one of the best seasons for years

[Nebraska Red]

we are getting better and we will continue to improve as the Manager brings in new players and disposes of some we don't need.

 

had we got off to a decent start this season, we would be in the mix right now.

 

as I see it, we are one of 4 teams that have a chance of winning silverware in the forseeable future. what we need is cash and lots of it. we have to be able to get the best players and we need to get into a stadium that will hold 55-60 thousand for the big games.

 

the Premier League will become as poor as Italy/ Spain and France if there are no changes to how the game is operated. We will see a few teams get close to the top 4 but they will fall away as the season draws to a close.

[Guest snez1]

The improvement has been excellent. Robbie's arrival subsequent recent form has shown that if we had a top poacher at the club all season we'd be ahead of the mancs. Hee must have had 10 chances since his return and he's put 7 in the back of the net. The last 2 games (and Charlton should have) have finished 1-0 because we have a poacher now rather than the 0-0's against the likes of Spurs and Boro earlier in the year.

 

We have a decent points tally and there is still easily room for improvement next season which bodes well.

[Romario]

I cant wait to see who we sign this summer. I still think ManU have the upper hand on us ever so slightly considering the injuries they've had and our luck finally with injuries.

8 wins in a row again. Absolutly brilliant.

[Fagan]

I cant wait to see who we sign this summer. I still think ManU have the upper hand on us ever so slightly considering the injuries they've had and our luck finally with injuries.

8 wins in a row again. Absolutly brilliant.

 

 

they have the upper hand up front, but midfield, defense and keeper we do

 

i honestly think that finding a player to bang in goals is easier than finding a solid midfield or defence and thats why i think we'll have the advantage over them next season

[Ombudsam]

enough points to win the league a lot of times - yet still in third

 

so are we getting better - or or we just holding on in a group of clubs that are ahead of the rest - with the gap between the top teams and the rest getting bigger each year?

 

that hasn't really been a league challenging score since the mancs kicked up a notch at the start of this millenium.

 

We are deffo improving. I think there will be a top 4 next season that could be set to dominate for a while. Spurs could break in on a permanent basis (they'll be 4th this season in all fairness) and if newcy can ever sort themselves out then they'll make it a top six. It's gonna take something a bit special to break that.

[monkey puzzle]

was mulling over that today

 

without doubt this has been a v enjoyable season, despite the possibility of no domestic trophies.

 

we have made massive strides this season

 

just hark back to last season and our horrendous away form, and we've more than halved the gap the chelski

 

we are now the 2nd best team in england, soon to be first i firmly believe

 

our squad has improved so much since last season, it can only get better next season

 

The league table never lies, I hate to say it but credit where credit is due. We've been superb this season but you can't just dismiss some team that finished above you.

 

Give Rafa a good summer though and I think we could win this thing.....

[Guest Pinto]

I remember when Houllier took over, he said something along the lines of "You need avarage of 2 pts per game to be there or therabouts challenging for the title". We´ve done that now, and not really close to challenging. Times have changed in those few years, you could lose up to 6-7 games and still win the title. But the bar has been raised, and we just need to deal with it, and do better next year.

 

Like Riise said, the game next weekend will decide if this was a good or very good season for us.

[Spike]

Agree with that Pinto. But from a fan's perspective, not a player's, I'd be content with topping our difficult (though not on paper) CL group, an FA semi, and 3rd. Backs up what Rafa said about bulking up the squad to challenge on more than one front but pinpoints that we need those quality players who can make that none to subtle difference.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

Next season will be very interesting if Man Ure get a decent center midfield player.

[stressederic]

I remember when Houllier took over, he said something along the lines of "You need avarage of 2 pts per game to be there or therabouts challenging for the title". We´ve done that now, and not really close to challenging. Times have changed in those few years, you could lose up to 6-7 games and still win the title. But the bar has been raised, and we just need to deal with it, and do better next year.

 

Like Riise said, the game next weekend will decide if this was a good or very good season for us.

 

I agree, excellent points.

 

In the past, its always been a case of beating the teams at the bottom to win the league, it's where we always fell down as opposed to United, Arsenal and recently Chelsea.

 

From next season onwards, and in a lot of respects this seaspn to, I think being able to take 3 points of your rivals is going to become a lot more important. In recent years taking a draw from the teams at the top was acceptable, essentially avoiding defeat was the key, but now I think thats going to change. Us, United and Chelsea are all capable, and have shown, we can beat the lower league teams, there will always be slip ups obviously, Charlton and Fulham for us, Blackburn and Boro for United, and Boro again for Chelsea. Although United's record against teams at the bottom is whats cost them the Championship this year.

 

However its the records against the teams around the top 4 thats been more telling.

 

In games against the big rivals, we've lost both to Chelsea, taken a point off United and lost a game, and took 3 points from a possible 6 from Arsenal - 4 points from a possible 18.

 

United took 4 from us, 4 from Arsenal and 3 so far from Chelsea - 11 points from a possible 15.

 

Chelsea took 6 from us, 6 from arsenal and lost their game against United. - 12 points from a possible 15.

 

We've not been good enough against our rivals, whilst United and Chelsea have done the business, but United's failings against other teams are whats cost them.

 

I think whomever can keep up (or in United's case improve on) their record against the rest, whilst taking 4 points off all their rivals next season will clinch. Ok that sounds mind numbingly simple, of course whoever wins all their games will win it. What I mean is, if we have to lose games next season, they absolutely cannot be against our rivals, and we have to start beating Chelsea in the league if we're to take the title. Chelsea may be stuffed full of overpaid mercenaries, but their mercenaries who usually take a point on a bad day, and have a good record in the big league games. On our bad days we get beaten by Fulham and CHarlton, or switch off for half an hour and get dicked by Chelsea.

