Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2015

dfx-

New thread and a few games left to go before the Summer...

Old thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=95244214#post95244214

super_furry

Can we not just leave this until September? Would save a lot of pain.

Potential Underachiever

Hello? Anyone here? No, may as well have a tommy tank!

Potential Underachiever

super_furry wrote: »

Can we not just leave this until September? Would save a lot of pain.

Sorry mate, I thought I was alone.

MD1990

We should have taken a gamble on Remy for 8m. Big mistake in not taking him.

ricero

Our Year ! Next season !

slingerz

new signings please!

5starpool

Our thread.

Agent Coulson

Pyjamarama wrote: »

Question time for those who want Brendan gone, had he won the league last year would you still feel the same way?

For me coming second was almost as big an accomplishment given the total talent in the team at the time and the expectations we would have had coming into the season. Had we got a point against Chelsea and beaten Palace and won the bloody thing would you still want him out for this disappointing season (which tbh isn't exactly way below what my expectations were for this year).

Yes.

Last season was great as it was and I loved every single minute of it.

So I'll say this since Rodgers came to the club he has not grown as a manager or shown that he is growing or learning from his mistakes.

The defence is terrible some will say but look he changed it to 3 at the back that worked.

To that I say it only took teams two months to work that system out and the only teams that couldn't beat it had no real strike force as soon as we met a team with a top class attack they tore the 3 at the back to shreds.

His in game management is terrible he has shown no signs that he can impact a game from the side lines either with formation changes and substitutions.

Last season we played all out balls to the wall football and it was great to watch and yes it got us to second in the league but it won nothing Newcastle under Keegan showed balls to the ball football is great but you win nothing with it thats all we were last season Newcastle.

Bar getting to two semifinals this season and we had luck to get to them we have been mostly useless in cups and in Europe.

Tactically he isn't very good, His transfers are not good, His man management doesn't seem the best at times.

If I saw signs that he was growing or learning from his mistakes I might be tempted to say give him another season but as I said I haven't seen any of those signs.

Potential Underachiever

Rodgers could have shagged my missus anytime he wanted if he won the league last year.

He would have earned the right to at least 5 mediocre seasons after that before there should be pressure on him.

A.Coulson

The above post saying you'd get rid even if we won the league is laughable to be honest, talk about impatient, I can imagine the absolute ridicule of opposing fans if we were calling for the managers head 1 year after winning our first league in 20+ years.

It's all hypothetical as we didn't win the league, but I'm astonished that you think that way, I'd sincerely hope you'd be in a microscopic minority. Best fans in the world eh!

D'Agger

New Thread

Knex*

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Yes.

Last season was great as it was and I loved every single minute of it.

So I'll say this since Rodgers came to the club he has not grown as a manager or shown that he is growing or learning from his mistakes.

The defence is terrible some will say but look he changed it to 3 at the back that worked.

To that I say it only took teams two months to work that system out and the only teams that couldn't beat it had no real strike force as soon as we met a team with a top class attack they tore the 3 at the back to shreds.

His in game management is terrible he has shown no signs that he can impact a game from the side lines either with formation changes and substitutions.

Last season we played all out balls to the wall football and it was great to watch and yes it got us to second in the league but it won nothing Newcastle under Keegan showed balls to the ball football is great but you win nothing with it thats all we were last season Newcastle.

Bar getting to two semifinals this season and we had luck to get to them we have been mostly useless in cups and in Europe.

Tactically he isn't very good, His transfers are not good, His man management doesn't seem the best at times.

If I saw signs that he was growing or learning from his mistakes I might be tempted to say give him another season but as I said I haven't seen any of those signs.

I can't disagree with this more. Its barstool type analysis.

Honestly, if you think tactically Rodgers is no good, then you'll literally never be satisfied with any manager.

All managers have their moments that leave you scratching your head. Rodgers has shown the capability to not only introduce many different tactics, but to actually get players to perform in them.

I don't know what people expect. It seems that unless a manager is ultra defensive and concentrates ultimately on not conceding, then they can't be tactically competent. Ridiculous.

