Brendan Rodgers

[Fierce]

Exactly after spending £100+ and we have no class/quality in our side

What a load of ****

[The_weatherman]

Totally agree, but our ****ed up strategy excludes some amazing players because we won't pay the wages! Go figure.

I would rather we spent £60m this summer on 2 top players and paid them the kind of salary required to secure their services. Would have made the difference to us and put us in the same bracket as the likes of Chelsea and City, rather than Spurs and Newcastle.

Its difficult to make any one judgement on the way things are done at Anfield without knowing from an insider. Some say that we can't attract top players because of the location or our recent history, some say we won't pay the wages required whilst others say its a combination of those things combined with the policy of buying young talent with one eye on future transfer value.

I personally think we'll pay good wages, just look at Mario. I'm sure that there are some very good strikers out there who'd love to earn £150k a week. The Suarez salary was a bit of a publicity stunt I think, I don't think we offered him £280k a week believing that he'd be here for long.

I agree with you completely about bringing in a couple of top class players though, the balance of players brought in never sat right with me from the off.

You'll never be able to replace Suarez, but if you added a couple of top level players to the side, it would spur on those playing around them, but none of those coming in have that factor, in fact, those players thave have come in are probably looking up to the current squad, and that's an issue in itself.

I think we are totally capable of paying good wages to attract quality players, IMO we just choose not too and we are constantly trying to be too clever in the market. All things considered we are taking bigger risks in almost every transfer than say Chelsea. We are not in the position to gamble on unknown quantities. Fact is that most of the players who are in international class perform almost straight away in the league, we always take chance on second tier players and more often than not it fails.

[danperkins]

Its difficult to make any one judgement on the way things are done at Anfield without knowing from an insider. Some say that we can't attract top players because of the location or our recent history, some say we won't pay the wages required whilst others say its a combination of those things combined with the policy of buying young talent with one eye on future transfer value.

I personally think we'll pay good wages, just look at Mario. I'm sure that there are some very good strikers out there who'd love to earn £150k a week. The Suarez salary was a bit of a publicity stunt I think, I don't think we offered him £280k a week believing that he'd be here for long.

I agree with you completely about bringing in a couple of top class players though, the balance of players brought in never sat right with me from the off.

You'll never be able to replace Suarez, but if you added a couple of top level players to the side, it would spur on those playing around them, but none of those coming in have that factor, in fact, those players thave have come in are probably looking up to the current squad, and that's an issue in itself.

[dww]

What a load of ****

There seems to be an awful lot of hyperbole around at the minute doesn't there.

I think there are a lot of very talented footballers in our team but as has been the problem for seemingly ages we have struggled to get a balanced team/squad together. I do think that Rodgers (an perhaps the management structure around him its not easy to say) have questions to answer about that.

[Pablo]

There seems to be an awful lot of hyperbole around at the minute doesn't there.

I think there are a lot of very talented footballers in our team but as has been the problem for seemingly ages we have struggled to get a balanced team/squad together. I do think that Rodgers (an perhaps the management structure around him its not easy to say) have questions to answer about that.

Our squad is much better than everyone on here is giving it credit for of late. They're all under-performing at the moment which is largely distorting everyone's perspective. I genuinely think we have a pretty strong squad overall, form permitting.

[dww]

Our squad is much better than everyone on here is giving it credit for of late. They're all under-performing at the moment which is largely distorting everyone's perspective. I genuinely think we have a pretty strong squad overall, form permitting.

I think we have a lot of talent. We aren't the only team in the division who I think seem to under perform relative to the talent levels because of a lack of balance between players (I'd say Arsenal and Spurs would be in the same boat).

Last season the pace and pressing of Sturridge and Suarez seemed to suit all of the rest of the squad. Without that we seem to lack cohesion and often feel like we are less than the sum of our parts. On bad days it feels a bit like the later days of the last Dalglish era.

[Patricks_Berger]

The mistake we made was to buy too many players at the same time resulting in too many changes. Its the same mistake Souness made when he took over and, to a lesser extent (because they weren't that good anyway), its the same mistake Spurs made when they sold Bale.

The problem is exaserbated because the profile of player we went for was one with potential. These factors, combined with the loss of Sturridge, explain almost entierly (i.e. Lovren aside) why we are struggling.

The reality is that it did happen and no amount of recrimination is going to change it. The resposibility must surely be collective because A. it is the owners that decided the transfer strategy; B. it is the Commiittee that was taksed with implementing it; and, C. it is Rodgers job to get the team working plus he also has input into the choice of players.

