Does Rodgers deserve another season?

[Daniel 7]

It's twice we've asked the question seriously this year. B-dawg turned it round briefly with a 'hail Mary' tactical move and a few players filling in out of position but even then there were some dodgy performances (Southampton away springs to mind). I don't recall such an air of defeatism in all my time as a LFC supporter, at least with Roy we were raging with each other. There just seems to be an acceptance now that we are second tier, mediocrity lies down this road. So we need new impetus. Certainly at most other top clubs in Europe he'd be getting sacked now, they wouldn't even give a ****. There feels like a certain inevitability to it here, maybe not summer maybe 10 games in maybe next summer. If I could see even the merest signs of life if say give him more time, but we are flat lining. So, you do it now. I think it takes strong leadership to get rid of a guy who has shown glimpses.

But glimpses aren't enough. Strong leadership means tough decisions, and for that I'd fire him. He needed a strong end to the season, instead we rolled over and got our belly tickled. We've handed Utd 4th without a fight. Unforgivable.

Losing home and away to palace, losing to Hull, losing a semi final to ****ing timmys Villa, being so abject in Europe. Take the emotion out of it and he gets the boot every day off the week.

Anyway, I don't like hearing excuses and I don't believe in going down with out a fight. There has been evidence of both. It's been a roller coaster Brendan, and as a coach you are not without ability.

But, I'm sorry to have to say this.

You're fired.

Really good post this and is a fair reflection of what I think. He lost me at the cup semi final - that performance was moribund. The players looked confused and unmotivated with many of them being asked to perform square peg roles. There was no fire in them - they seemed to meekly accept that they were going to lose, and nothing he did made a blind bit of difference. From what I remember there were 3 different formations at a minimum, with Emre Can playing 4 different positions.

For all his much lauded "man management" skills, he's been shown up with the way he has treated Lazar Markovic. Sticking a pacy winger out at wing back for most of the season and frequently taking him off at half time, then completely leaving him out for weeks afterwards can't exactly be filling him with confidence. That's a £20m asset, he's wrecking that asset with mismanagement.

Joe Allen, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli, Dejan Lovren, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Oussama Assaidi, Tiago Ilori - MILLIONS of pounds squandered on this bunch. I'm not having this transfer committee bollocks, he's on the committee, he's responsible for them every bit as much as he was for the two (TWO!) positive signings that have come in.

The numbers don't stack up. The signings are terrible, the system is non existent, the style of play is not there, the defence is a shambles and the players look apathetic - this kind of **** can't be solved with throwing money at signings, a new start is needed, along with a big massive flush to rid us of the **** that has come in under his management.

Time to go.

[Daniel 7]

I think top 4 was a minimum requirement, and to miss out would be bad enough, but to miss out so emphatically, so cluelessly, that's the kicker for me.

And this - the top 4 was easily achievable this season without Suarez. United have been dreadful this season, and were in the midst of their own settling season - they signed an incredible amount of players and had just been through the turmoil of a new manager bedding in his ideas. Some of those massive signings haven't worked out (Falcao, Di Maria) and they went through the early to mid season with an incredible injury list. Meanwhile, Brendan can't get a team he's worked with for nigh on 3 seasons to play together, having muddled up his defence with a pointless, idiotic centre back whilst seeming intent on destroying the confidence of the only goalkeeper worth picking at the club (more wonderful man management there Brendan). That Mignolet managed to come back from that and prove him wrong is credit to him rather than Rodgers.

[Red_Polo]

See personally I don't see this.

When Rodgers took over we were what, 8th? First season was a bit rocky but last year we flew, far further and faster than any of us thought possible even with a genius like Suarez in the team. Sure this year we have sunk back a bit and really do need to regroup and rethink, however I for one absolutely do not accept that we are mediocre or that we will ever become so.

I do believe that, as we do not have quite the resources of the 4 teams above us in the league, we need to build in a slightly different way and will have to be smarter if we can't be richer, but this club is not West Brom or Stoke and we really aren't in any danger of becoming so. Some of our fans seem to have become somewhat blinded by immediacy; one setback and the sky has fallen right in. It was always going to be possible, probable even that we'd have a settling season after the highs of last year & selling Suarez and potentially miss out on top 4. So we pick ourselves up and go again, hopefully stronger and wiser than the last time. That isn't about acceptance, it is about realism and taking a longer view of progress for me.

