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TOO EARLY TO BE DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
Rick Parry 14 September 2007
It's tremendous to see us at the top of the Barclays Premier League table, but it is far too early to be drawing any conclusions.
We have endured a few seasons when people have dismissed our title aspirations in September.
In the same way that it was ridiculous to write us off in that situation, it is equally ludicrous to try and paint a meaningful picture based on our present position.
It's far too early, highlighted by the way Manchester United have moved back up the table after a couple of wins. All you can say is that we would much prefer to be in our present situation with the opportunity to drive forward in the weeks ahead.
Some fans have been suggesting that this is our strongest squad since the Eighties and I would not argue with that, but it is impossible to compare the teams and the eras.
We won six Championships in that decade, two European Cups, two FA Cups and four League Cups. We've won one European Cup, one UEFA Cup, one FA Cup, one League Cup and two European Super Cups in the current decade.
Yes, the Eighties was a glittering era for our club and we dominated the top flight, but the game has changed so much. It makes any meaningful comparisons almost impossible.
What I will say is that we have more strength in depth than I can ever remember. There is no doubt about that.
Rafa has been strengthening year by year and the squad is the strongest it has ever been in my time here.
It's great that everyone is buzzing and that the expectations are high. Only time will tell if we are strong enough to bring the title back to Anfield, but it remains our number one aim.
As you try to assess it, all you can say is that we have never had so many players staking a first team claim. That is not falling into the trap of saying our starting XI is better than it has ever been.
It's just a simple observation about the depth of the squad and the competition for places. We have that strength now which is something we have possibly lacked and it will help us on all fronts.
I've mentioned the Premier League. It's obvious that the Champions League is also a very different competition with so many more rounds and games to play. To have any chance you need 22/23 top class first team contenders and we are close to that.
We will never return to the days when 14 or 15 players would be enough to win the league title as was the case in the Eighties when heroes like Hansen, Dalglish, Rush and Souness were leading the charge.
Again, it reinforces my point about being unable to make a meaningful comparison between the decades. We will never forget the stars of the Sixties, Seventies and the Eighties. They are part of the fabric of our great club.
Massive foundations were built under Bill Shankly in the Sixties with the likes of Ron Yeats, Ian St. John and Roger Hunt. Bob Paisley's teams with the Kevin Keegans, Tommy Smiths, Ray Clemences and the rest expanded our European Cup dreams in the Seventies. After Joe ************an's short but glorious spell in charge, Kenny Dalglish inspired the Eighties and people will never forget the quality behind it all.
But the Premier League, with all its investment, is a whole new ball game and the Champions League has moved on.
It's why I'm delighted that our fans are so excited about the current team. We have brought in players of genuine quality like Fernando Torres and now we have to ensure we fulfil our dreams. There are no guarantees, but we have given ourselves a tremendous launch pad.
The concept of opening up the Champions League to domestic Cup winners across Europe is fundamentally flawed. My personal view is neither here nor there. The Premier League's stance was made perfectly clear to UEFA recently when Michel Platini unveiled UEFA's plan to give one of England's Champions League slots to the winners of the FA Cup.
It doesn't make sense to hand a place to a club based on a knockout competition, almost a one-off, when other clubs have shown quality over a full league season to get in the top four. We'll see what happens this week when all the European clubs meet, but we have stated our position and it's not just a case of the big clubs using their muscle.
Whether people like it or not and whatever the purist view, the big clubs in the Champions League drive more commercial income and this could suit many of the smaller clubs because of the eventual share.
While I disagree with Platini's Champions League plans, I definitely welcome his comments about last season's Athens final and his statement of intent for the future.
UEFA are ready to select a larger ground for the final with a minimum capacity and they are also reviewing the allocation to the competing finalists.
It's sad that something like Athens had to happen to change the situation, but at least some good has come out of the fiasco. It appears that UEFA have learned the lessons at last and credit to Platini for doing something about it.
