Looks like Suarez is getting his form back. He drove Barcelona to an unlikely win today with two assists with 17 minutes to go. Selling him was criminal!
Jeez. We had no choice. Even lf a summer transfer wasn't part of his meek climbdown after the whole clause thing in 2013, we were never going to keep a player who has always wanted to go to Spain for family reasons, who was banned until mid October and who we received a fortune for. It was time to move on, however damn painful that was.
After 11 games of the Roy Hodgson season, we were 1 point (and 2 PL places) better off, having played 4 of the previous season's top 5 (Chelsea, United, City and Arsenal.)
And then it got worse. Not to mention the abject football, negativity and stellar signings like Konchesky and Poulsen. We're hamstrung now. Under Hodgson, we were crippled.
I'll hedge my bets and suggest we'll soon improve.
I've always got hopes of improving, even if we have to wait until January. I never had any of that under Roy Hodgson. There's no comparison. Relegation was a serious worry under that guy.
Jeez. We had no choice. Even lf a summer transfer wasn't part of his meek climbdown after the whole clause thing in 2013, we were never going to keep a player who has always wanted to go to Spain for family reasons, who was banned until mid October and who we received a fortune for. It was time to move on, however damn painful that was.
It was hardly criminal.
Did he not just sign a new contract before you sold him? So there was no urgent need to sell him. The club should have realised that with him you actually had a realistic shot at the title again. Without him, you'd be in trouble. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching from the outside. The money you got for him is worth nothing if you can't replace him.
Someone who scores the most goals in Europe in a very average/poor-ish team should be worth the risk of any other 'incidents'.
We are very lucky that Spurs, Everton, Utd, Arsenal & City are all stuttering as well, but then you can say exactly the same for all of them too. It's a very odd season so far.
I don't thunk anyone on here is suggesting BR is 100% to blame for our situation now and should be fired on the spot. I do think though that unless we drastically improve FSG are going to seriously think about his position. I'm not saying they should, just that they might. Something has gone seriously wrong this season and it cannot be put all down to Suarez leaving and Sturridge being injured, and even if it was these are things the club should be able to handle.
We are very lucky that Spurs, Everton, Utd, Arsenal & City are all stuttering as well, but then you can say exactly the same for all of them too. It's a very odd season so far.
I don't thunk anyone on here is suggesting BR is 100% to blame for our situation now and should be fired on the spot. I do think though that unless we drastically improve FSG are going to seriously think about his position. I'm not saying they should, just that they might. Something has gone seriously wrong this season and it cannot be put all down to Suarez leaving and Sturridge being injured, and even if it was these are things the club should be able to handle.
If you take the goals out of any team, they'll struggle. Last season, even when others were scoring, Suarez and Sturridge were running, creating space, pulling defenders out of position.
Realistically, I think it is down to this mysterious transfer committee, and Rodgers himself.
They all knew what sort of player Balotelli is. Okay, for the money you take a punt, but, you surely have to try and get the best out of him?
I also believe certain players are undroppable, that's never a good sign.
I can't remember who it was on MOTD2 yesterday, but they talked about Southampton having options on the bench and in the squad, who come into the team hungry, and perform, like Long grabbing two goals.
We don't have that, Lucas can play out of his skin and won't get a run in the team, same for Borini and Toure.
Did he not just sign a new contract before you sold him? So there was no urgent need to sell him. The club should have realised that with him you actually had a realistic shot at the title again. Without him, you'd be in trouble. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching from the outside. The money you got for him is worth nothing if you can't replace him.
Someone who scores the most goals in Europe in a very average/poor-ish team should be worth the risk of any other 'incidents'.
We dug our heals in the season before last
It simply could not happen this time around
Especially when you throw in his actions at the WC, the fact he wants to go to Barca, and the fact Barca want him
We gave him a new contract yeh but what do contracts actually mean these days? to me a new buffed contract is purely a Club keeping/adding value to their players, almost nothing to do with actually keeping them with the Club imo, as we've seen time and time again players still leave
regardless to his bite I personally would still have loved him to stay, not just saying that because of our current struggles, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Ronaldo on form last year in my book, who wouldn't want that kind of player lol
But he's gone now, and Liverpool have a sticky situation they need to focus on getting themselves out of now
I was at the Nou Camp stadium at the start of the World Cup, a week before that infamous bite. Sat in the outdoor cafe/bar there we got into conversation with a few of the locals, it got to the "who's your team?" and of course we were proud to say Liverpool.
