We have been asking for fans opinions on the 2009-10 season and will be publishing a selection of the best articles every day this week. In our fourth fans review, Kenny gives his verdict on Liverpool FC this past season.
I reckon the vast majority of reds couldn’t wait for this season to be well and truly over.
There’s not much for me to assess rather than knowing it’s been a terrible one. All the hope of winning the league this season yet the signs were there in pre season that we could possibly be in store for a hard opening. I think it was clear that we needed good additions to the firing squad on the back of last seasons push for the title, yet it didn’t come.
Then defensive errors were creeping in more and more and everyone knows when you lose confidence at the back – especially the strong confidence we had at the back finishing last season – the team as a whole starts losing that edge and then the ball becomes a hot brick.
Injuries have also helped in holding us back, but that’s part and parcel of football so you have to get on with it.
Rafa’s decision making has in my opinion also hindered us this season, too. Playing both Lucas and Mascherano in the middle for large parts of the season has made us one dimensional, isolated what little attacking options we’ve had up front and invited pressure on an unsure defence. Why he persisted with it for so long, I don’t know. And I think that’s what has lost him some decent support from reds this season.
Bringing in Kyrgiakos turned out to be a godsend. If it weren’t for him, I honestly think we would have finished a lot more mid table. He steadied the back line and injected some much needed leadership into the team – something that has been lacked by the usual leaders of the past. Kuyt, for all my opinion on him not being good enough for us and my misunderstanding of the amount of faith Rafa has in him, he does deserve credit for knocking in a few ugly goals around winter time.
Our all round play hasn’t been up to scratch for this club. I’m really struggling to amount the games that afterwards have left me feeling really proud and pleased. Obviously the ones we won against the blues and the mancs, but after that, there isn’t enough. And this lark of only having one or two shots on target after a full 90 minutes is something that has had me heartbroken. Maybe it’s not all that many games it’s happened, I’m not looking at any stats. But I think you’ll know what I mean when I say we haven’t tested keepers enough this season. It has to change.
Talking of keepers, the one true thing I think we can all be proud of this season is having Pepe Reina in goal for us. It’s a real pleasure to watch him play for us. and if it weren’t for him being on his game so much this season, well, I don’t want to think about it. I’ll just finish on a high!