Great rant, that's exactly how I feel about the rentboys.

The whole point of the parked bus is that no matter where the attacking team goes - the defending teams stays back. The bus is parked, not even in first gear. Not going anywhere.

Disappointing game and result. Can't complain about their tactics, came to get a result and they did.

Not all hope is lost, hopefully this just acts as extra fire for the last two games.

Worth a watch.

[youtube]TdmxV-7QvJ8[/youtube]

Shit result but we got what we deserved. BR's 'attack at all costs' approach isn't going to work against the likes of Mourinho who will park the bus for 40 minutes and counter for the remaining 5. Hopefully Everton can take points off City and do us a solid.

I can't get past the title of that video "Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher Tactically analy"

Yeah, but we get first goal and Chelsea falls apart. Risk vs reward.

We get a draw and we retain our own destiny in the remaining 2 games in the season. Now we're relying on City slipping.

Risk vs Reward.

If Liverpool are truly deserving of the League title and Everton are truly deserving of a Champions League spot, then both halves of Merseyside will be celebrating come seasons' end. IMHO, both teams will prove themselves...

Well fingers crossed luck goes our way the last couple of weeks.

City's biggest problem has been consistency. Although they have an extra game, they have a tougher run home and need to win all 3 matches to guarantee the title. They play Villa (fighting to keep away from the danger zone at the wrong end of the ladder), Everton away (a terrible fixture historically for City, against a team looking to seal a Champions League berth at the pointy end of the season) and West Ham (a team who park the bus so well that even Mourinho bitches about it). Furthermore, Liverpool's game against Palace is after City's next game, so should City drop points, destiny is back in our hands.

Perhaps I sound like the stereotypical delusional Liverpool fan with stars in his eyes that United, Arsenal and Chelsea fans have taken the piss out of so many times over the years? Yet when I think about it, I just find it difficult to believe that City are going to take all 9 points from their remaining 3 games. They haven't been that consistent all season and considering Everton are a good team and West Ham are a tough team, I'm not so sure they have the mental toughness to get 3 W's in a row...

Edited by Captain Haddock: 2/5/2014 05:53:07 AM

I hope you're right.

As much of a successful season it already has been (CL,were back ! \:d/ ) being so close to the top has that extra anticipation to ultimate pleasure or disappointment :-k .
We can't blame anybody but ourselves - that last game we should have could have was the chance to kick away but alas to pray for results going our way at the same time us keepng focussed win the last 2.
There is hope as you say Cap, city have been hot and cold and hopefully martinez has his troops fired up gaining a upset for the last 2 are home for city which may or may not break them under the strain [-o<

I wouldn't call Everton a team looking to seal CL qualification, more so a team looking to cling onto the very small hope of qualifying for the CL.

As for City's consistency, they've been pretty consistent since mid-December winning 15, losing 2 and drawing 3 of the 20 league games they've played. That includes a run of 8 wins in a row and another of 4 wins in a row.

Also have to remember they play away against Everton this week and then it's 2 games at home to finish where they've only lost the 1 game all season against Chelsea. If they can win that I would say they're almost a certainty to beat both West Ham and Villa at home

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 2/5/2014 10:30:44 AM

I'd say dropping points against Norwich, Sunderland and Southampton is the very definition of inconsistency.

Their run of 8 consecutive wins came all the way back in January.

Come on Everton. Praying.

Never say never - evertons game and even citehs last 2 at home, hammers never easy and villa will have a go.

Why it is now or never for Liverpool
May 4, 2014
Jason Burt.

There are five very good reasons why the Anfield club could struggle to mount another title bid.

Luis Suarez's future

In an interview on Uruguayan television last week, Suurez insisted that there would be no repeat of the turbulent summer last year when he asked to leave Anfield. "Nothing is going to happen," he said.

