LIVERPOOL now sit proudly near the top of the Premier League – second only to Arsenal, due to an inferior ‘goals scored’ record – going into yet another international break.
With 7 games gone, the Reds are one of the real form teams in the division and with the return of Luis Suarez appear capable of hitting even greater heights.
The most remarkable aspect of the season so far is that Liverpool have yet to even scratch the surface in matching the levels of performances we should expect from a talented group of player, or even the level of performance we saw in the final few months of last season.
Following the game against Crystal Palace on Saturday Brendan Rodgers spoke to BBC Sport, saying:
“We haven’t hit anywhere near the level, performance-wise, that we want to”, he continued. “But we have shown we can win games even when we don’t play at our best.”
Rodgers, of course, was referring to Liverpool’s near-pathological inability to carry a great performance on into the second-half of most games. Against Sunderland last weekend, the Reds managed to come very close to slipping to a draw after bossing the first half, needing to rely on a late Luis Suarez goal to ensure the 3 points.
Again on Saturday, it was lucky that the first half was as emphatic as it was, as if the Reds had gone in with 1 or 2 goals at half time, then Palace’s goal may well have led to a resumption of panic-stations amongst the team.
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But there is little to justifiably complain about while the team sits on 16 points from 21, knowing that the best is most definitely yet to come.
As Rodgers said: “It’s not enough to just win games, for me, I’m very much someone who worries about playing well”, and with that in mind it’s promising to know that the current level of performances are only at between 65-75% of what we can expect once we have a fully-fit squad and that can only improve our goals return and, subsequently, our results.
Key to any of this of course, is the fitness, availability and form of Liverpool’s incredible ‘SAS’: Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez and when those two are in form, even a poor performance from the team should result in a goal or two and it’s players – and partnerships – like that are what can become the difference between a good season and, whisper it, a title-winning season
Talking about his dynamic front-pairing the manager said:
“They are both nine-and-a-halves in terms of how they can get in between defenders, and can drop in short or go long.
“They were exceptional today. In the first half in particular, some of their combination play and their link-up was outstanding and they are right up there with the best in this league.”
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Coutinho & Johnson will help with the increase in performance with his new system.
Need some quality back up if to be successful longer term. Moses is not a number 10. Kelly needs a chance, not sure about Cissokho but has only been one game.
Looking good for a definite top 4 finish. YNWA.
Unless I’m mistaken all the above is a deluded comment, wouldn’t you agree FSG & BR haters?
You are a deluded child aaron
Sensible comments scare you Liam?
Surprised you could spell deluded, although your parents probably bought you a smart phone. Lucky you, now off to bed and turn the light out.
deluded…. I like this new and very original infantile insult, must remember it. Thanks Liam
Up rodgers mehn. He’s building d kind of team dat every player in d world want to play in. Ride on, we gat ur back. YNWA 4 life
I still don’t like the way Suarez pushes and forces game even when it seems obvious that slowing the rate of seeking 4 goals is the best option he still dribble and dribble thus losing possession easily thats is why I sometimes thinks he is making us too predictable and looks like wanting to overachieve for himself that is (SELFISH)
I think there’s great potential in this team. We’re not playing too well in the 2nd half of games, if we rectify this and get Coutino and Johnson back and keep the 3 at the back system, i think we’ll do really well this season………..
If FSG is smart enough, this is the year LFC has clear chance for title. Not because LFC has suddenly improved a lot but the usual top teams are struggling with new managers and players.
Listen FSG, LFC need your money for the title challenge !!!
Now LFC has the best strikers in the league, just need a third credible striker and a playmaker. Also, our keeper keeps conceding in every match. Just a concern when LFC vs stronger teams with better strike forces.
Our first three matches were won one – nil ‘our keeper’ saved the penalty in the first of those!!!
But leaked in every match since then !!! Even vs Sunderland/C Palace !!! You can’t be like that if you wanted to finish top4 or challenging the title !!!
You can’t keep clean sheets all the time, not even Arsenal’s invincibles did that.
Currently I’m happy with three clean sheets in seven.
You should not look for perfection, it can’t be found. However, the next best thing will do 😉
Yes you can keep clean sheets just like Pepe Reina did.
Aaron be quiet . You havent a clue what your talking about
Please, sign honda and even mata, play kelly. Play moses on the flank when coutinho is back and the title will be at anfield come the end of the season!
Mata will definitely be a great addition to the Liverpool team.
Allaboutanfield
Do inform us in which season Reina kept seven clean sheets in the first seven games?