Watch Dortmund this year and many of your gripes that you've just labeled at Rodgers, you'd be saying in abundance about Klopp. Does that mean Klopp is a bad manager? No.

For sure Rodgers is not the finished article, and he absolutely needs to get transfers right this summer and deliver next season, but I can't really comprehend a lot of what you've just stated about him. Its evidently not true.

Bad man management? People last season raved about how he got players playing above their ability and how he improved them. Suarez included. No bigger example than Henderson and even Coutinho. You won't find many players accusing Rodgers of this.

Your biggest gripe with him this year is our lack of firepower, which comes immediately after our 100+ goals in the league season. This year we lost Suarez, and effectively Sturridge for the year. I'm sorry, but not many managers are recovering from that.

I don't believe they're are a lot of managers who would have done a much better job than Rodgers this season, tbh. We are where we are because of the way the Club is run and our recent transfer success/failure.

Young players like Markovic and Moreno I believe will be better next season, and you add that in with Coutinho and Henderson continuing to improve, Rodgers having another season behind him, Lallana and Lovren and even the likes of Sakho being more settled, and with the right signings, I'm happy with Rodgers being out manager for at least another year.

I can't see how many other realistic scenarios are better. Its just change for the sake of change.

rob316

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Yes.

Last season was great as it was and I loved every single minute of it.

So I'll say this since Rodgers came to the club he has not grown as a manager or shown that he is growing or learning from his mistakes.

The defence is terrible some will say but look he changed it to 3 at the back that worked.

To that I say it only took teams two months to work that system out and the only teams that couldn't beat it had no real strike force as soon as we met a team with a top class attack they tore the 3 at the back to shreds.

His in game management is terrible he has shown no signs that he can impact a game from the side lines either with formation changes and substitutions.

Last season we played all out balls to the wall football and it was great to watch and yes it got us to second in the league but it won nothing Newcastle under Keegan showed balls to the ball football is great but you win nothing with it thats all we were last season Newcastle.

Bar getting to two semifinals this season and we had luck to get to them we have been mostly useless in cups and in Europe.

Tactically he isn't very good, His transfers are not good, His man management doesn't seem the best at times.

If I saw signs that he was growing or learning from his mistakes I might be tempted to say give him another season but as I said I haven't seen any of those signs.

You really don't like Rodgers.

If he had won the league he would of been untouchable.

ElChe32

If Rodgers had won the league last year he'd be given as much time in the world to turn things around. The holy grail for Liverpool fans that have suffered through United's 90's and 2000's would sell their own grannies for a title!

Mr.H

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Yes.

Last season was great as it was and I loved every single minute of it.

So I'll say this since Rodgers came to the club he has not grown as a manager or shown that he is growing or learning from his mistakes.

The defence is terrible some will say but look he changed it to 3 at the back that worked.

To that I say it only took teams two months to work that system out and the only teams that couldn't beat it had no real strike force as soon as we met a team with a top class attack they tore the 3 at the back to shreds.

His in game management is terrible he has shown no signs that he can impact a game from the side lines either with formation changes and substitutions.

Last season we played all out balls to the wall football and it was great to watch and yes it got us to second in the league but it won nothing Newcastle under Keegan showed balls to the ball football is great but you win nothing with it thats all we were last season Newcastle.

Bar getting to two semifinals this season and we had luck to get to them we have been mostly useless in cups and in Europe.

Tactically he isn't very good, His transfers are not good, His man management doesn't seem the best at times.

If I saw signs that he was growing or learning from his mistakes I might be tempted to say give him another season but as I said I haven't seen any of those signs.

Wow

All your post does is show how fickle some fans are

Saying that Brendan hasn't grown as a manger or saying tactically he isnt very good is very unfair and highly inaccurate

We may have been lucky to have Suarez last season but to put our fortune all on Suarez is just plane misleading.

Brendan has done great things here and we have had a very poor season as we made a gamble by relying on Sanchez coming in and with Sturridge getting injured.

