Liverpool_SC
28 Feb 2006, 11:34 AM
Sat. 4 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Charlton (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=372&cc=5901)
Sun. 12 Arsenal (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=359&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sun. 19 Newcastle (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=361&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sat. 25 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Everton (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=368&cc=5901)
Sat. 1 West Brom (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=383&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sun. 9 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Bolton (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=358&cc=5901)
Sat. 15 Blackburn (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=365&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Mon. 17 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Fulham (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=370&cc=5901)
Sat. 22 West Ham (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=371&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sat. 29 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Aston Villa (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=362&cc=5901)
Sun. 7 Portsmouth (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=385&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Eleven more fixtures in the league.
+ 5 home games
+ 3 games against top 6 sides
+ 2 away games against top 6 sides, plus a tricky away against West Ham.
We also have to play several of these matches on the backs of Champions League and FA Cup ties.
What are your predictions regarding how many points we will secure in our remaining league campaign?
(h) Charlton - win
(a) Arsenal - win
(a) Newcastle - win (barring a big impact from newly healthy Owen)
(h) Everton - win (but Bluenoses are playing much better)
(a) West Brom - win
(h) Bolton - tie
(a) Blackburn - tie
(h) Fulham - win
(a) West Ham - loss (difficult fixture, we'll be tired and WH is an emerging squad)
(h) Aston Villa - win
(a) Portsmouth - tie (PFC* playing for life at tough Fratton Park)
* Just so long as we beat them at FA Cup I will be fine with this result.
These results would give us 25 additional points for a total of 79.
I think that this would be enough to help us pass Man Utd by. They have a tougher run-in then us, as they must still face the following:
Wigan (a – revenge!)
Chelsea (a)
Arsenal (h)
Tottenham (a)
West Ham (h)
Bolton (a).
They also face Middlesbrough at Old Trafford. Boro tend to play very tough in that fixture.
I really hope that we can win the FA Cup this year. My goals are 2nd in the league and FA Cup winners. I would like us to get to the Champions League Semi-finals, as well. But I don’t want us becoming continental specialists.
Key Issues:
Depth at Central Midfield - Is Momo really done for the year? If so, how do we adjust to compensate for a tiring Gerrard and a Xabi who is in a bit of a fade in regards to his form.
Wild Card: If Agger continues to play well, would Rafa consider deploying Carra in defensive midfield (from time to time).
Regrets: I love Paul Anderson, but would John Welsh have been a useful squad player at this juncture?
The Right-Wing Dilemma - Steven Gerrard has been imperious when he has played from this position. No one else has made it their own, with the possible exception of Luis Garcia, as a sub. Given our paltry goals output, perhaps this is a bigger concern than ever. Jan Kronkamp may be a great Red over the next few years, but I don't see it happening as a right-wing.
Wild Card: Should Rafa truly consider giving Paul Anderson (or maybe Juan Barragan) a run-out at some juncture? I would certainly consider it against Fulham or Aston Villa or something.
Regrets: Flo-Po actually looked pretty dangerous for us in this position. Would he give us sizzle (in the occasional start) that we lack when StevieG is in central midfield, before giving way to Luis Garcia?
The Strike-Out - It is not just that our strikers are not scoring. They simply are not getting much done at all. Crouch had a decent game against Man City and could have scored. But with the pedestrian pace of Mori, Crouch and Fowler - it puts a big burden on Kewell and ??? to add dynamicism via the wings. Too often, defenses are collapsing around our strikers and creating a scrum in the penalty area that even the best sniping midfielders would find difficult to sneak shots through.
We really need Fowler to give us a couple of goals in order to keep the defense honest. We also need Crouch and Mori to WIN headers and at least wear out defenders and keepers, so that our midfielders can better exploit holes in the defense.
Cisse has just about played himself off the side, sad as it is to say.
Wild Card: Fowler. He is the only wild card we have in this deck. Hope that he turns up and wins us a few hands.
Regrets: I don't think we can blame Rafa for the sorry state of our strikers. Morientes lacks a half-yard of pace when he is trying hard and a full-yard when he is frustrated. Cisse doesn't see play developing. Crouch generally does what we would expect, but really needs to become a better header of the ball. We will have to do something about this in the future, but I don't know if we can expect much to change between now and the end of the season.