The striker is armed with a £70 million ($127.5 million) contract, with four years left to run, which has a release clause that only kicks in should Liverpool fail to finish in the top four. The latter is clearly no longer an issue, so the club are in a far stronger position with Suarez on and off the pitch than before. But things are rarely that straightforward and Suarez's outstanding form has not gone unnoticed at Real Madrid.

The Spanish club may pursue Manchester City's Sergio Aguero but Suarez is certainly in their thinking, with doubts swirling over the futures of Karim Benzema and Álvaro Morata. A bid of more than £70 million would be a problem for Liverpool and Suarez - who is well aware of his status as one of the world's leading strikers - may well be swayed. Last summer Liverpool handled the situation superbly as they fended off Arsenal's bid of £40 million, plus £1, but Real are a different prospect - and that is before the possibility of interest from City and Bayern Munich.

Big four spending

The greatest threat Liverpool face is, undoubtedly, financial. While the club have a substantial budget, they are clearly well behind Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in terms of transfer budget and wage bill.

United have signalled their intent to regain a top-four place - and regain the league title - by letting it be known that they will have up to £200 million to spend under their new manager. The revenue streams and reserves at Arsenal are also impressive and having broken the club's transfer record last year by signing Mesut O–zil for £42.5 million, Arsene Wenger may top that this summer.

City will spend, despite the constraints of Financial Fair Play, and are believed to have deals in place for the Porto pair of Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando, for around £41 million, while Chelsea want to add two or three world-class players to their squad. They have secured a £31.5 million deal for Diego Costa and will also sign Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic. Atletico Madrid left-back Filipe Luis should also arrive for around £16 million.

Ian Ayre, the Liverpool managing director, has stated that returning to the Champions League would significantly improve the club's ability to attract players and a budget in excess of £50 million has been mooted. Liverpool will need it but, even then, other clubs may spend substantially more.

The psychological impact

Dr Steve Peters, the psychiatrist employed with spectacular success by Liverpool, might have his work cut out. The target this season was to break into the top four and bring Champions League football back to Anfield. That was ambitious, given Liverpool finished only seventh last season, but it has been achieved.

But through the brilliant management of Brendan Rodgers and the superb football played by his team - and the dip endured by rivals - a far greater possibility opened up: winning the league title for the first time in 24 years. Liverpool have been a highly-motivated, driven squad under the leadership of Steven Gerrard but missing out this season would inflict significant psychological damage.

Senior players such as Gerrard may come to believe he will never win the title, a fear he voiced in his recent interview with The Telegraph. "I've got to treat this like it's the one shot," he said. "Just because this league is so strong and there are no guarantees next year."

Gerrard may well be haunted not just by his slip against Chelsea but also by the images being replayed time and again of his emotive team-talk on the pitch following the thrilling 3-2 victory against Manchester City. Liverpool had considered complaining to Sky for placing their cameras so close to the captain, but decided to let the matter rest, partly because they were aware that if the title was won, that would emerge as a defining image. As it is, it could be the moment that haunts them.

European football

Privately, Rodgers was admitting at the start of the season that not being in European competition was an advantage for Liverpool. He had struggled with the demands of reshaping the squad, changing the style of play, getting his ideas across and dealing with the commitments of the Europa League - arguably more taxing than the Champions League, given the volume of matches.

Not being in Europe meant that not only did Rodgers's squad play far fewer games this season - 43 compared, for example, to Chelsea's 57 - but they have had far more training sessions on the pitches of Melwood.

The rhythm of the week was not defined by playing, travelling and recovery, but work on tactics, team formation, fitness and coaching during the campaign. The Liverpool players had greater rest times, and the revamping of the medical department bore fruit, with Rodgers suffering fewer injuries than his rivals.

Qualifying for Europe changes that. While the prospect of Champions League football is to be welcomed - being in Europe, whatever the contest, is a must for a club of Liverpool's stature -the physical demands on Liverpool will be greater, the week-to-week rhythm more intense.


