It was an interesting campaign this season, injuries played a bigger part than we had hoped, sometimes forcing players out of their positions. The lack of fitness also gave faces like David N'Gog, Daniel Pacheco and Sotirios Kyrgiakos the opportunity to shine, so in the 2009/2010 season, how do we think the lads did?
(Ratings for players who didn't really get a seasons worth of games will be based on their few performances.)
Pepe Reina
A superb season for the Spaniard between the sticks who was unfortunate to be part of a team who finished 7th in the league. After all his hard work Reina picked up the golden gloves award and shared it with Chelsea keeper Petr Cech after they both managed to keep 17 clean sheets in the league. Reina was ever present with his passion for the club and fans constantly on show along with several world class saves. His moment of weakness when he decided to follow the beach ball instead of the football blatantly pushed aside by his hard grafting performances week in week out. 10/10
Diego Cavalieri
Reina's understudy did not feature much this season with such competition from Liverpool's first choice goalkeeper. He did make a few appearances, notably against Leeds in the Carling Cup and against Fiorentina for the last group game of the Champions League. The Brazilian did well against Leeds managing to keep a clean sheet and put in a respectable performance against la viola. Games played also considered... 5/10
Emiliano Insua
The young left back is often a case of marmite for fans, everyone appreciates that he is still clearly learning his trade and in the toughest league of all but whilst some fans have been patient, others have become frustrated this season. He has however put in some good performances, some of which he has successfully provided pin point crosses for players like Gerrard to connect to, bearing in mind also the mistakes and amount of times he was caught off guard when tracking back it's a 6/10
Glen Johnson
His season was struck with injury and makes it harder to truly rate him out of ten. Despite the games he missed when he was present he was again something of a fan splitter. Opinions of him seemed to be either that he was a great buy or that he couldn't really defend but was good going forward. Nobody appeared to disagree that he had talent though. When he netted against Stoke and Bolton too he was welcomed with smiles from the Anfield faithful. Although i found him slightly disappointing at times i feel there is more to come from Glen and think he did okay in his first season so with that in mind... 6/10
Alberto Aquilani
When Benitez signed the Italian in the summer and fans learnt that he would not even be able to start the season due to injury the kopites were sceptical. This was okay, who wouldn't be sceptical? But the papers and media? That was something else, writing the man off before he'd even touched a ball. As he filtered into the side though and we began to see more of the attacking midfielder it was clear he had some skill, some passing nous and also wasn't scared to have a pop at goal. His goals against Portsmouth and Atletico Madrid, the latter of which sent the kop crazy only added to his plus side. All things considered and the fact that he missed a lot of the season through injury... 7/10
Daniel Agger
The big Dane never really entered the season until injury struck Martin Skrtel. The partnership between Martin and Jamie appeared to be favoured by the gaffa. Along with his own problem with the flaring up of a back injury it wasn't until early October when he started to appear more regularly in the back four. During the season he was also utuilised as a make shift left back after an injury to Emiliano Insua. The number 5 also grabbed a goal against Benfica in our Europa League run and all in all put in some steady and solid defensive displays. 7/10
Lucas Leiva
Unsung hero is the pairing of words i would choose to describe the young Brazilian. He never questions or moans about anything, even when he's dropped after a superb performance, he just gets his head down and gets on with it. After he shook off his scapegoat name tag and fans began to realise his potential, this season helped gain him even more support as he passed his way through oppositions midfield and defences, assisted and scored his way through the campaign. The cool, calm, almost Torres like dink past the keeper and slot in against Benfica perhaps highlighted the Brazillian's season. Very impressed... 9/10
Jamie Carragher
As far as opinions on players go, mine has never changed on the number 23 and probably never will in his time in a red shirt. At the start of the season when people were questioning whether he had past it, i just knew the Bootle boy hadn't lost it. After a wobbly start to the season (and it wasn't only himself) Carragher's performances began to pick up again. With his games filled with passionate displays, his famous last minute crunching tackles and even some threatening forward runs, he was a vital inclusion in the back four. 8/10
David N'Gog