This season hasnt been better than last for anyone not even Chelsea. Ourselves and City have just been poorer than last year.

Chelsea have 2 points more than they did last season. Arsenal have the exact same

WE have been poor and that is fair enough. But we can come back from this. By crying and begging for a new manager the only thing we guarantee is change. But after last year do we need change?

Klopp doesnt guarantee success

Pyjamarama

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Yes.

Last season was great as it was and I loved every single minute of it.

So I'll say this since Rodgers came to the club he has not grown as a manager or shown that he is growing or learning from his mistakes.

The defence is terrible some will say but look he changed it to 3 at the back that worked.

To that I say it only took teams two months to work that system out and the only teams that couldn't beat it had no real strike force as soon as we met a team with a top class attack they tore the 3 at the back to shreds.

His in game management is terrible he has shown no signs that he can impact a game from the side lines either with formation changes and substitutions.

Last season we played all out balls to the wall football and it was great to watch and yes it got us to second in the league but it won nothing Newcastle under Keegan showed balls to the ball football is great but you win nothing with it thats all we were last season Newcastle.

Bar getting to two semifinals this season and we had luck to get to them we have been mostly useless in cups and in Europe.

Tactically he isn't very good, His transfers are not good, His man management doesn't seem the best at times.

If I saw signs that he was growing or learning from his mistakes I might be tempted to say give him another season but as I said I haven't seen any of those signs.

The above has me super confused...

basically you're saying he's a terrible manager. You've said he's poor at basically every single aspect of management.

To finish 5th (potentially) with a manager as poor as him must mean we have some team. Which means we must have bought some amazing players cause they weren't doing well under previous managers and we know that Rodgers is awful in the market... but if we bought good players does that mean he's not as awful as people think... could it mean that with the strategy in place (by the owners not Rodgers) that we're going to have to just learn to be patient with our signings and not expect them to hit the ground running every season? That they'll be more like Sakho and Henderson and take time to be developed (by our awful manager). No doubt we'll still have instant successes like Coutinho and Sturridge but we'll also have guys who do look like flops (Lovern, Aspas).. just like every other club.

To say he hasn't developed as a manager and is awful at tactics is even more amazing... he came here as a 433 stalwart and a big part of people initial problem was that they felt he'd never change that. Since then we've been succesful with 41212 diamond, 343, 352, 433, 4411. Thats a LOT of formations for a club to use.

As for in game changes he's one of the most proactive managers i've seen in this regard. too much so imo tbh. But he's displayed on multiple occasions his ability to do so. Swansea this season for instance, and after 25mins of being given a run around by united at anfield he (one would assume it was his call as manager) pushed Coutinho further forward to attempt an earlier press alongside Lalanna and we came back into the game.

Rodgers is far far from perfect but he's a young manager who imo is showing signs of learning from his mistakes. Just because he says one thing in public does not mean thats whats going on in private. Wengers been doing the same thing as Rodgers for years, just Brendan does it with a more "annoying" vocab for some.

NukaCola

BR will get one more season and deserves it. On the other hand, if he was gettable, there is no downside of hiring Klopp.

Getting Klopp is unrealistic and I think BR can still be successful at LFC.

NukaCola

Knex. wrote: »

I can't disagree with this more. Its barstool type analysis.

Basically Rodgers is awful at everything.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Congratulations to Coutinho on being picked on the team of the year:)

Especially on the reaction by fans of another team...

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/an-absolute-disgrace-the-internet-reacts-as-liverpool-star-gets-into-team-of-the-year-ahead-of-cesc-fabregas-31173986.html

I think Cou should get a 10 year guaranteed contract after that:D

Agent Coulson

Mr.H wrote: »

Wow

All your post does is show how fickle some fans are

Klopp doesnt guarantee success

No one guarantees success.

Fickle it maybe but the world of football has changed and if people don't see that well then so be it.

Managers are sacked plenty of times after winning leagues. Cups. Europeans trophies that is were we are now in world football.

