Hull post match

[calvoboy]

We just looked confused. Lots of people struggling to play where they've been asked to play. Doing simple things wrong. Depressing. We are playing like we have done before Rafa, Ged and Hodgson got sacked.

I think we're playing more like we did for that period when FSG had to apologise for the fact we hadn't signed a striker. We're completely toothless up front, and once teams are aware of that (as the whole league is now) it makes you very easy to play against.

Honestly, and I can understand why others would disagree, I still do believe with some time away in the summer to refocus and plan, we do have a lot of the building blocks needed and a manager in post who has proven he can get this team to overperform when things go right. If this can be a learning experience, and if we finally get it right in the market this summer (those are big ifs admittedly), I personally see enough positive in the totality of Rodgers' time at the club to want to give him another season.

Last season was just so good it was probably the most fun I've had watching league football since 1988, and there are so many other things I like about Rodgers (some of which I seem to be in a real minority about, I find him quite personable), and enough potential in the squad too, that I'm loathe not to let him have this season on credit and give him the next to really prove what he's made of.

Some good players are being made to look bad here. We still have the building blocks of a very good side, if we can just sign a proper mobile defensive midfielder (mascherano type, or pre-eye-injury sissoko) and two strikers. We'd then have Sturridge, Origi plus two newbies up front, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Ibe, Markovic, Lallana etc. in midfield, and with Wisdom to come back into the defence I really don't think we'd be too far away (provided we don't sign **** again).

When Brendan came in we'd have said fifth place competing for fourth until the end of the season (give or take) and two cup semi-finals would be a half decent season. It's not, given the context of last season, but that only serves to show what a fantastic job he did then (and in turning around this season, even if it's fallen away again recently). He needs to go back to the attacking system we had last year and start smashing the lower half of the table - that's the only way we'll realistically compete with the mega-money of Chelsea, Utd and City - but IMO over the course of his time at the club he's earned the right to have one iffy season without getting the chop.

[G]

Our fight looks like its gone this season. Which is fair enough. We are not good enough to make top 4.

The point about perisiting with Gerrard is a odd one. He did until around late October and then he got injured and has hardly played since then.

This Rafa debate will go on for years. He clearly has unfinished business here, and the fans with him. But he isnt really relevant to us losing to Hull.

Disagree. United just lost 2 on the bounce to let us back into it and we responded with the ****e we've seen in the last two games. These are pro players, I'd expect them to realise the best way to avoid the Europa is to get in the CL yet they don't seem to have noticed it was possible. A worrying mindset on display if they think they had no chance and just gave up.

[Slinky Skills]

What concerns me as well is the way BR was sat on the floor the game before last.

Looks like he's given up himself. With body language like that, what kind of message does that portray to the players?

[meffin]

He said that was because WBA have removed the benches/dugouts

[The_weatherman]

Our fight looks like its gone this season. Which is fair enough. We are not good enough to make top 4.

The point about perisiting with Gerrard is a odd one. He did until around late October and then he got injured and has hardly played since then.

This Rafa debate will go on for years. He clearly has unfinished business here, and the fans with him. But he isnt really relevant to us losing to Hull.

Seems like Gerrard was almost undroppable unless being injured. According to LFCHistory.net he has 38 appearances out of 55 possible. He was a sub in five of those and on the bench once. He started four games in november and was a sub in two (Madrid and Stoke) and he started six games in december and was a sub once and an unused sub once.

[Kenneth]

He said that was because WBA have removed the benches/dugouts

They didn't remove his legs though.

[BubbaZanetti]

Rafa made plenty mistakes of his own making too, great though he was.

I said it wasn't a direct comparison anyway, of course there are differences in circumstance, I mean everyone knows Rafa had Houllier's CL winning side to build on

True.

Every opposition fan I knew was happy when Rafa was sacked. I think that tells it's own story...

[Yozza]

True.

Every opposition fan I knew was happy when Rafa was sacked. I think that tells it's own story...

Certainly does....

[npinn001]

Honestly, and I can understand why others would disagree, I still do believe with some time away in the summer to refocus and plan, we do have a lot of the building blocks needed and a manager in post who has proven he can get this team to overperform when things go right. If this can be a learning experience, and if we finally get it right in the market this summer (those are big ifs admittedly), I personally see enough positive in the totality of Rodgers' time at the club to want to give him another season.

Many fans look back on Rafa's last season now and state that he could and should have been given another year, but I remember (and the old threads are there as proof) some utterly drab and listless performances then that seemed to indicate the dressing room was no longer responding etc. I know Benitez had a lot more in the bank particularly in terms of European performance, and I'm not trying to rake over old coals again, but I do think that sometimes it is hard to appreciate quite what you have until it is gone.

Last season was just so good it was probably the most fun I've had watching league football since 1988, and there are so many other things I like about Rodgers (some of which I seem to be in a real minority about, I find him quite personable), and enough potential in the squad too, that I'm loathe not to let him have this season on credit and give him the next to really prove what he's made of.

Last season (second half was great) and if I thought we would play that football I'd be backing him to the hilt. The hit that makes me question him staying is that that isnt his preferred style fo playing.

