The Kopsource Christmas Review

Posted on 22. Dec, 2011 by Tom Cullimore in Blog

‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’, unless perhaps, you’re on the receiving end of some Christmas-fuelled criticism from one of our writers. That’s right; the obligatory almost-half-way-point review of the season so far is here! Answering the questions that matter (and various others as well) are Liam Tomkins, Dominic Campbell, Umar Khurrum and myself, Tom Cullimore. And, it being Christmas and all, we’ve been generous enough to throw in some outlandish end of season predictions too. Merry Christmas, one and all…

High point of the season so far: High point of the season has definitely got to be our Carling Cup quarter-final win over Chelsea. It’s been quite some time since we last got this far in a domestic cup competition, so it’s great that we’re just 3 games away from winning our first piece of silverware since 2006. Umar Khurrum

Lowest point: Had I been asked a few weeks ago what the lowest point of the season has been so far, I would have pointed you in the direction of a fixture played at White Hart Lane on 18 September 2011. Since then, though, there have been two major talking points. Lucas’ injury and Suarez’ suspension for alleged racially aggravated abuse. While the latter will undoubtedly forever taint our number seven, it was the former that I felt was a bigger blow.

Having been one of the few to genuinely defend Lucas over the past years, it became a pleasure to see his solid performances totally prove his doubters wrong. But his injury couldn’t have come at a worse time; he had hit the form of his life and his absence is already being felt. So while we will miss Luis Suarez for his eight game ban, the season long loss of Lucas is, for me at least, our lowest point of the season. Dominic Campbell

All I want for Christmas is: A goal-scorer. Suarez is a phenomenal player but creates more than he’ll finish, Carroll needs someone to deflect all the attention and pressure put on him by the media, whilst Bellamy, for his excellent work rate, won’t fire us into the Champions League. The goal-scoring contribution of Dirk Kuyt is hardly worth mentioning. Placing himself distinctly in the shop window this January is Lucas Podolski, whose recent form has seen him linked to a variety of clubs. Despite failing to match the Dalglish/Comolli criteria of young, British talent, at only 26 Podolski retains the potential for resale value, whilst the success of the signings of Enrique and Suarez may convince the Anfield hierarchy to look further afield. Due to the lack of Champions League football, Liverpool must also be careful not to concede transfer targets to rival clubs, as is rumoured to have happened with Ashley Young and Phil Jones in the summer; if the Reds want to make Podolski their first signing of 2012 they would be advised to do so swiftly. Providing the price is modest enough, he could just be the player need to propel them back to the top. Tom Cullimore

Most deserving of a lump of coal in their stocking is: It would be too easy to point the finger at the FA here, but they’ve probably already had more coal than a starving steam engine so I’m going to go for Blackburn owners Venky’s instead. Their first mistake was destabilising the club last season by sacking Sam Allardyce who would, at the very least, have ensured safety this season which is more than can be said for their current manager. Steve Kean doesn’t even seem to believe himself when he talks so it’s no surprise that the players aren’t performing for him. That said, the squad itself hardly strikes fear in the hearts of opposition, and it looks like it might be about to get worse with rumours that Christopher Samba and Junior Hoilett could follow Phil Jones out of the Ewood exit. Should they go down this season, which I’m predicting they will, I can’t see them coming back in a hurry. Plainly, then, Venky’s aren’t as ‘fit and proper’ as their poultry and they have to be held responsible for the mess that Blackburn find themselves in this Christmas. Liam Tomkins

Best (summer) signing: Jose Enrique for me. He’s been an absolute beast at the back, as well as going forward. Probably our most consistent player after Lucas Leiva this season. And the fact that we’ve got him for around just £5.5m makes him my best summer signing. UK

The Fernando Torres award for biggest flop: For me this was a no brainer; the award can only be given to Andy Carroll. Many will jump on my back for what I am about to say, but somebody needs to say it. He just doesn’t fit into our style of football and needs to drastically improve. Having gone to the Fulham game I struggled to see how Big Andy could possibly, on his current form at least, be a professional footballer.

