Brendan Rodgers

[meffin]

Our first XI at the end of this season will hopefully start next season, something like.

Mignolet
Can - Skrtel - Sakho
Markovic - Henderson - Lucas - Moreno
Coutinho - Sterling
Sturridge

That should minimize any disruption, so I feel we should stick to a system and not change it at the start of the season unless we use pre-season to do it.

Hopefully we'll get a CB and push Can forward into midfield.

[Lecter]

Sure, players will leave. They're past their peak. But our catastrophes look to be behind us, for now, anyway.

Thats a bit rose tinted for me

I'd consider Borini, Mario and Lovren pretty catastrophic

[dom9]

Thats a bit rose tinted for me

I'd consider Borini, Mario and Lovren pretty catastrophic

I disagree.

Borini was a cheap back up.

Mario was a cut price punt. It didn't pay off.

Lovren, fair enough.

[Lecter]

I disagree.

Borini was a cheap back up.

Mario was a cut price punt. It didn't pay off.

Lovren, fair enough.

£11 million for Borini wasnt cheap

[meffin]

Neither was £16m for Balotelli

I'd class Borini as a transfer failure and the other 2 as catastrophes.

[Lecter]

Neither was £16m for Balotelli

I'd class Borini as a transfer failure and the other 2 as catastrophes.

Borini will fall in the catastrophe category when we give him away on a free

[dom9]

Borini will fall in the catastrophe category when we give him away on a free

What can you get for £11m? You get Borini.

Even 3 years ago the options were very limited in that price range. Considering we weren't in Champions League, were in transition with limited budgets, he was brought in to supplement what we had. Who else was realistically available?

If he goes for free, I'd say it would be more of a disappointment than a catastrophe.

[dom9]

Neither was £16m for Balotelli

I'd class Borini as a transfer failure and the other 2 as catastrophes.

£16m is rock bottom price for an established international of a top European country in early 20s.

But, if there were viable alternatives available, then I'm positive the club would have done their best to get them.

He was a gamble.

[meffin]

£16m is rock bottom price for an established international of a top European country in early 20s.

But, if there were viable alternatives available, then I'm positive the club would have done their best to get them.

He was a gamble.

It would be if the player was any good- Balotelli isn't and wasn't worth £16m. Being an international and playing for a few decent clubs doesn't make you a good player or worth any more

[captainfog]

I know, i appreciate that and agree Wasn't a criticism, it's just i've met foggy and didn't peg him as the doom merchant he appears to be on here re LFC that's all

I'm not a doom merchant, I think I'm quite balanced. If I disagree with the manager I'll say, if we play well I'll say. Only a few posts ago I said I thought we would do well in the league next year.

[DannyMan2006]

Our record in Europe is dreadful, and so I'm not sure how you could come to any other conclusion.

Quite easily.

We weren't knocked out of the Europe for any other reason than being completely abject during that time. No denying that. But we were completely abject in the other competitions as well. It's not like he was dominating the league and bottling it in Europe. Had that been the case I'd see your concerns.

We were fantastic last season and had no European games to gauge it by. We are turning into a good side again now, but he decided to rest key players away to Turkey, which was vindicated by beating City. Had we prioritised the Europa, I'd fancy we could have gone all the way. But the safer gamble was to stick the chips on qualifying for the CL via the League and if it comes off he's done well.

I would hope that this summer we do not lose a key player and personally I don't see that happening. That should allow us to finally start a campaign with a full strength side that is prepared for all competitions from the get go.

[dom9]

It would be if the player was any good- Balotelli isn't and wasn't worth £16m. Being an international and playing for a few decent clubs doesn't make you a good player or worth any more

Well, his market value a year or two before that was approaching twice what we paid. It dropped to what we paid, and now it is lower, clearly.

That's how markets work. The price of a commodity changes constantly in line with many factors. The perceived value now does not necessarily equate its value in the market at a previous point in time.

[DannyMan2006]

What can you get for £11m? You get Borini.

Even 3 years ago the options were very limited in that price range. Considering we weren't in Champions League, were in transition with limited budgets, he was brought in to supplement what we had. Who else was realistically available?

If he goes for free, I'd say it would be more of a disappointment than a catastrophe.

Seeing the way we play, I can see why Rodgers bought Borini. He's everything you'd want from a Rodgers type signing. Accept of course, the quality. I guess Rodgers hoped he could develop him, but he never really had that ability on the dribble.

[captainfog]

Quite easily.

We weren't knocked out of the Europe for any other reason than being completely abject during that time. No denying that. But we were completely abject in the other competitions as well. It's not like he was dominating the league and bottling it in Europe. Had that been the case I'd see your concerns.

We were fantastic last season and had no European games to gauge it by. We are turning into a good side again now, but he decided to rest key players away to Turkey, which was vindicated by beating City. Had we prioritised the Europa, I'd fancy we could have gone all the way. But the safer gamble was to stick the chips on qualifying for the CL via the League and if it comes off he's done well.

I would hope that this summer we do not lose a key player and personally I don't see that happening. That should allow us to finally start a campaign with a full strength side that is prepared for all competitions from the get go.

We were knocked out of Europe in the middle of our recent good form. Our permances in Europe haven't correlated with our domestic form like you'd expect.

We need third this season. If you think back to previous regimes (excluding Hodgeson) then you just assume you'd get through the qualification and into the group, I was always confident in those sorts of games, but I don't think we have any reason to have that kind of self assuredness.

Hopefully it'll click for us in Europe next season and these worries will become a thing of the past.

[dom9]

Seeing the way we play, I can see why Rodgers bought Borini. He's everything you'd want from a Rodgers type signing. Accept of course, the quality. I guess Rodgers hoped he could develop him, but he never really had that ability on the dribble.

A fair assessment I think.

Some players kick on and develop. Some don't.

You could be Chelsea, City, PSG and focus on spending your cash on the finished article, or you can hedge your bets and mix it up a bit, spreading your risks.