West 'AAAM Post Match

[Shackanory]

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.

I wouldn't put it past them sacking him at the end of this season to be honest. They seem to be a bit ruthless if they don't get what they want. They've been here two and a half years and already sacked two managers for **** league results. If we finish lower than last season, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they waved Rodgers bye bye.

[Shackanory]

point is

last year: regression
this year: growth

we are getting better. not worse. it's a process which is still happening. we don't win every match, but we just about look like we could. i'm quite satisfied that there is improvement on view.

How, exactly? Last season we were FA Cup runners up, League Cup winners for a record eight time and back in Europe. We got nowhere near either final this season, are out of Europe and because I doubt we'll get top five, aren't likely to be in it next season. I'm not going on an anti-Rodgers rant, but how the **** can anyone say we've made progress this season from last? Playing 'attractive' football isn't progress if you don't do anything with it.

[Chazza]

Certainly progress from the back end of last season.

[Neil Young]

How, exactly? Last season we were FA Cup runners up, League Cup winners for a record eight time and back in Europe. We got nowhere near either final this season, are out of Europe and because I doubt we'll get top five, aren't likely to be in it next season. I'm not going on an anti-Rodgers rant, but how the **** can anyone say we've made progress this season from last? Playing 'attractive' football isn't progress if you don't do anything with it.

I think that's a short-termist view. Results matter and in the end are decisive. But the issue is when that becomes the be-all and end-all and whether there are signs of progress in the interim. I think it isn't yet and there are.

[Shackanory]

I think that's a short-termist view. Results matter and in the end are decisive. But the issue is when that becomes the be-all and end-all and whether there are signs of progress in the interim. I think it isn't yet and there are.

I'm not looking at it from a short term point of view, far from it. In my opinion, progress is building upon what is already there, but we seem to have gone entirely back to square one. We're well on the way to having a brand new squad, which would be fine except a few players don't seem to gel as well as we'd like, and some don't even seem know what the **** they're meant to be doing. Look at our backline. Everyone's saying we need a defensive overhaul in the summer and to get rid of Skrtel and bring in "better younger defenders" etc, and that isn't progress to me, that's just wiping the slate clean and starting again. Getting a new defender because the one you've got isn't working as well as you'd want isn't progress, it's unnecessary chopping and changing. What Rodgers needs to do is to work massively with our defenders and try to eradicate the problems they've got, not just get new ones and hope it works, because if it doesn't, we'll be doing the exact same thing next season.
In my opinion, Rodgers has worked far too much on the passing, possession and attacking, and nowhere near enough on defending. Defending has been our downfall this season. Conceding ****ty little goals and being done on every counter attack. The opposition knows that if they keep the ball away from us and fly towards our midfield and back four, they'll flap it. Teams know they can come here and either batter our 15 yard box or hold out for a draw. It's not good enough. Not yet.

[Neil Young]

That's all fair enough and a lot more nuanced than just relying on results to determine success or failure at this stage. I don't know if I'd agree with all of it but I think it's a really good point about the need to work on improving players and building on the foundations.

Perhaps Rodgers has seen things that makes him believe Skrtel isn't up to it, no matter how much coaching he has, although that seems harsh to me. He seems happy with Agger (despite his faults) so maybe he just reckons the partnership with Skrtel is fatally flawed.

But, whatever the reason for dismantling the defence - and I agree it's a risky strategy - there is also a case for revolution where things aren't working. Certainly he's evolving it in some areas but I think we'd all agree the squad has been hopelessly weakened since 2009 (and maybe even before) so a relatively high turnover of players is inevitable if we are to improve.

I suppose it's a question of the balance between change and continuity.

[Shackanory]

That's all fair enough and a lot more nuanced than just relying on results to determine success or failure at this stage. I don't know if I'd agree with all of it but I think it's a really good point about the need to work on improving players and building on the foundations.

Perhaps Rodgers has seen things that makes him believe Skrtel isn't up to it, no matter how much coaching he has, although that seems harsh to me. He seems happy with Agger (despite his faults) so maybe he just reckons the partnership with Skrtel is fatally flawed.

But, whatever the reason for dismantling the defence - and I agree it's a risky strategy - there is also a case for revolution where things aren't working. Certainly he's evolving it in some areas but I think we'd all agree the squad has been hopelessly weakened since 2009 (and maybe even before) so a relatively high turnover of players is inevitable if we are to improve.

I suppose it's a question of the balance between change and continuity.

At the end of the day, look how long it took for the new players and the players who've been give a chance in the first team this season to get some fluency and communication with each other. Changing the swaud again may well pose the same problems. Fair play, Coutinho's taken to it like a duck to water, but so did Sturridge and he seems to have faded.

[little dave hedgehog]

How, exactly? Last season we were FA Cup runners up, League Cup winners for a record eight time and back in Europe. We got nowhere near either final this season, are out of Europe and because I doubt we'll get top five, aren't likely to be in it next season. I'm not going on an anti-Rodgers rant, but how the **** can anyone say we've made progress this season from last? Playing 'attractive' football isn't progress if you don't do anything with it.

did you miss the part earlier in the thread where i also said the reason i felt this way is because we did nothing but get worse after xmas last year, and been steadily improving since xmas this year?

that's what i'm saying. under dalglish the team was getting worse and worse. under rodgers we seem to be gradually improving.

[Shackanory]

did you miss the part earlier in the thread where i also said the reason i felt this way is because we did nothing but get worse after xmas last year, and been steadily improving since xmas this year?

that's what i'm saying. under dalglish the team was getting worse and worse. under rodgers we seem to be gradually improving.

Personally, I can't see it, but that's just me.

[Arn]

We can discuss what is progress day after day but we the key point is what FSG think is progress.

Of course every player will say how great Rodgers is when asked about it but I believe that they aren't happy at all that he talks about things in the media that should been kept behind closed doors.

If Rodgers want to stay then that is one thing that must change. He must learn to talk less.

As I'm already said. I'm not sure Rodgers will stay, not sure at all. The paper that linked us with Ancelotti isn't a bull**** one.

[Vermilion]

Suarez's goal tally is the difference between an ok season and a totally ****e one.

Thank **** the woodwork has been in poor form this season.

[spider-neil]

I don't think you can draw too many conclusions from stats this season because 1) We were taking on new ideas and 2) We had the opening fixtures from hell.

[Nick77]

Suarez's goal tally is the difference between an ok season and a totally ****e one.

Thank **** the woodwork has been in poor form this season.

If u take Suarez's goals away from us we'd be 18th, if u take RvP's goals away from the Scum they'd be 11th & if u take Torres' goals away from the Chavs they'd still be 4th...

[Muddled]

... or third.

[~LFCHistory~]

Suarez's goal tally is the difference between an ok season and a totally ****e one.

Thank **** the woodwork has been in poor form this season.

We finished 8th last season because that's were our manager/team deserved to finish. Nothing to do with bad luck, FA conspiracies or any other deluded bollocks. End of.