HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:But you didnt include him and that tells me what you think of him
Everyone else, can you please post your teams? I am really curious RA can you stop with your smartArse comments and post your team ?

Which result hurts you most or you think is most damaging for our season's objective:

#1. Draw with Leicester in EPL
#2. Loss to Chelsea in COC-SF
#3. Draw with Everton in EPL
#4. Loss to Besiktas in EL-R32

Loss to Besiktas. Not even close.

Current expectations:

Top 5 and FA cup final.

We dont have what it takes to win a trophy yet.

Unable to beat Basel at home and unable to finish the job when beating Besiktas 1 - 0 in the first leg, those two are the most painful, frustrating and awful results in two do-or-die games. A couple of annoying draws in a 38-game league season aren't in the same category, not even in the next one.

agreed, Basel and Besiktas, both results. I am still f**** pissed and be even more pissed if we dont win against City. Next one in the line is Leicester draw for me

Basel was meh, We were struggling Rodgers had just found the solution, Markovic helped his cause by getting a cheap red. But last night in Turkey was an absolute disgrace.

yeah Besiktas >>> Basel > Leicester Draw

Basel doesn't count. We were in our shit-phase at that time.

#1. Draw with Leicester in EPL: We fluffed a two-goal lead against a relegation candidate. Those two points could have got us to fourth by now.

#2. Loss to Chelsea in COC-SF: We so badly missed a decent striker. Playing in the final could have been such a confidence boost.

#3. Draw with Everton in EPL: Just couldn't put down Everton who were poor even in their poor run. Those two points could have got us to fourth by now.

#4. Loss to Besiktas in EL-R32

Nishy wrote:

1. Moreno - 8
2. Lallana - 8
3. Manquillo -6.5
4. Balotelli - 5
5. Emre Can - NA
6. Markovic - 4
7. Lambert - 4
8. Lovren -5

Its March now and the changes in these ratings would be

Markovic 5.5
Can 8
Moreno 7.5
Lallana 7 (Inclusive of price)
Manquillo 5.5
Balotelli 6
Lambert 4
Lovren 5

Mignolet 8
Emre 8
Skrtel 8
Sakho 8
Ibe 8
Henderson 7
Allen 7
Moreno 7
Raheem 7
Coutinho 8
Sturridge 7

Toure 7
Johnson 6
Manquillo 6
Lovren 6
Markovic 6
Lallana 8
Balotelli 8
Lambert 6

I am really bad at rating players in numbers. So I will leave it. But 7 points from the second place what everyone is really thinking now!!

^ We have an amazingly young squad mate. Loads have questions Rodgers' transfer policy, but we have an amazingly young and hungry spine.

Compare it to City's (30 y.o average starting 11) to ours (24). These players all have experience of going on winning runs and winning pressure games...it really is bright.

The only criticsm remains European performances, and I believe it's because Brendan second-guesses himself. He should stick to attacking game in Europe too. He tries to be cagey in Europe, but I think he will learn. In terms of league, I have never been more hopeful of winning the title with any manager since I became a fan of LFC as I am with BR now. He knows it and will deliver the long-awaited title.

btw, We need 3-4 players max this summer. Tie Sterling, Hendo and Flanno down to new contracts....get a boss Gerrard replacement, another competent GK and another striker and we'll be challenging for the title again next season IMO.

The best thing about our squad is that they are growing together. Since they are mostly in the developing phase, they tend to play to each others strength. So the cohesiveness of these young players is on another leevel imo. Also they do complement each other in terms of technicality of football, which is clearly visible on the pitch.

Considering United has a very difficult schedule and we are on-form, finishing Top-Four is a real possibility or even expectation.

However, we have to be weary of two potential hitches:

#1. Goals: We aren't scoring regularly. Or to be more precise, we aren't making enough of the chances created.

#2. Fatigue: Most of our regular starters have been playing almost week-in, week-out and there's certain amount of doubts over the cover players.

I'm confident that win over Arsenal & United (alongside wins in most of other games off-course) will ensure Top-Four finish.

So definitely time to adjust expectations.

At this point no matter what happens, even if we fail in all of our goals, Rodgers job is safe and secure. He proved himself this season We have a special manager in charge who will only get better (I hope).

At this point I'm expecting top 4 for sure (3rd is very realistic, 2nd even a tiny possibility). Would be a successful season with this alone.

In the FA Cup. Winning it + top 4 would be a dream season ending. Winning just this without top 4 is still a very good season for me. I really really am craving a trophy. It's past time. It's been 3 years ffs.

