38 Premier League games ago, if you had even suggested the possibility of Liverpool finishing outside the top four I would have probably laughed so very hard in your face, then suggested you seek medical help.
Yet here we are, and for the third successive season might I add.
Bad signings, poor tactics, inconsistent form, all of these to me are not the real reason we ended up where we did.
As immature and technically un-brilliant as it may sound, in my opinion, it was all down to rotten luck. Don’t believe me? I’ll give you FIVE major reasons that back up my point:
1. Steven Gerrard: Our charismatic and talismanic captain is side-lined from the get go and suffers more injury worries throughout the season. Hindrances that never really allow him to hit top form
2. Lucas Leiva: A man many suggested and predicted would be influential in our campaign is struck by an unlucky, serious injury and unavailable for the rest of the season.
3. Luis Suarez: Our new golden boy and attacking spearhead is handed an 8-match ban for the alleged racial abuse of Patrice Evra. With this, turmoil ensued. Without him, we struggled to maintain our attacking verve.
4. Charlie Adam: A growing influence in a lack-lustre midfield is also lost to injury and kisses the rest of the season goodbye at a crucial time of the season leaving us short in this vital area.
5. The woodwork: By far the greatest villain in a season that we could have potentially done so much more in if it didn’t keep getting in the way. How many points were dropped/lost due to the frame of the goal?
These to me were defining points in our season and key factors in us ending up 4 places shy of a Champions League spot. Not to say the tactics and starting XI weren’t wrong at times or that we didn’t play absolutely disappointing football in some games but looking back, they rarely were and we rarely did.
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I know there’s no excuse for a club as big as this, that’s why I’m not making any. King Kenny certainly didn’t either. All he done, sometimes to the displeasure of some LFC die-hards; was to point out the subtle development and growth of the squad, pin-point flaws in our game and player mentality and work towards game-plans that could counter-act them. Contrary to what others may have thought, I really believe we should have given King Kenny another half season at least. His most discredited signing, Andy Carrol, has steadily built up form and has been impressive towards the end of the season, with his stellar performance off the bench in the F.A Cup Final undoubtedly the highlight.
Long story short, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with our team, reaching the Carling and F.A Cup final’s proved that; there’s just something missing. Whether we’ll find it in the incoming new manager, a signing of Suarez’ quality this summer, a training session, formation and role switch, or even a friendly match is beyond my knowledge but I’m pretty sure that when we find that spark that gets teams like Manchester City 2 goals in stoppage time, there will be a lot of silverware to follow. Keep the faith.
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I have watched Liverpool for over 50 years and I have never known us to play so well in so many games and get nothing or only a point out of it, I rekon our play deserved a minumum of 23 points more than we got, not counting terrible decisions like the blatant sending off (not given)in our first home game, My point is the Americans would know nothing of this and look at bare facts, I do not trust John Henry I think He is underhanded and sly, not our type.
Good piece. I agree with a lot of what you’ve said. There’s no way Kenny should’ve been sacked, it doesn’t make sense. That’s what you get when you’ve got foreign owners with no feel for the game/club making decisions from ivory towers 1000s of miles away. Sad and frustrating!
PS dont get Me wrong I can understand if they sacked Daglish (wrongly in My view) but the way it was done was awful, belittling and degrading and it does not say ruthless to Me but crass, undignified ignorance.
Kenny didnt have the backroom staff to take the team forward, our coaches including Keen and Clarke couldnt organise the team or improve us technically, Sammy Lee should have stayed and Ayesteran should also have been appointed last summer to compliment Kenny. Its gonna be a case of ‘what could have been’. Incredibly sad time for the club. FSG should sell up and go, I’m not impressed.