No longer a surprise

Liverpool have certainly caught opponents by surprise this season: not just with their tactics but with their bold determination to maintain such an intense attacking approach and not compromise.

Until Jose Mourinho's Chelsea arrived at Anfield, few teams have been able to resist their attacking style but Liverpool will not be able to shock their opponents next season. Rodgers has to look at variation and it is no surprise that he is targeting Southampton's Adam Lallana to be the playmaker behind the strikers.

Rodgers has varied things through the course of the season to find a system to accommodate Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and has also varied how he has set up his midfield, especially with the deployment of Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho.

However, the basis of a high-intensity, explosive approach which is not dependent on huge amounts of possession has remained constant. Players such as Coutinho and Sterling are established and so less of an unknown quantity and while some clubs have claimed, churlishly, that Liverpool have benefited from what one manager called Suarez's "freakish form", it is asking much for him to be as lethal for a second successive season. Liverpool undoubtedly need to add more depth and variation to their squad.

The Telegraph, London

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/why-it-is-now-or-never-for-liverpool-20140504-zr458.html

Edited by Damo Baresi: 5/5/2014 11:31:08 AM

Is this legit?

I was under the impression Liverpool had just as big a transfer budget as the likes of Manure, Arsenal (maybe not City & Chelsea though). And the amount of English players they have, I thought they paid well over in terms of wages - I am genuinely surprised if their wage bill is less than Arsenals.

Nah, we don't have the funds to compete with City and Chelsea for sure. Probably on par with Arsenal.

We're certainly improving financially, this season especially will really help on many fronts.

I'd like us to spend 60m in the off season (I can't see us getting more than 10m from sales)

I wouldn't say your financials are anywhere near ours tbh. Just because we don't spend it doesn't mean we don't have it :lol:

CL will help heaps though.

Edited by jlm8695: 5/5/2014 08:35:40 PM

1995. West ham v man united.

Man U needed a win to win the title and drew giving the title to Blackburn.

Dare to dream everyone. This will go right down to the wire!

Yep, kind of how I pictured it. What about wage bill?

Have a look at this

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/01/premier-league-accounts-club-by-club-david-conn?CMP=twt_gu

Suarez wins the FWA Player of the Year award. Standard really, but the most hilarious thing is Gerrard finishing ahead of Yaya Toure in 2nd place :lol:

Yer I flicked through that article googling earlier today when I saw pv4's post.

Heres what was posted by one of the bloggers for makes it easier than scrolling that article.

NET DEBT

Norwich City: +£7m
Swansea City: +£4m
West Brom: N/A
Fulham: £1m
Wigan: £12m
Southampton: £19m
Stoke City: £36m
Reading: £38m
Everton: £45m
Manchester City: £54m
Tottenham: £55m
West Ham: £77m
Sunderland: £78m
Arsenal: £93m
Liverpool: £114m
Newcastle Utd: £133m
QPR: £177m
Aston Villa: £189m
Manchester Utd: £295m
Chelsea: £958m

WAGE BILLS

Manchester City: £233m
Manchester Utd: £181m
Chelsea: £179m
Arsenal: £154m
Lverpool: £132m
Tottenham: £96m
QPR: £78m
Aston Villa: £72m
Fulham: £67m
Everton: £63m
Newcastle Utd: £62m
Stoke City: £60m
Sunderland: £58m
West Ham: £56m
West Brom: £54m
Norwich City: £51m
Swansea City: £49m
Southampton: £47m
Reading: £46m
Wigan: £44m

Oi - we could say he slipped into 2nd with a bang ! ;) and that yaya has scored 3more goals than giroud :lol:

I do not believe it

In a way, I blame hendo for not keeping a level enough head for the final minutes against city. We've needed him so badly in the last 3 weeks.

Also skrtel for being a fucking idiot going out of position leading to their 3rd goal.

These will be pretty cheap soon

lol'd

-PB