Who will stop Liverpool in the EPL 2002-03?

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Doctor Stamen


What are Blackburn's odds for championship and relegation. Not that neither will happen. Top 8 would be good.
BLACKBURN..! It’s always about you isn’t it..?
Were here to glorify the best of the best.
We’re here to talk about Liverpool the next league champions.

[Ruud van Nistelrooy]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
Sigh ...

OK then - you misunderstood my point. A quick re-read would have made that obvious.

My assertion was that Manchester United have not enjoyed success because of their money, but rather because they have enjoyed the fruits of an outstanding generation of players, all developed by their youth set-up. The wider point being that money alone does not guarantee success - you need good players, good coaches, a good manager and the luck to see all those things combine to maximum effect.

Ok, admittedly i didn't believe you would be saying that, i only read through everything very quickly and basically what i was picking up was you saying Man Utd have loads of money in a way that suggests thats the only reason they are good, and i couldn't understand what you were trying to say in the last paragraph either.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Ruud van Nistelrooy


Ok, admittedly i didn't believe you would be saying that, i only read through everything very quickly and basically what i was picking up was you saying Man Utd have loads of money in a way that suggests thats the only reason they are good, and i couldn't understand what you were trying to say in the last paragraph either.
It's simple "READ then POST"..... ;)

Most Manure fans are only following the team because they’ve been winning, not because they really understand the game. Why would they even trouble themselves to read posts before they make ‘informed’ comments about them.
A real fan of their team and of the game of football looks to his own teams strengths and weaknesses and tries to see how it matches up to the opponents.
Whereas the manure fan says “My team Good…Your team suck..!” :)

[michaec]

Why has this thread focused on a fight between Man U and Liverpool for the championship? Has everyone forgot that Arsenal are the defending champions? That we've just won the double?

There were a few comments about Tony Adams retiring. It is a blow, but he only played 10 league games last season. So even then we didn't rely on him at the back. Luzhny started more league games than he did! Cygan was bought as a replacement, but I would lay money that Keown and Campbell will be the first choice centre backs at the start of next season. Seasoned campaigners who know how to play in this league.

Also slagging Seaman off is a bit silly. I thought he was finished a couple of seasons ago, but last year he played really well and no-one has realistically challenged him in the England goal for ages. People forget the save he made in Munich at 1-0 down against Germany. 2-0 and it was all over. Similarly against Sweden in Japorea he mad a couple of great saves or the team wouldn't have even had the chance to play crap against Brazil. All keepers make mistakes. The great ones make so few that when they do, they are highlighted more than most.

The midfield is looking a bit bare at the start of the season due to the injuries to Pires, Ljungberg and van Bronckhorst. But with our reasonable start to the programme, I think a midfield of Vieira, Parlour, Edu and Wiltord will keep us in the hunt until the first choices recover. Hopefully we'll be able to add van Bommel too, but even if we don't I still fancy our midfield to give as good as they get. With Pires and Ljungberg back, other teams had better watch out.

We have the golden boot winner from last year in Thierry Henry and watching Bergkamp in full flow is an absolute joy. Last season was his best for a few and if he has anywhere near as good a campaign this time around, we'll be there or thereabouts. we have good backup strikers in Kanu (although he had a shocker last term) and Jeffers so goals shouldn't be a problem.

So to sum up, tight at the back, solid in midfield and top class attackers up front. Sounds like a recipe for success to me.

[Ruud van Nistelrooy]

Originally posted by usscouse

It's simple "READ then POST"..... ;)

Most Manure fans are only following the team because they’ve been winning, not because they really understand the game. Why would they even trouble themselves to read posts before they make ‘informed’ comments about them.
A real fan of their team and of the game of football looks to his own teams strengths and weaknesses and tries to see how it matches up to the opponents.
Whereas the manure fan says “My team Good…Your team suck..!” :)

I think you'll find those dickheads who blindly hate man utd because of our recent success are exactly the same. Because after all, Liverpool are better than Man Utd, obviously *yawns*

Liverpool and the Arse have just as many glory supporters as anyone else, its just people forget this because man utd win so much all the hate focuses on them.

[kopiteinkc]

The only thing to stop Liverpool will be Arsenal or Man U, Newcastle maybe.

Chelsea and Leeds have no chance.

I expect it will be as close as last year and injuries will be a telling factor. I do think the Liverpool squad will be a lot deeper this year and with man U probably strengthening their defenders it should be even closer. Arsenal still have everyone from the double winning team so obviously can't be counted out. It will be one of those three.

Of course I am rooting for Liverpool.

