Kop That

The Anfield Wrap - Podcast 29

hostedlife — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:35:11 +0000

If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then here is a little reminder that episode 29 of The Anfield Wrap Podcast is available for download.

Episode 29 Overview

“This week Neil is joined by Rob, Mike, Kristian, Jim, Andy and very special guests Daniel Hunt and Earl Jenkins.

Usual script with the lads as they disect the Spurs and United games before discussing the fallout from the events at Old Trafford at the weekend.”

You can catch up with the team in between Podcasts for their take on footie, fashion, music and culture on Twitter at @theanfieldwrapÂ . Here are the links to grab the latest podcast either as a direct download or via iTunes as you prefer.

Download Episode 29

Great Expectations

hostedlife — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:43:18 +0000

An article by Red Bubble for Kop That. You can follow Red Bubble on Twitter at @RedBubble1892

Success. No one is entitled to it. Not even Liverpool Football Club. Our club has a long and famous history. A history filled not only with trophies, but epic nights the supporters of most other clubs will never get to experience. Our past is certainly something to be proud of and in my opinion should be a spur and powerful motivator for current and future footballers lucky enough wear our sacred Liverbird upon their chests. Those who feel inhibited by it, and see it as a weight on their shoulders, will never have the mental capacity to succeed at Anfield regardless of how much footballing ability they possess. No one should ever forget what we have achieved or where we’ve come from, facing and overcoming tragedy along the way.

In the pre-Sky days, the size of a club was measured by their fan base and most importantly the success they’d achieved on the pitch. Trophies at the end of the season were what made you famous. Can you imagine anyone outside the participating countries knowing who was playing in the European Cup in the 60’s and 70’s? No, they simply saw the names in the record books. The winners.

We live in a different footballing world today. One where the landscape is shaped by the money clubs spend and the kudos gained from playing in the Champions League. A time of Sky Sports and their blanket coverage of football. Before the Premier League, the opinions of supporters (and I use the term loosely) we’re formed by what they saw at the match, together with the odd clip on the Match of the Day, as well as newspaper and radio reports. Today supporters believe what they are told. They are brainwashed by Sky and the national press. Today a big club is no longer the one with the most trophies, it’s the one with the most money.

The past 21 years have been difficult for supporters of Liverpool. Those who grew up watching us lift tittle after title have gone a generation without one and ‘generation Sky’ are convinced the Champions League is the holy grail…that is participating in it, not winning it.

Like I’ve already said, our history is something to be fiercely proud of and something we should always defend. Living in London it’s amazing how much I hear the phrase “all you talk about is history”. This, without fail, comes from supporters of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Knowing plenty of supporters of Crystal Palace and Tottenham, it’s curious that they never seem to take issue with what a club has achieved in the past.

You may think I am now going to proceed to argue a case against the supporters of other clubs but in fact it’s our supporters I want to take issue with. The supporters who think that because of the trophies we’ve won in the past (our 18 league titles in particular) we are entitled to challenge for or, more ludicrously at the current time, win the league. The supporters who think that because we played in it for a number of years and constantly have it drummed into them by Sky and the press that non-qualification is a monumental failure, demand we finish in the top 4 at the end of the season.

I’m tired of sitting on a coach heading back to London after a game listening to the phone-ins and hearing people complain. Whether its a Kopite of 40 years or an armchair out of towner, they have one of the above reasons to gripe at Kenny and the players. We are where we are because it’s where we deserve to be based on our performances on the pitch. If the players who have arrived for huge fees and even bigger wages are up to the standards of our past is an argument for another day, as is who should be held accountable for spending large sums on players who may or may not turn out to be of the required quality.

