Whilst I'm not usually one to blame an awful lot on luck, I do feel that we were worth more points than we got this season. However, I don't think that this should mask some very important factors that are telling in relation to our season.
Some of Kenny's decisions regarding signings, line-ups, set-up and style of play have been eye-watering. We've certainly had a more pleasing style of play since he's arrived, but there's a real lack of conviction in the final third. People can point to poor finishing costing us, but in my opinion there's also a very, very obvious lack of creative responsibility in the final third.
There are two points I've reiterated for quite some time; firstly, there is no point having a patient, measured build up only to toss in an aerial cross on to a settled defence, and secondly, probably more pertinently, if these aimless crosses weren't part of Kenny's plan, if they REALLY annoyed him, he'd quite simply put a stop to it. It's always bothered me that Kenny got us playing sparkling, intelligent football with an inherited squad last season, but this season reverted to a more blunt style - when you consider his signings and who they replaced, it's hard to argue that it was a conscious decision on his part.
There has been an improvement under Kenny, but we've still spent an awful lot of money, and there are still some real fundamental problems in our philosophy - not, in my opinion, small problems that merely need to be ironed along the way, but problems that require fairly radical solutions if they aren't to cost us a lot of points long term. What a manager says in interviews can't always be taken at face value, but Kenny's comments after games, combined with us making a lot of the same mistakes over and over again, lead me to believe that he genuinely believes that there are no major changes needed, which I wholeheartedly disagree with.
I'm not confident about us next season. I think it's fair enough to say that we COULD improve, but at the same time I also think we could have more of the same. I definitely think there's a ceiling as regards how much Kenny can improve us, what I'm unsure of is whether that ceiling comes before or after the Top 4, and it could take a lot of time and money to find out.
Unsure.
posted on 14/5/12
omment by shortlight (U13938)
posted 7 minutes ago
TOOR.
How about a manager who takes over a club four points off relegation zone and gets them to 8th in eighteen months. And gets them to two cup finals at the same time?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Err £100m to get eighth? Showing terrible tactics, team selections and substitutions throughout.
How about a manager who inherited a team filled with the likes of Konchesky, Poulsen, Ngog, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos and has managed to get rid of them all?
-----------------------------------------------
And Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio, Kuyt, Maxi, Gerrard, Meireles, Torres, amongst others.
Maybe you're right. Let's sack him and bring in a manager who's only achievement is not getting relegated!
----------------------------------------------
Yes, let's do it because surely nobody could do any worse than what Kenny has.
btw - The net spend under Dalglish is £23mill.
---------------------------------------------------------
No it isn't. Regardless, players were moved out with the exception of Meireles and Torres who weren't part of the first team. We then bought around five players for the first team for around £100m. We then went backwards.
"If I didn't know you better, Toor, I'd say you were regurgitating opinions from the Murdoch press."
Well that's good, as I don't read newspapers. My opinions came long, long before the press started getting on Kenny's back. I have been saying it since December!
posted on 14/5/12
How long has Aqua got on his contract? We're being shafted by the Italian teams and it has to stop. Aqua should be told that if he can't get a permanent move, he'll have to knuckle down with us. His comfort on the ball is something completely different to any of our other midfield options.
I don't really want Martinez; he's pulled off some miracles at Wigan and you have to admire his adventurous play, but Wigan regularly go through large swathes of the season being battered. He has potential, but everything is relative; don't forget that Roy Hodgson is an excellent bottom half manager.
Attacking play notwithstanding, there's not much to suggest that Martinez would be able go come in and do well at a club that wants to get positive results in about 75% of their games.
posted on 14/5/12
comment by shortlight (U13938)
posted 27 minutes ago
TOOR.
How about a manager who takes over a club four points off relegation zone and gets them to 8th in eighteen months. And gets them to two cup finals at the same time?
How about a manager who inherited a team filled with the likes of Konchesky, Poulsen, Ngog, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos and has managed to get rid of them all?
