Football fans are regularly accused of being 'fickle' but, as Pepe Reina proves with his latest comments, it seems that footballers also fall into that category!
September 12th - Liverpool had lost 2 of the first 4 league games. Clearly down in the dumps, Reina stated the following:
"We all want to win the league but right now it's not a realistic objective. There isn't frustration, there's resignation. We know what's in the squad; we can't do anything about it. All we can do is roll our sleeves up, work hard and try to win matches.
Surely far too early to be calling time on the club's title ambitions?
Fast forward six and a half weeks: Liverpool have lost a further 6 games in all competitions, and Reina now has a very different view:
"It [The League] is not even close to being over".
Admirable optimism...but you've got it backwards, Pepe! Surely it should be the other way round?! The 'it's not even close to being over' comment should've been made in September, and the 'the league is not a realistic objective' comment should've been made after the Fulham defeat ;-)
I'm just highlighting this because I found it funny, but Reina has a point. The league is still theoretically possible; and even if it's unlikely, the team needs to go out there believing it's possible.
This kind of winning mentality is what is needed in the team, and it can only have a positive knock-on effect on performances.
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September 12th - Liverpool had lost 2 of the first 4 league games. Clearly down in the dumps, Reina stated the following:
"We all want to win the league but right now it's not a realistic objective. There isn't frustration, there's resignation. We know what's in the squad; we can't do anything about it. All we can do is roll our sleeves up, work hard and try to win matches.
Surely far too early to be calling time on the club's title ambitions?
Fast forward six and a half weeks: Liverpool have lost a further 6 games in all competitions, and Reina now has a very different view:
"It [The League] is not even close to being over".
Admirable optimism...but you've got it backwards, Pepe! Surely it should be the other way round?! The 'it's not even close to being over' comment should've been made in September, and the 'the league is not a realistic objective' comment should've been made after the Fulham defeat ;-)
I'm just highlighting this because I found it funny, but Reina has a point. The league is still theoretically possible; and even if it's unlikely, the team needs to go out there believing it's possible.
This kind of winning mentality is what is needed in the team, and it can only have a positive knock-on effect on performances.
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Why highlight an inconsistancy made by the only player showing any leadership in the team right now? Just goes to show LFC can do nothing without CRITICISM CRITICISM CRITICISM! Yes things are going wrong, shut up about it.
ReplyDeleteHey David - why don't you remove the stick that is so clearly lodged in your behind and go out and buy yourself a sense of humour?
ReplyDeleteAnd I see you completely ignored the part at the end praising Reina.
I'm so sorry, now that I've read it again my sides have split, well done for pointing it out
ReplyDeleteKind of reminds me of your posts about Gerrard not being tactically aware as the reason he shouldn't play centre mid and then constantly coming out with when he plays there we win. Or as you also like to put it Aces in there places.
ReplyDeleteRossi - if you continue to deliberately misrepresent my POV then I will delete any posts in which you do that.
ReplyDeleteI have argued in the past that Gerrard has weaknesses when playing in central midfield BUT that doesn't mean he can't play there.
Given the circumstances this season (no replacement for Alonso), things have to be re-evaluated. When the team is struggling in central midfield, and struggling generally, the best policy (IMO) is to play aces in their places.
Looking at the current squad of FIT players, who is the best central midfielder we have? Is it Lucas? No. It is GERRARD.
Thus, despite his weaknesses, he is STILL potentially more effective than Lucas.
So you see the distinction?
Stop misrepresenting my views. Thanks.
Well maybe the person who spoke to Pepe misrepresented his views. I don't know why you can't stand being challenged, when this site is all about debate.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly have stated in the past even to the point where you have suggested selling gerrard becuase he can't play in a 442 when explaining why signing Villa would be a disaster, so your views have been hypocritical, whats your problem??
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2008/04/why-steven-gerrard-is-reason-liverpool.html
Why don't you read this article again and tell me that you've not had
amusingly inverse thought process
<span>'The answer is simple: Gerrard has proved that he cannot form a *consistently* successful midfield partnership with anyone - for club or for country.'</span>
So how is playing him there going to be successful if he cannot form a successful partnership. This is where your views clash
Because i'm right your threatening to kick me out, what a joke!!!
To be honest i'd much rather see Torres and Villa upfront with gerrard in centre mid. Even if he is tactically unaware.
ReplyDeleteYou also state '<span>In Liverpool’s current system, this is the only place Gerrard can play, and for him to be successful, he needs two midfielders doing all the donkey work for him.'</span>
ReplyDeleteSo don't start with the i deliberately misrepresent your povs
<span>'Of course, none of this would be an issue if Gerrard could successfully function in a midfield two, but that truth is, he cannot.'</span>
ReplyDeleteYou said it Jaimie
<span>'The Gerrard-Mascherano partnership *does not work*. For proof of this, just examine the games in which the partnership has been utilized and then look at the results and the turgid performances that came out of it.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, as discussed above, Gerrard in the center *consistently* is a non-starter.'</span>
These are all comments you have made in the past. Which is the inverse thought process of JK :)
You just don't get it do you, Rossi? I'm not threatening to kick you out at all. You regularly pop up on threadsa here *deliberately* misrepresenting my views. Yes, you do it deliberately in a bid to make it appear like I'm contradticting myself. As I said, if you continue to do that, I will delete the posts in which you misrepresent my views. Any other posts you make will, of course, remain.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will explain it one more time for you re Gerrard and midfield:
