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Ludogorets (A) - Wednesday 26th November

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Frogfish

Frogfish

Gone to Redcafe
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Just 2 days away (it's well past midnight here) and the question must be who the hell is going to start. It doesn't look good if you are expecting / wanting massive changes after BR's comments about the team must stick together.

Anyway I'd like to see something like this :-

-------------------------Mignolet (it's tragic we have no real option)

Manquillo ----- Toure ------ Sakho (if he's ready) ---- Moreno

------------------- Can -------- Lucas

Sterling ------------- Lallana --------------- Allen

----------------------------- Lambert

Jones, Johnson, Skrtel, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Markovic, Balotelli, Borini
 
It's gonna be:

------------------------Mignolet

Johnson -----Skrtel---------Lovren------Moreno

----------------Gerrard-------Can
--------------------------Allen
Sterling------------------------------------Lallana
---------------------Balotelli
 
I thought about what team I would like to see,
Then I realised we don't have one single striker who I'd like to see play for us ever again. so I can't really name a team I guess.
 
The opposition always seem to want it more than us and we don't have anyone talented enough to overcome that so it doesn't really matter who we put out.

Most combinations should be good enough to beat Ludo but from the tactics to the players its all a bit too half assed.
 
I stupidly agreed to go the pictures with a mate. For once I'm not majorly bothered though, we're painful to watch at the moment, I'll watch the highlights later, shorter amount of pain that way!
 
Skrtel Johnson Lovren and Gerrard need dropping. As does Mignolet but what choice do we have there. Aside from that lot everybody else has been equally shite this season so I don't really care. Lucas deserves a run out as do Toure and Borini if fit.

Mignolet
Manquillo Toure Sahko Moreno
Lucas
Can. Henderson/Allen
Lallana
Borini. Lambert
 
Didn't see the Palace game (lucky me), but it's clear that at this point big changes need to be made. Being cautious at a moment like this is actually by far the most dangerous thing Rodgers could possibly do. I would use the Real away game lineup as a basis. Definitely Lucas at DM and Toure at CB, Can, Allen and Lallana all starting, Borini up front.

And cliche or not, but every game is a cup final now. Players need to understand that. If I were Rodgers, I would call a team meeting right now. Let the players voice their frustrations, then ask for everyone to unite and support their teammates. This team will either bond or die.
 
RedStar said:
Skrtel Johnson Lovren and Gerrard need dropping. As does Mignolet but what choice do we have there. Aside from that lot everybody else has been equally shite this season so I don't really care. Lucas deserves a run out as do Toure and Borini if fit.

Mignolet
Manquillo Toure Sahko Moreno
Lucas
Can. Henderson/Allen
Lallana
Borini. Lambert
Click to expand...
Borini can piss right off. He's barely a striker and needs to recognize the level he's at. That "chip pass" to the Palace keeper was as bad as it gets.

Toure needs to be in with Skrtel and Lucas has done at least enough to be there. Gerrard needs to be further forward anyway.
 
Sterling and Gerrard can do one, so can Mario.

-----------------Jones-----------------
Manquillo-Skrtel--Toure--Moreno
-----------------Lucas----------------
-----------Hendo----Can------------
--Borini------Lambert---Coutinho
 
To be honest, I think what the team really needs is just one performance where things just click. I actually felt like that was going to happen with Palace but it disintegrated around them.

A trip away with a resounding victory in Europe could really provide the required tonic. That excitement the team had last year needs to be rediscovered. That's where the electricity came from and we sorely need that spark back again.
 
Wizardry said:
A trip away with a resounding victory in Europe could really provide the required tonic. That excitement the team had last year needs to be rediscovered. That's where the electricity came from last season.
Click to expand...

We need that spark though Wiz, we just haven't got it at the minute, we haven't got one forward who can consistently pull something out the bag. Lallana and Coutinho come close, but without someone playing off either/both of them, they look toothless.
 
I think Lambert can give something there. He's not the spark I was talking about but he can be the connector that allows the current to flow.

I thought Coutinho was excellent in the 2nd half against Palace - but his efforts weren't rewarded and so amounted to nothing.

Lambert has the desire and the guy does actually know how to finish. He could be something for Lallana and Coutinho. He - or someone - to turn their work into goals will see the current flowing again.
 
