Liverpool don’t deserve to finish 4th
Posted by Cathal Breathnach on March 21, 2010 | 22 Comments
Liverpool have now played 31 games in this Premier League season and have lost 10 of them.
With only a handful of games left in the season, Rafa Benitez’ men now sit in 6th place in the table following today’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United.
Tottenham currently occupy 4th spot with Liverpool now four points behind with the Londoners also having a game in hand. Manchester City remain wedged between the two and are currently the bookies favourites to take the final Champions League spot.
I for one hope Liverpool don’t finish 4th. They just don’t deserve it. They have won just 5 more games than they have lost this season and how they are still in the running for 4th is incredible. I will openly admit I am a Man City fan and obviously I would love to see us clinch 4th, however if it isn’t to be Roberto Mancini’s men then I would just hate to see Liverpool make it.
What do you think? Comments below please.
Tags: Aston Villa > Liverpool > Manchester City > Manchester United > Rafa Benitez > Tottenham
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22 Responses to “Liverpool don’t deserve to finish 4th”
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March 21st, 2010 @ 6:47 PM
With the millions spent by Man City they should be top of the table.
Liverpool to finish 4th!
March 21st, 2010 @ 6:51 PM
after 38 games you deserve to be wherever you finish – its as simple as that, cathal
liverpool have been poor relative to last seasons standards, but have now played all of their “big” games (aside from chelsea at home).
Spurs next couple of games are probably wins – pompey at home , sunderland away, but then : arsenal, chelsea, man utd , bolton , man city. Very tricky.
Man city ‘s last 5 games include united, arsenal, villa + tottenham.
I doubt liverpool will make 4th place, but i’d like to hope spurs and citeh will drop a lot of points in those games, so there’s a chink of hope
March 21st, 2010 @ 6:53 PM
Here’s what I think (by the way, in case you’re interested, your name sounds like someone, with a cold trying to cough up some phlegm). If you’d been paying attention, you would KNOW that Liverpool have suffered an inordinate number of injuries to their most important players this season. Had that not been the case, fourth place would not even be an issue, now, and they would certainly be much, much closer to the top of the table. To try and state otherwise is tantamount to putting your ignorance on display for all to behold. THAT’S what I think…
March 21st, 2010 @ 7:01 PM
i don’t totally agree with that, Barz as all the teams can claim they have had injuries.
but this has definitely been a season of transition given we had to totally replace our engine room players alonso and his replacement has been unable to play enough games. we’ve also had the “bad luck” of being in transition in the very season that big spending rivals (citeh and spurs) have upped the competition for the 4th spot…
March 21st, 2010 @ 7:11 PM
Barz, your argument about Liverpool having suffered more injuries than the rest of those chasing 4th spot is ridiculous. City were without Tevez and Adebayor for much of the season due to several different reasons and yet they’re still ahead of Liverpool. Tottenham have had several key players injured this season, most notably Luca Modric who was out for 2 months earlier in the season.
And the fact you are trying to slag my name when you have a name like Barz is quite funny.
March 21st, 2010 @ 7:16 PM
We’ve had a bad and an unlucky season, but Man City and Spurs will obviously drop points. However we have showed that we are not able to take advantage of that whenever we’ve had the chance. In order for us to compete for the fourth place we have to win all the following games and show consistency, otherwise it wont make a difference if Man City and Spurs loose points. I’m still very optimistic though.
