I agree that City would have won the league had Aguero stayed healthy, but injuries are part of the game. So there are no excuses.
Liverpool
- Thread starter Sally Cinnamon
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Yeah, not saying it's an excuse, just that I don't think they bottled it. I actually think they invested fairly poorly in the summer, the money they spent on Jovetic should have been used for a top centre back which they desperately needed. Another midfielder to cover for Toure wouldn't have gone amiss either.
City are not a one man team. Silva and Toure are match winners on their own and even Dzeko has proven that he can be one. They fvcked up
Damn once SAF retire Liverpool will be champion 
So they are just a title away to match ours
So they are just a title away to match oursIf Liverpool win their remaining games, in the process finish the year winning 14 on the trot, then they will be deserving Champions. They've played some amazing football this year.
Yes, I think so. They've played well, and of course they have strikers on red hot form and they've had some luck. Chelsea and City also had to choose this year to do brilliant bottle jobs. I don't know if they'll do this well next year, but they do seem to be getting the basics right, and to set out to play well first and then wait for luck.
Now the other 2 have crumbled, they don't even need to win the 14 in a row unfortunately.
To think a while back people were saying they wouldn't even come top 4. Talk about what momentum can do.
It was meant to be Arsenal benefitting from the changes at the other top 3 teams this year!
Exactly, they're just oozing confidence now because they got great momentum heading into the final ten games.
And Arsenal, doh, I never really thought they'd get past their usual crumble-after-Christmas routine.
The champions league is always the biggest prize.
Obviously Roman wants the league every year and mourinho might be under big pressure next season.
I consider the Premier League title the biggest prize, but I guess that is just me.
Fair enough. Agree to disagree on that one.
The way I see it is that he premier league is a stronger indicator of strength whereas the champions league is the pinnacle of club football.
I value the CL, it is just that I have always considered it an icing on the cake type of thing. I know how important it is financially for a club.
I know what you mean. I did feel this way some time back as well. That the premier league is the bread and butter and the champions league is the most ridiculously pleasing icing on the cake. But I can't help but appreciate how relevant it's become in today's game. Every club wants it, every manager wants it and a clubs standing in Europe is often decided by it. I love all our league title wins but the champions league win in 08, now that I look back, was something different, something more special.
Toure went off early in the Liverpool game, and both he and Silva missed the game against Sunderland. Not saying they're a one man team, but they've definitely missed Aguero. Anyone would. Suarz would've been just as big a loss for Liverpool.
City haven't 'bottled' it is the point I'm trying to make, just because they've spent obscene amounts of money it doesn't mean those players are as good as their transfer fees would suggest and they've played at least 10 games more than Liverpool to boot. If anything, they just didn't invest very wisely before the season began and loaning Barry out when the alternatives to cover for Toure and Fernandinho were Demichelis and Javi Garcia was bordering on insanity in hindsight.
They only have themselves to blame, but it's not a bottle job. It doesn't even mean anything anyway, had Liverpool not won that penalty against West Ham, or had Kompany not gifted them a winner last week, or had Van Wolfswinkel scored that header today instead of heading it straight at Mignolet then we would probably have people talking about them bottling it when in reality they are already punching above their weight.
Congratulations to Liverpool, title is all but won now.
Brendan Rodgers on Raheem Sterling:
“He is the best young player in European football at the moment”
Anyone agree with this? He is definitely up there this season amongst the best in terms of form. Pretty bold claim from Rodgers though. Has there been a better young player than him this season in Europe?
“He is the best young player in European football at the moment”
Anyone agree with this? He is definitely up there this season amongst the best in terms of form. Pretty bold claim from Rodgers though. Has there been a better young player than him this season in Europe?
Depends what we're including as "young". He's up there certainly. I can't think of a better teenager at the moment.
