At least there is negotiation taking place.

Getting paid higher is worthwhile for a player that can make the difference to the whole team. A extra 3 points (because of the player difference) that enable the club goes into CL, may worth 20-30 million, while can attract good player in transfer window.

While improved buyout clause good for the club.

ManCity is firing all cylinders, lot of goals every matches, particularly at home, played 8 win 8, more than 30 goals scored. Kind of scary for any visitors.
While Liv clean sheet hardly come by.

The only way to get point or points from the coming match against Mancity is outscoring them.
So I don't think it will be a 0-0 match,

A 5-5 scoreline?

Me here...

Ya, one point from Etihad is a Big achievement.

Actually the margin is very thin only, draw at Etihad, can easily see Liv from top become 4th on Boxing day.
Another draw with Chelsea can see Liv out of top 4.

Glad to see Liv on top going into Christmas, but don't overjoy it, the race is half way, long to finishing line.
Top 4 is the target of the season.
Not something easy to achieve, it is so competitive this year in the table, the difference in points is so little from top to 5th.

The only way to get point from Etihad is to score or outscore against Mancity.
It is hard to imagine Liv can get a clean sheet.

So far, Liv is the only team manage to lead in Etihad and also loss at Etihad with single goal.
Prior before match, little has high hope on the match, due to Liv's poor away record + lack of clean sheet + scary Mancity home record.
So nearly snatch a point is considered not a bad result, but still a bit disappointed with 0 point, despite good effort put out by the players.

Still, my view, Mancity is the title contender team, Liv is still short of it.
Stay within top 4 is the target.

As said before, if want to beat top team, clean sheet is always one of important pre-requisite.

This post has been edited by cherroy: Dec 27 2013, 11:27 AM

That's why never solely rely on stat to judge a player.

A midfielder can pass around the ball with defender, which in the end of the day, stat show high success passing rate. But none of the passes contribute to the team attacking wise or trying to get a goal.

While a creative midfielder always try difficult through-pass ball, defence splitting ball, which result in low success rate in the match stat.
But those passing if success, can lead to goal.

Chelsea also is another team that never lose at home.
Win 8, draw 1.

Matches really come thick and fast.

Just 1 day rest for some teams.

Players to players, strength to strength and also in depth quality, we need to admit Liv is still behind Mancity, Chelsea, Arsenal (in term of free flowing football).

Mancity performance yesterday is somehow at their norm level, but for Liv is hitting top gear now this year.

If this year is only the chance to make it, then Liv as a club is not doing good progress in rebuilding a top 4 contenders.
Good team doesn't build for one year but for years of dominating on top.

Why can't Liv become stronger and settled next season?
But fear other more stronger. The mentality is wrong to start with.
You may call me pessimistic on Liv as title contender, but such fear is even a worst pessimism.

You want Liv become like Blackburn did a wonder one year, won the PL title and then relegated after that?
Blackburn capitalised on many team on transition period, and won the PL at that time.

Yes, Liv progress is there to be seen, but as seen from the table, another draw (not even loss), can see Liv out of top 4 coming to the new year.
Stay in course for top 4 is more a realistic target. Anything near the top is the bonus.

The one can be stronger and having a say how the top or top 4 changing shape is always the one with financial power.
You can have good manager, coaching staff, many talented promising youth product, without financial power, there is a limit how far the team can go.
The team will be more stronger will be the team with financial power. (I don't mean to lookdown on the team or which team, but this is the modern football reality).

So the worry is about whether Liv will have financial power or strength to compete as well as good players around to compete on the top. But not about other whether they are more settled or not.

As said, EPL has 38 games, it is half way through only.
Don't rule out MU into the top 4 pack as well, it can be quite "crowded" to get a top 4 spot as well.


Chelsea under Mourinho is capable to win many 1-0 match and Chelsea won the league before with many 1-0 result.

This post has been edited by cherroy: Dec 27 2013, 09:33 PM

I did not say Liv has no financial power.
I said financial power make a big difference whether whoever team can rise. (As dillon pointed the rise of blue or Spurs or whoever that may mean Liv has tougher competition)
So bigger stadium, better merchandised and business plan that build the financial power is very crucial for Liv further progress.
So if Liv can build up financial power, there is needless to fear other can rise or not, or whether they settled down or not.

I had seen how Liv from a dominating force in First Division and Europe, then down to the packing order behind ManUtd, Arsenal, Chelsea, now even behind Mancity.

Complacency. Happy what they had, while other busy developing their team and financial power, Liv was status quo.
Once they get pass, you have mountain to climb or may not able to climb back as well.

That's why I repeated said, don't be overjoyed until the last match of the season.
There is too much false dawn in the past already.

Yes, currently there is much joy for supporters to see on top before Christmas and even 4th after Boxing day. But we have to remind ourself that this team is still far from a title contender, many improvement need to be made.

