Post by Gianni Infantino on May 4, 2014 0:30:37 GMT
Season's over for most of us. We're either secure in our positions or we're tinpot and our seasons have actually finished. Go into as much detail as you want, what let you down, what exceeded expectations, what convinced you next year is gonna be better/worse.
League performance: I expected top 6. I didn't expect much more than that and hoped we'd be able to mount a half-decent top 4 chase but we've done so much better than I ever expected. If we do indeed finish second I'll be gutted in the sense that we could've done better but a title challenge wasn't even a pipe dream 9 months ago.
Cup performance: Below average, but it benefited us.
The manager:
Brendan Rodgers is probably the most universally loved Liverpool manager since Kenny in his first stint. He's just brilliant, he's got us playing a type of quick football we haven't seen for years, we're clinical which we've never really been during my life time and we're fun to watch. Other fans enjoy watching us for once, it's refreshing to see. And we're getting results. An 80 point season is never to be sniffed at, sometimes that's gonna win you the title.
Stand-out players: Jordan Henderson. At times had to do the running of three men before Gerrard was moved deeper. Come on leaps and bounds yet again and his red card against City may have been the deciding factor in where the title ends up. 9/10.
Luis Suarez. 20 goals in his first 15 games is the kind of ridiculous record seldom seen in this league. He's only managed half of that in the next 16 but his record is still laughably good. Hasn't carried us with his goals but his overall contribution is the reason we're doing so well. 9.5/10.
Steven Gerrard. Struggled, a lot, during the first couple of months, relied quite a bit on the younger players around him but once he was in that deep lying role he was excellent. A slip against Chelsea didn't cost us the title, our inability to score against them did. 8/10.
Daniel Sturridge. Another who has a startling goal record. Goals have very suddenly dried up for him due to persistent injuries and playing at less than 100%. Nevertheless getting 20 goals in the league is brilliant for a player considered surplus to Chelsea's requirements just over a year ago. 8/10.
Raheem Sterling. At the start of the season I was a Raheem Sterling loan advocate. I thought he'd gotten too confident with his new contract and wasn't trying hard enough. But the last six months have been stunning. He's added goals to his game this year and has 10 in 34, which for a 19 year old winger is superb. First couple of months sour his rating though. 8/10.
Martin Skrtel. Who'd have thought last year's villain would be such a monstrous figure for us this year. Slovak Yeats had to put up with a couple of noticeably worse partners and still looking comfortably nearly every game. A few own goals more than made up for by the best goalscoring year of his career with a couple of braces, best of all in the 5-1 against Arsenal. 8/10.
Coutinho. One I slated quite a bit. Put out for a few months by Ashley Williams and took him a while to get back up to pace. But once Coutinho's back to his standard then you're hard pressed to find a better all-round playmaker. His eye for a pass is sometimes too sharp for our strikers but his defensive contribution has really impressed me as he's reverted to a more central midfield role to allow Suarez the free role. 8/10.
Honourable mentions
Jon Flanagan. Been brilliant since coming in, originally for Johnson, now for Enrique. Still can't defend his back post but he's only 21. With what Rodgers has managed to do with him already is fantastic. 7/10.
Jose Enrique. He's done nothing on the pitch but his twitter after Chelsea losing to Atletico was funny. N/A
Mamadou Sakho. I love big Mamou, I think he's class as a defender, positionally excellent. But he can't pass a ball without looking like he's going to break his own ankle. If we can sort his technique out then we'll have a top class centre back. 7/10.
Let down players:Glen Johnson. Time to go for Glen, who had an excellent month after returning from his injury which had plagued him for the first half of the season. He just isn't the same dynamic full back we've had for the last five years. 5/10.
Iago Aspas. I feel for him, sort of. He was brought in for a lot of money and hasn't even looked like living up to it. He's a brilliant poacher but our strikers are too good to justify him being up front so he's left to the wing and, worse, corners. 1/10.
Victor Moses. Professional, is the best way I can describe his contribution. He's been neither great nor terrible, just average. Contribution against Hull was embarrassing though and I won't miss him. 4/10.
Daniel Agger. Time to go as well. He's just not that good. Too prone to making mistakes, loves to rush 20 yards out of position for a tackle he probably won't make. 4/10.
Best performances:
4-0 vs Everton
3-2 vs City
0-5 vs Spurs
4-0 vs Spurs
0-3 vs United
5-1 vs Arsenal
Worst performances
0-2 vs Chelsea
0-2 vs Arsenal
Next season:
Hopefully build on this. Top four + knockouts would be perfect. If we do manage to win the league this season, then I'd still take the same. With European football I can't see us challenging again, so this is our best chance.
