Your in the same position as Newcastle. Shit start to the season and only really hanging the weight on Owen's shoulders. Like we do with Shearer.

I agree with sacking Houllier, but they should have done that a long time ago. How long has he been in charge for? Like 5 seasons? He has had his time and in the last two season you guys have gone down the shitter.

Time for Houllier to be shown the door.

Pac, you fear mid-table this year. I fear Newcastle have the possibility of being dragged into a relegation battle. Not a good feeling at all about the Toon's season

Your problems sound similar to ours. I think Houllier is trying to adapt a style of play which doesn't suit his team. Players like Owen and Kewell thrive on fast attacking football, catching opponents on the break and scaring the shit out of defenders, leaving them thin and exposed. But Liverpool aren't playing anything like that, and rather than puncturing through defences you're having to tactically wear them down on the edge of the 18 yard box. Gerrard does a good job in front of defence but his creative skills are wasted there, he is a dangerous player up front and could offer you a lot there. Newcastle rely on surging runs at the opposition with players like Dyer, Robert and Bellamy, but Dyer's sloppy passing, Bellamy's current injury and Speed's lack of pace often means we cock it up and the opposition are able to get numbers back before we can punish them. Once they flood the box and we're hovering around the 18-yard box we're clueless as to what to do. When Bobby makes adjustments to the midfield he inevitably ends up playing 4 central midfielders giving us no width, another problem I've noticed with Liverpool as well.

I think Houllier is the wrong man for Liverpool, his tactics are probably more suited to European football.

Last edited by evil_bastard on Aug-28-2003 at 01:26

Well with that said, we'd have to say that SBR prefers the same style of play Houllier does.

SBR's tactics are obviously not working this season and supporters are already beginning to question whether he can carry nufc out of the slump. Im shocked to think that i would turn my back on Bobby, after all he had done for the club. We have gone from a lost cause to a title challenger. But somehow the last month everything has turned around.

Anyone else feel as though he is past his time? Or do you believe he can get things back on track?

Bobby and Houllier are completely opposite in my view, Bobby Robson has always produced sides with flair and pace, our last couple of games just haven't been like us and it needs to be addressed. Liverpool are playing boring football and it's getting them nowhere. But both managers are facing similar problems with attacking, two of our three most recent goals have come from set-pieces and Liverpool's only goal in three games came from a penalty.

I am confident we can get back on track, we did it last year and we can do it again. Birmingham will be a hard game, they've improved their squad and are yet to concede a goal. A win against them is very important to kick-start our season. Let's not forget we comfortably outplayed them in Malaysia, with the exception of a few scares against the run of play.

Even if we can't finish ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal or Man U, 4th is still a realistic prospect. Rememeber our first five games of last season: Won, Lost, Drew, Lost, Lost. And we still finished 3rd. After that dreadful start we picked ourselves up and won 5 of our next 6 games. Don't get me wrong, Newcastle haven't been themselves lately and there is plenty of reason to worry, but it's not the end of the world.

Last edited by evil_bastard on Aug-28-2003 at 02:54

I still think top 3 is still possible. We are just going through a bad slump and I'm more than certain that SBR will turn things around.

However, on the other hand the defence needs to be repaired more than any other position in the squad. We were lucky to come both 4th and 3rd respectively in the last two seasons with a leaky defence. If we can stop the flow of goals we keep conceeding regularly. Im sure we will take an enourmous stride forward.

Im just dissapointed SBR hasnt realised the importance of signing a new defender. It has been stressed again and again by the supporters of the club

you need a new defender?!?!?!


just look at hencoz and hyppia nowadays, nothing like they used too be, making mistakes all the time.

in my opinion Igor Biscan had a better match than sami hyppia against tottenham.

i cant stand too watch my team fall apart like this, houllier even said he dosent need wingers, when he got 2 good ones in kewell and diouf, and all they need too do is change sides. i mean diouf can use his left foot too get crosses in and kewell cant use his right(they try but it just sucks). soo they have too start running inward on the field, and this makes the left and right back too get forward way too much. finnan and riise are ok for this i guess, but it leaves and awefull lot for the other 2 too cover if we are caught with the team too high, but that not a problem really cuz WE CANT FUCKING ATTACK PROPERBLY. and you know why cuz that bastard has been playing defencly for 4 seasons and now he wants too play attacking football.


ARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH! i hate him! they should rehire daglish, im sure hed do much better. and play the way liverpool is known too play.

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Tune of the moment

I think Henchoz/Hyypia are an awesome combination. I'd rather have one of either of them partner Woody in defence at Newcastle. Imagine that Woody/Hyypia together.



Both Liverpool defenders are going through a slump and I am sure that both will rekindle their form that made them one of Europe's most reliable defenders.


But if Newcastle want to get back on track, the first thing we need to do is find a center half to partner Woodgate. He needs to be of the SAME QUALITY as Woody. Maybe someone like Milan's Martin Laursen. He is an awesome defender, very quick, awesome man marker. Truly a world-class defender.

As for Houllier! Someone please show him the door..

I think that Houllier's tactics are dodgy and I don't know why he is playing people out of position but the players have got to take more responsibility, against Spurs Houllier played a hugely attacking team and they still couldn't score, I think that questions must be asked of their commitment. Apart from Hyypia/Gerrard/Henchoz/Riise I would quaestion everyone elses commitment in the team. Where is Owen during this slump???

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Ill tell you where Owen is! He is invisible

I think whats beginning to happen is that no one else is chipping in with goals and they are relying on Owen to lead them the way. Similar to Shearer and Newcastle. Therefore there is too much pressure on the front men and they may buckle.

Commitment is something both Liverpool and Newcastle lacking. All it really comes down to at the end of the week, is there pay-check. So, I am starting wonder whether or not they should belong in our teams.

Houllier should of abandoned counter attacking football after 2000/2001. The players are so use to it, that even when Houllier insists on attacking football (finally), the players are clueless or have forgotten. Last season saw liverpool undefeated for the first 12 matches, some of these matches included brilliant attacking football, but this is how results turned out, eg Liverpool 2 Blackburn 2, Liverpool 2 Birmingham City 2 (Liverpool let a 2 goal lead slip) Liverpool 2 Newcastle 2 (Liverpool let a 2 goal lead slip in the last 10 minutes) Liverpool 3 Bolton 2 (Liverpool let a 2 goal lead slip but Heskey gets the winner right away) This is what made Houllier go paradoid and therefore he went back to boring football, such as lacklustre wins such as Liverpool 1 Leeds 0 and Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0, and soon enough Liverpool entered their worsed slump since the 50s, and therefore failing to qualify for a CL place.

Another thing that has annoyed me is that 2 seasons ago Liverpool had the depth to definately winning the league regardless if it was boring hoofball or not. Had he not sold Fowler, Litmanen, Anelka (who replaced Fowler, but was soon replaced by Diouf 11m!) there would be no need for Kewell. He replaced them with unproven premiership players like Diouf, Diao & Cheyrou.

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• TRACKS FOR GRAPE PICKING
• TRACKS WHEN YOU HAVE GLITTER STUCK ALL OVER YOU

Derby @ the weekend. If you beat us again, at home, when you've not had a good start to the season I'l be gutted.

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Hybridized