Interesting dose of reality for one scouse fan...
Given
Zabaleta, Boateng,Bridge, Kolarov,
M Johnson, Vieira, Silva
Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Balotelli
(edited to specify Michael Johnson, not Adam)
This team could've played against us yesterday, had they been picked and fit. Not one of them started against us.
Think we could outscore them in a 90 minute game? I don't. And that's before you consider Robinho and Bellamy, who won't be playing for City this year.
Manchester City finished 5th last year, and have spent roughly £123m with the intent to jump up one place in the league by the end of the season.
By the same token, we have spent roughly £8m. Two youngsters have been brought in, two free transfers, a reserve goalkeeper and a midfielder who will take Mascherano's position in the squad. Mascherano has been wanting to leave for 2 years, and will be sold this summer - and even though we perpetually fail to receive market value for players, he will be sold for more than £8m. Albert Riera has been shipped out, so too Alberto Aquilani. Philipp Degen has gone, so to has Yossi Benayoun. Diego Cavalieri, whilst not a regular part of the first team per se, has been replaced by someone 'home grown'.
Emiliano Insua has been touted round Europe seemingly against his wishes. Fabio Aurelio was offered a new deal - a fortnight after being released - after we'd been turned down by the footballing luminary that is Luke Young. Dirk Kuyt is flirting with Internazionale - and who can blame him?
David Ngog is our backup striker, when realistically he should be playing the role that Macheda does at United, Sturridge does at Chelsea, and Vela does at Arsenal.
We don't have a senior back-up right back, our first choice left back is made of plastecine, and our best central defender is being shunted to left back.
Our attack is static, our squad is slow, and we only have one goalscorer.
We have no way of rectifying this as the situation stands. The takeover talks have broken down due to stalling tactics by the leeches that run the club. The manager has no money to spend, and therefore no opportunity to improve the team's fortunes on the pitch. Players are being sold whether he wants them to be or not.
There's no doubt that Roy has already been lied to. Realistically, it was his only chance of managing one of the world's elite clubs. He would've know times were hard; He would not have known he'd have to work with both hands tied behind his back, his toes lopped off and his gentleman vegetables hanging perilously above a food blender.
The result against City should start to put things into perspective.
This is going to be one long, hard season, and we have to get used to it. There won't be a takeover before the transfer window ends. We will still be run by liars and thieves.
The truth is that over the last few years - about 20, to be exact - we have not been at the same level as those at the head of the table, even if we occasionally have a season that makes us think we might be. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal have all had spells of being above us, for differeing reasons. Manchester City will now join that group too, at least in the short-term. Spurs are run very well, and after finishing 4th last year and making the Champions League, will hope to keep pushing on. Only time will tell if they've got the bottle and squad depth. Aston Villa aren't the same team without Barry and Milner, but they will still beat most teams most weeks. Everton consistantly perform better than their financial structure should allow, as they have a very good core of players and a coach who gets the best out of them. They too will win a lot of games. If someone were to offer us a top 6 finish right now, we'd have to snatch their hands off.
Our squad is not as good as we'd like to think. Only Torres has the potential to score 20+ goals, we have no genuine wingers, and we still have no idea where Steven Gerrard's best position is. Defensively we are lacking, both in terms of pace and dominance, and the entire back line is set up to accomodate an ever-depleting Jamie Carragher. That he is still a guaranteed first choice says more about the rest of the options than it does about him. Liverpool Football Club is in a massive state of rot. It starts in the boardroom, spreads onto the pitch, and will sooner or later take over the majority of fans, unless people realise we have to dramatically alter our expectations.
We are no longer a big boy, no longer a player at the big table. In fact, we're only still in the game at all because we keep check folding.
Be thankful we have the best goalkeeper in the league. This season, we might just need him.
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