The Frenchman got his chances when Fernando Torres was injured. Some chances he relished, some, he didn't. My personal memory of the season for N'Gog was his goal against Unirea as it was my first match at Anfield and therefore my first encounter of a Liverpool goal. For most however they will remember the iconic goal against Manchester United and the youngster being swamped by Pepe Reina. All in all it was a decent season for our back up striker, he disappointed at times but he had some effective performances.. 6/10
Jay Spearing
The local lad who had came up through the academy put a smile on everyone's face in the few times he was on the pitch. It would be totally unfair to give a mark out of ten based on so little games but just to continue with the theme of things i shall give him a mark in the middle of the ball park in the hope that i see more of the midfielder, i think he'd just need to settle in and become a lot more confident, after that who knows, he could shine. 5/10
Steven Gerrard
It was a strange season for our influential skipper, he hardly ever showed signs of the Gerrard we all know and love. At times it even appeared as though he'd given up, but then you'd see him celebrate a goal or the victory over Everton and his emotion all came flooding back, why was it this emotion was not fed directly to his feet and into his game? There's no arguing that his season despite all this was still more than satisfactory and he is still easily one of the best midfielders in the world but i think most would agree this wasn't his best campaign. His emphatic header against Wolves was probably my favourite piece of work from the captain for personal reasons. For his season in general... 7/10
Fernando Torres
Despite being injury prone throughout the 09/10 campaign the super Spaniard still managed a tally of 18 league goals and you just can't argue with that. Some magnificent craftwork i.e. the goal against Sunderland, his header against Manchester United and his 50th in the dying minutes against Aston Villa are just some of the highlights, not to mention his work on the pitch when he wasn't scoring. Another great season from the number 9 and even though he didn't play as many games as we would have liked i think the mark still has to be... 9/10
Albert Riera
It is an utter shame that the winger got invloved with a training pitch "situation" and said all the wrong things at the wrong time to the media because i was a big fan of his. I thought he added something to our side that no other player in the squad at the time being could. I constantly remember the pundits saying "Liverpool need width" etc etc and when Albert rocked up in town the critics seemed to quieten, he wasn't perfect and a lot of the time he was frustrating but i liked him. After January pretty much made certain that Riera would not feature for the rest of the season, we only have the earlier half to go on, bearing this in mind... 6/10
Fabio Aurelio
Fabio was another player who suffered with injury throughout the campaign and didn't manage to get many performances under his belt. He did manage to get some assists in his time on the turf and his play was more than acceptable whether he was on the wing or at left back. 6/10
Philipp Degen
Degen's season was inconsistent too and he also hardly featured, when he did he appeared to do nothing more than make mistakes. We are all aware of his pace and ability to make those attacking pacey runs from defence but by jove he can't defend. I can think of several occasions quite easily off the top of my head from last season where he was almost solely at fault for us nearly conceding or even actually conceding. His sending off at Fulham was unfortunate but his mixture of games just didn't do enough to impress me. 4/10
Nabil El Zhar
A difficult one for me to comment on really as i didn't think that when he featured he neccessarily did anything spectacular but at the same time, the majority of occasions, he didn't really do anything wrong. I've always been bewildered as how to comment on the Moroccan, he's clearly got something going for him but i think it's safe to say he'll never be a world beater. Based on some decent performances and sub appearances 5/10
Stephen Darby
With just three appearances under his belt it is hard to create a full opinion on the lad but from the small amounts that i saw i thought he looked promising in defence. On that... 5/10
Martin Kelly
Martin is much of the same of Stephen in terms of games played and ability to form a fair opinion, although i saw something a little more special from Kelly, he had a stormer against Lyon and it was such a shame when he picked up the injury. 6/10
Martin Skrtel
Yet another player subject to an injury cutting his season short. Skrtel after a great campaign last season in the heart of a solid defence made a good start to the 09/10 season. He's another one of those players who just seems to get on with it. Despite finding himself on several occasions with a chance at goal it appears he hasn't got the ability of accuracy and doesn't wear his shooting boots, only his defensive ones in a game of football. Satisified with the perforamances that he supplied but not overwhelmed. 7/10
Yossi Benayoun
