Brendan Rodgers

[Daniel 7]

Dan why were you depressed watching us under kenny.

Hodgson I understand but kenny had us playing some really nice football. The pass and move stuff was supertb at times.

Again problems go back to goal scoring and dont forget we hit the woodwork nearly 40 times. The backend wasnt good though.

I didn't think we were moving in the right direction under Kenny. I thought the signings were poor and I was never convinced going into a game that the same level of meticulous preparation we had under Rafa was being carried out.

With Rafa, I felt confident he had the tactical knowhow to prepare for whoever we were playing, that whatever happened - he'd have a plan for it. I just didn't get that same confidence from Dalglish.

I was looking at our midfield and feeling despair more than depression. Downing, Adam and Spearing were players that should be at Middlesbro, not in the best midfield in the world. Compare the potential of Allen, Lucas and Sahin to what we had in there this time last year. (I know Lucas was unavailable for a lot of the seaon, but give me Allen out of position over Spearing any day).

Up front we sign a big galoot to lump the ball up to - if Hodgson had made that signing we wouldn't have been surprised, with Kenny I couldn't believe it. Sure, it wasn't Andy Carroll's fault Liverpool paid all that money for him. It was Dalglish's and it never should have happened.

The players we were being linked to didn't inspire confidence either. Diame? No thanks.

Thats just a few reasons. I could go on, but the post would be too long for anyone to pay attention to.

[Lecter]

Perhaps we got the wrong man in the summer, Steve Clarke is doing a very good job so far at West Brom.

To some extent this is a pertinent point

Rodgers has inherited a far superior squad than Clarke did at West Brom

Sometimes its about getting the best out of what you have got

[Kenneth]

And maybe Clarke has gone in and basically said carry on doing what you've been doing in the main, not changed much and they having their best form early in the season. I think Rodgers is right that to be genuinely successful with our means we need to take a risk and try something else.

[dww]

And maybe Clarke has gone in and basically said carry on doing what you've been doing in the main, not changed much and they having their best form early in the season. I think Rodgers is right that to be genuinely successful with our means we need to take a risk and try something else.

He has to be judged on his results long term. I'm not his biggest fan but I really feel there is insufficient evidence to judge his way of working at this stage. Despite my reservations about some aspects of his approach I really feel that he needs to be given time to implement his vision.

[Vermilion]

And maybe Clarke has gone in and basically said carry on doing what you've been doing in the main, not changed much and they having their best form early in the season. I think Rodgers is right that to be genuinely successful with our means we need to take a risk and try something else.

It's very much more of the same, Clarke said himself he went in there, and looked at the team, things like the defence were sorted, he didn't have to tell them a thing they all knew what to do, it had been drilled into them by Roy.

I don't think he's changed much at all.

Agree that we are a totally different animal for a manager, different expectations, measurments of success, and most of all pressure to win and compete at the very top, with clubs like Chelsea, City, Madrid, Barca, that is our benchmark, and so our progress is measured by that standard.

All that makes managing us a whole different ball game. (not literally )

[dww]

It's very much more of the same, Clarke said himself he went in there, and looked at the team, things like the defence were sorted, he didn't have to tell them a thing they all knew what to do, it had been drilled into them by Roy.

I don't think he's changed much at all.

Agree that we are a totally different animal for a manager, different expectations, measurments of success, and most of all pressure to win and compete at the very top, with clubs like Chelsea, City, Madrid, Barca, that is our benchmark, and so our progress is measured by that standard.

All that makes managing us a whole different ball game. (not literally )

Sounds a bit like the foundations Wenger found at Arsenal. I have to say I remain slightly sceptical about the way Rodgers has built his team on midfield rather than attack or defence. It seems like the hard way of doing things to me.

[Vermilion]

Sounds a bit like the foundations Wenger found at Arsenal. I have to say I remain slightly sceptical about the way Rodgers has built his team on midfield rather than attack or defence. It seems like the hard way of doing things to me.

Brendan is different, of that i have no doubt.

