Brendan Rodgers

[DannyMan2006]

People getting carried away by tactics and formations. It comes down to players as Luis Suarez proved last year.

Last year we played a few formations and they all worked because we had Luis Suarez. This year we've played 442, 433, 3421 etc... And none of them have worked.

You can be as clever as you like but star players make formations and managers look good.

This is true tbh. But players do specialise and are brought in on the strength of their performances in certain systems. When you try and fit them into different positions & systems you will get mixed results.

Take Schniderlin at Southampton. If I was to play a 4231 he'd be a great signing. But would he work in a more basic 442 or as an energetic midfielder asked to get up and down all game? How about Henderson? When he has been asked to sit and control a game he hasn't been good enough. When we tell him to be more end to end his stamina comes into play and he becomes a difficult opponent.

[The_weatherman]

I think Rodgers is a very flexible manager. When we're winning he's a genius and when we're losing he's an idiot. Football is about results and when you don't hit the required heights you have to expect criticism.

Personally, I'd rather we had a manager who had a preferred formation and tactics and stuck with it, with the odd change here and there. I'd hate to buy players for this team, one minute they'd be an ideal piece in the puzzle, the next minute we'd change formation and they'd have no part to play.

To me it looks like we lack clear direction. Tinkering with the formation is all well and good, but how can you build a squad based on that? I've yet to find out if Can is going to be a good signing. Same for Markovic. I've never seen them play in the positions they were supposed too. Markovic played as an attacking midfielder against Spurs at home and had a great game. It seems if he doesn't score or assist inside 45mins he's the first one hooked.

The issue for me is Rodgers will head into this summer not knowing what formation he should stick with and what players in the squad are good enough to play in his chosen formation. It's like he's starting afresh every year.

Sometimes, when people are working on assignments they lose the plot and get lost in a fog, I get the feeling Rodgers is at that place, he doesn't know where to go with the team. I got the feeling early in the season that he went back to the roots to what he knew and I get the feeling now that he will end up trying that again.

[Exiled_red]

People getting carried away by tactics and formations. It comes down to players as Luis Suarez proved last year.

Last year we played a few formations and they all worked because we had Luis Suarez. This year we've played 442, 433, 3421 etc... And none of them have worked.

You can be as clever as you like but star players make formations and managers look good.

It depends what you called 'worked', last season we the system worked in the sense that we scored alot of goals and finished high in the table, but when you look at what ultimately cost us it was the fact that the team gifted so many goals away. The system(s) we used last year worked in an attacking sense but not in a defensive sense. While Suarez was a huge part of the system last year other factors were also significant, for example without Sturridge as well we would have had a problem scoring enough goals to get us the points we did. Also the pressing that we did last season was hugely significant. So it's not as simple as just getting good players we need to get them into a system that gets the best out of them and that is easier with some players than others.

[The Birdman]

Out of interest does anyone know (with some certainty based on figures etc...) what our transfer budget will be without player sales?

[The Birdman]

People getting carried away by tactics and formations. It comes down to players as Luis Suarez proved last year.

Last year we played a few formations and they all worked because we had Luis Suarez. This year we've played 442, 433, 3421 etc... And none of them have worked.

You can be as clever as you like but star players make formations and managers look good.

Is Mourinho successful because of his tactics or his players?

You need the right players to carry out the tactics correctly, one without the other, whichever way it is doesn't work for longer than a few games.

[Lecter]

Sometimes, when people are working on assignments they lose the plot and get lost in a fog, I get the feeling Rodgers is at that place, he doesn't know where to go with the team. I got the feeling early in the season that he went back to the roots to what he knew and I get the feeling now that he will end up trying that again.

If he stays he will go back to his Swansea system that he has tried a couple of times before whilst hes been here

Its a worry because when that breaks down we will again have another radical formation switch which brightens things up for awhile

I think Danny is right there is no clear direction in terms of building a system / formation for the long term and without that its going to be difficult for us to plan signings going forward

I would like a manager who says this is how we are going to play and with this system, we need x, y & z players this season and then who keeps that vision going forward with a few minor tweaks when needed

The changes from the path that Rodgers makes are too large, they are akin to a drunk wandering on his way home from an all-dayer (I am not calling him a drunk before anyone starts)

[Yozza]

Does anyone think FSG will actually sack him?

Yes or No......

[The_weatherman]

Does anyone think FSG will actually sack him?

Yes or No......

I'd say there is about 60% chance of it.

[Paddy]

I reckon they will if the right manager to replace him makes their intentions clear to join, without a drawn out saga.

[Chris]

Does anyone think FSG will actually sack him?

Yes or No......

Nope. A load of bellends on here hoping so are going to be disappointed I think.

[Buzzo]

I think this season has raised more questions about Brendan than it has provided answers. As a manager he is very happy to take the plaudits when we achieve them (the recent run of clean sheets) and must surely now look to suggest the way forward. He is under pressure, basically because we should never be losing to Villa in a semi final.

I don't think he has a plan. There is no evidence of any long term strategy and he has found himself with an unbalanced squad, of which he relies heavily on one or 2 players with major questions over all of his recent signings. I would imagine he will be called upon to present his seasons review and plans for next season, and I'd imagine he is very much under pressure. Brendan's major problem I'd say is his inability to recognise weakness in himself and the team. Having spent heavily on a team that in reality has won nothing, and not really moved forward, I suspect FSG have a big decision to make.

[Leyton388]

Does anyone think FSG will actually sack him?

Yes or No......

Depends

If FSG decide to have another big investment in the squad then i would say they will replace him, however if they decide to go on another wage bill cut and have limited funds which is most likely IMO then he will stay.

[DannyMan2006]

Sometimes, when people are working on assignments they lose the plot and get lost in a fog, I get the feeling Rodgers is at that place, he doesn't know where to go with the team. I got the feeling early in the season that he went back to the roots to what he knew and I get the feeling now that he will end up trying that again.

He was a 433 possession manager who liked to control games and introduced a more modern thinking high pressure game to great effect. He was trying to build Barcelona and now I don't know what he's doing. Barcelona have played 433 for years and other than the odd twist to suit an outstanding player you know what their game plan is.

He should've sticked to his plan and signed players to suit his system. Now we've got a collection of players where we don't know what they fit. If you pick a system based on the players you have available that particular week, you just end up continually changing things and messing it up as you get injuries, loss of form and suspensions.

If you have a solid formation in place, you can sign players suited to that so you have cover in all areas. I think it's pretty inexcusable to get a long term injury to one player (Sturridge) and then have no idea on how to cope.

[The_weatherman]

He was a 433 possession manager who liked to control games and introduced a more modern thinking high pressure game to great effect. He was trying to build Barcelona and now I don't know what he's doing. Barcelona have played 433 for years and other than the odd twist to suit an outstanding player you know what their game plan is.

He should've sticked to his plan and signed players to suit his system. Now we've got a collection of players where we don't know what they fit. If you pick a system based on the players you have available that particular week, you just end up continually changing things and messing it up as you get injuries, loss of form and suspensions.

If you have a solid formation in place, you can sign players suited to that so you have cover in all areas. I think it's pretty inexcusable to get a long term injury to one player (Sturridge) and then have no idea on how to cope.

I agree, but I think his system/thinking is flawed and until he incorporates a defensive midfielder as key ingredient or fixes the defense, I can't see him winning things.

[Buzzo]

Nope. A load of bellends on here hoping so are going to be disappointed I think.

Just because people are asking questions it doesn't make them 'bellends'. There have been lots of good, considered posts to read today.