Possibly one of Liverpool's most influential and skillful players. When the likes of Torres and Gerrard are unavailable he is exactly the kind of player who can nick you a goal and cause trouble, often under-rated i think. His hat trick against Burnley was perhaps the highlight of his season but his assists and ability to weave through pretty much any defence did not go unnoticed. Another player up there with the best of our season. 8/10
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
I'm pretty sure the big Greek wasn't even expecting to get any pitch time when he arrived at Anfield in August and many people laughed at the signing from the gaffa. But as the performances rolled in due to injuries to the back four the defender won the hearts of the Anfield faithful with his no nonsense style and passionate performances. His goal line clearance and crunching tackle with Fellani just some of the moments that helped him get brownie points from the fans and his goal against Stoke just sealed the deal. A breath of fresh air and a great season for Soto. 8/10
Maxi Rodriguez
The only January signing for Liverpool rocked up at Anfield from Spain and most people were eager to see him play. After becoming something of a regular for the second half of the season, i don't think many people will be able to think of any faults. He has pace, he's confident, he has an eye for that ball through or pin point cross and as proven against Burnley, he can score. Was more than pleased with his first stint as a Liverpool player. 7/10
Dirk Kuyt
Nobody will ever deny that Dirk gives 110% each and everytime he steps on the pitch for Liverpool, his commitment and effort is never questioned. His performances can vary and sometimes be a bit slapdash but you feel content because again, just in the case of Benayoun he is the type of player who can get you a goal and change a game. I think it was a respectful and long season for the Dutchman who started the majority of Liverpool games. His goals against Everton will always be welcomed with open arms and his brace against Spurs was fantastic. A good season from the number 18. 7/10
Ryan Babel
A player who needs to be spoken about in brutal honesty from my point of view, i shan't sit here and type as if i never did a rather harsh (although i still stick by it) Tumblr post about him after he decided to vent his feelings via Twitter before a super important game. However, i have always stuck by the fact that he clearly has potential, he just gets on my nerves, big time. Thankfully though, Babel after a talk with the manager appeared to begin to see the light, his attitude changed slightly and he started to just get stuck in instead of complaining, again his performances still make me think he is an impact player and i would rather start the likes of Yossi or Maxi, nevertheless Babel's season as a whole was ok. 6/10
Javier Mascherano
Another star man from Liverpool's season. Not afraid either to take up the job of right back on a few occasions the Argentinian was consistent and put it some fantastic performances. His efforts often go unnoticed as his job in midfield is sometimes a thankless one, he is a perfect link to the forwards but as we saw with his superb strike against Unirea he's also fond of a pop at goal himself. Another pretty much faultless season from the midfielder. 8/10
Daniel Pacheco
The flashes i have seen from this guy this season have filled me with hope. Whether its his instant impact when he steps onto the pitch and is confident enough to take a shot at goal or its his speed and agility, i feel he has superb potential and could be a great asset for Liverpool should we manage to keep hold of him. Based on the few times we saw him. 6/10
Daniel Ayala
The defender didn't feature much for Liverpool this season but Rafael Benitez clearly has confidence in the lad. I was very happy with his performance against Burnley in which he helped the defence keep a clean sheet. One certainly to keep an eye on. 5/10
Jack Robinson
He broke the record books as the youngest ever player to play for Liverpool FC, still in school studying it was refereshing to see an academy player given a chance even if it was only for 3minutes, i obviously can't give an opinion on the lad but seen as though he featured i had to keep in the theme of things and mention him, therefore i shall just award him an equal amount to the lowest score... 4/10
My thoughts on the players performances are obviously just a personal and not very detailed view, i don't expect everyone to agree. I apologise that some ratings may seem pointless and even unfair as some players barely even featured but i didn't want to miss anyone out who had played this season for Liverpool as some players i.e. Martin Kelly who impressed me a lot in the short time he played i felt deserved a mention and i therefore didn't feel i should leave anyone out.
What were your thoughts on the players for Liverpool's 09/10 campaign? You can copy&paste the list below and simply add in your ratings to leave in a comment...
Cavalieri /10
Johnson /10
Aquilani /10
Agger /10
Lucas /10
Insua /10
Carragher /10
Ngog /10
Reina /10
Spearing /10
Gerrard /10
Torres /10
Riera /10
Aurelio /10
Degen /10
El Zhar /10
Darby /10
Kelly /10
Skrtel /10
Benayoun /10
Kyrgiakos /10
Rodriguez /10
Kuyt /10
Babel /10
Mascherano /10
Ayala /10
Robinson /10
(Ratings for players who didn't really get a seasons worth of games will be based on their few performances.)
