Updated fixture list... 12/31 vs Man City 01/02 @ Sunderland 01/08 vs Plymouth Argyle [FAC] 01/11 @ Southampton [EFLC-Leg 1] 01/15 @ Manure 01/18 @ Plymouth Argyle [FAC-Replay] 01/21 vs Swansea 01/25 vs Southampton [EFLC-Leg 2] 01/31 vs Chelsea
12/31 vs Man City 01/02 @ Sunderland 01/08 vs Plymouth Argyle [FAC] 01/11 @ Southampton [EFLC-Leg 1] 01/15 @ Manure 01/18 @ Plymouth Argyle [FAC-Replay] 01/21 vs Swansea 01/25 vs Southampton [EFLC-Leg 2] 01/28 vs Wolves [FAC] 01/31 vs Chelsea
With all this talk about us dropping points to shit teams, I thought I'd do a breakdown... Top 6 League @ Arsenal (W 4-3) @ Tottenham (D 1-1) @ Chelsea (W 2-1) vs Man United (D 0-0) vs Man City (W 1-0) @ Man United (D 1-1) Bottom 14 Feeders @ Burnley (L 2-0) vs Leicester (W 4-1) vs Hull (W 5-1) @ Swansea (W 2-1) vs West Brom (W 2-1) @ Crystal Palace (W 4-2) vs Watford (W 6-1) @ Southampton (D 0-0) vs Sunderland (W 2-0) @ Bournemouth (L 4-3) vs West Ham (D 2-2) @ Middlesbrough (W 3-0) @ Everton (W 1-0) vs Stoke (W 4-1) @ Sunderland (D 2-2) vs Swansea (L 3-2) We have clearly taken lesser teams to the sword this season, so we know it's very possible. In fact, I seem to remember a certain smug Germany that posts on here ( ) mentioning to us that we didn't have to worry about burying garbage teams anymore. Seems that we've in a pretty bad rut in 2017 so far, but lets not forget what we did to Leicester, Hull, Palace, Watford, Middlesbrough, and Stoke this season.
Completely reasonable insight RedBird - thanks for the post...I do think the main point of trouble I have with what has happened over the last five weeks is that we seemed to "have it figured out" the first three months of the season...we were scoring lot of goals, although even then, we were giving up some stinkers...we were moving the ball, retaining possession, and dominating games...now we seem to have lost the goal scoring "touch" - we still move the ball, retain possession and give up some stinkers...but when we don't (can't) score, it is all for naught... I do believe the goals will come...but it is going to be a challenge for top four - with five teams vying for three spots (as I am not counting Chel$ki, who would have to throw up an Atlanta Falcons second half to lose out on top four)...
As a long time patriots fan I endorse the falcons' collapse Agree with your post, well said. Still think top 4 is very much within our reach. Spurs, Arsenal and City away are must wins though it would be icing on the cake if both Manc clubs failed to make top 4.
that would be great ... but tbh I won't really be satisfied until Manure get relegated. maybe that's just me
Well I've had to take my red colored glasses off - even having Jurgen Klopp as the manager isn't going to make up for the massive shortcomings in this team. And he has to take a lot of fault for that as well (or FSG) - because he knew from being he here since last October that we needed major upgrading and it simply never came. The job to turn Liverpool into title contenders may be beyond anyone until we get another series of events like we did with Suarez. We are barely contenders for Top 4 these days.
Aye, our squad isn't good enough has been obvious for some time. Too decent but of mid-table mentality players really to succeed. I think top 4 is gone but hopefully a number of third rate players are playing their way out of the club. 2017 has been downright awful.
There was a graphic in the game for Premiership points in last 5 games/2017/something similar. We were ranked 14th.
If I were Trump: The season is going really, really great. And how about Jurgen, huh? I'm looking at you, Jurgen! I love this guy, the players love this guy, everybody loves this guy, he is the absolute best. The team is playing beautiful, beautiful soccer, unbelieveable soccer. Melania, stand up and show them your LFC blouse. Not red sequins, pure rubies, the best. And how about those losers the sports media, doing it again. 5th place? Fake news, typical stuff from these lightweights. This is the Best. Team. Ever. Believe me.
btw - Lallana has come way way off those early season highs - which I would guess most of us feared was a purple patch. He's been back to the mid-table flatter to deceive player in the last 2+ months and now is sitting on a nice new contract to show for it. I know Klopp believes that's he a key player for the press - but he's 28 and probably already has seen his peak. You know how the papers said a few month ago that we didn't need Dahoud anymore (or weren't interested) - I bet we are now.
I agree and was hoping we could offload him this summer along with Sturridge and Can. But with that big, fat new contract; he ain't going anywhere.
Starting to transition to thinking about the summer and next year. At this point, top 4 is fading away fast and I'd put our chances of Europa League at 50/50% unless we go on a pretty good tear from here on out. Failure to qualify for Europe would to me mean this will have been an unsuccessful season. Maybe the silver lining is that failure would demonstrate even a top manager like Klopp can't get it done in the premiership these days on a shoestring. Hopefully it might compel some rethinking of the talent strategy. We shall see.
last season we got to the finals of 2 cups. this year we've blown our brains out in both cups, so a poor league finishing position - not getting into Europe at all - will be a big step back, esp given that Klopp's had time to work on the squad for a lot longer.
We now have to leap frog 2 teams - United and ____ to make Top 4 with 12 games left. We probably aren't making Top 4 unless we win 10 of 12 - and this team, really since December hasn't shown any indication that it can do that. Should we make it into the Europa League - I'd say that's still not a successful season because then we go right back into the Thursday - Sunday mix that everyone seems to hate with a passion. We aren't going to be able to recruit top level talent with the lure of the Europa League. Which brings us back to the summer recruitment - we have to get rid of all the dead weight - and make some really astute cheap signings that can help the team when called upon + at least 2 Mane level (ie quality) signings to add to the core of players we have. We can't go into PL games with two teenagers as our bench depth at the striker position (I love Woodburn - but he can't be thrown to the wolves and be expected to make an instant impact). While we are at it - here's who I expect to be sold this summer: Mingolet, Sakho, Moreno, Flanagan, Can, Stewart, Sturridge, Markovich, Lucas (contract over?) + some other really fringe players I can't recall.
You'd think we're sitting in 7th with that attitude... WE ARE ONE FU@KING POINT OUT OF 4TH!!!! AND WE'RE PLAYING THE FU@KING TEAM AHEAD OF US THIS WEEKEND!!!! Everybody is so downtrodden right now. Yeah, we're not challenging for the title liked we hoped we could be after our fast start. But we still have an excellent shot at top 4. So let's get behind the boys and stop all this pissing and moaning. I liked it better when we only had 1.2 days between games as it forced everybody to have short memories. One game in the last 22 days and people have gone mad.
This I agree with....but if you recall the last say 5 years we have done a run in thread as we chased top 4 (minus the suarez season) - and we invariably bottled it each year. I think that's also in our memories. If you want to make it even more chaotic - Spurs are only 4 points ahead of us.....(though Arse, Citeh and United have a game in hand on us).
You make that statement then you turn around and say every we need to sell all but 7 or 8 players. Where will this magical depth come from when we've sold three of the current 6 central midfielders on our roster? And our sole backup fullback? And our backup striker? We really have gone crazy on this board. Two weeks ago Barca were in crisis mode - now they're top of the league. We just need to relax.