My view is that the only thing that matters now is qualifying for the Champions League again next year. We have to put all our eggs into that basket in terms both of prioriting the PL for team selection AND bringing in one or two strikers with pace (but not Origi) in January. Doesn't matter if they are on loan or whatever but they need to be the profile of player that will come in with the experience and the quality to make an impact straightaway.

[danperkins]

IMO the poxy thing is that it's not just one thing wrong, it's several. Not having a proper balance, out of form players, buying the wrong style of players for the way Rodgers wants to set up & buying a few duffers aswell so it seems.

We do have attacking talent in the midfield areas but in the system that Rodgers plays without a specialist DM.. we will always get exposed. This set up has cost us so many goals over the last 2 seasons. Unfortunately the buying of players & the way we set up is down to Rodgers. It really has been incredibly frustrating the way he has set us up consistently this season, he has done such a great job up until now and i really thought this season would be more of that.

The defence is an absolute shambles with a scared ****less GK behind them. In the midfield we are stagnant & a soft touch. We get exposed so easily defensively & seems to post zero threat in an attacking sense. Gerrard is a huge problem in the position that he is in & to be fair to him.... Rodgers has asked him to play there. He has struggled badly but it's just not his game, never was.... even less so now that his legs have gone.

Lethargic, no cohesion, no fight & the worst thing IMO is that we are just so easy to play against. We look so naive tactically. The way we are set up in the midfield that leaves our dodgy back line exposed time and time again but also gives us little support up top. The huge distance between our midfield and an isolated striker in Baloteli, who that cannot play in that system!! How many times is Rodgers going to watch this car crash & realise that it just isn't working man! I had a **** today with more motivation & desire than Balotelli.

What a downer this season has been, everything that could go wrong really has gone wrong. You don't mind over paying for a player when they deliver, but we have got the opposite to that... resulting in more pressure on the player & more pressure on Rodgers. Bringing Origi back sounds like a really desperate move to me, the guy is not ready to have the pressure of expectation thrust upon him. He's so raw and not up to the level we need him to be.

When Lallana came back from injury we thought things will start to click up top & in the midfield, when Allen came back we thought he'd link up the midfield & help the defence out & sure we were banking on Sturridge coming back & being that catalyst. We really are clutching. So apparently we could potentially be pinning all our hopes on a 19 year old kid, who is currently playing in a team that are 4 points off relegation in Ligue 1 & have only scored 9 goals in the league this season! Leave the kid there to get game time & get some established quality in the side.

Sturridge is fantastic but he will get injured again this season, if we are to turn things around somehow FSG by the kindness of their hearts.... will have to fork out yet more money. We need to buy some established quality for the actual first 11 & not squad fillers.... players that actually suit the way we play. We are not in a position to buy these potential young talents that need years to develop, sure by that time we could be out of the champs league & back scrapping for 7th place & if this potential turns into something real.. sure they'll ****ing leave

If we can somehow just keep in touch with 4th spot up until the window & bring the right players in.. it could really turn our season around.

[tanner]

IMO the poxy thing is that it's not just one thing wrong, it's several. Not having a proper balance, out of form players, buying the wrong style of players for the way Rodgers wants to set up & buying a few duffers aswell so it seems.

We do have attacking talent in the midfield areas but in the system that Rodgers plays without a specialist DM.. we will always get exposed. This set up has cost us so many goals over the last 2 seasons. Unfortunately the buying of players & the way we set up is down to Rodgers. It really has been incredibly frustrating the way he has set us up consistently this season, he has done such a great job up until now and i really thought this season would be more of that.

The defence is an absolute shambles with a scared ****less GK behind them. In the midfield we are stagnant & a soft touch. We get exposed so easily defensively & seems to post zero threat in an attacking sense. Gerrard is a huge problem in the position that he is in & to be fair to him.... Rodgers has asked him to play there. He has struggled badly but it's just not his game, never was.... even less so now that his legs have gone.

Lethargic, no cohesion, no fight & the worst thing IMO is that we are just so easy to play against. We look so naive tactically. The way we are set up in the midfield that leaves our dodgy back line exposed time and time again but also gives us little support up top. The huge distance between our midfield and an isolated striker in Baloteli, who that cannot play in that system!! How many times is Rodgers going to watch this car crash & realise that it just isn't working man! I had a **** today with more motivation & desire than Balotelli.

