Brendan Rodgers

[G]

Because we think he's better than at least two of the ones we've got maybe. Maybe they feel pepe doesn't justify his wages and want a cheaper option and will sell pepe. No idea really, but I don't believe its just for ****s and giggles, or because we have a keeper collecting fetish.

Yeah well that's what I said. If we sign him then it's for a purpose and I believe that purpose to be replacing Reina simply because it will inflate our budget, sell Pepe, buy a cheaper replacement on less wages, add the difference to our transfer budget.

I don't know for sure of course but if it turns out that way I wouldn't be happy with it unless the replacement was a proven goalkeeper in a top league which this lad isn't.

[G]

Pepe hasn't looked happy for a long time, maybe the club thinks the time is right to cash in

I think they feel if they sell now, given his form, it wouldn't cause quite the ruckass it would have caused 12 months ago so nows the time to cash in.

It's the reason for a sale which is interesting to me. I'm looking forward to finding it out if and when it occurs

[peekay]

It's also worth remembering that Kenny didn't have European football to get in the way. Unlike Roy & Rodgers.

Tbh, I'm not sure there is too much difference between all three managers. They've all made big errors. Roy was a fool who didn't get the Liverpool way, Kenny understood it more than anyone ever will. Rodgers is saying the right things.

But on the pitch, whilst there are different levels of entertainment, they have all pretty much got shocking results. It could be argued that all three got it wrong in the transfer market and didn't give themselves the best possible chance. But regardless, all three have failed with a certain set of "world class" players.

I don't think any of the three are bad managers, they're just not geniuses which is probably required to do anything with that load of tosh we pay wages for.

Good players, but weak minded and its ridiculous to see them cave in when the tide turns during a game.

Good post.

I would also like to reiterate a point made by dww in another thread. Rodger’s system is suffering greatly from a chronic lack of firepower upfront in the sense that it is making our midfield and defense look weaker. We are much more easier to defend against due to our inability to score which gives the opposition confidence and drains the confidence away from the rest of the team. The increased pressure on the midfield and the defense make us more susceptible to mistakes and counter attacks.

Of course I wouldn’t absolve Brendan totally of the blame also. We invested a decent sum in the summer on Allen, Borini, Assaidi, and Sahin ( I rate all of the signings by the way). I think from a long term perspective they will all turn out to be good signings. However I think he should have invested it on one more forward.

The January transfer window is key. I know Sturridge is almost certain. But I wish instead of attempting to spend 5-6 million on Ince, we spend 7.5 million on Ba. The drunk bacon face at Mancs in a sense is showing us the way to move up the table – Rooney, Hernandez, Wellbeck, Van Persie. Now they are consistently linked to Lewandowski. Have goalthreats with movement and intelligence upfront and then the lack of control or bite or aerial dominance in the central defense will start mattering less and less.

Rodgers will get till the end of the season. I think the trajectory the team displayed at the end of the season will determine his fate. Houllier was sacked despite qualifying for the CL because it was obvious to everyone that he had taken the team as far as he can. Kenny’s team was on a downward trajectory in the second half of the PL season which caused his departure.

From a public opinion perspective also I think FSG will think twice before sacking Rodgers. They took a brave decision to appoint him when LVG and Rafa were available. So I think he will get a little bit more leeway.

On your last point, I have started to feel we have, or atleast I personally have overrated some of our "world class" players. This is now the fourth manager they are underperforming for. Maybe they are not as good as I ( or several of the fans) imagine them to be.

[Norbs]

If we sign Butland it would be a bizarre move. From what I've seen his kicking is awful.

Wasn't Pepe annoyed that he was discouraged from kicking/throwing the ball.out quickly. Seems that a good kick isn't necessarily that important to BR

[Norbs]

I think they feel if they sell now, given his form, it wouldn't cause quite the ruckass it would have caused 12 months ago.

It's the reason for the sale which is interesting to me. I'm looking forward to finding it out.

Much more fun than being a city fan

I wonder if that £20m valuation is still there. He's not worth that now so anyone prepared to pay that and it's reasonable business.

