Liverpool's fantastic win against Spurs today puts the club in a great position to mount an all-out assault on the Premier League top four, and with Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea plagued by inconsistency, there's every chance the Reds can snatch a Champions League place by the end of the season. That may sound like misplaced optimism, but over the last three months, Liverpool have sustained a level of form commensurate with finishing in the top four, and that, as Rafa Benitez would say, is a fact.
Liverpool's win today puts the club in sixth place, just seven points behind Chelsea, only two points off Arsenal in fifth, and - perhaps most importantly for many LFC fans - ahead of Everton (albeit on goal difference).
Today's victory is symbolic of the huge turnaround in the league over the last few months, and underlines the very real progress being made in the league under Brendan Rodgers. This can be illustrated by looking at the wildly different fortunes of the team during two different stages of the season.
In the first 14 games, Liverpool's league results overall were poor:
* Failed to win 11 out of 14 league games.
* Pitiful points-per-game (PPG) of 1.14
* Not scoring enough goals.
Now, take a look at the last 15 league games and you'll see a drastic upswing:
Everything has massively improved:
* Close to 2 PPG, an increase of 0.79 PPG over the first 14 games.
* Massive increase in goals scored.
* Third overall in the form table.
* Top scorers in the league.
* Joint top clean sheets.
If the season ended now, then based on the last 15 league games, Liverpool would qualify for the Champions League. Alas, it doesn't work that way, but the sustained top four-level form over the last three months is very encouraging, and if the Reds can maintain that for the rest of the season - and into next season - then the future is looking very bright indeed.
The best thing about this is that the team has achieved this level of form despite the constant defensive errors that have blighted the season. Indeed, with 18 goals conceded in the last 15 league games (the same as the first 14), it's clear to see where Liverpool's problems lie.
Ultimately, what this comparison shows is irrefutable proof of league progress under Rodgers, and with the league being the club's top priority this season, the manager has clearly delivered.
As regular visitors will attest, I've been one of Rodgers' biggest advocates this season. Yes, I'm also critical of him too, but that just shows balance (as opposed to blind faith), and with a summer of squad improvements to come, Reds fans can (and should) be quietly optimistic about next season.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Liverpool's win today puts the club in sixth place, just seven points behind Chelsea, only two points off Arsenal in fifth, and - perhaps most importantly for many LFC fans - ahead of Everton (albeit on goal difference).
Today's victory is symbolic of the huge turnaround in the league over the last few months, and underlines the very real progress being made in the league under Brendan Rodgers. This can be illustrated by looking at the wildly different fortunes of the team during two different stages of the season.
In the first 14 games, Liverpool's league results overall were poor:
* Failed to win 11 out of 14 league games.
* Pitiful points-per-game (PPG) of 1.14
* Not scoring enough goals.
Now, take a look at the last 15 league games and you'll see a drastic upswing:
Everything has massively improved:
* Close to 2 PPG, an increase of 0.79 PPG over the first 14 games.
* Massive increase in goals scored.
* Third overall in the form table.
* Top scorers in the league.
* Joint top clean sheets.
If the season ended now, then based on the last 15 league games, Liverpool would qualify for the Champions League. Alas, it doesn't work that way, but the sustained top four-level form over the last three months is very encouraging, and if the Reds can maintain that for the rest of the season - and into next season - then the future is looking very bright indeed.
The best thing about this is that the team has achieved this level of form despite the constant defensive errors that have blighted the season. Indeed, with 18 goals conceded in the last 15 league games (the same as the first 14), it's clear to see where Liverpool's problems lie.
Ultimately, what this comparison shows is irrefutable proof of league progress under Rodgers, and with the league being the club's top priority this season, the manager has clearly delivered.
As regular visitors will attest, I've been one of Rodgers' biggest advocates this season. Yes, I'm also critical of him too, but that just shows balance (as opposed to blind faith), and with a summer of squad improvements to come, Reds fans can (and should) be quietly optimistic about next season.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In Brendan Rogers we trust.
ReplyDeleteIf this thread seems like you're gloating, Jaimie, then I, for one, am glad!
ReplyDeleteGlad as we are now playing the kind of football that we have been expecting, as Liverpool fans, for a long time.
Glad as I, also, can see the vision that Rodgers has for the club.
Glad as we're now above Everton in the league and my blue nosed mates can now do one.
And glad as I'm now anticipating each game with the kind of excitement I used to during the 08/09 season when we came the closest we ever have to number 19.
Our last two league games' stats have been worse than our opposition yet we still picked up 6 points and scored 7 goals. Compare that to the last West Brom game where we had dozens of chances, almost 2/3 possession and got mugged. Twice.
This is the sort of grinding out wins that Man Utd and Chelsea (under Mourinho) do game after game. Yes, I love watching pretty football but I'll take an ugly win any day of the week.
Believe people. 2 down, 9 to go!
Wow you wrote something positive. Good work.
ReplyDeleteJK, Ive shown optimism for almost 5 years now...I agree progress is beign made but I aremain very angry about some needless mistakes of the defence and loccassionally of the ref...imagine if we had won against city, home and away, arsenal away,and the if the ref got our 3rd goal against everton right...we will be in top 4 now
ReplyDeleteAnd that is a fact :P Lool I love the Rafa rants but in all seriousness If we can get a few solid CB's and a full back plus another goalscorer we'll be in a great position (providing we hold onto Suarez)
ReplyDeleteExcellent article.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we could snatch 4th.
If Chelsea qualify for next Europa league round, combined with their FA Cup replay and stickier fixture list than ours and iff we beat them at Anfield we have a chance!!
Cue negativity and cynicism from one of the most prolific posters on here..... :(
Spurs also have sticky fixtures, but I think they will come through.
Things are looking good, we re beginning to do what Man Utd increasingly do - win despite shaky defence
Coutinho, Sturridge have been good additions and have spurred on people like Downing to start performing
It's exactly how Rodgers predicted it, he was probably hoping for a bit better start tho but said it would improve over the year. Hopefully good players around Europe are watching us play some of the best football in England and next season want to be apart of it and of course the owners spend the money..
ReplyDeleteIt looks very positive and long may it continue. If brendan has the backing of the board and he recruits the right personal in the summer he could take us to a next level.
