Brendan Rodgers

[Lecter]

There is that, definitely, but the way we've set up defensively, and the way we've actually defended, is probably my major worry under Rodgers. Yep, an even bigger worry than our lack of cutting edge. I did say when we appointed him that his Swansea team passed it round nicely enough without getting anywhere. We're seeing that now IMO, big time, but I'm more concerned with us defensively and how open we are.

Was my concern also when he was appointed

Swansea created less and I think scored less than us last season

Must say have been surprised at the way the defensive side of things has been set up, surprised and somewhat disappointed

Some of it could be down to missing Lucas but some of it is self-inflicted in my book (Gerrard shouldnt be played deeper)

[Fredo]

There is that, definitely, but the way we've set up defensively, and the way we've actually defended, is probably my major worry under Rodgers. Yep, an even bigger worry than our lack of cutting edge. I did say when we appointed him that his Swansea team passed it round nicely enough without getting anywhere. We're seeing that now IMO, big time, but I'm more concerned with us defensively and how open we are.

Surely this is not correct though. We do get ourselves into goalscoring positions or situations which could lead to good goalscoring positions but we've been undone by 1) poor final ball and 2) poor finishing.

[el matador]

We all need some perspective here (ESPECIALLY ME).

rodgers has done some really good stuff for me. the introduction and bedding in of sterling, suso, wisdom and shelvey will be brilliant for us in years to come.

The introduction of a systems approach to football takes the emphasis away from individuals towards a more collective responsibility for success. For too long we've been a one man or two man team. He will make sure that its no longer the case.

On the flip side you cant ignore the results weve been having. People think that he's paying the price for kenny's reign but i dont think its that simple. Theres a world of difference in managing swansea and liverpool and managing fans expectations is part of that.

three or four seasons ago we were demolishing the best teams in the champions league but here we are now in the present with a manager who thinks finishing 8th would be fantastic.

I dont agree with that and plenty of other things he's said. I think he's not getting the best out of the squad and the players at his disposal.

Im not writing him off yet because he deserves to get his players in january but im nowhere near being convinced that he's the man to take us forward either. He looks like a very good coach but is he a very good manager because the two arent necessarily the same thing.

[Alex]

That post got more and more negative with every line.

Rodgers has pretty much done as I expected performance wise and if it wasnt for few individual errors we would have been telling a different story. We should have beaten City and Everton. That is 4 more points than we would have now.

[el matador]

Rafa didnt play his Valencia system at LFC that first season (at least not often)

Secondly I dont see us pressing the ball as soon as we lose it, this has been one of my major criticisms of Rodgers as the whole system is difficult to kick start unless you are doing this

I appreciate that its not a conservative way of playing but other managers have tried positive attacking systems and failed miserably also

Sometimes you have to strike a balance between your ideas and what you have in order to maximise the players abilities

That is where we are failing imo

there's just too much thats not right in the team and for me all of the problems are in the middle of the pitch. Rodgers hasnt defined what he wants clearly enough from his midfield players and because of that we're all not organised well enough. The gerrard thing is a huge part of that.

On the whole though i would say that we have better players technically and tactically than he did at swansea. So im not sure its a players ability issue. He doesnt have the wide forwards his system needs and once he has those then we will know whether its just a personnel issue or something deeper.

[el matador]

That post got more and more negative with every line.

Rodgers has pretty much done as I expected performance wise and if it wasnt for few individual errors we would have been telling a different story. We should have beaten City and Everton. That is 4 more points than we would have now.

which tells you that im unsure about rodgers. I dont see him as the messianic figure some folk do.

[baitman]

Sometimes you have to strike a balance between your ideas and what you have in order to maximise the players abilities

That is where we are failing imo

its like he gets off trying to put square pegs into round holes, when all he needs to do is play to our strengths. maybe too concerned with trying to be the enlightened one, rather than get us winning and coaching some progression to evolve the style of play, rather than rip it up and start a new plan from day one. goals and wins generate confidence.

to change from everyone dropping behind the ball, two banks of four, as favoured by hodge, we now try a more pressing game. nothing wrong with that. gerrard, carra, johnson, etc have been chasing down players, closing the gaps for a while now.

if barca's tika taka is what we try to emulate then its not going to happen. take messi out of that team, maybe one or two others, and they will fall flat.

[el matador]

its like he gets off trying to put square pegs into round holes, when all he needs to do is play to our strengths. maybe too concerned with trying to be the enlightened one, rather than get us winning and coaching some progression to evolve the style of play, rather than rip it up and start a new plan from day one. goals and wins generate confidence.

to change from everyone dropping behind the ball, two banks of four, as favoured by hodge, we now try a more pressing game. nothing wrong with that. gerrard, carra, johnson, etc have been chasing down players, closing the gaps for a while now.

if barca's tika taka is what we try to emulate then its not going to happen. take messi out of that team, maybe one or two others, and they will fall flat.

barca have made tiki taka type football much more prominent that it should be imo. They can get away with keeping 80% of the ball because at any moment they can hurt you and from almost any angle because of the range of their incisive passing and the genius of the three players they have.

Xavi, iniesta and messi are what make tiki taka work for barcelona. Its not the other way round so you're right in that if messi doesnt play they almost run out of ideas on how to break teams down.

our midfield compromises allen, lucas and gerrard. of those three only gerrard has an assist in him.

[Alex]

I think we need to stop using us having possession of the ball as a stick to beat us with. Fact is no one scores without the ball. The more we have the ball, the better chance we have of scoring. I know at the moment we are not making good use of it in the final phase of play, but thats something that can be fixed by spending money.

[baitman]

it doesnt matter if you out-possession all the teams we play, it means **** all

goals [and defending] make points...

[The_weatherman]

it doesnt matter if you out-possession all the teams we play, it means **** all

goals [and defending] make points...

I bet most of our possession is in the first two thirds of the pitch.

[Tee]

Rebuilding or not, all I can say is that if we are still hovering around the drop zone in March he will be gone. No doubts at all IMO.

[Yozza]

Rebuilding or not, all I can say is that if we are still hovering around the drop zone in March he will be gone. No doubts at all IMO.

I'd be amazed if FSG sack him in March - especially after the clear out (no doubt directed by FSG) & this pretty much being seen as a year of stabilising the club & balancing the books

No chance

[Tee]

I'd be amazed if FSG sack him in March - especially after the clear out (no doubt directed by FSG) & this pretty much being seen as a year of stabilising the club & balancing the books

No chance

So is it fair to say that our league position has no bearing on his job this season? What if we are in a relegation scrap?

[Yozza]

So is it fair to say that our league position has no bearing on his job this season? What if we are in a relegation scrap?

We won't be though come on, do you honestly think we're as bad as QPR, Reading, Villa, Southampton, Sunderland, Wigan or Norwich?

I certainly don't; this is a **** time, a time of transition - just got to have faith & be patient