Not a bold claim. Managers and players always say that stuff about their players/team mates. Rodgers also said that Gerrard is the best player in his position. Of course that isn't true. It's just manager talk. Not bold at all. Just some motivation.
it's not about form. form is the only thing sterling has ever struggled with. everything else comes absolutely naturally, the dribbling, the speed, the passing, the vision, the decision making and intelligence. He showed it all last year as well. I think he's certainly one of the top young players in europe, and if you say at the moment, sure you can say the top but form is always fluctuating and subjective. Based purely on base ability and talent i'd say sterling is just about one of the top 3-5 young players (<20) in europe. Not the best, but the best young player in the world is an absolute freak ready to tussle with the best in the world period in my opinion (kovacic).
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I'm sure he didn't mean exactly the same thing but it was quite similar!
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I didnt really know where to post this but its absolutley quality
Toure is a cluts
Toure is a cluts
This probably won't play well, but is anybody else getting sick of this sort of thing, week in, week out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27096737
I have every sympathy for the pain of everybody involved in the tragedy, and I fully support their efforts for justice. But the constant use of it as a motivational tool for the current playing squad, and the wave of PR basically telling us that only LFC deserve to win the title because of the tragedy just seems cheap and crass to me.
It's important to remember the victims and look after their relatives. I do not think it's appropriate to try and use them to the team's advantage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27096737
I have every sympathy for the pain of everybody involved in the tragedy, and I fully support their efforts for justice. But the constant use of it as a motivational tool for the current playing squad, and the wave of PR basically telling us that only LFC deserve to win the title because of the tragedy just seems cheap and crass to me.
It's important to remember the victims and look after their relatives. I do not think it's appropriate to try and use them to the team's advantage.
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If Liverpool do win the title I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26562092
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26562092
I've noticed this trend a lot and it seems to intensify at every anniversary of the tragedy.
They really want everyone to join in and feel what they are experiencing, doesn't sit well when this is so done so publicly.
It's just the icing on the cake but the league title is the bread and butter of your team's efforts.
Yeah, that's all the champions league is.
Arsenal's title hopes were gone the minute Ramsey and Walcott went injured for a long period. They were integral to Wenger's setup.
Liverpool are gonna lose all their remaining games now the Moyes curse has been lifted. I can feel it in my bone.
I'm not trying to make the competition look like a second rate one. Anything can happen in the Champions League and you're out. Over a 38 game league, the best team usually wins. It's not like that in the Champions League.
there was something to this effect on rawk, been the first time i dare tread over there for a while but made me smile even though its too late to lift our curse for this season!!
I had a feeling this might just be a season touched by the gods for Liverpool glory when we met them early on and they got their lone goal off a shot that deflected off Sturridge's back for the match winner.
Probably an unpopular opinion but shouldn't we be playing all the Liverpool players at the WC? Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling and Sturridge should all be nailed on starters for me...
Gerrard and Sturridge will be, but I'm not sure about Henderson and Sterling. You also have to factor in that they've looked fantastic, but they've looked fantastic... in the PL. Playing at international level is a step up, and they haven't even got CL experience. I don't think that should be ignored. I don't think Henderson and Sterling will be starters for England.
Henderson and Gerrard have been the best English midfielders this year though, is that even up for debate? Think Carrick would have been many peoples choice before the start of the season but he's been dire and honestly I'd I'd rather see Henderson start. He's also played with Gerrard all year and they know each other very well.
I dunno, I guess Barry is having a great season too, not that I'd want a midfield of Barry and Gerrard. I understand the rationale of playing Henderson with Gerrard of course, I just don't think it'd work at international level and I feel Henderson is still too inexperienced at that level. Still young though, and he's a great option to have on the bench to come in later in games, with his energy levels.
Not that I'd know how England could line up (or really care, given I don't think we'll get out of the group stages anyway).
Sterling and Ox are the best British wingers by a mile. Both should start.
Is Oxlade even fully fit? Anyway, I have a bit of a problem with just choosing players on form (even though it should come into account), I think at international level football you should have a system with go to players and stick to it unless you have injuries or massive dips in form. Sterling, I'll agree he's been great for you guys for a few months now, but I think it's a big ask for Hodgson to throw him in at the deep end at international level against seasoned teams like Italy or Uruguay. I'm not sure that's doing him any favours to be perfectly honest. I think experience at international/European level shouldn't be downplayed.