ReplyDeleteDelighted so far now let's keep it going every game.
ReplyDeleteJK this post is going to drive Jason Carr crazy! How dear LFC progress under BR!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% JK we've improved a lot. Remember what Downing said last season that he felt hard done by with the 0 assist stat. He felt there was no one getting on the end of his crosses, with a more mobile frontline in Sturridge with mobile midfield I'm realising what he's talking about. With the plank of wood, that is Carroll no wonder he had no assists!
You have to take into account Liverpool are one game ahead. So if all the other teams around us win we would be 4th in Goal Difference based on the last 3 months. I have continuously said progress is not instant patience is required... where are the deluded FSG & BR doubters. Its like what my mother said with food "don't dislike if you haven't tried" ... moral of the story don't prejudge - Support is better than hate.
ReplyDeleteComing from behind to win shows character, never say die attitude was what was needed today and that was what we got.
ReplyDeleteSometimes winning ugly shows a different type of strength, considering how well we have played of late, this win should send out a message...don't come to Anfield hoping 2 goals should do it, this is Anfield afterall!!!
Jaimie, assume you have seen Romanzo Criminale?
ReplyDeleteCheck out Lucas's scowl when he is penalised for a tangle with Bale, leads to 2nd goal. He is a dead ringer for Dandi!!!!
That's been bugging me for yonks, finally was clear today
On an earlier post a regular poster on here dismissed Brendan Rodgers as a jester,even after our victory,so make no mistake there will always be dissenters.But i'm so glad to see a post like this appear and read all the positive comments ....... the Jester is making me smile. Onwards and upwards. Great post Jaimie.
ReplyDeleteThe team is doing well at the moment, playing good football and scoring lots of goals. We was slightly fortunate to win today though because Spurs was well on top after the second goal. It is worrying that we look like conceding goals whenever high balls are played into our box. We really must find a dominant centre half to replace Carra. Howedes or Sahko would be my choice but whoever comes in must be a player who likes the physical side of the game. We might of left it too late to make the champions league spots but next season we could go close, only though if we keep hold of Suarez. It is absolutely vital that he stays because he's everything to us. If he was to leave it would be a step backwards for the team again.
ReplyDeleteWith FA cup draw ensuring another cup team will be in the Europa League, finishing 5th should be priority.
ReplyDeleteI'm just amazed you aren't slaughtering Suarez for constantly kicking and generally winding up Tottenham players all game. Not that I'm complaining mind.
ReplyDeleteRemember we were playing a high flying team here. To expect to completely dominate would be foolhardy. I think we gave as good as we got and found the strength to see them off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI don`t think we were lucky to win. Bale clearly cheated to win that freekick as the replay showed no one had touched his face, when he went down clutching it, and we had two pretty clear pens not given. The one on Continho was hard to spot, and I didn`t until they showed the replay, so not blaming the ref, just pointing out Spurs were lucky.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anything he did today was that bad. As long as he isn't doing stuff like that challenge on Distin in the derby, I don't mind. Little sly digs are something defenders trade in all the time, so he is just giving them a bit back.
ReplyDeleteAs long as he keeps it relatively tame, but lets them know he is there, I'm all for it.
It's all starting to come together. I slagged BR off at the start, mainly because of his obstinacy and his failure to get a striker in the summer cost us. Since Christmas we have looked really good.
ReplyDeleteEven his substitutions worked today!!I think 4th is still pushing it, though. Pity we couldn't have held on for the wins at City and Arsenal, and the pen gone in against West Brom, otherwise we'd be right in the mix.
Now, if only Luis Suarez could turn himself in a prolific goalscorer... erm.. right
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liverpool-kop.com/2011/12/emile-heskey-more-effective-for-lfc.html
ReplyDeletelol
Fabulous result lads! We have three must win and actually should wins in a row thru 7 April.
ReplyDeleteWe still need help at CB though. That second Spurs goal was pure comedy...help in the back four soon please.
Way to put a dampener on a great article, showing fantastic progress for our favourite team under our new manager. Good work Jaimie, its great to see how much better our boys are doing and our manager seems to really be finding his best players for the day. 1 or 2 defensive signings going into next season and we can really push for CL qualification next time round.
ReplyDeletenice to have a good headline for all the right reasons........been a while !!
ReplyDeletewe can only keep getting better. not sure the defence can though !!
Good on you lad,we need to stay positive! For the first time in ages we got a result that we may not have deserved,but how many games have we watched and the final result has dumbfounded our play?! We are growing,the future is bright...
ReplyDeletethis is the 1st time, Jamie make a post which slightly positive than ever. This type of post also always been post by de 'ordinary fans' rather than 'critical fans' juz like u m8. But anyway, its show ur dignity and pride to operate this blog in ur own way. By then, u also have to accept which most of ur 'critical post' is not accurate to the exact of whole picture then. And ur 'critical' idea also was not right at all time.The recent example is ur comment in FB which not agreed with BR to sub in Allen (DF minded) with Countinho (Attck Minded) where we r short of goal at dat time. :)
ReplyDeleteGJ was the star
ReplyDeleteBR has to pay up for lunch for 3 straight wins for the lads. I hope he goes broke as long as we are chalking up the wins. Enjoy the free grub. lets move on up.
ReplyDeleteI couldnt agree more, excellent article jaimie. And even mr doom and gloom jason carr doesnt have something negative to post! Great day all round :)))
ReplyDeleteI think you should indicate clearly that its a improvement on his own results Jaimie. I'm not taking any credit away and i'm quietly happy we are finally improving but the bench mark should be to be compared to our league standing last season which is what i have always been calling for. Apple to apple comparison between how we did last season and this one. Fingers crossed we will get there.
