Mails: Welcome back to 2013/14 Liverpool

Daniel Storey

You’ll know doubt have thoughts on Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United. Send them to theeditor@football365.com…

 

Liverpool 2013/14: Welcome back
Breathtaking attacking football? Check
Feeling that goals can come at any time? Check
Front line interchanging freely? Check?
Dodgy keeper? Check
Defence that can’t deal with set pieces? Check
Feeling that game isn’t secure until you’re at least 4-0 up? Check
Needlessly concede late goals to set nerves jangling? Check

Ah, Liverpool of 2013/14. It’s good to have you back.
Mike, LFC, Dubai

 

It really is looking good for Liverpool
A narrow win over Pulisball at home is not a reason to get super excited but;

Liverpool 2015-16:
Arsenal Away – Draw
Tottenham Away – Draw
Swansea Away – Lost
Man United Home – Lost
West Brom Home – Draw

Liverpool 2016-17:
Arsenal Away – Won
Tottenham Away – Draw
Swansea Away – Won
Man United Home – Draw
West Brom Home – Won.

That’s 8 additional points over the corresponding fixtures from last season after 9 games. Granted this team won’t win the league and yes there will be games when they will only score 1 and set piece brain farts (like today) will lead to points thrown away but there are enough signs to show substantial progress and to be optimistic.
MV, New Delhi

 

Spurs looked buggered
Spurs were awful. The only performing players were Wanyama, Vertonghen and Lloris. Only memorable moment was probably Dele’s double nutmeg, which says a lot. A goalless draw is a fair result, considering how we should have ended up with 8 players on the pitch but we nevertheless defended really well and so did Bournemouth, credit to them for playing well and nullifying us completely. Was still hopeful of a late winner for us but never felt we deserved anything from the game itself. A late winner from them would have probably been fair too, and a good kick in the ass for the players.

Poch will have to get the blame for some of his selection and subs on the day, but that was also arguably the worst performance of the season. Sissoko should get a ban, and for £30m, he really hasn’t brought anything to the team yet. NUFC fans will smirk reading that. Anyways, Lamela completely lost his form. Poch subbed our two best score threats in Son and Dele who are both good with their movement up front to open up play to bring Janssen and Sissoko who have struggled this season. Go figure how Lamela stayed on the pitch all this time when most of Spurs fans on Twitter thought he’d get subbed off at HT after avoiding getting a red (he really should have got a second yellow).

Many things to learn from the game, though. Spurs are really solid team in the back despite Toby’s absence. However, we’re still sloppy in possession, disorganized when we attack, and definitely shaky when out-pressed by the opponent. Lacking clinicality is one thing, but lacking clear chances is not doing ourselves any good. Despite all the hype after the City game, I don’t think we’ve hit our form yet. It’s similar to last season when we had our unbeaten run which were mostly draws.

Looking forward to see the youngsters put a good show in midweek against Liverpool’s own youngsters in the League Cup tie. Winks and Onomah better start so I can look forward to that game, somehow. ‘Till then, the first XI needs to get their sh*t together. Kane back next weekend would be perfect for that to happen.
John Blakeway

 

Premier League isn’t even entertaining at the minute
After table toppers Man City were humiliated at Barcelona, many people are now starting to wonder whether indeed the Premier League is overrated.

People say that what makes the EPL so enticing to watch is the sheer competitiveness of each match. But after Arsenal were held 0-0 by newly promoted Middlesbrough and Tottenham were held by Bournemouth, it seems like the EPL is not as exciting as was once thought. Swansea also produced another 0-0 scoreline.

Watching highlights from the La Liga and Bundesliga, players showcase technique and the goals scored are wonderful to watch.

Maybe I need to switch to these two leagues if I’m looking for entertaining football…
Johniecum

 

Bloody hell, it’s been a while
Good to see Wenger’s “best ever squad” tearing up trees the minute they start being talked up as contenders! Even funnier to see the usual annual delusion, almost as if the past 12 years of failure was fiction!

