Brendan Rodgers

[Leyton388]

If you don't pay the wages you don't sign the players. Simple. One thing about FSG though is that theysaid from the start that we will only spend what we earn and they have stuck to it. As the clubs income increases so will our ability to pay bigger wages.

It is disappointing That the squad does not have some stars in it but let's just see what happens. Obviously the majority of this summer's spending has been covered by the sale of sterling but I'd rather we do it like that then be indebt and having to sell players to cover the cost of a loan like the dark days.

[Vermilion]

If the players we'd pay those wages to don't want to come here then how can we ?

What do people suggest, put players like Emre, Alan and Henderson etc on 250k pw so we can say we do pay 'star' wages ?

We offered Sanchez more than Arsenal in wages, doubt it's the first time we've lost out on a player where we offered a bigger salary either.

So i disagree, i think they'd be more than prepared to pay players massive wages, if the players were worthy, trouble is those players don't presently want to come here.

[Leyton388]

Regular CL participation and getting the the knockout stages would help. Winning a few domestic cups and possibly the Europa league wouldn't hurt. In all my life as an LFC fan I have never seen the club treat European football as an inconvenience as I did last season. I hope to never again.

[danperkins]

Yeah it really came across like we couldn't have a given a flying **** about the Europa. It's awkward alright but it's a very good competition. Sevilla have really benefited in going full tilt in the competition.

[Kenneth]

It looked like we didn't care about the CL either.

[BobTheCharmer]

It looked like we didn't care about the CL either.

We have Mario to thank for both our European wins!

How was Helsinki?

[Yozza]

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers must deliver from match one or it could be ALL change at Anfield

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-brendan-rodgers-must-deliver-6186894

With a new staff, nine more new players and even a new stand, the manager is a rare holdover for a club facing a tough start to the season says Dave Kidd

Plenty has changed at Liverpool Football Club in the 11 weeks since their 6-1 spanking at Stoke.

A new coaching staff, a new captain, a new £32.5million striker among nine new players, and even a new Main Stand being erected.

So, if Liverpool fail to successfully negotiate a tricky opening run of fixtures, there will be only one thing left to change: Brendan Rodgers, the Premier League’s second longest-serving manager.

Rodgers has been backed bullishly by owners Fenway Sports Group, despite that filthy defeat at the Britannia Stadium putting the tin lid on a depressing campaign.

On Sunday, Liverpool will return to the scene of their surrender – when they were 5-0 down by half-time before Steven Gerrard was handed a testimonial goal by some generous defending, providing further humiliation rather than consolation.

That the first game of the post-Gerrard era should be back at Stoke is wicked enough.

That Liverpool’s next six away fixtures are (in order) at Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City is deeply troubling for Rodgers.

Of course, a fixture list ought to be irrelevant, given that you’ll play everybody once at home and once away – but that assumes the manager will be given all season to claim the fourth-placed finish demanded of him.

Should Liverpool plunge into the bottom half by autumn, like they did last term, Rodgers may discover that patience has run out. And that either Jurgen Klopp or Carlo Ancelotti will be asked to cut short their proposed one-year sabbaticals.

In this context, the Stoke fixture takes on rare significance for a season opener. The Anfield boss is on vulture-watch from the word go.

Rodgers, whose self-confidence can verge on the delusional, will remain positive – especially as he has no excuses to fail.

He has the coaching staff he wants in long-term friend Sean O’Driscoll, Gary McAllister and Dutchman Pepijn Lijnders, who has been promoted to first-team duties.

And while Gerrard may be mourned by the faithful, the captain was making it difficult for Rodgers to manage his decline.

The pair’s relationship was strained after Gerrard’s axing for the Champions League trip to Real Madrid and Rodgers will privately feel blessed to be rid of such turbulence.

New captain Jordan Henderson and new arrival James Milner will be efficient lieutenants, without offering any internal threat to the manager.

Nine summer recruits is far too many, though - especially as most of last summer’s nine have failed to settle.

But all eyes will be trained on Christian Benteke, who must bear the brunt of scoring duties in a team which saw its Premier League goals tally virtually halved last season.

Benteke is no Andy Carroll, despite unflattering comparisons.

The Belgian bought in the wake of Raheem Sterling’s departure is no burnt-pocket panic buy like the Geordie purchased after Fernando Torres left. He is more mobile and boasts a far superior goals record but must hit the ground running amid doubts he suits Rodgers’ style of play.

Tim Sherwood pointed out that Liverpool had provided fewer crosses than any other Premier League side last season, suggesting they would not play to Benteke’s strengths, as Aston Villa did during the Belgian’s late-season purple patch.

But Benteke is more multi-dimensional than that and, after a debut goal in Sunday’s friendly at Swindon, Rodgers keenly talked up the striker’s potential to click instantly.

One victory at Stoke would defuse the danger for Rodgers.

