Brendan Rodgers

[rudedog]

It's a very impressive record isn't it.

If we averaged that between now and the end of the season we'd finish on 75-76 points. That will be more than enough to finish at least fourth.

How many points did we finish on in the first season?

61 points and 7th

These numbers don't add up then - if we've got the same points per game this season as the we did in the 12/13 season then we should end up on 61 points again.

[The Birdman]

These numbers don't add up then - if we've got the same points per game this season as the we did in the 12/13 season then we should end up on 61 points again.

It doesn't say the number of games does it? or that it is just league games.

The stats might be every single game including cups but they've applied 3 points for a win to the cup games (if that makes sense)

[RedReet]

What exactly did Rodgers say though?

Did he say that he designs training so that we have a strong finish to the season or does he say that as a consequence of his training methods, it enables his teams to finish the season strongly?

[rudedog]

It doesn't say the number of games does it? or that it is just league games.

The stats might be every single game including cups but they've applied 3 points for a win to the cup games (if that makes sense)

Or it might just be a load of crap

[Buzzo]

I think the thing with Brendan, is whilst I think he can occasionally be a bit cringeworthy, and a bit of a cock - that it doesn't really matter.

He seems to be a good coach, and has certainly turned the season around.

The difference, or the conflict, I have is that where I really warmed to Rafa as an individual, I haven't really felt that connection with Brendan.

And I think I keep expecting it to happen.

Breaking up is never easy eh...

[ChrisDR1968]

Easy enough to do the maths with good ol' Wikipedia

2012/13 First half : 1.32 pts Second half : 1.90 pts per game
(P 19 W 6 D 7 L 6 --- P 19 W 10 D 6 L 3)

2013/14 First half : 1.90 pts Second half : 2.53 pts per game
(P 19 W 11 D 3 L 5 --- P 19 W 15 D 3 L 1)

2014/15 First half : 1.47 pts Second half: 2.5 pts per game
(P 19 W 8 D 4 L 7 --- P 8 W 6 D 2 L 0)

Premier League games only obviously

[BigChief]

I think the thing with Brendan, is whilst I think he can occasionally be a bit cringeworthy, and a bit of a cock - that it doesn't really matter.

He seems to be a good coach, and has certainly turned the season around.

The difference, or the conflict, I have is that where I really warmed to Rafa as an individual, I haven't really felt that connection with Brendan.

And I think I keep expecting it to happen.

Breaking up is never easy eh...

Whereas I called it off with Rafa 18 months before the inevitable departure. It was a straight forward Feryal brush off to Owais, no messing.

Made it easier for me to attach myself to the next 'guy'.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Easy enough to do the maths with good ol' Wikipedia

2012/13 First half : 1.32 pts Second half : 1.90 pts per game
(P 19 W 6 D 7 L 6 --- P 19 W 10 D 6 L 3)

2013/14 First half : 1.90 pts Second half : 2.53 pts per game
(P 19 W 11 D 3 L 5 --- P 19 W 15 D 3 L 1)

2014/15 First half : 1.47 pts Second half: 2.5 pts per game
(P 19 W 8 D 4 L 7 --- P 8 W 6 D 2 L 0)

Premier League games only obviously

What is of some concern is the fact that in three seasons under Rodgers we have an average of six losses for the first half of the season.

If we are to become a title winning team then, as obvious as it sounds, we cannot afford that many losses in the first half of the season every season.

Just taking the past ten seasons, the number of leagues games lost over the course of the entire season by the eventual winners are

13/14 - 6
12/13 - 5
11/12 - 5
10/11 - 4
09/10 - 6
08/09 - 4
07/08 - 5
06/07 - 5
05/06 - 5
04/05 - 1

[BobTheCharmer]

Just by running through the thread Where will we finish, the clear majority were predicting a top four finish (I said fifth unless we got in a decent striker), a couple said 1st. but one of them was Bob and a few other loonies.

