West 'AAAM Post Match

[RichC]

Of course, and that is where this line of discussion should end.

Everton is a small club, don't ever forget that mate, no matter how many times they manage to finish above us. Even Rafa knew that.

Finishing in the top four is far tougher than it used to be, previously we didn't have Man City or Spurs camped in or around the top four, we do now and they've had a number of seasons over us now improving of course the target has to be top four but its going to be difficult to break into in the short term.

[Arn]

Finishing in the top four is far tougher than it used to be, previously we didn't have Man City or Spurs camped in or around the top four, we do now and they've had a number of seasons over us now improving of course the target has to be top four but its going to be difficult to break into in the short term.

It is difficult but do you honestly believe that Rodgers will be our manager 2014-15 if we don't finish in the top four next season?

That is why I said that finish in the top four is a must next season. I believe FSG will sack him after next season if we don't finish in the top four.

They can't afford to lose out on £40m+ season after season.

[Vermilion]

If someone would ask me if we would have won the league if Rafa would have had FSG as owners instead of FSG I would have said yes.

We would probably won it more than once and we would also play in a big new stadium and still play semifinals and finals in the CL.

Instead he had Gillett and Hicks as owners.

But that is in the past and what may have happened.

Rodgers should as I have already said get another season and that is the season he must deliver.

You'd be mad then.

[Arn]

You'd be mad then.

[fred_plasticine]

Rafa had Gillett and Hicks as owners. Do you honestly think that we would have finished in seventh if he would have had FSG as owners?

Rafa had to do two jobs. One as our manager and one to get Gillett and Hicks out of the club.

You can't compare Rafa's last season with this one. If you should compare then it should be Rafa's first season and not the last but even that is difficult because our academy was **** back then and now it is top class.

just one thing: it was never rafa's job to get g&h out. never. he might have thought so and that played a huge part in his downfall. but that's a different discussion.

my point was that experience alone counts for nothing, as we have seen.
we've played some of the best football i've seen us play for years. for the first time in years you can see a proper plan in our play even if it doesn't come off every game.
we've got to accept where we were this summer and where the like of tottenham, chelsea, arsenal, city and united were. years ahead in building a proper squad, that is.
should we finish above everton? yeah. would we be above them as of now if we had an experienced manager in charge? it's just as likely that we wouldn't imo.

[RichC]

just one thing: it was never rafa's job to get g&h out. never. he might have thought so and that played a huge part in his downfall. but that's a different discussion.

my point was that experience alone counts for nothing, as we have seen.
we've played some of the best football i've seen us play for years. for the first time in years you can see a proper plan in our play even if it doesn't come off every game.
we've got to accept where we were this summer and where the like of tottenham, chelsea, arsenal, city and united were. years ahead in building a proper squad, that is.
should we finish above everton? yeah. would we be above them as of now if we had an experienced manager in charge? it's just as likely that we wouldn't imo.

[Arn]

just one thing: it was never rafa's job to get g&h out. never. he might have thought so and that played a huge part in his downfall. but that's a different discussion.

my point was that experience alone counts for nothing, as we have seen.
we've played some of the best football i've seen us play for years. for the first time in years you can see a proper plan in our play even if it doesn't come off every game.
we've got to accept where we were this summer and where the like of tottenham, chelsea, arsenal, city and united were. years ahead in building a proper squad, that is.
should we finish above everton? yeah. would we be above them as of now if we had an experienced manager in charge? it's just as likely that we wouldn't imo.

We have played some fantastic attacking football and that is progress but we also have played some **** defending football and that isn't progress.

Take our defending at set pieces. That is probably the worst ever in the history of the club. I have never seen a PL club defend so badly at set pieces and it almost cost us the game yesterday.

We have made progress and also gone backwards.

[RichC]

We've conceeded 9 goals from set pieces this season, about average for the division so saying its the worst in the clubs history is utter hyperbole

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

We should sign Joan Collins.

He was absolutely class

[Vermilion]

Forget managers. We are where we are because of past owners.

But where we are is where we are, so we deal with it, onwards and upwards....then downwards a little..then upwards..then down.........well, you get the idea.

[Lee]

Finishing in the top four is far tougher than it used to be, previously we didn't have Man City or Spurs camped in or around the top four, we do now and they've had a number of seasons over us now improving of course the target has to be top four but its going to be difficult to break into in the short term.

It's staggering how few people can see this.

United will always be top two.
City have loads of wedge and have managed to buy plenty of top class players and won the league last year.
Spurs have got stronger and stronger over the last five seasons.
Arsenal haven't finished outside the top four in years.
Chelsea have spent plenty of money and won plenty of titles and trophies since 2003.

We are where we're pretty much expected to be. If we finish one place below Everton then these things happen, but to suggest that we can make a genuine attempt at breaking into the top four now after the last four seasons is ridiculous.

Everton the biggest club in town. Oh please.

[Vermilion]

True, it is more difficult in and around the top 4, so it's about punching above your weight when in our position, as Everton seem to manage quite often it pains me to say.

[Tee]

Honestly, if we had a summer where we managed to bring in Eriksen, Alonso () and even Ashley Williams () I think there is every chance we will challenge and possibly achieve better than 4th. Also factor in the added experience for the likes of Sterling, Suso, Allen etc and the youngsters coming through (Jordon Ibe).

[kalesh]

I'm amused by people criticising BR for 'learning on the job'. Surely every manager learns their trade as the game evolves? It would take a stubborn fool to refuse to learn to adapt. Unfortunately, we've tried that before - luckily the guy's now managing England so we got off relatively lightly.

BR might have more to learn - because he's less experienced and has further to come than most top managers - but to use that as a stick to beat him is ridiculous. We're seeing improvement, that's the main thing. We have to take the poor results along the way.

[Sarb]

Are we back to Rodgers being rubbish again today?