All in all, I'd give this season a 9.5 which will go to a 10 if we do manage to win the league from here. It's just been a pleasure though.
League performance: I expected top 6. I didn't expect much more than that and hoped we'd be able to mount a half-decent top 4 chase but we've done so much better than I ever expected. If we do indeed finish second I'll be gutted in the sense that we could've done better but a title challenge wasn't even a pipe dream 9 months ago.
Cup performance: Below average, but it benefited us.
The manager:
Brendan Rodgers is probably the most universally loved Liverpool manager since Kenny in his first stint. He's just brilliant, he's got us playing a type of quick football we haven't seen for years, we're clinical which we've never really been during my life time and we're fun to watch. Other fans enjoy watching us for once, it's refreshing to see. And we're getting results. An 80 point season is never to be sniffed at, sometimes that's gonna win you the title.
Stand-out players: Jordan Henderson. At times had to do the running of three men before Gerrard was moved deeper. Come on leaps and bounds yet again and his red card against City may have been the deciding factor in where the title ends up. 9/10.
Luis Suarez. 20 goals in his first 15 games is the kind of ridiculous record seldom seen in this league. He's only managed half of that in the next 16 but his record is still laughably good. Hasn't carried us with his goals but his overall contribution is the reason we're doing so well. 9.5/10.
Steven Gerrard. Struggled, a lot, during the first couple of months, relied quite a bit on the younger players around him but once he was in that deep lying role he was excellent. A slip against Chelsea didn't cost us the title, our inability to score against them did. 8/10.
Daniel Sturridge. Another who has a startling goal record. Goals have very suddenly dried up for him due to persistent injuries and playing at less than 100%. Nevertheless getting 20 goals in the league is brilliant for a player considered surplus to Chelsea's requirements just over a year ago. 8/10.
Raheem Sterling. At the start of the season I was a Raheem Sterling loan advocate. I thought he'd gotten too confident with his new contract and wasn't trying hard enough. But the last six months have been stunning. He's added goals to his game this year and has 10 in 34, which for a 19 year old winger is superb. First couple of months sour his rating though. 8/10.
Martin Skrtel. Who'd have thought last year's villain would be such a monstrous figure for us this year. Slovak Yeats had to put up with a couple of noticeably worse partners and still looking comfortably nearly every game. A few own goals more than made up for by the best goalscoring year of his career with a couple of braces, best of all in the 5-1 against Arsenal. 8/10.
Coutinho. One I slated quite a bit. Put out for a few months by Ashley Williams and took him a while to get back up to pace. But once Coutinho's back to his standard then you're hard pressed to find a better all-round playmaker. His eye for a pass is sometimes too sharp for our strikers but his defensive contribution has really impressed me as he's reverted to a more central midfield role to allow Suarez the free role. 8/10.
Honourable mentions
Jon Flanagan. Been brilliant since coming in, originally for Johnson, now for Enrique. Still can't defend his back post but he's only 21. With what Rodgers has managed to do with him already is fantastic. 7/10.
Jose Enrique. He's done nothing on the pitch but his twitter after Chelsea losing to Atletico was funny. N/A
Mamadou Sakho. I love big Mamou, I think he's class as a defender, positionally excellent. But he can't pass a ball without looking like he's going to break his own ankle. If we can sort his technique out then we'll have a top class centre back. 7/10.
Let down players:Glen Johnson. Time to go for Glen, who had an excellent month after returning from his injury which had plagued him for the first half of the season. He just isn't the same dynamic full back we've had for the last five years. 5/10.
Iago Aspas. I feel for him, sort of. He was brought in for a lot of money and hasn't even looked like living up to it. He's a brilliant poacher but our strikers are too good to justify him being up front so he's left to the wing and, worse, corners. 1/10.
Victor Moses. Professional, is the best way I can describe his contribution. He's been neither great nor terrible, just average. Contribution against Hull was embarrassing though and I won't miss him. 4/10.
Daniel Agger. Time to go as well. He's just not that good. Too prone to making mistakes, loves to rush 20 yards out of position for a tackle he probably won't make. 4/10.
Best performances:
4-0 vs Everton
3-2 vs City
0-5 vs Spurs
4-0 vs Spurs
0-3 vs United
5-1 vs Arsenal
Worst performances
0-2 vs Chelsea
0-2 vs Arsenal
Next season:
Hopefully build on this. Top four + knockouts would be perfect. If we do manage to win the league this season, then I'd still take the same. With European football I can't see us challenging again, so this is our best chance.
All in all, I'd give this season a 9.5 which will go to a 10 if we do manage to win the league from here. It's just been a pleasure though.