Brendan Rodgers

[Phoenix07]

A simpler reason - we're cursed (reminds me of the so called gypsy curse on Anfield).

It's the third in a trilogy called 'The Season After Second Place'. You may have seen the first two starring Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez.

In 2001-2002, we finished second thanks to Houllier and Thompson. The following two years, we finished 5th and 4th, with serious, questionable transfer windows, and Houllier was sacked.

In 2008-2009, we finished second thanks to Benitez. The following year, we finished 7th, and a ropey transfer window, and Benitez was sacked.

[tanner]

That's fair, but only if he gets credited as strongly for last seasons 2nd place.

Lots of blame falls to the manager, but the players need to shoulder it too. Johnson, Skrtel, Mignolet, Henderson, Balotelli. All of them are good premiership players. But they have all been bang out of form.

Not fair to blame Rodgers for everything.

Ive not been 100% convinced by Rodgers from the start, however I had to admit defeat last season, but the question now will always be was it Rodgers or was it Suarez? To be fair, I think we have to give credit to both men.

I do have to question though the decision to build a strategy and team around a man who when he wasn't banned, was trying to make his way out of Liverpool. Hindsight's a great thing I suppose.

[Muddled]

I'm sick of him pointing out the same thing each time. He knew this from the start and did little to fix it. Lambert was the first striker we brought in for gods sake. That sort of signing should be an after thought when everythings done. The whole transfer committee stuff is beyond annoying. Its startng to sound like if Brendan doesnt get his first few choices, he just shrugs and accepts whatever the committee would like him to sign. How about instead of wasting money on rubbish players like Balotelli, you save that money and go balls deep into the next window and do a proper job instead of half arsed one. I swear to god our youth players would score more.

I don't think the order in which we do our transfers is at all relevant and it certainly isn't conducted in order of importance to the first team.

[Leyton388]

A simpler reason - we're cursed (reminds me of the so called gypsy curse on Anfield).

It's the third in a trilogy called 'The Season After Second Place'. You may have seen the first two starring Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez.

In 2001-2002, we finished second thanks to Houllier and Thompson. The following two years, we finished 5th and 4th, with serious, questionable transfer windows, and Houllier was sacked.

In 2008-2009, we finished second thanks to Benitez. The following year, we finished 7th, and a ropey transfer window, and Benitez was sacked.

It does appear we are destined never to win the league again. That slip last season against Chelsea and the transfer window we have just had is typical of Liverpool. All we needed was a point against Chelsea but the gypsy curse struck and it was the one man who deserves a league title more than anyone who slipped.

IMO if we'd have got that point against Chelsea we wouldn't have collapsed against Palace. Our heads were gone after that Chav game.

Then we come to the transfer window and we lose our best player and rather than buying a direct class replacement and a couple of top quality players we go out and sign mediocre overpriced midtable players.

I'm genuinely gutted like everyone else here as that team last season was more than a match for anyone and we saw last season that even without Luis we were still so much better than we have been this season.

Like has been said you build a squad by signing players that go right into your first XI and the current players either improve or drop to the bench. You build a squad by signing quality players who Can challenge your current first XI. You don't build a squad by signing squad players.

[Kenneth]

I don't think the order in which we do our transfers is at all relevant and it certainly isn't conducted in order of importance to the first team.

If you're counting transfers out too then unfortunately I think it's very relevant

[DannyMan2006]

I think it was during the Madrid game two weeks ago, but during a match a few weeks ago Jan Mølby commented on Danish television, that when looking at our reinforcements this season the striking thing to him was that all of them we would have been able to attract no matter if we were in the CL or not. And I think he was spot on, didn't think about it in those terms before, but all the players we attracted we could have attracted anyways. In other terms: we havn't been able to capitalize on being back in the CL except being able to get in more players than we otherwise would have.

We failed to get in players playing at a high level already, we tried during the window but failed. We have potential in the squad instead.

We wouldn't have got Can & Markovic if we weren't in the CL. I doubt we'd have got Lallana either. Not sure we'd have signed Mario either. Not to mention we wouldn't have had the money.

[Muddled]

If you're counting transfers out too then unfortunately I think it's very relevant

True. But I was referring more to our incoming transfers and the complaint about buying Lambert so early in the transfer window.

[Kenneth]

We wouldn't have got Can & Markovic if we weren't in the CL. I doubt we'd have got Lallana either. Not sure we'd have signed Mario either. Not to mention we wouldn't have had the money.

Lallana would have come, no question in my mind. Markovic and Mario would have been a blessing.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm sick of him pointing out the same thing each time. He knew this from the start and did little to fix it. Lambert was the first striker we brought in for gods sake. That sort of signing should be an after thought when everythings done. The whole transfer committee stuff is beyond annoying. Its startng to sound like if Brendan doesnt get his first few choices, he just shrugs and accepts whatever the committee would like him to sign. How about instead of wasting money on rubbish players like Balotelli, you save that money and go balls deep into the next window and do a proper job instead of half arsed one. I swear to god our youth players would score more.

Cry all you like, but you'd be moaning just as much if having sold Suarez all we did was sign Lambert. We tried for better players, they turned us down. Balotelli was a gamble, one of the last choices. We all knew he was a gamble, but at £16m he WAS a gamble worth taking.

Of course Mario what's been terrible so far, a complete car crash of a signing. But he was better than nothing. And for all my annoyance when watching him and the team try and play together, I think he'll be a good partner for Danny and will prove worth the money.

And as long as we sign another striker similar to Danny in January, I think Mario will prove to be well worth the £16m. He can't play on his own up top, so let's get someone to play alongside him. A system are players are best at anyway.

