2013-2014 Season

[Tes]

I'd agree with all of that Tes. Thats why wins like the last two are so important. It really will help the players from the psychological perspective. Clean sheets help breed a mental toughness in defense. Wins help instill that determination to win at all costs. As you say United scrapped to one nil wins alot last year but they always managed to win the games a mentally weaker team would've drawn or lost. All of Fergies teams never believed they were beaten no matter what the score was or no matter how many minutes were gone. This year if we are going to challenge for fourth we are going to need to be mentally rock solid. From a quality perspective and looking at today's bench I think we are very short of options. We don't have many game changers on the bench , there arent many more players in the squad you can bring on to score goals. I hope we dont spend money for the sake of spending money either. If the right players arent available I would prefer to keep whatevers left in the transfer kitty and use it in January if the right players are available or next summer if they are not.

Agree with every single word of that, Juan. The bench is a worry and as you say there are no game changers when we need a goal or a solidifying influence when we need to close the game out.

Money doesn't win you anything, buying the 'right' players does. I'm not bothered about us not getting Willian, in fact I'd rather we used that money to strengthen the defence, which two clean sheets can't mask the fact it still is nowhere near stronger enough.
If we get a left sided attacker, which apparently Rodgers wants, then great but only if he's the right player, not just a left side attacker.
Honda's free in January as his contract ends then, rather than in June like most. He could be a timely boost and he's the sort of intelligent player that you could see linking well with Coutinho, Aspas, Sturridge and Suarez.
I just hope we don't get caught out last minute trying to make a 'splash' late in the transfer window.

Coutinho has shown that the right player is better than a big ticket one.
£35M on Andy Carroll or £40M + Sturridge for Torres? The big ticket purchase doesn't look so clever now.
It's a shame we didn't get Jackson Martinez from Chiapas last Summer when we'd been linked heavily with him since January 2012. €8.8M seems a ridiculous bargain now, instead of the £10.5M for Borini.

[Tes]

The search is on for Arsene Wenger's missing pocket:

[the dude abides]

a further example of cost-cutting measures this summer at the Emirates.

[Tes]

a further example of cost-cutting measures this summer at the Emirates.

       

It'll probably be found in the same place as their £70M transfer budget.

[Tes]

Big game on Tuesday night at home to Notts County in the (whatever it's called) Cup, aka League Cup.

We have to get this spot on. We can't afford the embarrassment of a defeat or even a draw, neither can we afford to just nick a scrappy victory. He needs to play a reasonably strong team to make sure the winning momentum continues and this possible way into Europe is given 100% respect and taken completely seriously.

There's the obvious distraction of the Mancs up next in the league, but how better to prepare for that than with a good home victory, rather than risk a confidence shattering defeat.

I'd definitely keep Mignolet in net so he can get another early chance of playing at Anfield and settling into a big club atmosphere, plus, I wouldn't want to be on the same side as Jones in training, nevermind actually have him in the team.

Maybe give Kelly, if he's fit, a run at centre half along Kolo Toure, who would help him through. Then again that means playing Johnson again and I think we have to look after him otherwise he'll succumb to injury again later in the season. Is playing both Wisdom and Kelly too much of a risk and too many changes, as we'll probably see Cissoko make his debut if his fitness is up to it.

Agger, Johnson and Gerrard are maybe the obvious ones to be rested, but that's two changes to the back four at least. Henderson can take Gerrard's role and moving him centrally would suit him better.

It all goes to show how lacking in squad depth we still are and how dependent we are on first team players who don't have the greatest fitness/injury records.

[the dude abides]

      

It'll probably be found in the same place as their £70M transfer budget.

twas a bizarre summer.  Arsenal and Liverpool had supposedly big wads of cash to spend - but could find no takers (for various reasons)

Anyroads- Wenger IMHO is 4 years past his north london sell-by-date

[Tes]

twas a bizarre summer.  Arsenal and Liverpool had supposedly big wads of cash to spend - but could find no takers (for various reasons)

Anyroads- Wenger IMHO is 4 years past his north london sell-by-date

He's the classic example of a manager carrying on too long when his best position is now in the boardroom, serving the club in a more suitable position.

He's let so-called principles, (his over indulgent style of play, seeing the defensive side and defensive personnel being beneath his ideals somehow, and also his belief in every purchase being an unbelievable bargain, or an unknown that goes on to become a household name), get in the way of creating success.
It's as though he's got to do it without a Viera, Petit, Gilberto Silva, Tony Adams (just for the comedic value alone  ), Keown or Seaman. Recreate the invincibles but based on possession and ball retention alone.
Prove that tackling and defending is an outdated concept and that football can be played with the most minimal of physical contact.

[Martinmarx]

Big game on Tuesday night at home to Notts County in the (whatever it's called) Cup, aka League Cup.

We have to get this spot on. We can't afford the embarrassment of a defeat or even a draw, neither can we afford to just nick a scrappy victory. He needs to play a reasonably strong team to make sure the winning momentum continues and this possible way into Europe is given 100% respect and taken completely seriously.

