Liverpool 2010/11 Season Thread

[ExtremePabs]

I must confess for me Paul Koncheskey wearing a Liverpool shirt for me was a disgraceful moment in football, he is useless. I never thought I'd see the day someone of such poor quality at the tail end of their career would actually be bought by Liverpool. Hope he goes when Hodgson goes!

Not quite sure on Poulson either yet either but it doesn't look good so far.

[SharkSkin-Man]

Taken from Paul Tomkins' blog:

Roy?s Mistakes?

? Calling the players who lost in the Carling Cup the ?B team?, and blaming it all on them.

This is the most surprising one for me.
I thought that Roy was coming in to sort out the dressing room that Rafa had 'lost' and was going to put an arm around the players and do some man-management (cringe).

But instead we have the most awful buck-passing nonsense I think I've ever heard from a Liverpool manager. I'm sure the players, especially the inexperienced ones like Shelvey loved being refered to as 'B' players and being blamed exclusively for the defeat.

[SharkSkin-Man]

Not quite sure on Poulson either yet either but it doesn't look good so far.

He's been worse than Konchesky for me.
Other than a full-on nightmare against United, Paul hasn't actually been as hopeless as I'd feared.

Poulsen looks absolutely ****ing bewildered by the Premier League, he is a million miles off the pace (look where he is for the second goal on Sunday). I thought he looked a decent player at Sevilla, but it looks like his legs have gone.

[Hombre]

An interesting article to appreciate what Rafa tries to achieve:

http://timhi.wordpress.com/2010/09/0...ho-to-benitez/

Interesting indeed, thanks for posting that.

[Hombre]

Continuation of that article...

Biggest Error

And the biggest one of all: taking a team with players suited to pressing and rather than working with what he had, trying to reverse it. If anything was broken under Ben?tez, it was his relationship with Carragher and Gerrard, and one or two less-influential players.

The tactics were not the issue (look at how they were often successfully deployed at the World Cup) and maybe now people are seeing that.

Liverpool pressed high and hard ? and fast from the start ? and it suited Torres, Kuyt and Gerrard. It made it easier to create chances, because errors were forced. It gave the game some energy.

It now suits Samuel Eto?o at Inter: ?With Mourinho we played on the counter-attack, with Ben?tez we press more and that?s better for us forwards because we win back the ball higher up the pitch and create more chances.?

Eto?o has 11 goals already this season, after just 16 last time. Torres has ? one.

Last season I noted that Rafa was the only manager to get more than an average amount of goals from Torres. At the time, I wasn?t sure if it was just coincidence, or maybe due to the very detailed and specific advice Rafa gave him (which Torres said was incredible). Now, I?m starting to think it was mostly tactical.

Torres? goal record in Spain was not the best; consistent, yes, but never above 13 from open play in a season (in one year he scored six additional goals from the spot). For Spain, it?s a decent international record, but not outstanding. (Spain also press, but they often delay the final pass; Torres needs the ball earlier.)

For Torres under Hodgson, it?s ? one goal in nine games.

Now, he hasn?t been 100% fit. And it?s early days. But he wasn?t fully fit for large parts of the previous two seasons. And he still got 14 in 24, and 18 in 22, in those two Premier League campaigns. Often he was coming back from injury, but rarely did he look this out of sorts. Rarely was he so starved of service, so isolated; an island within Anfield.

Perhaps the new style of play doesn?t suit him? He?ll always be a great striker ? pace, power, eye for all types of goal ? but the tactics were always tailored to his strengths. Now it seems tailored to the strengths of Bobby Zamora.

Now, if Roy wants to change the team?s entire style, that?s down to him. But it can be argued that it makes more sense to work with what he has (or for the club to employ someone to do so), in a way that suits the players, than force his ideas onto them; especially as he doesn?t have the money to buy those who?d fit better into his system. (Not being funny, but right now, Emile Heskey would probably be better at what Torres is being asked to do.)

The style ? which Hodgson has made clear he?s carried with him for 35 years ? is being forced onto the players. If it works, great. If it doesn?t? Buck. Stops. There.

The next few weeks are vital in the future of the club, and so any decision can wait until that is resolved, and until after the Everton game. Win that game, and Roy might have a chance of taking his ideas into a new regime (if one finally arrives).

[paul]

I must confess for me Paul Koncheskey wearing a Liverpool shirt for me was a disgraceful moment in football, he is useless. I never thought I'd see the day someone of such poor quality at the tail end of their career would actually be bought by Liverpool. Hope he goes when Hodgson goes!

Not quite sure on Poulson either yet either but it doesn't look good so far.

You obviously ever had to endure the signings of Julian Dicks, Neil Ruddock, Paul Stewart, Istvan Kozma.

[paul]

This is the most surprising one for me.
I thought that Roy was coming in to sort out the dressing room that Rafa had 'lost' and was going to put an arm around the players and do some man-management (cringe).

But instead we have the most awful buck-passing nonsense I think I've ever heard from a Liverpool manager. I'm sure the players, especially the inexperienced ones like Shelvey loved being refered to as 'B' players and being blamed exclusively for the defeat.

He clearly has no time for the squad game. I've heard he's pretty much a first 11 type of manager. If that's the case, he's completely completely out of touch with the demands of the modern game, that demands that the squad is embraced and valued.

Also, can't believe Poulson gets in ahead of Lucas, who for me is the consumate professional. Does the job asked of him, even though he's rarely been allowed to play in the same way he did at Gremio. Way to alienate your other 14 players...

[Hombre]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/03/rafael-benitez-liverpool

[Scythe]

From what I've seen Konchesky has been more impressive than Poulsen by some margin.

