Brendan Rodgers

[marcus50bucks]

Yep patience is the key. It is absolutely ludicrious to even consider sacking him at this stage. I see no logic whatsoever. If people want to review him at the end of the season that's fine by me. Personally, I'd give him another season to see if he can learn from his mistakes. He deserves that imo before people completely write him off.

[Shaggy]

Brendan Rodgers warns Liverpool players to forge winning mentality or face Anfield exit

Tbf that's pretty honest - no sense in buttering up where we are - we just need to be patient & get rid of the deadwood like Downing

To be honest I'm not into that - sure the players haven't been good enough but nor has he. I know he's not going to sit there and tell the world he's been poor, that his tactics are not working, that regardless of personnel and form opposition players walk through our midfield time and time again. But it grates with me a little. Yes our players need more of a winning mentality, but so does he. He is not a proven winner, he seems satisfied by Swansea-esque mid-table comfort, and he never takes any responsibility himself.

[Vermilion]

At this stage it's all just words to me now.

I know BR can talk the talk, and tbh...most managers can and i've heard it all before.

We lurch from one good BR talk to another, while on the pitch we are still inconsistant, and all the while sides with lesser players get better results.

We need to string 3 wins together, and fast.

[Fredo]

To be honest I'm not into that - sure the players haven't been good enough but nor has he. I know he's not going to sit there and tell the world he's been poor, that his tactics are not working, that regardless of personnel and form opposition players walk through our midfield time and time again. But it grates with me a little. Yes our players need more of a winning mentality, but so does he. He is not a proven winner, he seems satisfied by Swansea-esque mid-table comfort, and he never takes any responsibility himself.

He said in a long interview before Christmas that he made mistakes. Maybe he should become more pragmatic I don't know but I don't buy into 'he is not a proven winner' argument. Someone has to start somewhere before winning.

[Tee]

To be honest I'm not into that - sure the players haven't been good enough but nor has he. I know he's not going to sit there and tell the world he's been poor, that his tactics are not working, that regardless of personnel and form opposition players walk through our midfield time and time again. But it grates with me a little. Yes our players need more of a winning mentality, but so does he. He is not a proven winner, he seems satisfied by Swansea-esque mid-table comfort, and he never takes any responsibility himself.

Same attitude to his recruitment IMO

[marcus50bucks]

He said in a long interview before Christmas that he made mistakes. Maybe he should become more pragmatic I don't know but I don't buy into 'he is not a proven winner' argument. Someone has to start somewhere before winning.

He definitely needs to be more pragmatic especially away from home. I'd take a few boring 1-0 wins ala George Graham style.

[Shaggy]

He said in a long interview before Christmas that he made mistakes. Maybe he should become more pragmatic I don't know but I don't buy into 'he is not a proven winner' argument. Someone has to start somewhere before winning.

Did he? Fair enough if so.

And yes people have to start somewhere - I'm just not comfortable with people learning on the job at Liverpool FC. I'd prefer we weren't a training course for up and coming managers.

Same attitude to his recruitment IMO

[Fredo]

Did he? Fair enough if so.

And yes people have to start somewhere - I'm just not comfortable with people learning on the job at Liverpool FC. I'd prefer we weren't a training course for up and coming managers.

Link

[marcus50bucks]

Cracking post!

Shockingly, the calls for Roy's head still took time to come in spite of knowing precisely what would happen from 30 years of experience or whatever the **** the number was at the time. You're right though, it's set a bloody bad example because now people look to it and think it's normal. It isn't, it's utterly abhorrent but it was depressing to see people calling for Rodgers' head on here within a few minutes of the match ending last night. You could see a group building up their little slanted portfolios of evidence to throw out and then justify doing it. 'Look at the money he's wasted - not one of his signings was in the first eleven' was a true belter. There's an element in our support who give us manic depressives a bad rep - there's a real mid-table mentality on display, not from those counselling patience, but from those who think a win means we'll win the league (or get top 4) or those who think a loss means that we need to write off everything and start again. It's unhealthy. And they need to grow up or **** off because the club really won't be able to do anything going forwards when torn between those two daft extremes.

That's not saying all criticism is unfair or even unhealthy. And that's the kicker - there's enough things to mull over and discuss without the ludicrous stuff. There's been some great posts about the details recently, real food for thought which can help inform opinion. Rodgers has made mistakes. He'll make more mistakes. Every manager does. Maybe he'll make more than others. (Do wish at times we had gone for Van Gaal because I could write some people's complaining posts for them in advance - those aren't knuckles dragging on the floors but their agendas being dusted off). But we either stick with him and see him right and give him the support and demonstrate that actually we are willing to eat some ****e as part of a bigger plan. Or we emphasise to the world that we've become everything we used to despise and mock. A revisit to Spurs in the 80s or any other of the big clubs who figured sacking the manager at the sign of every dark cloud would propel them forward rather than entrenching their decline. And we'll do it in 120 characters or less because big posts, long sentences and anything which requires more than a glance is now beyond our sub-neanderthal comprehension.

Rodgers may well not be the one who'll get it right. There's no guarantees that he will. And if he doesn't, I'm sure we'll be deluged with those who pop out of the woodwork after every setback telling the world that they got it right first. He'll definitely not get it right if we start agitating for his head. Know some say they didn't see it, but it's started already. We've got to Christmas, so that's patient enough right? Not seeing what the options are. Short term fixes are always tempting, but there's no realistic short term fix for us which doesn't involve ludicrous amounts of spending funded by petrodollars. We can certainly get a short term bounce, and I think Rodgers is going to be hellishly tempted to go for one to buy himself some time, but the same people'll still be back having a moan about how we're not playing in the right way. Seen it before. They're predictable. Their attitude towards football is the same as Chelsea's owner - "I want that team - in the right colour kit - and now".

The irony is that some of these same people were the ones who agitated against the man they'd now welcome back with open arms. Booed and whipped themselves into a fury against the manager of a team which went top of the table. Bitched and moaned about two defensive midfielders and playing teams on their merits. The sad thing is that those who'll kick against the pricks are just getting fed up of it and are opting out. It's draining their love for the club and the game. Still of the opinion that whilst relegation and a complete financial meltdown would have been a terrible thing to wish on the club it would have really cleaned out some of the idiocy which has gathered around the club. A long time really is a week now. A month has become an eternity. We let the genie out of the bottle with our campaigns. Sad that when we unite we're such a force for the good at times, but that same power is at risk of destroying everything worth preserving about us. We need to shape up as a support or **** off. Because we've become a parody of ourselves the past few years.

[Fredo]

Link

21 minutes mark by the way. He assesses his performance up to before the Villa game (he's speaking after the Villa game).

[Shaggy]

I'll take your word for it.

[Fredo]

I'll take your word for it.

No please don't. Listen to him. Maybe some people will relax a little bit afterwards.

[el matador]

That's a good article.

I think it was redknapp who said recently that making changes to a team is like doing maintenance work to an aeroplane that's mid flight. The plane can't be stopped and you just have to do your best to make improvements as its in the air.

We need changes but at a club like ours we still need to be getting results. There is no down time. The euros didn't help Rodgers at all either. He had less time with the major players to get his ideas across.

A full pre season with nearly everyone there could have made a big difference to our understanding of the philosophy, results and Rodgers understanding about the players individually and their capabilities.

[Neil Young]

I think Rodgers is right to have said what he said.

[Shaggy]

No please don't. Listen to him. Maybe some people will relax a little bit afterwards.

No. I struggle listening to him now - after initially being impressed. And also...that's TAW isn't it? No ****ing thanks.