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Liverpool Losers In Fixture List Again
I was posting on a forum this morning and I asked who would like to bet that Liverpool get another tricky away game to start the season, while United and Chelsea get home gimmes. Someone said wasn't I making the excuses as to why Liverpool didn't win the league in 2009/10 a little early! Then the fixtures arrived...We're away to Tottenham while Utd and Chelsea are at home to Birmingham and Hull respectively. I can already hear most of you formulating new ways to poke fun at my Liverpool fan paranoia, but look at the evidence of the the Premier League opening day fixtures (not including this year). I won't bother including the actual fixtures as it's a long list, so feel free to google if you want the specifics:
In 16 seasons:
Arsenal: 12 home games
Chelsea: 10 home games
Liverpool: 5 homes games
Man Utd: 9 home games
Last 5 seasons (the Benitez era):
Arsenal: 4 home games
Chelsea: 4 home games
Liverpool: 0 homes games
Man Utd: 4 home games
Given that the fixtures are NOT randomly generated by a computer (there's an interesting article on the BBC site), and are actually picked and then refined by a combination of man and machine, this strikes me as being very unbalanced. The opening day may ultimately make little difference in the destination of the title, but as a fan it's great to start the season with a fixture that you're very likely to win, and as a player and manager I imagine an easier home game is what you're hoping for, to gain confidence at a potentially vulnerable time and build on it. I am annoyed.
Joel (but we can still beat Tottenham at the Lane) Bradley
No, It's Liverpool's Year...
Playing other Big Four rivals at home on the second-last day of the season? Check.
Playing Hull away on the last day? Check.
It's got to be Liverpool's year!
Tom, London
Blooming United Get It Easy Again...
Just wondering why Man United start the season and finish the season at home. I always thought that if you started the season at home then you ended it away, but unfortunately for Man City they get neither. It's also nice to see United starting the season at home for the fourth consecutive year. Especially with a nice easy three points to Birmingham, so they can get their momentum back after a summer of turmoil.
What a big joke.
Tom Middleton (end of the brackets...)
Poor Arsenal...
Did someone think it would be funny to give Arsenal consecutive fixtures against ManUtd, Chelsea and Liverpool, all in the space of ten days? And don't these people know that our season falls apart in January/February?
Greg (looking forward to a title challenge in 2010/2011), Nottingham
It's All Set Up For Chelsea...
Guess who will be the leader after the first seven games. Damn.
Hull
Sunderland
Fulham
Burnley
Stoke
Tottenham*
Wigan
* no, they will not draw/win
Julian (plastic since 1992) in Gdansk
Liverpool To Buy Owen, It Says Here...
After reading Sarah Winterburn's post on Glen Johnson, and Sam M's comments in yesterdays mailbox I felt the urge to have my say on the current Liverpool position.
I do not deny that £17m is a hell of a lot of money for a right-back. However it's where the market is right now. And the market dictates that English players cost more, and with the possible '6+5' or 'home grown' rules coming into effect the cost of young, talented English players will only go up. People can bitch and moan about the old days and cost, but £17m is what people see his value as.
The Liverpool team needs an attacking right-back. People seem to forget that we tried in vain to sign Dani Alves a few years back, but Rick 'procrastination' Parry did not see the need, but nuff said about Parry. Arbeloa is a good right-back, but not attacking enough. Hopefully Johnson will bring another dimension to our team.
Moving onto Sam M's view, it is simply wrong. Rafa plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, he did at Valencia, and he does now. That formation is unlikely to change for a couple of reasons. 1) It brings the best out of Torres and Gerrard, our two world-class attacking players. Keane tried to play in the hole and failed, so why now change something that works so well? Also Torres loves playing as the lone striker. 2) He has spent the last four years buying players to play that formation. So to sell an integral player, or two players, would mean to change the whole system and that simply is not an sensible option.
So who do Liverpool need to buy and sell to make that final push?