There's the obvious distraction of the Mancs up next in the league, but how better to prepare for that than with a good home victory, rather than risk a confidence shattering defeat.

I'd definitely keep Mignolet in net so he can get another early chance of playing at Anfield and settling into a big club atmosphere, plus, I wouldn't want to be on the same side as Jones in training, nevermind actually have him in the team.

Maybe give Kelly, if he's fit, a run at centre half along Kolo Toure, who would help him through. Then again that means playing Johnson again and I think we have to look after him otherwise he'll succumb to injury again later in the season. Is playing both Wisdom and Kelly too much of a risk and too many changes, as we'll probably see Cissoko make his debut if his fitness is up to it.

Agger, Johnson and Gerrard are maybe the obvious ones to be rested, but that's two changes to the back four at least. Henderson can take Gerrard's role and moving him centrally would suit him better.

It all goes to show how lacking in squad depth we still are and how dependent we are on first team players who don't have the greatest fitness/injury records.

I would agree he needs to field a fairly strong side. Nevertheless I think Kelly should get a start, I also believe Wisdom need a competetive game and so do Alberto. I would rest Toure, Agger, Gerrard, Sturridge and Coutinho and possible bring them on in the 2nd half if needed. A first test to our much spoken about depth?

[Juan]

I would agree he needs to field a fairly strong side. Nevertheless I think Kelly should get a start, I also believe Wisdom need a competetive game and so do Alberto. I would rest Toure, Agger, Gerrard, Sturridge and Coutinho and possible bring them on in the 2nd half if needed. A first test to our much spoken about depth?

Throw Ibe and Sterling on too. Allen needs to step up. Borini should be given his chance up front.

[Tes]

Let's see if we can cobble a team together between us all.

GK - Mignolet - gives him another game in front of the Kop and help him settle in.

RB - Wisdom

LB - Cissoko

CB - Kelly (if fit) Toure.  Agger needs the rest and Skrtel's not due back until the Manc game.

MIDS - Allen, Hendo (we need his energy) ?

FORWARDS - Ibe, Borini, Alberto or Sterling

So a settled, stabled team it is then. 

[the dude abides]

we look a bit short in midfield   


BTW  I see my prediction for title winners picked up a good point tonight at United.


And my prediction for third, got beaten at Cardiff.  More of that type of result to come this season, I reckons for Pelligini.

[Tes]

we look a bit short in midfield   

It's an odd one isn't it Dude? We replicated Henderson in buying Allen, except a shorter, more lightweight, less energetic version, Gerrard, who knows how much longer before his body breaks again, and Lucas. We've got no room to rest any player other than Gerrard (that's an absolute necessity), so we have to risk our only holding midfielder (who proved his worth over the last two seasons when he was out injured) in every game.

Likewise central defence. We'll need to play our 32 year old as the two players who may have got a game only because they're not wanted for anything that 'actually counts', are both injured, and Agger, like Gerrard and Johnson has to be preserved for league duty only.
We've had all Summer to sort out central defence. We've done the bare minimum by having to replace a player who isn't physically there anymore, yet 50% of our centre halves don't appear to be trusted by the manager, but have neither been shipped out or other choices brought in so the manager chooses his two he actually wants rather than his mistrust causing the selection to be a default one.

[Tes]

we look a bit short in midfield   

The more I think about it Dude, the more puzzled I get with this Summer's transfer policy.

If he wants to move Coutinho centrally, we'll be playing with a front three, with Coutinho behind, meaning we'll have to play with two sort of holding midfielders, which is what he's done after a fashion with Gerrard and Lucas.
So like with central defence, we've got only two players, Gerrard and Lucas, for two positions. Neither Hendo or Allen could play alongside Gerrard comfortably as he's bound at some point to relinquish his post, lose his discipline and go walk about, neither can they replace Lucas as the most defensive, disciplined 'sitter' of the two.

So if we genuinely have the money that was supposedly there for Henry the Armenian and Williamn, wouldn't it make more sense giving ourselves three to choose two from in the Lucas/Gerrard role(s) and give himself three centre backs, he actually positively trusts and wants, from which to choose two. Also it allows Agger and Toure to take a breather occasionally, though obviously not for the same match.

Of the three right footed centre halves we've been most heaviestly linked with, Ilori and Alderweireld would cost less than the £10M we apparently turned down from Napoli for Skrtel, so Skrtel's replacement is self financed, leaving the money to go on an addition for Gerrard's/Lucas' role and a wide left player.

Talking of wide left players, there's Assaidi. Either let's use him or cash in. If we can't sell this window, and we can't get real quality, then let's use what we've got in Assaidi, supplemented with Sterling and Ibe, and now Cissoko's here, we could also utilise Enrique there, as we did last season.
We'd at least have Coutinho then in his rightful place (or where Rodgers sees him playing) and enough strength behind him in the holding role(s) to allow for that.

[Tes]

Mignolet, Johnson, Toure, Wisdom, Cissoko, Allen, Gerrard, Alberto, Ibe, Sterling, Sturridge.

A decent, strong team. Should get the job done.

[Tes]

H-T 2-0. Sterling, Sturridge. So far, so good.