This was followed by quite a lot of rapid excited talk, with Suarez name mentioned a lot. They then grinned at us, and said "So sorry, we have your man now, he is for Barcelona"
They already knew he was destined to go to them, his parents in law lived just one train stop along the coast, and him being a classic family man wanted to be close to them for his wife and kids sake. He was not a happy man in England, and he would easily find a way out from his contract, Liverpool would get plenty of money for him, his work there was done. < that was the gist of the conversation.
He was going, no matter what it took, and no way could we have stopped him. Like Joey said above, Suarez is history now.
If you take the goals out of any team, they'll struggle. Last season, even when others were scoring, Suarez and Sturridge were running, creating space, pulling defenders out of position.
Realistically, I think it is down to this mysterious transfer committee, and Rodgers himself.
They all knew what sort of player Balotelli is. Okay, for the money you take a punt, but, you surely have to try and get the best out of him?
I also believe certain players are undroppable, that's never a good sign.
I can't remember who it was on MOTD2 yesterday, but they talked about Southampton having options on the bench and in the squad, who come into the team hungry, and perform, like Long grabbing two goals.
We don't have that, Lucas can play out of his skin and won't get a run in the team, same for Borini and Toure.
Realistically, I think it is down to this mysterious transfer committee, and Rodgers himself.
They all knew what sort of player Balotelli is. Okay, for the money you take a punt, but, you surely have to try and get the best out of him?
I also believe certain players are undroppable, that's never a good sign.
I can't remember who it was on MOTD2 yesterday, but they talked about Southampton having options on the bench and in the squad, who come into the team hungry, and perform, like Long grabbing two goals.
We don't have that, Lucas can play out of his skin and won't get a run in the team, same for Borini and Toure.
I agree with this.
However with regards to Sturridge, with him gone and having Balotelli we know he can't play on his own. So realistically with a partner such as Borini the team should have had scoring opportunities.
But I also think the midfield has to take responsibility, we have players who should also be scoring goals and making chances for the forwards. Especially the former which is why the club spent heavily on the likes of Lallana who I do think has done well who was supposed to contribute to Liverpool's scoring tally.
I worry too with regards of certain players being undroppable. I go off managers very quickly if I don't think they are unable to drop the big players, didn't Rodgers say everyone had to fight for their place in the team. For some I don't see that happening and are able to walk straight in to the first team.
However with regards to Sturridge, with him gone and having Balotelli we know he can't play on his own. So realistically with a partner such as Borini the team should have had scoring opportunities.
But I also think the midfield has to take responsibility, we have players who should also be scoring goals and making chances for the forwards. Especially the former which is why the club spent heavily on the likes of Lallana who I do think has done well who was supposed to contribute to Liverpool's scoring tally.
I worry too with regards of certain players being undroppable. I go off managers very quickly if I don't think they are unable to drop the big players, didn't Rodgers say everyone had to fight for their place in the team. For some I don't see that happening and are able to walk straight in to the first team.
I'm more lenient on the midfield, there's only so much they can do. If there's no movement in front of them, they can't create, this is why the backwards and sideways passing happens so often now.
Can has made a positive impact by actually bringing the ball forwards, look at the space he created simply by actually looking up and carrying the ball forwards against Chelsea.
Gerrard and Henderson have a fantastic range of passing, but they can't use it if no-one is showing for the ball.
This is why Henderson is looking out of sorts, because there's no-one to receive the ball.
He is as dynamic as Can, but probably is feeling lack of confidence.
Did he not just sign a new contract before you sold him? So there was no urgent need to sell him. The club should have realised that with him you actually had a realistic shot at the title again. Without him, you'd be in trouble. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching from the outside. The money you got for him is worth nothing if you can't replace him.
Someone who scores the most goals in Europe in a very average/poor-ish team should be worth the risk of any other 'incidents'.
He wanted to go in 2013 and we kept him - probably after a bit of bargaining. Contracts are purely signed to ensure the player's value doesn't depreciate. Suarez was awesome but his part in last season's challenge is overblown as critics conveniently forget Sturridge is injured and Lambert and Balotelli have been woefully out of form.
