Brendan Rodgers

[DannyMan2006]

I think the amount of midweek games are hindering us more than we realise.

New players are coming in, and the amount of preparation time on the training ground to assimilate new ideas isn't a lot. Factor in injuries, and it's no wonder we look so disjointed.

There's no breathing space. It's just game after game, and all of the mistakes and general poor play is being carried out on the pitch rather than in training.

When Pako Ayestaran was Rafa's assistant, he emphasised the importance of training, and was even pleased when players wanted to train, rather than play.

I think Rodgers has also been stubborn with his continual insistence on 4-2-3-1, when Balotelli is nowhere near capable of leading the line yet.

When you look at the fixture list, on current form, we could lose the lot of them except Stoke at home. There's no time to prepare.

Although Rodgers can be blamed for the likes of Lovren, and the underperformance of players who were here last season, I also feel sorry for him in that he had to bulk up a small squad, and with so many players, there's no time to focus on preparation.

Well this season are biggest **** up was that despite all the players coming in some of our options are worse than last year. Last year we had Suarez & Sturridge. Brilliant together, but also capable of leading the line on their own when the other wasn't available.

When Suarez left we should have signed Rickie as an option, but also TWO others, both of whom could lead the line alone and work in partnerships. If I'm being fair we may have been handicapped by Borini wanting to stay, as well as others not wanting to join. We should have done better, but that's done now until January. Have to make the best of what we have now.

[frank the tank]

Brendan on Tottenham last year: "When you spend £100m on players, you should be winning the league"

I think we will be a lot better when sturridge is back.....but unless we have a second half of the season compared to last years, then Brendan wont be our manager next season...

[captainfog]

I still think Rodgers has had a mare, but he's earned the right for the opportunity to correct his mistakes.

[Lecter]

I don't think anyone should be exempt from criticism, ever. Not at a club the size of LFC. No room for sentiment in football. But there should be some faith shown I think based on past exploits.

Yes we lost a great player and much of last season was down to that player. But may I remind you people that some of our beloved fan base thought Suarez wasn't good enough to lead the line for LFC. And I will hold my hands up and say I didn't think he was a good enough finisher and needed a poacher alongside him.

Well guess what. Rodgers made him from a good player to a world class player. And that is something people tend to forget about. Rodgers recognised the ability and saw him on the training field and was brave enough to build a team around him.

So when people are having a go at Rodgers they should remember the above. I can't see myself what he sees in some players. But I don't spend the time around the players that he does. I am 100% convinced he'll get it right. Those that aren't convinced, should show a little faith.

I dont see how any of that exempts him from criticism

Hes clearly making mistakes, he will get time and good grace for what he achieved last year but as our great managers were fond of saying "last year is gone thats history its what you do now that counts"

[Lecter]

Well this season are biggest **** up was that despite all the players coming in some of our options are worse than last year. Last year we had Suarez & Sturridge. Brilliant together, but also capable of leading the line on their own when the other wasn't available.

When Suarez left we should have signed Rickie as an option, but also TWO others, both of whom could lead the line alone and work in partnerships. If I'm being fair we may have been handicapped by Borini wanting to stay, as well as others not wanting to join. We should have done better, but that's done now until January. Have to make the best of what we have now.

Biggest **** up is changing a winning system, that isnt working and is clearly hampering your existing stalwarts nevermind new players whi have to adjust

Everyone is now having to adjust its ****ing bollocks I am sorry but Rogers has monumentally ****ed up hes messed with too much and changed things that didnt need changing

Hes now reaping what he sowed, I hope he sees sense and reverts back but I fear hes too stubborn

[badpiggy]

Maybe we're all underestimating the loss of Suarez. Genuinely world class. Probably going to be ranked as one of the greatest players of all time. So that means we has a player like Maradona or Messi or Zidane leading our attack and pressing and general play from the front. Very hard to do the same thing without him. It was more than Rodgers setting up team around him - he was the absolute embodiment of everything we did right last season. And now he's not there. This isn't sentimentality or a failure on my part to recognise that the club is bigger than any one player - it's the fact of how we're playing now. Without a leader.

One of the positive things I remember about Rafa's tenure - and when we were unstoppable in the 80s - was the way we were a team full of leaders. Who have we now? I actually look back on SG's post match huddles last season with embarrassment now. His greatness, undoubted as a player, never encompassed actual leadership. Still doesn't. He just doesn't cut it as that sort of person.

The bigger point here is our failure to replace Suarez either by bad luck or bad planning. We didn't just lose his goals and his drive - he was a leader. I'm not sure Rodgers gets this about management. He has clearly misjudged Lovren catastrophically. And I worry that he's misjudging the SG situation too, possibly buying into the curse of sentimentality that dogs us as a club.

I suppose if the leaders aren't out there, you can't buy them. But we're seriously short in that department. And we haven't bought any leaders with the £100M.

[Lecter]

I still think Rodgers has had a mare, but he's earned the right for the opportunity to correct his mistakes.

