The trap-door has been opened at Anfield, and above it perches a team on the brink. Consequently, every game seems to be make or break for Liverpool this season. Every decision is overly scrutinised, and despite us being without a league title since 1989, the media tells us that the league must be won or the manager must go. What right do we really have to win the Premier League? On what evidence should we feel we deserve the league crown?
There seems to be only two options for Liverpool this season, perfection or disaster. That is the way it has always been though, or so you would think going on the last 5 years. To me, Liverpool seem to have been trapped in a game of snakes and ladders. With each slip on a snake being branded a disaster and each climb of a ladder being passed off as lucky, or merely the bare minimum.
Rafa is forever rolling the dice, certain in his own actions but uncertain of how they will be perceived. Each decision he makes will upset someone, the recent debacle over Torres’ injury a case in point - should we really expect someone to play and risk a long term injury that could affect his World Cup chances?
We have seen with Gerrard against Lyon recently how risking someone with an injury can backfire. Should Rafa have played Torres’ the full 90 against teams like Fulham, and risk him picking up an injury? The same people slating him for taking him off would no doubt have been slating him for leaving him on.
I firmly believe that we can still win the league this year, there isn’t much between the top 4 in head to heads. It was common thought that this year would be the tightest race in years, and I still think this will be the case.
Last season Liverpool won 11 straight games towards the end of the season. If we can be within at least 10 points of the league leaders come March and put together a run like that again, I see no reason why the league title cannot be ours.
80 points I’m sure will win the league, Liverpool have 19 from 12 games, from now till May we must pick up 61 from 26. Is it possible? I believe so.
Our last two performances although frustrating, have been encouraging. Dominating our bogey team Birmingham with a depleted squad, on another day we could have won 5-0. Showing quality and strength in France was undone cruelly at the last; these are the fine details that Rafa must try to iron out.
If we can turn the corner against City with a strong display, even a 1-0 victory would be the perfect antidote. Under Rafa we have been solid defensively, until this season at least.
And if there’s one thing Rafa knows how to do it is to keep clean sheets. We should not let a bad patch wipe our memories of golden gloves awards and clean sheet regularity.
The intense speculation and general misfortune on the pitch this season has seen a ridiculous amount of pressure build up, so much so that we are led to believe a bad patch becomes a bad season.
We must remember that our last ‘bad season’ ended up in a Champions League victory. I wonder, hypothetically if Liverpool were to finish in the top 4 and pick up a Europa League trophy and an FA Cup, would we celebrate? Would it be considered a good or even great season?
What do you think?
Chris Severs
----
Join the site's new Facebook page!
There seems to be only two options for Liverpool this season, perfection or disaster. That is the way it has always been though, or so you would think going on the last 5 years. To me, Liverpool seem to have been trapped in a game of snakes and ladders. With each slip on a snake being branded a disaster and each climb of a ladder being passed off as lucky, or merely the bare minimum.
Rafa is forever rolling the dice, certain in his own actions but uncertain of how they will be perceived. Each decision he makes will upset someone, the recent debacle over Torres’ injury a case in point - should we really expect someone to play and risk a long term injury that could affect his World Cup chances?
We have seen with Gerrard against Lyon recently how risking someone with an injury can backfire. Should Rafa have played Torres’ the full 90 against teams like Fulham, and risk him picking up an injury? The same people slating him for taking him off would no doubt have been slating him for leaving him on.
I firmly believe that we can still win the league this year, there isn’t much between the top 4 in head to heads. It was common thought that this year would be the tightest race in years, and I still think this will be the case.
Last season Liverpool won 11 straight games towards the end of the season. If we can be within at least 10 points of the league leaders come March and put together a run like that again, I see no reason why the league title cannot be ours.
80 points I’m sure will win the league, Liverpool have 19 from 12 games, from now till May we must pick up 61 from 26. Is it possible? I believe so.
Our last two performances although frustrating, have been encouraging. Dominating our bogey team Birmingham with a depleted squad, on another day we could have won 5-0. Showing quality and strength in France was undone cruelly at the last; these are the fine details that Rafa must try to iron out.
If we can turn the corner against City with a strong display, even a 1-0 victory would be the perfect antidote. Under Rafa we have been solid defensively, until this season at least.
And if there’s one thing Rafa knows how to do it is to keep clean sheets. We should not let a bad patch wipe our memories of golden gloves awards and clean sheet regularity.
The intense speculation and general misfortune on the pitch this season has seen a ridiculous amount of pressure build up, so much so that we are led to believe a bad patch becomes a bad season.
We must remember that our last ‘bad season’ ended up in a Champions League victory. I wonder, hypothetically if Liverpool were to finish in the top 4 and pick up a Europa League trophy and an FA Cup, would we celebrate? Would it be considered a good or even great season?
What do you think?
Chris Severs
----
Join the site's new Facebook page!
0 COMMENTS:
Post a Comment