[kiwiguy]

I'd like to say that we (Fulham) will be a serious challenge. But we are probably a couple of years away still. Although a top 6 would be a reasonable expectation.
I agree with those people who question the Arsenal defence. I'm a firm believer that the best defence is offence. As Brazil showed during the World Cup.
So here's my top 6:

1. Man Utd
2. Liverpool
3. Leeds
4. Arsenal
5. Newcastle
6. Fulham!!!!!!!!!!

[wjschaefer]

Originally posted by kiwiguy
I'd like to say that we (Fulham) will be a serious challenge. But we are probably a couple of years away still. Although a top 6 would be a reasonable expectation.
I agree with those people who question the Arsenal defence. I'm a firm believer that the best defence is offence. As Brazil showed during the World Cup.
So here's my top 6:

1. Man Utd
2. Liverpool
3. Leeds
4. Arsenal
5. Newcastle
6. Fulham!!!!!!!!!!

Actually...

1. Arsenal
2. Man Utd
3. Liverpool
4. Newcastle
5. Leeds
13. Fulham

[Motterman]

Originally posted by wjschaefer


Actually...

1. Arsenal
2. Man Utd
3. Liverpool
4. Newcastle
5. Leeds
13. Fulham

Close:

1. Manchester United
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool
4. Newcastle
5. Leeds
6. Blackburn

[scouseratheart]

Not quite there yet...

1. Liverpool
2. Arsenal
3. ManUre
4. Chelsea
5. Newcastle

[wjschaefer]

Originally posted by scouseratheart
Not quite there yet...

1. Liverpool
2. Arsenal
3. ManUre
4. Chelsea
5. Newcastle

I agree - you haven't got it yet:

NUMBER 1 will be Arsenal followed by the rest...

[mr magoo]

1/ Arsenal
2/ Manchester Utd
3/ Newcastle Utd
4/ Liverpool
9/ Leeds
20/ Sunderland

[kygunner]

Liverpool, as they are the team the thread started with, are a serious contender in that they already had the best defense in the league, Owen and they have made several good off season manuevers. The problem lies in the Liverpool offensive concept. Any team can keep another scoreless if they put 10 behind the ball. The trick has been to keep Owen from beating you when he receives that 30 yard pass into space behind the oppositions defense. By the end of the year, 2001-2002, most teams were making the necessary changes and getting draws.

I believe that Gerrard is one of the best midfielders in the country but if you play him in the back he just blends in with the rest. Maybe Houlliers fulltime return will spell more midfield runs and multiple player counters instead of the same "boring" tactics Liverpool ran last year.

[wu-tang beez]

Wenger is worried, and rightly so -- I think -- that the World Cup finals will have a damaging effect on the pysche of the French players.

Don't you think the Frenchies will be out to prove a pt next season? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by wu-tang beez


Don't you think the Frenchies will be out to prove a pt next season?

I think Manchester United even moreso.

[kopiteinkc]

Originally posted by kygunner
Liverpool ... by the end of the year, 2001-2002, most teams were making the necessary changes and getting draws.


What are you talking about? Check the scores from last season.

We won 10 of our last 11 league matches, losing once to Spurs away. We didn't draw any of them.

If we had a fault it was not finishing Spurs off and not beating Everton earlier in the spring.

But we didn't draw any towards the end of the season.

[michaec]

Originally posted by kopiteinkc


If we had a fault it was not finishing Spurs off and not beating Everton earlier in the spring.



Your problem was really a dip around the middle of the season leaving you too much ground to make up at the end.

Ours is that we usually lose every game in November for some reason. Ithink Barcelona suffer from the same problem?!? Last year we kept it together during that period, coming with our traditionally strong finish.

They say that winning the first is the hardest one and both Arsenal and Man U have squads where most of the players have won the championship and many who have won it multiple times. I think Liverpool will find it difficult to break these two this year. Both squads are not particularly old (only Seaman and Bergkamp could be classed as 'veterans' in our squad and probably only Blanc in the United squad), so Liverpool's wholesale changes in the midfield may not bear fruit until the following year at least.

[kopiteinkc]

I know when our form dipped, I was responding to the previous post, hence my use of his quote.

I think you will find that most of our starting midfield will be the same. In particular Gerrard and Hamann. The difference will be who plays out wide. Smicer, Berger and Murphy will have to play well to fight off the newcomers. Most of whom will be on the bench until they break into the side. So I don't think there will be much of a settling in period as you think as the core players are all still there.

We just have more cover for injuries now.

[kygunner]

Originally posted by kopiteinkc


What are you talking about? Check the scores from last season.

We won 10 of our last 11 league matches, losing once to Spurs away. We didn't draw any of them.

If we had a fault it was not finishing Spurs off and not beating Everton earlier in the spring.

But we didn't draw any towards the end of the season. My apologies as I stuck "-2002" when I was talking about the mid season dip in form.

[melloyello]

Chelsea