1. I've stated in the past that I believe Gerrard has weaknesses at central midfield.
2. In the intervening time, we have had Alonso in that position, so there was no need for Gerrard to play there.
3. We no longer have Alonso, and our only 'replacement' is Lucas.
4. Despite Gerrard's weaknesses, is he a batter central mid than Lucas? YES
5. Has this been proven this seaso when Gerrard has played at CM? YES
6. Thus, even though he has weaknesses in that position, Gerrard is STILL a better option for the TEAM than Lucas.
This is very simple and consistent reasoning, and is not hypocritical in the slightest. When the chips are down, you make the best of the players you have.
Furthermore, there is the time element to consider. As you can see, I posted this previously:
<span>Gerrard has proved that he cannot form a *consistently* successful midfield partnership with anyone - for club or for country.'</span>
There is a reason the word 'consistently' is used. It suggests that over time, Gerrard did not form successful partnerships.
In our current situation, using Gerrard at Cm would be a temporary measure, just until Aquilani is fit to play in CM.
Once again, the point here is this: When playing aces in their places, who is a better CM - Lucas or Gerrard.
if you can't see the logic in what I'm saying and wish to persist in misrepresenting my view, then go ahead. Anyone fair-minded can see the sense in what I'm saying.
And don't give me any rubbish about 'can't stand being challenged. It is YOU who cannot take being challenged. You stated your view; I CHALLENGED IT. Now I'm challenging it again.
My views are challenged every day on this site. I invite it, encourage it and welcome it, and there are thousands of examples of this.
jaimie i like your articles, but i personally reckon you are wasting your time, rafa is not going take these good ideas (stubborness), and his stupidity at times, he just doesnt learn! he has wasted money spent 130-160m on 8 - 26m players which is definitely a lot of money and wasted it...some players were good buys but he then goes and sells them e.g crouch and alonso.. At times i feel like losing my spirit with liverpool and just want to not support them... Grrrrr!! Totally agree with your points though!
ReplyDeleteIs this not a simple case of inverse thought process though. When we had these players you come out with paragraphs such as
ReplyDelete<span>'The Gerrard-Mascherano partnership *does not work*.'</span>
Yet now because alonso is gone and gerrard is our best option he should play there.
Do you not get what im getting at?? Your mocking Reina for doing it, saying after 4 games the title is not a realistic possibility, then after 5 losses in 11, the title is not over.
Same sort of thing dont ya think. We got alonso, gerrard can't play there, alonso goes, he should be there.
Rossi - I can't be bothered to argue with you about this. You're just being difficult for the hell of it. My position on the Gerrard CM issue is very clear; you are deliberately refusing to acknowledge it because you want to cause friction. Well, as I said, any further posts on this issue in which you deliberately misrepresent my view will be deleted.
ReplyDeleteI don't think in his first comment he was actually saying we're out of it, i think it's more - it's too early to be talking about the title challengers right now.
ReplyDeleteIm not rossi?am I
ReplyDeleteI love Pepe. Apart from being one of the best goalies in the world, he also has that great sense of enthusiasm for playing for Liverpool. And he's young as well, so he can stay for quite a few years. Loved his goal celebration when he ran the length of the pitch to hug N'Gog.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree, Bikram. Pepe is great :)
ReplyDeleteTell me why you think Rossi is misrepresenting your views? It seems to me that all he's doing is quoting what you have said previously! If you can't be consistent, then that's your problem not his.
ReplyDeleteAs regards Reina's comments, we are 10 points behind a very impressive Chelsea, but that's only three losses and they have the African nations coming up in the new year when they lose key players for a month - anything can happen. I chose to ignore Arsenal and Manu at this point but I bet they can't wait for new year either.
Bikram's right too - Reina would be the Spanish goalie without question but for Real Madrid's numero uno, Cassilas
Just to start another debate, what does everyone think of Lampard's "Drogba is the best striker in the world" comment? Has he not seen Torres play?
I'm not going to tell you why - I've already explained it twice, and if you sre not fairminded enough to see the perfectly valid distinction then I really can't be bothered to waste my time again.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Jamie about the Gerrard situation. I can't understand why others don't get it!! Gerrard is more effective playing further forward, we don't have Alonso anymore so Gerrard should play CM until Aquilani is fit as he is much better in this position than Lucas is. Once Aquilani is fit he should make a good partnership with Mascherano in the centre and Gerrard can play behind Torres, simple! YNWA
ReplyDeleteWhy do you do a blog then if you can't even be bothered to respond? Plus you ignore the other 2 points I raised; I assume you believe they're not worth commenting on either?
ReplyDeleteSOME of you may be aware of the blog Liverpool-Kop, run by Jaimie Kanwar, who claims to be a fan of Liverpool Football Club.
ReplyDeletehttp://robbohuyton.blogspot.com/2009/10/revealed-most-negative-liverpool-fc.html