Season 2011 - 2012

[Martinmarx]

It's amazing really we're 0-0 at half time after 9 efforts on goal and something like 75 -25 in possession. I would take Henderson off and replace him with Bellars and play Agger in the center for 2nd half. QPR knows time is now on their side and every minute without conceding will only see them grow in confidence.

Downing and Henderson - what a waste of 36 million.

[the dude abides]

downing and henderson are good lads.  I am glad that we have them.

but they are not at the level (and never will be) of say a maxi rodriguez......and Rafa bought Maxi for one a half million quid.   

kenny and comolli are only good at spending big money, their ability to spot inexpensive gems, is non-existent.

[Martinmarx]

downing and henderson are good lads.  I am glad that we have them.

Me too am glad we have them, I couldn't possibly think of a better way of spending 36 million.

Good result embarrassing and pathetic last 20 which is proof in itself why we won't have a sniff at anything above 6th.

[the dude abides]

our football this season has often been of top 8 standard.

but at our best this season, we are capable of top 6.

newcastle will fall away.

man city, man utd will be top 2.     chelsea, spurs, arsenal and liverpool will be in the next tier.  I'd reckon two from arsenal/spurs and chelsea (for the other 2 CL spots).  I wouldn't be surprised if arsenal and spurs took those two spots.  Chelsea look in need of major rebuilding.

[the dude abides]

Aha! Finally, you've spotted my name. I was beginning to despair anyone would ever use it.
Love to meet all who visit here. One day eh?

definitely, Ray.    A tropical vacation here.  A mid winter break is best.....our summer (i.e. dry season) starts in mid December approx.......which is height of British winter. 

PS - I don't think I saw your name til recently....and by that point I was so used to calling you, ASI

Dude as Ray has mentioned above we're still waiting on that end of season report. Maybe we should make it bi-annual altogether  ?

Considering the contents would undoubtedly be of a sensitive / controversial  nature we would most likely have to put a party together to collect it at yours. And sure it would be just rude not to stay for that beer or ten!

sounds the biz, Juan!   You gotta all come over, if the German motherland permits exit by that point, by satellite state members, on overseas vacations.

beer here is 30 to 35 cents a bottle.........I pay maybe 8 or 9 dollars for a 24 bottle crate (of their top number one award winning beer).

as for my annual report - it is uncannily spot on.   Unlike Nostradamus, I spell it out in plain words.

[the dude abides]

PS -   aye, bi-annual     sounds the way to go (given the economic meltdown and the lack of resources in the west and the dude household).     

[Gurdeep]

downing and henderson are good lads.  I am glad that we have them.

but they are not at the level (and never will be) of say a maxi rodriguez......and Rafa bought Maxi for one a half million quid.   

kenny and comolli are only good at spending big money, their ability to spot inexpensive gems, is non-existent.

Excellent point Dude.  Maxi has technical ability, speed, gets into scoring positions but more importantly links up the foward play with Suarez and Bellamy very well.  Downing started the season off really well initially but like Ashley Young at Utd seems to have gone off the boil some what. 

I pray Maxi gets a run in the team.....

[Tes]

So we'd better not let Commolli and Dalglish do Santa's buying for him this year otherwise the world will be full of disappointed children. 

[the dude abides]

Excellent point Dude.  Maxi has technical ability, speed, gets into scoring positions but more importantly links up the foward play with Suarez and Bellamy very well.  Downing started the season off really well initially but like Ashley Young at Utd seems to have gone off the boil some what. 

I pray Maxi gets a run in the team.....

absolutely, Gurdeep.

Indeed, I'd suggest that if Maxi does not get a regular start in the team, Kenny will be definitely picking up his P45 in May.

Ironic though, the more things change, the more they stay the same.    All this money spent, and we are having to revert to Rafa's players to get results.   I thought Maxi was superb against QPR (up there for Man of the Match).  And when he was subbed, you could hear the fans roaring their appreciation, and some of the players came over and patted him on the back.   Kuyt ran his socks off in the game....superb lad.

So much for all these big money transfers this year.  Suarez aside (and remember he was not earmarked by Kenny/Comolli), we still  rely on the older lads.

So much for moneyball....more like goldenbull

[the dude abides]

So we'd better not let Commolli and Dalglish do Santa's buying for him this year otherwise the world will be full of disappointed children. 

 

the pair of them couldn't spot a bargain if it fell on them.

ironic that the same fans who shat upon Rafa's dealings in the transfer market, are sure quiet as hell these days.    They seem to use a different set of rules to judge Kenny's signings.     

