Brendan Rodgers

[Chazza]

Works both ways.

[Mattshark]

Just put me on ignore or something you're such a tedious moron.

You asked a question and I, instead of repeating what had been posted when I was writing something else, showed that as being the reason why I thought you were wrong.

Fail to see what the problem is.

[TheElephantMan]

Last season = 1.37 points/game
This season 1.46 points/game

So if we continue to amass points at this rate we will end up with 55 points which based on last season's league table would have us in exactly the same league position. We have improved the attacking aspect of our play, but we're a shambles defensively. If we tighten things up and organise ourselves better then we can achieve a higher placing in the league table, but that's down to the manager.

[Marina]

Just seen that Rodgers has said the defeat to Oldham was more his fault than the players'. Hopefully that will do something to appease those who have said he never takes any of the blame.

[Fredo]

Rome wasn't built in a year.

[Baracus]

BR is still in his infancy of senior management and is still learning and also learning about the team he has inherited here so being 7th and after Sunday our remaining games are all very winnable, his signings should also grow with each other for the next 7-10 years so I think he is doing a good job

Of Course he is...

but..

Mourinho Now 50 (39 when he won champions league)
Rafa 52 (44 when he won it)
Pep 42 (38 when he won it)
Klopp 45

Tactical Geniuses and all achieved *something* at similar infancy of senior management.

[AnfieldForever]

Of Course he is...

but..

Mourinho Now 50 (39 when he won champions league)
Rafa 52 (44 when he won it)
Pep 42 (38 when he won it)
Klopp 45

Tactical Geniuses and all achieved *something* at similar infancy of senior management.

****, there it is. Sack BR.

[Kenneth]

So tiresome.

[Rich]

Rodgers hasn't got his tactics right I stand by that.

He is very good at some things - Suarez apart we seem to have a more positive relationship with the media, he's developed a close-knit squad, he isn't afraid to bomb players out that don't perform (and vice versa is true he’ll give players a chance re: Henderson) and he isn't afraid to make drastic changes mid-game. Having the gift of the gab and being courageous will only take the club so far.

If we can’t out spend the best teams then we need to out think them and to out box them – this means our tactics in 90% of matches need to be spot on. However, the set up of the team, at times, is incredibly poor. It isn't a personnel problem IMO the amount of times we've conceded or almost conceded from one of our own corners, the fact we cannot deal with a big lump centre forward, and at times our midfield just isn't there.

I'm not convinced Plan A will work on a consistent basis unless we have a couple of exceptional defensive minded players which can compensate for the gaping holes we have in certain situations. Furthermore, I don't think we have a Plan B if Plan A isn't working. One of the biggest criticisms of Rafa's time in charge was his lack of a Plan B, I'd argue Rodgers is even more set in his ways.

I wonder whether Rodgers would accept a fresh injection of coaching talent to help improve the set-up of the team? Would his undoubted ego cope?

[Pablo]

Rodgers hasn't got his tactics right I stand by that.

He is very good at some things - Suarez apart we seem to have a more positive relationship with the media, he's developed a close-knit squad, he isn't afraid to bomb players out that don't perform (and vice versa is true he’ll give players a chance re: Henderson) and he isn't afraid to make drastic changes mid-game. Having the gift of the gab and being courageous will only take the club so far.

If we can’t out spend the best teams then we need to out think them and to out box them – this means our tactics in 90% of matches need to be spot on. However, the set up of the team, at times, is incredibly poor. It isn't a personnel problem IMO the amount of times we've conceded or almost conceded from one of our own corners, the fact we cannot deal with a big lump centre forward, and at times our midfield just isn't there.

I'm not convinced Plan A will work on a consistent basis unless we have a couple of exceptional defensive minded players which can compensate for the gaping holes we have in certain situations. Furthermore, I don't think we have a Plan B if Plan A isn't working. One of the biggest criticisms of Rafa's time in charge was his lack of a Plan B, I'd argue Rodgers is even more set in his ways.

I wonder whether Rodgers would accept a fresh injection of coaching talent to help improve the set-up of the team? Would his undoubted ego cope?

So, to conclude, you'd fix this by selling Suarez?

[Gibbo]

So, to conclude, you'd fix this by selling Suarez?

At the right price

[Rich]

I don't dig a big trench and never change my opinion.

During the previous summer I'd have considered selling him at the right price. He had been incredibly wasteful in front of goal and I thought we could improve the team and squad with ~£40m.

Happy to admit that he's proved me wrong and his goal return (and all round play) this season has been fantastic.

[Fivex]

Thankfully, there is a summary at the end:

"From these observations, it is probably more accurate to say that, for all the talk of Tiki-Taka and copying the Barcelona template, defensively, Liverpool under Rodgers follow a pattern of containment and interception, rather than pressure and dispossession.

Because we play a slower build-up than most English teams, and work more on positional attack than attacking in the transition, setting up a block in front of the goal is not an issue in terms of running up and down the field and the resulting fatigue. This is the famous “resting on the ball”. The difference is, though, that Liverpool don’t hunt for the ball in packs, and because of that, there is less physical intensity in the defensive phase – a player might pressure hard, but once they are beaten, their job is to get into a defensive position, rather than chase the ball over the field. In the bigger picture, this allows for greater recovery over the whole of the season, and reduces injury and fatigue. Comparisons can be made to Rodgers’ Swansea team, especially in the Championship, where the league season is longer (more games).

So if Barca is not a template, then what is? The key comes from a predecessor of Guardiola – Van Gaal. Van Gaal’s ajax team of the mid 90’s followed almost the same principles of the current Liverpool team – they pressed from the nearest man, but because they played 3 at the back, they tended to use the containment from the 1st defender to allow the rest of the team to drop into their half and obtain position and shape. Their 3-4-3 would start defending from the front with one player, while the rest of the team dropped back to turn the 3-4-3 into a 5-2-3 in the midfield press, and then a 5-4-1 when inside the defensive third. Rodgers is clearly playing to certain shapes on the defending side with Liverpool, whether that is a tight 4-3-3/4-5-1, or a 4-2-3-1/4-5-1. With the lopsided 4-4-2 displayed against United (2nd half) and Norwich, this block in front of the goal should become even more obvious. It might also allow for greater defensive solidity as players begin to understand their roles and lines of recovery in each third of the field.

The defence should, by the looks of things, go from strength to strength over the coming months – and it is this factor more than the attack that might be altered during the summer months."

Thousands of commas in that render it unreadable for me.

I'm pretty sure that's Craig.

Is there a summary of the summary?

[Pablo]

I don't dig a big trench and never change my opinion.

During the previous summer I'd have considered selling him at the right price. He had been incredibly wasteful in front of goal and I thought we could improve the team and squad with ~£40m.

Happy to admit that he's proved me wrong and his goal return (and all round play) this season has been fantastic.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist a cheap dig at your expense Rich

[Rich]

Cheap, that's you all over Pabs.