Is Steve Peters still working at the club?

[Lecter]

Maybe we're all underestimating the loss of Suarez. Genuinely world class. Probably going to be ranked as one of the greatest players of all time. So that means we has a player like Maradona or Messi or Zidane leading our attack and pressing and general play from the front. Very hard to do the same thing without him. It was more than Rodgers setting up team around him - he was the absolute embodiment of everything we did right last season. And now he's not there. This isn't sentimentality or a failure on my part to recognise that the club is bigger than any one player - it's the fact of how we're playing now. Without a leader.

One of the positive things I remember about Rafa's tenure - and when we were unstoppable in the 80s - was the way we were a team full of leaders. Who have we now? I actually look back on SG's post match huddles last season with embarrassment now. His greatness, undoubted as a player, never encompassed actual leadership. Still doesn't. He just doesn't cut it as that sort of person.

The bigger point here is our failure to replace Suarez either by bad luck or bad planning. We didn't just lose his goals and his drive - he was a leader. I'm not sure Rodgers gets this about management. He has clearly misjudged Lovren catastrophically. And I worry that he's misjudging the SG situation too, possibly buying into the curse of sentimentality that dogs us as a club.

I suppose if the leaders aren't out there, you can't buy them. But we're seriously short in that department. And we haven't bought any leaders with the £100M.

I think hes a loss a big loss, but for me we have compounded this loss by changing the system changing too many players etc...

[badpiggy]

I think hes a loss a big loss, but for me we have compounded this loss by changing the system changing too many players etc...

Yeah - I'm essentially technically clueless so I'm enjoying your - and other's - analysis of how we're set up. Seems a bit of a mess at the moment and I don't understand BR's decisions in our attack at the moment i.e. Ballotelli on his own is a waste of time.

Bigger concern is our shambolic defence. But maybe Rodgers is actually the quick learner we all hope. And there's nothing more messy than a transition e.g. Utd's early season horror shows. Basically I'm too ignorant to be hopeless and too pessimistic to be hopeful.

[Lecter]

Yeah - I'm essentially technically clueless so I'm enjoying your - and other's - analysis of how we're set up. Seems a bit of a mess at the moment and I don't understand BR's decisions in our attack at the moment i.e. Ballotelli on his own is a waste of time.

Bigger concern is our shambolic defence. But maybe Rodgers is actually the quick learner we all hope. And there's nothing more messy than a transition e.g. Utd's early season horror shows. Basically I'm too ignorant to be hopeless and too pessimistic to be hopeful.

I have given up on the defence

Hes not going to repair the problems there without spending lots of dosh......again

[badpiggy]

I have given up on the defence

Hes not going to repair the problems there without spending lots of dosh......again

In your opinion, is it personnel? If we had Hummels, for example, would we be sorted? And is the vilification of John Glenson justified? He seems awful defensively to me - constantly out of position and ****ing up tackles.

[captainfog]

I have given up on the defence

Hes not going to repair the problems there without spending lots of dosh......again

Incredibly, despite all the incomings, we need to strengthen almost everywhere. The owners have to back him with the cash to do that. If they aren't prepared to do that (and I've not heard anything to suggest they won't) then, really, what is the point? They might as well sack him now. It's got to be full confidence in his ability to turn things around and make us successful or it's none at all. Anything in between harms the team.

[alonso14]

In your opinion, is it personnel? If we had Hummels, for example, would we be sorted? And is the vilification of John Glenson justified? He seems awful defensively to me - constantly out of position and ****ing up tackles.

I don't think its a personnel issue anymore. I think its down to either it being a fault in brendans formation, or its poor coaching. Dejan lovren was pretty good before he came to us, same applies to sakho. They both look less than convincing in our back four.

[captainfog]

Purely on performance and not potential I would say every signing we've made in the last two seasons has been poor with the exception of Lallana, Moreno, Manq and Can who have all been OK, but with the exception of Moreno haven't improved our first XI

Whereas this lot: Aspas, Alberto, Ming, Sakho, Moses, Cissjoko, Toure, Markovic, Balotelli, Lambert, Lovren, and Origi didn't or are yet to contribute anything positive to the side.

Who have I missed?

So, over 2 seasons we've signed 16 players and the result is first XI has a slightly better left back while the rest of the team is either the same or has got worse.

Some of those players have bags of potential and may prove to be successful signings, but this post is purely looking at the impact they are having on the side right now.

Questions need to be asked of our transfer dealings.

[Saveloy]

Incredibly, despite all the incomings, we need to strengthen almost everywhere. The owners have to back him with the cash to do that. If they aren't prepared to do that (and I've not heard anything to suggest they won't) then, really, what is the point? They might as well sack him now. It's got to be full confidence in his ability to turn things around and make us successful or it's none at all. Anything in between harms the team.

They could have full confidence in his ability to turn things around without throwing money at him. It's nowhere near as binary as you suggest.