Sun. 12 Arsenal (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=359&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sun. 19 Newcastle (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=361&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sat. 25 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Everton (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=368&cc=5901)
Sat. 1 West Brom (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=383&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sun. 9 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Bolton (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=358&cc=5901)
Sat. 15 Blackburn (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=365&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Mon. 17 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Fulham (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=370&cc=5901)
Sat. 22 West Ham (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=371&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Sat. 29 Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901) v Aston Villa (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=362&cc=5901)
Sun. 7 Portsmouth (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=385&cc=5901) v Liverpool (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=364&cc=5901)
Eleven more fixtures in the league.
+ 5 home games
+ 3 games against top 6 sides
+ 2 away games against top 6 sides, plus a tricky away against West Ham.
We also have to play several of these matches on the backs of Champions League and FA Cup ties.
What are your predictions regarding how many points we will secure in our remaining league campaign?
(h) Charlton - win
(a) Arsenal - win
(a) Newcastle - win (barring a big impact from newly healthy Owen)
(h) Everton - win (but Bluenoses are playing much better)
(a) West Brom - win
(h) Bolton - tie
(a) Blackburn - tie
(h) Fulham - win
(a) West Ham - loss (difficult fixture, we'll be tired and WH is an emerging squad)
(h) Aston Villa - win
(a) Portsmouth - tie (PFC* playing for life at tough Fratton Park)
* Just so long as we beat them at FA Cup I will be fine with this result.
These results would give us 25 additional points for a total of 79.
I think that this would be enough to help us pass Man Utd by. They have a tougher run-in then us, as they must still face the following:
Wigan (a – revenge!)
Chelsea (a)
Arsenal (h)
Tottenham (a)
West Ham (h)
Bolton (a).
They also face Middlesbrough at Old Trafford. Boro tend to play very tough in that fixture.
I really hope that we can win the FA Cup this year. My goals are 2nd in the league and FA Cup winners. I would like us to get to the Champions League Semi-finals, as well. But I don’t want us becoming continental specialists.
Key Issues:
Depth at Central Midfield - Is Momo really done for the year? If so, how do we adjust to compensate for a tiring Gerrard and a Xabi who is in a bit of a fade in regards to his form.
Wild Card: If Agger continues to play well, would Rafa consider deploying Carra in defensive midfield (from time to time).
Regrets: I love Paul Anderson, but would John Welsh have been a useful squad player at this juncture?
The Right-Wing Dilemma - Steven Gerrard has been imperious when he has played from this position. No one else has made it their own, with the possible exception of Luis Garcia, as a sub. Given our paltry goals output, perhaps this is a bigger concern than ever. Jan Kronkamp may be a great Red over the next few years, but I don't see it happening as a right-wing.
Wild Card: Should Rafa truly consider giving Paul Anderson (or maybe Juan Barragan) a run-out at some juncture? I would certainly consider it against Fulham or Aston Villa or something.
Regrets: Flo-Po actually looked pretty dangerous for us in this position. Would he give us sizzle (in the occasional start) that we lack when StevieG is in central midfield, before giving way to Luis Garcia?
The Strike-Out - It is not just that our strikers are not scoring. They simply are not getting much done at all. Crouch had a decent game against Man City and could have scored. But with the pedestrian pace of Mori, Crouch and Fowler - it puts a big burden on Kewell and ??? to add dynamicism via the wings. Too often, defenses are collapsing around our strikers and creating a scrum in the penalty area that even the best sniping midfielders would find difficult to sneak shots through.
We really need Fowler to give us a couple of goals in order to keep the defense honest. We also need Crouch and Mori to WIN headers and at least wear out defenders and keepers, so that our midfielders can better exploit holes in the defense.
Cisse has just about played himself off the side, sad as it is to say.
Wild Card: Fowler. He is the only wild card we have in this deck. Hope that he turns up and wins us a few hands.
Regrets: I don't think we can blame Rafa for the sorry state of our strikers. Morientes lacks a half-yard of pace when he is trying hard and a full-yard when he is frustrated. Cisse doesn't see play developing. Crouch generally does what we would expect, but really needs to become a better header of the ball. We will have to do something about this in the future, but I don't know if we can expect much to change between now and the end of the season.