Brendan Rodgers

[tanner]

The problem with Brendan though is that he'll have a run of 5 wins and thinks he's above criticism again.

Would love him to make us winners, mind you I'd like anyone to make us winners, I'd even be happy if Fat Sam took over and had us lifting something ffs.

[McDermotX]

Cannot wait for the match threads next season now.


Going to be ****ing glorious


Only two weeks ago, I couldn't wait for the season to end, now I can't wait for the next one to start.

[tanner]

We're going to have to accept that we aren't a top 4 club anymore. We are fighting for 5th.
The good ol days are gone.

This is indeed a major problem for us. We don't have a £300m starting 11 so why on earth do people think failing to get into the CL is a disaster?

The manner of our capitulation and our transfers is what's turned me, not failure to get 4th.

[Slinky Skills]

So do I mate. He will know he's under pressure and would expect nothing less.

None of us enjoys seeing the manager of LFC under such pressure but maybe this will be the kick up the arse he will need to realise he's on thin ice. He no longer has Gerrard in the dressing room so might feel like a weight has been lifted there.

I hope he gets it right next season I really do but for me this feels like 1993 when souness was a dead man walking but Moore's bottled out of sacking him and we lumbered on until the following January until he was sacked.

He is under huge pressure, he knows that but to me that shows two things. That he has massive balls, someone under such immense pressure as this could easily jack it in and he's chose not to.

Finally - it shows confidence, perhaps arrogance in his own ability and sometimes you have to show that and it seems on this occasion he has. We all know he has the gift of the gab but that can only take you so far. He clearly still has a vision for this football club and although the football was ****ing atrocious at times last year he 'gets us'. I firmly believe that.

I want him to succeed now just to prove the doubters wrong but he has a real challenge on his hands to win the support back and get us going again. Looks like he's going to thrive on that challenge and for that alone he deserves some respect, more than what some have shown.

I would love that to happen, I just have no faith that it will.

I didn't expect any other response Matt ha ha!

[Leyton388]

This is indeed a major problem for us. We don't have a £300m starting 11 so why on earth do people think failing to get into the CL is a disaster?

The manner of our capitulation and our transfers is what's turned me, not failure to get 4th.

Not getting 4th isn't the end of the world but like you said the capitulation and transfers are the main factors.

Losing an FA cup semi final to a team fighting relegation and then the manager coming out saying the occasion got to the team. We are Liverpool football club 5 times European Champions. Since when did a Semi final get the better of LFC?

Then there are the transfers. I don't even want to discuss that.

[redmike65]

It was common knowledge that the next TV deal was going to be a game changer.

No one could have known what the deal would be as in 2010 BT Sport didn't even exist, and even if BT was known the effect of that company on the market could not have been foreseen with any confidence esp the way Setanta crashed and burned.

[Leyton388]

He is under huge pressure, he knows that but to me that shows two things. That he has massive balls, someone under such immense pressure as this could easily jack it in and he's chose not to.

Finally - it shows confidence, perhaps arrogance in his own ability and sometimes you have to show that and it seems on this occasion he has. We all know he has the gift of the gab but that can only take you so far. He clearly still has a vision for this football club and although the football was ****ing atrocious at times last year he 'gets us'. I firmly believe that.

I want him to succeed now just to prove the doubters wrong but he has a real challenge on his hands to win the support back and get us going again. Looks like he's going to thrive on that challenge and for that alone he deserves some respect, more than what some have shown.



I didn't expect any other response Matt ha ha!

Last season was a dream and by far the most exciting season the club have had since the 80's . This season was the opposite and maybe last season has helped Rodgers come back to earth with a bang.

He can't afford to make the same mistakes again. However it pans out it will be exciting as either Rodgers will get it right or we start afresh with someone new.

[marcus50bucks]

LIVERPOOL: RODGERS IT IS THEN

by David Segar // 2 June 2015 // 1 Comment

AFTER what has felt like months of speculation (it’s been two-and-a-half weeks…), the manager situation has finally been put to bed. Brendan Rodgers will remain as Liverpool boss… for now.

There had apparently been leaks of information — something which seems to happen an inordinate amount at Liverpool these days — that Rodgers was safe, but something just didn’t feel right about it all.

Why did the owners make him sweat on it for half a month if they had no intention of sacking him? Why did Tom Werner feel the need to come to England to do his review when he couldn’t be arsed doing the same for Steven Gerrard’s last game? And, perhaps most curious of all, why wasn’t Rodgers sacked when Kenny Dalglish, who had just won a cup and been to an FA Cup final, was?

