Brendan Rodgers

[Maxiedge]

We're exciting to watch again but I'm not sure if it's because of our free flowing attacking football or the fact that we can concede at any given moment

[Sarb]

Imo, it's because the sheer proportion of those mistakes which lead to clear cut chances and goals. There are 10s, if not 100s of mistakes in every game. But when ours happen, we're left wide open with gaping holes in pitch which generally only need to be exploited by one or two players on the break. We were having the same debates in the Autumn, and to an extent things were tightened up. But now we seem to be regressing.

To me, that has got to be down to tactics and the way the team is set up. And it's BR's biggest weakness to date, and not, as some might say, whether he talks like David Brent or not.

Cool. I understand

Would you blame Rodgers for Agger letting Giroud go when we were 2 nil up at Emirates pretty much straight after we made it 2 nil? Also, was Agger or Rodgers at fault for the first WBA goal on Monday? I'd blame Agger for both and not sure it has much to do with tactics. Agger was also pretty lazy against City for the Dzeko goal. The guy's concentration is piss poor to be honest. That's a hell of a lot of points. Not sure you can blame Rodgers for Reina going awol either. All those are down to the individual making basic errors and much less to do with our set-up. Just my view anyway

[Shaggy]

Other teams have moved on and improved since then as well though haven't they and we've had a pretty traumatic time on and off the pitch since then too? It's easy to say in that year we were in that position and look at where we are now. The whole circumstance and situation of the club has changed. If you're going to bring in a young manager and take a long-term view, it's pointless if the fans aren't going to take a long term view either and judge a manager after 6 months. Just isn't going to work.

It was a far more traumatic time then. Clearly. Hicks & Gillett, ****ing Purslow etc. Now we have owners who are backing the manager and a much better state of affairs off the pitch.

edit - though I clearly agree with the long term view etc. We can't judge Rodgers now - although as Pablo has talked about before, anyone denying that they are forming impressions of him (good or bad) is a liar. Mine aren't very good but I remain open to being convinced.

[dom9]

Cool. I understand

Would you blame Rodgers for Agger letting Giroud go when we were 2 nil up at Emirates pretty much straight after we made it 2 nil? Also, was Agger or Rodgers at fault for the first WBA goal on Monday? I'd blame Agger for both and not sure it has much to do with tactics. Agger was also pretty lazy against City for the Dzeko goal. The guy's concentration is piss poor to be honest. That's a hell of a lot of points. Not sure you can blame Rodgers for Reina going awol either. All those are down to the individual making basic errors and much less to do with our set-up. Just my view anyway

It's difficult to assign that sort of blame for individual goals. If the team was set up differently, maybe the situations wouldn't have presented themselves in the same way. There may have been a covering defender or midfielder in situ for example. Or the ball may have been won further up the pitch. It's impossible to know. But what you can do is to look at trends. And the trend for this season is that there are more individual mistakes which have led to decisive situations and goals. How you intepret that, I don't know. Maybe Neil can help.


Hahaha..... Just as I was typing that, Tribulations by LCD Soundsystem came on my iPod. Here are the opening lines.

Everybody makes mistakes
but i feel alright when i come undone
you are not making me wait
but it seems alright as long as something's happening

[Maxiedge]

It was a far more traumatic time then. Clearly. Hicks & Gillett, ****ing Purslow etc. Now we have owners who are backing the manager and a much better state of affairs off the pitch.

Completely agree but it was what it was back then, which was the fact that we were playing anti-football.

If I had to take a snapshot of that team back then or the one now (in terms of future progression), I would take the team now.

[Sarb]

It was a far more traumatic time then. Clearly. Hicks & Gillett, ****ing Purslow etc. Now we have owners who are backing the manager and a much better state of affairs off the pitch.

Yep. That's true. If we are still doing the same thing in a year or so then I'll start to question the manager. I don't think he's perfect. I think he's made tactical errors for sure, but I also think the players have to take the blame for some of the howlers too. Not happy with the league position at all but can see a plan and direction of where the club is trying to go to. Invest in youth, dont pay beyond our means and invest heavily on older "past it" players. The strategy needs time to come to fruition. Maybe, like Shelvey says, I don't know what I'm talking about.

[Captain Stu]

If I had to take a snapshot of that team back then or the one now (in terms of future progression), I would take the team now.

Absolutely.

We're on our way to financial security and self sufficiency both on and off the pitch, we have better owners and a young, upcoming manager. I'm more concerned about underperforming players who may not be up to the task than I am about Rodgers.

I 100% trust Brendog.