But but but we are Liverpool we don't do that.

Well then we might be lucky to continue what we have been doing I've the last 25 years maybe get a title challenge every ten years or so and have a good cup run in between.

We want to build a dynasty again is laughable to be honest.

The era of a Ferguson & Wenger staying at a club for 15/20/25 years is over managers come in do a job for 5 years max and move on.

That is football in the 21 fist century.

Fickle maybe pragmatic yes.

Buford T. Justice XIX

NukaCola wrote: »

Basically Rodgers is awful at everything.

He's not even a good Brendan Rodgers, ffs...

5starpool

NukaCola wrote: »

BR will get one more season and deserves it. On the other hand, if he was gettable, there is no downside of hiring Klopp.

Getting Klopp is unrealistic and I think BR can still be successful at LFC.

The downsides of hiring Klopp (assume for a minute we can hire him):
1. He'd need to spend even more money and churn players even more, creating more uncertainty next season, and we probably wouldn't get top 4.
2. We won't know if Rodgers could/would have turned it around again next season after an ultimately disappointing campaign this time.
3. He is an unknown quantity in terms of managing in England.
4. There would probably be unrealistic fan and media expectations leading to more impatience than is proper.
5. Further eroding of time given to managers which is too little in a lot of cases these days anyhow.

The upsides of hiring him:
1. Winning record.
2. Would command respect of current players and potential targets and help sign new players.
3. Would probably give a boost to the feeling around the club and increase media interest and possibly help raise commercial revenues. Highly speculative on my part though.

All in all, while I wouldn't be devestated if we sacked Rodgers and could bring in Klopp, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

Mr.H

NukaCola wrote: »

BR will get one more season and deserves it. On the other hand, if he was gettable, there is no downside of hiring Klopp.

Getting Klopp is unrealistic and I think BR can still be successful at LFC.

I would love it if we could get Klopp but equally I think Rodgers with a smart summer can have us challenging again.

Klopp would command HUGE wages and that would be a big investment and gamble considering he is effectively untried in a league consisting of more than 2 sides.

On the plus side if we did get Klopp I am sure the board would have to offer him significant transfer fees so that would be pleasing

JohnDaniels

marklazarcovic wrote:

Any reliable links to the sturridge rumours?? About his attitude to injuries

5starpool wrote:

There are no reliable links to anything that comes under the heading "speculation and rumours".

Well it wasn't just speculation and rumour. Rodgers made some very strange comments around the time about it.

Asked if players sometimes had to play through the pain, he said: “[Since] that’s his ninth injury on that thigh from previous clubs and here, there is an issue there somewhere. Most players you’ll find want to play through an injury to get onto the field. Very few go out there and are 100 per cent. Obviously that’s what you do. Now we just have to concentrate and focus on the players we do have. Though of course it’s hugely disappointing to lose a player of that quality.”

Pretty much all the people who write news related to the club picked up on the story and suggested something wasn't right with regards to the Sturridge injury. The Echo, Bascombe, etc all did pieces on it. Alan Brazil of talksport did probably the most cynically open of all the pieces. He is known to be mates with Rodgers who has appeared on TS more than any other station.

Rory Smith then did a piece in which he said

Sturridge’s first two injuries (both grade 1 strains) would usually require 12 to 20 days’ rest, but Sturridge “needed twice that for the thigh strain and a month, more or less, for the calf problem. On both occasions, the striker was told by the club’s medical team that he was ready to train before he felt he was.”

Polo_Mint

#RogersIN

#SturridgeGlassware

NukaCola

5starpool wrote: »

All in all, while I wouldn't be devestated if we sacked Rodgers and could bring in Klopp, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

Good post, this is where I'm at also.

martyos121

The only reason I'd want Klopp is because he's great craic tbh. I don't think he's a particularly great manager, had some incredible youth players that won him two titles and replaced them adequately to challenge Bayern for two more seasons after that.

I'm happy with BR, but he needs to stop talking so much shîte. "Outstanding" this, "Fantastic" that, wish he would stfu sometimes.