ReplyDeleteGreat win for many reasons! I think that we have to celebrate for this game, because a win like that building great momentum for us! But... Maybe victory is the best chance to talk about our mistakes and it's not about hate! It's about love for our team... Our defense can't jump or push, both goals of Spurs was silly. After the second goal we lost control in a way that maybe it had to be 1 - 3 or 1 - 4, before Downing's goal... Rodgers has to do better - and earlier - changes. For me probably we didn't deserve to win today. But again... I'm bored to play better and lose again & again & again... Maybe it's time to start to win ugly sometimes! And after all, big teams winning ugly all the time! ;) YNWA
ReplyDeleteUltimately what BR has done is get us playing the present style of football which is possession football. Spain dominate the world with it at the moment, and BR being young and bright realises this and had a great mentor in Mourinho who had mastered it but the previous style. The most important thing BR has done is base his squad around Suarez, our best player and not what kenny tried to do and base his squad around Carroll. He has brought youth in. Got the flops in form (downing, Henderson and Enrique somewhat). I am not going to get carried away as I think we would be lucky to finish 6th especially the way we started the season, but that what happens when the squad has been unstable ever since rafa left. Change in ownership, manager & staff and most importantly players. Now we can build a team and bring lfc back to where its supposed to be. Next season shall be a very competetive one and this summer will be the difference between 5th and 4th. If we can keep Suarez and add some quality players in certain positions and get rid of a few players we will have a top 4 squad.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most crucial things to achieve now is being capable of grafting results even if we do not play well - last night was a good one. If we do make a strong push till the end of the season, regardless of whether we do end up in the top four or not, BR will have a stronger case of getting FSG to back him with bigger signings in the summer.
ReplyDeleteits all about who he buys this summer. we need top class players to take this on a notch and be in the mix for the top 4.
ReplyDeletethe list of needs is ever growing.
1-keeper?
2-2 centre backs maybe 3
3-a MF bully like yaya toure
4-replacement for SD
5-competition for LS/DS
6-a number ten to compete with coutinho.
Howedes just signed a contract extension untill 2017 fingers crossed we go for Sakho
ReplyDeleteExpertly assisted by Carra.
ReplyDeleteWe are 11 points better off than last season when comparing apple to apple (the corresponding fixtures that is).
ReplyDeletethis is pretty much to much money that we would spend here dude. point 4,5 and 6 arent really important if borini gets back we have 3 strikers + maybe big andy (none wants him lol) and thats enough if you think of the youngstars comming back + i can see sterling having an impact next year (well i hope so) and steward downing played really good over the past few months, made some assists and scored a goal yesterday, his working rate is pretty good and i just start to like him, eventho hes absolutely replaceable...
ReplyDeletebut point 1-3 is a must have in summer!
a$$hole
ReplyDeletewhat f"cking progress if we do not get top four and we only get europa league how is that progress no silverwear like last year same comps next,also m8 feel free to use my name if it gets you a few likes because its the only waty you will win any popularity votes
ReplyDeleteyes it was me m8 and i still say his subs were jokes
ReplyDeleteno m8 it dose not matter as long as we beat last seasons position its progress europe dose not count or tropheys
ReplyDeleteJaimie, could you please compare the stats when king kenny was here last season and the current state of affairs under brendan?? In terms of points, league position,etc??
ReplyDeleteOne more fact is that I now enjoy watching Liverpool play fantastic football unlike last season.
seven more points and we beat last seasons total..
ReplyDeleteJason - stop insulting other posters.
ReplyDeleteYep, I can see some progress, even if we didn't cover ourselves with glory in the domestic cups.
ReplyDeleteI hope Suso offers some competition for Coutinho and that Sterling is getting better (your points 4 and 6). While Borini hasn't exactly convinced me so far, given his young age and bad luck with injuries I won't pass my final judgement on him just yet (point 5). Also Yesil and Morgan may have learned a thing or two, yet they both might still be too raw to be real competition for our current attackers.
ReplyDeleteReina has made some high-profile mistakes this season (again), but he still is a very good keeper. We should only replace him if there is someone better available. I think Lloris is a very good keeper, too, but as we've seen yesterday, he, too, makes mistakes. As do most keepers. Not sure whether or not we will find someone who really is better than Reina.
Agree about the centre backs and defensive midfield, though.
Someone else recently did that here: http://live4liverpool.com/2013/02/view-from-the-kop/the-surprise-of-the-season
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed by BR's starting line up! It was really ambitious and gave me a fuzzy feeling lol. It got us that brilliant team goal - totally blew my mind!
ReplyDeleteBR got it right yesterday and I'm so glad for the win.
Concerns though for me: Sturridge was quiet, but I think that was down to a great spurs defence, and our defence was leaky again...
Hopefully we can rectify and play that attacking lineup again against Soton
Since my first comment was removed. I'll try again. What a pleasant change that the author could not find something to whine about this week. It's not my fault you are so miserable and negative.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is probably a little too late to push for a top four finish, I hope the team can continue its good form till end of season. Of course, we would need Agent Benitez's help
ReplyDeletehahaha....Was thinking the exact same thing
ReplyDeleteGood positive article JK, thanks. Think at times we looked a different class yesterday, the build up to Suarez's goal was fantastic. It's funny, everyone was saying how good Sturridge has been (And he has) but he had a quite a poor game and we still managed to get goals and win. Coutinho looks absolute class when he's on the pitch, think he just needs to get a bit more match fitness as he looked shattered before being subbed. Overall a very good win as we managed to stop a very good Spurs team and ended their unbeaten run (Hopefully this sends them on a downward spiral!).
ReplyDeleteMate, your reputation goes before you!
ReplyDeleteCoutinho is not match fit, it was inevitable he would substituted. Secondly, Spurs were controlling the game especially after scoring there second. It does not take a genius or a tactician to realize Liverpool had to regain possession. One of the reasons why Allen was bought in on the 59'm to press on the ball.
ReplyDeleteAll the changes I've mentioned, mobile forward with mobile midfield (getting rid of Charlie Adam) is all down to BR. Dalglish had us playing pedestrian predictable football. BR deserves credit for implementing a style of football.
ReplyDeleteIn the summer I hope we get Diame, Ash Williams & a striker (move Borini on).
I have the same request sm23 has. Please compare these stats to the second half of Kenny's season when Liverpool did so well.
ReplyDeleteWas that last season or when he took over from Roy?
Thank you.
Your deluded. KD hardly progressed in the league last season if not did worst. But the article is not referring to last season its referring to when BR took over the team. Any half whit can see that we have been one of the best teams in 2013 points tally does not lie. That is where we have progressed. Unfortunately JC your talking without getting the point of the article once again. Of course if you refer to Liverpool's rich history anything apart from top 4 is not progress but that's not what JK is talking about.