Pepe Reina
A superb season for the Spaniard between the sticks who was unfortunate to be part of a team who finished 7th in the league. After all his hard work Reina picked up the golden gloves award and shared it with Chelsea keeper Petr Cech after they both managed to keep 17 clean sheets in the league. Reina was ever present with his passion for the club and fans constantly on show along with several world class saves. His moment of weakness when he decided to follow the beach ball instead of the football blatantly pushed aside by his hard grafting performances week in week out. 10/10
Diego Cavalieri
Reina's understudy did not feature much this season with such competition from Liverpool's first choice goalkeeper. He did make a few appearances, notably against Leeds in the Carling Cup and against Fiorentina for the last group game of the Champions League. The Brazilian did well against Leeds managing to keep a clean sheet and put in a respectable performance against la viola. Games played also considered... 5/10
Emiliano Insua
The young left back is often a case of marmite for fans, everyone appreciates that he is still clearly learning his trade and in the toughest league of all but whilst some fans have been patient, others have become frustrated this season. He has however put in some good performances, some of which he has successfully provided pin point crosses for players like Gerrard to connect to, bearing in mind also the mistakes and amount of times he was caught off guard when tracking back it's a 6/10
Glen Johnson
His season was struck with injury and makes it harder to truly rate him out of ten. Despite the games he missed when he was present he was again something of a fan splitter. Opinions of him seemed to be either that he was a great buy or that he couldn't really defend but was good going forward. Nobody appeared to disagree that he had talent though. When he netted against Stoke and Bolton too he was welcomed with smiles from the Anfield faithful. Although i found him slightly disappointing at times i feel there is more to come from Glen and think he did okay in his first season so with that in mind... 6/10
Alberto Aquilani
When Benitez signed the Italian in the summer and fans learnt that he would not even be able to start the season due to injury the kopites were sceptical. This was okay, who wouldn't be sceptical? But the papers and media? That was something else, writing the man off before he'd even touched a ball. As he filtered into the side though and we began to see more of the attacking midfielder it was clear he had some skill, some passing nous and also wasn't scared to have a pop at goal. His goals against Portsmouth and Atletico Madrid, the latter of which sent the kop crazy only added to his plus side. All things considered and the fact that he missed a lot of the season through injury... 7/10
Daniel Agger
The big Dane never really entered the season until injury struck Martin Skrtel. The partnership between Martin and Jamie appeared to be favoured by the gaffa. Along with his own problem with the flaring up of a back injury it wasn't until early October when he started to appear more regularly in the back four. During the season he was also utuilised as a make shift left back after an injury to Emiliano Insua. The number 5 also grabbed a goal against Benfica in our Europa League run and all in all put in some steady and solid defensive displays. 7/10
Lucas Leiva
Unsung hero is the pairing of words i would choose to describe the young Brazilian. He never questions or moans about anything, even when he's dropped after a superb performance, he just gets his head down and gets on with it. After he shook off his scapegoat name tag and fans began to realise his potential, this season helped gain him even more support as he passed his way through oppositions midfield and defences, assisted and scored his way through the campaign. The cool, calm, almost Torres like dink past the keeper and slot in against Benfica perhaps highlighted the Brazillian's season. Very impressed... 9/10
Jamie Carragher
As far as opinions on players go, mine has never changed on the number 23 and probably never will in his time in a red shirt. At the start of the season when people were questioning whether he had past it, i just knew the Bootle boy hadn't lost it. After a wobbly start to the season (and it wasn't only himself) Carragher's performances began to pick up again. With his games filled with passionate displays, his famous last minute crunching tackles and even some threatening forward runs, he was a vital inclusion in the back four. 8/10
David N'Gog
The Frenchman got his chances when Fernando Torres was injured. Some chances he relished, some, he didn't. My personal memory of the season for N'Gog was his goal against Unirea as it was my first match at Anfield and therefore my first encounter of a Liverpool goal. For most however they will remember the iconic goal against Manchester United and the youngster being swamped by Pepe Reina. All in all it was a decent season for our back up striker, he disappointed at times but he had some effective performances.. 6/10