My personal opinion is that if we win a trophy this season, no matter which it may be, it will have been a successful one even if we fail to finish in the top 4. There are only 3 domestic trophies handed out each year and when you win one your name goes in the record books, where it will remain for as long as football is played and maybe even an infinite amount of time beyond that. Granted, that may mean nothing to you or I in 100 years but what about the memory of being there the day you saw Liverpool win a trophy? I know that when I die and my life flashes before me the footballing pictures I’ll see aren’t Champions League qualifiers against Standard Liege and group games against Porto. It’ll be Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp lifting the FA Cup in Cardiif. It’ll be Djibril Cisse dancing around the European Cup in Istanbul. It’ll be God and Samy Hyypia, lips pressed against either side of the UEFA Cup in Dortmund. These are the moments we live for as football supporters.

Hope, as we all know, is a great thing. So is expectation when it takes the form of high standards. Our club was built on the simple idea that first is first and second is nothing. Expectation, however, can quickly become a negative noose around the necks of players and manager when it becomes unrealistic. As much as we have achieved in the past and as much as our standards dictate our club exists to win trophies, today we only deserve to win what we are good enough to win today. No one ever won a league title because they’d previously won 18 in 119 years. If you genuinely believe our current squad of players is better than that of Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and the rest, then by all means moan as much as you want about not winning the league or making the top 4. I would suggest you have a reality check. At best, we are currently the 4th best team in the league behind the two Mancs and Tottenham. At worst, we are the 7th best behind those already mentioned and arguably Newcastle. With the players we have today, to finish 4th is the most we should expect from our league season and a couple of places lower is not necessarily failure. No one wants to see Liverpool without Champions League football but, despite what the national press and Sky say, it’s not the be all and end all. If we finish between 4th and 6th this year and win a trophy, I for one will be happy. Even if next season it means Thursday nights on Channel 5.

By Red Bubble

Liverpool Throw Water Onto A Growing Fire

hostedlife — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:43:21 +0000

An article for Kop That by George Clark. You can follow George on Twitter at @lfcgeorgeclarky

On Sunday Ian Ayre, Kenny Dalglish and Luis Suarez all came out with their own personal statements, admitting their embarrassment over the situation and their wrong doings. This happened after Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand when Liverpool faced Man Utd at the weekend.

Everyone has their thoughts on it, and personally, I believe it was childish and let Kenny down, who throughout the whole issue has given Suarez his full backing, almost draining Kenny and his employers dry.

When questioned by Jeff Shreeves after the match about Luis’ decision to snub Evra, Kenny was quick to react saying Shreeves was bang out of order to even try and blame Suarez for the increased tension throughout the game. But even so, Kenny’s words alone were not strong enough to make the headlines as Ferguson said in his post-match interview that Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club and should be kicked out of the club. I do believe Ferguson acted in a highly unprofessional manner but the way in which Liverpool have handled the situation has been poor considering it could have been over and done with by now with a quick apology from Suarez as soon as Evra made the claims.

The situation we’re in

It’s quite clear now to most fans that Suarez did act in a racist manner towards Evra but those actions alone do not make you a racist – Something which is a common image being painted by many footballing fans. Not only do people believe that Suarez is racist, I often hear fellow Liverpool fans being called racists just because we are backing our own player.

As I’ve mentioned, the way Liverpool, as a club, have handled the issue has been poor, including the fans. But I don’t believe in any way that everyone else has acted in a better manner. The media have stirred up a lot of trouble surrounding the case and the FA have not had a positive impact. I find it strange how the FA bail out two Englishmen by calling off the handshake, But when it comes to two Foreigners the FA couldn’t care less.

People should be careful what they wish for, because at the end of the day, no-one is bigger than the club. We should now put this behind us, beat Brighton at the weekend and Win the League Cup.

YNWA.

By George Clark

Fresh From Twitter

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:20:04 +0000

Thanks to those that have already left feedback on the site via the sidebar app - appreciated!

Kop That: We Won It 5 Times - There… http://t.co/S0RscjRp

Kop That: Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool -… http://t.co/CdA5ovYJ

Kop That: Upload To Kop That - We h… http://t.co/aiq7OXNz

Kop That: New version of Kop That i… http://t.co/9IOT14wH

All constructive feedback welcome on the new design. More features and new content coming soon!