March 21st, 2010 @ 7:29 PM
Liverpool’s problem is their mentality. Yes i am a liverpool fan but i am always been very open and honest. Not once in all my 25 years supportng the club have i said they would win it. Especially in the last 20. For 20 years all we have is a mentality of going for 4th and thats it. I wish it was just the top team who goes into the champs league like before. That would wake up liverpool or crush them. Rafa i dont care what anyone says, he is not good enough for the Premier league. In fact, this season all his previous work has actually put us worse off than before he took us over. Why? Well the other teams above us bar Spurs and Man city have got weaker and yet they still push for the title each year. What does that say? Manager is at fault. Any fool can see Gerrard getting fed up. He didnt become a poor player over night. Hes had it up to the eye balls. He’s been lied too and cheated. I cant see how he will stay, for what? Winning FA in his last years? Liverpool i hope dont get into Champs or any kind of european football. They dont deserve anything. If this is the best of english footie then its a joke. Its either liverpool go bust and do a leeds or the banks grow some balls and take over the club. The yanks dont help either. Too many broken promises from them too. Rafa and the yanks need to go. Simple as that. Anyone from the accounts can see they are there just to have an all expenses paid life style. Wake up people. Liverpool will NEVER win anything under the current set up. Next season will be the same. Tired of hearing the same crap. Fergie is the greatest manager period. Rafa can only dream like the rest of the club and the supporters. Man U for league and most likely the Champs league! Keep paying those stupid prices to see liverpool play. I’d rather use the tickets for loo roll haha.
March 21st, 2010 @ 9:17 PM
Cathal Breathnach, Barz’s argument about Liverpool having suffered more injuries than the rest of those chasing 4th spot is (pardon the pun!) spot on IMO and you can couple that with some ludicrous refereeing decisions too. However the reason that Liverpool are quite simply poorer than previous years is more to do with lack of finance and squad depth!
Liverpool quite simply have been selling to buy for the past few years now and have been punching well above their weight! Losing Alonso (34m), Hyppia (top of the German league with club) and Arbelo (Real Madrid) is a lot to lose for most clubs and they (and their consistency) have not been replaced. For Liverpool to have had such a bad season and still be in with a realistic chance of finishing in the final champions league place says a lot more about how poor Citeh, Spurs and Villa are than how poor Liverpool are in my opinion. What do you think is going to happen to them in the 3rd round game to get into Champions League proper?
Non of the above got to the knockout stage of the Europa League!
Personally, I don’t think Liverpool will get the 4th place. However if they do they will a have deserved it being the best of a distinctly average bunch!
March 21st, 2010 @ 9:40 PM
There have been issues, not least the fact the team also finished second last year and with REAL investment could have pushed on this year, but Rafa’s hands were tied, he took the club close, but needed backing to push them on. It never happened.
Also, with only losing 2 games, what does the manager learn about his side? not much? So this season should toughen up the team mentally.
The final things injuries ARE relevant Cathal. For long periods Liverpool have been without Benayoun, Johnson, Torres, Gerrard and Agger – all first team regulars. You show me any team that would cope with that – and the resulting stuttering when they came back, gaining match fitness.
The one good thing is Torres is scoring for fun right now – watch out Sunderland!!!
March 21st, 2010 @ 9:40 PM
It should also be added that Liverpool have faded this year, it’s not that the other pretenders have improved.
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:01 PM
The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare.
I quote you Cathal;
“I for one hope Liverpool don’t finish 4th. They just don’t deserve it. They have won just 5 more games than they have lost this season and how they are still in the running for 4th is incredible. I will openly admit I am a Man City fan and obviously I would love to see us clinch 4th, however if it isn’t to be Roberto Mancini’s men then I would just hate to see Liverpool make it.”
LOL!!!!
Keep on typing Cathal,keep on typing….
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:03 PM
Doesn’t matter if we don’t finish 4th this time – The last time we DIDN’T finish 4th we won a trophy (the CL actually now you ask) AND stormed back the next season 15 points ahead of those who supposedly ‘elbowed’ us out of the elite – Everton – showing them and their lack of ‘season in – season out’ mentality to get to the CL and STAY there in the process. Just watch next season, we’ll do PRECISELY the same thing again to whomever DOES get 4th – We’ll be HELL-bent on regaining our standing and whoever takes 4th will have an increased schedule, little experience of how to deal with it AND a revenge hungry Liverpool to deal with – they can’t WON’T stand against us be they Man City, Spurs OR Villa – Just watch, this WILL happen. Mark My Words…………..