One defeat and it could all go off.

[ronanm]

It's a tough away schedule - couldn't be harder! Will be interesting..

[Vermilion]

Thing is, if they were about to sack Brendan if early results don't go favourably, why replace the coaching staff etc, if for instance Klopp came in he'd be bringing his own team of staff with him wouldn't he ?

Gary Mac? hired and fired in just a few games ? would be ridiculous.

[baronvonskidmark]

I'm really undecided on the away fixtures being a blessing or a curse for Rodgers. Positive results and his position is strengthened without doubt. But if they were to go wrong, would our league position and results go against him - or would the club take into account just how difficult those fixtures were to navigate and give him some kind of benefit of the doubt? Who knows.

It seems to me that quite a lot of the problems he has he makes for himself. His seemingly resolute determination not to sign a DM straight away opens himself up for debate whenever results go against him. If our defence still performs poorly, no doubt this determination will be seen as a reason to question his philosophy. If the defence also has no definitive semblance of organisation then this would be doubled. I like the fact he is an attacking manager, but even Arsene Wenger saw the necessity for defensive midfielders.

We also have far too many midfielders/attacking midfielders. Joe Allen - who has been here 3 years with little impact - could be sold tomorrow without any noticeable effect on our midfield, yet there is talk of him getting a new contract. Markovic would probably be best served going on loan: Villa and Stoke seem to be interested in that kind of player in Traore, so the one who misses out might well take him for a season. Markovic needs consistent game time, not midweek appearances here and there. There is definitely a player there. Even though the squad is so bloated in certain areas, if we do sign another player before the end of the transfer window, then I'd be more surprised if we signed a defensive midfielder/CB than an attacking midfielder especially as he seems to only use Lucas when things are going wrong. The same is true of Sakho, who suffers from Rodgers' seeming blindspot for Lovren if Pearce's (new) predictions for CB pairings are to be believed.

For what it's worth, I like Rodgers and some of the things he represents - promoting young players and an attacking philosophy, I just wish he'd temper it a touch and think about organising a decent defence. Not to the extent of Houllier of course. Goals do win matches and ultimately the PL, but as we saw in 13/14 having a poor defence can be a hinderance. Surely having a quality attack along with a (more) resolute defence are not diametrically opposed. If he can do this, then top 4 (at least) will be ours.

[BobTheCharmer]

Why do the same people who want us to sign a dedicated DM also want to keep Lucas? It's obvious that Rodgers doesn't want to set up that way all the time. We have Lucas who is very popular on here. Can could maybe play there as well. So I'm all for it if we ditch Lucas. If he stays the conversation should be over.

[baronvonskidmark]

But is the fact that Rodgers does not want to set up that way all the time necessarily the right decision? To me, he only seems to use Lucas when it's all going tits up. Why wait for that scenario?

[BigChief]

Thing is, if they were about to sack Brendan if early results don't go favourably, why replace the coaching staff etc, if for instance Klopp came in he'd be bringing his own team of staff with him wouldn't he ?

Gary Mac? hired and fired in just a few games ? would be ridiculous.

That article is a load of agenda driven bollocks as usual. If (big IF) Rodgers is 10th by November he won't get sacked but will be expected to pick up results with easier games to come.

The highlighted part by Yozza (him being delusional) says all you need to know about the 'objectivity' of that article.

[BobTheCharmer]

But is the fact that Rodgers does not want to set up that way all the time necessarily the right decision? To me, he only seems to use Lucas when it's all going tits up. Why wait for that scenario?

If our players are on form and we can score goals then I have no problem. However when that's not the case and confidence drops, the whole team feels the benefit of someone like Lucas. I'd like someone strong, athletic and with more ability than Lucas, however there are few around so we end up with a nice lad, who knows his limitations and does a good job. However he just doesn't have pace, energy and strength to win a midfield battle these days. He is at the stage where Gerrard was last year only he doesn't contribute at the other end at all. I am interested in how Henderson and milner works. Could they be closest to the old school midfield pairing whereby they can both defend and attack? If it works you get imo more benefit for the team than having to sacrifice one player as the breaker upper.

[dww]

But is the fact that Rodgers does not want to set up that way all the time necessarily the right decision? To me, he only seems to use Lucas when it's all going tits up. Why wait for that scenario?

Hasn't he started every season with Lucas deep in midfield? Admittedly, seemingly with the intention of jettisoning him as soon as we have some fluidity in the midfield. I find Rodgers use of Lucas hard to understand but I don't think it is right to suggest that he only falls back to using him in times of distress.

My feeling is that generally dedicated DMs have been less of a feature of most teams in recent seasons (perhaps not coincidentally at the same time as the decline in standards of PL defending). I suspect that for most of the season we will use a mobile midfield looking to have a high press + fear of counter attack based defensive organization with Lucas missing out more often than not.