We should only sell Dossena and Babel. Dossena clearly can't cope with the pace of the Premiership and Babel has not come on quickly enough. I would give Lucas one more year.
So who do we need to buy? I am happy with the goalkeeper and right-backs (if he buys Johnson), the left-backs are good, as are the centre-backs (we need to add one). The midfield is quality if we keep Alonso and Mascherano. Kuyt has played well this season and Riera and Yossi Benayoun are good squad players to have. Torres and Gerrard are world class. I feel this shows that we are light in two areas, a back-up quality striker and a world-class winger. The winger could be David Silva, he will cost a lot but he will be able to play in any position in our attacking midfield. My back-up to Torres would be England's Michael Owen.
I know fans will throw their hands in the air but think for a minute. He plays well with Gerrard, he knows the club and given that fact that he is whoring himself out to all and sundry, the prospect of playing in the Champions League and for a club challenging for the league would be a strong pull. I would not give him a long contract, hell I would even offer him a pay-as-you-play deal. But he scores goals and that is something we missed last season when Torres did not play. Plus he will cost nothing, and will be playing for his World Cup place, and that for Owen is another motivation, maybe his main one but Liverpool will benefit from it.
Ian Hewison
Maybe They Want Valencia
Would it surprise anyone if the third club in for Valencia was Liverpool. It is one of the few areas Rafa really needs to strengthen and it's at a very reasonable price especially after considering they are going to spend £17m on Johnson and have wasted oodles of cash on the likes of Pennant in this position before. And he would be getting one over United if they took a player from under their nose.
It is also interesting to hear that the club do not want anyone to be aware of the bid especially Real or Man U.
This could be because if Real new Liverpool wanted him they could use it as a bargaining chip for Xabi, saying they will stop their interest if Liverpool let them have xabi. And if United heard Liverpool were in it would strengthen their resolve to get the player.
Another reason for keeping it private would be that if they fail it would prevent Rafa from having egg on his face and not let Utd think they got one over on them.
Barry (hopes Valencia is just the tip of the iceberg) Cork
Johnson Is Better Than Arbeloa
Anybody who thinks Arbeloa is as good as Glenn Johnson is having a laugh. Johnson is much more threatening going forward, as he has proven (four goals, four assists to Arbeloa's one goal and two assists) last season with a rubbish Portsmouth side. Arbeloa is also a liability in defence. His positioning is poor more often than not. Johnson may not be the best right-back defensively, but I believe his pace compared to Arbeloa's certainly helps him get out of any defensive troubles easier. For my money, I would've spent the £12m Sevilla were asking for Dani Alves three years ago, but I think Johnson, with some improvement under Benítez, has what it takes to be a top five right-back in world football, so we'll definitely be making an improvement from last season.
Even when you compare Arbeloa to Liverpool's main left-sided defender, his stats are somewhat lacking. Fabio Aurelio, with 19 starts managed two goals and five assists. Compare that with what Arbeloa achieved in 29 starts, and it doesn't show very favourably in Arbeloa's favour. Also, Aurelio had Ronaldo in his pocket at Old Trafford, on the other hand, where did United's penalty come from? That's right PARK JI SUNG attacking Liverpool's right side.
There's no question Liverpool needed a proper right-back. Now we need David Villa and we'll win it all next season. We won't get him though, so I'll settle for Tevez and we'll probably have enough to win the PL.
Adam (I couldn't think of anything funny to put here) Jimenez
I'd Rather Raid Real, Thanks
Could Rafa please wake up?
This is the perfect time to be putting the finishing touches on a squad which came so close to winning the league last year. Now I know Liverpool hammered Madrid in the Champions League and lots of people will point out why would you want their players, but if you just take a look at who is potentially available and for cut-price deals, it couldn't be a better time to buy. And since Rafa is going to blow most of his budget on Glen Johnson, can he just take a deep breath and consider these potential deals.
