Leicester V Liverpool post match thread (Sponsored by the Hedgehog Gutter Brush)

[Sarb]

One thing that bugs me.

We are improving, Rodgers finally addressed what was wrong and things look a little better. BUT, it annoys me that Gerrard has one decent game and it's "don't write him off", "Gerrard is god" and "he's so important for this team".

This sort of thinking keeps him on that untouchable pedestal. Yes, he had a good game, at least in the second halfm although our pressing wasn't very dynamic around him. He should play only in an advanced position but this is hyperbole to suggest he's back or he's still a god etc. etc.

Keep him around but he needs to be rested and managed to keep his impact high.

Utilised correctly and in the correct position he is massive for us. Still the best player at the club by some distance.

[Vermilion]

One thing that bugs me.

We are improving, Rodgers finally addressed what was wrong and things look a little better. BUT, it annoys me that Gerrard has one decent game and it's "don't write him off", "Gerrard is god" and "he's so important for this team".

This sort of thinking keeps him on that untouchable pedestal. Yes, he had a good game, at least in the second halfm although our pressing wasn't very dynamic around him. He should play only in an advanced position but this is hyperbole to suggest he's back or he's still a god etc. etc.

Keep him around but he needs to be rested and managed to keep his impact high.

He will always be an LFC god, to me anyway.

His form going forward is another matter, but i don't begrudge and am not at all dismayed seeing and hearing fans laud him for a decent performance, all things considered.

[Muddled]

One thing that bugs me.

We are improving, Rodgers finally addressed what was wrong and things look a little better. BUT, it annoys me that Gerrard has one decent game and it's "don't write him off", "Gerrard is god" and "he's so important for this team".

This sort of thinking keeps him on that untouchable pedestal. Yes, he had a good game, at least in the second halfm although our pressing wasn't very dynamic around him. He should play only in an advanced position but this is hyperbole to suggest he's back or he's still a god etc. etc.

Keep him around but he needs to be rested and managed to keep his impact high.

As with most things on this forum, it's somewhere in the middle.

[BobTheCharmer]

One thing that bugs me.

We are improving, Rodgers finally addressed what was wrong and things look a little better. BUT, it annoys me that Gerrard has one decent game and it's "don't write him off", "Gerrard is god" and "he's so important for this team".

This sort of thinking keeps him on that untouchable pedestal. Yes, he had a good game, at least in the second halfm although our pressing wasn't very dynamic around him. He should play only in an advanced position but this is hyperbole to suggest he's back or he's still a god etc. etc.

Keep him around but he needs to be rested and managed to keep his impact high.

why does it annoy you? because after calling for him to be left out, day after day, he proved his worth and helped us to three valuable points? That's the problem when you are so strongly swayed in one direction that its hard to take that you may just of been wrong. No one on earth is claiming that the Gerrard today is as good as the Gerrard of days past, yet a 50% Gerrard still offers more than most of our other players do at 100%. I'd give him a years contract on full pay. He has earnt that and more.

[Norbs]

Fine to offer him a deal but not on the same terms and he needs to accept a bit part role IMO, he's playing more than Lampard, Scholes and Giggs did at this age and he is only just recently retired from England. To keep his form up he needs to be rested.

If he's playing more he should earn more

[Icon]

I enjoyed it.

3 points ffs...!

[frank the tank]

Anyone can be a genius and say things retrospectively.

I think we have issues & I don't think a few personnel changes have made them go away. If anything it's making a poor summer spending spree seem even worse. We've signed three CB's since letting go of Carra and it's the free transfer in the side whilst £40m sits on the sidelines. In the summer we signed Two strikers, one who was supposedly going to be a bench player. He's the one starting games and more alarmingly, performing by far the better of the two.

Then despite spending £120m in the summer, the player back in the side is one who couldn't get a kick in the second half of last season - Lucas. You couldn't make it up..... Especially when Lucas was off to Napoli had they managed to get to the group stages of the CL. We've also spent the best part of who knows how many years chasing a LB, whilst our RB who is no doubt on the way out, keeps getting selected ahead of them all there.

I absolutely want Rodgers to be a success and I hope he proves the doubters wrong and starts next season as manager. But whilst he's been badly let down in the transfer market, his use of the players he has is almost to the point of being ridiculous. I can only imagine some of our players are hopeless in training whilst certain ones look like world beaters.

What if you called it during the summer and said that we have spent £100m improving our bench - does that make me an actual genius???

in reality though, had we bought Bertrand, Micah Richards and Rodwell - we could have had all 3 for the price of Markovic!!!

I don't want to sound like a broken record but we could have improved the squad much more cost effectively and had some cash left over to actually improve the first team as well. That is what is frustrating.

I think we have to ask ourselves the question "what would you do if you were John W Henry" and in reality he will be thinking "no ****in way am i giving these shower any more cash - they have proved they will **** it up" I think that might possibly have been a big reason Kenny got the bullet as well - because we spent so much on Carroll, Downing, Adam and still needed to spent more to replace them all - and he couldnt trust Kenny to spend the cash again. He wouldnt throw good money after bad.

