kenny's first year and without doubt our squad is stronger than last year's. Even though we have made some very poor signings.

 

I'm not even going to bother looking at the old team but on what we currently have we have a good spine of a top 4 team (highlighted in bold).

Reina

Johnson----Agger----Skrtel----Enrique

Henderson--Lucas--Gerrard--Downing

Carroll---Suarez​

I think Henderson will become a great player but he is not quite up to that quality yet which is why I haven't highlighted him. But if we had a quality finisher to partner Suarez and at least one decent winger we could be challenging for 4th easily. Unfortunately for us, Lucas is out for half of this season and Suarez is missing to many games and misfiring. We don't need a lot of work done, just that extra bit of quality, we aren't that far off as it is despite the crock of ****e we are currently playing.

 

Thats the annoying thing, we literally are only two or 3 top signings away from a great team. And by top sigings I mean spending 20-30 million on decent players, no more than what we've spent on Downing and Carroll. Imagine a lineup including the likes of Mata or Aguero? And I don't buy any bull**** that says they didn't want to come to us, I don't think we were even interested in signing them which is the worrying thing.

 

The defence hasnt changed all that much. The two full backs are different, but Johnson's been around for a while and Enrique is doing great.

Lucas has become a top player, and Gerrard is still a top player. Suarez to.

Riera only had one good season, so if Downing is good for the next two he will seem better.

Henderson is young and is looking very good for his age.


Mainly I think we should need to build a solid strike force and sign some more in attack.

Our defence has been solid apart from yesterday, but part of that is down to missing Lucas.


Signing a player to shadow Lucas, and play along side him towards the end of tight games would make a big difference.
A quick, creative and productive winger will be a huge climb. Maybe another just for squad depth.
Then two strikers, one passy, strong, energetic, neat finishing number 9 type, and one creative, off the striker number 10 type.

I think all this is realistic by the start of next season. We are really not far behind.

 

Agreed, although I'd stick Bellamy in there. He's been our best player this year. I honestly do think all we need is a poacher to play up alongside Suarez and a pacy creative winger. Maybe someone who is a bit unpredictable. Look at Nani for example, although I don't particulaly like him, he can be outstanding on his day, however other times he can be poor. But I'd rather have someone who is going to be great for 1 game, ok for the next and poor for the 3rd over someone who is going to be a 6/7 out of 10 every game and won't have a massive impact.

 

Bellamy would certainly fit into there but would like to see someone who is capable of starting every game. Bellamy as an option from the bench is fantastic.

 

Aqualani and Meireles are 2 players we never saw the best of

 

Agreed, but I'd have Suarez on the right and Fernando upfront.

 

in answer to the OP.

do we need to go over the history of alonso? But more improtantly... meireles and AQUILANI... oh my F... god. alberto aquilani cost rafa his job and rightly so, a complete waste of money. Meireles is proving at chelsea he's not anywhere near alonso's level.

Yes it's obvious the midfield then and now is shorn of two world calss players BUT... BUT... again Mutant nika has it right... he's highlighted a team wher eis you added 3 players to it it'd be pretty decent.

Then if you go look honesly at the 08/09 team posted i could still point to kuyt, rieira and aurelio as real weak links.

simply put we have NEVER gotten the full packge together, we've always been "just a few players shy" but the REAL PROBLEM IS ATTITUDE, keenys finally called the player son it but honestly we as fans have watched different players making those same stupid lazy "we're big time" errors time and again going right back. The real difference between us and Utd is not money, not talent but attitude. Ferguson has got shut of more players in his time everytime they show that bad attitude... we reward them alomost.

I hope kenny is going to back his words and buy someone and just drop a few players now until they realise the need to put the hard yards in on the pitch to merit 60,70, 90K per week for playing a game.

 

I don't think he did, but by that logic kenny should get the sack over Carroll. At least Aquilani looked good when in the team and we won every match in which he played...

 

Rafa didn't loose his job because he signed Aquilani. Its because he lost a key man in Alonso and replaced him with a seriously injured player. But also because of the way he dealt with the Alonso saga, heavily disrupting pre season.

 

well IMO had rafa spent that 20million.. and it ended up that on the first and second installments.... on a player or two who would have played from day one he could have either won that europa... not that we ante dit and would have done better than damn 7th.

a) who alienated alonso in the first place.
b) who wanted "first barry then keane" then having failed in getting one successfully alienated the other who's goals btw (7) were crucial in us keeping up while torres was injured.
c) who made the maddest buy i've ever seen of a total crock for 20mil (published on as roma website btw)
d) who most probably successfully alienated banyoun and reira while he was at it?

It all goes back to the mistakes, rafa made them and he had to go.

conversely....

kenny... carroll... if only we knew if it was commolli or him but it was a pure panic buy after llorente turned us down and i am of the opinion it was done for bad reasons... like

a) we had to buy someone or henry would lose the fans and be accused of doing it on the cheap like G&H. 23mil out 50mil in... 5 months of grumbling.
b) suarez was cup tied for the europa.
c) we thought we could get him on the cheap and ende dup too late i nthe day to go elsewhere.

I think carroll was an awful buy and EVERYONE involved will regret it but in the end..... whether that translated into a veron situation OR a aquilani I do not know.

Kenny'd backed his players so far, now he's called them on a total big time charlie attitude... the type of attitude that had gareth bale wandering infield most of today thinking he can be messi, fine you might happen to find a ball come to you and produce but do that for ten games and you'll see the results.

Utd will never let a guy get an ego and will fight it all the way... then get shut.

Kenny needs to back his words now and drop a few guys, replace a few guys and continue the work. In the end though guys if you look at suarez and carroll both men have lousy conversion rates 5%, we love one rightly for his skills but hate one for his lazy play... neither have really done it for us and one cost himself 8 games.

 

And you accused me of being hacked when i said Suarez is overrated by us.