What a downer this season has been, everything that could go wrong really has gone wrong. You don't mind over paying for a player when they deliver, but we have got the opposite to that... resulting in more pressure on the player & more pressure on Rodgers. Bringing Origi back sounds like a really desperate move to me, the guy is not ready to have the pressure of expectation thrust upon him. He's so raw and not up to the level we need him to be.

When Lallana came back from injury we thought things will start to click up top & in the midfield, when Allen came back we thought he'd link up the midfield & help the defence out & sure we were banking on Sturridge coming back & being that catalyst. We really are clutching. So apparently we could potentially be pinning all our hopes on a 19 year old kid, who is currently playing in a team that are 4 points off relegation in Ligue 1 & have only scored 9 goals in the league this season! Leave the kid there to get game time & get some established quality in the side.

Sturridge is fantastic but he will get injured again this season, if we are to turn things around somehow FSG by the kindness of their hearts.... will have to fork out yet more money. We need to buy some established quality for the actual first 11 & not squad fillers.... players that actually suit the way we play. We are not in a position to buy these potential young talents that need years to develop, sure by that time we could be out of the champs league & back scrapping for 7th place & if this potential turns into something real.. sure they'll ****ing leave

If we can somehow just keep in touch with 4th spot up until the window & bring the right players in.. it could really turn our season around.

This is why with the structure we have in place we're destined to never have consistent success (if success means winning leagues, cups etc).

When/If the potential we've invested in does come to fruition we'll still fall short at the final hurdle due to the superior squads at other top clubs with larger investment. This will then see those players who've helped us climb upwards attract interest from the very clubs we're hoping to compete with in the upper tiers of european football. The cycle will begin again.

[danperkins]

Aye, rinse and repeat. City, Chelsea, United, Madrid, Barca, Real all pay huge money for players and offer massive wages... it's hard to compete. Money game these days and money usually wins. The likes of a Dortmund or Athletico sneaking in is rare.

[Slinky Skills]

After what happened last season, getting so close I'm just baffled as to how it's come to this.

Is it simply a confidence thing or have the players lost faith in Rodgers as a coach?

It's one we'll never truly know. Either way it needs addressing and fast, no more excuses.

[Lecter]

After what happened last season, getting so close I'm just baffled as to how it's come to this.

Is it simply a confidence thing or have the players lost faith in Rodgers as a coach?

It's one we'll never truly know. Either way it needs addressing and fast, no more excuses.

Still think the change of system is what has ****ed things up more than anything

That could then lead to a loss of faith and with the run of poor results then a confidence issue

Signing lots of players is also a problem but imo its been compounded by the system change which has also affected existing players

So rather than having a handful of players trying to get use to / having faith in your system you are basically having to do it for the entire squad

Even subtle changes can disrupt dynamics and then the knock off effects from this can affect something else its like dominoes

[BG1973]

After what happened last season, getting so close I'm just baffled as to how it's come to this.

Is it simply a confidence thing or have the players lost faith in Rodgers as a coach?

It's one we'll never truly know. Either way it needs addressing and fast, no more excuses.

All the variables are so far away from what they were last year I'm really surprised to hear anyone say they are baffled by this.

Doesn't mean we're ****ed just means it is going to take time - I.e until second half of season. And then we'll push on next year.

We do need a proper striker though.

[Lecter]

All the variables are so far away from what they were last year I'm really surprised to hear anyone say they are baffled by this.

Doesn't mean we're ****ed just means it is going to take time - I.e until second half of season. And then we'll push on next year.

We do need a proper striker though.

I think he has to change things myself

A striker will only partly solve our problems

We need to be playing the diamond with 2 up top, without that hes pissing in the wind imo

The subtle nuances of changing his system has affected so many of the dynamics, its not going to be put right just by bunging a proper striker upfront

We had Suarez upfront during his first season and we were drab, boring, listless much like we are now

Its only when he got Sturridge & Coutinho in January and he changed his system that our form took off

[Shaggy]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/the-game/article4274285.ece?shareToken=b5ed10b6ebae1ca9fc9f5bb4cc38a1ad

Why Liverpool must avoid the lure of January sales

Tony Barrett

Last updated at 11:19AM, November 21 2014


For more than twenty years, the scenario has been the same. As soon as Liverpool encounter problems, they look to the transfer market for a solution only to end up creating new ones. If the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, an army of psychiatrists should head to Anfield in January for football’s bi-annual outbreak of lunacy.

