Kopites - are we seeing the end of an era ?

[evilwebby]

Gerrard will be offski in the summer, probably to Chelsea to replace Ballack.

Yeah, they are shocking. Rafael is damaging the club long term with his transfer policy. When was the last time we saw a good youth prospect come through the ranks for them? Now it's just import an expensive continental player and hope they can improve on what you have.

Long may it continue.

 

[Tommy Chong]

So far, I'm really enjoying their demise!

Would love it if they ended up in a relegation battle next season...
But I thinks thats asking just a little toooooo much...

 

[Goat]

They are still only a point off Spurs in 4th, I just think and I hope to God that I am wrong, but I still think they will finish 4th.

 

[tsubaki]

sorry if this has been posted before, saw it elsewhere and had to nick it:

 

[ChicagoToffee]

You should've put a ' I don't give a fcuk ' option on the poll.

This.

 

[bluebloodinmyveins]

Just a matter of time until some mega rich Arab bails them out, and they become ace again.

 

[bluebastardo]

Do you think this season is marking a major shift and an end of an era, over the dark side?

1. If not why not?
   
2. If so why?
   
3. What do you think the decline could mean long term?
   
4. Converse to this what are the implications for Everton ?

The league has a few teams that have strengthened, and Liverpool weakened their side when they sold Alonso. At the moment they're lacking the style of football they are capable of, but they'll probably remain top 4 contenders for a while yet.
All the top sides have struggled this season by their own standards, and that includes us too. Their era ended when the United one began, but I think the United era is coming to an end shortly also.
Liverpool certainly need to strengthen though if they aren't to be overtaken by the new generation of contenders.

Villa
City
Everton
Spurs

One of these teams will win the league soon. Of that I have no doubt.

 

[Upper Sturry Sherbets]

some would argue that the real end to their dominance came to an end in 1989 with the Arsenal title win on that Monday night.

emotionally drained after Hillsborough, the club as a whole never really recovered fully and although they did win honors after, the great side that ruled for decades was at an end.

No titles since 1990 let's not forget.

mind you it's late, I'm tired and short of time, so make of it what you will.

 

[faddy the blue]

Gerrard's having a nightmare season.

Torres thinks he came to a wrong club.

Rafael can't understand how [Poor language removed] his team is and he picks lucas,masherano everytime and thinks he's a genius. What a noob.
Poor poor RS.. keep it up!

 

[Robert Jarvis]

I don't give a toss what is happening over there. I concern myself with Everton, that is what matters to me.

 

[Dublintoff]

Even if they get taken over by a billionaire, he would have to be on the same scale as the fella at city to build their stadium and make them contenders again, and theres not many around with that kind of cash to waste.

They will probably get taken over by some group who will pump enough cash in to get the stadium up and running but will give limited funds to whatever manager takes over from agent benitez, until the extra revenue from a bigger capacity ground starts to come in, by which stage they will have fallen down the ladder further.

I think they will miss out on the top four this season but make the europa league, benitez will take over from pelligrini at madrid in the summer, torres and gerrard will be sold to city for bout 50/60 million combined and some 2nd tier european manager ala deschamps or koeman will take over. None of the top managers like hiddink, mourinho, or van gaal would go near them in their predicament as they dont need the hassle of the whole hicks/gillette v fans tussle whilst one of the 2nd tier managers would jump at the chance as they would see it as an opportunity tp propel themselves into that top tier.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Barnes and Mcateer.

 

[ToffeeDan]

The Positives:

2 World Class players (well one plus one who some think is World Class) and a number of very decent players who, when well coached and organised (as well as fit) ought to be match winners.

European football income (normally) guaranteed to generate transfer funds etc.

A massive following and (normally) a full house every game.

A manager with the ability to win major trophies (seemingly!)

The negatives:

Massive debt problems - coupled with moderate transfer success (players not well adapted to rigours of PL - e.g. Torres who has got kicked from pillar to post and has (probably) had enough

Fans discontent - particualarly over the ownership of the club (and see debt problem)

Player discontent (Gerrard - check out the body language - maybe he's carried the team too long and now his current attitude has spread to the rest of the team)

Sliding form - manager unable to turn it around (has lost the dressing room post Alonso it would seem).

CL football looking remote for next season (Europa place potentially in danger)

(intangibly) 20 years (and counting) without a league title


- The buck stops with Benitez in my opinion - there are no excuses apart from his misjudgement for bad dealings in the transfer market, only Benitez is responsible for the internal disruption and any player discontent, for an inability to stop continuously indifferent performances and the like - every team has these problems but only a good manager comes out of downturns stronger (Wenger, Moyes, Ferguson for example).

For all his (previously) much lauded tactical nous I see a team that is playing poor football, utilising strange tactics and, coupled with Rafael Benitez's inept (and at times bitter) post match comments lend support to the reality that he is to blame. It's even more ridiculous that their stupid fans seem to want to blame anyone but the manager for all this decline. It might be dynamite to their fans but some of the players have to go - Carragher: too old, too slow. Maybe Gerrard and Torres need to go (or more appropriately Benitez ought to go and someone better would get more out of the squad) and many others not turning in the effort or the results. Why? Maybe they don't care enough, maybe they're hacked off with the manager but they - minus Alonso - are the same players that nearly won the league last season.

 

[bluebastardo]

Would we win the League if we had Torres and Gerrard in our team?
At the end of the day, Liverpool are still fighting against the cash injection other teams have utilized just like everyone else, even if they have used a few quid themselves. They're still in Europa, and they're still above us having beaten us twice already this season. There didn't seem to be too much wrong with their dressing room in those 2 derbies. They still have a realistic opportunity of 4th place. As much as we feel Benitez has flopped in the market, he's still brought in possibly the best striker in the world in Torres, and supposedly the best right back in the country in Johnson, although that isn't my own opinion. He's also had to deal with politics above him.