Liverpool

Ichiro

Now that Liverpool have created an exciting first eleven the question remains. Can they make an honest challenge for the title this year??????

yop

By adding Kewell & finnan alone will not make scouse exciting over night. The 2 french lads are supposidly excellent but they will probably not have enough experience to take the boring tag away.
The problem is not 100% with the players, a lot of it is the tactics employed by GH, he plays it by usually by passing midfield, this will make these new signing useless if they continue with this tactic

Emboss

not for another 6-7 years or more

LizardKing

Originally posted by Ichiro
Now that Liverpool have created an exciting first eleven the question remains. Can they make an honest challenge for the title this year??????

In short

YES

LizardKing

Originally posted by Ichiro
Now that Liverpool have created an exciting first eleven the question remains. Can they make an honest challenge for the title this year??????

In short

YES

p.s dunno why it got added twice

growler

not unless GH leaves , can't see his negative style and playing of emily huskey creating a real challenge , Man U and @rse haven't got worse over the summer.

p.pete

Originally posted by growler
Man U and @rse haven't got worse over the summer.

Arsenal have bought nobody of note and have created no small amount of friction with their current contract negotiations.

Man U are about the same, I think Beckham is a bigger loss than most fans will admit though.

I'm a bit worried about Chelsea and Newcastle, they will still be strong again.

Possible 1st 11:
Dudek
Finnan Hyypia Henchoz Riise
Djiouf Gerrard Hamman Kewel
Baros Owen

Subs: Kirkland, Heskey, Carragher, Murphy, La Tellec

Tellox

its a shame liverpool didnt qualify for the Champions League, if they did,they might've had enough money,and the possibility of playing in europes top flight to offer duff...

kdevitt

Liverpool were right up there challenging the season before last - some stupid results cost us (dropping a 3 nil lead to Southampton and the like). Last season started well, and then went disastrous - there were a heap of reasons behind players losing form (Gerrard needed bodyguards with him everywhere he went for a few months because a Liverpool gangster wanted him dead etc).

I think they definitely have the ability to win the league, whether they will or not next season is a different question - either way Houllier knows its basically his last unless he delivers the goods, so I expect a more attacking style of play from them.

We can beat Arsenal/Utd etc on our day, its a case of beating teams like Southampton/Middlesbrough etc... am going to put my money where my mouth is anyway!!

mike65

Liverpool have the players to win the league every year but they don't have the manager so if they do win next season it'll be cos Houllier banged his head and saw the game in a new way, or in spite of the manager which would be even more impressive!

Mike.

Q_Ball

Originally posted by Tellox
its a shame liverpool didnt qualify for the Champions League, if they did,they might've had enough money,and the possibility of playing in europes top flight to offer duff...

I dont think they wanted duff. They knew that Kewell wanted to play for them and they knew they could get him for a bargain bin price. Adios to him i say. I dont think he ever wanted to play for leeds last season anyway

My top 6 season predictions are gonna be the same as last seasons (no particular order...)

Man U
Arsenal
Newcastle
Liverpool
Chelsea

and any from

everton, blackburn, birmingham, leeds (always the optimist ) or southampton.

So to drag this back on topic...

I dont think ye'll win this year but i reckon ye'll come close

mada999

yes yes,

We bought 2 decent players in the positions we needed. Hou will also buy a striker in the summer, just you watch!!

Can't wait 4 the new season to start!! But I'm worried about chelsea!!!

milltown

P.Pete

I'm sure I read on Koptalk that Hamann is being offered for sale to numerous clubs lately so I wouldn't expect him to be a fixture next season. Pity, I thought he was one of the better players in the squad.

Oh, and yes we will be challenging again this season, god knows we might even win a game or two in November this season.

jackanorystory

Can't see how kewell can make much of a difference. They have nobody to give him the ball. He might need to develop his heading ability a bit more.

