Now is the time to talk of things.............

It is well known that I do not like to see the team I have followed all my life being criticised and denigrated by the very people who try to tell you they are actually Liverpool supporters when things are not going right for the team. I have always believed this is the moment when the club and the players need support. That said I do believe that "constructive" criticism is healthy.

It may come as a surprise to some that I choose this moment to do exactly that and criticise our team! The transfer window is just about to open though.

We have just gone for 10 games in all competitions without conceding a goal so what could possibly be wrong with our defense. We desperatley need cover in central defense as an injury to either Sami or Carra does not bear thinking about. Also Stephen Warnock at left back is still young and inexperienced and I don’t know how many of you have noticed he has been dropped for the last couple of games? As I said he is still learning but he needs to pay special attention in training to developing an awareness of just what is behind him on the pitch. I really like Stephen as a player and if he can just improve this aspect of his play I am sure he will be back in the side. Sami has looked great recently but he is not getting any younger and my personal view is that his present deficiencies are being covered up by the outstanding performances of Carra. You may have noticed how Carra is being played on the left side of Sami. That should tell us something about who will be replaced.

In midfield I do not think I have ever seen Stevie G look so happy as a Liverpool player. And he is not even playing in his preferred position! Xabi is just so influential for us in midfield and it is remarkable how few chances we create when he is not in the side. Imagine if we could play both of them in midfield with natural right side midfielder who could put in quality balls. I really hope Raffa has his target for this position sorted out for January. Kewell on the left is probably safe due to the injury of Bolo but for me he has never really produced for us it has always been “Manyana, manyana” I would not be shocked to see him moved on. And I think he may well have been if it had not been for the Bolo injury although they are 2 completely different types of player.

Up front our strikers are starting to knock in the goals at last. For me though this is quite rightly the last area of the team that you change. Raffa has done it this way, you sort out the team from the back first and work through from there. Cisse will not in my opinion ever be able to carry out the role that Raffa expects of him. It is not his fault and I do not blame him he just cannot adapt to the role he is being asked to play. Almost certain change in this position. If Raffa moves him on though we would lose the option of being able to put on someone with true pace to put defences on the back foot. I hope Raffa has a solution. I do not think we will ever see the best of Crouch and Morientes who is starting to look the part at last, until we see them instead of receiving the ball with their backs to goal we see them coming into the box and meeting crosses that are coming back to them from the dead ball line. Hopefully this will be resolved by the changes I have mentioned above.

So all I want for Christmas is a central defender and 2 wide midfield players plus a pacy striker who can perform a disciplined role when we do not have the ball.

I was thinking of buing you a pint for X'mas, Shanks, but You're pretty demanding, aren't You ?

Yes Arnaud I am and so is Raffa thank goodness. I truly believe if Raffa can make these changes you are going to see a team of world beaters. Yes I know Chelsea have better cover in all positions of the team in fact they are probably the only club who can afford to bring in a like for like quality player into any position. But Raffa is the better manager.

The pint for Xmas would be most welcome but I won't be at the Rush until after the New Year. Are you going to any of the matches at Anfield over Xmas as I know their are a number of our members going and youcan always buy me one then?

For the New Year I was thinking of planning a Liverpool Quiz night at the Rush where we can all test our knowledge of the Reds. I think you could well be favourite to win it.

Shankly Gates wrote:

Yes Arnaud I am and so is Raffa thank goodness. I truly believe if Raffa can make these changes you are going to see a team of world beaters. Yes I know Chelsea have better cover in all positions of the team in fact they are probably the only club who can afford to bring in a like for like quality player into any position. But Raffa is the better manager.

The pint for Xmas would be most welcome but I won't be at the Rush until after the New Year. Are you going to any of the matches at Anfield over Xmas as I know their are a number of our members going and youcan always buy me one then?

For the New Year I was thinking of planning a Liverpool Quiz night at the Rush where we can all test our knowledge of the Reds. I think you could well be favourite to win it.

I wouldn't stand a chanceat the quizz with the likes of Ant, Ken, Mark, Chahine and so on ... Anyway, I won't be around and am more likely to do one with Autumn in my homeland. I won't be going to Anfield soon, but I'm planning to tomorrow morining to the Rushie ...

Don't go tomorrow morning as the match is on Thursday morning on BBC2 and also Setanta the Irish sports channel.

i agree with you Shankley Gates for the team construction, get your fondations right and build upwards to greatness.

A good solid central defender (not to old and with european experience if possible) to cover Hyppia and Carra.

A good right winger, sharp with vision, if he can whip a good corner in, more the better. We need to start scoring from corners, bad style.

A little nippy striker to feed off all those crosses would be a plus in January if Cisse walks.

