Brendan Rodgers

[Yozza]

I think your last two posts are excellent, apart for this part.

There are fewer teams who are as awful to watch as Birmingham under McLeish but in terms of results there are a number of teams in the division who are probably as bad or worse - Southampton, Reading and QPR are all hopeless this season. I don't see Everton as being different in quality (relative or absolute) than they have been in recent years. We'll have to see how Swansea and West Brom do over a whole season. A few years ago people said the same about Villa under O'Neill.

My feeling is that Rodgers has made a significant tactical error in not looking to get more forwards in. More goals are being scored and teams are looking to attack more which means that in order to compete we need to score more than we did even a few years ago. I'm sure he's becoming aware of that an how he responds in January will make a big difference to his/our long term future IMO.

[Kenneth]

[Tee]

Yozza is on form today, beware!!

[Yozza]

Yozza is on form today, beware!!

No offence to anyone but I'm still a little pissed from last night - probably not a good idea coming on here!

[Darkon]

I think your last two posts are excellent, apart for this part.

There are fewer teams who are as awful to watch as Birmingham under McLeish but in terms of results there are a number of teams in the division who are probably as bad or worse - Southampton, Reading and QPR are all hopeless this season. I don't see Everton as being different in quality (relative or absolute) than they have been in recent years. We'll have to see how Swansea and West Brom do over a whole season. A few years ago people said the same about Villa under O'Neill.

My feeling is that Rodgers has made a significant tactical error in not looking to get more forwards in. More goals are being scored and teams are looking to attack more which means that in order to compete we need to score more than we did even a few years ago. I'm sure he's becoming aware of that an how he responds in January will make a big difference to his/our long term future IMO.

Didn't he though? As far as I can remember we were link with several forwards during the end of the transfer window, and one of them, Dempsey, was even getting close at one point. Think it was Ayre saying that there just wasn't any good value for money so all deals collapsed on that. Not really a strategic error of Rodgers if that's the case.

But regardless, as you say, it will be very interesting to see how January goes for us.

[dww]

Didn't he though? As far as I can remember we were link with several forwards during the end of the transfer window, and one of them, Dempsey, was even getting close at one point. Think it was Ayre saying that there just wasn't any good value for money so all deals collapsed on that. Not really a strategic error of Rodgers if that's the case.

But regardless, as you say, it will be very interesting to see how January goes for us.

It seems an issue of priorities to me. If you come in and get signings for Assaidi, Allen and Borini. Only one of those is even a potential goalscorer. If it is THE most important problem with the squad you shouldn't have only one possible solution that goes to the wire on transfer deadline day. I can't see that there weren't options other than Dempsey available in the world of football.

I think that midfield is an important area in Rodgers formation but he didn't sort that out either. I really think it was a pretty average/poor set of signings for us - even if I think the individual players are pretty good.

[Vermilion]

I think BR expected Borini to chip in with a few goals tbh.

[Darkon]

It seems an issue of priorities to me. If you come in and get signings for Assaidi, Allen and Borini. Only one of those is even a potential goalscorer. If it is THE most important problem with the squad you shouldn't have only one possible solution that goes to the wire on transfer deadline day. I can't see that there weren't options other than Dempsey available in the world of football.

I think that midfield is an important area in Rodgers formation but he didn't sort that out either. I really think it was a pretty average/poor set of signings for us - even if I think the individual players are pretty good.

As i recall we were after other targets, just not that got the media attention and got as close as Dempsey. And of course it hasn't helped that Borini got injured so early in.

But to me it sounds a bit retrospective as well though. The striker area is arguably our weakest area right now, but say we didn't sign Allen and Assaidi and had two more strikers instead, we would have looked weak in midfield and discussed that instead. Without Allen we would have looked very weak in midfield with Lucas injured. And an essential element of scoring goals is to be able to get the ball in good spaces and get it forward, and in the passing system we are implementing it's essential to have ball strong midfielders. It's a bit like when people keep calling for a striker to be put on when you are trailing, but what you in many cases need is a midfielder to come in to gain control of the ball in the first place to set up goals.

Plus I doubt we could have gotten much striker for the price of Assaidi but that is another topic.

[Darkon]

P.S. I agree 100% that we needed an extra striker and we still do. We could really use one with some poacher like abilities atm.

[The Birdman]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers sign Sturridge on a loan in Jan until the end of the season with a fixed price to buy at the end of it of say £10m.

Don't think he as good as some think so I would be a bit meh about signing him but he does get goals.

[dom9]

Get Torres in on loan.

[Shaggy]

Brendan Rodgers on Suso: "I've asked him to play in that false winger, that seven-and-a-half role, where he's more on the inside."

*cringe*

[Assassin]

False 7

[Pablo]

Brendan Rodgers on Suso: "I've asked him to play in that false winger, that seven-and-a-half role, where he's more on the inside."

*cringe*

The seven-and-a-half role? move over false nine, your time is up!

[Tee]

Seven and a half?