Brendan Rodgers

[Slinky Skills]

I firmly believe Rodgers deserves another season. It's hard not to react in the pain of defeat, but if you look at the season and performances dispassionately there are certain positives, but my stance does come with certain caveats.

There is no room for failure in our recruitment this summer and FSG are going to have to be flexible. We need an experienced player (if not three) as an addition to our youthful squad.

We have to try and retain Sterling, as much as I think he's off. We have a young squad that has come together for the last two seasons. These experiences of semi-final defeats and title challenges, as well as big games against the top four or five will only spur them on as they develop. If these guys can peak together, we will have a formidable team if we get it right this summer.

Rodgers has to trust in his ability and be decisive. He has often tailored the team to match the opponent, but is too quick to tweak things if the run of the ball isn't instant. We lose our shape, players look confused and this only exacerbates the situation. Why spend a week or however long getting ready for the game, only to try to be too clever during the game.

He needs to settle on his 'Plan A' and perfect that before looking to set up other tactics. Rodgers is clearly very tactically astute. Twice he has looked at his players and built two teams around two individual players. He needs to now look at how to get his players in to his preferred formation. This stability will assist the players in knowing their roles.

It's a big season ahead for Rodgers - one he has to get right.

Good post.

Khedira would be a decent experienced, seasoned player to have in the team. Would provide experience and work well with Can too I reckon.

[dww]

I don't think in any organisation you can dodge every bullet when you are in a key position. We need more than excuses here.

Rodgers undoubtedly has to provide some answers to the board, and also outline his vision for the future. If you can only come up with excuses as to why things have gone wrong, then any board in any business would and should fire you - Brendan needs to offer more.

I'd say this summer will one way or other be the defining moment in his career as Manager of LFC. He shouldn't be getting an easy ride right now, the questions of his ability are valid, and asking them doesn't make you less of a supporter - it is more complicated than that. Rodgers is a grown man in an incredibly privileged position, with that comes great pressure to perform and deliver results. We don't look back we look forward. The greatest LFC teams, in fact all of the great teams carry this ethos 100%.

For me, currently, I don't think I care if he stays or goes, so long as the result is an improvement. The worry is we stagnate, as current performance and this season as a whole has been a backwards step, we haven't consolidated we've gone backwards - no question. The season has contained more bad performances than good, and more worryingly a complete lack of direction, some shocking management decisions (Line up v. Madrid, persistence with failing tactics and ailing players). So we need some off field impetus in the summer, and that will come in either the shape of a few eye-catching signings, or a new manager and some eye -catching signings.

We are going out with a whimper not a bang, and after the fireworks of last season this season ends about as badly as any I can remember in some time. Without passion. And that is unforgiveable.

I agree with everything but the end bit. I think it is often hard to gauge passion from the outside.

[Muddled]

Ah right that makes sense because the amount of times we are hopefully shooting from outside the box because we have numerous defenders in front of us is enormous

I'd say the quality of chances we were creating last season were far superior to what we are creating this season

That stat imo is kind of pointless

I think we are ok in possession till we get near the box, we dont create an awful lot of clear cut / guilt edged chances.

Sure, it's very subjective. You only have to look at our last two games to highlight your point. Look at WBA where we had 22 shots on goal. Four on target, nine blocked and nine off target; 15 from outside the box and seven inside meaning a shot accuracy of 30.8%

Compare this to the Hull. We had 12 shots on goal in that game. Nine shots were on target, two were blocked and one off target; Six from outside the box and six from inside the box. That's a 90% shot accuracy and a clear improvement.

Rodgers is clearly aware of the issue and looking to address it. Perhaps we have gone completely the other way now and it's not coming naturally as we try to force it.

However, these recent examples are the extremes and whilst I don't think it's as common as you make out, perhaps it's not as clear cut as I say. As with most things, it's probably somewhere in the middle.