Dennis
Do you live in the real world?
Please point out, for those of us not lucky enough to have your masters degree in football, just exactly what it is you think I don’t know about?
I was playing alongside Peter Crouch at school, district and county level. So please, educate me, I desperately need it.
Or you could just go around mildly insulting strangers from the comfort of your poxy armchair!
Aaron , your comical. lets not get it twisted about football, i was playing against the likes of J Cole, J Defoe at school, district and county level.
And played for fulham U18’s then was released, then took two years out of playing football, then played semi pro football for 6 years playing for Chipstead FC, Croydon Athletic F.C and Carshalton Athletic F.C then packed it up and got into weights and gym intensive. Only got back into playing ball again in 2008, 3 years after giving it up.
got cousins who play at pro and semi pro level, my uncle was Tony Yeboah you fool so with all the you just an armchair fan,
I have got trophies in every sport i have played for and if it was not for my mum i’d be a rugby or boxer, but back to football.
Our club have spent over 100m on average mediocre players: Adams, Alberto, Aspas, Borini, Carroll, Downing and Henderson.
And the players i am suggesting club should go for are achieveable, they are champions league class,quality players just in good sides. Just like Coutinho and Sturridge
B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle and M Salah(21) of Basel would both create and score more goals than Aspas, Ibe, Moses and Stering. Because they are much better players, but where as Arfa and Salah would cost club combined total of 32m max.
If club went for Di Maria, Neymar, Pedro, Reus, Robben, Ribery or Sanchez, the player would probably not leave their clubs to come to us, but our club would have to pay at least 25m as the starting offer to even start negotiations for any of the top class goalscoring wingers. And in Arfa and Salah, there are two players of the same class and quality of most of those wingers.
But now play sundays and play wednesdays in 5 a side,
Dennis
it looks like you have really educated new, thank you.
So impressed by your words, everyone else is so impressed, you should email Brendan directly instead of wasting it on us, your less than deserving disciples.
Thank you so much Dennis, great help your negativity has been eye opening xx
Aaron, what negativity? What honest truth? We have finished in the top 6-10 in last five seasons for a reason and we are in october joint second and you think all is great and gravy? I am happy with the start like most fans.
But we have a lack of quality in alot of key areas and that needs to be addressed.
would any of these players get into the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham top 15: Alberto, Aspas, Assaidi, Borini, Coates, Flannagan or Jones.
The answer is no and those are the seven teams we are competing with for 1-4 positions in league:
Gerrard and Lucas are not mobile enough and in some games have struggled, but as we have no other defensive miidfielder or player who does the lucas role no matter how poor he plays if he is injury and suspension free he starts. S Gerrard has been a great loyal servant and is still world class, but he is 33 for not 23. he needs to be used wisely not every game, but Rodgers has not enough faith in Allen or Henderson or Gerrard would be rested wisely.
We should use Gerrard in the crucial games: Everton, United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Arsenal. But against the other teams he should be rested.
Aaron, If Sturridge and Suarez are both out of team, whether injured or suspended? Where are the goals coming from? Our CM, of Gerrard, Allen, Henderson and Lucas is 10-12 goals a season, not good enough.
Coutinho will get 5-10 goals a season we all hope.
Our wingers: IBE, Moses and Sterling? They will bring 7-10 goals a season is that enough? NO
Do you think if B Rodgers had two pacey quick creative goalscoring wingers he would play the 3 5 2? The reason he has now decided to use that formation is because in all honesty Enrique and Johnson offer more creativity, width and goals offensively than IBE, Sterling and Moses out wide? So if he can get some protection for them put them out wide.
If B Rodgers brought both M Salah(21) Of Basel and B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle to club in January, he would have two class quality GOALSCORING Wingers.
In world football today the best wingers get 15-30 goals a season whether created or scored: Di Maria, Pedro, Reus, Robben, Ribery, Sanchez, Neymar.
And its blatantly obvious we need more steel, power, mobility, speed, creativity and goals from centre of park: Koke (21) Of A Bilbao CM And M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan, would help solve those problems. I am happy with start, very happy but with squad we have, if our key players get injured or suspended. We will be screwed. The only positions we have healthy class quality competition for places in squad is at Full back and centre back
Certainly Liverpool can and will improve as Coutinho,Johnson rejoin the team. Ally Sissohko and Teixiera were impressive against Spurs and so did few of the U21 boys. Ally’s lob for an assist was class. Not saying that will win the title but there shouldnt be any problem for top three.