If you were to create the perfect player on any football game in the world, he would be strong, quick, good at dribbling, clinical and have the touch of the saint with the hunger of a demon. All things which he simply does not have. It isn’t a case about not wanting him to do well, because I really do, but he has a lot of improving to do should he want to be considered worthy to wear the number nine jersey at any club, be it Liverpool or Northampton Town.

Until then, it is slightly fitting that my Fernando Torres award for biggest flop should fall the man who was charged with replacing the Spaniard. DC

Most ridiculous rumour: An amazing array of contenders for this one; Mesut Özil, David Villa and Gonzalo Higuaín are amongst my favourites. There can be only one winner, however – the absurd suggestion that Fernando Torres could return to Anfield. It might sound appealing at first, what with our pressing need for a striker, but the reality of the situation is far from ideal; the fans hate him, the players (not least Daniel Agger) hate him and the management, the people who make the decisions, probably hate him as well. Add to that the fact he’s probably past his peak and you begin to realise that even if Liverpool have a history of romantic striking returns, this will not be one of them. A cut-price transfer away from Chelsea is certainly on the cards, but a return to Spain, rather than the North-West, seems far more likely. TC

Best game not involving Liverpool: I was very tempted to choose Manchester City’s 6-1 win at Old Trafford for game of the season so far, but that should perhaps take the accolade of stuffing of the season instead. For a game to be considered truly great I think both teams have to be in it and for that reason I’ve chosen the recent encounter between City and Arsenal that was decided by a solitary goal by my player of the season so far, David Silva. While matches such as Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5 might be spectacular to behold, they are not what I would call a good advert for the Premier League as such freak results don’t showcase the true calibre of the top teams.

That’s what made City 1 Arsenal 0 so special – it was the top flight in microcosm as two giants of the game collided, resulting in a spectacle worthy of the title ‘the beautiful game’. And as far as the game of the year goes, there is only one contender: Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4. LT

Umar’s Predictions:

League winners: Manchester City

Champions League places: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham.

Relegation: Blackburn, Wolves, Wigan.

Final Liverpool position: 5th (hopefully not)

Dom’s Predictions

League Winners: Manchester United. Although I hate them, it would please me to see City spend all that money and win f*%k all.

Champions League places: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham

Relegation: Bolton, Blackburn, and Everton – we live in hope?

Final Liverpool Position: Unless we buy a decent striker in January, I can’t see us finishing top 4. Not enough fire power, unfortunately.

Tom’s Predictions

League Winners: Manchester United (they always manage it somehow…)

Champions League places: Manchester United, City, Spurs, Liverpool.

Relegation: Blackburn, Aston Villa, QPR.

Final Liverpool Position 4^th

Liam’s Predictions:

League Winners: Man City

Champions League places: Man City, Man Utd, Spurs, Chelsea.

Relegation: Blackburn, Wigan, Wolves.

Final Liverpool position: 5^th

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38 Responses to “The Kopsource Christmas Review”

The Dog

22. Dec, 2011

Like it gentlemen but please don’t call City a giant off the game, they are still a minnow compared to many other clubs.
Sheamus

22. Dec, 2011

Couldnt disagree with your predictions fella, sad but true, fifth is about as good as it will get although it might be interesting if we sign that Torres fella back.
Sheamus

22. Dec, 2011

Kennys the man fella, the man is a legend but this time he doesnt have Lieutenant Ronnie Moran or Colonel Roy Evans in his backroom staff. Make sense, fella?
anfield rd dreamer

22. Dec, 2011

Just a few reasons why I think labeling Carroll as such a flop is rather cruel, 1; the last 2 league games Carroll completed the full 90 minutes in he actually scored in both. 2; in the last 5 league games he has played a grand total of 107 minutes. 3; before that (last time he was a regular starter) he was on a run of form that was 2 goals in 4 games. 4; Suarez is considered a great success (quite rightly) but only has 1 goal every 274 minutes for us not much better than “flop” Carroll on a goal every 300 minutes (Dirk Kuyt is a great servant for Liverpool and loved by me and most fans for his workrate and decent amount of important goals every year, but is only on a goal every 301 minutes for us!). 5; he is 22 and been at the club for less than a year. 6; is lack of goals this year really a unique issue for Andy?