ReplyDeleteThe article is referring to the league NOT the FA cup final or the League Cup win. Yes we have been crap in domestic cup's but do not confuse yourself with that and the league.
I think the Chelsea match will determine if we finish 4th or 5th. I believe we will finish ahead of Everton and Arsenal. Chelsea is the team we must catch!
ReplyDeleteI note that Steven Gerrard said after the game "the introduction of Joe Allen was key to us winning" In all honesty, (bullsh*ting aside) when you read the post,look at the tables above and simply look at the team on the park,how you don't see progress i find puzzling.You know as well as me not every team can win a trophy every year nor finish top four. I respect other teams are good and have also made progress so can and may finish above LFC. The neighbours under Moyes have IMO made progress this season,and may have nothing to show for it.
ReplyDeleteAgree mate, teams worked us out so easily under KD it was unreal, people may go on about the Carling Cup win but if we're totally honest wit ourselves we were lucky. With an arguably more seasoned squad! Think our football has been immensely improved on last season, every pundit out there has been saying that, even those that don't like us! Next season will be telling though as BR will really have to get us to show genuine intent in the league and cups. I know this has become a bit of a cliche over the last few seasons but this summer is probably going to be one of the most important in our recent history.
ReplyDeleteoh a thought progress was based on success my mistake not finishing aplace or two higher in the league if its not top four were still in the same comps next year with no silverwear
ReplyDeletebut allen should not have been brought on henderson should imo because hes played better than allen consistantly
ReplyDelete4th is a big call, and a bit far fetched imho. Finishing 5th though is more likely, and given that quite a few Liverpool supporters were (and are) banging on about how poor a team we are and will finish mid-table at best, how poor a manager we have and how poor some of our players are, 5th would be quite some achievement. Just imagine where we would be if Rodgers wasn't entirely out of his depth (not that I think he is).
ReplyDeleteand niether have we what if we do not get any european football next season but finish 7th is that progress
ReplyDeleteSo what if we have no silverware this season? Success is not just based on cup wins, that's just the way you're trying to twist things. Progress in the league towards the ultimate goal of getting back into the CL (and ultimately winning the league) is what matters. Who gives a stuff about doing well in the Crapital One Cup?! The money gained from winning (100k) is not enough to justify the risk of injuries/burnout to players.
ReplyDeleteThe FA Cup is always a great competition, and Europa League is decent too, but the league is what matters the most.
Yes, that is progress. Why is getting a Europa League place 'progress'? Using your logic, finishing 8th last season and getting into Europe via the backdoor (League Cup) is preferable to finishing 7th this season and missing out on Europe. I doubt many - if any - LFC fans would agree with that.
ReplyDeleteThe team is performing much better than last season on every level.
so what if we do not get any european football next season hows that progress hows that going to help us streghthen the squad
ReplyDeleteAll of this is not about popularity. At least not for those who have user-names that can't be traced to a particular person.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find very interesting indeed is that some people even thought we made great progress last season, despite being in relegation form for the second half of it (in the league off course).
While I agree with you that winning trophies, even if it's only the not much rated League Cup, is a great thing, do you have any information about the price moneys paid. Is the League Cup worth more than finishing, say, fifth instead of 8th? As a long time supporter winning trophies is very important to me, but we have to face the reality, too. Nowadays it's all about money (income) and finishing higher in the league may well earn more than a League Cup win.
Furthermore, finishing 5th instead of, say 8th, may well sound more attractive to proposed transfer targets, especially from abroad, who may not know much about the League Cup (the FA Cup is widely known, though, as it is the oldest cup competition on the planet).
Jason I heard you blaming Global Warming on FSG, but that another story. The truth is we have progressed as a CLUB. You perhaps are looking at just pure results and league position of the First Team. This view is short sighted and is the number one reason we got overtaken by Manchester United the Club. Please see the big picture. Think about the Club and not just the team. The Club has developed and progressed on the following fronts: Slashed wage bill, new revenue from commercial side, youth team players coming through either to be sold at a profit or used in first team, stadium issue is moving forward, playing style more attractive therefore attracts more fans, playing style being adopted across club. Average age of first team coming down, building for long term. Sometimes a team has to even go forward to go backwards. We have done that over the first half of season, now we seeing the type of football fans want and the results speak for themselves. 3rd in league over 2nd half of season.
ReplyDeleteAs fans we need to be realistic. Yes we have fun so many titles etc But that all in the past it means nothing. We have been overtaken by United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal and now Tottenham. We need to be honest and admit that. We can just say we are Liverpool the Greatest Club in the World if we don't win the league or at least qualify for Europe it is a total disaster. No! That is being totally unrealistic. And frankly that attitude is what has got us into this mess. In order to overtake, or at least stay with your competitors you need to be honest where you are in the race. Only then can you take corrective action. For the last 20 years all we have done is taken reactive measures: Buy new players! That will win us the league. Never ever. Be proactive, looked at our weaknesses, be honest and slowly work at getting us back to the top. Where we all agree: we belong.
Do you really think Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho signed for LFC because of the exciting chance to play in the Europa League? Be serious.
ReplyDeleteThe squad has already improved since last season, and it will improve again in the summer (provided Rodgers doesn't waste money on players who don't fit, i.e Sahin, Borini etc)
Good chart. I feel the most important thing the club has right now is stability. The owners seem like they are on board with Rodgers' strategy. Unfortunately our fate of finishing in the top four isn't in our hands but as long as we show continue to trend upwards top 4 status isn't that far off.
ReplyDeleteno i did not say that about europe as i have said on another thread waiting appoval,infact you say it on the other thread
ReplyDeletedid we win the Europa League last season?
ReplyDeleteBizarrely some fans still believe in fairytales. We aren't the club we used to be on the pitch (playing staff). In terms of global appeal or stature there are few ahead of us but I find it amazing that some people can't see that in terms of structure and football we have made forward strides. People that keep saying, I expect better, it's not good enough, what an outrage, who the F is Brendan Rodgers blah blah friggin blah! This is the 21st Century things have changed and so have our priorities. I have no doubt that by the time the relevant areas on the pitch have been addressed then all our expectations will be back to what they were 20 years ago, until then 'cliche alert' ....Patience.