New version of Kop That is now up and running, thanks for your patience! YNWA

Kop That: Kop That Makeover http://t.co/nttOO8Lk #LFC

Kop That Makeover - Kop That has had a little bit of a makeover. Gok Wan wasn’t involved but I hope you like… http://t.co/A9dvK5ze

Kop That: Upload To Kop That http://t.co/XllgoIko #LFC

Upload To Kop That - We have added a fan upload facility to Kop That. Our “Around The Net” gallery lets you… http://t.co/nHOkkTxX

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Write For Kop That - Kop That is always looking for fans keen to share the work that they have done already… http://t.co/hgA5Zsjj

Kop That: Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League http://t.co/GcWYlvLm #LFC

Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League - Saturday 11th February 2012 Luis Suarez returned to the starting… http://t.co/SC1ZuFN0

Kop That: We Won It 5 Times http://t.co/P3W3KSXp #LFC

We Won It 5 Times - There are certainly more than a few creative Reds about with the likes of @kitster29 and… http://t.co/eDf6pgxN

Kop That: Kop That: Manchester Unit… http://t.co/nsDevCyp

Kop That Makeover

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:02:09 +0000

Kop That has had a little bit of a makeover.

Gok Wan wasn’t involved but I hope you like the changes all the same. There are still a few works in progress that you might stumble across but I’ll be working on these over the course of the next week or so behind the scenes.

A few new features have been introduced and there are a few more to come as full Facebook and Twitter connect integration are finished off and tested in due course.

If you spot any errors then feel free to drop us a note on Twitter at @kop_that or by email. I may already know about it but always more than happy to know a few times than not at all.

Apologies once more for the extended maintenance period but it was important to get the site re-architecture as correct as possible before going back on line. So thanks for your patience and all those that caught up on Twitter. Some other changes have been made across other platforms Kop That use’s also, like Tumblr for example so these works will continue also.

Feel free to drop some feedback to us on email or use the app on the right edge of the page to answer a few question. Any constructive feedback is always appreciated, be it good or bad so I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Upload To Kop That

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:01:21 +0000

We have added a fan upload facility to Kop That.

Our “Around The Net” gallery lets you upload your photos from the game, the crazy goings on in the world of football and anything LFC related direct to Kop That.

Just use our upload tool on the home page and your image will arrive with us for review. We will also post out the best ones on the NewsNow network as well as to the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Google+.

So if you caught the latest Bellamy goal, Stevie G 30 yard smash or the Kop in full song, then send it across to us! Don’t forget to add a caption and mention your name!

[widgets_on_pages id=”Around The Net”]

[nggallery id=12]

Write For Kop That

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:00:23 +0000

Kop That is always looking for fans keen to share the work that they have done already or write something new for us.

This is ideal for those of you that wish to write the occassional or frequent LFC post about a subject close to your heart or thoughts, be it a recent transfer rumour or game event or maybe even the first LFC game that you attended. There are many Liverpool FC related blogs out there by devoted fans but for those that perhaps dont have the time to run their own but would like to write an article from time to time, then this could be for you.

You may even wish us to promote an article that you have written already on your own blog/site, which we would of course be happy to credit. If you wish to submit a blog to this section then please just send your article by email to editor@kopthat.co.uk and we will review it and see if it can be added to the site for you.

For anything you send over to us, please always remember to ensure that you have included your full name and links to your blog or Twitter account as applicable so they can be referenced in. Please let us know also if you would like your existing blog added to our LFC Blog Directory.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:59:27 +0000

Saturday 11th February 2012

Luis Suarez returned to the starting line up for the first time since his 8 game ban finished, having featured from the bench in the last outing against Spurs. A tense encounter saw the Reds go down 2-1 at Old Trafford to their arch rivals.

Suarez struck for the Reds to get back on the goal trail but it was a lack of handshaking between the Uruguyan and Patrice Evra prior to kick off that stole the headlines and got the media talking about race instead of football. Evra’s victory celebrations at the final whistle close to Suarez, also brought further criticism in the direction of Utd’s French international.