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:08 PM
You’re calling me a monkey RafaTheRed?
Well I don’t think a monkey would be able to create a website that has done extremley well in the last few years, has receievd over 3.274 million readers and is doing incredibly well in terms of advertising.
Just because I have a go at your team you decide to criticise my writing. You really are a daft prick.
And yes, I will keep on typing!
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:22 PM
A word press blog!!! You have not created anything!!!
LOL….The cult of the amateur!
Your probably a narcissist Cathal!
I do the real thing for a living you clown! You dare to spew your insular football ramblings in a word press blog and then pertain to being some form of successful journalist? There’s a million of you infinite monkeys typing away online an non with a modicum of knowledge. Just a desire to be heard so you don’t feel worthless or insignificant.
I’m a daft prick…Woooow.
Well you started it…LOL
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:24 PM
When did I claim to be a successful journalist? And what is your obsession with the word ‘monkey’?
Send us your link to your website!
Cheers
March 21st, 2010 @ 10:39 PM
I’ve created a hell of a lot!!! You have created nothing!
Believe me, you are (pardon the football pun) not in my league!!!
I’m a developer/designer and earn a very good living from it. This is a web 2.0 interface and you, Cathal are a web 2.0 slag.
Do yourself a favour? (and everybody else).
Go read a book…LOL
Cheers and goodnight…
March 21st, 2010 @ 11:39 PM
Solid 1st hast half but has the candle burnt out for Rafa.
This week has seen an improved level of performance for Liverpool and I think it will be close for the 4th place.
I don’t see Liverpool winning all of their remaining fixtures. At best 4 wins, two draws and a probable loss to CFC will be the final results for us this season. I have a strong feeling Liverpool will also finish a min total of 21pts+ behind the league winners. Yes 21pts behind the league winners. For this statistic alone is a bad pill to swallow and is enough to see him handed his P45.
Even if we scrape through and take the 4th place and win the EUROPA league we still need to play a qualifier for the Champions league and with our level of inconsistency there is no guarantee we would even win this. Should a club of Liverpool’s pedigree accept that fighting for 4th place be enough. It was a bad decision to give Benitez the 5 year deal in the results based business of football.
The min requirement for Benitez this season should have been 3rd place in the league + a cup. Given he has had 5+ years I don’t accept his excuses or some of the fans blind loyalty. For Liverpool to get back to winning a change of mentality and expectation and desire levels needs to change.
I don’t think he had done enough to gain such a contract and control of the club. A tough business decision will need to be made as to what’s in the best interest of the club. If we take the line that it will cost us £15 million pounds to replace him so let’s not replace him. We have to face facts that it’s probably 70% likely right now that we will not finish 4th. I think a brutal decision should have been made a Christmas time. Liverpool now face losing out on Champions league revenue next season and also a massive reduction on our 20 million a season sponsorship deal with standard charter next season.
I have to be honest I have not seen any major progression points this season. Our football has been dour. Low progress has been made with youth players coming through and there has been no progression with the development of the 2nd tier players to suggest that he has the ability to get these to put enough pressure on our first 11.
This is what pushes the team to win titles when you have two players fighting for each place pushing each other to levels which are beyond the player’s standard performance levels.
Liverpool have to face the fact that our level of performances this season barely rank us in overall top 30 teams in Europe. Manchester United are in the top four bracket in the world. For this reason we should not feel disgraced or bad about the game today. It’s the other 30 games this season against the teams the bread and butter which are the most important.
When you see the success of the Premier league in the champions league it makes you realise how difficult it is to win or make a challenge in the premiership. We have possibly 3 to 4 teams that have the budgets and squads to rank in the world’s top 15 teams. I have to be brutally honest based on our performances this season we have no right to consider ourselves worthy of a top 4 place. We have lost 10 times in the EPL this season and this really hurts us.