A lot of truth in there. But I don't think I can look back on this as a settling season. It's been a season where even when things go well everything feels cobbled together. No base to build upon seems to have been re-established.

I would think Brendan would have to meet his superiors and lay out some compelling reasoning behind what has gone wrong and what he wants to do to put it right, if he is to remain here. Especially with the number of potential candidates there is out there to replace him.

So I don't think he 'deserves' to be sacked or to stay, particularly. I do however think he's on the precipice and has some explaining to do before he can rightly be trusted to take us forward next season.

[Tee]

[ame="http://youtu.be/0z_Qqnq8pI8"]No no no no no no no no no! - YouTube[/ame]

[Maxiedge]

I want him gone but also want others to be held accountable especially on the transfer committee. Not one player was signed last summer that we couldn't have signed without being in the CL. You hear all this huh-hah about only being to attract the top players if you're in the CL, yet the vision and aspiration of those in the committee was really poor when we were.

[tanner]

Regardless of any bias one way or another, I think the only way to judge these things is to ask yourself "would I be particularly upset if he left tomorrow"

If you answer no, then he's not the right man for LFC and its time to move on.

[Leyton388]

This for me, deserves a second chance to turn things around.

We've had a frustrating season and Rodgers more than anyone will know that.

We talk a lot about manager's 'getting the club' and he does. He understands what the club is about and he'll be hurting and massively disappointed after what he's witnessed this last year but I think he deserves another shot for sure.

Ok so in the summer if we had a realistic chance of getting Klopp or Rafa in would you be happy to ignore that chance and risk giving Rodgers more money to waste and stick with him?

I'm of the opinion that it's now a bigger risk sticking with Rodgers than starting afresh.

[Daniel 7]

Ok so in the summer if we had a realistic chance of getting Klopp or Rafa in would you be happy to ignore that chance and risk giving Rodgers more money to waste and stick with him?

I'm of the opinion that it's now a bigger risk sticking with Rodgers than starting afresh.

Rationality weighs heavily against Rodgers. I haven't seen anything that has been argued that has made me think he should stay, nothing.

[tanner]

Rationality weighs heavily against Rodgers. I haven't seen anything that has been argued that has made me think he should stay, nothing.

If he said "give me another season and at the end of it I'll show you the 3 names in the envelopes", I'd be inclined to hang on 12 months to be honest.

[danperkins]

Regardless of any bias one way or another, I think the only way to judge these things is to ask yourself "would I be particularly upset if he left tomorrow"

If you answer no, then he's not the right man for LFC and its time to move on.

was going to post similar.

[G]

Whatever happens, if we don't change the transfer policy and/or those choosing the players and the method they use to choose them then any new manager will be severely hampered from the off.

[TheElephantMan]

If he'd managed to get that fourth spot I would have been more than happy for him to stay. It's been a tough season after losing Suarez and not having Sturridge available for most of the season. Like others have said the issues with the defence could and should have been addressed and they haven't. It was obvious that we wouldn't score goals as freely this season as we did last so we needed to tighten up at the back. Credit where it's due I think Rodgers has actually got more out of Mignolet recently, but the defence is still a shambles. We are **** at the back, **** in the middle and **** up front too. We have some really good players, but we seem incredibly flimsy. We need to toughen up and get a bit more quality in there especially up front. The manager takes credit when we do well so he has to take the criticism when we don't and this season hasn't been good enough. If he was taking us in the right direction then I would happily give him another season, but we just don't seem to be making much progress anywhere within the team.

[baitman]

Even finishing 5th or 6th isnt the issue for me, its the way we have had no fight or bottle. Teams come and play through the middle of the pitch like we just dont give a ****. Whats the reaction from the manager, not very shouty on the sideline. Head in his hands when lovren gets bent over but does he ever bollock anyone.
brendan comes across as a PR Man, motivational speaker guru type, but I wonder if some of these lads have heard enough of his waffle.
non of the lads seem arsed enough, why cant the manager push them.

[Kenneth]

The football is ****e and the manager doesn't seem to know what to do about it.
That's the most significant issue.

[Tee]

He has no fear factor with the players and that is all down to him being too pally with them. We need someone who commands instant respect and someone the players will want to run through brick walls for. Unfortunately whilst we are about to lose that perfect someone on the pitch the current Manager is nowhere near that mould.

It feels like the end of the road for him and I honestly would not be surprised if that decision has already been made and we are actively looking for his replacement.