It's the combination of all these things that's killed us. To call the team minus Suarez average-to-poor is ignorant and lazy.
With a fit Sturridge, we'd probably have accrued quite a few more points from tie games we've lacked a cutting edge. Had that been the case and w'ed been half a dozen points better off then we'd be about where mort fans would have expected post-Suarez.
The teams just doesn't function with the lack of movement losing Sturridge has given rise to. BR has a part to play in letting that happen but it's resolvable and far from terminal. I'd also look at a mobile defensive midfielder and a keeper - if not for January definitely for next season.
Especially when you throw in his actions at the WC, the fact he wants to go to Barca, and the fact Barca want him
We gave him a new contract yeh but what do contracts actually mean these days? to me a new buffed contract is purely a Club keeping/adding value to their players, almost nothing to do with actually keeping them with the Club imo, as we've seen time and time again players still leave
regardless to his bite I personally would still have loved him to stay, not just saying that because of our current struggles, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Ronaldo on form last year in my book, who wouldn't want that kind of player lol
But he's gone now, and Liverpool have a sticky situation they need to focus on getting themselves out of now
He wanted to go in 2013 and we kept him - probably after a bit of bargaining. Contracts are purely signed to ensure the player's value doesn't depreciate. Suarez was awesome but his part in last season's challenge is overblown as critics conveniently forget Sturridge is injured and Lambert and Balotelli have been woefully out of form.
It's the combination of all these things that's killed us. To call the team minus Suarez average-to-poor is ignorant and lazy.
With a fit Sturridge, we'd probably have accrued quite a few more points from tie games we've lacked a cutting edge. Had that been the case and w'ed been half a dozen points better off then we'd be about where mort fans would have expected post-Suarez.
The teams just doesn't function with the lack of movement losing Sturridge has given rise to. BR has a part to play in letting that happen but it's resolvable and far from terminal. I'd also look at a mobile defensive midfielder and a keeper - if not for January definitely for next season.
Fair enough about him wanting to leave, but plenty of clubs would have dug their heels in and said "no". It has happened before. I don't know if Sturridge on his own is good enough to lift the team. He might be, but it looks like he's very fragile and cannot be relied on. You probably need a new goalkeeper as well.
I was being sarcastic about BR dropping everyone against Real (which I found odd at the time). I completely understand fans' frustration with players being undroppable and I agree that it's wrong. Gerrard should not be played as often as he is played. He cannot play 90 minutes of every game. He was a fantastic player, but he is now a shadow of himself and is a liability in defence.
With due respect to Xela I think she does make some good points on Suarez and our current form and it wrong for us to be too defensive against what she says but also in fairness I do not think how things have turned out so far this season could have been predicted. (maybe a slight dip but not as bad as it has been - but even so look on the bright side we are still not that far below 4th and if we get our act together we can easily make that up)
Re Suarez there is maybe no greater Luis Suarez fan than me, his influence on the club is plain for all to see - not just his goals but also his passion for the game and winning mentality and his ability to bring out he best in those around him - especially now as we see it without him. After signing his new contract last autumn I was hopeful that he would stay for a lot longer at LFC. But in the summer it was plain he wanted to follow his dream and play for Barca and be nearer to a lot of his family members. The WC bite I feel was almost irrelevant. Yes we did have the option of again playing hardball with him and making him stay but even I at that time thought that we would be unwise to do so. 3 main reasons - keeping a player against his wishes is hardly ever a good policy, we were getting a decent price for him (after the contract) which BR could reinvest and cos we had got into the CL we should have been able to attract top talent. In contrast if we had sold him last summer we would have struggled to get the going rate and we were not in the CL so could not replace him with he necessary talent. Conclusion = reluctantly letting him go this summer was the best thing to do and ultimately should not weaken the team much. Now we know many of the summer signings are yet to shine and maybe now with the benefit of hindsight BRs choices were not great but that is not really an argument to say selling him was the wrong thing to do. With the total he spent BR had ever chance of getting players who could replace Luis.
I will not analyse her comments re our current form too much as I do not want to make this too long a post but I agree with her that at present we are lacking in almost all areas of the field. Some of it is due to off form players, some due to players who are past their best, some due to injuries to key players, some due to BRs tactics and team selections, some due to signings who are not good enough and some due to signings who have yet to gel. I'll leave you to guess which players I think fit into which category
It is such a rollercoster of a ride being a Liverpool supporter... Lots of highs and lows.
