Brendan Rodgers

[Vermilion]

102 actually! Soon to be 51!

[Yozza]

'Something smells' at Liverpool

Alan Shearer

The Reds endured a disappointing season, finishing sixth having come runners-up the season before.

Following an end-of-season review, assistant manager Colin Pascoe and first-team coach Mike Marsh left the club.

Rodgers has brought in England midfielder James Milner on a free transfer, Brazil playmaker Roberto Firmino for £29m, and used a chunk of the Sterling money on the £32.5m signing of Belgium striker Christian Benteke from Aston Villa.

"Brendan's spent a lot of money again, he has to achieve success this year, he has to win something,"

"Also with the change of his backroom staff, the way it happened, I'm not sure that you have a trusted lieutenant right throughout your career and then you come to the end of the season and because you've had a poor season say 'we're going in a different technical direction'.

"That doesn't sit easy. Something smells a little bit there. Brendan will be under huge pressure."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33710872

[Muddled]

I agree that Rodgers has to win something; We had two good cup runs last season and I would expect us to build on those this season. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with Rodgers looking to freshen things up; I certainly don't think something smells.

Rodgers seems very aware of the praise and criticism he receives and has acted accordingly. He's highlighted his strengths and has brought in people that can cover his weaknesses. From what I've read, he seems happy to relinquish some of the responsibility to allow him to concentrate on what he does best. This isn't something fishy, this is Rodgers being proactive and realising there is fault.

[DannyMan2006]

The trusted Liutenants:

1. Pascoe came with from Swansea, previously never worked with him.
2. Marsh joined at Liverpool, previously never worked with him.

Not exactly assistants he's been with all his career. If Rodgers didn't feel they were contributing enough, I see no reason he wouldn't get rid. The biggest criticism last year was Pascoe & Marsh were just yes men. Maybe they were, and Rodgers wanted more. To me it's a positive.

How worthwhile a change it is, well we will see in time.

[Alex]

Pascoe was more like that for him. 5/6 years together.

Its odd that it gets picked up on though. I have no idea on Van Gaal, Jose, Wenger's assistants. Coaching staff dont really matter. Its about what the Manager needs.

[Angryred]

The trusted Liutenants:

1. Pascoe came with from Swansea, previously never worked with him.
2. Marsh joined at Liverpool, previously never worked with him.

Not exactly assistants he's been with all his career. If Rodgers didn't feel they were contributing enough, I see no reason he wouldn't get rid. The biggest criticism last year was Pascoe & Marsh were just yes men. Maybe they were, and Rodgers wanted more. To me it's a positive.

How worthwhile a change it is, well we will see in time.

Shearer is a ****ing tool as hate listening to his twaddle on MOTD which is usually recorded so I usually fast forward when the gob****e opens his mouth. Agree with all of the above!

[Fosterbloke]

If anything, Rodgers is being a great manager. You surround yourself with people that are better than you in certain areas.

Perhaps Shearer caught a whiff of his punditry?

[Lee]

The trusted Liutenants:

1. Pascoe came with from Swansea, previously never worked with him.
2. Marsh joined at Liverpool, previously never worked with him.

Not exactly assistants he's been with all his career. If Rodgers didn't feel they were contributing enough, I see no reason he wouldn't get rid.

Pascoe and Rodgers worked with together for years at Swansea and with Liverpool.

The biggest criticism last year was Pascoe & Marsh were just yes men. Maybe they were, and Rodgers wanted more.

Maybe. Maybe not. Nobody on this site knows so it's complete conjecture.

[dww]

The trusted Liutenants:

1. Pascoe came with from Swansea, previously never worked with him.
2. Marsh joined at Liverpool, previously never worked with him.

Not exactly assistants he's been with all his career. If Rodgers didn't feel they were contributing enough, I see no reason he wouldn't get rid. The biggest criticism last year was Pascoe & Marsh were just yes men. Maybe they were, and Rodgers wanted more. To me it's a positive.

How worthwhile a change it is, well we will see in time.

Pascoe was more like that for him. 5/6 years together.