Also think your predictions are terribly pessimistic with the awful luck we’ve had with woodwork, injuries, goal scoring form and incorrect decisions from officials we are clearly as “bad” as we are gunna get yet currently sit only 3 points off fourth place and we are the only team except united in the ‘big 6′ not about to lose important players to the African cup of nations.
anfield rd dreamer

22. Dec, 2011

Also would just like to point something out to all you miserable buggers! We have had 6 draws this season (only villa have drawn more), every single one of those draws we played well enough we should have had all 3 points, with those extra 12 points we would be on 42 points in second (united an city would be on 1 point less each an united in third on 41 points and city 1st on 43 points). Not too far off being right up there just need to start converting a few more goals here an there and we will be flying.
AndyCarrollHater

23. Dec, 2011

dreamer u choose the perfect user name cause that’s all ya do is dream. 1 Andy Carroll ain’t worth shit and 2 don’t blame luck the players we have with the exception of a few ain’t top notch quality.
The players that we have at LFC can’t build any top team and no other club not even relegation struggling clubs would want Carroll for a forward. Fact is fact and of all KK signed only Suarez and Enrique would be wanted by a Chelsea, Man U Man C or any top 4 club. We stuck with Carroll, Downing, Adam, Henderson and all these British players that no top club wants and in truth watching them week in week out they ain’t all KK thought they would be.
In January KK better get quality and not just players that no one wants but because they British he’ll see it fit to try em’.
Oh yeah and as for Carroll get rid of him before its 2 late can’t dwell on the fee paid, just look at Kaka at madrid he is the third most expensive player in the world and can’t make bench.
blitz

23. Dec, 2011

LFC needs a overhaul badly and needs Gerrard back asap cause we desperately want 2 score penalties if given any. Wesley Sneijder, Demba Ba, CieckTiote, Loic Remy, Eden Hazard etc. IN

Carroll OUT OUT OUT pls.
AndyCarrollHater

23. Dec, 2011

@Dreamer, you certainly can dream cause Andy ain’t worth farts or poops not even relegation struggling clubs would want him, yeah i said it he’s that worthless.
Also stop blaming luck cause apart from Enrique and Suarez all the signings have been playing below expectations and truthfully ain’t scoring goals or having any great impact on the games they play. They invested heavily in British players and it’s back fired and now with January coming he’ll have 2 spend again and hope i this time he’ll fix things. Get rid of the garbage and get quality players, Kaka is the third most expensive player of all time and can’t make Real Madrid’s bench so get this fee we paid 4 Carroll behind us and move on cause he ain’t worth it.
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

As Elvis Presley once said;

Ill have a blue christmas without you
Ill be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green christmas tree
Wont be the same dear, if you’re not here with me

And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That’s when those blue memories start calling
Youll be doin all right, with your christmas of white
But I’ll have a blue, blue blue blue christmas
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

Yep, it’s gonna be a Blue Christmas.
New cool

23. Dec, 2011

Well next season exist cause this season is out and 2 be honest might be KK won’t be in charge if he don’t get his team scoring goals or do something miraculous soon. He wasted lots of money on second string players and is now getting what he paid for.
Pete

23. Dec, 2011

Haha, some of you should relax. We are only 3 points behind 4th spot.

Norwich, Swansea, and now Wigan – We got 3 points when we SHOULD of taken 9. Minimum expectation is 7. We should be ahead of Spurs.

Kenny publicly voiced his disappointment about the Wigan result – He didn’t voice such disappointment regarding the Norwich or Swansea result. He knows the team need a kick in the teeth and I hope he gave them some hair dryer treatment.
Pete

23. Dec, 2011

Regarding Carroll and him being a flop.