What has been especially odd about it all has been the timing. Not just that it’s taken this long and that it was leaked to journalists at roughly the same time as Sepp Blatter’s resignation (how convenient), but almost the entire timeline.

For those who wanted Rodgers out in the immediate aftermath of Stoke City 6 Liverpool 1, no news was bad news. For better or worse, there was to be no reactionary sacking to that humiliation. It was going to come down to the infamous end-of-season review.

However, early indications from sources said to be close to FSG were that Rodgers’ job wasn’t even going to be in question, let alone on the line at the review.

Just after the season had ended, there were cries for the manager’s head, but online polls seemed to have the fans split at roughly 60-40 against Rodgers, taking into account a few thousand desperately tragic opposition football fans who like to skew the results.

It was perhaps right that the owners were going to let a cooler head prevail. Potential replacements hadn’t even finished in their current roles, there was no need to rush what was going to be a massive decision.

However, two weeks later and not only had the fans who wanted Rodgers out not relented from their stance, but they’d been joined by roughly an extra 20 per cent. New polls recently were showing it was now 80-20 in favour of change. Whatever your own opinion was, that’s toxic — particularly when you consider that a poll in Madrid suggested that 65 per cent of Real fans wanted Carlo Ancelotti to stay before he was dismissed.

As well as Rodgers’ failings last season, a major reason people wanted change was the potential to replace him with someone of the ilk of Ancelotti or hipsters’ favourite Jurgen Klopp. This is where the story started to get very curious.

In the media, Rodgers’ position went from ‘not in question’, to ‘vulnerable’. Odds shifted significantly, too. A few days ago there was a story leaked that Rodgers was definitely safe, but then the German media went with a story that Klopp would be interested in the Anfield hot seat should he be offered it, in spite of stories that he wanted to take a sabbatical. Exactly the same regarding Ancelotti came from the Spanish media, or in particular, the Madrid media.

Unsurprisingly, stories the next day were that Rodgers’ position was now under serious threat. Tongues were wagging up and down the land and across the world, with Liverpool fans in the main salivating at the prospect of either the German or the Italian being in the Reds’ dugout come August.

Speculation reached fever pitch when the very reliable Jonathan Northcroft of the Sunday Times reported that the Liverpool hierarchy were indeed considering other options, including Klopp, if after the review they decided a change was necessary.

On Monday, Klopp confirmed that he was to take a break from football. A day later, and Rodgers’ safety is confirmed, and mere minutes after, Ancelotti tweeted saying that he’d turned down a return to Milan to take some time off.

Could it be that FSG have given Rodgers his last warning, knowing that should they need to pull the trigger halfway through the season, they may have a well rested Klopp and/or Ancelotti to choose from? Or are they merely backing the man they hired or, more to the point, their own decision to hire him in the first place?

There will be a thousand different stories on what really went on, but the timing of it all was a little too coincidental. Maybe they didn’t fancy Klopp, who has just come off a very trying season himself, or Ancelotti, who would surely have kicked up a bit of a fuss about the transfer setup. Or maybe both indicated they weren’t interested. Or maybe neither were ever contacted or even under consideration in the first place.

Something that doesn’t sit right with me is this. The question of the manager’s position was apparently left to the review. This was a meeting between three men, Rodgers, Werner and Mike Gordon. Of that trio, Rodgers outdoes the other two in football knowledge by a significant distance. I just have this scene playing out in my head where they ask Rodgers if he’s the man for the job, he says yes, and they say, “Well you know the game better than we do, so we’ll take your word for it.”

Anyway, what’s done is done. Rodgers stays, but why?

Perhaps it’s his willingness to work with the transfer committee setup. Reports initially suggested that FSG were planning a major overhaul of the committee, and were going to ditch it altogether in favour of their initial plan to have a single Director of Football, which would be a condition that Rodgers would now have to accept after rejecting it when he took over three years ago.

However, recent reports indicate that FSG still have complete faith in the transfer committee set up, in spite of it’s many failings, and that appears to be the most likely scenario. If they had intended on changing the setup, why haven’t they done it already? Why is the club making bids for numerous players presumably selected by said transfer committee? If you make that change you do it in February, not June.

Rodgers had a tremendously big job on his hands when he came in three years ago. Now, if anything, he has even more to do and to prove. He has to convince the vast majority of the fanbase that he can turn things around, and he has to convince a dressing room that appeared to largely hang him out to dry at Stoke that he should be the one managing them.

He also has to get Liverpool playing like Liverpool again.

Talk to anyone about the situation and you’ll get different arguments, opinions and sometimes facts (“Lovren made more errors that led to goals last season than the whole of League One combined!”) but one thing that is constant is that everyone mentions the style and substance of the general play, or lack thereof.

