Sport Liverpool Football Club

[Chewylegs]

Now that we are done, what are peoples' thoughts on this season?

Overall, it has been a disappointing season for me because of a number of factors:

Starting off well, then losing momentum once we lost Agger in that first international break, only getting some solidity when we got Skrtl

Still failing to take our chances to convert draws to wins or holding onto a lead

Having ManU do a double over us again and us failing mentally at OT again

The boardroom shenanigans

Poor seasons from a number of key players

Lacklustre performances from fringe players when they do get their chance to play

That own goal

ManU getting closer to our league championship record

On the plus side:

Best foreign debut season since Van Nistelrooy. What an absolute superstar he's become!

Skrtl has been very solid since his arrival (our Vidic?). Hopefully, we will see him and Agger form our first choice centre-back partnership next season

Reina - winning the Golden Glove for the third season running (not that anyone would ever mention it)

Unfortunately, I can't see much changing for next season. We may improve our first team, but not more than ManU or Chelsea will, so we will still be playing catch-up. Third or fourth again for us, I reckon.

I'm pretty much with you on this. I do think we have got better this season though. We were 11 points behind the Champions but that is an improvement over last year. We now have the best striker in the country (although the way Fergie plays Ronaldo you could say he was a striker these days) and I think trimming the edges of the squad and bringing in some real talent down the left side will help shit loads next season.

I, as always am optimistic about next season and the chance of challenging the top 3 more. We need to be able to at least beat those three teams at Anfield though.

[dogsout]

We could do with the Prem next year. As we all know Man U are now on 17 titles, 1 behind us. Plus if they win in Moscow...

[kimble]

Be interested to know how many of Ronaldo's were penalties and free kicks (as seperate numbers), surely if Torres had taken them for us he would have got close to ronaldo's figure.

[Chewylegs]

Torres playerd in 33 Premiership games this season according to the Beeb

Goals this season

Cristiano Ronaldo - 31 in 34

Fernando Torres - 24 in 33

Emmanuel Adebayor - 24 in 36

Didier Drogba - 8 in 19

What's that got to do with anything? He was injured for about 3 and rested for maybe 2?

I'm not sure if you are getting at he was rotated too much or not

[bowser123]

Be interested to know how many of Ronaldo's were penalties and free kicks (as seperate numbers), surely if Torres had taken them for us he would have got close to ronaldo's figure.

Of his 41 goals in all competitions, 7 pens total.

Of his 31 in the league, 5 pens. Checked on BBC by searching for "pen" on the results page.

Free kicks? Pass, not as easy to check.

I remember:

Sunderland away, Newcastle home (under the wall!), Portsmouth home, Bolton home, (all league), Sporting (CL).

If Torres scored away he'd be closer, and probably will next season, amassing a big number... then again, if Ronaldo was a conventional striker like Scouse maybe he'd get 50.

[Sng]

4 of those 33 were on as a sub as well so he actually only started 29.

[Guest]

I missed the footie news yesterday. Former Anfield LEGEND Danny "Danny" Murphy keeps Fulham up. What a star!

I was in bed before MOTD I think...

[DC]

Of his 41 goals in all competitions, 7 pens total.

Of his 31 in the league, 5 pens. Checked on BBC by searching for "pen" on the results page.

Free kicks? Pass, not as easy to check.

I remember:

Sunderland away, Newcastle home (under the wall!), Portsmouth home, Bolton home, (all league), Sporting (CL).

If Torres scored away he'd be closer, and probably will next season, amassing a big number... then again, if Ronaldo was a conventional striker like Scouse maybe he'd get 50.

And could Torres hit a free kick like Ronaldo? Has he taken any this season? Genuine question.

[Guest]

I'm sure Torres curled one in.

Could anyone take a free kick like Ronaldo?

Why the aggro man!

[rjpageuk]

Ronaldo has had the best season out of any player in Premiership history and it is Torres's first season in the league so I think it is a bit silly to compare them at the moment.

Torres has certainly proved himself to be the top striker in the league and thats plenty good enough for his first year at the club!

[DC]

I'm not being aggro - I think Torres is outstanding. Scored a beaut yesterday. But my mate has said that if he was taking free kicks and pens he'd have exceeded Ronaldo. I'd definately conceed the pens statement but havent seen anything of his free kicks, hence the question.

No aggro.