NukaCola

Sturridge cant be relied on. Neither can Mario. I'd blow our entire budget on goalscorers if it were FM 2015

Mr.H

Agent Coulson wrote: »

No one guarantees success.

Fickle it maybe but the world of football has changed and if people don't see that well then so be it.

Managers are sacked plenty of times after winning leagues. Cups. Europeans trophies that is were we are now in world football.

But but but we are Liverpool we don't do that.

Well then we might be lucky to continue what we have been doing I've the last 25 years maybe get a title challenge every ten years or so and have a good cup run in between.

We want to build a dynasty again is laughable to be honest.

The era of a Ferguson & Wenger staying at a club for 15/20/25 years is over managers come in do a job for 5 years max and move on.

That is football in the 21 fist century.

Fickle maybe pragmatic yes.

It is sad though. Would you not prefer a manager who can build a dynasty and become part of the club for the next 15/20 years??

If Rodgers won the league last season (not far from it to be fair) and secured Sanchez, we would be talking about a man who DOES have 20+ years left in him and is happy here.

We missed out on a big name and that happens. But hopefully we dont this year.

If we miss out on a top 4 next year (or even look like it come christmas) then I am sure many will want him replaced and I cant blame them for that. But right now I think give him one more window and if he cant do it then we need to change

Vicxas

I dont see how sacking Rodgers at Xmas will do anything, the damage will already have been done.

Mr.H

Vicxas wrote: »

I dont see how sacking Rodgers at Xmas will do anything, the damage will already have been done.

It would give a new manager half a season to figure out who he wants in his squad and who he wants to replace.

Waiting til then would give Rodgers a chance to get in the player/s he missed out on last summer

rob316

Its just typical of modern football fans.

Last year: Comparisons to a young Shankly and the next Alex Ferguson.

Few months of bad results the following seasons, Sack the manager! Suarez was why we came 2nd!

We install Klopp instead or whoever, god forbid he starts bad or gives a "delusional" interview or criticises a player. Do we just sack every manager that isn't perfect?

All the fingers are pointed at the manager all the time. Why not the players why not the owners?

There's a section of the support who are rubbing there hands in glee over this season because the outcome of last season made them look like the clueless fickle "fans" they are.

As disappointing this season has been Rodgers has done far more in 3 years than I thought he would. Almost winning a title I thought was pie in the sky stuff and something I felt we were along time away from.

The players that give there all and up to the required standard get on fine with the manager and respect him as does he. There is some really tiresome petty crap been pedalled out to criticise him.

Agent Coulson

Mr.H wrote: »

It is sad though. Would you not prefer a manager who can build a dynasty and become part of the club for the next 15/20 years??

If Rodgers won the league last season (not far from it to be fair) and secured Sanchez, we would be talking about a man who DOES have 20+ years left in him and is happy here.

We missed out on a big name and that happens. But hopefully we dont this year.

If we miss out on a top 4 next year (or even look like it come christmas) then I am sure many will want him replaced and I cant blame them for that. But right now I think give him one more window and if he cant do it then we need to change

All if and buts if we won the league do you think Rodgers would have stayed if Barca or Madrid came a calling.

No chance he has stated he would love to manage in Spain.

As soon as we finished second he was linked to the City job.

All the top managers in Europe stay win something or not move on top the next job none stay more than 5 season.

Is that going to change anytime soon. No not with the money in football now.

Mr.H

Agent Coulson wrote: »

All if and buts if we won the league do you think Rodgers would have stayed if Barca or Madrid came a calling.

No chance he has stated he would love to manage in Spain.

As soon as we finished second he was linked to the City job.

All the top managers in Europe stay win something or not move on top the next job none stay more than 5 season.

Is that going to change anytime soon. No not with the money in football now.

"all ifs and buts"................... but then you go on and make your own ifs and buts :rolleyes:

He said he wants to manege Liverpool for the next 20 odd years in the same interview

He was LINKED to City last season because he is a top young manager. He never said he wants to manage City

IF we won the league and had the basis of a side who could challenge year in year out why would he move to City?

