Progress

[WillG]

I firmly believe that - under Kenny - we have made leaps and bounds in both our style of play and the direction of the club as a whole this season.

 

However... all I seem to read on here is doom and fecking gloom.

 

Briefly*, I'd like to guage forumites opinions on just the two underlined points...

 

*briefly

[Nebraska Red]

Style of Play. Still a work in progress. Until we have a settled side, It's hard to establish a style of play. What I see is a team that can, and should, be doing better in the league. We have all the parts, but seem unable to put it all together for 90 minutes.

 

 

Direction of the club. On the playing side, see above. Off the field, it's hard to tell. We need to get more bums on seats to compete with the top teams, but we have seen little news about a new stadium or improvements to our current home.There was no investment in January when we desperately needed it, we can only hope that the summer break sees us sell, clear out and buy hopefully strengthening the squad. The handling of the Suarez saga left a lot to be desired.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Nebraska Red

[John am Rhein]

style of play - total irrelevance

winning a trophy - definite progress

achieving the consistency needed to challenge for the european cup, let alone the league - must do better

[Bailo]

Style of play has gone backwards and without the new stadium I don't see how we can progress as a club.

[Leo No.8]

I think this season so far has showed me that Kenny knows how to get a team playing good football. I love what Clarke has done with the defence too. We have been frustrating in front of goal though.

 

It has also shown that the transfer market is a tricky area to negotiate. I think we could have spent FSG's money better but I trust if we get the right players in this summer we will kick on again.

 

Seen people questioning Kenny - not a bit of it for me. I just hope we sign more continental this summer because the value is better, and I think with the right players Kenny will win the title within 3-4 seasons.

 

I think Kenny's tactics are right for English football and this is the big thing. I think he is our best chance of a title without Sheik Mansour type money.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Leo No.8

[Red]

A blind man can see we've progressed, we just haven't progressed enough to take us into the top four, and I think that's where the frustration lies.

[RBM]

Inconsistent.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

A blind man can see we've progressed, we just haven't progressed enough to take us into the top four, and I think that's where the frustration lies.

We're good enough for top four, given that the bar has been set low by Arsenal and Chelsea, but have underachieved in the league this season. Still, the gap isn't unsurmountable as our performances in many of the big games have shown.

[Case]

I think this season so far has showed me that Kenny knows how to get a team playing good football. I love what Clarke has done with the defence too. We have been frustrating in front of goal though.

 

It has also shown that the transfer market is a tricky area to negotiate. I think we could have spent FSG's money better but I trust if we get the right players in this summer we will kick on again.

 

Seen people questioning Kenny - not a bit of it for me. I just hope we sign more continental this summer because the value is better, and I think with the right players Kenny will win the title within 3-4 seasons.

 

I think Kenny's tactics are right for English football and this is the big thing. I think he is our best chance of a title without Sheik Mansour type money.

Spot on.

[Ed the Wool]

I think something that a lot of fans don't take into account is just how much we'd declined until Kenny took over. Rafa had basically had no net investment for 12-18 months. Hodgson had brought his own brand of stinking cluelessness and some relegation level signings. You reap what you sow in football, so essentially we should be having at least two years of struggle.

 

To win a trophy just a year after taking over is nothing short of remarkable.

 

2-3 good signings in the summer and we'll challenge.

[Benzo-13]

Judged by results like football is.

Poor season.

[richwilks]

Our style of play has improved, we're creating chances but we're not scoring goals and that's a massive problem. Defensively we've improved from what we were under Hodgson. There is a serious lack of pace in our attacks though and that needs to be addressed. It's all well and good playing better football but we're not beating teams and that's more important.

 

Off the field it's ridiculous that we haven't moved forward with the stadium after all this time, commercially though we're bringing in the big money sponsorship deals so that's a step in the right direction.

[Boca]

On the direction the club is taking - I really think it's about time the owners made a decision on the stadium. I appreciate they said they would take their time and assess all the options but they've been here almost 18 months now and they still haven't even indicated what direction they're taking, nevermind actually starting some work.

[cymrococh]

Inconsistent.

This is it for me. I can't categorically say that we have made progress (I'm ignoring the Hodgson Anomaly here).

 

We definitely made progress at the end of last season, but the team is so different now that this is a whole new era.

 

A cup is of course progress.

[Kahnee]

On the direction the club is taking - I really think it's about time the owners made a decision on the stadium. I appreciate they said they would take their time and assess all the options but they've been here almost 18 months now and they still haven't even indicated what direction they're taking, nevermind actually starting some work.

 

We don't need them to indicate anything. If they're still looking at options, that's fine. A new stadium is a massive move and could easily be f***ed up (and given what they did with Fenway Park, is in no way a given) so lets go slowly and get it right.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Kahnee

[Boca]

We don't need them to indicate anything. If they're still looking at options, that's fine. A new stadium is a massive move and could easily be f***ed up (and given what they did with Fenway Park, is in no way a given) so lets go slowly and get it right.

 

 

What is a reasonable amount of time to make this type of decision?