I did say Liv has good progress so far, just my pov that the progress is not until the title contender material or not yet reach that level.
Is there any wrong that my pov that Liv is not a title contender yet?
While if my view Liv is not a title contender yet, why it can spoil the joy of other supporter? Even myself glad to see current Liv standing and progress, despite I view Liv is not a title contender (or yet).
I also giggle why cannot agree to disagree on title contender issue, and how it can spoil other joy.

I hope it is not another deja vu.

This is called pressure.
That's why it is not the best interest for the team to be labelled as title contender while the team may not able to cope the pressure.

The more people talk about Liv as title contender, manager and players may lose focus due to pressure.

Modern football is about $$ now.
If Liv has no financial power to pay top player at 100~200k pounds per week, and the team is not competing in CL, do you think any top player will stay in the team for 3-4 years and wait the team to develop and progress?

I did not say Liv has no financial power, don't get me wrong.
I just said, financial power is also a very crucial factor how Liv can progress.
At the moment, Liv financial power under FSG is rather ok.

In order to date pretty girl, you may not need to be handsome, tall or rich but at least have some sort of financial capabilities.
Yes, you still can date some pretty girl without good financial capabilities, but chances become less significantly.

I never like the feeling of "floating in the sky", I prefer down to earth thinking.
I know I am going to die, just matter of when. Doesn't mean I do not enjoy what current life is, nor I fear I am going to die.

Ty first before your beers and some good "intro".
So when?

And never recover. No first division or PL title since after that.

The manager is fighting at wrong end if keep on talking on referee decision.

Look forward.
No matter how, the goal won't be allowed, despite whatever evidence of proof.

Don't repeat what had happened on 2008.

You want culture, history, you also need money to succeed.

If not FSG come with 200~300 millions pounds, then I cannot imagine what the situation Liv will be.

So no point to say other club success is because of money.
FSG's money is also a big money as same as other clubs.

Yes, good to have retain culture and history, but to looking forward to succeed, you need money as well.

As defender, if you position in front of attacker, the attacker can sneak elsewhere, whereby you lose your market.
If at back of the attacker, then you are not able to win any header.
So with shirt pulling/tugging, you won't lose your marker.

You need some aggression in physical game in EPL.

As long as no pulling until the attacker fall down, I seldom see referee give it as foul.
But there is fine margin, whereby defender need to be wary of it that not until giving out penalty.

Somehow, it can be too crowded in penalty box during set-piece/corner, not easy spotted by referee.
Referee doesn't have a view like us in front of TV. View easily blocked by dozen of players in the box.
Referee only have a pair of eye, cannot simultaneously see dozen of players inside.

I have repeated remind and posted that Liv is not a title contender (or yet), as I had said the team is not good enough (or yet), inability to keep clean sheet, not shrewd enough tactic, lack of depth etc. but being slammed left and right previously.
Those comments were not crticising the team, but a reality check on the team.

At the moment, the team is position to challenge top 4, not a title contender.

As said don't be overjoyed when sitting on the top on Christmas day.

Now Liv is even facing tough competition for 4th place, bar the "title contender".

Dillon, I have played competitive matches before in sport, I understood the pressure.

If you are actually not good enough and can brush other aside easily, yet being seeded or labelled as favourite (title contender in football), it unconsciously give pressure to you, and when on the field, you afraid to make mistake.

The more you afraid to make mistake, the worst your game can be.
While if you are underdog, you give it all, perform the best, not afraid to make mistake and try out.

Only if you are really the good one, then you won't feel the pressure.

Actually if stripe out the "title contender" expectation, and expect a top 4 finish as target, both matches, Liv was not doing too badly.
The problem is everyone expect Liv to win every matches and being title contender.

Prior before, if not Liv was not sitting on top of the table, and giving the fixture of Spurs (A), Hull, Mancity, Chelsea, if there is 6 points offer for those matches, I bet many would take it.

In term of performance, against Mancity, Liv was doing quite ok.
Again Chelsea, it was more a tactical battle, whereby Mourinho is very good in this aspect, nullify the attacking threat of Liv entirely.

BR has many times fail to win in those matches that require great deal of tactical battle apart from Spurs matches. May be still in learning curve on this.

The department need to be reinforced is midfield, whereby the team needs Yaya, Silva, Mata, Ozil type of technical gifted player that can split the defence and dictate the match, change the face of the match.

That's why I salute Mourinho tactic masterstroke sometimes.
Liv simply has no clue what or how to play in yesterday match, his tactic totally nullify the threat of Suarez, cut out the midfielders.

There is reason why Liv seldom get good result against top team, not only because players superiority but also tactical battle issue.

It is prefer to give some rest on key players.
Having said that, it seems like little option can be maneuvered.

No disrespect to Oldham or FA cup, but from last match against Hull, after 3 matches in about 8 days, the energy level seems like or may not the same which is clearly show in Hull match.

Normally, Suarez occupy the striker position already, so put Suarez on wing and let Aspas at striker position?