View the full match reports from Liverpool FC and Sky below:

Â Â Â Match ReportÂ from Liverpool FC

Â Â Â Match ReportÂ from Sky Sports

All The Goals & Highlights

Image Source: Daylife

We Won It 5 Times

hostedlife — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:58:30 +0000

There are certainly more than a few creative Reds about with the likes of @kitster29 and @feintzebra amongst the ranks but this bit of “5 times” handywork is from the talented hands of @linvinnaar.

"We lost and we are sad because we have made a big effort… Disappointed because everything is..."

hostedlife — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:39:28 +0000

“We lost and we are sad because we have made a big effort… Disappointed because everything is not that it seems…”

- Luis Suarez

No "A" In Chelsea

hostedlife — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:02:06 +0000

Sometimes it seems as though things just don’t go right for Chelsea.

A full back that misunderstands “shooting practice” and takes a gun to training, a Â£50m striker that has forgotten where the goal is and where do you start with Mr.Terry.

It seems though that amongst all the drama the club has also forgotten how to spell its own name.

Thanks to the Sky Sports cameras for his peach!

Video: Dirk, Carroll and Rice

hostedlife — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:54:16 +0000

LFC: Video: Dirk, Carroll and Rice

It has been another busy week on Liverpoolfc.tv as we’ve continued to film exclusive content for you to watch online.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-02-04 09:54:16 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Manchester United slash Liverpool ticket allocation for upcoming Premier League clash at Old Trafford

hostedlife — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:00 +0000

Goal: Manchester United slash Liverpool ticket allocation for upcoming Premier League clash at Old Trafford

The Reds have been handed 1,000 fewer tickets than usually allocated in previous visits to their rivals, after making similar cuts at Anfield in recent seasons for safety

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2012-02-02 15:10:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Liverpool v Bolton Confirmed Line Up

hostedlife — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:18:36 +0100

The confirmed Liverpool line up versus Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League fixture at Anfield on Saturday August 27th 2011 is as follows:

Starting 11:
Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Enrique, Lucas, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez.

Subs:
Doni, Carroll, Spearing, Maxi, Skrtel, Robinson, Shelvey.

Fanzone: What's The Mata With This Transfer Window Business?

hostedlife — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:55:03 +0100

An article by Katherine Lockett.

Since the 22^nd January, Liverpool with Kenny and Steve Clarke have taken an average of 2 points a game and a goal difference of plus 19. If the league had started on this date we would have finished comfortable third. That was done with the Torres wanting/getting out and his replacement Carroll arriving injured. The most important piece of the LFC jigsaw in recent years was missing Captain Fantastic Stevie G. Us Liverpool fans were so excited about the next chapter of the Return of the King…

The “In the knows” and paper rumours had mentioned the likes of Kun Agüero, Eden Hazard and Tony Evans of the Times personal favourite, Juan Mata were all going to grace the fields of Anfield. Expectation of the type of transfers that were going to walking through the doors at Melwood were high!!

On the 9^th June Jordan Henderson became the first summer signing for a fee of £16m , all of a sudden the likes of Talk sport and Liverpool forums went mental questioning Kenny and why would he spend all that cash on a kid who had an average season for Sunderland. The stats tell another story, young Jordan made more key passes than any other Liverpool midfielder, he can also play right midfield. He is also only 20 and with the right guidance he could be a great player.

Next through the door was Charlie Adam. He received a decent reception, he was one of the stars of last season, still young and very keen to build on the reputation he had gained at Blackpool. He offers something that currently Liverpool did not have since Alonso, plus his corners would give Carroll and other players something to really get their heads on to!

Liverpool still needed that left sided creative midfielder, all that mattered to the fans was getting Mata. But as time went on, it became clear that the main target was Downing. SD had a great season for Aston Villa and over the previous last 5 seasons has had consistently produced assists, goals, key passes and crosses. Villa wanted £20m, especially after losing Young to Man Utd for £17m who only had one year left on his contract. Liverpool, with the help of a transfer request got their man….

