22 Nov 2023 20:25:16
It's amazing how many games come down to the manager. Just read that in the 08/ 09 title charge we drew 11 games, lost the meagre by 4 points.

If you went back through those 11 games. I reckon there was a way. A way to get that extra goal.

Or there was a clear cut chance. POST. This games so in the moment. And sk important. It all matters.

We need to play like you don't get a point for a draw this season.

1.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 21:19:35
or just more luck.

2.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 21:23:07
Why is it more the manager than the players?

I’d say they take equal blame/ glory for game results.

3.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 21:31:45
Yeah, why can't the players just kick the ball really hard into the net? How difficult can it be.

4.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 21:36:48
Once the teams are on the pitch it's down to the players. The manager is effectively a spectator like the rest of us.
We're not going to win every game, nor score in every game.
Opposition also have to be taken into consideration.

5.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 21:51:47
A lot of those games were frustrating 0-0 against beatable teams, especially at home.
That side just didn't show the urgency early enough at times and as amazing as that team was in some aspects, it was a counter attacking team.
I have some great memories of the Benitez years, that season in particular but with Torres missing a fair number of games and the squad ultimately lacking in any kind of depth, Liverpool came up short.

6.) 22 Nov 2023
22 Nov 2023 23:25:01
It's a game of 2 halves. The team should go hard in both of them for the win every game.

Sometimes 4 I guess if there's extra time. Although technically with extra time being shorter they are not halves exactly. Each one is 20/ 120. Using my fraction calculations from primary school I guess they are 1/ 6s. But then the halves become 45/ 120. Or 9/ 25s. So in that case the players and the coach should go hard for both 9/ 25s and both 1/ 6s for the win.

Oh wait penalties. How long do they take usually?

Hang on. I ll get my calculator.

7.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 00:00:36
Dave, that was class.

8.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 07:17:28
Benitez was just too defensive as a manager, ultimately i think that was why we drew so many games. He excellent in some ways but always felt he too cautious.

9.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 08:31:59
We did not had a proper deputy to Torres. Ngog is practically a dummy and Keane was a loose canon. That left us with no one. Had the best midfield in the world by some margin. We also did not had one proper winger. Kuyt and Riera are nothing like wingers and Benayoon is a mystry to me till now.

10.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 08:53:15
The same thing happened, when I was a lad, back in 1932. We just never seem to learn do we or, then again, perhaps there are enough things to keep us occupied in 2023 rather than fret about things that happened 15 years ago that we can’t ever change.

11.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 10:39:32
HumbleKop, I never thought at the time, that Utd were better than us in that season. Imagine drawing 11 games and missing out by 4 points. Seriously, we draw even half of those games and we win that title at a canter. And you can add the 13/ 14, 18/ 19 n 21/ 22 seasons to this, as well sadly. In these situations, it's the draws that kill you. Not hope.

Now is that always the manager's fault? That's a pretty myopic and shallow way to view this IMO and too easy of a conclusion to draw. There's a lot more that goes into such things. In that case, there is plenty of blame to go round, not just the manager. Just my take.

12.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 14:01:18
Pretty sure that the reason we lost in 2009 was not because of the manager or the players. We were robbed of 3 points when Reina got beaten by a deflection off a fricken beach ball.

13.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 16:53:23
Davey that was some old school Scott Steiner maths right there.

14.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 18:11:17
HumbleKop, we don't need to play like we don't get a point for a draw this season. We just have to play as though, for every draw we drop 2 points!

15.) 23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023 18:17:45
I didn't know that Kean was a free and easy living clergyman Harry.