Despite all of the challenges that Rafa has faced with the boards uncertainty and changing the bar regarding transfer funds. I feel he as the manager has to take the ultimate responsibility and with the team and the resources he had over the summer we had enough in the tank to finish (3rd to 4th) comfortably. I think that Rafa has done a solid job however has taken the club as far as we can go. We will always be a good cup team able to keep it tight and contain the opposition over two legs. But he doesn’t have the players or the mentality to consistently get the team playing to a high level and get the team to win 4 to 5 wins on the trot regularly enough.
I heard a stat of SKY which also indicates how the poor level of our performances this season that we have scored only 50 goals this season compared to Manchester’s 70+. It’s clear that we have missed Torres and Gerrard but any great manager always has a (plan a) and (plan b) or develops a system to still gain positive results. It’s for this reason that Rafa has really suffered. I can’t understand how has he let arise that we only have one true striker, any sensible manager ensures he has a decent second option with the ability to score one goal every three games.
Any Fan or Pundit could have told you last season that Kuyt and NGOG are not of the standard to lead the forward line.
I have to really take my hat off to Arsenal this season as the squad has really worked hard together to compensate for the loss of Van Persie. It makes me wonder how much more points they would of acquired if they had him in the team.
Liverpool need to drastically look at this situation because we have to face facts that Spurs and Aston Villa and Mancity are all on the fringes of catching us up. So to win the league next season will be even more difficult. We will need to play at a far higher level from the start of the season. So I feel we are faced with a situation where we have no option but to replace Benitez. I don’t think if he stayed next season that he would have enough to inspire this squad to win the Champions League or League.
Despite Benitez doing well last season we have to consider how bad CFC were for long periods. If they had Gus or Jose I would go as far as saying they probably would have won the league last season or at the very least finished 2nd. Last season will be remembered as Rafa’s best chance to ever win the league and will be his only chance.
I have really enjoyed the great moments that he has given us but as I have been saying for a while he lacks the X-Factor that little something which get the extra 10% out of average players which the best man managers such as Ferguson, Capello or Gus and Jose are able to get out of players.
We need a change of mentality based on winning and not one based on lets contain teams and try not to concede and win by one goal. This mentality is correct against the Barcelona’s one of the world or if you are playing two legged cup ties. This is not the attitude or mentality of a team with aspirations of being the best particularly when we play team in the bottom half. I have never seen Manu have this attitude. The problem with a team that has this mentality is that when they go one behind or have to chase a result it’s very difficult to turn games around because they have set their stall to play in a defensive manner.
Some fans would suggest giving Rafa more time if we finish 4th and giving him more money but I take the view he is likely to squander this money again like he did with our summer transfer budget.
Thanks and Adios Benitez.
March 22nd, 2010 @ 7:02 AM
Liverpool can afford to lose to Chelsea and still finish 4th. Why? Because Rafa said so…haha
March 22nd, 2010 @ 7:05 AM
To Barz:
I’ve read what you thought. Seriously, you think like a total idiot!
March 22nd, 2010 @ 7:31 AM
I don agree with you..
Liverpool is a top class club and always deserve to be in top four..but this season they had suffered a lot of injury problem..
I can guarantee Liverpool will climb to top 4 this season.
March 22nd, 2010 @ 12:58 PM
“I’ve created a hell of a lot!!! You have created nothing!
Believe me, you are (pardon the football pun) not in my league!!!
I’m a developer/designer and earn a very good living from it. This is a web 2.0 interface and you, Cathal are a web 2.0 slag.
Do yourself a favour? (and everybody else).
Go read a book…LOL
Cheers and goodnight…”
So basically you started an argument with the intention of being able to tell everyone how great you are! Jesus, you are brilliant.
If you don’t think much of my site, then why did you decide to come on and comment in the first place?
March 26th, 2010 @ 7:29 AM
If you said Liverpool don’t deserve the 4th spot, tell me which club deserve to be there. If man city, spurs or villa are too good already, they would be far up the table, far away from Liverpool. but, still, the clubs are stuck there. so it’s not about who deserves, it’s about who gets it.