The reaction from the media and fans alike were questioning the signing especially given Mata, who was a shining star at this years under 21’s was said to be available for the £18m and is nearly 4 years younger. I can see 2 reasons why Downing was the number one target over Mata. First the number one aim of this season is to get back in to the Champion League. They needed someone who would settle quickly and show fight for the club. The second would be stats over the past 5 seasons are great only Gerrard, Giggs and Lampard have better records from midfield.

Without Champion League and the club rightly wanting to balance the books, so not able to offer ‘city level’ high wages it is important that we get players that create a team greater than the sum of its parts, as it will be difficult to attract the so called ‘star players’.

Kenny is known to like the dressing room to be a happy place, he only wants players that want to be there and show that fight for the club on and off the pitch. The 3 signing above will do that and will complaint the existing high class players such as Carroll, Suarez and Kuyt. Surely that’s all that matters…?

By Katherine Lockett

Goals: Liverpool 1 v 1 Sunderland

hostedlife — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:36:57 +0100

All the goals from Anfield as Liverpool took on Sunderland on Saturday August 13th 2011 as the new Premier League season got underway.

L. Suarez Miss Pen.

Liverpool 1 v 0 Sunderland : Suarez (12mins)

Liverpool 1 v 1 Sunderland : Larsson (57mins)

Image: Daylife
Video: matchhighlight.com

LFC Line Up v Valerenga

hostedlife — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:10:32 +0100

The LFC Team to face Valerenga tonight in a pre-season friendly is as follows:

Starting 11:
Reina, Johnson, Robinson, Carragher, Agger, Downing, Adam, Spearing, Kuyt, Henderson, Carroll.

Subs:
Doni, Ngog, Sama, Sterling, Flanagan, Aquilani, Shelvey, Kelly.

Fanzone: Expectations

hostedlife — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:24:47 +0100

An article by Jack Widnell.

You can follow Jack on Twitter at @jwidnell and see more of his posts on his blog at The Red Generation.

Next season is widely regarded as a new start by most Liverpool fans. Finally being rid of the strain put on the club by previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and a new breath of fresh air being brought into the club by John Henry and FSG has been warmly welcomed at Anfield.Relieving Roy Hodgson of his duties in January proved to be the correct move by the new American owners and installing Kop-legend Kenny Dalglish, which many will argue should have been the decision in the first place, was a very brave move which has started to pay dividends.

The transformation in performances was noticeable and the rise in confidence was admirable. Dalglish is a very good man-manager and one of the most important things for any club trying to pull a good string of results is morale of its players. The faith given to the youth players promoted into the first team and confidence injected into the players gave them the freedom to play without fear and as a result, earn convincing wins over Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as picking up a draw away to Arsenal.

The two losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa in the last two games of the season were more an annoyance than a hindrance in my opinion. Those six-points would have only promoted us to fifth in the table, which I think would have only been a burden next season by awarding us the very much disliked Europa League.

The signing of Luis Suarez was also very much a coup, a player who hadn’t been publicised as much as many stars in European football, but is now very much feared in the Premier League after his destructive presence was felt by a number of clubs towards the end of the season.

In regards to next season - it’s probably the first season in years that I have genuinely looked forward to. The intent of the owners has been not only heard, but it has been witnessed by Liverpool fans. Spending £101million since January on five players demonstrates how quickly FSG intend to bring success back to Anfield. Doing so will not be easy and most Liverpool fans should acknowledge this.

In a tweet sent to a Liverpool fan, John Henry said: “Everything in sports is overpriced now - especially the cost of winning. But you make your choices based on a plan.”

The scepticism in the Premier League about American owners in the Premier League in the past has been very much accurate - the debt loaded onto Liverpool and Manchester United by Hicks and Gillett and the Glazers, also the lack of investment at Aston Villa from Randy Lerner has proven that American owners have been somewhat of a curse inflicted upon the club’s previous owners. However this time, it looks like there are American owners that, quite simply, are in it, to win it.

