With Liverpool spending quite a lot for the new season, are the owners gonna accept being out of the top 4 again or does BR have deliver?

Of course not, this season is his last chance.

I think signing for Liverpool is what earned him his place in the England side. Play for Liverpool or Man United and your chances of becoming an England regular increases by 80%.

He was first picked to play for England in August 2013, almost a year before we signed him. I think he played about 4 times for England before joining LFC and had only three further appearances during his season with us.

lambert played for england purely on the basis there are very very few english players to choose from at the moment, it wasnt really on his talent. Same for cleverly, jenas, etc....

A good performance against HJK Helsinki. We had them pinned in their own half for most of the game but struggled to create clear cut chances as they defended well. Ibe was a constant threat as he has been all pre-season and it was his cross which Milner diverted into Origi's path to finish. Then Coutinho made it 2-0 with another Milner assist.

Swindon tomorrow. Would be nice to see a bit of Firmino and Benteke.

Regarding Lambert.

I think BR felt he would adapt to the way we play. Once ricky got on the training pitch, seems that BR wasn't impressed.

Don't understand the moaning by some fans on the web complaining that Lambert never got a chance.

People are getting emotional because he is a Liverpool fan.

Can't say we were tested at all during our pre season games.

Come on BR son last chance.

I too see moaning about Lambert and Balotelli saying they were not given chances,. I disagree with it as they both had more than enough chances and were simply not up to it. It was not as if they had say 3 or 4 games, they both started quite a lot and came on as sub many times and really neither ever looked the part. Anyone saying we had to keep either and give them further chances this season has more patience than me. Maybe BR said to Rickie truthfully that he was welcome to stay but would seldom start and if he was told that I cannot blame him for wanting to go somewhere to play. Obviously the poor form of the strikers was our biggest weakness last season (altho there were others too - Lovren and not enough creativity in midfield being 2 others) and as we go into next season it has been addressed in that we now have 4 to choose from and they all look as if they could be good. I have no idea if we will play with one or two on the pitch - bit of both I suspect - but we do have the players to play either system. Plus Firmino, Milner and perhaps a more consistent and injury free Lallana will hopefully provide them with good service as well as each of them 3 and other midfielders chipping in a few goals and we may do well especially if Coutinho does as well as last season.

The difficult start bugs me a bit cos even with some good early results like draws away at hard teams we are not likely to be top of the league after the first 10 games and so will be very likely playing catch up which will increase the pressure on BR. Lets hope we are still in touch at Christmas so nobody panics as we are very likely to have a better second half of the season than first. - but in that scenario you can imagine what the tabloids will be like - they love nothing more than a LFC crisis!!

I'm worried Lovren will be starting next week vs Stoke.

BR saying he is undecided.

hope lovren doesnt play as he is a nervous wreck on the pitch.

A simply awesome strike from Benteke.

Not a bad goal by Benteke I must say.

https://twitter.com/ViktorFagerLFC/s...774465536?s=09

Must you? Personally, I'd rather you buzz off back to the Utd thread, and bore them to tears as per..

Just like Rodriguezs goal of the world cup tournament.

And some say he's just a target man! We'll create more chances than Villa ever did for him too. Let's hope he stays fit - we'll need him in those tough away games.

Brilliant goal from Benteke. Let's hope he can bang a few more in when he serious stuff gets going next week.

As for the Lambert debate, I bet most of those saying he didn't get a proper chance were the same who were saying he was a waste of space last season. He was a decent alternative, especially for the price but it didn't work out and he probably isn't good enough to play for a team who wants to be where liverpool want to be.

If it was me deciding BRs future at the end of the season in 9 months time and answering your question I'd say it depends on the performances as the top 4 from last season are all very strong and due to having CL are able to bring in players above our level in a way so for us to finish above any of them is a big ask. So if we finished 5th (or even lower) but had had many great displays which showed promise for the future then I think BR should stay but if we were at the level of much of last season i.e. nowhere near their level required then he should go.

Sadly I am not sure the owners are as sensible as me and they may just simply look at the final position and if it is not 1st to 4th then they may get rid. Lets hope I am doing them a disservice by this analysis and they are actually more fair minded than I thought. They do seem to be loyal to BR as he is 'their man' so maybe they will not be as brutal as I fear - but it is all hypothetical isn't it so lets see how the season goes before we start speculating.

