Liverpool's most appeared team this season in the premier league based primarily on starting appearances and then looking secondly at sub appearances around the most used formation - the 4-3-3 is this:
--------------------------------REINA
JOHNSON---SKRTEL------------AGGER---ENRIQUE
----------HENDERSON--SPEARING--ADAM
---------KUYT------------SUAREZ--------DOWNING
Is it any wonder that this team is falling behind? So the back 5 are good yes? Well we have conceded the 3rd least goals this season so that shows.
The problem comes when you look at the midfield - Spearing our 5th or even 6th choice centre mid, could there be a worse start? Then Adam, the star of a team that got relegated. It's easy to shine in a rubbish team, he was their penalty taker, free kick taker and corner taker, he is not ours which just shows that he is not good enough if his best qualities are superseded by players already at the club. Finally Henderson, he was in all fairness an average player in a very average side with a lot of potential - who decides how much potential a player has by the way? - So there you have it, another player of little class - doesn't bode well as a midfield trio does it?
Looking at the attack you have Kuyt who is a work horse and was our top scorer last season so in that sense we should be expecting a lot from him but he has been in and out of the team all season really so perhaps hasn't found his feet like last year? Perhaps service has been poor? Then Suarez, our classiest player, most likely, who has been an inch away several times from doubling his goal tally. Unfortunate season for him yet he is still our best player - speaks wonders for the team this season. - Finally Downing, voted best player or whatever at Villa last year but they finished 13th, so he can't be that good. For whatever reason his fantastic stats last year have not been replicated this season. Many a missed chance methinks, so he has been unfortunate there but one could expect more from a fairly regular England international.
Is it any wonder based on that assessment that we are where we are? Another interesting fact - Suarez has scored 8 premier league goals this year - the other 10 players in the team above between them have scored 8 also - oh dear! Things haven't gone our way injury wise or conversion wise so we can only expect to be where we are. Lack of quality, a statistic based judgement of players is dangerous as players do different jobs in different teams, that approach has let us down.
Is this a fair assessment? Thoughts?
OK so...
posted on 9/4/12
Rooney an exceptional talent bought when he was 17. So much developing to do, Downing bought at 26 - peak.
Yea had Lucas and Gerrard taken up permeanent places this season we would look a lot stronger but injuries ruined that and as such we have been left with the team presented.
Truetored I like the nutshell.
posted on 9/4/12
I think we need to buy - definitely, but not from the Premier League. The only successful player moving from a Premier League team to us, in our recent past, is Henchoz. Whenever we have gone for premiership based players, we have been found wanting. Time to look at the continent for new recruits - but is Kenny the man to do this?
posted on 9/4/12
Sorry Matt, I wasn't defending Downing
I just didn't like that logic.
posted on 9/4/12
Yea redconn it is flawed, and too many generalisations can be made, be usually unless a player is lighting up the league at a smaller club so obviously like Rooney was, then you can bet they won't be that great, however another example if Valencia - a player who has done well. Perhaps Dalglish isn't using him right but Fergie now's how to?
posted on 9/4/12
We may have to look abroad yes andy carroll golden boots 2013, mainly to avoid escalated prices. The fear I have is even if we do buy players with a good track record we will fail to use them in the way that they excelled, like we have seen with signings this year.
All of Adam's goals and assists made, or probably at least 80% of them came from corners of penalties/ freekicks so statistics can be skewed. As I have said, Adam isn't our hands down set piece taker so where is his alternative quality picked up from statistics?
posted on 9/4/12
I don't think he's been misused.
I don't have an explanation to be honest. No one does. The chances were created. He should have had at least a few goals and twice as many assists. But for some inexplicable reason he doesn't.
You can say the same about nearly every player in the side this season.
posted on 9/4/12
Our midfield is dreadful, only Lucas and a fully fit Gerrard are any good and they are the onyl players who could actually play in the CL across our midfield.
If we'd somehow managed to qualify for the CL next season and ended up playing that midfield we would get knocked out in the group stages.
We need a winger and a striker but we also need a quality CM, we saw how an injury to Lucas has affected us this season and we cant rely on Gerrard for every game. Charlie Adam is not good enough to play for Liverpool (he has no right foot, is slow, clumsy and his best assest in set pieces have been dreadful all season). Henderson is ok and I think he gets allot of flack when it Kenny playing him wide that has been the biggest problem.
I like Jay but he's played allot of 1st team games now and I'm not sure he will ever be good enough.
So I think we need even 2 CM's. A DM and a neat and tidy player. I like the look of Dembelle (was impressed with him tonight) he is composed, can take the ball in tight places and make space for himself and he woudl not cost an arm and a leg.
I don't think we're as bad as people make us out to be but we're still short of challenging for CL place. Patience is required, I'm happy for Kenny to have another go with this squad (bar Adam and maybe Jay, and if replaced Maxi and Kuyt and also Fab can go) with a few decent signings, and see where we can go ge tnext season.
If we win the FA cup it's going to be a good season where ever we finish in the league.
Also it's good Pieenar is cup tied for semi final he's playing well for the Bitters.
posted on 9/4/12
That's why us fans are looking for answers redconn, there is no reason really why we have scored so few, the stats show we have hit the woodwork most by miles etc. very unfortunate this season.
and kneerash, kenny definietly needs another season, it would be shocking to sack him, he needs to build on what he has done for certain, we dont need a new manager having a new design for the team, might as well see where the king takes us.
but yes some goodsignings in those positions are needed!
posted on 10/4/12
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posted on 10/4/12
I suspect we all know this tho. We need imo 2 top, top midfielders and 1 superb right winger, then this team coukld compete:
--------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel---Agger---Enrique
------------Lucas--------Gerrard--------
--Hazard--------Suarez----Downing--
------------------Cavani--------------------
Subs: Carrol, Bellamy, Henderson, Kelly, M'vila, ---------Dembele, Doni.
I know, i just put Cavani, Dembele, Hazard and M'vila in as TYPES we need.
Kuyt, Adam, Aurelio would all leave by the way.