Last season was awful from Spurs away onwards, with the slight turning of the corner between December and March. However, the football still wasn’t anything you could hang your hat on during that time, and the spectacular way in which it all unraveled showed just how flimsy and superficial it had been.

When Rodgers arrived he titillated us with phrases like ‘death by football’ and teams coming to Anfield to face ‘the longest 90 minutes of their lives’. There have been periods during his time in L4 where he’s achieved this, but they’ve been too infrequent and too skin deep. Rodgers needs to give his team an identity, a consistent method of playing that builds a trust in him from his players that it will be enough to beat anyone if they execute it well.

The main thing that will concern me, and should definitely concern Rodgers, is that more so than ever the knives will be out. Just look at the reaction to losing to Manchester United in March. After three months unbeaten, one defeat was enough to turn a large amount of the crowd (admittedly in a crucial game against bitter rivals) against him. The way things are right now, even if he starts the season with 15 straight wins, a defeat against a Newcastle or a Swansea will inevitably bring back the “I told you so! Rodgers out!” comments.

He wanted more coaching time last season. Well this is his chance. After a good rest and chance to clear his head, a pre-season with very little disruption from international tournaments and plenty of time to spend with his players before it all kicks off again in mid-August, Rodgers has no excuses. If he can’t make a team out of these lads in those circumstances, he can’t do it at all.

Transfers will be crucial, they always are, and the strong links so far to Milner, Ings, Clyne and Benteke are, to me at least, somewhat underwhelming and certainly uninspired. As Times journalist and TAW contributor Rory Smith said this week on The Game football podcast, if they really are Liverpool’s targets then FSG could save a lot of money by firing their scouts. A five-year old who has watched Match of the Day a handful of times could have identified those players.

I, like I’m sure many of you, had fallen in love with the idea of Klopp coming in. I had my ‘Kloppite’ scarves, mugs, t-shirts and superlambanas ready to go, but alas he will not be Liverpool manager… just yet.

The new season is just two and a half months away, and like it or not, Liverpool will head into 2015-16 with Brendan Rodgers as their manager… for now.

Over to you, Brendan.

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2015/0...rpool-rodgers/

[Paddy]

There has never been a more important transfer window coming up than this Summers. Some may point to last years as being the one that defined this clubs next few years, but I think it's this one.
It can seriously **** the club up and put us more backwards if it's gotten wrong. Rodgers will be gone, a new manager will then start ANOTHER rebuilding process, all whilst our top 4 rivals get stronger and stronger. With some of the proposed signings, it will make attracting a top manager.player to the club even harder, not to mention if the owners bugger off too. I am very worried, Rodgers must get it right this summer.

[Slinky Skills]

Last season was a dream and by far the most exciting season the club have had since the 80's . This season was the opposite and maybe last season has helped Rodgers come back to earth with a bang.

He can't afford to make the same mistakes again. However it pans out it will be exciting as either Rodgers will get it right or we start afresh with someone new.

Defos man, really good way of looking at it.

It can only end up being a positive for us either way.

[red g]

There has never been a more important transfer window coming up than this Summers. Some may point to last years as being the one that defined this clubs next few years, but I think it's this one.
It can seriously **** the club up and put us more backwards if it's gotten wrong. Rodgers will be gone, a new manager will then start ANOTHER rebuilding process, all whilst our top 4 rivals get stronger and stronger. With some of the proposed signings, it will make attracting a top manager.player to the club even harder, not to mention if the owners bugger off too. I am very worried, Rodgers must get it right this summer.

Last summers was the one where we could push on that was the most important

This summers is the most important its where we must get it right to push for Champions League

Next summers is the most important as there is a new manager and new players

etc etc

The reality is every window is most important as have a ****e window like the last one and we have a ****e season have a great window and we push on.....if every window is succesful......then we push on to greater things

[marcus50bucks]

Liverpool FC comment: Reds owners have backed Brendan Rodgers - now fans need to know their reasons

21:02, 2 JUNE 2015 BY NEIL JONES

Manager needs public show of support to help convince doubters that everyone remains committed to success at Anfield

So the secret’s out the bag, then.

Brendan Rodgers is to stay as Liverpool manager, having survived his much-anticipated end-of-season review with the club’s owners.

The reaction from Reds supporters has been interesting, to say the least. From the shouters and the screamers across social media, to the more measured members of the fanbase, everyone has their opinion. There’s a genuine split.

Plenty see Fenway Sports Group’s decision as an error, an acceptance of failure and mediocrity after this most disappointing of campaigns. Disillusionment amongst fans has grown in recent weeks, as the club’s season tailed off dramatically.