My issue with the summer business was signing Lallana & Markovic. We only needed one of them and should have added a striker like Rodrigo or Lacazette instead of Markovic.

[DannyMan2006]

It does appear we are destined never to win the league again. That slip last season against Chelsea and the transfer window we have just had is typical of Liverpool. All we needed was a point against Chelsea but the gypsy curse struck and it was the one man who deserves a league title more than anyone who slipped.

IMO if we'd have got that point against Chelsea we wouldn't have collapsed against Palace. Our heads were gone after that Chav game.

Then we come to the transfer window and we lose our best player and rather than buying a direct class replacement and a couple of top quality players we go out and sign mediocre overpriced midtable players.

I'm genuinely gutted like everyone else here as that team last season was more than a match for anyone and we saw last season that even without Luis we were still so much better than we have been this season.

Like has been said you build a squad by signing players that go right into your first XI and the current players either improve or drop to the bench. You build a squad by signing quality players who Can challenge your current first XI. You don't build a squad by signing squad players.

If we'd have got the point v Chavs we'd have had no issues of having to chase the goal difference against Palace and so wouldn't have capitulated.

And when are people going to accept that WE DID try and sign a top strike to replace Suarez. They just didn't want to come.

[DannyMan2006]

not even that, Anybody Di Maria, Sanchez ( we tried) Falcao, Lavezzi, Benzema, Cavani, or Any other 40m + player,

Should have added 2 more to our squad and ****ed off the Champs league this season. Don't take it seriously play the kids and concentrate on the league this season

As if any club wouldn't give their all in the CL. you're off your head to suggest that, even if it is for the right reasons.

[DannyMan2006]

Ive not been 100% convinced by Rodgers from the start, however I had to admit defeat last season, but the question now will always be was it Rodgers or was it Suarez? To be fair, I think we have to give credit to both men.

I do have to question though the decision to build a strategy and team around a man who when he wasn't banned, was trying to make his way out of Liverpool. Hindsight's a great thing I suppose.

Think you'll find it was built around players who were technically excellent with the ball at their feet and capable of fast, sharp and incisive passing. Suarez was the flag bearer, but he was followed by players like Sturridge and Sterling, Coutinho and then the addition of Lallana and Markovic.

Lambert is neat and tidy but was no doubt as Rodgers continually says, brought in as a sub and a plan B.

The biggest issue was Suarez leaving and then Failing to replace him with players like Sanchez, Cavani, Falcao, Higuain, Benzema, Pedro, etc....... I even heard Lacazette of Lyon turned us down. Led to last minute gamble of Balotelli.

[frank the tank]

We wouldn't have got Can & Markovic if we weren't in the CL. I doubt we'd have got Lallana either. Not sure we'd have signed Mario either. Not to mention we wouldn't have had the money.

So what you are saying is that we would have been better off not qualifying for the champions league!!!

[frank the tank]

Cry all you like, but you'd be moaning just as much if having sold Suarez all we did was sign Lambert. We tried for better players, they turned us down. Balotelli was a gamble, one of the last choices. We all knew he was a gamble, but at £16m he WAS a gamble worth taking.

Of course Mario what's been terrible so far, a complete car crash of a signing. But he was better than nothing. And for all my annoyance when watching him and the team try and play together, I think he'll be a good partner for Danny and will prove worth the money.

And as long as we sign another striker similar to Danny in January, I think Mario will prove to be well worth the £16m. He can't play on his own up top, so let's get someone to play alongside him. A system are players are best at anyway.

My issue with the summer business was signing Lallana & Markovic. We only needed one of them and should have added a striker like Rodrigo or Lacazette instead of Markovic.

agree completely..... i think sturridge and balotelli could click and be a very very good partnership....

They were obviously hoping that markovic could be the new zidane or something.....i doubt it though and if he was that good then surely chelsea would have used their benfica connections.....

The £45m we spent on markovic and lallana could have been used on a Reus or Draxler.......either one of those with Suso or Ibe would be way more use to LFC now than Lallana and Markovic......

I think if we can be lucky with injuries post xmas - especially if sturridge comes back and stays injury free for the rest of the season - then we can still have a good season. That would be finishing 4th. It will be tough but possible..... if we managed to win the cap-one cup as well then that would be great....

The real issue will be next summer though - do FSG give the committee another wad to spend??? After they spent so much money on players that dont really make an impact. They wont be happy going down in the table and they dont need to know anything about football to know that they spent loads of money on players that cant get in the team

[vlahka]

Cry all you like, but you'd be moaning just as much if having sold Suarez all we did was sign Lambert. We tried for better players, they turned us down. Balotelli was a gamble, one of the last choices. We all knew he was a gamble, but at £16m he WAS a gamble worth taking.

Of course Mario what's been terrible so far, a complete car crash of a signing. But he was better than nothing. And for all my annoyance when watching him and the team try and play together, I think he'll be a good partner for Danny and will prove worth the money.

And as long as we sign another striker similar to Danny in January, I think Mario will prove to be well worth the £16m. He can't play on his own up top, so let's get someone to play alongside him. A system are players are best at anyway.

My issue with the summer business was signing Lallana & Markovic. We only needed one of them and should have added a striker like Rodrigo or Lacazette instead of Markovic.

I was raging int he Balotelli thread when it looked like we were about to sign him. I absolutely preferred we just stick to Lambert, despite him being a pointless purchase, and instead use our youth players. Balotelli wont work for any of our system and it'll be worse when Sturridge gets back. What happens when you have 2 strikers who are fairly greedy and like to shoot rather than pass? Zero teamwork is what happens.

I agree with only needing one Lallana and not Markovic. I didnt understand us getting him for 20mill. I still dont. I was also pretty frustrated with the Lovren purchase. It was a rubbish window. The worst in years.