Interesting to see Houllier say he saw kewell as a link between the midfield and the strikers. This would suggest he is not going to play wide, but as porbably a withdrawn striker. Inititially it will be behind 2 strikers but then Houilliers defensive mentaility will set in and there will be 4 central midfielders and kewelll and 1 striker. Watch this space.

p.pete

Originally posted by milltown
I'm sure I read on Koptalk that Hamann is being offered for sale to numerous clubs lately so I wouldn't expect him to be a fixture next season. Pity, I thought he was one of the better players in the squad.

Unfortunately that is one of the web sites that is blocked off in work, damn internet policy. Hamann had one or two injury niggles last season but I agree that he is one or our better players. Generally when he got injured the results were poor which may not have gone as noticed by as many people as when someone like Owen is out missing.

I had heard rumours that he may be on the way out but I don't understand why (obviously he can decide he wants to leave himself!). He's still at the club for pre-season so lets hope he isn't going too far for the moment - unless he decides to drive the short distance from Switzerland to Germany and go on a mad bender which wouldn't surprise me unfortunately.

Bannor

Originally posted by p.pete
I had heard rumours that he may be on the way out but I don't understand why (obviously he can decide he wants to leave himself!). He's still at the club for pre-season so lets hope he isn't going too far for the moment - unless he decides to drive the short distance from Switzerland to Germany and go on a mad bender which wouldn't surprise me unfortunately.

The reason the club are trying to sell Hamann is that he has two years to run on his contract and he won't sign a new one which means he either gets sold or he leaves on a bosman in a couple of years.

p.pete

Originally posted by Bannor
The reason the club are trying to sell Hamann is that he has two years to run on his contract and he won't sign a new one which means he either gets sold or he leaves on a bosman in a couple of years.

God I'm so slow, perfect sense. I'll still put money on the drunken piss-up thing during training if anyone will give me odds. (Either himself or Babble or both)

kdevitt

Hamann and Houllier don't speak to each other anymore - since he got substituted against Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Hamann was also involved in one of the major furores at the club last season, by all accounts he was in the right, but at the end of the day, I don't think Houllier wants him there anymore...

Bacchus

jack: Hou said he'd give Kewell a "licence to roam from the left flank".
I think Hou realises by now that Liverpool need more up the flank (hence Kewell) and I doubt he'll play Kewell out of position now that he has him. Hou has been promising a more attractive attacking style of play this season and I believe he'll stick to it - provided the results go our way. What seems to have happened to us in the last two seasons is that we play good football till November, lose one game and then Hou reverts to a defencive style of play. Hopefully he won't do that this season.

One thing I do hate at the moment is people saying that just coz we have Kewell on our team doesn't mean we'll be any better this season. Well we also have Finnan now and the two young French lads who are supposed to be excellent!!! Everyone seems to be forgeting about them!!
Then we have the likes of Owen, Baros, Gerard, Hamann, Hyypia, Henchoz and Riise - all top class players.
Then we have players with a lot to prove this season - Cheyrou and Diouf spring to mind. They are great players who didn't have a great first season in the Premiership.

Bacchus

Oh and I think we'll finish top 3 this year. If we can avoid a poor run through November and December we should be challenging this year.

kdevitt

Just read that Kewell won't be playing out on the left wing :mad:

I think it was mentioned above, but Houllier will play him as an attacking midfielder, Kewell says this is his favoured position, and doesn't see why he should be stuck out on the left just because he has a decent left foot...

It also transpires that Ferguson rang him on Monday to try and hijack the deal, without seccess obviously enough

Bannor

This is from KopTalk. The guy with the info is well connected - he's been talking of the Kewell move since last December.

Ballack - yes we have been/are interested, but you are correct when you say it comes down to hamann. the problem is that Didi is being a stubborn bastard and will only leave on HIS terms, he knows he can soon walk away for nothing and get a ton of cash for himself in the process......
Liverpool have put the word out that Didi is one to be sold.....but as yet, nothing has materialsed..

jonno

Where did ye here that GH will play him as an attacking midfielder. I read on the Liverpool website that GH said that he was the perfect attacking mifielder and he was the missing link last season but that to me that means he will play on the left wing. But if what you are saying is true then I hope GH will pursue a left winger. Maybe Duff, but we definately need width on the side of the field.