Well done Lambert, banged 2 in already.

The selection dilemma for next weekend seems to be between Sakho or Lovren and Ibe or Firmino.

My predicted lineup- that could play 433 or 4231:
Mingolet// Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Gomez// Henderson, Milner, Coutinho// Ibe, Lallana/ Benteke.
Subs: Bogdan, Moreno, Lovren, Lucas, Firmino, Ings, Origi

Sounds a bit arrogant, that. I wanted Dalglish to get another season, but being honest, letting him go was probably the right decision, a decision which you wouldn't have made, and I'm sure you'd have gotten rid of Jordan Henderson, too, since you used to be against him.

FSG have shown they aren't stupid, but are in fact smart businessmen who are able to be ruthless when they have to be. They aren't fans, they don't have the same connection to the club, its players and legends as we fans do, hence them getting rid of Kenny without hesitation when they thought we weren't progressing enough under him.

With the money spent in the last two seasons, we need to finish top 4. If we finish 5th while putting up a strong fight, they might let it slide, maybe if we get an FA Cup win or we do well in the Europa. But they aren't as simple as you seem to make them out to be, they don't view the world in black and white, they won't see the finishing position and not care about any contributing factors or how close we were to 4th or whatever. They've given Brendan their full backing this season, and getting rid of coaches for him, and letting him pick his staff (even though he chose Pascoe) so a similar season like the last one will be down to Brendan, with him now having to take full responsibility.

Being ruthless when it's needed doesn't mean they aren't fair, or sensible or whatever. It's the opposite, in fact. You don't want ultra-sensitive owners who will refuse to make tough choices out of love for the club or the people at the other end of these tough choices.

Henderson's a shocking player. At least Lucas eventually came good, something which I see no sign of happening with Hernderson. During the Helsinki match, he kept up his now season long record of not being able to make an accurate pass over a distance of more than 2 feet. My neighbour (Saint's fan) made an interesting observation to me last season. . .

Henderson's rubbish, but it's frightening how much worse Liverpool are without him.

Liverpool are in desperate need of a creative midfielder who can pass and orchestrate proceedings. Rodgers should've gone in for someone like Koke.

Yes I can accept the phrase 'not sure the owners are as sensible as me' was not the wisest choice of words and maybe comes over as arrogant - apologies about that as I am not an arrogant person. However the truth is I do still have doubts about them altho looking round at other clubs and the previous owners we could certainly do a lot worse. Rich foreign owners who know almost nothing about the game who due to being business men above all want to make a profit and take their advice on football from persons unknown does not sit easily with me. Mind you that is what many PL owners are like so LFC are not alone in that and if you look at EFC who have a fan as owner he does not have the money to make them even slightly competitive so it s bit swings and roundabouts. You'd also like to see them at our games more (like Abramovich) and especially on April 15th each year but they rarely visit the club.

You have a good memory!! - as yes I was very against Hendo in his first season after Kenny bought him and I admit with the benefit of hindsight I was wrong. I recall the late lamented MUFC supporting poster C07 telling me that he would make a good player one day and he has been proved right and I was wrong!! The thing was tho he was rubbish and did not deserve to play as much that season and in that Kenny was wrong too as the more he played the worse he was it seemed. I recall saying at the time he would never make a LFC player but look at him now - captain!!

Re Kenny going it has gone now so it is hardly worth debating - the truth is that it has not turned out that badly with Brendan but I still think Kenny should have had another season and the way FSG made him fly to America to sack him was a totally out of order way to treat such a club legend. I am pleased that any bad feeling that that episode caused has now seemed to have been forgotten as Kenny is once again well within the LFC family fold, which is where he should when you look at all he has done for the club on and off the field over the years and the way he regards the club.

Benteke is to wear the no. 9 shirt.

...as if he didn't need more (stupid) comparisons to Andy Carroll.

GR8 B8 M8

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I think we all knew that Benteke was gonna take the number 9 shirt. Hopefully he'll have a record more akin's to Fowler rather than Carroll.