Lots of negativity

[Kenneth]

He was a player who knew how Rodgers wants us to play so I think the hope was that another constant from last season would help the team settle. I think as it turns out, the lack of a striker is what has screwed us.

Turns out that nobody does, including Rodgers. Allen did ok at Swansea and early on here when they and we played a high pressing game focused on possession. But that's history now, that's nothing like how we play.

[Lecter]

Case in point.

I just can't believe how badly we've fallen. I just checked back to the game last season where we really sent a message, the 5-0 win at Spurs. No Gerrard & no Sturridge, but we were sensational. That went us second & two points off top & was before Rodgers got us playing the diamond with Gerrard as playmaker & the SAS up top.

It was a 433 with Lucas holding and Allen & Henderson either side. On the wings we had Couts & Sterling And Suarez up top. We were all over Spurs that day and it saddens me to think how far we've fallen. I didn't expect the diamond to last due to losing Suarez, but to not even get back to how we ripped teams to pieces prior to that is mind boggling.

The failure to recruit a striker of a half decent level in addition or ahead of Mario & Rickie is a stackable offence alone in my book.

We played the diamond with Gerrard deeper before that Spurs game

I also think you cant underestimate how ****e Spurs were (just like earlier this season)

Still you can only beat what is put in front of you

[Lecter]

Personally I'd be tempted to play Lazar & Raheem up front with Coutinho behind to thread through balls. Gerrard off the bench late on.

Been saying something like this for weeks

He has to try something, otherwise he might as well throw the rope over the lamppost and put himself out of his misery

[Lecter]

He was a player who knew how Rodgers wants us to play so I think the hope was that another constant from last season would help the team settle. I think as it turns out, the lack of a striker is what has screwed us.

We could have Pele & Maradona upfront and it still wouldnt make Joe Allen a decent midfielder

[DannyMan2006]

Been saying something like this for weeks

He has to try something, otherwise he might as well throw the rope over the lamppost and put himself out of his misery

Problem is the time to try that was probably at home against a team like Sunderland, not away to the Mancs. I'd still try it, but you just know what line up Rodgers will go with.

[DannyMan2006]

We could have Pele & Maradona upfront and it still wouldnt make Joe Allen a decent midfielder

I said all summer that I wanted us to sign another box to box player like Hendo. I think every transfer window you should look to replace the weakest areas of your team. Joe Allen was one of them. I don't really know if Can fits the mould, he looks decent.

[Lecter]

Problem is the time to try that was probably at home against a team like Sunderland, not away to the Mancs. I'd still try it, but you just know what line up Rodgers will go with.

Oh I know full well what line up he will go for

To be honest I think there is no right time to try it, he just has to roll the dice and take a gamble

The longer he delays the bigger the risk in gambling

It might already be too late in Brendans case

[Lecter]

We dont have the players to sit there and soak up pressure against United, but United dont have the players to do that either

I'd go toe-to-toe with United it will be like 2 pissed up old men throwing haymakers after an all-dayer in the pub

[DannyMan2006]

We dont have the players to sit there and soak up pressure against United, but United dont have the players to do that either

I'd go toe-to-toe with United it will be like 2 pissed up old men throwing haymakers after an all-dayer in the pub

Reality is we'll sit back and fail to get up the pitch to test their rickety backline.

[Kenneth]

We dont have the players to sit there and soak up pressure against United, but United dont have the players to do that either

I'd go toe-to-toe with United it will be like 2 pissed up old men throwing haymakers after an all-dayer in the pub

The only problem is that they have quality strikers and we have **** ones.

[Lecter]

The only problem is that they have quality strikers and we have **** ones.

I think sitting off them and not getting at them is even more suicidal than going at them and trading to-to-toe

Either way our defence will come under scrutiny and fail at some point

So why not put their defence under scrutiny because to me theres aint a great defence either

[Kenneth]

Don't get me wrong, they are ****ing ****e in defense and midfield. We should be relishing playing them and would be if we weren't completely disfunctional.

[ChrisDR1968]

Liverpool fans do bang on about signing world class players and paying them mega wages.

When did Liverpool last sign an established world class player?

The answer is never (in the Premier League era)

Only around half a dozen clubs in Europe can afford those types of players and Liverpool isn't one of them. Making losses of £50 million in each of the last two seasons should tell you all you need to know on how wealthy or otherwise the club is in comparison with those other mega rich clubs I mentioned.

So we shop in the second tier of players (by which I mean players worth up to around £30 million).

No shame in that and we still outspend all but 3 clubs in the Premier League. In my view the amount spent isn't the issue. The issue is a lack of planning and direction in how to build a competent squad of 25 players with a clear idea on the type of football they're meant to be playing.

Having around 5 number 10's, only 1 quality striker out of 4 and no out and out wingers in our current squad is the kind of thing that shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

We need a good director of football alongside whoever the team manager is and get rid of this silly transfer committee idea

[Slinky Skills]

The managerial succession question is a whole other discussion

I get your points about Rafa and my heart says yes but I worry how he would fair at our club. We have a defence that is ****e - sloppy ****e at that and he would have to spend a **** load of money to turn it into a half solid **** (sorry for the **** references!!). Then you have the fans, his appointment would massively divide opinion. I think some fans wouldnt even give him a chance

Klopp & Simeone would be probably high up many peoples lists but would we have a chance of getting them????

Who does that leave who would be worth looking at??

This thread truly is depressing, its almost on a par with that "How to get your legover" thread Slinky started in the general forum

[G]

I've said it many times and I'll say it again, we have always bought squad players when looking to improve the squad, no other team with aspirations to be successful does that. They all try to buy players better than their current best 11 and the ones that lose their place in the team as a result become the squad players. That's how you improve a squad. Even when we do buy someone good enough to go into the best 11 the player losing out is usually sold rather then kept for depth.

We've been buying squad players with the odd gem thrown in for 25 years as our transfer record will attest to. It's no wonder we don't get anywhere.