Next Season:
As mentioned, I am very much looking forward to the 2011/12 season and I’m feeling pretty optimistic about our chances of getting back into the Champions League. However make no mistake, it will be tougher than ever this season. With six teams pushing for the top four places, this season could see a lot of surprises and instead of two teams running away, we may well see six teams displacing each-other throughout the season as the battle begins. Attempting to judge the top-four right now, in my opinion is like judging the length of a piece of string. So many factors will affect who finishes where, but I can confidently say that I’m sure we’ll be in the top-four.

Why do I think we’ll be in the top four? Well since Dalglish returned, we were once again feared by the big clubs. One thing we need to cut out is losses and draws to small clubs. The loss of points add up at the end of the season. Winning against the best is all very well, said and done, but if you can’t beat the rest, you stand little chance of going very far.

Being third in the form table since January gives me high hopes for this campaign, although this season - I think third may be just a little too far for us to grasp. Particularly with the other teams surrounding us equally strengthening their sides (possibly with the exception of Tottenham).

Signings:
Charlie Adam:- A lot of people will know that Charlie Adam is a player I never rated at Blackpool, I had him very much summed up as an overrated average player in a poor squad. However I will reserve judgement on him until playing competitively a few times for Liverpool. Having watched him play in Liverpool’s two friendlies - I have been impressed. One fault I’ve found is that he does attempt too many ‘Hollywood’-style passes. I call that a fault, however they do work most of the time.

Jordan Henderson:- At the beginning of last season, Henderson was very much a player that showed great promise for Sunderland. Unfortunately for him, his performances faded quite significantly after Christmas, but nonetheless still proved he has talent and at just 21, showed he has great potential. I’d expect him to be broken into the squad on the right-hand side of midfield before being integrated in a more central role. £16m may be quite an inflated figure for his services, but I believe he could be a good buy for Liverpool.

Stewart Downing:- Downing is a player I very much like, extremely underrated by a lot of people, he possesses a wide range of talents. He’s a very skilful dribbler of the ball, can cross a ball exceptionally well and also has a talent for scoring goals. The most effective position for Downing at Liverpool would be on the wings of a 4-2-3-1 formation, alternating wings with Luis Suarez. Those two would be a deadly combination and provide perfect service for Andy Carroll up-front.I do feel that £20m is too much for Downing, however as previously mentioned - the price of winning is very expensive and success doesn’t come cheap. A player of his quality will only improve Liverpool.

Overall, I don’t think those signings were made separately. They were made in tandem to be brought in, as individuals, they possess great qualities, but not enough to win matches on their own. Together they pose a lethal threat to any team.

One advantage to this season is that we are able to utilise strength-in-depth. This is the first time I can remember that I have struggled to pick a starting 11 purely because we have too many players that could break into the team. This is by no-means a bad thing. Manchester United have demonstrated that strength-in-depth can often be more beneficial than individual quality.

Of course I would expect to see a lot of movement out of the club in the coming weeks. I can see Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani remaining, however the likes of Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic, Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles, as well as other players surplus to requirements may all be heading for the exit door.

A lot of people will question my thoughts on Meireles - being at his age, there will be little chance for re-sale value at his current market price (around £12m) in the future. Despite the fact that he does still have a lot of talent on offer - there are younger players that are just as capable of doing a sufficient job that can also save us a lot of money.

As for talent coming in, I think that may be it for first-team signings, purely based on the fact that I feel that next season is the time to attract quality players to the positions that need filling when/if we have Champions League and are on a firmer footing, financially - so disappointment unfortunately for you Juan Mata fanatics. There have been murmurs of Aly Cissokho joining Liverpool, but this has been nothing but reports. Unless he signs - which I doubt he will - I strongly believe we will not make any more first-team signings and very few backup signings as well.

Starting Formation:
A lot of people I have seen on Twitter have struggled to name their starting XI, purely on the basis that there are too many players to choose from - this is a very good thing. I have already highlighted the need for strength-in-depth and how crucial it is for a team’s success.

As for the starting formation, it will differ depending on who we’re playing, the opposition players and even the formation we intend to play.