Heinze - granted he isn't the player he first was at United, but can play left-back (better than Aurelio and Dossena I think we agree) and centre-back and would prob be available for £5 million. Plus he genuinely wanted to come to Liverpool before he joined Madrid, so sign him up.
Robben - rumoured to be available for 7/8 million, covers both wings, and yes he a cheating w*nker, but can anyone deny that he is a class player? Sure he has his injury problems, but I guarantee he would offer more in the 20 games he could play a season than Babel, Riera or whatever other average winger we sign (Downing) could in a whole season. Didnt Liverpool pay nearly seven million for Pennant?
Van Nietelrooy - apparently available for two million, one of the greatest finishers in the game, could come in for Torres when injured/ needing a rest and you know he wont be missing chances like Robbie Keane did last year. Even if you had to pay four million for him, and you get two good seasons, which would probably net you 15 goals, it's a bargain.
And yes these players all played for rival clubs in the EPL before , but do Liverpool want to win the league or worry about who players played with before ? For the 17 million you be spending on one good right-back, you can improve the whole squad with three international-class players for the same price. It's a squad game Rafa.
Any complaints?
Mark (I know Rafa will read this and see the light) Cork
Spurs Will Get It Wrong
I hate to admit it but I think if the rumours are to be believed then Harry has been a masterstroke so far in the transfer market. Palacios was an essential buy (although expensive) and has improved our midfield so much. Now I read stories about us offloading Bentley and Jenas. So many people tell me that Bentley might rediscover his form but to be honest, he can be as good as Beckham for all I care, I just don't want that idiotic, self-important, arrogant piece of sh*t at the Lane any longer! And there is no need to even consider Jenas finding any form. He's just rubbish!
So now we are linked with players in positions that we actually need improving! Not buying the same players over and over again. If the rumours are to be believed, we might finally have a decent left-back in Heinze, a very good left winger in Robben (he will be great. He was poor at Chelsea towards the end and hardly great at Madrid but in a smaller team he will be outstanding. not to mention his ability to put poor defences to the sword) and a decent goalscoring striker in Huntelaar (okay a little unproven but surely better than Bent and maybe speaks a little more English than Pav!)
However, I can't help feeling that Spurs have a spectacular ability to get it all wrong! I fear that we might end up with Ruuuuud who will get injured after one game and be out for the season and Drenthe who clearly isn't anywhere near as good as his U-21 potential suggested. I hope these three players do come in as it will strengthen up our team so much. But let's be honest, Spurs have been linked with a thousand players in the last few years because their agents know 'interest from Spur'" means a team trying to break into the Champions League is after their player and is willing to spend lots to get them. I wouldn't be surprised to see Heinze and Robben at Citeh to start the season!!
Sizzle, Watford
One Of Many Querying The 'Good Point'
Steve Smith's (yesterday's mailbox) implication that Man Utd can't lay claim to being the 'biggest' team in the world because their best player chose to go and play for someone else who would stake the same claim, is absolute drivel.
The answer to Mr Smith's question 'Can anyone remember a first team player, at the top of their game, choosing to leave either Real Madrid or Barcelona and sign for Man U?' is a simple matter of culture. Top players at the top clubs in Spain are already on silly money; all players in Spain also have astronomical release fee clauses (something British clubs don't have by default) and, perhaps most importantly, Madrid and Barcelona have the weather! This is why clubs like United (or anyone else) will never prise the top players away from the two Spanish giants. Come on, we all know perfectly well Ronaldo's only off for the money and the climate.
David (shame on Mr Mailbox headline-creator for labelling Mr Smith's naive question a 'Good Point') Walker
The Kids Were Alright...
I have to write in about the Sweden vs Belarus U21 game last night! What play! What goals! OMG I nearly creamed myself!
Having seen all the thunderbolt strikes last night, as an Arsenal fan I have to ask the question: Why the f**k do we always buy kids who try to walk it in!!!
Rick (Megan Fox killing giant robots totally floats my boat) K