Tbh i just think it's the way the signings have gone, with players he desperately wanted like Joe Allen, and with a certain amount of funds available.

He's now talking about bringing in 3 strikers, so is well aware of what's needed, Dempsey not joining also skewed the balance of the side more.

[Lecter]

And maybe Clarke has gone in and basically said carry on doing what you've been doing in the main, not changed much and they having their best form early in the season. I think Rodgers is right that to be genuinely successful with our means we need to take a risk and try something else.

See this is one of the problems I have with Rodgers

His goal / vision is one I agree with, I just feel how he is going about getting there is wrong

[Maxiedge]

When we played West Brom fiest game of the season, although we lost, I quite clearly remember thinking at the time, I would much rather have played the way we did rather than West Brom as it boded for a much better season.

It hasn't turned out like that yet, unfortunately.

[Vermilion]

When we played West Brom fiest game of the season, although we lost, I quite clearly remember thinking at the time, I would much rather have played the way we did rather than West Brom as it boded for a much better season.

It hasn't turned out like that yet, unfortunately.

For the same reasons as before, too many missed chances.

So, we'll buy some strikers.

I don't see us as being so far away really, a couple more wins, which tbh we should have had and we'd be well up the table, so long as we get the next couple of windows and signings right.

I have no problem with BR taking time to think how he'll spend the money, he knew Allen and Borini so they were obvious early signings, for him.

Now he knows he needs quality players to be up front with Suarez, lets see how he solves the problem, and if he can bring us more goals, which imo is all we need to push on, we create chances that most top goal scorers would love.

This is just his 2nd window in JAN remember, with most of the first being spent shipping players out.

[Daniel 7]

This is just his 2nd window in JAN remember, with most of the first being spent shipping players out.

And sabotaged by a baffled FSG

[el matador]

im going to say what some others might be thinking. i might get slated but i dont give a ****.

im not at all convinced by this formation. I like brendan rodgers and his ideas about football and developing players but im struggling to see how 433 formation will work. People keep saying that he cant play the way he wants to because lucas is injured but for me thats not right either.

Its taking an eternity for the team to get to grips with how the manager wants them to play but some of these lads have played under different managers with different approaches to tactics at all levels of football.

reina, agger, skrtel, johnson, gerrard and lucas all played under rafa and all are international players. The others like downing, henderson, assaidi, suarez, coates are all full internationals and they arent as thick as some make them out to be. All the english lads played under capello who is a task master when it comes to tactical discipline and shape. These lads understand tactics and systems.

I think its a formation / tactics issue than a squad one. Yes we dont have the best squad in the league but you need to ask the question as to how many of our players are being played in correct positions, reina played under rafa as a sweeper keeper but the defence is still pretty deep so he cant really do that.

johnson a right back at left back, two centre backs fine, wisdom a central defender at right back. henderson - everywhere but central midfield even ****ing right back, downing being a natural left winger playing inverted right winger, suarez plays best off the front man being played at the apex but doing well.

Gerrard being our best playmaker and finisher being played deeper if a suarez pass to shelvey infront of goal had gone to gerrard that would be 2-1, sahin being a deeper player being played at the apex of the three midfielders in support of the front man. Suso being a natural off the front man type who plays in the hole playing on the right and having to cut in onto his left. Allen being played at the base of the defensive midfield where he plays better as the one in front of the base player.

I understand that some of these changes are enforced but we have six of seven of 11 playing out of position just so we can stick to this 433 philosophy. There comes a point in time when you just cannot keep sacrificing points just to play the way you want. Rafa played the 4231 at valencia when he tore the league apart but when he came to us he played 442 or 451 in his first season or two because he knew we didnt have the players to play that way. we still have to pick up points.

This is a ****ing **** league. apart from chelsea, utd and city all the chasing pack are all rubbish. We've got a massive chance of finishing top 4 because arsenal look worse than we do, spurs are constantly up and down, newcastle havent been ripping up any trees and even everton are inconsistent.