Agent Coulson

Mr.H wrote: »

"all ifs and buts"................... but then you go on and make your own ifs and buts :rolleyes:

He said he wants to manege Liverpool for the next 20 odd years in the same interview

He was LINKED to City last season because he is a top young manager. He never said he wants to manage City

IF we won the league and had the basis of a side who could challenge year in year out why would he move to City?

Here then Moyes, Redknapp & Pardew have taken a team for the top half of a season not a CL season and ten dropped back down into the top half of the league would anyone be happy with them managing the club because they got CL football and let's not foil outsells that's all we got last season.

Pyjamarama

Agent Coulson wrote: »

No one guarantees success.

Fickle it maybe but the world of football has changed and if people don't see that well then so be it.

Managers are sacked plenty of times after winning leagues. Cups. Europeans trophies that is were we are now in world football.

But but but we are Liverpool we don't do that.

Well then we might be lucky to continue what we have been doing I've the last 25 years maybe get a title challenge every ten years or so and have a good cup run in between.

We want to build a dynasty again is laughable to be honest.

The era of a Ferguson & Wenger staying at a club for 15/20/25 years is over managers come in do a job for 5 years max and move on.

That is football in the 21 fist century.

Fickle maybe pragmatic yes.

If we stick by those guidelines then unless things change from an ownership perspective we'll never challenge. Without the funds to go out and buy the best players in the world we'll never compete year on year with Chelsea, City, United or Arsenal. Given that we're not going to see that change the only chance we have of success is to build a dynasty. Its not even a great shot of success but its better than chopping and changing for the sake of it without the adequate resources to make that a successful policy.

I'd be on the whole 5starpool philosophy on replacing him with Klopp. The main advantage would that it would likely be another tick in the Come to Liverpool over x club column/

rob316

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Here then Moyes, Redknapp & Pardew have taken a team for the top half of a season not a CL season and ten dropped back down into the top half of the league would anyone be happy with them managing the club because they got CL football and let's not foil outsells that's all we got last season.

If the only thing you as a fan got out of last season was CL qualification, that's very sad.

It was an amazing season, with swashbuckling football, not just beating but battering many of our rivals, complete with a closer title challenge than I have seen in my lifetime as LFC supporter.

This was all after years of finishing 5th to 8th in the league.

Mr.H

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Here then Moyes, Redknapp & Pardew have taken a team for the top half of a season not a CL season and ten dropped back down into the top half of the league would anyone be happy with them managing the club because they got CL football and let's not foil outsells that's all we got last season.

So Moyes getting Everton 4th is the exact same as coming withing a couple of games at the end of the season of WINNING the league

"Lets not fool ourselves"................ I think your the only one fooling themselves about what actually happened last season

Our side last year was better than Chelsea this year and thats a fact. Fool yourself what ever way you want

Talisman

Pyjamarama wrote: »

To finish 5th (potentially) with a manager as poor as him must mean we have some team.

Or simply an indication that the clubs outside the top 4 are cannon fodder and fifth is the bare minimum acceptable position for Liverpool.

Man Utd won several league titles not by beating their rivals but by steam rolling the rest of the teams in the league. By racking up a massive goal difference and points totals, the games against rivals can become insignificant if they haven't done likewise - your rival has to beat you just to keep in touch, which gives you a significant advantage.

Mr.H

Talisman wrote: »

Or simply an indication that the clubs outside the top 4 are cannon fodder and fifth is the bare minimum acceptable position for Liverpool.

Man Utd won several league titles not by beating their rivals but by steam rolling the rest of the teams in the league. By racking up a massive goal difference and points totals, the games against rivals can become insignificant if they haven't done likewise - your rival has to beat you just to keep in touch, which gives you a significant advantage.