After January passes it will be one full year with Andy. I have commented on here telling others to settle down over Carroll and that he will come good. However I think a year is plenty of time to prove his worth as a player of LFC. We aren’t expecting anything brilliant but when he gets his run of games which will be coming in January he needs to take advantage of it. Otherwise it’s time to part with our number 9 in the summer.
anfield rd dreamer

23. Dec, 2011

Just don’t see how when THE WHOLE TEAM are struggling to find the back of the net including world class top shooter in the league Luis Suarez why are people only having a go at Carroll? Carroll has completed the full 90 minutes 9 times for us in his Liverpool career and in those 9 games we had 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, to put that in perspective that would be an 84 point league finish (our best ever), so he obviously does a lot for the team when he is on the pitch, yes he should be scoring more but so should everybody else too! So why continue to single him out? If Suarez starts banging them in and Kuyt gets his first goals of the season and IF Andy gets a run of games and still doesn’t score THEN have a go but the lad was on 2 in 4 but since then has only completed 107 minutes over 5 games WHEN was he supposed to be scoring these goals? If he’d been scoring during his last few cameos of 4, 18, 10 minutes an so on he’d be the most prolific striker in the league. I’m not a huge fan and actually want us to buy Klaas Jan Huntelaar to be Suarez first choice strike partner but don’t think this criticism aimed at Andy is fair at all.
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

You obviously havent been watching the games, Carroll doesnt work hard enough and repeatedly miscontrols the ball whereas the other players make a decent effort but just cant stick the ball between the sticks.
The Dog

23. Dec, 2011

I think with Andy C its not his stats that people see it his overall performance and he just doesn’t look interested, his work rate is lack lustre. I know I for one have only thought twice that he’s had a good game and on both those occasions he scored, but then the next game back to the same old lazy Andy.
Suarez’s stats may not be the greatest but he looks like he wants to win and his body language and work rate reflect that. IMO the fans would get off his back if Andy looked like he wanted to win, Unfortunately he hasn’t felt the love from the KOP cause he doesn’t have A love for the shirt.
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

Btw – blackburn and bolton are in the bottom two in the prem but they have scored more goals than LFC, unbelievable check it out.
Lfc – 20 goals
Bolton – 24
Blackburn -22
anfield rd dreamer

23. Dec, 2011

Warlord (and many others) I’m not an Andy Carroll fan as such I’m just disgusted with the amount of stick a 22 year old is getting within his first year at the club. Peter Crouch is remembered quite fondly but how many appearances did it take him to score his first goal? Ian Rush one of our best strikers ever…yet took a long time to settle. Andy Carroll one of the youngest strikers to ever be signed for the senior team has a goal rate almost identical to Dirk Kuyt who is seen as a tremendous servant for our club yet Andy has been barracked and abused because he is not able to match the goal scoring rate of Fernando Torres, our most prolific striker of the premier league era. No he isnt Torres or Villa (who was actually awful at Andy’s age) but that don’t make him a bad player, mostly it just means he is at a club that creates chances for fun but just can’t seem to bury them. If he is not ‘your style of player’ then that’s fine but don’t abuse him he plays for our team and deserves the same respect the likes of Dzeko, Ibrimahvic and Berbatov are afforded by their fans, all of which have had rough patches in their careers, he isn’t the same type of player Suarez is so everybody needs to stop comparing them. Didn’t see Mascherano being torn to shreds for not passing like alonso or alonso for not tackling like mascherano. It’s just got ridiculous with Carroll within a year of us signing him people are offering worse abuse than I ever saw aimed at Lucas, now accepted as one of our better players. Just take a chill pill hold the abuse a bit and wait and see if Kenny can get the best out of him by the end of the season and remember YNWA not YNWA (unless we decide you’re sh1t!).
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

You claim to be an lfc fan?
You say it took rush a long time to settle?
That is a lie.
Rushie scored:
31 goals in his first full season
30 in his second season
47 in his 3rd season
26 in his 4th season
33 in 5th
40 in 6th
Stop making up lies mate.
Rush took a long time to settle? My arse.
anfield rd dreamer

23. Dec, 2011

Despite interest from Manchester City, and in spite of Rush being a boyhood Everton fan, Liverpool won the race to sign the 18-year old in April 1980, though he had to remain at Chester until the end of the season as the transfer deadline (27 March 1980) had now passed.

Manager Bob Paisley paid a record fee for a teenager of £300,000. It remained Chester’s record sale until they went bankrupt in March 2010.