Not to much to ask for for a lifetimes worth of support !

See you down the Rush for the Quizz and a pint.

ant

That makes 2 free pints with Arnaud's one I will try to make it soon.

Seriously though Ant in most games we have played we have created a hatful of chances. 21 on Saturday against Boro. When you look at the amount of these chances that have been converted into goals the ratio is very poor. We cannot afford to keep squandering chances at this rate.

When you play the top sides be it in the Prem or the CL you don't get many real chances to score so you have to make them count. I agree it is great to be creating them but our strikers have to learn not to be so wasteful.

That said some of the goalkeeping performances we have seen from the opponents have been outstanding this seaon.

I just can agree about the central defender, the wingers and the striker, that's what I'm saying for weeks now.

And the third pint is mine at the Rush or, better, near Anfield if we can go there next Spring.

If you go there, let me know guys

No reason why not we really should get the thing moving though and start organising it.

Doesn't anyone else think we are missing too many of the chances created?

I can only hope that with the new confidence that the team has developed this will clear up.

Of course we are missing too many chances ! Moro and Crouch are just beginning to score and Cissé has scored more but failed enough for a whole career.
That's why I hope our strikers are confident enough now to score more, you're right, but also why I think we need another striker.

Shankly Gates wrote:

No reason why not we really should get the thing moving though and start organising it.

So, let's go ! What do you think Shankly Gates, we try with the Villa game ?

yes we are shankley gates, take the great chance from risse at chelsea in the cl last game. that could of seald the game, we were on top in the second half, drogba was transparant.

as i said before, for me a corner is a real goalscoring opertunaty and we are not doing the business at corners, i havnt got the stats put are goal/corner ratio is bad, very bad, and all that with crouches hight is a shame. i just hope the premiership title doesnt go down to goal difference.

if we had a bit of lady luck on are side from time to time aswell as all the hounding the strikers do on defences it would pay off with some penalty chances. if we can stick'em in the back of the net, they all help. just look at how many goals lampard scores from penalties, its got to be more than gerrard.

its nice to say we are having chances but as good old brucey would say "what do point make, PRIZES !!!" and the one prize we would all love to see come back home is won by the team with the most point and usually the most effective strike force and a very tight back four.

"walk on christmas", "walk on you red"

ant

If you look at the Boro game or pretty much any other match this season we have been creating about 20 chances per match! That is extraordinarily high. Even allowing for good goalkeeping we should be converting far more than we have been. Hopefully the confidence spreading through the team will show itself in the ratio of chances created to chances scored improving.

I think the Villa game being the last of the season JLB would be the best one to go for as it would give us max time to organise for.

Done ! We have the game : Villa.

Now, we must see how we can find the tickets. And if there are people here who wish to come with us (I don't worry too much about this part of the problem...).

I think for this trip JLB we should offer a package deal. i.e. Hotel,Travel,Ticket inclusive. What do you think?

On pourrait peut-être penser à la finale de la CL aussi.
C'est pas au dernier moment qu'on aura des places. Et si Liverpool ne se qualifie pas (c'est peu probable mais il faut être réaliste et l'envisager quand même ) on pourra toujours les revendre à un club de supporters d'une des deux équipes qualifiée.
Quand à Villa ça se fera sans moi car je travaille le week-end du 1er mai.

I would think most people would go to the CL but a trip to Anfield en group has to organised well in advance.

Shankly Gates wrote:

I think for this trip JLB we should offer a package deal. i.e. Hotel,Travel,Ticket inclusive. What do you think?

Yes, I agree. We must find an hotel (Bill's B&B will be perfect for us but I think it won't be big enough, some of the guys will have to sleep in another place).
How many tickets do you think we could have ?

Pour la CL, il y aura peut-être un déplacement à Lyon; qui sait ?

Yves wrote:

On pourrait peut-être penser à la finale de la CL aussi.
C'est pas au dernier moment qu'on aura des places. Et si Liverpool ne se qualifie pas (c'est peu probable mais il faut être réaliste et l'envisager quand même ) on pourra toujours les revendre à un club de supporters d'une des deux équipes qualifiée.
Quand à Villa ça se fera sans moi car je travaille le week-end du 1er mai.

Tu as raison, Yves. Je vais essayer de voir sur le site de l'UEFA si les tickets sont déjà en vente quelque part.

Et pour Lyon, je pense que ça poserait nettement moins de problèmes (j'ai peut-être une filière au cas où) si cela devait arriver. Ce ne serait de toutes façons pas avant les 1/4.

C'est dommage que tu ne puisses pas venir pour Villa.

I think if we are at least ten in number I can get group rates at a good hotel.

I think we can be at least ten. Well, the best way to know it for sure is to ask the guys here.
I will create a thread.