Read the Rick Parry column first in the LFC Magazine, available from all good newsagents every Tuesday. To subscribe online to LFC Magazine click here>>
Rick Parry 14 September 2007
It's tremendous to see us at the top of the Barclays Premier League table, but it is far too early to be drawing any conclusions.
We have endured a few seasons when people have dismissed our title aspirations in September.
In the same way that it was ridiculous to write us off in that situation, it is equally ludicrous to try and paint a meaningful picture based on our present position.
It's far too early, highlighted by the way Manchester United have moved back up the table after a couple of wins. All you can say is that we would much prefer to be in our present situation with the opportunity to drive forward in the weeks ahead.
Some fans have been suggesting that this is our strongest squad since the Eighties and I would not argue with that, but it is impossible to compare the teams and the eras.
We won six Championships in that decade, two European Cups, two FA Cups and four League Cups. We've won one European Cup, one UEFA Cup, one FA Cup, one League Cup and two European Super Cups in the current decade.
Yes, the Eighties was a glittering era for our club and we dominated the top flight, but the game has changed so much. It makes any meaningful comparisons almost impossible.
What I will say is that we have more strength in depth than I can ever remember. There is no doubt about that.
Rafa has been strengthening year by year and the squad is the strongest it has ever been in my time here.
It's great that everyone is buzzing and that the expectations are high. Only time will tell if we are strong enough to bring the title back to Anfield, but it remains our number one aim.
As you try to assess it, all you can say is that we have never had so many players staking a first team claim. That is not falling into the trap of saying our starting XI is better than it has ever been.
It's just a simple observation about the depth of the squad and the competition for places. We have that strength now which is something we have possibly lacked and it will help us on all fronts.
I've mentioned the Premier League. It's obvious that the Champions League is also a very different competition with so many more rounds and games to play. To have any chance you need 22/23 top class first team contenders and we are close to that.
We will never return to the days when 14 or 15 players would be enough to win the league title as was the case in the Eighties when heroes like Hansen, Dalglish, Rush and Souness were leading the charge.
Again, it reinforces my point about being unable to make a meaningful comparison between the decades. We will never forget the stars of the Sixties, Seventies and the Eighties. They are part of the fabric of our great club.
Massive foundations were built under Bill Shankly in the Sixties with the likes of Ron Yeats, Ian St. John and Roger Hunt. Bob Paisley's teams with the Kevin Keegans, Tommy Smiths, Ray Clemences and the rest expanded our European Cup dreams in the Seventies. After Joe ************an's short but glorious spell in charge, Kenny Dalglish inspired the Eighties and people will never forget the quality behind it all.
But the Premier League, with all its investment, is a whole new ball game and the Champions League has moved on.
It's why I'm delighted that our fans are so excited about the current team. We have brought in players of genuine quality like Fernando Torres and now we have to ensure we fulfil our dreams. There are no guarantees, but we have given ourselves a tremendous launch pad.
The concept of opening up the Champions League to domestic Cup winners across Europe is fundamentally flawed. My personal view is neither here nor there. The Premier League's stance was made perfectly clear to UEFA recently when Michel Platini unveiled UEFA's plan to give one of England's Champions League slots to the winners of the FA Cup.
It doesn't make sense to hand a place to a club based on a knockout competition, almost a one-off, when other clubs have shown quality over a full league season to get in the top four. We'll see what happens this week when all the European clubs meet, but we have stated our position and it's not just a case of the big clubs using their muscle.
Whether people like it or not and whatever the purist view, the big clubs in the Champions League drive more commercial income and this could suit many of the smaller clubs because of the eventual share.
While I disagree with Platini's Champions League plans, I definitely welcome his comments about last season's Athens final and his statement of intent for the future.
UEFA are ready to select a larger ground for the final with a minimum capacity and they are also reviewing the allocation to the competing finalists.
It's sad that something like Athens had to happen to change the situation, but at least some good has come out of the fiasco. It appears that UEFA have learned the lessons at last and credit to Platini for doing something about it.
Read the Rick Parry column first in the LFC Magazine, available from all good newsagents every Tuesday. To subscribe online to LFC Magazine click here>>
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