I’d predominantly want to play a 4-2-3-1 formation and the side I would select to accustom that formation would be: Reina; Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Johnson; Lucas, Gerrard; Downing, Aquilani, Suarez; Carroll.

A 4-4-2 would include Henderson and Adam and a 4-3-3 would also include Adam if I was to pick. The main advantage of having strength-in-depth is that you can enforce rotation which more than anything, keeps the squad fresh. Too much rotation, however, can have negative affects on a squad. Therefore as a result, you must ensure to retain a ‘core’ to the squad. This will be seven or eight players that will start every game given that they are fit and not suspended. Five of these seven/eight players must be the defence. A ‘keeper needs to have faith in the players in front of him - and he must know that the manager has faith in the players at the back too.

The players at the back are possibly the most crucial to any team. To win, you need to score - but there’s no point in scoring if you’re conceding two or three goals a game. To win games, you need to stop conceding goals. A stable defence will be the best chance of achieving this.

With the attack, a manager can afford to be more versatile as it’s tactical surprise in the final third of the pitch which can sometimes be useful in trying to spring goals. The players that Liverpool have signed this summer haven’t just been players to fit in with FSG’s ‘moneyball’ policy - but players that are very versatile and are able to play in a variety of positions.

Overall, I would encourage Liverpool fans to be optimistic - but not to expect big things this season. This is more a ‘transition season’. We are moving forward - but you must learn to walk before you can run. The talent in the other teams around us is exceptional and it will take time to break the mould. But only two seasons ago Liverpool were challenging for the title and realistically the only major thing that has changed is the sale of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

We will be back, just wait, keep the faith.

Obviously I know I’m not a journalist or a writer, or anything of the sort, I am just an ordinary Liverpool fan. Let me know your thought on my post on Twitter. Or just drop a comment below.

Thanks, YNWA.

Jack Widnell

Image Sources: Daylife & Liverpool FC

Goals: Malaysia XI 3 v 6 Liverpool

hostedlife — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:46:40 +0100

All the goals from Liverpool’s 6 v 3 pre-season friendly victory over a Malaysian XI on July 16th 2011.

As far as the goals were concerned David Ngog and Maxi Rodriguez both grabbed a brace and a further was hammered home by Dirk Kuyt. It was new recruit Charlie Adam that set the Reds on the way though, as his twice taken penalty after Andy Carroll was deemed to have been brought down, opened his own account as well the scoring in the 28th minute.

Downing v Maxi: The Stats

hostedlife — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:18:13 +0100

As Stewart Downing arrives at Anfield in a £20m deal, the fourth major summer for the Reds in the present transfer window behind Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Alexander Doni, he has certainly made it clear he is keen to get on with things.

The former Villa man has featured on both the right and left flanks in his time at Villa, following his £10m move to them from Middlesborough in 2009 after he saw his boyhood team relegated to the Championship.

His likely deployment in the current Liverpool side could again be a varied one, given the midfielders presently at Kenny Dalglish’s disposal but it is the left flank that many Reds believe he is most likely to appear. Both flanks have given Liverpool trouble in recent seasons, with a lack of true width glaringly obvious in the squad depth. A matter many a fan had hoped would be up there high on the priority list to rectify the moment the transfer window opened.

Downing’s arrival is certainly a step in the right direction to bringing some further balance to the side, an experienced Premier League player and one that put 324 crosses into his Aston Villa team mates last season, a statistic that Liverpool could certainly benefit from and one that shadowed his former fellow wideman Ashley Young.

While Downing is keen to get into the side as quick as possible and prove his worth to Dalglish, Maxi Rodriguez will be hoping to offer up more than enough food for thought of his own after a strong finish to the last campaign, not to mention the small matter of two hat-tricks as the season came to a close.

While Maxi made only 24 starts compared to that of the 38 by Downing in the Premier League, his own stats by ratio do make for some encouraging reading both attacking and defensively.

Come the end of the 2011/12 campaign who will have faired better though?

Take a look at our comparison below:

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Image Source: Liverpoolfc.tv

Data Source: Opta Stats via EPL Index