No Rodgers needs the top 4.

top 4 please and FA Cup final

iftikhar wrote:Our remaining league games:

Burnley (H)
Swansea (A)
United (H)
Arsenal (A)
Newcastle (H)
Hull (A)
WBA (A)
QPR (H)
Chelsea (A)
Palace (H)
Stoke (A)

Win against Utd, draw against other top 4 and try to win at least 6 out of remaining 8. That would suffice for the top 4

We need regular Champions League football to ensure our long-term financial sustenance. It will also give us the edge to keep star players and attract quality players. The thing is, finishing T4 is now pretty much in our hands now and not finishing it off would be a sign of being mentally (and perhaps tactically) weak.

Just imaging us in CL and United not for the second season running   .

I love Cups. Winning the FA Cup would be great confidence boost too. But not at the cost of jeopardizing our prospect for finishing T4.

Win against Utd, draw against other top 4 and try to win at least 6 out of remaining 8. That would suffice for the top 4  

I think 25 points (out of 33) will seal it (possibly even get us #3) while 22 might suffice too. But I so badly want to win against Chelsea.

Don't call me James wrote:
At this point no matter what happens, even if we fail in all of our goals, Rodgers job is safe and secure. He proved himself this season We have a special manager in charge who will only get better (I hope).

Have you forgotten how shit we were for half a season? The worst points total since the 60's or something and took him ages to find a formation that works. We are on a good run, but have achieved nothing yet. It will be only in May when I'll know whether I'm happy to have him as manager next season.

I think Rodgers has done more than enough to prove himself since he arrived at Liverpool 2 years ago to at least have earned another year after this, regardless of how the rest of the season pans out (though I'm confident it will be positive). As James said he's still learning and tweaking too...European success will come with experience. There's a reason he's so strong in second halves of the season and it's because he's very good at making adjustments -- maybe the most flexible manager in the PL currently. Like I said at the beginning of the year it was going to take a lot of time to adjust to not having the best player in the PL anymore, and with Sturridge injured and over 11 new starting players at the beginning of the year alone, especially with how Rodgers subscribes to unity and a very specific philosophy of play, time was needed.

Alas, Rodgers delivered.

I salute him.

Also, I'm in the camp that wants top 4 and the FA Cup, but if we can't have both I prefer the top 4 finish. CL money and prestige is important for us as a team right now if we're going to be trying to draw world class players to our team at this point. Trophies will definitely come if Rodgers continues to grow, mature and gain experience as a coach -- especially as the team grows together and plays together more without much turnover.

El Cujo wrote:
Alas, Rodgers delivered.

What did he deliver? We'll see in May what he delivered.

A top-4 finish or the FA cup and I'm happy, fail to do that and it's nothing delivered.

I don't get Art's state of thinking.

Back in end of January, he was saying let's see how Rodgers does at this death run month of February, and it went very well.

All managers have their bleak months. It's like Man U fans not warming to Fergie when he got them to FA Cup final in 1991, because he had them finish 11th the season before.

Or BVB fans ignoring their little turn-around now and saying Klopp has a lot to prove because they were A LOT worse than us.

and Let's say we miss on T4 by a point or lose the FA CUP FINAL (will be VERY disappoiting)...but you'd want Rodgers sacked and exactly replaced by whom ?

It's a Rodgers squad. Grass isn't always greener, we're winning big games, our mentality is strong, and we have learned to go on winning runs in the league. it's a very important habit long-term.

Even under Rafa (our best manager since PL era) only twice did we go on sun amazing point/win runs as we have in Rodgers last 2 seasons.

One was in 08-09 (10 wins in 11)
and one was in 05-06 (10 wins in a row)

Rodgers has already had two amazing runs in 2 years. It's an important habit if we have any long-term intention of winning the league.

We have a young, yet experienced and ever-improving squad and our finances off-the pitch are improving year after year. on verge of stadium expansion that will ensure long-term prospects of the club and a 42 year old manageR (a baby in managerial term) who's learning and will improve just like the players and has showed he can turn the turmoil around. It's a good thing we got going and we could be challenging for the title for years if we don't mess around.

anyways, im positive we'll finsih T4 and win the cup and then it'd be classified as a very good season considering the circumstances.

It's about a manager showing his potential and ability and you backing them. just like it was with Lucas and Henderson when they first arrived. they weren't perfect, but you could see someting and now see how differently they are perceived compared to first arrived.