Jay Spearing
The local lad who had came up through the academy put a smile on everyone's face in the few times he was on the pitch. It would be totally unfair to give a mark out of ten based on so little games but just to continue with the theme of things i shall give him a mark in the middle of the ball park in the hope that i see more of the midfielder, i think he'd just need to settle in and become a lot more confident, after that who knows, he could shine. 5/10
Steven Gerrard
It was a strange season for our influential skipper, he hardly ever showed signs of the Gerrard we all know and love. At times it even appeared as though he'd given up, but then you'd see him celebrate a goal or the victory over Everton and his emotion all came flooding back, why was it this emotion was not fed directly to his feet and into his game? There's no arguing that his season despite all this was still more than satisfactory and he is still easily one of the best midfielders in the world but i think most would agree this wasn't his best campaign. His emphatic header against Wolves was probably my favourite piece of work from the captain for personal reasons. For his season in general... 7/10
Fernando Torres
Despite being injury prone throughout the 09/10 campaign the super Spaniard still managed a tally of 18 league goals and you just can't argue with that. Some magnificent craftwork i.e. the goal against Sunderland, his header against Manchester United and his 50th in the dying minutes against Aston Villa are just some of the highlights, not to mention his work on the pitch when he wasn't scoring. Another great season from the number 9 and even though he didn't play as many games as we would have liked i think the mark still has to be... 9/10
Albert Riera
It is an utter shame that the winger got invloved with a training pitch "situation" and said all the wrong things at the wrong time to the media because i was a big fan of his. I thought he added something to our side that no other player in the squad at the time being could. I constantly remember the pundits saying "Liverpool need width" etc etc and when Albert rocked up in town the critics seemed to quieten, he wasn't perfect and a lot of the time he was frustrating but i liked him. After January pretty much made certain that Riera would not feature for the rest of the season, we only have the earlier half to go on, bearing this in mind... 6/10
Fabio Aurelio
Fabio was another player who suffered with injury throughout the campaign and didn't manage to get many performances under his belt. He did manage to get some assists in his time on the turf and his play was more than acceptable whether he was on the wing or at left back. 6/10
Philipp Degen
Degen's season was inconsistent too and he also hardly featured, when he did he appeared to do nothing more than make mistakes. We are all aware of his pace and ability to make those attacking pacey runs from defence but by jove he can't defend. I can think of several occasions quite easily off the top of my head from last season where he was almost solely at fault for us nearly conceding or even actually conceding. His sending off at Fulham was unfortunate but his mixture of games just didn't do enough to impress me. 4/10
Nabil El Zhar
A difficult one for me to comment on really as i didn't think that when he featured he neccessarily did anything spectacular but at the same time, the majority of occasions, he didn't really do anything wrong. I've always been bewildered as how to comment on the Moroccan, he's clearly got something going for him but i think it's safe to say he'll never be a world beater. Based on some decent performances and sub appearances 5/10
Stephen Darby
With just three appearances under his belt it is hard to create a full opinion on the lad but from the small amounts that i saw i thought he looked promising in defence. On that... 5/10
Martin Kelly
Martin is much of the same of Stephen in terms of games played and ability to form a fair opinion, although i saw something a little more special from Kelly, he had a stormer against Lyon and it was such a shame when he picked up the injury. 6/10
Martin Skrtel
Yet another player subject to an injury cutting his season short. Skrtel after a great campaign last season in the heart of a solid defence made a good start to the 09/10 season. He's another one of those players who just seems to get on with it. Despite finding himself on several occasions with a chance at goal it appears he hasn't got the ability of accuracy and doesn't wear his shooting boots, only his defensive ones in a game of football. Satisified with the perforamances that he supplied but not overwhelmed. 7/10
Yossi Benayoun
Possibly one of Liverpool's most influential and skillful players. When the likes of Torres and Gerrard are unavailable he is exactly the kind of player who can nick you a goal and cause trouble, often under-rated i think. His hat trick against Burnley was perhaps the highlight of his season but his assists and ability to weave through pretty much any defence did not go unnoticed. Another player up there with the best of our season. 8/10