 

Thats what needs to be improved upon over the Summer. If we're to win the league a bad day for us has to be only getting a point.

 

Will we win the title next season? I don't know, but I think when Rafa's done over the summer and he adds to what we have already, we're going to give it the best shot we've had in years.

 

I think the Semi Final is going to be a hugely important game for us, not just because of the prize on offer, but because we have to show we can score against and beat Chelsea already. yes we did it in the European CUp Semi Final, but in both our league games this season, its not been great. A lot of us, myself included, made a lot of the fact that Rafa knew how to beat Mourinho, but thats not really been in evidence in our games this season, so knows the time to show the sum of our collected knowledge.

[Fagan]

The league table never lies, I hate to say it but credit where credit is due. We've been superb this season but you can't just dismiss some team that finished above you.

 

Give Rafa a good summer though and I think we could win this thing.....

 

 

its not over yet!

Edited April 17, 2006 by Afgan

[Maldini]

How many points did Rafa get in his his 3 seasons at Valencia? Could this be his most successful league season yet (in terms of points)

[_00_deathscar]

Think he hit 78 in his last.

[madaboutlfc]

The league table never lies, I hate to say it but credit where credit is due. We've been superb this season but you can't just dismiss some team that finished above you.

 

Give Rafa a good summer though and I think we could win this thing.....

well the league table does not lie but for us this season there were extenuating circumstances.. we had to play a lot of extra games and anyone who has been round the world knows that jetlag does affect physically.. besides that the mancs failed to go further in either the FA or European Cup and only took Carling cup seriously after it was their last hope of silverware.. our only weakness is a cutting edge up front.. The squad has improved significantly as well even though we have not spent a lot.. The improvement in terms of league points is great and our aim was to break into to the top3 which we have achieved with a few games to spare.. A title challenge was just not on with the frustrations in the transfer market and the start of the season where we just had too many draws after dominating games.. We also failed to do well against our rivals and lot has to do with the failure to take our chances after controlling games.. This could be a very good season if we finish 2nd and win the FA Cup.. The greatest achievement for the team has to be the fact we are able to get on a run of games like we have been on which was missing since 2002.. I guess next season could be the one when the 19th one arrives..

 

How many points did Rafa get in his his 3 seasons at Valencia? Could this be his most successful league season yet (in terms of points)

2001/02 | 75 ( Champions with +24 goal difference)

2002/03 | 60 (5th with a +21 goal difference, Madrid had 78 points)

2003/04 | 77 ( Champions with a +44 goal difference)

 

This could well be the best season in terms of points.. however our league is poorer and i guess one team having spent 245 in 2-3 seasons doesnt help

[Maldini]

however our league is poorer

huh?

[madaboutlfc]

huh?

well if you see the point difference between the top and bottom teams theres a bigger gap..

[Guest hagis]

Games like Bolton and Blackburn where we have got 1-0 wins were the sort of games we weren't scoring in last year and dropping points. Whilst I'd prefer to be winning by a greater margin, it's games like that which make the difference.

[Magic8Ball]

we need to win the FA cup for it to be one of the best seasons in ages

[Guest hagis]

The FA Cup would round the season off nicely. I hope to god we can beat the Chavs next week. I think it's a safe bet to say that the winner of the LFC - Chavs match next week will go on to win the cup.

[owenthomas]

..one of the best seasons since last season surely??..

[_00_deathscar]

And the season before that too when we limped into fourth. Don't forget that season...

 

The only REALLY good season we've had in the last 5 years was the 80-point season.

[Gomez]

The league table never lies, I hate to say it but credit where credit is due. We've been superb this season but you can't just dismiss some team that finished above you.

 

Tired old cliche. The league table does lie, Everton and Ipswich proved that, or are you saying that Everton were actually better team than us last season?

The problem is, the league is not the only competition and man u have benefitted greatly from playing one match a week for the last couple of months and solely concentrating on the league. We gone further than them in both Europe and the FA cup, as well as having extra matches and lots of rescheduled league matches to cope with japan etc, and never mind the pre-qualifiers.

 

Despite all of that, they are only 3 points ahead. We are the better team, whether they eventually finish above us or not.

[£440,000]

I agree, excellent points.

 

However its the records against the teams around the top 4 thats been more telling.

 

In games against the big rivals, we've lost both to Chelsea, taken a point off United and lost a game, and took 3 points from a possible 6 from Arsenal - 4 points from a possible 18.

 

United took 4 from us, 4 from Arsenal and 3 so far from Chelsea - 11 points from a possible 15.

 

Chelsea took 6 from us, 6 from arsenal and lost their game against United. - 12 points from a possible 15.

 

We've not been good enough against our rivals, whilst United and Chelsea have done the business, but United's failings against other teams are whats cost them.

 

 

 

Was thinking much the same thing over the weekend. If you remove the games against Chelsea and United from our record and do the equivalent with theirs then we've done better than United and we're only just behind Chelsea. Under Ged we often did well in the equivalent games of the time (United and Arsenal), but suffered against the supposedly lesser teams.

 

I don't think that's really worth dwelling on though as our improvement in areas where we suffered last season has been massive. Our away record has been immense this season compared to last. We've also done much better at home. Not throwing games away like we did on occasion last year. Rafa's addressed last season's problems and hopefully now he'll do the same with this season's, admittedly lesser, problems.

[Maldini]

well if you see the point difference between the top and bottom teams theres a bigger gap..

Don't think that's really a good indication of the strength of a league.

[Bootle Buck]

The work rate is phenomenal all around the pitch. Our attackers close down and our midfielders and defenders are a solid unit, no matter who plays. With a little more speed and creativity we will be tough to beat next year too.