I suppose my point is this: lets suppose we go on a super run again - like last seasons purple patch. Sterling and Coutinho get their form back, Sturridge comes back and it's like he's never been away - and lets say we end up with 75 points and finish 3rd in the table. Unless the new signings contribute to that, then that isn't going to make JWH/FSG back Brendan in the market any more. Not unless Balotelli pulls his socks up and starts finding form. Or unless Lovren becomes the leader of the back like he was billed as.....

If Brendan takes a step back, looks at his squad and decides that when everyone is fit then his best team is: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Flanagan, Lucas, Henderson, Allen/Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge - which is our best team, then even if we won the league this year it won't have changed the fact that we wasted £120m in the summer. And it wouldn't entice them to give him more cash either.....

The likes of Moreno, Emre Can, Markovic and Origi could hopefully turn out to be class players. Potentially world class. But unless Brendan can get the team into the CL again next season, then he might not get the time to see that....

[Sarb]

Pretty good point Frank. Think it is a massive issue. JWH isn't going to give an endless supply of transfer funds when he sees players not being used. Rodgers has to find a way of integrating the new signings into the team. If he fails to do so and we dont make Top 4, I can see JWH having a think about things.

Can't just keep writing off new signings, loaning them out etc. They are the players we have now and Rodgers needs to find a way of making it work. Dont think he will ever get sole control of transfers due to FSG being stung in the past.

[Muddled]

It would be relevant if we were buying players for the now, but FSG's desire to sign young players who develop during our time with us would mean that they are not expected to be instant first-teamers.

[Sarb]

It would be relevant if we were buying players for the now, but FSG's desire to sign young players who develop during our time with us would mean that they are not expected to be instant first-teamers.

No, but there needs to be a visible plan as to how they are going to develop and come in. Don't see that currently. Maybe when the confidence is up and results have improved we'll see a difference

[Muddled]

Rodgers has been caught between a rock and a hard place. He's had to find a way to grind out results and has altered all aspects of our game, now wouldn't be the time to integrate youth. He's had to turn to experienced players in the hope they can find form which is why we see Johnson, Gerrard, Toure, et al, getting minutes.

FSG aren't going to close their cheque book because we're not playing Moreno, Can and Markovic, but they have every right to question the purchase of Lovren, etc.

[Chris]

One thing that bugs me.

We are improving, Rodgers finally addressed what was wrong and things look a little better. BUT, it annoys me that Gerrard has one decent game and it's "don't write him off", "Gerrard is god" and "he's so important for this team".

This sort of thinking keeps him on that untouchable pedestal. Yes, he had a good game, at least in the second halfm although our pressing wasn't very dynamic around him. He should play only in an advanced position but this is hyperbole to suggest he's back or he's still a god etc. etc.

Keep him around but he needs to be rested and managed to keep his impact high.

You actually sound pissed off he got the winner!

And I dont think a couple of posts on an internet forum keeps him on an untouchable pedestal by the way. You've written about 50 posts per day for the last 2 months slagging him off, dont be upset when he gets a tiny bit of praise.

[Vermilion]

We are the inbetweeners, a huge club in name but not consistent or wealthy enough to attract the Costas or Sanchez types, the ready made players of quality.

We have to buy those that may or may not become those players, and it's a hard thing to consistently get right imo.

Obviously it would be better to **** off 2 of those types of buys and get one top ready made player for twice the cash, but they wont come to us, so....

[The_weatherman]

You actually sound pissed off he got the winner!

And I dont think a couple of posts on an internet forum keeps him on an untouchable pedestal by the way. You've written about 50 posts per day for the last 2 months slagging him off, dont be upset when he gets a tiny bit of praise.

To be honest I really think that's unfair. Since you so gratiously pointed me the error of my ways, I have hardly said a ****ing word about Gerrard and his position. I have been positive towards Rodgers since he made his changes to the team and I don't think I've been unconstructive, although it's hard sometime to keep it civil when engaging unfair posters.

I said Gerrard had a good game, I have advocated moving him OR benching him so he doesn't play every minute, I'll stand by that as I do think we'll see more good performance that way.

[The_weatherman]

As with most things on this forum, it's somewhere in the middle.

why does it annoy you? because after calling for him to be left out, day after day, he proved his worth and helped us to three valuable points? That's the problem when you are so strongly swayed in one direction that its hard to take that you may just of been wrong. No one on earth is claiming that the Gerrard today is as good as the Gerrard of days past, yet a 50% Gerrard still offers more than most of our other players do at 100%. I'd give him a years contract on full pay. He has earnt that and more.

My comment was as much towards the pundits though they were clamouring and creaming themselves. I'm very strongly swayed towards him NOT playing the DM position, I'll keep that stance. But when pundits and fans start waxing lyrical again about Gerrard I do worry that puts pressure on Rodgers to play him week in week out, when that is against ours and Gerrards best interests.