Turkish

I expect Liverpool fans look back on that day as the turning point in their history. Although they eventually rallied to win the league that season the recovery from the hammering they took that day was only temporary. A clearly shell shocked Liverpool side never fully recovered from the beating they took and top international players like Glen Hysen, Steve McMahon and Peter Beardsley were never the same. Alan Hansen soon retired, no doubt realising the old legs could not cope with players of the power and pace of Paul Rideout anymore and Kenny Dalglish appeared pondourous and indicisive in his decision making after that day, no doubt filled with self doubt about how his tactics had been so brutally and clinically ripped apart by Chris Nicholl. He would soon after resign and history shows he never repeated his success at Liverpool elsewhere. A shocked Liverpool squad was dismantled by his replacement, Souness, who realised thst he needed to add backbone to the side so promptly signed Julian Dicks and Paul Stewart in an attempt to add some steal and passion to a traumatised club and the road back to the top has been long for them. I'm sure everyone associated with Liverpool wonders what might have been If the fixture list had been kinder to them that season and not forced them to meet a rampant Saints at the top of the game.

The problem is not everyone at the club thinks that. Whilst Reading and West ham were talking about staying up being the priority our manager and chairman were going on about European football and eventually challenging for the title. Those inside the club won't consider just staying up an amaing success.

As I said it wasn't with hindsight. We said at the time the defence and goalkeeper werent good enough and Nige agreed as he wanted to improve in every position. It didn't happen whilst we chased and signed attacking players, two of which won't be first choice if everyone is fit.

Seriously? Most people I go with could see that the entire back five weren't good enough. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Last season we were great defensively when we had 70% possession and were all over teams. When we were under pressure we often conceded and those goals were often due to sloppy mistakes. That didnt bode well for the premier league as we won't get the majority of possession in a lot of games and will be under pressure a fair bit and it's coming home to roost now. Nige seemed to agree as he signed a right back, a goalkeeper, a centre back, tried to get a left back and is also on record as saying he wanted two centre halves and two keepers. So of the 6 signings he wanted to make he got 3 and a panic free transfer goalkeeper signed when it was clear that KD wasn't up to it. So it wasn't a case of speculation and guess work, the manager identified the areas that needed improving and for whatever reason it didn't happen,whilst we signed 2 strikers for a combined fee of £10m that won't get near a start when everyone is fit.

:lol: It never fails

And the fella from Rennes for £6m as well.

:lol:

And it works when you have a full back that overlaps, today we didn't. You could see the idea was to shore up the right flank as they were targeting it with Yoshida being out of position but we had no attacking threat down the right when JP went off.

I think we'd have won if Richardson hadn't got injured. Yoshida was awful at right back, not his fault he was playing out of position but Fulham targeted that second half. As for Hooliveld, he simply isn't good enough. He's a top man but not a top player.

I absolutely agree with all you as about the transfer window, I've said exactly the same thing, almost word for word in the past. For me goal keepers and centre backs are crucial positions and you need experience and quality. Good teams are built of solid defences and if you don't concede you don't lose. Yoshida looks okay, dodgy today but to be fair he's not a right back, the reality is though that Hooliveld, Fonte and Fox aren't good enough but apart from Yoshida we've little else in those positions.

Who though? The obvious thing would be to bring in a Director of Football, but isn't that what Les Reid is meant to be?

To be fair, nine Of those have come against United, City and Everton so a bit of a skewed stat. As for a defensive coach, what does 'Crozzer' do then? He's a former centre half.

The fact that the Fulham fans were singing 'how sh*t must you be, we're winning away' at the end sums up if it is a point gained or two lost.

He was like it last season though. Okay for much of games but made errors and lapses in concentration which proved costly. His goals papered over the cracks and got him hero status in some fans eyes. The fact was our back 5 last season were not good enough for a top 6 championship side and woefully short at this level. He seems like a great guy and is popular but sadly you need more than that to be a premier league player.

Interesting that a number of people are saying we are lacking experience at this level. Exactly the thing some of us said during the window we were missing and were pounced on and told this wasnt nessasary.

I don't disagree, he didn't get what he wanted during the transfer window. £30m spent and basically a championship side out there today. It just seems to be me the first sounds of discontent with Adkins are coming out from some fans.

Is the opinion on Adkins starting to change amoungst the fans? Up until the last couple of games everyone has been behind the manager and there has been a lot of goodwill but now people are beginging to question his decisions.

Why have him on the bench if he isn't fit enough to come on for the last 20 minutes then?

Javier De Pedro!!! That Spanish nutter of the same name with his daily updates. Did that link directly to Amy Gate??????

Funny how we were talking about Harchester United only the other day, it's the sort of thing that happens to them.

He's nothing to do with them anymore I believe. The last quotes from them came from Mike O'Callaghan and I believe Perry McMillan might have resurfaced in the not too distant past under their banner. People stopped taking SISA seriously in the late 90s and these days nothing more than someone putting their name to them to try and sound credible.

Eh? I was asking a question to the bloke that started the 'how many tactic mistakes is Adkins allowed?' thread?

Proof? Where is th proof? Are these FACTS or what you've heard? Name your source FFS.

Id we lose is Adkins one tactical mistake closer to his threshold?

Are people saying Cortese needs to get with the programme?