Brendan Rodgers

[Mattshark]

Spelling skills...

Darn tootin

[kingfunk]

Poor Brendan. I'll come back next week when he will be the best again.

[el matador]

I pointed that out before the game. There were a few advocating the system we used yesterday. A little disappointed Brendan didn't see that prior to the game.

I think a few people saw that coming. I think what our best bet is at the moment is to try and keep our defence and midfield solid rather than spectacular and leave the rest to Gerrard, Suarez and sturridge.

Whenever we have tried to be too clever or innovative we have seemed to come up short. At the stage of the season and with the team going well rejigging the entire midfield seems odd.

[Bender]

Brendan Rodgers has warned Everton boss Roberto Martinez to expect a very different Liverpool side in next week's Merseyside derby compared to the one that struggled against Aston Villa.

Martinez was in the stands at Anfield on Saturday as the Reds produced a faltering first-half performance against Villa.

Rodgers' side trailed 2-0 after 36 minutes, but fought back and grabbed a draw through goals from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard.

Despite the lacklustre showing, Rodgers said: "(Martinez) will know how I work and knows how my teams work.

"But he will know it will be a totally different game here for the derby.

"It wasn't one of our better days (against Villa), but we've had many great games here."

With Liverpool tackling Everton at Anfield on 28 January, Rodgers added: "We'll be ready for the derby game for sure."
link

[el matador]

Brendan Rodgers has warned Everton boss Roberto Martinez to expect a very different Liverpool side in next week's Merseyside derby compared to the one that struggled against Aston Villa.

Martinez was in the stands at Anfield on Saturday as the Reds produced a faltering first-half performance against Villa.

Rodgers' side trailed 2-0 after 36 minutes, but fought back and grabbed a draw through goals from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard.

Despite the lacklustre showing, Rodgers said: "(Martinez) will know how I work and knows how my teams work.

"But he will know it will be a totally different game here for the derby.

"It wasn't one of our better days (against Villa), but we've had many great games here."

With Liverpool tackling Everton at Anfield on 28 January, Rodgers added: "We'll be ready for the derby game for sure."
link

[Red_Polo]

Don't geddit.

[meffin]

Me neither...

[Slinky Skills]

Congrats fella.

[Sarb]

Gonna be no different defensively fact. Lukaku will be bullying the centrebacks. Hope Sakho is back

[Yozza]

Rodgers: We're mentally fitter

They may have been games that jangled the nerves, but Liverpool's recent fixtures against Stoke City and Aston Villa served to underline Brendan Rodgers' belief his side are continually enhancing their mental resoluteness.

The Reds let slip a two-goal lead at the Britannia Stadium earlier this monrg, but ultimately emerged victorious in a topsy-turvy 5-3 victory over the Potters.

Then, on Saturday, they were required to fight back from 2-0 down to salvage a point against Villa in front of the Kop.

In both contests, Liverpool needed to dig deep to grind out the results, and during a recent interview with Liverpoolfc.com at Melwood - which you can watch in the latest edition of #LFCWORLD - Rodgers spoke about the psychological aspect of his side's evolution.

He explained: "As we've been able to work more, this season has been very important because we've been able to do a lot of work on the training field - and a lot more work behind the scenes on that mental fitness, which is important for any team.

"I think you've seen the benefits of that in the confidence and belief of the players, especially if we're ever down in games or in difficult moments. We've definitely improved in that aspect.

"Stoke was a great example. It was a game we were in control of and then lost control, in terms of the score at half-time. Then the challenge was for the players to show those characteristics we've talked about - and they responded magnificently well.

"It was a really tough game; anyone will tell you that going to Stoke on a cold day with the support they have at home and with the wind and the rain - but the players' performance and how they dug in during a difficult moment, and then to score five goals, was a great credit to them."

A mental steadfastness, Rodgers believes, is just as important to a successful side as their physical ability.

He continued: "Over the course of the time I've been here, there's been a constant evolution of the team.

"We're looking to implement and put in principles in terms of our footballing principles, but running alongside that are the personality traits and characteristics we want to put into the team - and that is something that has been growing.

"You're never going to play perfectly in every game - football is not perfect, of course - but you've got to find ways to win, and when we maybe haven't been at our best sometimes, we've still been able to get out and get the wins, which is very important."

Liverpool's last 17 league matches have yielded on average a total of four or more goals scored in each game (4.29).

So what does Rodgers believe that statistic states about his team?

"I think it tells you we play with no fear," he replied. "We're a team that wants to be on the offensive and be creative - and the players don't have a fear of that.

"It also shows we're working very, very hard because in order to score the goals and dominate the games like we try to do, you have to press the ball and work hard.

"It's something that is important for our mindset. Defensively we've still got work to do. This year the balance has been difficult because we haven't been able to have a sustained back four, which disrupts the pattern and momentum at times.

"Overall, I think our objective of being an offensive team playing attacking, creative football, but always with discipline, is something we're producing this year."

[Sarb]

Massive work to do defensively and in achieving the right balance between attack and defence. Not seen any marked improvement in our defending from last year. It is borderline comical and schoolboy'ish. I like the guy but at the moment he isnt showing that he has the ability to sort the defence.

[RichC]

In fairness how often have we managed to field our first choice back four or even a settled back four. It seemingly has been changed week after week due to injuries.

[Alex]

I pointed that out before the game. There were a few advocating the system we used yesterday. A little disappointed Brendan didn't see that prior to the game.

[PTP]

Rodgers: We're mentally fitter

but physically ****ed

[PTP]

Massive work to do defensively and in achieving the right balance between attack and defence. Not seen any marked improvement in our defending from last year. It is borderline comical and schoolboy'ish. I like the guy but at the moment he isnt showing that he has the ability to sort the defence.

In fairness how often have we managed to field our first choice back four or even a settled back four. It seemingly has been changed week after week due to injuries.

the back four has been pain all season - would be nice to just get a decent, settled back four, staying fit for a run of games, would make a hell of a difference

that said though - am i right in saying that we've conceded 2 or more goals in 8 out of our last 9 games? something like that anyway

and the one game we didn't concede two was against lower league opposition and with the back up keeper

it's worrying.