Season 2012-2013

[Edward224]

Liverpool - 15pts; Everton - 20pts, Spurs - 17pts, Arsenal - 19pts, Newcastle - 14pts.

In the next 10 games:

Everton have Arsenal, City, Spurs, Chelsea & Newcastle
Spurs have Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton
Arsenal have Spurs, Everton and Newcastle
Newcastle have City, United, Arsenal and Everton.

We have a real opportunity to close the gap on all these clubs and bring some respectability back to our ladder position.

It will also bring us into the January transfer window where hopefully we will have some momentum and reinforcements.

[Tes]

Didn't understand Suso got injured, rather thought he was a waste of space.
 
You do not go anywhere in life without experience.

Which is exactly what Suso lacks, hence inconsistancy of performance. It's also more noticable in the technical players than in the 'grafters'.

Martin, show the same level of patience with our young, inexperienced players as you ask of us with our young, inexperienced manager.

[Tes]

This team had absolutely no experience of winning before the season started, yet people demanded they win every game.

Slight exaggeration there, Martin, and you yourself have been rather damning when we haven't won particular matches. We can't win every game, you know, I know you know, and as someone once pointed out, people shouldn't demand that we do. 

[Tes]

Suarez is one off his tally for the whole of last season and its only November.

Seems DUDE, that Rodgers has figured out how to get the best out of Suarez. Not bad from such a supposedly crappy manager eh DUDE.

The ceasefire lasted about the same time as the Syrian one.

So Dalglish was entirely to blame for Suarez's total last season? Maybe playing with players that weren't available to the previous manager has something to do with it and of course Suarez is a year older, more mature, more settled and more experienced within the PL. He's also had more time to suss out his opponents having had more experience of them.

No one man is entirely and completely responsible for anything, be it good or bad.

[Ed]

The ceasefire lasted about the same time as the Syrian one.

I believe the Dude is massing troops and tanks on the border,
one rocket too far methinks 

Anyway, we'll take them 3 points. I suppose expectations are so confused at the
club a home win is greeted with immediate talk of 4th 

I thought the first half was rather even (given we're the home side).

Wigan had a player taken off with a broken leg and self-destructed 2 minutes
into the 2nd half. Fair play to us we mopped up.

There wasn't enough there to convince me that we now represent a threat in the league
(aint scored a goal in the last 15 minutes of a league game this season??), but there were
nevertheless some positives.

The lively if unorthodox presence of Enrique, I think the gaffer deserves credit for that one,
we now have energy on the wing with back-tracking capability! Seems to be popular with
his team-mates as well.

The introduction of Henderson gave us more grit in midfield, he appears imo to be relishing
his pressing and tackling work, is more mobile going forward and calling for the ball more often.
Slowly but surely...hopefully!

I think those two changes give us more balance in the sense that it's not all technicians,
there are now physical energetic players who are defense-aware to complement that!

[Martinmarx]

Which is exactly what Suso lacks, hence inconsistancy of performance. It's also more noticable in the technical players than in the 'grafters'.

Martin, show the same level of patience with our young, inexperienced players as you ask of us with our young, inexperienced manager.

But I do, I just thought that on the day it was the right decision to take him off. I can see Suso's undoubted talent and am very happy he's tied to the club as I can see him become a great player. He just had an off-day which every player's entitled to and I was merely commenting on this one game. Also happy to see Henderson and especially his attitude. Well impressed with that.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Suarez is a better all-round striker than Torres. If Atletico come sniffing if they sell Falcao to Chelsea, they can give us all the Falcao money or (at least) £60M. Enrique's equalled his Newcastle record in a season and a third, prolific.

I'd agree with that. Torres is (was) an all-out striker whereas Suarez is more of a creator. After all, he was bought to provide for Torres. I wonder how that would have turned out. BR seems to have reinvented Enrique. More to come hopefully.

Another excellent result for Steve Clarke. It just makes you wonder how little influence Dalglish let him have on team matters last season in comparison to his half season. I would how much better we'd be (at least defensively) if Clarke had stayed and become Rodgers' assistant.

I'm sure we would be better defensively but I'll reserve judgement on Clarke until end of season. But he's certainly made a good start.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

7 on the trot unbeaten, that's more like it. Anxious first half where we never really threatened and I was worried we'd end up with yet another 0-0 or 1-1 draw. Sterling did very well to capitalize on that sloppy pass to set up Suarez for an extremly well taken 1-0.

It's hard to judge things when MoTD only shows the goals. But given Wigan have been a thorn in our side for a few seasons the result was doubly impressive. I thought Enrique's through pass for the second was superb.

Didn't understand Suso got injured, rather thought he was a waste of space.

Given it occurred in the first 30 mins who knows how he would have played had he stayed on. Many of them didn't do much in the first half.

In any case that was one of Henderson's better performances in a red shirt. His impact was immidiate and lasted throughout the game. Also want to make a special mention for Enrique who looks to be back to his best. One brilliant assist and a well taken goal makes him my MOTM.

From what I've read they both played very well. Makes for hard decisions with Lucas close to a return.

I wouldn't agree, however ASI, this was our best performance of the season. We were much better against both United and Citeh, I would even say Chelsea. Swansea and the Jews away next. If we can get maximum points from those games we'll be in for 4th with a shout come Chrimbo.

Given our recent results against Wigan I would say it was a totally unexpected result. And what other game have we had a 3 goal margin? Only 4th clean sheet of the season too.

[the dude abides]

Hope Suarez can stay uninjured.  Another good day for the Uruguayan.

I was out of the house, thus did not catch the game.

The first half, according to all reports, was another worrisome torrid affair.  Many of the reports I have been reading in the papers suggest that Wigan's midfield bossed the centre.  That seems a common thing these days.  It is worrisome when one gets owned, on such a regular basis, like that at home. 

Wigan's awful injury, the lad with the broken leg, occurred.....and then we got our noses in front, in the second half, due to nutty defending.  And then as Wigan try to come forward and get something from the game, we exploit the gaps.  The usual way things play out in such circumstances.

This was a badly needed win.  We can now dream of a mid-table finish.  We are three points closer to the 40 point mark. 

[Edward224]

8 points behind 4th.......

[Ed]

This boy has awareness and courage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aWAJUETV5rU

[Tes]

The introduction of Henderson gave us more grit in midfield, he appears imo to be relishing
his pressing and tackling work, is more mobile going forward and calling for the ball more often.
Slowly but surely...hopefully!

There seems to be a half decent player lurking inside, it's just whether the mentality will ever allow it to really flourish.

[Tes]

Sterling vs Wigan: http://www.youtube.com/embed/JmR272-7aMo

He has a surprising amount of strength for a small, young lad. Brilliant to see the way he plays with his head up, and doesn't shirk any physical stuff either.

[Ed]

it's just whether the mentality will ever allow it to really flourish.

He gets some variety with the England U21 games which I think helps
him going both ways i.e. he brings the intensity from the Prem. games to
the internationals and the confidence he gets from more time on the
ball in the U21 games to the Prem.

& also the Europa league run-outs give him game time under a less of
a spotlight (because no-one watches them!).

[the dude abides]

Sterling vs Wigan: http://www.youtube.com/embed/JmR272-7aMo

He has a surprising amount of strength for a small, young lad. Brilliant to see the way he plays with his head up, and doesn't shirk any physical stuff either.

I love his awareness of his colleagues around him.....it's very rare for someone so young, to play with their head up.

if he keeps developing, like he has been doing, Sterling is going to be the Giggs/Barnes of this generation.  If he develops his finishing, which will come with time, we have a new John Barnes on our hands.