Yr1 - set up in 4-3-3 and we didnt set the world alight.
Yr2 - back to 4-3-3 and then switch to diamond and were xplosive.
Yr3 - back to 4-3-3 then 3-4-3 then several formations a game.

If he said we play the way we did in the second half of year 2 and thats the blueprint, I would be delighted. But I'm expecting that for the first half of next season we would be playing 4-3-3 again and just losing ground.

PS - he is very personable, and likeable. I'm justgetting that deja vu feeling at the momeht that we are treading water.

[Lecter]

Last season (second half was great) and if I thought we would play that football I'd be backing him to the hilt. The hit that makes me question him staying is that that isnt his preferred style fo playing.

Yr1 - set up in 4-3-3 and we didnt set the world alight.
Yr2 - back to 4-3-3 and then switch to diamond and were xplosive.
Yr3 - back to 4-3-3 then 3-4-3 then several formations a game.

If he said we play the way we did in the second half of year 2 and thats the blueprint, I would be delighted. But I'm expecting that for the first half of next season we would be playing 4-3-3 again and just losing ground.

PS - he is very personable, and likeable. I'm justgetting that deja vu feeling at the momeht that we are treading water.

[CJ]

You're all a bunch of whinging cunts. ****ing ******s

[calvoboy]

Last season (second half was great) and if I thought we would play that football I'd be backing him to the hilt. The hit that makes me question him staying is that that isnt his preferred style fo playing.

Yr1 - set up in 4-3-3 and we didnt set the world alight.
Yr2 - back to 4-3-3 and then switch to diamond and were xplosive.
Yr3 - back to 4-3-3 then 3-4-3 then several formations a game.

If he said we play the way we did in the second half of year 2 and thats the blueprint, I would be delighted. But I'm expecting that for the first half of next season we would be playing 4-3-3 again and just losing ground.

PS - he is very personable, and likeable. I'm justgetting that deja vu feeling at the momeht that we are treading water.

But in the times when we've been 4-3-3 we haven't had the strikers to play the diamond (I appreciate he has to take some of the blame for this fact too, but the committee system does confuse things). Now if we sign decent strikers in the summer and he perseveres with this turgid 4-3-3 then he'll be gone after next season, and possibly during the season. If we sign them and get somewhere close to how we were playing last year though then I really think we're capable of challenging those above us.

[MrMichael]

Some good players are being made to look bad here. We still have the building blocks of a very good side, if we can just sign a proper mobile defensive midfielder (mascherano type, or pre-eye-injury sissoko) and two strikers. We'd then have Sturridge, Origi plus two newbies up front, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Ibe, Markovic, Lallana etc. in midfield, and with Wisdom to come back into the defence I really don't think we'd be too far away (provided we don't sign **** again).

When Brendan came in we'd have said fifth place competing for fourth until the end of the season (give or take) and two cup semi-finals would be a half decent season. It's not, given the context of last season, but that only serves to show what a fantastic job he did then (and in turning around this season, even if it's fallen away again recently). He needs to go back to the attacking system we had last year and start smashing the lower half of the table - that's the only way we'll realistically compete with the mega-money of Chelsea, Utd and City - but IMO over the course of his time at the club he's earned the right to have one iffy season without getting the chop.

Last season (second half was great) and if I thought we would play that football I'd be backing him to the hilt. The hit that makes me question him staying is that that isnt his preferred style fo playing.

Yr1 - set up in 4-3-3 and we didnt set the world alight.
Yr2 - back to 4-3-3 and then switch to diamond and were xplosive.
Yr3 - back to 4-3-3 then 3-4-3 then several formations a game.

If he said we play the way we did in the second half of year 2 and thats the blueprint, I would be delighted. But I'm expecting that for the first half of next season we would be playing 4-3-3 again and just losing ground.

PS - he is very personable, and likeable. I'm justgetting that deja vu feeling at the momeht that we are treading water.

Yup I can understand that view. Honestly I don't have an issue with 4-3-3 specifically though, as long as we have the right players to play in it. I'd say we were pretty good in the first half of last season too, we were after all top at Xmas and only slipped back slightly before that amazing run thanks to some shocking decisions in those couple of matches after Xmas. I know I loved last year from the moment the first ball was kicked, we played with vibrancy and belief and it genuinely was the most fun I've had watching us (in the league) since Barnes & Beardsley et al.

I do believe we can do it again, but as I said I also understand a lot of legitimate qualms, I just feel personally that I'm not quite ready to give up on the current regime just yet.

[Lecter]

Yup I can understand that view. Honestly I don't have an issue with 4-3-3 specifically though, as long as we have the right players to play in it. I'd say we were pretty good in the first half of last season too, we were after all top at Xmas and only slipped back slightly before that amazing run thanks to some shocking decisions in those couple of matches after Xmas. I know I loved last year from the moment the first ball was kicked, we played with vibrancy and belief and it genuinely was the most fun I've had watching us (in the league) since Barnes & Beardsley et al.

I do believe we can do it again, but as I said I also understand a lot of legitimate qualms, I just feel personally that I'm not quite ready to give up on the current regime just yet.

The system only kicked off last season when he started playing the diamond with two up top

Thats when we looked most devastating

[Nicey]

The man of the match Hull Thread in its present state is literally my favourite thread of all time and sums up perfectly my feelings on that performance