[a big boy]

Ronaldo's basically a striker that plays from the wing. It's to his credit, but its this positional play that works in his favour. The way he plays both between the lines and all over the rest of the pitch, constantly cutting inside, swapping flanks and even just playing down the middle when he feels like it must make him incredibly hard to mark. The amount of times he's found unmarked in the area is shocking for a player of his ability and reputation. When you look at his contribution round the pitch, its not as if he does much defensively, and for a world class winger or attacking midfielder he gets hardly any assists. This is why I think its a bit misleading to say that he's better than Messi or Kaka because he scores more goals, when really their roles are more creative. He may not be a conventional striker, but his role in the team is as a goal scorer, and so like Torres this is how he should be judged.

[Gabzy]

When you look at his contribution round the pitch, its not as if he does much defensively, and for a world class winger or attacking midfielder he gets hardly any assists.

I don't think that is correct at all. Since he's been at Man Utd he's scored 91 goals and provided 42 assists. I wouldn't call that a small number.

[kimble]

I didn't want to get in to a whole Torres vs Ronaldo comparison as it's pointless. I just wanted to see how Fernando's record of goals from open play stacked up against Ronaldo's as that is a bit more oranges to oranges..

[a big boy]

I assume most of them are from earlier in his career, when he played more as an orthodox winger and you had Van Nistelrooy banging them in? I was really talking more about this season, when he's really come into his own. To be honest, I hate using stats to analyse football, but according to the telegraph fantasy football he's only got 6 in 37 appearances. Just using my team illustrate my point: of my other midfielders Cesc has 17 in 34; Ashley Young has 14 in 38 and even Elano, who often plays as a striker anyway, has 9 in 36. Then look at my two strikers, Torres has 5 in 34 and Berbatov has 9 in 38 and it's not hard to see where he fits in best.

[Guest]

Henry was a striker, but never really played up front. Although he used to get a stupidly large amount of assists.

Thing is Ronaldo is good enough to whack the ball in the net rather than rely on passing it to Rooney to spoon it over.

[Gabzy]

I didn't want to get in to a whole Torres vs Ronaldo comparison as it's pointless. I just wanted to see how Fernando's record of goals from open play stacked up against Ronaldo's as that is a bit more oranges to oranges..

Yeah, I know what you mean. I believe he has 30 goals from open play, 8 of which were headers. This was from watching youtube clip of all his goals though, so may not be completely accurate.

[dogsout]

And could Torres hit a free kick like Ronaldo? Has he taken any this season? Genuine question.

No and no.

I agree with everything you've said, a big boy. I think I may just sig 'I agree with a big boy' and be done with it.

I think Ronaldo's overall contribution to a game was more obvious last year in that he was more involved. This year he has been getting on the end of moves and letting others do most of the creative work. That's not a criticism, Man U fans, as it's obviously worked in your/his favour given the amount of goals he's scored. I'm just saying I think he used to do more and score less as a result.

[Kelthink]

Oh lols, apparently Chelsea are making a €50 million bid for Torres:

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/...lo/1122517.html

Nah.

[Gabzy]

Not a chance in hell.

[dogsout]

Just seen that over at RAWK. It can't be true but... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA if it is.

[FATEone]

I'm involved in the accounts department at Liverpool. I can tell you now that things are not rosy financially. Liverpool fans expecting a Summer of signings are sadly misguided. The word is that Rafa has £10 million to spend on Barry. Any other signings must be paid for from the sale of players. Rafa is not best pleased by this and is walking around the place like a bear with a sore head.

just read this on a transfer rumours site, sorry Kopites hate to be the bearer of bad news.

[Kelthink]

I'm involved in the accounts department at Liverpool. I can tell you now that things are not rosy financially. Liverpool fans expecting a Summer of signings are sadly misguided. The word is that Rafa has £10 million to spend on Barry. Any other signings must be paid for from the sale of players. Rafa is not best pleased by this and is walking around the place like a bear with a sore head.

just read this on a transfer rumours site, sorry Kopites hate to be the bearer of bad news.

WAAAAAAAGH

[dizogg]

OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE RAFA IS WALKING AROUND LIKE A BEAR WITH A SORE HEAD

[dogsout]

Silly season is officialy here!