Some of my friends believe they will probably write off this season soon if things don't improve soon and prepare for next with the new players bought and older players leaving. Not sure if I agree with them on this as their is a lot to play for and we need champions league money to build.
Comments
Jeez. We had no choice. Even lf a summer transfer wasn't part of his meek climbdown after the whole clause thing in 2013, we were never going to keep a player who has always wanted to go to Spain for family reasons, who was banned until mid October and who we received a fortune for. It was time to move on, however damn painful that was.
It was hardly criminal.
And then it got worse. Not to mention the abject football, negativity and stellar signings like Konchesky and Poulsen. We're hamstrung now. Under Hodgson, we were crippled.
I'll hedge my bets and suggest we'll soon improve.
Did he not just sign a new contract before you sold him? So there was no urgent need to sell him. The club should have realised that with him you actually had a realistic shot at the title again. Without him, you'd be in trouble. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching from the outside. The money you got for him is worth nothing if you can't replace him.
Someone who scores the most goals in Europe in a very average/poor-ish team should be worth the risk of any other 'incidents'.
Did we ?...My mistake, I must have missed that one..
I don't thunk anyone on here is suggesting BR is 100% to blame for our situation now and should be fired on the spot. I do think though that unless we drastically improve FSG are going to seriously think about his position. I'm not saying they should, just that they might. Something has gone seriously wrong this season and it cannot be put all down to Suarez leaving and Sturridge being injured, and even if it was these are things the club should be able to handle.
If you take the goals out of any team, they'll struggle. Last season, even when others were scoring, Suarez and Sturridge were running, creating space, pulling defenders out of position.
Realistically, I think it is down to this mysterious transfer committee, and Rodgers himself.
They all knew what sort of player Balotelli is. Okay, for the money you take a punt, but, you surely have to try and get the best out of him?
I also believe certain players are undroppable, that's never a good sign.
I can't remember who it was on MOTD2 yesterday, but they talked about Southampton having options on the bench and in the squad, who come into the team hungry, and perform, like Long grabbing two goals.
We don't have that, Lucas can play out of his skin and won't get a run in the team, same for Borini and Toure.
We dug our heals in the season before last
It simply could not happen this time around
Especially when you throw in his actions at the WC, the fact he wants to go to Barca, and the fact Barca want him
We gave him a new contract yeh but what do contracts actually mean these days? to me a new buffed contract is purely a Club keeping/adding value to their players, almost nothing to do with actually keeping them with the Club imo, as we've seen time and time again players still leave
regardless to his bite I personally would still have loved him to stay, not just saying that because of our current struggles, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Ronaldo on form last year in my book, who wouldn't want that kind of player lol
But he's gone now, and Liverpool have a sticky situation they need to focus on getting themselves out of now
Suarez is history
This was followed by quite a lot of rapid excited talk, with Suarez name mentioned a lot. They then grinned at us, and said "So sorry, we have your man now, he is for Barcelona"
They already knew he was destined to go to them, his parents in law lived just one train stop along the coast, and him being a classic family man wanted to be close to them for his wife and kids sake. He was not a happy man in England, and he would easily find a way out from his contract, Liverpool would get plenty of money for him, his work there was done. < that was the gist of the conversation.
He was going, no matter what it took, and no way could we have stopped him. Like Joey said above, Suarez is history now.
I agree with this.
However with regards to Sturridge, with him gone and having Balotelli we know he can't play on his own. So realistically with a partner such as Borini the team should have had scoring opportunities.
But I also think the midfield has to take responsibility, we have players who should also be scoring goals and making chances for the forwards. Especially the former which is why the club spent heavily on the likes of Lallana who I do think has done well who was supposed to contribute to Liverpool's scoring tally.
I worry too with regards of certain players being undroppable. I go off managers very quickly if I don't think they are unable to drop the big players, didn't Rodgers say everyone had to fight for their place in the team. For some I don't see that happening and are able to walk straight in to the first team.
And brought them all back for the next game - they were supposedly rested. Should have been rested for a bit longer.
Out of interest. Does anyone follow French football - wondering how Tiago Ilori is doing in Bordeaux?
I'm more lenient on the midfield, there's only so much they can do. If there's no movement in front of them, they can't create, this is why the backwards and sideways passing happens so often now.