Biggest problem surrounding Liverpool at the moment is, to be frank, gob****e fans.

[dom9]

Yep. That's true. If we are still doing the same thing in a year or so then I'll start to question the manager. I don't think he's perfect. I think he's made tactical errors for sure, but I also think the players have to take the blame for some of the howlers too. Not happy with the league position at all but can see a plan and direction of where the club is trying to go to. Invest in youth, dont pay beyond our means and invest heavily on older "past it" players. The strategy needs time to come to fruition. Maybe, like Shelvey says, I don't know what I'm talking about.

I'm starting wonder about investing youth too. It's actually a high risk strategy. You spend millions on these kids, wait up to (if you're lucky) 5 - 8 years, then see if you have any left. In meantime, 5 more trophyless years have passed.

[Sarb]

Luckily, I don't think we're getting them too young. Sturridge is a good example. We looked pretty decent when he was in the team (Oldham aside). Hopefully he will prove to be a good signing and the way we played with him in the team, will become the norm, with errors cut out

[Muddled]

A concern I have around our defensive set-up, is that I believe it's going to be over-hauled again in the summer; so any tweaks at the end of this season, are going to have to be re-taught throughout next season too. Dependent on personnel, obv - but if we do replace a goalkeeper, a left back and a centre back - we are tearing away at the foundations.

I raise this, because people are talking about giving Rodgers until the end of next season - but I genuinely think he will need another season of 'bedding in' before we can even *look* at building consistency.

[dom9]

Luckily, I don't think we're getting them too young. Sturridge is a good example. We looked pretty decent when he was in the team (Oldham aside). Hopefully he will prove to be a good signing and the way we played with him in the team, will become the norm, with errors cut out

Completely agree about Sturridge. Still early days though.

Other than him, our new signings (of all age brackets) have struggled since we signed Suarez.

[Sarb]

Absolutely.

We're on our way to financial security and self sufficiency both on and off the pitch, we have better owners and a young, upcoming manager. I'm more concerned about underperforming players who may not be up to the task than I am about Rodgers.

I 100% trust Brendog.

Biggest problem surrounding Liverpool at the moment is, to be frank, gob****e fans.

Think a lot of fans want Rafa back and that will be on the agenda again this summer as I'm pretty confident he will be on the market again

But he has said his ideal job is where he gets to invest money. He won't get shed loads here and it will become dysfunctional again. I hated all the in-fighting that was going on in his last year here. It was pretty grim

[Sarb]

A concern I have around our defensive set-up, is that I believe it's going to be over-hauled again in the summer; so any tweaks at the end of this season, are going to have to be re-taught throughout next season too. Dependent on personnel, obv - but if we do replace a goalkeeper, a left back and a centre back - we are tearing away at the foundations.

I raise this, because people are talking about giving Rodgers until the end of next season - but I genuinely think he will need another season of 'bedding in' before we can even *look* at building consistency.

It all depends doesn't it. I think Houllier bought Hyypia and Henchoz in the same summer didn't he? Did they hit the ground running, I can't remember? Sturridge has come in and hit the ground running. Granted Allen and Borini haven't (Think Allen was very good in the first couple months).

Think if you can get players who you know can play your way and fit your system, they can come in and make an immediate impact

[Captain Stu]

Think a lot of fans want Rafa back and that will be on the agenda again this summer as I'm pretty confident he will be on the market again

But he has said his ideal job is where he gets to invest money. He won't get shed loads here and it will become dysfunctional again. I hated all the in-fighting that was going on in his last year here. It was pretty grim

Nobody is good enough apart from Rafa or Kenny even though employing a 61 year old was only ever a short term move.

*sigh* yup, all the "Rafa in" crowd will be wanking themselves into a frenzy about him "coming home" this summer and further undermining our current manager.

Rafa and FSG would be a match made in hell right now, they'd have been great with the Kenny/Comolli money to spend but he'd be just like he was with H&G - publically bitching about them not giving him money during the windows, etc... Rafa can only come back under FSG if he grows up. A lot.

[dom9]

Nobody is good enough apart from Rafa or Kenny even though employing a 61 year old was only ever a short term move.

*sigh* yup, all the "Rafa in" crowd will be wanking themselves into a frenzy about him "coming home" this summer and further undermining our current manager.

Rafa and FSG would be a match made in hell right now, they'd have been great with the Kenny/Comolli money to spend but he'd be just like he was with H&G - publically bitching about them not giving him money during the windows, etc... Rafa can only come back under FSG if he grows up. A lot.

Nah, time for Ancelotti.