West Brom post match

[tanner]

These are the matches we need to focus on when the season finishes - how are we making Benteke look like Benzema? How did Stoke systematically dismantle us?

There are only 4 or 5 sides in the league in which we can be happy with a point or not too disappointed with a loss. That leaves 14 sides or 28 matches in which we should be looking for a win and so far against those sides we've dropped a potential of 19 poins so far. Now, it would be highly unrealistic to expect a full return against these sides, but had we managed to average 1.5 points in those games against the bottom 14 clubs, we'd be in the fight for CL football alongside Arsenal. I'd argue that these are the most important games for us at this stage, not the matches against the best clubs, hence, we should always be putting our strongest side out against the lesser sides.

[Captain Stu]

With the Sky money in the Summer, we'll have a decent wedge to spend if it's ploughed back into the team as FSG say it will be.

Goalkeeper, 2 CB's and Left back. On first glance that's what we need. But if we don't pay much attention to defending in training, it isn't really going to help

It better ****ing had be, results like that make us look like utter mugs, far worse than we actually are.

[Maxiedge]

A couple of things:

1) If we'd scored one early we would have won that by 4 or 5

2) We would have won that game if Sturridge was playing

Yes, the above is all 'ifs and buts' but I think that's how finely balanced we are as a team. Just need players like Borini and Skrtel to step it up to tip the scales in our favour.

Borini needs to start becoming that fox in the box and Skrtel needs to become that physical, ferocious defender attackers are afraid of. At the moment, they are neither.

Anyway, I'm personally 100% certain we're improving but just have a few more hurdles to overcome.

[Sarb]

We are a soft touch in CM and this causes us massive problems at the back. The CBs are exposed all too often and the fact our full backs also like to push on leaves us massively susceptible to counter attacks.

There is no doubt Lucas needs far more game time to get anywhere near his best again. But I still think he is a better option than Allen, with whom I have to be honest and say that I have been massively disappointed with.

It is depressing when I see how much money we have spent yet again on players who are showing that they are not good enough. Too early to judge? Maybe, but at the same time we praise players like Sturridge who have started in sensational style it is clear that we have several who are simply short of the quality a club like ours needs (in order to compete).

Borini and Allen cost a combined £26m. Unbelievable really. I think we will need some massive surgery again this summer and for the first time I have to be honest and say I am starting to have doubts about BR himself. I am just not sure that as a club we can afford to grow with this young Manager and suffer the inevtible mistakes he is going to make on his journey. This club is going to suffer in a manner that could be more damaging than we realise, and I would go so far to say that right now we do not even need a new stadium or stadium expansion. All our efforts should be concentrated on the team, and I honestly think an experienced DoF is an absolutel must to help BR this summer; I would even go so far to say that if he feels he cannot work under a DoF we should look at bringing a new Manager in.

I think that FSG were wrong to ditch the management structure they wanted personally. A young manager in a huge club like this, needs some help above. If he didn't want it they should have looked for an alternative. You'd think there are alternatives out there on the continent who are willing to work under a DOF.

That being said though, I don't want Rodgers sacked. I think he is improving our attacking play and should be given an opportunity to get the defence sorted. In open play we're starting to look a bit tighter defensively over the last few games. The set-piece defending is shocking. Is that a lack of training on it, individuals lacking concentration or a combination of both? That's a tough one really.

If he couldn't start Borini last night with Sturridge out, I don't know when he's going to get a start. Was a bad selection from him last night playing Shelvey

[Vermilion]

Still gutted. Spoils the whole week results like that do.

[TheElephantMan]

2) We would have won that game if Sturridge was playing

Think we badly missed Sturridge last night.

[ronanm]

We are a soft touch in CM and this causes us massive problems at the back. The CBs are exposed all too often and the fact our full backs also like to push on leaves us massively susceptible to counter attacks.

There is no doubt Lucas needs far more game time to get anywhere near his best again. But I still think he is a better option than Allen, with whom I have to be honest and say that I have been massively disappointed with.

It is depressing when I see how much money we have spent yet again on players who are showing that they are not good enough. Too early to judge? Maybe, but at the same time we praise players like Sturridge who have started in sensational style it is clear that we have several who are simply short of the quality a club like ours needs (in order to compete).