[DeNeo]

Much more waaaaaa:

Emphasising his dismay at a season without silverware, Steven Gerrard yesterday passed up the opportunity to say he sees himself finishing his career at Anfield. However, the Liverpool captain will be saddened to learn that his manager's hopes of a speedy resolution to the club's boardroom strife appear to have been dashed.

Aware he will have to sell before buying new players this summer, Rafael Benitez expressed his wish last week for a quick end to the struggle for ownership which is limiting the funds at his disposal. But Dubai International Capital (DIC), the Arab consortium seeking a buy-out at Anfield, is now resigned to the fact that Tom Hicks may still be at the helm, come August.

There had been hopes that the expiry of pre-emption rights this month would allow Hicks' co-owner George Gillett to sell his shares to DIC. But an administrative oversight on Gillett's part appears to have prevented that, so DIC is now dependent on Hicks – or his bankers – reaching the conclusion that he has no option but to sell to them.

There is a belief in the DIC camp that Hicks' bankers might ultimately force his hand, though when that might happen is unclear. DIC may have to wait until October, the date Hicks has promised that construction work will begin on Liverpool's new 60,000-seat stadium and which is the acid test of his ability to deliver what he has promised for the club.

Hicks is close to borrowed time where his side's players are concerned. Another season without a trophy threatens an exodus and Liverpool's former defender Mark Lawrenson fears the loss of Gerrard if there is no sense of the club advancing any time soon.

"He [Gerrard] says he wants to stay and can't see himself leaving but would anyone blame him if he felt he was better off out of it?" Lawrenson said yesterday. "That might not seem too much of a problem just now. But if Jose Mourinho takes over at Inter Milan and tells the chairman to get Gerrard for him at all costs, it might just become one."

Gerrard, who needs no reminding that Manchester United now stand only one title away from Liverpool's record of 18, considers it imperative that the club invest seriously this summer. "Other teams are going to strengthen, so it's important we do the same," he said yesterday. "There is a lot of money in the League. To keep doing well in the League and Europe we need to strengthen the squad." Gerrard appeared less than bullish about his side's chances of mounting a title challenge next season. "Obviously I have to be careful that I don't send expectations through the roof again, but I am desperate for [a title]. We need new players, and the manager needs help from the board to make these signings happen. I do expect us to be involved next season."

On reports that a player who was so nearly tempted to join Chelsea in 2005, might see out his career at Anfield, he said: "I'm happy. I am enjoying my football. Obviously I am not happy ending the season without a trophy."

Stadium investment will need to begin any time now, with the hiring of surveyors and contractors and if construction work does not get under way in the autumn Hicks will find himself under huge pressure from Liverpool fans.

He remains upbeat about his prospects and has promised that work on the new stadium in Stanley Park will will start in September, with construction to begin in October and the stadium due to be open for matches in 2011. But Hicks' confidence flies in the face of the credit crunch, which has left Tottenham to consider modifying plans to redevelop White Hart Lane.

[Takizawa]

I'm gonna go along with Disciple's method of picking players, and I now want Pandev. He's taking the Premiership by storm in my current FM08 game (Although Arshavin also has scored 5 in 8 from that position)

Torres

Babel - Gerrard - Pandev

Macherano - Alonso

Insua - Agger - Carragher - San Roman

Reina

[dogsout]

I was talking about Pandev in here months ago. He's a classy player but I doubt we'll see him at Anfield any time soon.

I was thinking about possible transfers yesterday and I thought of this:

-----------------Reina

--------Carra--Skrtel--Agger--

Alves----------------------------Insua/Aurelio

------------Masch--Barry/Alonso

-----------------Stevie

------------Torres--Babel/Crouch

I know it's not going to happen because it would require a change in system and because Alves isn't a realistic target but it wouldn't cost that much money to set up and it looks nasty on paper.

[Lilywhite]

I havent seen much of Liverpool but what happened to Finnan lads? For years he was the most consistent right back in the Premiership but he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

[dogsout]

He went completely off the boil at the end of last season and hasn't recovered since. He's struggled with injuries this season and hasn't been his usual reliable self for a long while now. He's getting on a bit, too. Right back is a priority area for us now. Arbeloa's very good but he has had a shakey spell of late, too. We really need a right back that provides a real attacking threat because in the fullbacks in a 4-2-3-1 are charged with getting high up the pitch and providing an outlet for the wide-forwards who will invariably cut in.