ReplyDeleteI really hope we can qualify the champions league this season. It could give us the superb boost of confidence towards next season.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it would help not to simply judge progress by league position year on year,unless there is a dramatic change,and not on lesser trophies won.This season Blackburn,Millwall or Wigan will play in the cup final,i can't see that any of these clubs will be judged as having made progress. Progress as l see it is in performance,attitude ,effort.So long as we keep moving forward in terms of results,playing staff etc l see it as progress. Downing,as an example IMO has made progress as a result of the overall confidence building within the club.
ReplyDelete'Sometimes a team has to even go forward to go backwards.'
ReplyDeleteYou mean sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards?
Get a job Jason
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. We are in great form, and now have an outside chance of top 4. To do so we'll have to win at least 7, and maybe even 8 out of our last 9 games. To put that in context, I think this is the first time we've won 3 consecutive games. So, while it's possible, and the fixture list smiles on us, it would be an incredible achievement. Having said all that, I'm an eternal optimist: the next 4 games are very winnable, and the type CL teams should win, so a great chance to build momentum.
ReplyDeleteOur biggest weakness is our defence. Too many errors, especially from crosses. Anyone else noticed that we've conceded 2 goals in every match against Man U, Man C, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton! Somehow against Chelsea we only kept it to 1-1. A few of those games we have drawn. I love the idea of we don't care how many goals they score, as we'll score more. I'd hate to see us become a purely defensive / counter attacking team. But, so many of the goals we have conceded have come from either stupid mistakes or not knowing how to defend crosses. We should be defending them without compromising our style of play. They are simply bad defending.
They've obviously signed for us to get the chance to play in the League Cup.
ReplyDeleteReality proved you wrong as we turned the match after Allen came on. Before that we couldn't keep hold of the ball.
ReplyDeletelook m8 your seriously telling me it was the right sub to make losing a game we need to win it should have been hendo and you can disagree all you like but if we had not got gifted the game the knives would have been out big style for rodgers for not bringing hendo on
ReplyDeleteso your point is what is there going to be a massive change in league position if your not fourth and already in europe you mite as well be 12th still be playing for the same things next season
ReplyDeletedid it bring extra revenue into the club
ReplyDeletesome of ye are blaming the defence for a lot of goals this season and rightly so in some of them but u have to defend from the front(rushie was once described as our best defender!!!)...for spurs opener yesterday,agger and enrique both went to the same player leaving bale free yards away and it was bales cross that led to the goal,sometimes its the little details that can cost u a goal.yes the defence should have cleared the ball but when have u ever seen a centreback pairing win EVERY ball in the air.stop the supply and u negate the danger.all in all a brilliant win against a very good spurs team who were flying up to yesterday.4th is totally unrealistic and the reason why a lot of opposing fans slag us off over our optimism,however,if we keep applying ourselves as we have been then theres no reason why we cant finish on a high.6th will be more likely and that would be a great finish considering the season weve had...ynwa
ReplyDeleteYes, his butt down, legs up defense didn't work so well.
ReplyDeleteGoing by past team perfomances and disregarding managers in charge, I still believe our target is still Spurs rather than Chelsea and also not ignore Arsenal who have had Champions league football for 16 years straight.
ReplyDeleteChelsea and Arsenal have shown in the past they can surge ahead when required while Spurs and Everton have been jittery about closing the deal before when clear favourites.They are also on record as the 2 teams to finish 4th and not be assured of champions League with Everton failing to qualify for the group stages after almost losing their spot due to Liverpool finishing 5th but winning the champions league and Spurs finishing 4th when it was only good for Europa due to Chelsea winning the champions league.Spurs have a pretty tough run in where they have to play a London derby against Fulham, tricky ties against Swansea, Everton, Chelsea and City and throw in Wigan, Sunderland Stoke and Sunderland who are fighting for survival in their last 9 games While we have to contend with Everton and Chelsea who are direct rivals as was the case with Spurs yesterday, It also means we draw closer or away from them when we win. Everton Have to face City, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea as the pick of their ties in the last 10 gamesThe pick of Arsenal's last 10 games are Swansea, West Brom, Everton and United.Chelsea' pick of ties in the last 10 games is also tough as they play Spurs, Liverpool and Swansea consecutively and then throw in United and Everton as the other remaining games. Top is still a toss up but obviously the teams currently occupying the spots do have an advantage but neither those teams would discount lIverpool who are 9 points off 3rd placed Spurs and 7 points off 4th placed Chelsea who do have a game in hand.Liverpool will have to get maximum points and that is a tall order but it is encouraging that 3 wins seperate us from 3rd placed Spurs who we will need to lose games or draw 5, I know am being a bit too optimistic but hey can you blame me
My point is as i've described it above! What don't you get? I see progress as overall performance,attitude,effort, moving forward in terms of results,playing staff etc.In this way LFC have progressed.It can't necessarily be about finishing position i.e. LFC could be a much worse team than last season but finish 3 places higher simply because the opposition has got worse.It doesn't overall make us better.
ReplyDeleteJason, we are very far from being mates, so please stop referring to me as "m8". Thanks you very much.
ReplyDelete"to make losing a game"? Last time I've checked we did not lose at all yesterday.
I have nothing against Henderson at all, great engine and, as I've said last season, might turn out to be a very good player for us one day. What we needed yesterday, as we couldn't keep possession, was a player who's more comfortable with the ball and keeping it. It made perfect sense to bring on Allen. And as I've told you, even though you try not to take notice of it, it worked. We kept the ball better and won the game.
The knives of some knee-jerks might have been out had we lost, but they are out after we've won anyway, aren't they. Wouldn't have made much of a difference then, would it.
You can dislike Rodgers as much as you like, but he clearly knows more about how to manage a football team and of our players (as he watches them train every day) than the two of us put together.
i agree allen didnt do anything of any use when he came on although i saw him give the ball away a few times... he really needs a good season next year otherwise he has to go
ReplyDeleteto be fair if we improve 1 position then it is progress so im willing to give him another year and some more recruitments.... the year that prgress stops or we finish lower he then has to go
ReplyDeletealthough i do like having trophies in the history books u do see trophies not 7th place finishes.... lol im still on the fence yet....