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
I'm pretty sure the big Greek wasn't even expecting to get any pitch time when he arrived at Anfield in August and many people laughed at the signing from the gaffa. But as the performances rolled in due to injuries to the back four the defender won the hearts of the Anfield faithful with his no nonsense style and passionate performances. His goal line clearance and crunching tackle with Fellani just some of the moments that helped him get brownie points from the fans and his goal against Stoke just sealed the deal. A breath of fresh air and a great season for Soto. 8/10
Maxi Rodriguez
The only January signing for Liverpool rocked up at Anfield from Spain and most people were eager to see him play. After becoming something of a regular for the second half of the season, i don't think many people will be able to think of any faults. He has pace, he's confident, he has an eye for that ball through or pin point cross and as proven against Burnley, he can score. Was more than pleased with his first stint as a Liverpool player. 7/10
Dirk Kuyt
Nobody will ever deny that Dirk gives 110% each and everytime he steps on the pitch for Liverpool, his commitment and effort is never questioned. His performances can vary and sometimes be a bit slapdash but you feel content because again, just in the case of Benayoun he is the type of player who can get you a goal and change a game. I think it was a respectful and long season for the Dutchman who started the majority of Liverpool games. His goals against Everton will always be welcomed with open arms and his brace against Spurs was fantastic. A good season from the number 18. 7/10
Ryan Babel
A player who needs to be spoken about in brutal honesty from my point of view, i shan't sit here and type as if i never did a rather harsh (although i still stick by it) Tumblr post about him after he decided to vent his feelings via Twitter before a super important game. However, i have always stuck by the fact that he clearly has potential, he just gets on my nerves, big time. Thankfully though, Babel after a talk with the manager appeared to begin to see the light, his attitude changed slightly and he started to just get stuck in instead of complaining, again his performances still make me think he is an impact player and i would rather start the likes of Yossi or Maxi, nevertheless Babel's season as a whole was ok. 6/10
Javier Mascherano
Another star man from Liverpool's season. Not afraid either to take up the job of right back on a few occasions the Argentinian was consistent and put it some fantastic performances. His efforts often go unnoticed as his job in midfield is sometimes a thankless one, he is a perfect link to the forwards but as we saw with his superb strike against Unirea he's also fond of a pop at goal himself. Another pretty much faultless season from the midfielder. 8/10
Daniel Pacheco
The flashes i have seen from this guy this season have filled me with hope. Whether its his instant impact when he steps onto the pitch and is confident enough to take a shot at goal or its his speed and agility, i feel he has superb potential and could be a great asset for Liverpool should we manage to keep hold of him. Based on the few times we saw him. 6/10
Daniel Ayala
The defender didn't feature much for Liverpool this season but Rafael Benitez clearly has confidence in the lad. I was very happy with his performance against Burnley in which he helped the defence keep a clean sheet. One certainly to keep an eye on. 5/10
Jack Robinson
He broke the record books as the youngest ever player to play for Liverpool FC, still in school studying it was refereshing to see an academy player given a chance even if it was only for 3minutes, i obviously can't give an opinion on the lad but seen as though he featured i had to keep in the theme of things and mention him, therefore i shall just award him an equal amount to the lowest score... 4/10
My thoughts on the players performances are obviously just a personal and not very detailed view, i don't expect everyone to agree. I apologise that some ratings may seem pointless and even unfair as some players barely even featured but i didn't want to miss anyone out who had played this season for Liverpool as some players i.e. Martin Kelly who impressed me a lot in the short time he played i felt deserved a mention and i therefore didn't feel i should leave anyone out.
What were your thoughts on the players for Liverpool's 09/10 campaign? You can copy&paste the list below and simply add in your ratings to leave in a comment...
Cavalieri /10
Johnson /10
Aquilani /10
Agger /10
Lucas /10
Insua /10
Carragher /10
Ngog /10
Reina /10
Spearing /10
Gerrard /10
Torres /10
Riera /10
Aurelio /10
Degen /10
El Zhar /10
Darby /10
Kelly /10
Skrtel /10
Benayoun /10
Kyrgiakos /10
Rodriguez /10
Kuyt /10
Babel /10
Mascherano /10
Ayala /10
Robinson /10
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