[Juan]

the pair of them couldn't spot a bargain if it fell on them.

ironic that the same fans who shat upon Rafa's dealings in the transfer market, are sure quiet as hell these days.    They seem to use a different set of rules to judge Kenny's signings.   

Now now Dude lets play fair  .

Even if Kenny didnt earmark Suarez Comolli was probably the catalyst there. Roy went to watch him but that was most likely on Comollis recommendation.

And if you are going to give them guff for signing Carroll, Downing, Henderson etc how about also affording them some credit for signing Enrique, Adam and Bellamy. All 3 were brilliantly spotted bargains.

Theres no question Maxi deserves to be starting but he wasnt always Mr consistent. When he arrived first he actually looked like a 1.5 million pound player rather than the quality player we see today so it can take players time to find their feet at a club.

[Juan]

One other point that Ive never heard raised.

I have often heard Kenny castigated for signing Andy Carroll. What I never hear is any credit been given for selling Torres  for 50 million. Kenny could have done what Spurs did with Modric and refused point blank to sell but he didnt and by Nandos current form Liverpool probably got 49 million too much. Surely some credit has to go to Kenny and Comolli there.

Plus the fact he actually got somebody to pay us cash for Babel!

[Tes]

So much for moneyball....

This was the thing that I found the most confusing at the time and still do. I was looking forward to the Hyypia, Alonso, Riena, Arbeloa type signings. Underrated and undervalued (at the time of transfer) which all went on to make bigger contributions and play a more significant part than their previous reputations and fees would have suggested.

I think I may have mentioned it/them once or twice previously. 

So far Bellamy, Enrique and Adam (if he continues his improvement) sort of fall into that catagory or at last are proving good value (obviously we knew what was what with Bellamy, maybe more than the others).

Henderson is the right player at the wrong time. I feel he will come good as he develops but the first Summer with the big outlay needed to bring us the impact now. Get back in the CL and then progress with the advantages (both on and off the pitch) that should bring.

Still, we have more than half a season left and I've promised myself (in my old age) I won't make proper judgements until game 38 in the league has finished.   

[the dude abides]

One other point that Ive never heard raised.

I have often heard Kenny castigated for signing Andy Carroll. What I never hear is any credit been given for selling Torres  for 50 million. Kenny could have done what Spurs did with Modric and refused point blank to sell but he didnt and by Nandos current form Liverpool probably got 49 million too much. Surely some credit has to go to Kenny and Comolli there.

Torres was done at least 18 months before we sold him.  I said it often enough in here.  Though admittedly some don't want to read, or acknowledge, reality.  What I always wonder is why we have such a time lag between a problem showing up and reacting to it.  It happens all the time these past 15 plus years.     That did not happen in the distant past, when we operated under the Liverpool Way.

Kenny I imagine let Torres go for the money, not because he had spotted that the lad was done.   And to use 35 million of the money on a clearly inferior replacement striker, who couldn't trap a bag of cement, and who is as slow as a Lada-full of elephants in the Pennines.  He might as well have gone out and burnt the money in the centre circle.

[the dude abides]

This was the thing that I found the most confusing at the time and still do. I was looking forward to the Hyypia, Alonso, Riena, Arbeloa type signings. Underrated and undervalued (at the time of transfer) which all went on to make bigger contributions and play a more significant part than their previous reputations and fees would have suggested.

I think I may have mentioned it/them once or twice previously. 

So far Bellamy, Enrique and Adam (if he continues his improvement) sort of fall into that catagory or at last are proving good value (obviously we knew what was what with Bellamy, maybe more than the others).

agreed re Henderson.....a good lad, plenty of potential, but possibly wrong player at the wrong time.  And I DEFINITELY would have slowly introduced him, not thrown him into the team from the start.   But give him a year or two, and he should significantly improve and offer more.

Adam is a good lad, always liked him.  I was hoping he'd be more of a Paul Scholes type.  But he's more of a Danny Murphy type.  Not a world beater.  But a good player.

Bellamy and Enrique were frees.  Easy to spot Bellamy, given his age and experience at this level.  Indeed Rafa already had.    Sadly age is the issue, re what he can add in the future.   Enrique is a great lad.  A good free signing.   

But after spending 112 million quid this year, why have we not pushed on?   

Has our spending made our team better?  Have we now got better technical players than we had a year ago?

My answer is no.  To get results, Kenny is depending on Rafa's players.