ReplyDeletealso sturridge made an incredible dive at one point yet thats not been mentioned really either i cringed when he went over like that
ReplyDeleteJason Carr, what is your point in supporting this club? Where is Mali341 these days. Now that the club is doing very well under Rodgers he might have decided to become a Chelsea fan to follow the love of his life Rafael Benitez who is now having the chance to ruin Chelsea FC.
ReplyDeleteSo if we win capital cup every season but finished17th, is that progress.
ReplyDeleteAs others have mentioned, the way we play. We have progressed from previous seasons, few more additions in the summer to build the squad will help. Just a pity we didn't get the 2nd striker last summer
I for one am still not convinced by Rodgers yet but to be fair he has at least earnt another 12 months for me, let him try and bring in some of his own defenders, allen and borini have to have very good seasons next year for them to warrant a place in his improving squad... like hendo and downing they now are good squad men so ill give them another 12 months aswell his new defence though are gonna have to hit the ground running although i think enrique is as good as any left back out there at the minute especially going forward... would love to see joao come into the 1st team he looks as good as any youngster we have he really will be a class player maybe give coady a chance as the sub dm and just buy 2 outstanding centrebacks with the budget.... the wage bill is definately better there are some outstanding youth prospects and the team lately has been playing good football.... keep it going rodgers and u'll convince me to follow well see in 12 months hopefully we will be chanting your name amongst our other greats in a few years... heres to a red future
ReplyDeleteThis idea of 3 month tables is nonsense. The league is a 9 month competition, all that matters is where you are on the last day of the season. Liverpool went out of all 3 cup competitions far to early and easily for my liking and no doubt the majority of fans who like to go to Wembley and win some silverware.
ReplyDeleteRodgers has made a lot of mistakes this season with transfers, press conferences and tactics and I pray he has learned from them, but to say he is so far a success is very premature. With every team above us playing in Europe or the FA cup, is it really a surprise that with a one game a week programme that we are looking slightly stronger.
Rodgers needs to be able to get Liverpool FC competing in every competition which will mean playing twice a week all season, not just winning a few games when he has had weeks to prepare and rested all the players.
So what if an seven billionaires buy seven clubs and do exactly what City and Chelsea have done,you must understand that other clubs also strive to progress.You and some others seem to feel we have some god given right to finish in the top four.Football has changed!
ReplyDeleteUsual Kanwar "facts" here. So let's do some better analysis and divide the season of two halves based on results against those in the top 9 down to Swansea, just 5 pts below us, and results against the rest of the league.
ReplyDeleteGames 1-14 we played all the other 8 teams in the top 9, and earned just 4 pts - that's 0.5 pts per game. We earned 12 pts from 6 matches against lower teams - that's 2pts per game.
Games 15-29 we played 6 of the other 8 teams in the top 9 and earned 8 pts - an improvement to 1.33 pts per game. We earned 21 pts from 9 matches against lower teams - that's a slight improvement to 2.33 pts per game.
Given that most of the games under the "progress" period have been against lower teams - teams that we were beating at the start of the season, it doesn't show much real "progress" as Kanwar claims!
Things are improving, but it's certainly NOT undeniable proof. We had "undeniable proof" of progress when we finally won our first game of the season, which was our sixth match. The results show that while we consistently beat lower teams we still struggle against teams we are challenging. And that's a "fact" Kanwar chooses to ignore!
Let's see how the season ends before we proclaim miracles of progress. And then we start all over again next season! We had a miracle of progress once Kenny took over from Hodgson, but it didn't last. Let's hope Rodgers can make progress more permanent!
not in defence, or anywhere really maybe suarez finishing. Dont forget spurs has 55% yesterday (at anfield)
ReplyDeleteWe earned 9 pts from the final nine matches last season, so given the current form we should surpass that total.
ReplyDeleteAnd we only have 2 of the top 9 teams still to play, so surpassing last season's total should be expected!
I'm not very good at expectancy, but yes, we should surpass last year's points total.
ReplyDeleteif we can get a defence that can come to grips with setpieces and a cross we will be in strong position
ReplyDeleteJason doesn't know what he talking about, he in his own world...
ReplyDeletefairy tales m8 that will be you and the rest who still think we have a chance of forth
ReplyDeleteyour righr about one thing and thats the m8s thing
ReplyDeletecheers m8 some people watch different games
ReplyDeleteRodgers has done a good job in my opinion, he brought in a exciting style, scoring more goals.,kept clean sheets, we are 6th now 2 points off 5.. We've got winnable fixtures coming up, so the people who still are slating Rodgers get a grip and get behind the team!!!!
ReplyDeletelol good one another f"cking stalker me thinks ;-0
ReplyDeleteI can't remember us struggling too much against the teams above us this season. Well, we struggled to win against them, but not necessarily because the opposion was so good. Take both Man City games for instance. I thought we were the better side against them. We surely struggled a bit yesterday, but at their place all we lacked was to score as we totally dominated them for much of the game. We struggled a bit at Chelsea, until we'd changed our system. And so on.
ReplyDeleteit did, about 1mil I think, from them anyway, then whatever was made from gate tickets. So prob about 3mil in total. So on that front getting into it is important, but i wonder how much was paid out in bonus`s for playing too.
ReplyDeleteI dont think we need a number 10 to compete with Coutinho, as he rarely plays there, more often he is out on the left, but also Suarez plays that role, so there is your comp, Suarez vs Coutinho for the number 10 role. Replacing SD aint urgent, as he does ok, not great, but not bad either. LS/DS again don`t really NEED any compition, they already have that, sure it might be nice, but it is no way needed. The only ones I would agree that are needed, is the DM and CB, def not 3 though, thats way over the top, this aint fantasy football.
ReplyDeleteIt seems your life is filled with sadness. All you can spout is negativity. Do you have any friends in that pitiful life of yours :-(
ReplyDeletelol and you do you absolute m2ppet yes i do live in my own world its called life not with my head stuck up my a$s in your fantasy land
ReplyDeletedream on m8 if you get to the final with tv and gates more like 40 /50 million
ReplyDeleteJamie I have been critical of your posts before so I would also like to applaud you on what I think is a good one. Progress is never easy as apple when Microsoft had to lend them money. BR has been a little fortunate regarding sturridge and cautinhio but the form of downing can be put down to him. I feel a lot of people have missed Lucas as one of the main points of our team whilst luis will always get the headlines I feel Lucas has put in some very solid displays to the point of making everyone wonder where Allen had gone.