Rush was managed throughout his time at Chester by Alan Oakes, although much of the credit for his development is given to youth manager Cliff Sear. Nearly 20 years later, Rush and Sear worked together on the coaching staff at Wrexham.

Rush had actually made his international debut, in May 1980, just before he officially became a Liverpool player. His Reds debut came on the 13 December that year in a First Division fixture at Portman Road against Ipswich Town. He was standing in for his future strike-partner, Kenny Dalglish (at the time one of the most highly-rated strikers in the world), and wore his No 7 shirt. Midfielder Jimmy Case scored Liverpool’s only goal in a 1–1 draw. At this stage, Liverpool were defending the league title and the League Cup, and also contending for the European Cup, while Ipswich were emerging as surprise title contenders. Ultimately, Liverpool disappointed in the league and finished fifth (with Aston Villa winning the title), but they did win the European Cup (for the third time) and the League Cup (for the first time).

Rush was used sporadically during his first season at the club as Liverpool had a policy of bringing in young talent and playing them in the reserves to learn ‘the Liverpool way’. Rush was treated no differently and had to begin his time at the club as a squad member rather than being thrown into the first team.

This learning period was hard and not at all ‘Rush-like’, as the goals did not flow, almost leading to the eager youngster leaving Anfield in the search of regular first-team football. But after a talk with the very shrewd Paisley, who told him to “be more selfish in front of goal”, Rush decided to stay and fight for a place.

Rush’s first goal for the club took time to arrive, but it eventually came on 30 September 1981 during a European Cup first round second leg tie at Anfield against Oulun Palloseura. Liverpool had already won the first leg at the Raatti Stadium 1–0, and the second leg proved to be a formality as they trounced the Finnish team 7–0, Rush scoring in the 67th minute after coming on three minutes earlier for David Johnson.

His first two league goals came on 10 October 1981 in a 3-0 home win over Leeds United, and a month later he scored in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in a 3-1 win. After Christmas however, Rush went into overdrive as Liverpool began a dramatic rise from mid table to the top of the table. He scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 away league win over Notts County on 26 January 1982, and was on the scoresheet in both of the next two games. He managed a total of eight goals in the League Cup (one of them in the final win over Tottenham Hotspur) and three of them in the FA Cup campaign which ended in a fifth round defeat by Chelsea.[4]

So Ian Rush one of our best ever strikers and one of my all time favourite players took from December 1980 till October 1981 to score his first league goal for us and went on to become one of, if not the, most prolific goal scorers our great club has ever known. Which is why I’m saying lay off a 22 year old kid still in his first year at the cub (during which he has had serious injury concerns) who has already managed to match the goal scoring ability of Dirk Kuyt a guy many fans consider one of their favourite players, and is only just getting started in his Anfield career. (And if you want a more recent comparison last year Eden Dzeko had 2 league goals in 15 games want to guess how many Andy has for us this year? And Dzeko is the most efficient goal scorer this season with most goals per minute in the league.) Not saying Andy will ever be a great but sure as hell doesn’t stand the kind of criticism getting shown to him by his own fans its disgusting!
1ofthejuicys

23. Dec, 2011

Where can i buy a Support Suarez T-shirt as i would buy them for myself and my kids to wear over Christmas. WE ALL SOULD BUY THEM AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warlord

23. Dec, 2011

You still havent retracted your inaccurate comment that it took Rush a long time to settle mate. Dont let facts get in the way of your arguement eh?
live4liverpool

24. Dec, 2011

I would support Suarez 100 %
live4liverpool

24. Dec, 2011

Can we please not play Henderson he is terrible , he looks like he doesn’t wants the ball and what makes me laugh most is he past the ball and goes up front in a wrong timing which makes his teammate defend instead of him i would rather put spearing with Adam and shelvey in the hole
JONNH