My team would include Gerrard and an attacking midfielder in the centre - either Cheryou or Le Tallac. That's where Cheryou has shown his potential and I can see him making that position his if GH gives him the opportunity. Only time will tell though. I'm feeling better after those transfers and reckon that Liverpool will be a big contender for the PL this year.

kdevitt

From the mirror:

Kewell said that far from money behind his motivation, it was the fact that Anfield boss Gerard Houllier offered him the chance to play in his favourite position as an attacking midfielder, where other managers wanted him to revert to midfield.

Houllier revealed yesterday that he wanted the 24-year-old to become the missing link in his team - the creative link between midfield and attack that his side have lacked in recent seasons.

The Anfield boss believes that one day Kewell can even emulate the play of the man he admires most in football, Zinedine Zidane, and provide the creative influence that wins matches and with it trophies.

And Kewell admitted: "The manager excites me. He is such a gifted coach, and when I talked to him I knew he was offering what I wanted.

"One of the questions I asked the manager was where I would play, and he gave me the right answer.

"Obviously, I asked the same question of other managers, and they never gave me the right position. That was important in my deliberations. I don't know why people think I should be stuck out on the left, maybe it's because I've got a left foot.

"But I can give the team three times as much if I'm not stuck out there on the left."

p.pete

Damn Germans, I think the only decent (not in footballing terms) one to have played for us recently was Karl Heinz.

Remember Sean Dundee, there was another one who sat back and took his pay-packet.

Having said that I'm still a great fan of Hamman, if there is a way for him to stay and he'll sign a new contract I'm happy to see him there.

The Babble situation is a bit sad. I pressume he has lost interest at this stage, plus he would now be behind Finnan as well in the pecking order.

Bannor

Reidle is an unofficial scout for Liverpool - it was he who originally recommended Finnan to Houllier a few seasons ago.

jonno

Ah man who are we gona play on the left then? Not another season of no wifth:(

p.pete

I could live with a 4-3-1-2 formation with Riise and Finnan being the two wide players of the 4 and pushing forward.

kdevitt

I've been reading the reactions of people on a few Liverpool forums this morning to hearing that Kewell will probably be playing behind the front two, and almost everyone is happier with it...

I suppose we'll going to definitely get more width with Finnan playing - while I think Carrager is brilliant, he's not too keen on getting up into the oppositions half, and his final delivery ca leave alot to be desired...

And probably more signings on the way according to Parry!!

eyerer

duff on the left and kewell as an attacking midfielder, sounds good

PiE

I'd be worried if Hamann left tbh. Without him, Hyypia & Henchoz often look exposed. I don't think Liverpool would survive with Gerrard + an attacking midfielder in the center.

mike65

He's my formation if Kewell has to play down the middle

Owen - Baros

Kewell

Riise - Gerrard - Murphy

Carragher- Hyypia- Hechoz- Finnan

Dudek/Kirkland



Or maybe play wing backs -

Owen - Baros

Kewell (front of diamond)

Gerrard - Murphy

Hamman (back of diamond)

Riise - Hyypia - Henchoz - Finnan

Dudek/Kirkland

Oh heck I dunno. I have'nt thought about the French lads and I wonder how much football they'll be playing beyond the League Cup!

Mike.

jesus_thats_gre

I would be more inclined to go with this.


Dudek/Kirland


Finan Sami Henchoz Riise



2/3
Diouf Gerard/Murphy/Hamann Harry




Owen Baros/Hesky



Thats the way he will play at first I think, mind you he will gradually revert to his beloved diamond and drop Diouf out of it. Mind you, if Diouf keeps impressing he may get to stay out there.