Brendan Rodgers

[calvoboy]

That's it for me too. Everybody always puts Coutinho high up the pitch but for me he's much better further back with more players in front of him to pick out those lovely passes he makes.

I agree he needs players ahead of him, but I don't think he's good enough defensively to play centre-mid. In that diamond with a free role he'd always have two strikers ahead of him immediately and at least one of the other midfielders making a run too, which would give him at least two more players to aim at than he's got at the moment...

[Phoenix07]

You can still play a diamond in the Europa League and Capital One Cup with Lucas, Can, Allen and Lallana at the tip of the diamond, and Origi partnering Ings up front.

[G]

I agree he needs players ahead of him, but I don't think he's good enough defensively to play centre-mid. In that diamond with a free role he'd always have two strikers ahead of him immediately and at least one of the other midfielders making a run too, which would give him at least two more players to aim at than he's got at the moment...

We have enough lads to do the defensive work. He has enough about him to do enough. His best match for us was midfield against Arsenal, the 5-1 and he never stopped working , he gave their midfield a torrid time chased them everywhere.

Big Phil can do it all. That front 5 would terrify most of the league. Even Milner as the deepest I don't see as a DM, he can get involved too when appropriate

[Cormack74]

Keep the faith with Lallana. Give him till Christmas. He's been **** so far but the season is young.

A run of games would do him the world of good however a combination of injury and BR's scatter gun approach to formations suggests he probably won't get them.

[Cormack74]

Hmm.....the Reading perspective

scarily accurate.

Or was it written recently with the benefit of hindsight?

[BobTheCharmer]

Well the squad as it stands is basically the one that HE wants.

So he stands or falls on how he uses them and the results that accrue.

Clarity is welcome.

Is it though?

I mean I'm sure he would want Suarez and sterling in his preferred team.

[el matador]

No chance

He has zero width which is needed to play either 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1, he also needs to have quicker players as people have mentioned

Even if you say the width will come from the fullbacks he only has Clyne offerring that at the minute because hes too worried about putting Gomez on to babysit Lovren

Hes at least 3 or 4 players short imo and thats being nice

I don't think its impossible to solve the issue of lack of width in the current 433 with Coutinho and firmino in the attacking 3 and a 1-2 midfield pivot. Coutinho plays wide left and he always comes inside. If we aren't going to play Moreno, then you make sure Milner plays as the left of the 2 advanced central midfielders.

He should be briefed that every time Coutinho comes inside, he has to move slightly out to the left and offer the width that the team needs. The opposition might be happy to let Gomes have the ball out wide, but they will make sure that they don't leave Milner in lots of space. He has played plenty of games for man city out wide left so its not a new position to him. He's also the best crosser of the ball we probably have left at the club.

The pattern is that Coutinho comes in towards the centre and Milner goes out slightly to the left. It stops teams loading up their left hand side working to stop clyne on the right. This also stops 4 players - Milner, Can, Coutinho and firmino all occupying the same space. As happened many times v west ham. For me Coutinho and firmino have priority over the movements of Milner and Can. They look to work in the spaces that Coutinho and firmino leave open. Don't stand next to them, instead look to make runs in behind or to the side.

The other major problem we have is the lack of balance between attack and defence. Gomes is part of that problem, but if Lovren doesn't play then Moreno and sakho do. That solves the imbalance left to right and it provides more threat in the final third.

There is a lack of pace in attack because neither Coutinho or firmino are genuinely quick but to combat this we must have pace but more importantly penetration from the fullbacks and the ball has to be moved quicker. The pace of our play is too slow. We allow teams to get their defensive lines in place and then we fanny around trying to 'circulate' the ball trying to find gaps. We give it away and we have no answer to teams counters.

[Maxiedge]

Pains me to say it but that Reading article does ring very true (if it is actually genuine...I mean if it was written before his tenure at Liverpool).

[el matador]

But the players aren't good enough for across the team though.

Some of them definitely aren't but there has to come a time when we we stop blaming the players. In the past when results have gone against us Rodgers was quick to blame the lack of quality. But this summer we have added some genuine quality in Milner, clyne, firmino and benteke and yet we still looked toothless at home v west ham.

Its not just the players. There are other reasons too.

[BootRoom]

Rambling nonsense from Redknapp; he doesn't even mention the loss of Suarez or the injury woes of Sturridge which have had a far greater impact than losing this fabled 'character'.

In the last 6 seasons we've finished: 7th, 6th, 8th, 7th, 2nd and 6th. Not sure this 'character' has done us much good.

[McDermotX]

scarily accurate.

Or was it written recently with the benefit of hindsight?

God knows.....was just sent to me by a pain the arse ManU fan, but I think it was on here before now I think about.
No idea of the timeframe

[danperkins]

That's it for me too. Everybody always puts Coutinho high up the pitch but for me he's much better further back with more players in front of him to pick out those lovely passes he makes. Play him in the midfield and have loads of movement ahead of him. Agree on Can too, don't see where he gets in our best 11. Tough aways maybe have Lucas in there with Milner and Hendo in front and Firmino on the bench.

So this.

---------------Mig---------------
--Clyne---Skrtel--Sakho--Moreno
----------Milner/Lucas------------- >> Depending on the opposition
---Hendo-----------Coutinho-
------------Firmino-----
-------Sturridge--Benteke-----

I like the line but disagree on Coutinho, his shooting is unreal. If he gets into a good position he will have a pop and the guy has an amazing strike of a ball. IMO with two strikers ahead of him and workers behind him, that's the perfect position for him.

He can pick out either Benteke/Sturridge/Firmino & if Henderson is actually allowed to play his natural game he will make late runs into the box and provide another outlet for Coutinho.

Whatever formation Rodgers plays, he has to play two up top. But sure **** knows what way he's going to set us up.

[Norbs]

I can't stand him but it's difficult to disagree with much of what Redknapp said.

We've played two of his teams and he's angry about the Bournemouth defeat. If we'd played that game against Watford I doubt he'd have bothered winding down the car window to chat with the reporter

[G]

I like the line but disagree on Coutinho, his shooting is unreal. If he gets into a good position he will have a pop and the guy has an amazing strike of a ball. IMO with two strikers ahead of him and workers behind him, that's the perfect position for him.

He can pick out either Benteke/Sturridge/Firmino & if Henderson is actually allowed to play his natural game he will make late runs into the box and provide another outlet for Coutinho.

Whatever formation Rodgers plays, he has to play two up top. But sure **** knows what way he's going to set us up.

I'm not asking him to not shoot he's in midfield not in goal. Not so long ago he was getting panned for his shooting. He's capable of worldies but then equally capable of fluffing the simple ones as we've seen this season already. He'll be most dangerous in the middle imo, lads to hit ahead of him and is still part of the attack just like Henderson. Those 5 and Milner too are all dangers to opposition teams.

[Shaggy]

I agree. I've no qualms at all with him in the 10 role, but I reckon we can maximise his quality in that kind of number 8 position....a bit deeper. Get him as involved as we possibly can.