24. Dec, 2011

ANDY IZ ZHIT END OV. WE NEED TO MOVE ON!
JONNH

24. Dec, 2011

ANDY IZ ZHIT END OV. WE NEED TO MOVE ON
anfield rd dreamer

24. Dec, 2011

As I pointed out warlord Ian Rush was with us from summer 1980 but didn’t actually score his first league goal until October 1981. He made his league debut in December 1980 and in his first 12 months after that he scored 1 goal in Europe and three league goals 2 against Leeds and one in Derby, after that Christmas he exploded into goal scoring form. Now Rush is clearly a better player than Andy could ever hope to be but he was with the club for 18 months with 1 cup goal and 3 league goals before he burst into form. Andy has 1 cup goal and 4 league goals in less than 12 months (didnt play his first game for awhile he was injured, think was united in march). If you don’t like Andy’s playing style fine ain’t got a problem with that but people need to stop being so vicious over it all its not like the lad has done anything wrong, he has just kept his head down carried on working and trying and we should just leave him to it. If he can’t settle Kenny will move him on but until then leave him be.
Warlord

24. Dec, 2011

Being a bit stubborn are we?
anfield rd dreamer

24. Dec, 2011

Haha are you denying Rush was with Liverpool from summer 1980 but didn’t score a league goal till October 1981? Are you denying Rush is one of our greatest ever players? Do you see why I’m questioning why people are criticizing a player who has scored 4 league goals between March this year and December this year?
JC23

25. Dec, 2011

I like the fact that some of our supporters still adopt the “monehbags Citeh” stuff, yet we’ve spent as much as them over the last year going from a 6th/7th placed team to a 5th/6th placed team!!!

KICK RACISM OUT OF FOOTBALL.
anfield rd dreamer

25. Dec, 2011

Haha you’re so funny jc23 haha we’ve spent as much as city who bought Dzeko for 28, Aguero for 38, Nasri for 24 amongst others and oh yeah they didn’t sell a Torres for 50 million. Yep your right we’ve spent as much as city and their 200 million losses.
truered

26. Dec, 2011

lfc net spend was about 43 million we got 56 for torres and babel …..city have spent over 300 million over the last 2 years on players and now they are paying the price for being so stupid buying players for 3 times there worth giving them huge wages on top and no not being able to move them on due to this. every football critic has openly stated lfc and kk brought very well, i also would like to point out spurs had a 29 mil bid rejected for carrol. city wont meet the the financial fair play target or get even close, they are a small club punching well above there weight, their wages alone would bankrupt them is their owners hopped ship….we have a great history…club and fans and with the new owner, kenny and staff things will soon be even better
anfield rd dreamer

26. Dec, 2011

Not even that much truered gross was 56 mill, sales recovered 20 mill so net spend was 36 million. Less than city spent on Aguero. When you take into account the debt bill of 30 million plus has gone and wage bill has drastically decreased by between 10 to 20 million then even with no revenue from European competition the club has still raised every penny spent.
Name (required)

27. Dec, 2011

5th position will be out of our reach this season if kk remains our coach after january. We should be lucky to get to 6th place with kk. He is tactically deficient. Even the poorest of coaches come to anfield to outwit him. He will always fold his hands like a spectator during our matches and, will never put out a hand to give a direction to the players showing that he has no idea of what to do. He selection players is annoying. Pls, henry sack this stubborn man before it is too late. He has wasted your money for nothing.
anfield rd dreamer

27. Dec, 2011

Haha that’s so funny….oh wait you’re being serious?!? Guess you must be an expert, won champions FIFA manager evolution a few times Kenny better bow out as you clearly must know better than the only manager operating in the league who has won the league with 2 teams. I mean the fact we have the best defence, one of the most creative chance creating midfields, some of the worst luck with injuries, hitting woodwork, keepers saving penalties and bad decisions from officials, also the fact we’ve been the better team than everybody we’ve played except spurs with a team that’s less than 6 months old. Yeah all that should be ignored because we haven’t done as well as we should have! We will ignore the facts that at this stage of the rebuild should actually be getting spanked by the likes of city, united an chelsea not being disappointed with draws when we’ve been the better team or actually won whilst looking the best team. Yep ignore all that and sack Kenny because the one thing that is going wrong the sharpness of our shooting, something he has no control over, is not good enough. Pillock.
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