I said I would be disappointed if we didn't come first and yes I maintain that. I wasn't saying we would finish 1st, just anything but first is a disappointment imo and we've had 25 years of that and its starting to **** me right off.

[vonk]

We were never going to win the league this year. We essentially lost Suarez, Sturridge and the old Gerrard this season. Then we had about 7 new players coming in that we were trying to integrate.

Some of the reactions to results in the first half of the season, with such massive upheaval, were completely short-sighted. It was always going to get better with a bit of time to bed in. Good job the board are not so reactionary as a lot of our fan-base and realise we've got a talented, young, tactically aware manager that had us punching above our weight last season and will again.

Who cares about the bull**** that Rodgers and other managers speak in press conferences, it's the progress of the performances that matter.

[DannyMan2006]

Just by running through the thread Where will we finish, the clear majority were predicting a top four finish (I said fifth unless we got in a decent striker), a couple said 1st. but one of them was Bob and a few other loonies.

If you were predicting 5th, why did you want to bin him less than half way through a season when we were only about 10th and not a million miles away from your goal? People on this site have predicted 4th many times but it was mostly in hope than expectation. This time people were predicting 4th and expecting it. Even a slight drop and people had the knifes out.

Yes we were bad, but it was all a bit crazy. I think this was purely down to raised expectations.

[DannyMan2006]

We were never going to win the league this year. We essentially lost Suarez, Sturridge and the old Gerrard this season. Then we had about 7 new players coming in that we were trying to integrate.

Some of the reactions to results in the first half of the season, with such massive upheaval, were completely short-sighted. It was always going to get better with a bit of time to bed in. Good job the board are not so reactionary as a lot of our fan-base and realise we've got a talented, young, tactically aware manager that had us punching above our weight last season and will again.

Who cares about the bull**** that Rodgers and other managers speak in press conferences, it's the progress of the performances that matter.

Well said, but I think people would argue the solutions to the bad form would've been solved sooner by a more experienced coach. I think what was annoying was continually playing a less mobile striker up top. I understood it, as Rodgers had to give players signed a chance. Funny thing is, many of those who moaned he didn't come up with a solution when sticking with Mario, are the ones who want him back in now we are finally winning. Crazy.

[The_weatherman]

If you were predicting 5th, why did you want to bin him less than half way through a season when we were only about 10th and not a million miles away from your goal? People on this site have predicted 4th many times but it was mostly in hope than expectation. This time people were predicting 4th and expecting it. Even a slight drop and people had the knifes out.

Yes we were bad, but it was all a bit crazy. I think this was purely down to raised expectations.

I thought he'd lost it and I thought he was handling the Gerrard situation really poorly, this was football and results on par with Hodgson. Now some people are saying Gerrard couldn't get in the side as it is playing so well, but I feel he was one of the reasons we weren't playing well. Oh, and IMO it wasn't a slight drop, after the Utd. loss it was our worst start since 1964, in our third season under a manager, the omen's weren't exactly great.

I thought he was using players too much who weren't playing well, i.e. Gerrard, Lovren, Johnson and Balotelli and not giving others a break. I stand by my criticism, we also failed to navigate a CL group that we really should have been able to.

Also, we have Chelsea, City, Utd. and Arsenal to compete with so to finish 5th. after them is not awful, but to finish 10-12th. is, after an outlay of 120 million as well.

[Kenneth]

[BigChief]

To be fair, and looking back with hindsight now, no 'experienced' manager would have been able to handle the dropping of a club legend. The best player ever at a club that is almost like a shrine. I wanted Rodgers to grow a pair or leave but in fairness it was an unfair demand from me.

For the record I would have kept playing Gerrard too if I were manager (despite knowing where we were headed - off a cliff). Its one thing sitting behind a screen and being courageous and another being out there in the field.

Kudos to Rodgers, such maturity in such a young manager. Handled probably the most difficult time in his Liverpool career with composure and sensitivity.