[Ed the Wool]

We don't need them to indicate anything. If they're still looking at options, that's fine. A new stadium is a massive move and could easily be f***ed up (and given what they did with Fenway Park, is in no way a given) so lets go slowly and get it right.

 

On the stadium, I get the feeling they hedging trying to stay at Anfield with discussions for naming rights. Not based on anything other than gut, but I think if the money they want isn't there in terms of naming rights, they'll use it to put pressure on the council to stay at Anfield and develop. That's why there's such a delay.

[Chili Palmer]

Inconsistent.

 

I think the GK/defence have been consistant.

 

Midfield has been inconsistant.

 

Forwards have been consistantly poor.

[richwilks]

I think the GK/defence have been consistant.

 

Midfield has been inconsistant.

 

Forwards have been consistantly poor.

 

Someone like Falcoa or Cavani up front with Suarez and we're flying. Never going to attract that level of player without CL football though.

[Martinus]

Style of play is good, however seem to be less consistent now then same stage last season, Kenny seemed to get more from the team we had last year then the one from this. Watching the game against Arsenal I am convinced overall we have a better team than them.

Had we signed a prolific goalscorer we would be in and around 3rd now I am sure. Carroll may come good but if we wanted to finish top 4 this season he was the wrong signing. Downing also was a very poor signing.

[honourablegeorge]

Someone like Falcoa or Cavani up front with Suarez and we're flying. Never going to attract that level of player without CL football though.

 

 

The time to buy Falcao was when we had £35M to spend, and he was willing to move to a non-CL club.

 

Regardless, I think the midfield is a far, far bigger issue. Lucas, fingers crossed, comes back 100%. That leaves us with one good midfielder. Gerrard sort of makes two, but he's wasted centrally, and is well out of form. We're weak centrally and in wide areas, we'll probably move a couple on (Maxi, maybe Kuyt), but Henderson and Adam will still be here.

[richwilks]

The time to buy Falcao was when we had £35M to spend, and he was willing to move to a non-CL club.

 

Regardless, I think the midfield is a far, far bigger issue. Lucas, fingers crossed, comes back 100%. That leaves us with one good midfielder. Gerrard sort of makes two, but he's wasted centrally, and is well out of form. We're weak centrally and in wide areas, we'll probably move a couple on (Maxi, maybe Kuyt), but Henderson and Adam will still be here.

 

Agree with all that. We still need 3 top players, one in midfield, another on the wing and a top top striker. We're not that far away, we just need more quality to break down opposition.

[honourablegeorge]

Agree with all that. We still need 3 top players, one in midfield, another on the wing and a top top striker. We're not that far away, we just need more quality to break down opposition.

 

If I had a pound for every time we've needed "three top players".....not sure three is quite enough.

 

We do genuinely have a bit of depth now - Full backs sorted, central defence pretty good (Coates ahead of Carra for me), happy with Adam and Henderson on the fringes (like to think Henderson will push for a start in time), and adding a goalscorer to Suarez, Carroll and Bellamy makes us solid up front. If Kuyt and Maxi go (I think Maxi definitely will, Kuyt if we get a decent offer, would prefer to keep him tbh), that really only leaves Downing in the wide areas, can't expect a huge amount of games from Bellamy, Henderson isn't a right sider, and while you might ease the likes of Sterling into some games, you again can't expect too much. Two players in there, for me. Plus one central of big quality, and a forward/striker.

[richwilks]

If I had a pound for every time we've needed "three top players".....not sure three is quite enough.

 

We do genuinely have a bit of depth now - Full backs sorted, central defence pretty good (Coates ahead of Carra for me), happy with Adam and Henderson on the fringes (like to think Henderson will push for a start in time), and adding a goalscorer to Suarez, Carroll and Bellamy makes us solid up front. If Kuyt and Maxi go (I think Maxi definitely will, Kuyt if we get a decent offer, would prefer to keep him tbh), that really only leaves Downing in the wide areas, can't expect a huge amount of games from Bellamy, Henderson isn't a right sider, and while you might ease the likes of Sterling into some games, you again can't expect too much. Two players in there, for me. Plus one central of big quality, and a forward/striker.

 

I'm happy with the defence now, we've got good cover at full back and centre back. I'm pretty happy with Bellamy and Downing on the left but we need someone on the right hand side as it's a major weakness. Someone in alongside Lucas and a top striker. In an ideal world then adding a top left winger would be great but I think between them Bellamy and Downing do a good job on the left.

[Kahnee]

What is a reasonable amount of time to make this type of decision?

 

What's unreasonable? Why is it our problem if it isn't hampering investment in the team? It's not like we can look at results against Norwich, Swansea or Arsenal and say 'we would have won those in a new stadium'

 

On the stadium, I get the feeling they hedging trying to stay at Anfield with discussions for naming rights. Not based on anything other than gut, but I think if the money they want isn't there in terms of naming rights, they'll use it to put pressure on the council to stay at Anfield and develop. That's why there's such a delay.

 

Think you could be right. Also think, on the naming rights front, the club is going to tread very carefully and devise a way of selling it to fans in the most palatable fashion possible