[baitman]

Defined as a pass that leads to a shot on goal.

any shot on goal will boost those stats, even a 30-40 yard speculative effort from mario.
some of them might even be on target, some might even get past the first defender. others might be straight at the keeper.
a big difference between a shot on target and a realistic goal scoring opportunity.

[Muddled]

any shot on goal will boost those stats, even a 30-40 yard speculative effort from mario.
some of them might even be on target, some might even get past the first defender. others might be straight at the keeper.
a big difference between a shot on target and a realistic goal scoring opportunity.

Sure, as with most statistics they could be used for and against any argument.

I'm using the same statistic to compare our attacking prowess for this season to last. Our shooting accuracy is down, we know that much and we we are generating, more-or-less, the same amount of chances as last season. How you interpret those chances, is down to your own memory and which side of the fence you sit on.

The Markovic ball to Sterling in the Arsenal game has been raised recently in this thread. That's neither a key pass or an attempt on goal, but we still looked like we should have scored.

I'm just throwing some figures out there to jog some memories and to get people thinking objectively. This season hasn't been a success, but nor has it been catastrophic. Do we change managers on the back of fifth position? Or do we look at what he has tried to achieve with the loss of 50+ goals (some blame can be leveled at Rodgers there too).

[DannyMan2006]

In support of Rodgers;

People look at chances created and get too hung up on it. We created loads of chances in general when we had Sterling up top. He kept missing them & everyone said once we get Sturridge back he'll put them away and we will go up a level. The problem was, Danny was coming of a long injury and so he offered less movement. We created less chances and became less effective.

In general, we have shown we can move quite well from our third to the final third, then we break down. Now take the Hull game. If we brought in a striker who was a better finisher than Mario, but took up the same positions, then of course he wouldn't be adding many goals to the team. But that person wouldn't be taking the same positions. You put a player in with good movement in the side & we have seen with Raheem, and Coutinho when he played false 9 v Newcastle, that chances will be created.

We look slow and dreary because we lack movement. Clearly there are issues in our team, but there's nothing like a high number of goals to hide cracks in a team. Because scoring goals gives a team confidence, not doing so takes it away. Just think, Lallana levels v the Mancs, or Raheem notches in the away game, or Markovic plays a decent ball for Raheem to tap into the empty net at the Emirates....... Every miss just knocks the stuffing out the team.

[gratziani]

Sure, as with most statistics they could be used for and against any argument.

I'm using the same statistic to compare our attacking prowess for this season to last. Our shooting accuracy is down, we know that much and we we are generating, more-or-less, the same amount of chances as last season. How you interpret those chances, is down to your own memory and which side of the fence you sit on.

The Markovic ball to Sterling in the Arsenal game has been raised recently in this thread. That's neither a key pass or an attempt on goal, but we still looked like we should have scored.

I'm just throwing some figures out there to jog some memories and to get people thinking objectively. This season hasn't been a success, but nor has it been catastrophic. Do we change managers on the back of fifth position? Or do we look at what he has tried to achieve with the loss of 50+ goals (some blame can be leveled at Rodgers there too).

Surely any chance depends on who is taking it.

Suarez of last year would be putting away a lot more of them ergo we would be challenging higher up the league.

[The Birdman]

Surely any chance depends on who is taking it.

Suarez of last year would be putting away a lot more of them ergo we would be challenging higher up the league.

A fit Sturridge of any vintage would have scored more than enough of the chances to get us the extra points for top 4.

Which brings us back to going into the season with Lambert, Borini and Balo as striker alternatives.

As fans we can have our confirmation bias either way (Rodgers In, Rodgers Out) and pick the bones to suit.
Bottom line is we have improved dramatically defensively - that cannot be disputed.

What has cost us is having no one to take the chances we create.

[gratziani]

Good post

We take the lead and the confidence rises against the Mancs in the away game and our percentages for the win increase. Also in the Arsenal game as well.

Does anyone remember that outrageous goal last year when Sturridge backheeled it to Suarez who put it away. Just had a look at it again and we had four people in the box when this season most of the time we have nobody.