Easy fixture list makes us top. We must improve or top 4 won’t happen
Good point, second half needs drastic improvement.
The team will improve and can improve but B Rodgers needs to start resting and dropping S Gerrard, as he is not 23 anymore. S Gerrard should only be used in the huge games vs likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle.
The strongest line up we have in squad now if everyone is fully fit in 3 5 2 system is:
Mignolet
Skrtel Agger Sakho
Johnson Henderson Lucas Enrique
Coutinho
Sturridge Suarez
In January the owners need to give Rodgers 55m-65M to spend on 5 players that will make club top 1-3 side , not just top 4 side: A class Quality CM, A mobile strong tough tackling DM, A pacey quick skillful goalscoring RW / RWF, A class creative quick skillful goalscoring LW / LWF and a class quality back up striker
1: CM: Beñat Etxebarria (26) Of A Bilbao for 10-14M to compete with Allen
2: DM: M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 10-15M to compete and cover Lucas
3: RW / RWF: M Salah(21) Of Basel for 12-16M to compete and Cover sterling
4: LW / LWF: B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle for 10-16M to compete with Moses and IBE
5: FD: A Hernandez(23) Of Palermo for 5-8M to compete with Sturridge and Suarez
Those 5 players would bring real class quality to side/ squad and the offensive players would bring much needed creativity, class, GOALS, pace, quality and speed to offence.
In B Arfa, M Salah Liverpool could have two class pacey, quick quality goalscoring wingers who would cause any full backs in world football problems for combined total of 31M at club
Stick to Championship Manager and do us all a favour.
Aaron, you clown.
Its fact we need better wide offensive players at club:
How many goals did Downing, Sterling and Henderson score last season playing out wide?
How many goals is Moses, Sterling and Ibe going to get over season, between them i think they will struggle to get 10 ?
Whereas all the best sides in world football have good goalscoring wingers in their club: The likes of Pedro, Reus, Ribery, Robben, Ronaldo, Di Maria, Neymar score 15- 40+ goals a season
B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle will score 8-15 goals a season and create 10 goals a season
M Salah(21) Of Basel would score and create more goals than IBE, Moses and Sterling put together, so why shouldn’t we bring them to club.
We need more goals in team : from wide men and from the centre of midfield, as if ever Sturridge or Suarez are off form, suspended or out injured? Where are the goals coming from? Club has 25 man squad and are relying on just two guys to score enough goals all through the season to get us top 4? No matter how many goals Sturridge and Suarez score our club needs more goals from wide players and centre midfield. But with the players we currently have, that is not happening anytime soon, so the players need to be brought in.
The attacking players brought to club this summer: Alberto and Aspas ave been a waste of money, just like Borini was waste of money last season. Those three players cost club 25M and yet they are all average and not good enough to wear the shirt.
Mignolet has no real class competition at club, so he could do a reina and become incomplacent in year or two, or if he is injured or suspended team is screwed, as B Jones is pony to say the least. So A Mccarthy (23) Of Reading, a good young english class quality goalkeeper hungry for success would compete with Mignolet for the next 5-8 years at club.
Lucas Leiva is the only player at club that gets stuck in with tackles in the middle of park and protects back 4, thats why he plays week in week out no matter how bad he has been in certain games.
And this is because there is no real class or quality competition for his place, so M’Villa (23) Of Rubin Kazan should be brought to our club in January and lucas would struggle to get in team with M’Vila fully fit and injury free.
We need a CM at club who is offensive minded , who will score goals as S Gerrard no longer has the legs for it to get up and down the pitch like he used to and he scores if we get penalty. But we rarely get any, even the balatant penalties that we should of had of been turned down. Between Allen, Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson there is 8-15 goals between them. That is not enough, we need more goals from midfield als, so Beñat Etxebarria (26) Of A Bilbao should be brought to club.
Clown Aaron, have you noticed now we probably have the best defence in premiership or one of the best defences in the league now? Why is that? Because there is alot of squad depth there and alot of cquality competition for places at the heart of defence< so everyone is playing to their best ability week in week out to either get in team, or to stay in side.
The same cannot be said about DM Position, CM Position, RW / RWF Position, LW / LWF Position as there is no real class quality comptition for their places.
And its not fantasy or Championship manager, its FACTS. We need better players at club and goalscoring midfielders from the centre of midfield and from out wide.
You *
Dennis
Good points well made, a shame you have to be semi rude, initially, before having a proper conversation.
Any way it’s been fun and I agree with a fair amount of your words.
All the best to you, hopefully debate soon