Maybe you're right. Let's sack him and bring in a manager who's only achievement is not getting relegated!
btw - The net spend under Dalglish is £23mill.
If I didn't know you better, Toor, I'd say you were regurgitating opinions from the Murdoch press.
========================
Toor used to make some good points but he has completely lost it lately, reminds me of Kevin Keegan
posted on 14/5/12
comment by Dr Seven Grater - Morsel Energy (U13441)
posted 7 minutes ago
How long has Aqua got on his contract? We're being shafted by the Italian teams and it has to stop. Aqua should be told that if he can't get a permanent move, he'll have to knuckle down with us. His comfort on the ball is something completely different to any of our other midfield options.
I don't really want Martinez; he's pulled off some miracles at Wigan and you have to admire his adventurous play, but Wigan regularly go through large swathes of the season being battered. He has potential, but everything is relative; don't forget that Roy Hodgson is an excellent bottom half manager.
Attacking play notwithstanding, there's not much to suggest that Martinez would be able go come in and do well at a club that wants to get positive results in about 75% of their games.
----------------------------------------------
True. We need an experienced proven manager and Martinez would be a gamble at the wrong time.
posted on 14/5/12
comment by Anfield of Dreams (Suarez is innocent, Britain... (U6971)
posted 56 seconds ago
comment by shortlight (U13938)
posted 27 minutes ago
TOOR.
How about a manager who takes over a club four points off relegation zone and gets them to 8th in eighteen months. And gets them to two cup finals at the same time?
How about a manager who inherited a team filled with the likes of Konchesky, Poulsen, Ngog, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos and has managed to get rid of them all?
Maybe you're right. Let's sack him and bring in a manager who's only achievement is not getting relegated!
btw - The net spend under Dalglish is £23mill.
If I didn't know you better, Toor, I'd say you were regurgitating opinions from the Murdoch press.
========================
Toor used to make some good points but he has completely lost it lately, reminds me of Kevin Keegan
---------------------------------------------------
What you mean is, 'I used to make good points because I agreed with them, now he makes crazy points because I don't agree.
Blind faith is not what I'm about and I'm sorry if it offends anybody. We've went backwards.
posted on 14/5/12
TOOR.
If we'd gone any further backwards after Hodgson/Hicks/Gillett we'd currently be looking forward to playing Barnsley and Peterborough.
You've lost the argument. Accept it and move on.
posted on 14/5/12
comment by shortlight (U13938)
posted 3 minutes ago
TOOR.
If we'd gone any further backwards after Hodgson/Hicks/Gillett we'd currently be looking forward to playing Barnsley and Peterborough.
You've lost the argument. Accept it and move on.
-------------------------------------
I'm not dealing in if's here. I'm dealing in concrete facts. We spent over £100m and we went backwards, this is a fact.
My opinion on why that is, is just that, an opinion, I believe I'm right in it, otherwise I wouldn't say it, so I'm certainly not going to accept I've lost any kind of argument.
posted on 14/5/12
How about a manager who takes over a club four points off relegation zone and gets them to 8th in eighteen months.
- - -
Actually, he took us to sixth in six months.
The problem is that he then spent a shedload of cash, changed our setup and THEN finished 8th. This is why questions are being asked.
As I've said, there has been an improvement in general under Kenny (although a disimprovement in our style of play compared to how he had us playing last season IMO), but there are legitimate concerns about how much we've improved, and how much we'll improve under Kenny in the future.
Even if you're of the belief that Kenny should stay, it's almost impossible not to come to the conclusion that we've had a very, very underwhelming season in the League. I've no problem with people who think Kenny's the right man; I do, however, have a problem with the way some fans put their fingers in their ears and stomp their feet when fairly legitimate issues are raised.
IMO, people who do that are undermining their own opinions and points.
posted on 14/5/12
Is this article a wind up??
posted on 14/5/12
Yes.