[G]

On your last point, I have started to feel we have, or atleast I personally have overrated some of our "world class" players. This is now the fourth manager they are underperforming for. Maybe they are not as good as I ( or several of the fans) imagine them to be.

We all seen threads on here and other forums saying something along the lines of

We have Pepe, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Gerrard and Suarez, it's the spine of a great team etc etc

It hasn't showed it for a while though, if indeed they ever showed it as a group, as individuals some of them have shown it in the past and Suarez in the present.

Either they aren't as good as we thought or the managers weren't getting the best from them for whatever reasons, different for each one I assume.

[Fredo]

Wasn't Pepe annoyed that he was discouraged from kicking/throwing the ball.out quickly. Seems that a good kick isn't necessarily that important to BR

Was he? If so this is news to me.

[Mattshark]

we were talking about marking posts at corners which is about as basic as it can get.

if you factor in how good stoke are at set pieces it would seem a given. I mean that's basic stuff.

I was angry after the stoke defeat and stand by everything I said. We can put up with bad results as long as you see progress on the pitch. But there isn't any.

No, men on the posts is an option, it is not he only way.

[Fredo]

El Mat should apply for the job. He's clearly clued up on the basics and Rodgers clearly isn't.

[Alex]

No, men on the posts is an option, it is not he only way.

I personally don't like it, and I think stats back up that there isn't much of a statistical difference either way.

[Neil Young]

Was he? If so this is news to me.

You need a good kick.

No, men on the posts is an option, it is not he only way.

It means sacrificing something else since, contrary to popular belief, you don't have two men doing nothing at corners who could otherwise be gainfully employed marking pieces of wood. It seems to me that's the basic issue here.

[Mattshark]

I personally don't like it, and I think stats back up that there isn't much of a statistical difference either way.

It is another thing obsessed over by British journo's though. The love of man marking and men on the posts.

You need a good kick.




It means sacrificing something else since, contrary to popular belief, you don't have two men doing nothing at corners who could otherwise be gainfully employed marking pieces of wood. It seems to me that's the basic issue here.

[Muddled]

I would also like to reiterate a point made by dww in another thread. Rodger’s system is suffering greatly from a chronic lack of firepower upfront in the sense that it is making our midfield and defense look weaker. We are much more easier to defend against due to our inability to score which gives the opposition confidence and drains the confidence away from the rest of the team. The increased pressure on the midfield and the defense make us more susceptible to mistakes and counter attacks.

I made a similar point under Kenny's reign; if we conceded first, we lacked the belief that we had goals in our team to turn the result around. The Aston Villa game highlights something similar under Rodgers' tenure - we deserved to be going in at half time with a healthy lead, instead, Villa always knew they were in the game and had to take any chances that came their way. Once that chance was taken, we'd lose our shape and they could pick us a part on the counter, whilst we continued to look impotent upfront.

I think it's also necessary to point out that we can't blame our defensive frailties on our lack of potency in attack; our defence is shoddy because of the space behind our full-backs and our whole defensive line getting pulled in towards the ball. The issue is further exacerbated by a static midfield that has very little shape and allows the opposition to run off them with ease.

That said, I believe Rodgers is the person to turn this around. Whilst I did believe that we would be seeing some of the traits expected from a Rodgers team by now, I can kinda understand why we aren't.

The majority of us all knew the task at hand in the pre-season and expectation was set accordingly. However, with passion running high in the aftermath of *another* demoralising defeat, I can fully understand posters getting caught up in the heat of the moment or in the pain of defeat.

Although, that said, I would hope that time would heal and would have helped to iron out some of the stuff parped in this thread.

[Neil Young]

Wise words, Muddled.

[el matador]

No, men on the posts is an option, it is not he only way.

if you're playing against teams that don't have a big aerial threat fine don't put two men on the posts use one near post instead because statistically that's the most dangerous area to defend.

But stoke are very good in the air so it makes sense to mark posts at corners. You're not going to win every header so why not put more protection on the line and try to pick up the second balls or knockdowns instead.