We want to see progress but if we finish 11th and get knocked out of every cup competition early how can that be judged as progress ? how many of us will go into next season feeling positive ?

i like the manager but he needs to be a bit more realistic and flexible. there is no such thing as carte blanche at big clubs and you cant write a season off. But i think if we revert back to the 4231 we played under rafa we could finish fourth.

its there for us but we have to be bold in our choices.

[Corndog]

i completely disagree, the formation and style is fine, the team has dominated many games this season and had more than enough chances to win. it is the same problem as last year (when everybody was moaning that the problem was a 4-4-2 formation), there is not enough consistent goal scorers even suarez (who has held his end of the bargain up by scoring consistenly) is very wasteful in front of goal.

the talk of differences between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 is rubbish imo, both sterling borini and whoever else has been on the flanks this season has dropped back in defense very well (effectively making it 4-2-3-1) and then in attack they obviously push further up the field as do the fullbacks. very few good teams now-a-days stick rigidly to any one formation, rather they adapt to the flow of the game whether they be dominating or under pressure.

formation talk is relevant but its over-analysed imo, intelliegent runs that find space, good decision making about whether to pass or shoot or where to pass are more important factors about whether a game is won or not, that has not changed since the first game was ever played and it will never change, i wouldn't say you necessarily need to be dominant in possesion in every game but it obviously helps. if a team is shackled rigidly to a formation in attack they lack creativity and become predictable.

i don't think LFC has made many good decisions when it comes to play in and around the box, and i think like last year it all becomes a bit predictable because the play is too slow when attacking. we create very few clear cut chances which the team did very well when Torres was up top, he got so many goals from one-on-ones.

Suarez probably does not have the raw pace to make the same sorts of runs as Torres and most of the time now, the team does not go out there to hit opponents on the counter where there is alot of space between the backline and keeper.

As for the premierleague being a **** league bar utd city and chavski, that is quite an arrogant and misleading view imo. the league is the most competitive in the whole world, spurs, arsenal,newcastle and everton have good squads, spurs, city, newcastle and everton all have far superior squads than they did 5 years ago.

[Yozza]

[el matador]

i completely disagree, the formation and style is fine, the team has dominated many games this season and had more than enough chances to win. it is the same problem as last year (when everybody was moaning that the problem was a 4-4-2 formation), there is not enough consistent goal scorers even suarez (who has held his end of the bargain up by scoring consistenly) is very wasteful in front of goal.

the talk of differences between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 is rubbish imo, both sterling borini and whoever else has been on the flanks this season has dropped back in defense very well (effectively making it 4-2-3-1) and then in attack they obviously push further up the field as do the fullbacks. very few good teams now-a-days stick rigidly to any one formation, rather they adapt to the flow of the game whether they be dominating or under pressure.

formation talk is relevant but its over-analysed imo, intelliegent runs that find space, good decision making about whether to pass or shoot or where to pass are more important factors about whether a game is won or not, that has not changed since the first game was ever played and it will never change, i wouldn't say you necessarily need to be dominant in possesion in every game but it obviously helps. if a team is shackled rigidly to a formation in attack they lack creativity and become predictable.

i don't think LFC has made many good decisions when it comes to play in and around the box, and i think like last year it all becomes a bit predictable because the play is too slow when attacking. we create very few clear cut chances which the team did very well when Torres was up top, he got so many goals from one-on-ones.

Suarez probably does not have the raw pace to make the same sorts of runs as Torres and most of the time now, the team does not go out there to hit opponents on the counter where there is alot of space between the backline and keeper.

As for the premierleague being a **** league bar utd city and chavski, that is quite an arrogant and misleading view imo. the league is the most competitive in the whole world, spurs, arsenal,newcastle and everton have good squads, spurs, city, newcastle and everton all have far superior squads than they did 5 years ago.

we actuallly dont create that many clear cut chances.

suarez creates his own chances but we've nothing from the fullback positions and not a lot from wide forward players sterling and suso. We look good until the final third and then its all sub standard.

On paper there isnt a big difference between 4231 and 433 but there is between the 4231 we're used to and rodgers 433. Huge differences.