ReplyDeleteSakho and/or Ogbonna and maybe Diame from west ham would be great defensive buys,I know a lot of people dont fancy him but Benteke I honestly think would be a very smart buy,but I doubt Villa would let him go easily or cheaply even if they go down.
ReplyDeleteJason,get into the "normal" world, we are coming up with Rodgers if you don't like it, then go support someone else.
ReplyDeleteplease do not tell me what to do if i wanted your opinion on the real world i would ask you,iv,e lived in the real world all my life not in some rosy tinted gaga land,and who the f"ck are you to tell me to go support someone else,who made you god ,i will leave it at that so the post gets through,because if i say what i really want i will be banned for life so do one
ReplyDeletewe didnt play great yesterday but still managed to beat a very good side that has to be progress we are starting to click and with 2 or 3 additions in the summer and another season under rodgers i can see us really kicking on remember that we dominated manure with 10 men should have beaten city twice and arsenal the last time but for bad individual errrors WERE GETTING THERE we will soon be back where we belong
ReplyDeleteWho does that guy Jason support. Sounds like a manc hahahahaha
ReplyDeleteRun along you child, while your at it learn your spellings, nearly all users on this site think your a Wolley in dreamland.
ReplyDeleteYep, it was the perfect icing on top of the shitty cake that was the rest of his performance yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI'll let him off with the performance since I'm not convinced he was fully fit.
You really do live in the dreamland you accuse others of don't you?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you nget that figure from? Playgroup?
Fulham made £12.5m from getting to the Final. Total. Less bonus and appearance payments to the players.
Porto got £6.8m for WINNING it, due to lesser tv rights.
Getting out of the group stages? £1m. You get that for a single Premier place. Probably more this year with the new deal.
£50m ....
There's a link somewhere to the guy who did similar stats which wasn't JK actually.
ReplyDeleteThge table shows the form teams of the last 15 games and we're above a number of decent clubs, how exactly can that not be progress?
We no longer have aging stars forming the backbone of our team.
We no longer have Joe Cole
We have progressed a number of youth team players to the 1st team
We have reduced our wage bill.
We have stopped losing to bottom half clubs, just to top 6 up till now.
We have, at least for now, a better league position
We have scored lots more goals
We have a striker in the running for the Golden Boot again
Against that, we haven't got to the semis or finals of any cups.
We still overpaid for a couple of players
And we may be out of Europe next year.
I'd say that was progress. We weren't in this position at all over the last few seasons going back to 08/9
Don't think he is.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't imagine he works for the Samaritans though, could you imagine the suicide rate?
Hahahaha, I dread the thought :-D
ReplyDeleteAnd about nothing else? Jason, you are beyond help, if you think that I am wrong about us winning yesterday.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool have a real chance of getting into 4th position, we just have get above Arsenal and Chelski, it always easier said than done, but I would imagine we need to win at least 8 of the remaining games and draw the other; winning them would obviously be better. Arsenal's form has been indifferent that could be said about Chelsea also, but Chelsea certainly have a tough run of games, lets hopes Benitez does us proud
ReplyDeleteIf we do finish in the top four this season then I guess you should come on here and eat humble pie!! Or you still going to hate BR, sounds a bit personal to me. A true fan would support their manager, you sound like a plastic flag waving chelsea fan;)
ReplyDeletelol its easy to get all cleaver on the web
ReplyDeleteno offence m8 but to compare us with them to clubs is stupid
ReplyDeletei will eat humble pie gladly m8 i would love us to get forth ,its just i see the real picture
ReplyDeleteyes m8 i have a life do you,oh yes i forgot dipsy,tinky winky and po in your lala land
ReplyDeleteyour becoming quite a comedian ,shame i liked it better when you was boring ;-)
ReplyDeletewhen i read this i got goose pimples!!!!!
ReplyDeleteour beloved Anfield x
then we'd struggle to compete but that currently isnt the case.... why is it wrong of some fans to expect us to finish at least in the top four we have spent 150million in 2 years al beit rodgers only 50m.... but still 50m in 6 montsh isnt bad considering we havent got billionaire owners
ReplyDeleteagreed will let that performance slide as hes been excellent so far... next match hell be back on it hopefully
ReplyDeleteOh, by your standards getting to domestic cup finals every season is what is seen as progress. I am all for winning trophies, silverware as you quote. However, think about this logically, just because you did not defend the title does not mean the team has not progressed. From what JC says, once you win the trophy you have to win it every season otherwise you would be dropping in progress. Unfortunately football does not work like that.
ReplyDeleteThe league is Liverpool's bread and butter anything above 8th which is what we achieved last season is progress. The only reason why we got a European spot last season was because of our domestic run in cups. FA cup final and winning the league cup. That is the only reason why we got Europe. We should not rely on loop holes to get into Europe but should improve our league standings so that we ensure ourselves as true competitors against other elite European teams.
so if we come 7th or 6th and do not qualify for europe thats an improvement because we came higher in the league oh great i,am sure that will help us when it comes to the summer transfer targets come to anfield and you can leave your passport at home but we improved last season
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that you said 6th & 7th we are two points off 5th place. So there is a greater chance we can get 5th spot it's because you like continuously bitching about failing. 9 games to go, 2 points required, please there is every chance we can get European spot for next season.
ReplyDeleteJason, again you keep miss reading comments. Where did Dionysus or ForceUK talk about 4th spot. Dionysus said being proactive instead of being reactive when competing. Addressing your issues, being realistic only then can you move forward. How is that fairy tales? That's what people have to do in general life and not just in football.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler alert:
Jason Carr's sollution for the future, Kick FSG out and Brendan Rodgers. Hold on, that's not a spoiler. We all know what JC wants, what we don't know is AGAIN how would be become competitors. Oh no JC wont tell us that, it will mean he can't complain and BITCH. Oh gosh that cant happen he wont have nothing to talk about. LMAO.
every chance m8 thats the problem we are lfc and should not be going into the final few games scrapping for a europa place,and it,s obvious you do not like my posts so stop replying to them,
ReplyDeleteYou were happy we won the Carling Cup last season against Cardiff. Did we not scrape though by winning in a penalty shoot out. Is that not double standards. At the end of the day its progress from 8th place no matter if we scrape though. 9 games to its hardly scraping though 2 points behind.