Can has made a positive impact by actually bringing the ball forwards, look at the space he created simply by actually looking up and carrying the ball forwards against Chelsea.
Gerrard and Henderson have a fantastic range of passing, but they can't use it if no-one is showing for the ball.
This is why Henderson is looking out of sorts, because there's no-one to receive the ball.
He is as dynamic as Can, but probably is feeling lack of confidence.
Winning and losing are habitual
He wanted to go in 2013 and we kept him - probably after a bit of bargaining. Contracts are purely signed to ensure the player's value doesn't depreciate. Suarez was awesome but his part in last season's challenge is overblown as critics conveniently forget Sturridge is injured and Lambert and Balotelli have been woefully out of form.
It's the combination of all these things that's killed us. To call the team minus Suarez average-to-poor is ignorant and lazy.
With a fit Sturridge, we'd probably have accrued quite a few more points from tie games we've lacked a cutting edge. Had that been the case and w'ed been half a dozen points better off then we'd be about where mort fans would have expected post-Suarez.
The teams just doesn't function with the lack of movement losing Sturridge has given rise to. BR has a part to play in letting that happen but it's resolvable and far from terminal. I'd also look at a mobile defensive midfielder and a keeper - if not for January definitely for next season.
And weren't they better for it.
Then he reverted. Why?
They're probably enjoying the higher wages.
When did we start judging how LFC are going to end up in May by November??
I'd be pretty certain about LFC not being behind Saints in the table by the end of the season.
I feel you are missing the point, which isn't a surprise when you pick your favourite players based on their attractiveness.
It's a shame because there are many females who are capable of a great level of debate on actual football, many of whom, actually post on this thread.
They're sadly driven away by this level of insight, that the likes of you, Whedon and Batdude tend to provide..
He's been out injured for over a month, not sure when he's back.
Suarez is not attractive, yet I think he's amazing.
...and then there are Ribery and Robben who are my favourite players in the world at the moment, but who are hardly photogenic.
Fair enough about him wanting to leave, but plenty of clubs would have dug their heels in and said "no". It has happened before. I don't know if Sturridge on his own is good enough to lift the team. He might be, but it looks like he's very fragile and cannot be relied on. You probably need a new goalkeeper as well.
I was being sarcastic about BR dropping everyone against Real (which I found odd at the time). I completely understand fans' frustration with players being undroppable and I agree that it's wrong. Gerrard should not be played as often as he is played. He cannot play 90 minutes of every game. He was a fantastic player, but he is now a shadow of himself and is a liability in defence.
Re Suarez there is maybe no greater Luis Suarez fan than me, his influence on the club is plain for all to see - not just his goals but also his passion for the game and winning mentality and his ability to bring out he best in those around him - especially now as we see it without him. After signing his new contract last autumn I was hopeful that he would stay for a lot longer at LFC. But in the summer it was plain he wanted to follow his dream and play for Barca and be nearer to a lot of his family members. The WC bite I feel was almost irrelevant. Yes we did have the option of again playing hardball with him and making him stay but even I at that time thought that we would be unwise to do so. 3 main reasons - keeping a player against his wishes is hardly ever a good policy, we were getting a decent price for him (after the contract) which BR could reinvest and cos we had got into the CL we should have been able to attract top talent. In contrast if we had sold him last summer we would have struggled to get the going rate and we were not in the CL so could not replace him with he necessary talent. Conclusion = reluctantly letting him go this summer was the best thing to do and ultimately should not weaken the team much. Now we know many of the summer signings are yet to shine and maybe now with the benefit of hindsight BRs choices were not great but that is not really an argument to say selling him was the wrong thing to do. With the total he spent BR had ever chance of getting players who could replace Luis.
I will not analyse her comments re our current form too much as I do not want to make this too long a post but I agree with her that at present we are lacking in almost all areas of the field. Some of it is due to off form players, some due to players who are past their best, some due to injuries to key players, some due to BRs tactics and team selections, some due to signings who are not good enough and some due to signings who have yet to gel. I'll leave you to guess which players I think fit into which category
Some of my friends believe they will probably write off this season soon if things don't improve soon and prepare for next with the new players bought and older players leaving. Not sure if I agree with them on this as their is a lot to play for and we need champions league money to build.