Its odd that it gets picked up on though. I have no idea on Van Gaal, Jose, Wenger's assistants. Coaching staff dont really matter. Its about what the Manager needs.

If anything, Rodgers is being a great manager. You surround yourself with people that are better than you in certain areas.

Perhaps Shearer caught a whiff of his punditry?

It's been a big feature of discussions on here too though - many, many people going on about how Rodgers threw Marsh and Pascoe under the bus. Picking up on populist sentiment and regurgitating it in a tedious way is pretty much what Shearer does 'best' these days.

I think assistants do matter and part of the reason Mourinho has done so well at different clubs is his ability to select and work with good people. A similar factor was at play with Fergusson. Wenger has had to deal with a lot of speculation in terms of his backroom staff when things have gone badly (especially towards the end of the Pat Rice days).

I agree with foreseterbloke that picking people who improve your abilities is a good move. Obviously we will have to see if that is what has happened.

[DannyMan2006]

Pascoe and Rodgers worked with together for years at Swansea and with Liverpool.



Maybe. Maybe not. Nobody on this site knows so it's complete conjecture.

Erm, you haven't disagreed with anything I've said there?

[Lee]

Erm, you haven't disagreed with anything I've said there?

Oh right. Was I supposed to?

I was merely pointing out that you're wrong about Pascoe and Rodgers not previously working together.

The rest of it is complete guesswork.

As far as I’m aware – and correct me if I’m wrong – nobody on this website has any contacts or inside information at Liverpool FC. Yet people are happy to peddle their own staunch opinions as facts.

Pascoe is a yes man. Rodgers and Gerrard hate each other. Balotelli is a disruptive influence in the dressing room. We could’ve signed Lacazette for the same price as what we signed Benteke for etc etc.

It’s utter supposition.

[BigChief]

Pascoe was more like that for him. 5/6 years together.

Its odd that it gets picked up on though. I have no idea on Van Gaal, Jose, Wenger's assistants. Coaching staff dont really matter. Its about what the Manager needs.

Not sure why Rodgers gets more a of a hard time compared to other managers. Maybe they all do, but he certainly has every little bone picked whenever there is an opportunity.

Rafa and Houllier had it bad too but they were 'foreign'. There's no hiding place for our managers it seems, wherever they are from.

I can't believe how quickly LvG's pamphlet of fachts has been brushed over and forgotten.

[Yozza]

Not sure why Rodgers gets more a of a hard time compared to other managers. Maybe they all do, but he certainly has every little bone picked whenever there is an opportunity.

Rafa and Houllier had it bad too but they were 'foreign'. There's no hiding place for our managers it seems, wherever they are from.

I can't believe how quickly LvG's pamphlet of fachts has been brushed over and forgotten.

Maybe because he's bought 31 players for £289,050,000, won **** all, failed to qualify for the CL & got dicked by Stoke 6-1?

Just a thought....

[BigChief]

Maybe because he's bought 31 players for £289,050,000, won **** all, failed to qualify for the CL & got dicked by Stoke 6-1?

Just a thought....

He must be the only manager then. LvG did spend the same and win the league, the CL and the world cup. Obviously.

[DannyMan2006]

Oh right. Was I supposed to?

I was merely pointing out that you're wrong about Pascoe and Rodgers not previously working together.

The rest of it is complete guesswork.

As far as I’m aware – and correct me if I’m wrong – nobody on this website has any contacts or inside information at Liverpool FC. Yet people are happy to peddle their own staunch opinions as facts.

Pascoe is a yes man. Rodgers and Gerrard hate each other. Balotelli is a disruptive influence in the dressing room. We could’ve signed Lacazette for the same price as what we signed Benteke for etc etc.

It’s utter supposition.

I said Pascoe came with him from Swansea - Where did I say they'd never worked together? And the rest was my opinion, I never said or insinuated it wasn't.

The reason I said the last piece was to show that Rodgers with some people could make any decision and it would be dissected to be a negative one. Last season people said he surrounded himself with Yes men, now people are saying he's thrown them under a bus.