Others, though, will admire FSG’s courage. The easiest thing to do after a failure, after all, is to pick a fall-guy, but one man is seldom solely responsible, and the Americans have shown before that they will not be unduly swayed by outside pressure. Rightly or wrongly, they back their own judgement.

Now, though, they are facing serious questions from supporters. And on this occasion, it might just be in their interests to explain their decision.

By sticking with Rodgers, are FSG admitting their own errors, in terms of club strategy? Plenty will believe so.

It would have been easy to lay the blame for 2014/15 at the manager’s door, to say that the tactical and strategic errors made under his guidance are the sole reason for the club’s sixth-placed finish, its declining performance levels and its lack of silverware, but FSG appear to have accepted that there is mitigation for last season. It may help their cause to explain exactly what, in their eyes, that mitigation is.

And it may also help if they were to explain why they believe things will be any different next season, and why they believe that Rodgers’ errors, as well as their own, will not be repeated.

The word from Tuesday’s meetings were that a “comprehensive plan for improvement” would be put in place at Anfield, but there is understandable scepticism as to what that plan entails. As yet, there have been no discernible changes.

Will, for example, we now see a shift in approach in the transfer market?

It’s a valid question. After all, recruitment has arguably been the single biggest factor behind the club’s inability to win a league title for 25 years. FSG have only been around for five of those, but they have already found out how easily mistakes can be made in that regard. If they need a reminder, they need only head back to last summer.

The current pursuit of James Milner suggests a relaxing of their “young players with potential and re-sale value” policy, at least, but Reds fans have not been overly-encouraged by links with Danny Ings, Nathaniel Clyne and Christian Benteke, among others. The scars of previous years are yet to heal, it seems.

All of the players mentioned above look, at face value at least, to be ‘Rodgers-type’ signings. Does this mean the manager is to have more power within the much-maligned ‘transfer committee’, and is there enough evidence to suggest that that will be a good thing? What would that mean for the rest of the committee, notably Dave Fallows, the head of recruitment, and Michael Edwards, the head of analysis?

Just questions at this stage, of course, but ones FSG would be wise to (try to) answer at some stage.

From Rodgers’ perspective, too, it would be nice to see some public backing from his employers after what has clearly been a difficult few months, in which criticism has rained down.

Private briefings, off-the-record support, is one thing, but to have your chairman standing beside you publicly, telling the world exactly why you’re still his man, is quite another. And it may help Rodgers’ cause when it comes to convincing the doubters to cut him some slack once next season gets underway.

He may have had the most important backing of all, behind closed doors, but without some kind of open statement, speculation will continue to reign supreme. And FSG themselves will be at the centre of it.

There are already a healthy number of cynics, for example, who believe that the owners’ long-term aims centre around boosting the club’s value ahead of a future sale, rather than squeezing every last drop of competitive potential out of it.

It would be nice to hear from the owners that they remain committed to bringing success, as well as revenue, to Anfield, and why they remain convinced Rodgers is the man to do that.

It would be nice, too, to know exactly what they expect from their manager, both short and long term, and that everyone, from top to bottom, remains committed to the same idea; success for Liverpool Football Club.

Of course for all we know, FSG may be preparing to do exactly this; they have shown in the past that they are willing to address supporter concerns, should the circumstances demand it.

John W Henry, the principal owner, was conspicuous by his absence in the club’s meeting with Rodgers. The 65-year-old was, though, expected to speak to the media in Boston this evening, as a storm brews around the Red Sox and their under-fire coach John Farrell.

On the other side of the Atlantic, meanwhile, it may be time for Tom Werner and co to do some talking of their own. It could benefit everyone involved with the club, including themselves.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport...medium=twitter

[Liverpel]

What trouble was this?

Shaggy made a fake YouTube video of Lovren looking like Paolo Maldini, and sent it to the club. Apparently Rodgers signed him on the strength of this.

He got dog's abuse here for about six months. He was sin-binned for a week too, as far as I can remember.

I assume that's the 'trouble' he's referring to.

[EwarWoo]

By sticking with Rodgers, are FSG admitting their own errors, in terms of club strategy? Plenty will believe so.

What an absolute crock of over dramatical ****e.

[ric.williams]

OK Brendan it is. I wanted a change to be honest but let's give him another year to prove it wasnt all Suarez*

The priority for me would be to sort the defensive side of our play. Even when we came second we conceded too easily. We need to sign a top rate DM to protect the defence.

*I will lose my **** if he puts emre can at rb and plays with no recognised forward with 3 on the bench