Borini and Allen cost a combined £26m. Unbelievable really. I think we will need some massive surgery again this summer and for the first time I have to be honest and say I am starting to have doubts about BR himself. I am just not sure that as a club we can afford to grow with this young Manager and suffer the inevtible mistakes he is going to make on his journey. This club is going to suffer in a manner that could be more damaging than we realise, and I would go so far to say that right now we do not even need a new stadium or stadium expansion. All our efforts should be concentrated on the team, and I honestly think an experienced DoF is an absolutel must to help BR this summer; I would even go so far to say that if he feels he cannot work under a DoF we should look at bringing a new Manager in.

I tend to agree. I can't see him getting us into the CL, never mind getting to a final.

[Shaggy]

It is quite difficult to accept the fact an inexperienced manager is learning on the job at Liverpool FC. It's easy with hindsight but we had Louis van Gaal waiting for the job, and I've said from the start to do what we did was an enormous punt. It still looks an enormous punt.

Tee - if you throw in Assaidi (remember him?) then that's £30m on him, Borini and Allen. At this stage, that looks really bad.

[Vermilion]

I tend to agree. I can't see him getting us into the CL, never mind getting to a final.

It's weird hearing comments like this, i've made them too about managers we've had, and yet it took Ferguson 7 years, i know it's a stat that always gets trotted out, but mainly because it's true, he faced the same comments and opinion during that time too.

Tbh, i hate it, because i don't feel like i could give any manager 7 yrs, and i hate the fact utd did.... and it worked out the way it has!

[little dave hedgehog]

It is quite difficult to accept the fact an inexperienced manager is learning on the job at Liverpool FC. It's easy with hindsight but we had Louis van Gaal waiting for the job, and I've said from the start to do what we did was an enormous punt. It still looks an enormous punt.

Tee - if you throw in Assaidi (remember him?) then that's £30m on him, Borini and Allen. At this stage, that looks really bad.

not really going to change that now, though. decision has been taken, so just going to have to see how much he and the young players can learn in the next year or so.

[Tee]

It is quite difficult to accept the fact an inexperienced manager is learning on the job at Liverpool FC. It's easy with hindsight but we had Louis van Gaal waiting for the job, and I've said from the start to do what we did was an enormous punt. It still looks an enormous punt.

Tee - if you throw in Assaidi (remember him?) then that's £30m on him, Borini and Allen. At this stage, that looks really bad.

Granted, Assaidi may not have been his signing but still it is a huge amount of money. I think FSG have let us down, maybe not in terms of backing the Manager with money, but in terms of compromising on their philosophy for the club and not having a clear vision for us to progress and achieve.

I also think their lack of presence within the club on a day to day basis is damaging and it honestly makes me question their suitability for us; they are out of touch with what is actually happening IMO.

Without clarity and strong leadership from the owners we are drifting along and as I said before I am genuinely doubting if this journey (with BR) is one we can afford to make.

[fred_plasticine]

give me a rodgers over a van gaal every time. blokes like him represent the past, a short term fix maybe but not what we need which is stability over a long period.
klopp for example managed a club for a decade that were promoted and relegated but he didn't have any experience whatsoever at a big club with big expectations. yet he proved his worth. i'm not saying rodgers will emulate klopp but imo he's got it all in his locker. just needs a bit of time.

[Vermilion]

The next two years are so important for the club as a whole, on so many fronts.

[Tee]

It's weird hearing comments like this, i've made them too about managers we've had, and yet it took Ferguson 7 years, i know it's a stat that always gets trotted out, but mainly because it's true, he faced the same comments and opinion during that time too.

Tbh, i hate it, because i don't feel like i could give any manager 7 yrs, and i hate the fact utd did.... and it worked out the way it has!

Yes but Ferguson at least achieved amazing things with Aberdeen before he became Utd Manager. He had cut his teeth on the biggest stages in European football and demonstrated perfectly that he was ready for a big club. You just cannot say the same about BR. Gut feeling and all that, but it is starting to feel like we may have dropped a clanger here.

[Shaggy]

give me a rodgers over a van gaal every time. blokes like him represent the past, a short term fix maybe but not what we need which is stability over a long period.
klopp for example managed a club for a decade that were promoted and relegated but he didn't have any experience whatsoever at a big club with big expectations. yet he proved his worth. i'm not saying rodgers will emulate klopp but imo he's got it all in his locker. just needs a bit of time.

I accept that point totally, and Rodgers should and will get time. It's a bit awkward cos Kenny was arguably sacked for less, but we just can't keep sacking.