Having spent £120 million on players in the summer but turned the second best team in the country into the kind of uninspiring mid-table fodder that they were sweeping aside with contemptuous ease last season, Liverpool have conspired to put themselves in a position in which new signings are seen as the panacea to all their ills. Demands for further spending are inevitable given what is at stake but they also fly in the face of prevailing logic. The last thing Liverpool should do in six weeks time is get involved in the January sales.

At some point, someone at the club has to call a halt to one of the most ill-advised sprees since pools winner Viv Nicholson famously vowed to “Spend, spend, spend” and order an audit of all of the signings that Liverpool have made since Brendan Rodgers. The review should begin with an appraisal of every recruit and their impact on the team but it should not stop there.

Before Liverpool shell out another penny, their entire transfer strategy and its implementation by committee needs to be assessed because the risks of allowing the current situation are far too great.

The best that can be said of the nine signings that Liverpool made last summer is that it is still to early to judge them,, even if the early signs are not positive. Equally, it is damning that only Alberto Moreno could be regarded as a qualified success. The argument that the others will improve in time is all well and good but Liverpool cannot claim that they were not expecting an encouraging impact from at least some of them. Nor can they hide behind transition given that other clubs, Southampton being the most obvious example, are flourishing despite profound change.

By common consensus, out of the 23 signings that Liverpool have made over the last two and a half years, only two – Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho – have been a resounding success. Given Sturridge is now a long- term absentee as a result of the injuries that have blighted him throughout his career and Coutinho is, like most at Liverpool, becoming an increasingly fitful and less effective presence without Luis Suárez, even their success stories are not without drawbacks. It is an appalling record.

Clearly, something is not working. Depending on personal choice, responsibility for Liverpool’s failings in the transfer market lies at the feet of either Rodgers, the club’s scouts or the committee. But if there are any fingers to be pointed, they should first be aimed in the direction of the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) who not only determined Liverpool’s transfer strategy, they also put in place the young, up-and-coming manager, committee and scouting system that they wanted.

If FSG are given credit for signing the cheques, as they should be, then they should also be questioned if the structure they implemented fails to provide value for money.

The complex, almost clandestine, nature of how Liverpool go about their transfer business makes it almost impossible to assign each signing to either the manager or the committee, even if the setup that isn’t as great a departure from the traditional model as some would have us believe. The reality is that, as Rodgers himself freely admits, with the possible exception of Oussama Assiadi, not a single player has been signed against his wishes. He might have had to have his arm twisted on a few, Sturridge, Mario Balotelli and Mamadou Sakho being the most obvious examples, but, one way or another, they have all arrived with his blessing.

Many questions remain unanswered . What exactly does Rodgers have the final say on? How much choice does Liverpool’s strict wages policy afford him and his scouting team who are competing for talent with some of the highest payers in world football? If, as Rodgers has claimed, the “calculated gamble” on Balotelli was forced by a lack of options, what does that say about Liverpool’s strategy? Why, when Suárez signed a contract that guaranteed his departure if a club met his release clause, did their list of attacking options have a Plan A in Alexis Sanchez with the only Plan B being Loïc Remy, a player with historic and well documented medical issues, and little else? You could go on and on.

All of these issues would not be such a mounting concern if so many of the first-choice signings that Liverpool have made have not been so counterintuitive. After Rodgers said whereas other teams play with ten men and a goalkeeper his philosophy was “to play with eleven,” Liverpool went and signed Simon Mignolet who has shown no signs of being a sweeper keeper since his arrival. After he said last summer that he “would rather have one or two world class players than seven or eight who might not be able to help us,” Liverpool did the opposite.

After paying £17 million for Sakho – described by Ian Ayre at the time as a “marquee signing” – Liverpool spent £20 million on another left sided centre back, Dejan Lovren, just 12 months later. Neither the departure of Suárez nor longstanding concerns about Sturridge’s durability prompted moves for players of their ilk, instead two of the most mobile forwards around have been replaced by two of the most immobile with Balotelli and Rickie Lambert being asked to fill a considerable void.

None of this adds up. In the fullness of time, we might come back to look at Liverpool’s current transfer strategy as an object lesson in proving people wrong, as a case study in spotting, nurturing and fulfilling talent for the long term betterment of a team which critics had claimed was destined to fail. Alternatively, the status quo could continue and the failings which by now appear all too obvious will continue to undermine their chances of success.

While the latter remains a genuine concern, Liverpool should examine what is going wrong and endeavour to put it right before even considering throwing good money after bad.