He could only try that because he knew he had support in the Penalty Area when this year the player with the ball has no choice but keep hold and move away from the danger area until he gets any support.

[DannyMan2006]

Good post

We take the lead and the confidence rises against the Mancs in the away game and our percentages for the win increase. Also in the Arsenal game as well.

Does anyone remember that outrageous goal last year when Sturridge backheeled it to Suarez who put it away. Just had a look at it again and we had four people in the box when this season most of the time we have nobody.

He could only try that because he knew he had support in the Penalty Area when this year the player with the ball has no choice but keep hold and move away from the danger area until he gets any support.

That's a great point you make and the key reason we haven't created much. If you have no one to pass too in the box you can't create much. Everyone knows about Couts cutting in from the left on his right foot now. Every time he gets it now he gets swamped, that should create space elsewhere but instead there's never anything on. We need a major shot of movement. Get a striker playing high and closing the opposition down, automatically drags the others up the pitch and doing the same.

The worst thing in the world is to press with limited players, just creates huge gaps and spaces. You either do it with everyone or don't bother. We've been in the middle too much this season and even average teams can make a ten yard pass to a man in space.

[danperkins]

In support of Rodgers;

People look at chances created and get too hung up on it. We created loads of chances in general when we had Sterling up top. He kept missing them & everyone said once we get Sturridge back he'll put them away and we will go up a level. The problem was, Danny was coming of a long injury and so he offered less movement. We created less chances and became less effective.

In general, we have shown we can move quite well from our third to the final third, then we break down. Now take the Hull game. If we brought in a striker who was a better finisher than Mario, but took up the same positions, then of course he wouldn't be adding many goals to the team. But that person wouldn't be taking the same positions. You put a player in with good movement in the side & we have seen with Raheem, and Coutinho when he played false 9 v Newcastle, that chances will be created.

We look slow and dreary because we lack movement. Clearly there are issues in our team, but there's nothing like a high number of goals to hide cracks in a team. Because scoring goals gives a team confidence, not doing so takes it away. Just think, Lallana levels v the Mancs, or Raheem notches in the away game, or Markovic plays a decent ball for Raheem to tap into the empty net at the Emirates....... Every miss just knocks the stuffing out the team.

[frank the tank]

In reality though its not just shooting practise is lacking....... the balance of the team isnt there. People point to stats about the defense being really good but that is because our attack was ****e and we didnt have a proper DM protecting the back 4 so Brendan played an extra centre back. That was tk the detriment of our attacking play as well though.

If brendan believed in the diamond, then he should have kept playing it - even if ot was lambert and borini up front at times. If brendan believed in the 433 then he should have kept playing it....even if it meant that we had lambert leading the line.

The situation we are in now, the reaction to our season is to add goals to the team. Easily identified but because of the formation surgery halfway through the season, brendan now doesnt know what formation he will want to play next season. He could buy 2 strikers and then what? Back the the diamond? With coutinho in the hole? Or Sterling?

He doesnt know if emre can will be a good midfielder for us for years to come? He doesnt know if Markovic will be useful for us. He doesnt know if Moreno can play in a back 4.....and what if we have the 2 strikers next season that are doing well but the midfield abd defense goes ****e because Brendan thought he had that skrted but when he changes the formation to fit the new striker(s) in it all goes ****e again???

he should have picked his favoured formation and stuck with that. He certainly should do it for the rest of the season....

[vlahka]

Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe has been speaking to the club's official website about the immediate aftermath of the Reds’ defeat against Hull City last week.

“(He talked about how) we need to keep playing as a team and why playing against teams like Hull, teams lower in the league, can be difficult on a Tuesday night.”

Oh well that explains it... Lower teams are on par with barcelona during weekdays.

[Vermilion]

If he'd said a 'rainy tuesday night' i'd have had some sympathy with his opinion.

[Leyton388]

Bet Rodgers name was in those envelops.