28 Sept 2009

Finally! Have Liverpool FC overcome this frustrating, long-standing curse?

Over the last few seasons, Liverpool’s ability to consistently challenge for the title has been undone by a variety of different things, with one issue in particular becoming a major recurring problem. Not this season though! Things appear to be changing and he curse may have finally been lifted (touch wood!).

In the last two seasons, the club has drawn a whopping 24 league games
; 13 in the 2007-08 season and 11 in 2008-2009. That equates to a depressing 48 dropped points (!), and that’s before you add on points lost through league defeats.

These draws arguably cost Liverpool the title for two years running. To illustrate this point, consider the following:

1. Season 2008-2009: Liverpool finished 4 points behind Champions Man United. If just two of the 11 draws had been converted into wins the title would have won on goal difference. 2 out of 11 draws! Is that too much to ask? The brutal truth is beating Stoke and Hull at Anfield – two games that ended in inexcusable draws – would have meant the title!

2. Season 2007-2008: If 6 of the 13 draws had been converted into wins, Liverpool would’ve won the title by one point. Achieving this would’ve meant beating Birmingham (twice), Middlesbrough, Wigan, Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers, games that were eminently winnable.

Add onto this draws in the Champions League/Carling Cup/FA Cup, and this number increases even more.

But the tide seems to be turning - after 9 games so far this year, Liverpool have (thankfully) not drawn a single game. Looking at the stats from the last few seasons, we can see how significant this actually is:

2008-09 – First 9 games - 3 draws
2007-08 – First 9 games - 4 draws
2006/07 – First 9 games - 3 draws
2005/06 – First 9 games - 4 draws

Then we have this season:

2009-10 – First 9 games - 0 draws

Liverpool’s improvement in this area can only be a good thing, and if history proves one thing it’s the fewer games we draw, the more chance we have of winning the league.

What has changed? What is Rafa doing differently this season? Is this a false dawn?

Whatever the reason, long may it continue!


9 comments:

  1. all of us are hoping that we can solve this draw prolems .. :) ..cheers and hoping we win the league ...

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  2. "problems"..sorry typo

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  3. Rafa's doing a great job turning those draws in to wins.

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  4. Not too sure about the season before as we lost games to the other big four members, but certainly last season the draws cost us the league. I think this season a culmination of things have changed, Glen Johnson at home is massive, Yossi & Dirk's form has been better than this stage last season, Lucas also but he wasn't playing too much last year. I think one of the biggest things is the mentality of the opposition when coming to Anfield. They now know that parking the bus is almost certainly doomed to failure as Liverpool have so many different options to attack from and we do it at such a pace that it is very hard to handle and it must play on the managers minds when preparing for the game.

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  5. We're def more attack minded this campaign and as a result we'll have a few holes at the back defensively. So far we have been able to pick up the points and remain in touching distance of the leaders but the real test begins with the fixture against Chelsea and the rest of the games against ManU, Arsenal, Man City. We need to replicate our record against them from last year. Season is looking very very promising

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  6. The season before - 07/08 - was when we would have taken the title on goal-difference if we'd done-the-double over United. Instead of them doing it over us.

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  7. Well, the not draw condition is only good when we wins.
    Hope we can win enough to lift the PRM thropy this season.

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  8. I think that this season they have certainly got over the draw syndrome and the season holds a lot of promise.

    Maybe finally some of the doubters who clamour for Rafa to go might be forced to eat their words!  As I have previously posted on here, the team has improved year on year overall, that is down to continuity and stability brought about by a decent manager.  I would rather a team is built that can win the league year after year, than a quick fix of 1 title and nothing else.

    Only my opinion of course.

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  9. I think the biggest difference between this season and last is the team's confidence and belief going into games against the likes of Hull, Stoke, Burnley. After we beat teams like Real Madrid 5-0, Man Utd 4-1 etc. the players realised that they could beat anyone on the day. Prior to that we went into games a bit nervous, and in some games we were far to defensive, wanting to make sure that we didn't lose.

    I think the other difference is the opposing team's psyche playing against Liverpool now. It can be said that Man Utd have won half their games before they even get on to the pitch. Teams fear them, and some teams don't even bother because they are resigned to losing. For example, for Stoke it is more important to beat the likes of Bolton and Blakbrun than it is to beat Man Utd. Pulis pretty much admitted this in his post match interview on Saturday.

    I think teams have now started looking at Liverpool in a similar way. Up until half way through last season teams still thought that they could get something out of Liverpool. But now I believe that we scare teams.  

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