ReplyDeleteAlso did I say to you I dislike your posts. I don't agree with some of your posts but that's a huge difference in opinions. Lastly, Its an open comment section so I can reply to what I want. Oh the "GREAT" CARR has spoken I must follow what he says. PALLLLEASEEE.
I think you just disproved your own post...
ReplyDeleteComparing us? What?
ReplyDeleteOK I'll spell it out .
YOU DON'T GET £40-50M FOR WINNING THE EUROPA LEAGUE.
It seems you plucked that figure out of thin air.
No offence.
Jason, that's the point.
ReplyDeleteBeing negative doesn't make you any more realistic .
Sometimes , you will be right. But realism requires all aspects to be considered, your post history is embarrassingly one sided...
I hope I don't make it out of your envelope because of that though :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's plenty of serious points made, look back on this thread alone. Shame those points are never really answered...
Imagine the scene.
ReplyDeleteWe're trying to get a decently priced superstar, say David Villa, to come to LFC this Summer.
Which would you rather say?
We finished 8th, 17 points off 4th place. We scored 47 goals all season. We lost in the FA Cup final. We did win the Carling Cup though, beating a 2nd tier side on penalties so we will be in the Europa League next season. We think you can make the difference for Champions League placings next season.
OR
We finished 6th just 2 points below 4th place, and lost 5th on goal difference. We scored 62 goals. We won none of the domestic cups, so won't be in Europe at all next season. We think you can make the difference for Champions League placings next season.
This is a serious question guys, it is a representation of what we could say to such a player if this season pans out reasonably well, but no miracles, which some say is no progress and even a disaster, vs if we emulated the last season with a trophy which some say was much more of an achievement.
Which would make Villa more likely to agree to join us?
what a f"cking drainer you are:-)
ReplyDeletegod a thought i had got rid of you,if only i could get rid of my other stalkers now thatwould be progress ;-)
ReplyDeleteiam so stop trying
ReplyDeleteit depends on who you are how much you get
ReplyDeletebecause m8 this season as been an embarresment,apart from the odd game people are talking about our great run at present would that be 3 league wins on the trot,our best all season,
ReplyDeletemaybe its because i dont find your posts interesting there the same as all the others i get ,so i have nothing new to say its only out of manners i reply ,like i said envolepe m8 you would not get in the top 10
ReplyDeleteprobably neither lol
ReplyDeleteHaha you can't spell for the life of you, also you commented on my post, now run along...
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh but that guy talks bubbles, he doesn't even know what he talking about. His mind still in the past. That's why everyone thinks he a joke.
ReplyDeleteCome on Jason, you're one of the people who said that 6th and no trophies is worse than last year, nail your colours to the mast and say which is more likely and see how silly/sensible it looks. Substitute Villa for anybody you like!
ReplyDeleteAhahaha
ReplyDeleteMine are all the same!
Yours are so disparate!!! (look it up)
If mine are the same as the others, and they all say the same thing, then perhaps that's because it's YOU who says the same thing over and over. Hence people tend to respond similarly due to the lack of variety.
Rodgers is rubbish blah blah, FSG have no money blah ablah
We'll never achieve anything blah blah
You're all dreamers I'm a realist blah bl....
you get the picture.
funny,thing is you said I was top 2 only yesterday in your envelopes. (again, look it up. )
y is evry1 victimizin this 1 guy hes right allen is shit henderson is better allen did nothing henderson or even shelvey couldnt do average!
ReplyDeleteEveryone said the same about Henderson last season. What does that say? Patience. Just to rub salt on the wound Allen has been playing with a shoulder injury since October. Hmm what coincidence before October he was man of the match four times. Just show's we don't know everything. Brendan Rodgers believes Allen is a quality player and I believe him after all he knows better than us. Btw you ever played with an injury?
ReplyDeletei commented because like usual you drop my name into your posts and if you would ever like to meet up just get in touch through a face book message cretin
ReplyDeleteYour wrong, mike is right, that's why not much teams take Europa seriously.
ReplyDeletelol victimized cheers m8 ;-)
ReplyDeleteTrying to make him understand is hard work he still doesn't get it, he one track minded, if he doesn't understand the argument he swears its hilarious that a grown man acts like a child.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me another incentive to carry on. I do believe that every human being can be a good one, develope, learn and so on (I don't want to suggest that you are not a good guy or anything else negative. I leave that to others.)
ReplyDeleteit was a bit of fun you asked the question so i answered with a bit of fun,don,t take it so serious you can be were you like on the list,except number 1 he knows who he is but i let him down gently when he inquired lol;-)
ReplyDeleteok you and mike have a chat;-0
ReplyDeletelol go save someone else
ReplyDeleteNo. Where's the task in "saving" someone who wants to be saved.
ReplyDeleteJust stating the obvious, you don't know what your talking about, and why would I meet up with a guy who can't spell for the life of him? Isn't going to benefit me is it? ha ha ;-)
ReplyDeletewhat iam saying is european football will always be a bigger draw even if its the europa league
ReplyDeleteWell obvious progress between first half and second half of season. Progress since last year? Yes in the league, no in the cups. The way we're playing is clear progress from day one. It was obvious.......
ReplyDeleteIn terms of off the pitch issues, transfer signings, wages, contracts, we haven't progressed at all......I like Joe Allen but 15m was too much. Borini also cost too much. Several players are overpaid. Sterling was given too large a contract. Maxi, Kuyt, Bellamy should not have been let go without some sort of replacement. Carroll has been mismanaged, as was Sahin (we paid millions for a few europa games from him). I could go on....
Rafa Come Home and bring some quality players in, just like Alonso, Reina, garcia arbeloa, marcherano Torres not Allen, Borini etc, When you was in charge we got voted the best supported team in Europe under Bodgers it want happen, I miss those CL nights now i have to watch it on LFC Tv
ReplyDeleteHahaha remember these commentsnow look where we are 1 year on ynwa
ReplyDeleteYes, agree. It was clear earlier in the season that LFC were on the right track under Rodgers.
ReplyDelete