FC Basel (H) - Build Up

[danperkins]

He got injured for a bit but IMO it's not the reason why Can isn't playing.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Didn't Can get injured in the first international break?...out for 6 weeks then slowly building back up his fitness?

Rodgers doesn't want to rush his "Mercedes" back too quickly.

He started against Chelsea so he must have been fit enough, he hasn't had a single minute since has he? Was outstanding in that game too.

[Pablo]

Yap, baffling how he's been frozen out since the Chelsea game.

[Lecter]

I think a midfield of Lucas, Can and Gerrard isn't dynamic enough, I'd only pick two of those. No prizes to guess which two, but I know Rodgers won't try it. By moving Gerrard to the number 10 position, we have an abundance plus one player in that position.

OK I get the thought process behind this

But then he puts in Allen instead of Can

Does that make us any more dynamic???

I would actually argue that Can is actually more dynamic than Allen

[Lecter]

Yap, baffling how he's been frozen out since the Chelsea game.

There really have been some very odd decisions this season by Brendan

Dropping Can after seeming to show improvement

Dropping Lallana when he put in a few decent back to back performances

Persisting with Johnson

[danperkins]

OK I get the thought process behind this

But then he puts in Allen instead of Can

Does that make us any more dynamic???

I would actually argue that Can is actually more dynamic than Allen

Very much so. Allen is functional at best... average player IMO. Decent squad players I suppose but not good enough to be a starter.

[Sarb]

Very much so. Allen is functional at best... average player IMO. Decent squad players I suppose but not good enough to be a starter.

Makes you wonder why he persisted with a poorly performing Balotelli yet any Committee signing who plays well and shows promise is inexplicably dropped.

[danperkins]

Makes you wonder why he persisted with a poorly performing Balotelli yet any Committee signing who plays well and shows promise is inexplicably dropped.

It's a weird one, he really has done some strange things this season. I like Rodgers and want him to do well but I'd be lying if I said I haven't lost a bit of faith in him this season. He just doesn't seem to know what to do with us.

He was the media darling last season but now it's slowly turned on him, as it does when things go wrong...vultures He does talk a bit of ****, always has & you can get away with that when you're winning (Mourinho has been doing it for years). But when you're losing & playing badly and you're still talking ****... it doesn't float (no pun intended..or maybe... ok then then pun intended).

He is damned if he does & damned if he doesn't when it comes to interviews. I try not to read too much into interviews from a manager when his team is losing. Stuff like we worked hard, we created chances, we have good players with quality etc are standard stuff but it has started to grate on me a bit. You can see this season with the pressure he's a different man.

Anyways, we need a win tonight & not just scrape by that's not going to cut it IMO. People said vs Stoke & & Leicester doesn't matter how we play once we get the points. I get that, but for me neither one of those were convincing performances & it didn't fool anyone. We are sorely lacking confidence & need a few dominant,convincing performances to instil some spirit & balls back into the side.

A win tonight & beats the Mancs on the weekend would be amazing, but i'm not confident of either to be honest....we're a soft touch at the moment.

[Sarb]

It's a weird one, he really has done some strange things this season. I like Rodgers and want him to do well but I'd be lying if I said I haven't lost a bit of faith in him this season. He just doesn't seem to know what to do with us.

He was the media darling last season but now it's slowly turned on him, as it does when things go wrong...vultures He does talk a bit of ****, always has & you can get away with that when you're winning (Mourinho has been doing it for years). But when you're losing & playing badly and you're still talking ****... it doesn't float (no pun intended..or maybe... ok then then pun intended).

He is damned if he does & damned if he doesn't when it comes to interviews. I try not to read too much into interviews from a manager when his team is losing. Stuff like we worked hard, we created chances, we have good players with quality etc are standard stuff but it has started to grate on me a bit. You can see this season with the pressure he's a different man.

Anyways, we need a win tonight & not just scrape by that's not going to cut it IMO. People said vs Stoke & & Leicester doesn't matter how we play once we get the points. I get that, but for me neither one of those were convincing performances & it didn't fool anyone. We are sorely lacking confidence & need a few dominant,convincing performances to instil some spirit & balls back into the side.

A win tonight & beats the Mancs on the weekend would be amazing, but i'm not confident of either to be honest....we're a soft touch at the moment.

Agree with all of that mate.

[ChrisDR1968]

Makes you wonder why he persisted with a poorly performing Balotelli yet any Committee signing who plays well and shows promise is inexplicably dropped.

What you're implying is that Rodgers has a problem with the transfer committee which is how FSG want to operate.

If that's the case Rodgers definitely won't be our manager at the start of next season as that's a direct challenge to the way John Henry wants to operate.

In my opinion Rodgers only changed the set-up of the team after the uproar of the Crystal Palace defeat. That game was after a two week international break and he was clearly still persisting with his failing formation and players.

An act of desperation and a last resort that he was forced into

Houllier and Benitez were also incredibly stubborn with stodgy tactics that often brought poor results. Rodgers is following in their footsteps unfortunately

[S-RED]

deleted

[Dalglish]

Makes you wonder why he persisted with a poorly performing Balotelli yet any Committee signing who plays well and shows promise is inexplicably dropped.

It'll be something to do with the group's mentality needing that wee bit of quality in the 7 and a half role

[Shaggy]

New customers can get 5/1 on us winning tonight

http://content.paddypower.com/ppc-pages/sportsbook/enhancedodds/master-football-primary/systemd/social/desktop/splashtemplate/betnow.html?AFF_ID=126159

[Liverpel]

Apparently he is starting for the under 19's today.

He did indeed.

Starting 11: Fulton, Whelan, Hart, Cleary, Maguire, Rossiter (C), Canos, Chirivella, Sinclair, Kent, Ojo


They jus won 3-0 to qualify for the knock-out stages.

[BigChief]

What happened to Harry Wilson? Was he on the bench?