The ritual has begun, see you again in Feb for the annual end of season party.
Stewie Griffin (12 years of PL + CL failure and still the sheep bleat!)

 

Don’t misremember Fabregas’ time at Arsenal
Bit late to the party but in total agreement with Paul regarding Graham Simons’ crass revisionism over Cesc.

This really, really annoyed me so I’ve used WhoScored, Wikipedia and Arsenal.com to cobble together a list of his achievements in what were (for the most part) poor Arsenal squads during ‘Project Youth’:

04/05: Breakout season at 17, 40+ appearances, earns an FA Cup winners medal.
05/06: One of our most influential players en route to the CL Final – bossed Vieira on his return to Highbury with Juventus, plus Cesc scored the opener in that game. Named in UEFA Team of the Year.
06/07: 16 assists, did experience a bit of a goal drought though. Played a key role in the team of youngsters that reached the Carling Cup final vs Chelsea. Nets screamer vs Man City in the league.
07/08: PFA Young Player of the Year. Excellent season, with 13 goals from midfield and the most assists in the league. Driving force behind what was a genuine title challenge. Nets HUGE goals away in the San Siro and WHL. The Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky quartet was a joy to watch that season.
08/09: Takes on the captaincy aged 21, at the behest of Wenger (bloody Gallas). Does suffer with injury for a chunk of the season.
09/10: Exemplary season – 15 goals, 15 assists. Scores THAT solo goal against Sp*rs. Fractures his leg but stays on the pitch to score a penalty vs Barca. Named in PFA Team of the Year. Side note – assists Iniesta’s WC-winning goal.
10/11: Final year before the ‘Barca DNA’ kicked in. 6 goals and 13 assists, nets big goal to beat Chelsea. Deadly from the penalty spot all season. Misses the disastrous CC final at Wembley due to injury.

A ‘bottler’ ?! Our best bloody player for 5-6 seasons is what he was, and one of the few who ever turned up in big games. It’s the likes of Justin Hoyte, Djourou, Senderos, Denilson, Bendtner, Squillaci, etc. that saw his efforts amount to almost zero silverware while he was with us. Did begin to struggle with injuries as time wore on, as a result of being overplayed and over-relied upon.

This is a defence of Fabregas the player, not the person. I begrudgingly accepted him ‘going home’ to Barca, but the initial heartbreak of seeing him in Chelsea blue absolutely crushed me, and it hurt even more when he orchestrated their run to the title. Not sure if we made a proper go of trying to re-sign him though – perhaps Wenger will enlighten us when he eventually writes that book.
Cathal, Ireland (got Fabregas on the back of a jersey in 2005)

 

On glorious Dundalk
This is my third email about Dundalk’s European adventure. It shall be a brief one.

Zenit St Petersburg’s squad was assembled for €145 million. Said squad is scattered with international players.

Dundalk’s squad cost €20,000. Said squad was playing their fifth game in twelve days. And they were beating Zenit 1-0 until the 71st minute. Their legs then succumbed to the effort put in over those five games and by the 77th it was 1-2. Unfortunate, but they were by far the toughest points earned by Zenit so far.

It was a damn valiant performance and to see Dundalk sat in second place in their group with Alkmaar still to come over here… Move over Sevilla, the new dons of the Europa League are in town!
John (Also lovely to see a barman telling someone to shut up when they asked for the Man Utd match to be shown instead… Exciting times!), Ennis

 

Loving Steve Bruce the author
Hey Mediawatch, I think, I, along with, I’m guessing, a significant portion of your readership wept uncontrollably when you axed Severed Male Genital Story of the Day from your column, but that review of Steve Bruce’s third novel has totally made up for it. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much! Thanks for the Recommended reading of the day section. It’s one of my favourite things on your website.
Monty (I know what I’m getting my Dad for Christmas), MUFC