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Liverpool Thread 2011/12


Rafalution

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Saw an article comparing our best XI now (providing everyone is fit) against our best XI from 5 years ago. So despite 4 seasons of making a net loss on players, little investment as well as general rubbish from the owners, we've pretty much got up to the same quality of starting 11 as we had when we got to the CL final in 2007.

Reina -> Reina

Riise -> Enrique

Agger ->Agger

Carragher -> Skrtel

Finnan -> Johnson

Zenden -> Downing

Mascherano -> Lucas

Gerrard -> Gerrard

Kuyt -> Kuyt

Crouch -> Carroll

Bellamy -> Suarez

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Saw an article comparing our best XI now (providing everyone is fit) against our best XI from 5 years ago. So despite 4 seasons of making a net loss on players, little investment as well as general rubbish from the owners, we've pretty much got up to the same quality of starting 11 as we had when we got to the CL final in 2007.

Reina -> Reina

Riise -> Enrique

Agger ->Agger

Carragher -> Skrtel

Finnan -> Johnson

Zenden -> Downing

Mascherano -> Lucas

Gerrard -> Gerrard

Kuyt -> Kuyt

Crouch -> Carroll

Bellamy -> Suarez

That first team is much better. You could probably make a case for Enrique being better than Riise and Suarez better than Bellamy, but thats it. Agger now is better than Agger then also.

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Not sure if this is correct but of what I remember it was:

Reina

Arbeloa

Hyypia

Carragher

Insua/Aurelio

Masch

Alonso

Kuyt

Gerrard

Babel/Riera?

Torres

Not sure if Hyypia was still a starter or not, could well have been Agger/Skrtel

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Not sure if this is correct but of what I remember it was:

Reina

Arbeloa

Hyypia

Carragher

Insua/Aurelio

Masch

Alonso

Kuyt

Gerrard

Babel/Riera?

Torres

Not sure if Hyypia was still a starter or not, could well have been Agger/Skrtel

Yeah it was Agger/Skrtel instead of Hyypia mostly, and Yossi over Riera at times.

Hard to believe that was only 3 years ago :(

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Saw an article comparing our best XI now (providing everyone is fit) against our best XI from 5 years ago. So despite 4 seasons of making a net loss on players, little investment as well as general rubbish from the owners, we've pretty much got up to the same quality of starting 11 as we had when we got to the CL final in 2007.

Reina -> Reina

Riise -> Enrique

Agger ->Agger

Carragher -> Skrtel

Finnan -> Johnson

Zenden -> Downing

Mascherano -> Lucas

Gerrard -> Gerrard

Kuyt -> Kuyt

Crouch -> Carroll

Bellamy -> Suarez

One small thing though: It's missing Xabi Alonso :D

Also, that CL run masked a generally poor Prem season by Benitez's standard. 68 points. We kicked on a hell of a lot after that we signed Torres and pushed Gerrard further forward.

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Our 2008/09 side was immense.

Reina: Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio: Mascherano, Alonso: Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera: Torres - Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Agger, Lucas, Benayoun, Babel, Keane (Ngog second half of season)

Our squad nowadays looks stronger in depth, but the first eleven is nowhere near that level.

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Our 2008/09 side was immense.

Reina: Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio: Mascherano, Alonso: Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera: Torres - Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Agger, Lucas, Benayoun, Babel, Keane (Ngog second half of season)

Our squad nowadays looks stronger in depth, but the first eleven is nowhere near that level.

The main differences for me are having Gerrard in a different position now, not having Torres, but most of all the core of the midfield. We'll never have a better pairing than Masch and Xabi.

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Well that was it. For that brief period, 2007-2009, we had a midfield in which we didn't need Gerrard in it. And we could then play him in that kind of inside forward position which was absolutely made for him. At no other time in the last decade or so have we been able to do that. Such a shame Torres could only rack up 20 odd appearances that season.

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I think he was actually starting to show some signs of his earlier form just before he left us tbh. The style Hodgson played was terrible and AVB's style doesn't seem to suit him either so I would suggest its largely down to that , however its hard to excuse such misses like the UTD one and I haven't seen much of him playing for Spain to comment.

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I think the fact people have stopped going on about it speaks volumes. It's been ages since I heard a 'what's wrong with Torres' discussion, I think the world has accepted he's just 'over' for want of a better term and he's had his pre-season and his chances and all that but just not doing it and no one really cares anymore :/

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I seem to remember before you sold him he had a bit of a sulky pout on at Liverpool as well, form not superb?

We've heard all the excuses though:

No Gerrard

No Benayoun

Bad system

no run of games

not got over injury

mean Chelsea players

Just seems like it's been everyone's fault except, you know, Torres.

I honestly thought get his feet under the table, get a pre-season sorted and he should get back into his groove ... he didn't.

He had about 3 good games before getting send off against Swansea ... then it's 'oh, the bad luck, such bad luck' but, well, not really. No idea what's wrong with him but it does seem everyone in football has stopped asking the question, what can be done to help him, how do we help him and maybe realised it's just 'him'

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I always said that while I could understand wanting to go win things the Chelsea move for me was always the wrong one. lets face its been a side that has only played one way for so long and a squad that largely needs replacing sooner rather then later.

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think kenny will use todays game as a dress rehearsal for next weeks final and start our strongest 11. 2 weeks off for some players is too much of a risk going into a final.

i'd expect any 2 from adam, jay, hendo in the middle with bellers, downing/kuyt out wide with stevie g in behind suarez unless kenny fancies giving carroll a game but then i'd still rather keep gerrard behind the front man and play suarez as an inside forward.

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Just wondering, would anyone take Torres back? I'm not too sure, I have great memories of him, but still =/

Yes. Don't even have to think about it. Wouldn't back him as much as I once did on the stands but for purely footballing reasons i think he would really compliment Suarez. We already know what he can do in the same team as Stevie but add Suarez into that and he could get back to somewhere near his best. I don't think people can appreciate just how good he was unless you watched Liverpool week in week out when he was at his peak. Certainly gave me some of my best moments supporting Liverpool.

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Anywhere along Gloucester Road, in particular The Anchor I guess? That area is student central so I'm sure it'll be packed with glory hunting kids. Possibly.

Ended up in the White Harte I think it was called some student place. Decent enough, nice breakfast and cheap pints then stayed out all day pub crawling along Gloucester road and ended up out that night.

Some decent pubs on Gloucester road I have to say had a good weekend.

Anyone on here heading to Wembley? Few of us getting into London at 11. Been a lot less spares flying round than usual for this final I've found we are still after one, normally I end up with a few!

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I don't think Suarez and Torres are that good of a match really. Both are individualist number 9s. I wanna believe Suarez could do a job in the hole, but a) I don't think he wants to play there. b) I just don't think his passing is consistent enough. I think to get the best out of both of them you need a really talented number 10, a Gerrard, in behind them or alongside them. There's only room for one out-and-out striker in the team when Torres plays. I think the same rings true for most modern strikers which is why 4-4-2 has been moved away from.

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