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Thread: 33%ish played - Let's Assess.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    33%ish played - Let's Assess.

    Alright, so 38 doesn't neatly divide by 3, but we're pretty much a third of the way into this crazy season.

    Let's look at a few things, firstly those which haven't been so good.

    Difficulties

    - We have had plenty of injuries, including to our first-choice centre-back pairing.
    - VAR has arguably robbed us of points, with Everton and Brighton looking fairly suspect.
    - We've already conceded 18 League goals, having conceded 33 for the entirety of the 19/20 season.
    - Firmino, an integral player in our set-up under Klopp, hasn't been at his very best, which has a big effect.
    - We were knocked out of the League Cup.

    However, despite all that, there are some things to be pleased about.

    Not-too-shabby.

    - We've scored 27 goals in 12 games - we scored 85 League goals in 19/20 so we aren't actually far off our pace.
    - We are joint-top of the League.
    - We won our Champion's League Group with a game to spare.
    - Our knock-out from the League Cup is probably a blessing really, with the injury/rotation situation.
    - City, theoretically our strongest challengers, remain 3 points behind even if they win their game in hand.
    - We have only lost one League game. It's easier to turn draws to wins than losses to wins.

    Six points separate 1st place from 9th place. Just six. In short, nobody is yet running away with it.

    Hardly awful, is it?

    The 16th, 17th, 23rd or 24th of February will be when we next play a European match.

    We'll potentially have played 24 League matches by that time, so Europe isn't a worry for a while and if we feel so inclined, we can field kids/fringe for the FA Cup. I know it's a Competition that some fans love, but Honestly, we don't really "need" it this season - disagree if you will but for me it's just an invitation for injuries and I'd happily take getting knocked out by Villa to save our squad for the League and Champion's League.

    I still maintain that if we're within 5 points off the side in first place by the time mid-February comes, then we have every chance of winning the League again - there should be roughly 12-13 League matches left by that time.

    The Midtjylland and Fulham result may itch a bit, but we have a cushion of a few points over plenty of the sides competing for the Title or for Top Four, plus have recent League-winning experience. By Noon on Monday we will have a target when it comes to Europe as we'll know who we're playing and come Wednesday night we will be playing for an opportunity to go 3 points clear, with the worst-case scenario being that we go 3 points behind, with 25 matches left and players being closer to returning from injury.

    Don't shrink. Think. We are very much competing for a title defence which we haven't been able to say for a long time, have a mentally strong Manager and Captain, plus have some top players on the books and a January window around the corner should that be an option the Club wishes to explore. Everything to play for yet - the season is young and nobody's anywhere near sprinting speed in a race of stops, starts and stutters.
    Your hobbies are rollerblading and you're also a bit of a rat-hound? Steel Wool
    Sid knows he's crazy and he likes it. Balinkay

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    4,998
    We have looked mortal.
    And so have most of our challengers,The season is so weird that even Spurs look like contenders. I cannot see Spurs winning the league playing that style of football.
    I don't mind going out of the League cup. I am almost happy about it once i get over the actual game itself. I can't even remember now who put us out.
    Do you think we will buy in january.? Surely a centre back.
    Thiago, back soon. The front three will be on fire with him behind them.
    Fancy us for CL again maybe.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    24,836
    Quote Originally Posted by faridtoxteth View Post
    - We have looked mortal.
    And so have most of our challengers,

    - The season is so weird that even Spurs look like contenders. I cannot see Spurs winning the league playing that style of football.

    - I don't mind going out of the League cup. I am almost happy about it once i get over the actual game itself. I can't even remember now who put us out.

    - Do you think we will buy in january.? Surely a centre back.

    - Thiago, back soon. The front three will be on fire with him behind them.

    - Fancy us for CL again maybe.
    Have put divided your reply into little pieces (hope it comes out format-wise in my response) just to address little bits, but it's otherwise unedited. Hope you don't mind.

    - Mortality indeed. Injuries have hit us badly. Chelsea are intermittently struggling with getting that attacking set-up just right as they're imbalanced, City look to have problems with their new double-pivot set-up and deeper full-backs, United are United, Arsenal are a mess, Leicester are over-reliant on Vardy and Tottenham's players will falter (I believe) once "the grind" stops yielding results.

    - I still expect Spurs to be close after 25-30 matches but the run-in they should fall apart, because that's the Spurs way of things. They'll have had second-season Mourinho (the "best" Mourinho) and ultimately will have failed to capitalise and the World will collectively shrug their shoulders - that's my estimate for them.

    - I'm the same about the League Cup (and FA Cup actually) provided we are in genuine contention for the two pots that really matter. I'd happily sacrifice full-strength efforts at the Domestic trophies if I think it gives us a shot at number 20 or number 7, all day long really.

    - I'd like us to buy a centre-back. Ideally in the 22-25 age range, genuinely ready for first-team football, suited to our set-up and with a good injury record. No point getting one who only serves half of these things for me. Whether or not FSG will fund it, well, we will see.

    - Thiago will give us the ability to control matches - both in terms of penning opposition in and in terms of playing keep-ball when we have a lead. I really hope we get to see Thiago and Wijnaldum on the same pitch together at some stage in games where we are 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go before this season is out.

    - We can definitely win Big Ears again. A bit of luck with the draw and a bit of luck with injuries. There are a few sides I'd rather not face if we could avoid it (don't want to play City, despite our psychological edge over them in Europe, Atletico are a grind, Bayern are our strongest European rival right now) but would back us against anyone by the time the February-May portion of the season comes along.
    Your hobbies are rollerblading and you're also a bit of a rat-hound? Steel Wool
    Sid knows he's crazy and he likes it. Balinkay

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    49,572
    I think we're doing OK all things considered, I have for the first time since his arrival been a bit critical of Jurgen for some of his decisions, since his errors as we approached Champions League knock out stages last season, but I won't go back over those, everyone knows my opinion on that issue, but they were easily avoidable and needless errors for me.

    This season however is entirely different from that, the injuries have been crippling, the sheer volume of games being squeezed in coupled with our injuries is frankly ridiculous and we all have to take stock and remember that we were as good and consistent as we were the prior 2 seasons through absolutely amazing consistency of selection and formation.

    I do think Jurgen has panicked a little a times and made some bizarre decision, but the pressure is incredible because most of the would be challengers have far bigger squads with a lot more senior international players and/or more developed youngsters to be able to rotate more, we just don't have that.

    I think he has played Mane, Mo and Bobby out of their early season form, but that it's not solely on him, it's a mixture of enforced positional tweaks because of injuries and his tinkering trying to find what he feels is the best way forward.

    I think rather than do that, the simple answer to a lot of the issues we have been experience is to take a step back and revert to what evolved to a CM role being an out and out pure oldschool sitting DM role, and the DM being effectively the extra defender staying back, if we can push both full backs high, often ahead of LCM and RCM to support the forwards and midfield in those areas in attack and defence, in the press and in winning second balls and leave Hendo deep making the play with the switches, long diagonals and balls over the top, with the numbers there to back that up, we'll be in a lot better shape with better balance
    "If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    24,836
    13 games in then.

    Top of the table despite VAR/injuries, with a 3-point gap. Top scorers. Won our Champion's League group.

    We'd have taken where we are with or without the injuries, though would have hoped for a slightly bigger lead given how Colossal we were last season. But still - good job thus far!
    Your hobbies are rollerblading and you're also a bit of a rat-hound? Steel Wool
    Sid knows he's crazy and he likes it. Balinkay

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