Forgive me if I am wrong but was that not the narrative of our season last year?? except we actually racked up the wins against our rivals also

Utopia Parkway

Defensively we actually haven't been too bad this season. Same amount of goals conceded as City in 2nd and only 2 more than United in 4th. The striker situation has been a farce though. Main striker is made of papier mache and the rest are just not good enough for one reason or another. Ballotelli won't run. Lambert can't run. Sterling has filled in up there but obviously he is not a natural goalscorer whatever he might think.

Had we even got a half decent season return from one of our strikers we would probably be in the top 4 right now.

Agent Coulson

Mr.H wrote: »

So Moyes getting Everton 4th is the exact same as coming withing a couple of games at the end of the season of WINNING the league

"Lets not fool ourselves"................ I think your the only one fooling themselves about what actually happened last season

Our side last year was better than Chelsea this year and thats a fact. Fool yourself what ever way you want

What will this years Chelsea have that we didn't have last year for playing pretty football?

I'll take the league over pretty football any day of the week.

rob316

Mr.H wrote: »

Forgive me if I am wrong but was that not the narrative of our season last year?? except we actually racked up the wins against our rivals also

Ya pretty much bar the leaky defence.

You can dissect the season as much as you want its simple we lack firepower. Without it 5th is where we deserve to finish.

There isn't a team in the world that wouldn't struggle if you took Sturridge and Suarez out and replaced them with dross like Borini, Lambert and Balotelli.

Pyjamarama

Agent Coulson wrote: »

What will this years Chelsea have that we didn't have last year for playing pretty football?

I'll take the league over pretty football any day of the week.

Not mutually exclusive. Plenty of teams have won leagues playing exciting football. But that wouldn't suit your point...

In the previous five years the team that has scored the most amount of goals has won the league.

Talisman

Mr.H wrote: »

Forgive me if I am wrong but was that not the narrative of our season last year?? except we actually racked up the wins against our rivals also

Unless you don't consider Chelsea a rival.

rob316

Talisman wrote: »

Unless you don't consider Chelsea a rival.

One team. The only team we didn't beat home or away.


That's a real petty point.

Pyjamarama

Talisman wrote: »

Unless you don't consider Chelsea a rival.

I don't think he said we beat our rivals in every game...

Hollister11

One year ago exactly since that slip. Oh why oh why ? What could of been.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Pyjamarama wrote: »

Not mutually exclusive. Plenty of teams have won leagues playing exciting football. But that wouldn't suit your point...

In the previous five years the team that has scored the most amount of goals has won the league.

That would be the ultimate, excellent football and a title, to boot. Some will not remember Uniteds first few titles after their 'break' but it was pretty mank football, from an opposition pov. It was only about 10 years into Fergies reign that any form of attractive football was played.

Like Chelsea now, running supreme but with pretty dour displays except i doubt there will be much of an improvement in displays for as long as Mourinho is in charge.

Titles first and an attractive form of football then, but in the mean time, attractive football would be nice also.

5starpool

Agent Coulson wrote: »

What will this years Chelsea have that we didn't have last year for playing pretty football?

I'll take the league over pretty football any day of the week.

If we had tried to play Chelsea style of pragmatic football last season we would probably have got around 20 points less.

Dickerty

Look, on the basis of the squad we have, 5th is about right. The way we bought this summer was an attempt to add depth in the quality, but didn't sufficiently fill the gap in the first team. Only Can and Moreno has been a regular of the new signings. Marko was always going to take time to settle, Lallana has been decent when fit, but Lovren, Balo and Lambert have been terrible. Lovren could recover after a summer off, needs to get his head back to what made him so attractive to us. Balo just needs a new head.

So the big challenge this summer is not squad depth, it's attracting 1 World Class CM and 1 World Class Striker. Origi is coming in, Ilori and Wisdom are coming back, and the links of Williams, Rossiter, Sinclair and Ojo will be in the mix. We may also need a RB with Flanagan injured again. I don't think we can continue to use Ibe and Can there.

So - Illarramendi & Depay?
And Milner & Ings on frees?
And Johnson, Stevie, Enrique, Borini, Lambert, Aspas, Alberto and Coates out.