Brendan Rodgers

[red g]

I think Enrique has improved an awful lot in a left mid position, but lets not get carried away with Downing he has gone from Really **** to average!!

[ronanm]

I think Enrique has improved an awful lot in a left mid position, but lets not get carried away with Downing he has gone from Really **** to average!!

Some of Downing's recent comments suggest he thinks he's a world beater again.

[Shaggy]

Can't be arsed copying & pasting all of this - can't even be arsed to read it yet, but it looks interesting if you fancy tossing it off at work for a bit.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=302468.0

[ronanm]

Can't be arsed copying & pasting all of this - can't even be arsed to read it yet, but it looks interesting if you fancy tossing it off at work for a bit.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/...topic=302468.0

Thankfully, there is a summary at the end:

"From these observations, it is probably more accurate to say that, for all the talk of Tiki-Taka and copying the Barcelona template, defensively, Liverpool under Rodgers follow a pattern of containment and interception, rather than pressure and dispossession.

Because we play a slower build-up than most English teams, and work more on positional attack than attacking in the transition, setting up a block in front of the goal is not an issue in terms of running up and down the field and the resulting fatigue. This is the famous “resting on the ball”. The difference is, though, that Liverpool don’t hunt for the ball in packs, and because of that, there is less physical intensity in the defensive phase – a player might pressure hard, but once they are beaten, their job is to get into a defensive position, rather than chase the ball over the field. In the bigger picture, this allows for greater recovery over the whole of the season, and reduces injury and fatigue. Comparisons can be made to Rodgers’ Swansea team, especially in the Championship, where the league season is longer (more games).

So if Barca is not a template, then what is? The key comes from a predecessor of Guardiola – Van Gaal. Van Gaal’s ajax team of the mid 90’s followed almost the same principles of the current Liverpool team – they pressed from the nearest man, but because they played 3 at the back, they tended to use the containment from the 1st defender to allow the rest of the team to drop into their half and obtain position and shape. Their 3-4-3 would start defending from the front with one player, while the rest of the team dropped back to turn the 3-4-3 into a 5-2-3 in the midfield press, and then a 5-4-1 when inside the defensive third. Rodgers is clearly playing to certain shapes on the defending side with Liverpool, whether that is a tight 4-3-3/4-5-1, or a 4-2-3-1/4-5-1. With the lopsided 4-4-2 displayed against United (2nd half) and Norwich, this block in front of the goal should become even more obvious. It might also allow for greater defensive solidity as players begin to understand their roles and lines of recovery in each third of the field.

The defence should, by the looks of things, go from strength to strength over the coming months – and it is this factor more than the attack that might be altered during the summer months."

[Sarb]

Quite an interesting read that. I'd rather we tried to get the ball earlier than fall into shape and be attacked. Think for years we've had a habit of dropping off players and allowing them to attack us.

With Lucas coming back from injury and not fully fit and our back 4 not as pacey as would be ideal, I think the way they are saying we defend isn't ideal, especially away from home.

[danperkins]

It's amazing how all these different forms of complex tactics have come into the limelight in recent times.

Interesting article, surely opposition having a greater opportunity to create chances the closer they are to our goal? The way Barca hunt down opposition from the front is fantastic to watch and very effective. Press,press,press... close off spaces, make teams panic and force mistakes. In fact Barca are probably the only team that could handle those tactics against team as they are so incredibly comfortable on the ball. Seems to me that the only way teams can be effective against Barca is to drop deep, pack the box and play on the break. Inter & Chelsea showed that... and others have attempted to do so since then. We on the other hand concede ground and then in turn look very nervy when teams get into our final third.

We don't have the personnel at the minute IMO to play the way Rodgers wants us to.. and to be honest i'm not sure if we ever will. People mentioning his style based on the way Barca & Ajax play. FFS Barca have Messi,Iniesta,Xavi,Cesc etc & that Ajax team had Seedorf,Litmanen, Overmars,De Boer twins, Kluivert, Rijkaard. Your talking about a whole different level of talent to what we currently have.

I like the idea of the tika taka game.. but surely you have to have players that can play this effectively & productively? I'm not sure if Rodgers has a plan B or if it's just the case where he has said, this is the way i want to play, you must adapt and that is it! Reina,Skrtel,Enrique,Carra,Wisdom have struggled playing from the back. Gerrard has looked very uncomfortable playing that style also.. in recent games IMO we've seen a bit of the old Stevie i.e. long cross field rakers,bursting runs getting into the box,getting closer to goal & shooting from distance (which is something i think we all have missed).

You would imagine Lucas should fit that style and Allen... Lucas needs time to achieve full match sharpness & Allen looks petrified and panicked if any opposition close him down. I like Rodgers and i like his philosophies but IMO he has been very rigid about implementing them. Maybe AVB would still have a job at Chelsea if he wasn't such a hard ass about the way he went about trying to change Chelsea. He came in and immediately shipped the old guard out, the team suffered, he got the boot, old guard came back in & Chelsea ended up winning the treble.

Defensively we look fragile. The players apart from Agger.. clearly do not have the ability to pass the ball out from the back. My heart does be in my mouth watching us trying to pass the ball around from the back. Either ends up eventually get booted out or we give possession away and lose ground. I was of the opinion earlier in the season that Reina .. who is very good on the ball and a fantastic kicker of the ball, struggled with the quick tempo,short passing. Same as Gerrard did IMO.

I would like Rodgers to succeed, what he inherited and injuries have done him no favours but IMO he should will willing to bend a bit until such a time where we have exactly the players to play the way he wants.

[Galb]

When he spoke to the forums, our results were pretty inconsistent. In fact we've been inconsistent all season.

Just a question, when you saw the team he selected, did you expect us to struggle to win that game? I didn't. I thought we'd score a few goals and win quite easily, bearing in mind how poor the opposition were prior to that game.

Sure in hindsight he probably should have started with 3 proper midfielders and maybe Carra at CB, but I can't see Carra playing 2 games in a week. The team he sent out should have won the game. Their attitude and effort was piss poor. They are paid handsomly and he has praised them plenty to the press. They deserved a public slating in my opinion after that. He chose to give it.

Personally think there are a lot of people who jump on every single thing he says and sometimes a lot of misinterpretation/misrepresentation goes on

In fairness to him, his quotes tonight are more what I was thinking in terms of the spread of blame so fair play to him for that. Its not that I want to jump on what he says - I hope, like all of us do - that he succeeds and is here as a legend for the next 30 years. If he does, Im happy to put up with a love-in with the press as much as he likes. Its not something I like in a manager but I can also see its a useful part of the modern game (Rafa, for one, could have done with having the press on side the way 'Arry 'lets not mention the relegation' does).

And I dont think he's a bad manager. In fact, I think we'll do fine while he's here. But there are just a few niggles for me that make me concerned we'll never do more than fine. But I hope Im wrong.

[Rich]

Tactically he's a bit **** isn't he

[JohnDoe]

Has no clue how to set up a team defensively.

[Kenneth]

Has no clue how to set up a team defensively.

Apart from the first half of course. Away to Arsenal. Getting a point. What a cunt.

[Yozza]

Apart from the first half of course. Away to Arsenal. Getting a point. What a cunt.

[Imy]

Game after game same defensive mistakes - surely they would have learned by now?

[AnfieldForever]

Game after game same defensive mistakes - surely they would have learned by now?

Obviously the players haven't.

[Gibbo]

Suarez, for me, has to play more centrally. Played well for me tonight but can't influence the game as much from the wing.

I really think we need to tweak the formation.

[danperkins]

We are fragile defensively alright, still good point though.