I would love a full account of the behind the scenes goings on from Rafa in the future.

[ExtremePabs]

You obviously ever had to endure the signings of Julian Dicks, Neil Ruddock, Paul Stewart, Istvan Kozma.

As it happens I did and the all look like Zidane compared to Konchesky who IMHO is one of the worst footballers I have ever seen. I don't blame him its totally Hodgsons fault he should never have been bought as he is not a Liverpool player.

Someone else said Poulsons legs have gone and I think they may be right there.

This guy should not be managing Liverpool he just doesn't get it, whether we win or lose at Everton I hope we get shot of him quick.

[Scythe]

Quoted from another forum:

People used to say Xabi was Rafa's 'brains' on the pitch and I think Poulsen is Hodgson's as he is slow, confused and doesn't know what he is meant to be doing.

[Team Andromeda]

Rafa isn't to blame.

He brought in Torres, Alonso, Reina, Mascherano & Agger. Yes, he annoyed Xabi by trying to sell him 2 years ago but everybody seems to forget he had a rotten season that year. Juve wouldnt even pay ?14m for him so he stayed and had his best season ever but nobody has a crystal ball to have seen that coming.

Its his side you're left with, that's why you're so averaged. What about the other 70 players Rafa brought in ?... You know the likes of Lucas, Josemi, Morientes, Barragan, Paletta, Pacheco, Pennant, Babel, Dossena, Aquilani, Voronin (lol) and a rest of a sorry bunch

Don't give the Bull about no money to spent when you spent hundreds of millions by Rafa alone .

Liverpool fans always go on about Arsenal wage bill, the amount of of Money Man Utd and Chelsea spend, where you're getting those facts and figures from ?,. It's always wrong when it comes to Liverpool, but somehow ok for the other Teams in the Premiership
I feel sorry for Roy, he's inherited complete **** and a mess of a Club from Top to Bottom . Sure its beyond him, but so it would be for most people

[Adrock]

I read that article on Benitez changing Inter then read the dissection of Liverpool's tactical approach against Man City in the recent thumping. Its fair to say the guy is pretty much spot on.

Basically, Liverpool are far far too stringent in their tactical approach now. The system is the system and Hodgson wont be sway from playing that way. I'm surprised Jovanovic hasn't been given a chance up top yet, he is big and can win things in the air and has a bit of pace. Surely he is what Hodgson wants right now up top? Granted he isn't a target man ala Zamora but he is more suited to the task when compared to Torres.

The more I read this thread and recent articles the more I'm becoming depressed by the situation at Liverpool. I would, in all honesty, prefer to watch a Liverpool team trying to play football and get relegated as opposed to the crap I'm sitting through now. If that means Dalglish for a season or so then I'm more than willing to take that.

I'm surprised the big mouths of Gerrard and Carragher haven't mentioned to Woy the problem in his current system. I would also like to think Sammy Lee could have a quiet word about how to play the game, especially considering he has been around the club for so long.

[SharkSkin-Man]

TA, you seem to be making the same mistake a lot of people have been so far in the thread recently.

A lot of people seem to be arguing against a point that nobody has actually made.

You are blaming Rafa for leaving an average squad. Fair enough if that is your opinion (even if you back it up by listing a load of players, most of whom have long since gone).

However, the issue at the moment with Liverpool is that they are in the bottom 3.
Being in the bottom 3 is not average.
Being in the bottom 3 is terrible.

The current side is perfoming way below what one would expect even from an average squad. That is the issue at hand, nothing else.

[Adrock]

Its his side you're left with, that's why you're so averaged. What about the other 70 players Rafa brought in ?... You know the likes of Lucas, Josemi, Morientes, Barragan, Paletta, Pacheco, Pennant, Babel, Dossena, Aquilani, Voronin (lol) and a rest of a sorry bunch

Don't give the Bull about no money to spent when you spent hundreds of millions by Rafa alone .

Liverpool fans always go on about Arsenal wage bill, the amount of of Money Man Utd and Chelsea spend, where you're getting those facts and figures from ?,. It's always wrong when it comes to Liverpool, but somehow ok for the other Teams in the Premiership
I feel sorry for Roy, he's inherited complete **** and a mess of a Club from Top to Bottom . Sure its beyond him, but so it would be for most people

Lucas, cheap but worth of a place in the squad for sure
Josemi, part of a swap deal
Morientes, part of a swap
Barragan, young prospect/cheap
Paletta, young prospect/cheap
Pacheco, young prospect who seems to be doing quite well at the moment
Pennant, a cheap gamble
Voronin, free transfer
Babel, never progressed
Dossena, cheap and poor
Aquilani, never given a chance but looked quite good near the end of the season

For a team who are supposed to be challenging for the Premier League you've pointed out players who were all cheaper than £10mil apart from Babel and Aquilani. Now, when you look at the spending on the kinds of players United and Chelsea now have on their bench you'll understand why the club are behind. I have chosen United and Chelsea because they are by far and above the two most consistent teams in the league, with Man City now maybe making a challenge.

Yes, Livepool spent money but they spent money on lots of inviduals who they had to take gambles on because they couldn't afford the finished article. I remember Liverpool being linked with Simao, Dani Alves and Jovetic. The kinds of players who would improve Liverpool, the deals were always too expensive though. The club also recouped a lot of the money they spent by selling players.

As Sharky has pointed out again though, that still does not excuse the current position of the club. the squad right now is never a relegation battling team. I would say its as far away from winning the league as it is from being relegated, in other words mid table or there abouts is where the club should be realistically aiming.