Wizardry said:
I think Lambert can give something there. He's not the spark I was talking about but he can be the connector that allows the current to flow.

I thought Coutinho was excellent in the 2nd half against Palace - but his efforts weren't rewarded and so amounted to nothing.

Lambert has the desire and the guy does actually know how to finish. He could be something for Lallana and Coutinho. He - or someone - to turn their work into goals will see the current flowing again.
Click to expand...

yeah, he's the best we've got at the minute and I really want to see him do well, at least I know he'll give everything, unlike Mario. He looked sharper and fitter yesterday too. Agreed about him being the "connector", he played as a midfielder, so he can play as the target man and drop in to link up with players, we just need to start being more decisive with our play. We get to the byline and our aim seems to be, to win a corner.
 
Wizardry said:
To be honest, I think what the team really needs is just one performance where things just click. I actually felt like that was going to happen with Palace but it disintegrated around them.

A trip away with a resounding victory in Europe could really provide the required tonic. That excitement the team had last year needs to be rediscovered. That's where the electricity came from and we sorely need that spark back again.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt disagree with any of that, last season we looked like a team that couldnt lose for long periods, we just kept going up a gear until eventually the opposition gave up. You could see that belief drain out of the team after the Palace game last season and we have never recovered it. For 90 minutes against Everton I thought we were quite good and played some decent stuff but the sucker punch at the end really hurt us, havent had a decent performance since. We need something to break for us because neither the belief nor the effort required to win games is there, as many people have noted the team that was picked for cannon fodder in Madrid put the first XI to shame which should have been a real wake up call. I think its time to have a clear the air meeting between the coaching staff and the players, let them say their piece and see where everybody stands because they cant go on like this, they either unite behind the manager and roll up their sleeves or we will finish in the bottom half and a new manager will ship half of them out the door.

I also think the board need to be unequivocal here, if they are backing Rodgers they need to make that 100% clear to everybody at the club from the top down and kill any talk of a dead man walking situation before the rot sets in. They should also make it clear that their backing comes with conditions, a defensive coach and probably a new GK coach aswell, let him make his own choice from a short list to save face but hes drowning here so he should welcome a lifeline being thrown to him. If he cant or wont accept a defensive coach is non negotiable at this point then I dont think hes capable of turning it around, whatever hes doing isnt working.
 
Wizardry said:
I think Lambert can give something there. He's not the spark I was talking about but he can be the connector that allows the current to flow.

I thought Coutinho was excellent in the 2nd half against Palace - but his efforts weren't rewarded and so amounted to nothing.

Lambert has the desire and the guy does actually know how to finish. He could be something for Lallana and Coutinho. He - or someone - to turn their work into goals will see the current flowing again.
Click to expand...


I thought Lambert, the goal aside (and well done for that), was on balance woeful again yesterday. He's deathly slow with and without the ball.
 
The problem with having a target man that can link up play is that he needs someone to link up play with. We don't have anyone, Sterling aside, who looks capable of getting on the end of moves and scoring goals. Lambert may try harder and all of that jazz but fundamentally we're left with the same issue we have when Balotelli plays.

We really needed more from Markovic because he was brought in - or so we all thought - as a forward that could provide some added goal threat. As things stand, he doesn't look like he's going to settle in quickly and Rodgers doesn't seem to be particularly interested in helping that along at the moment.

The problems with the forward line could be managed if we could get the whole team to push up and hold their own defensively but the defence / midfield is so crippled by fear and incompetence that we're unable to do that.

It's a really mess disastrous mess that Rodgers has gotten himself into and he can only really blame himself.
 
FoxForceFive said:
Hahaha. Interstellar. And no, he's not female. I'd have wondered about him, but he's just had his second kid so I think he's defo male.
Click to expand...

I'm going Thursday with Jen, let me know if it's shit, cos it's a 3 hour jobbie and I can't be arsed.
 
rurikbird said:
If I were Rodgers, I would call a team meeting right now. Let the players voice their frustrations, then ask for everyone to unite and support their teammates. This team will either bond or die.
Click to expand...

You're quite right, of course, although I doubt that will lead to more than a short term improvement in attitude. Houllier seemed to hold 'clear the air' talks with his squad every month or so, to diminishing returns, because the squad wasn't good enough and he lacked fresh ideas. I feel sorry for Rodgers with this lot in terms of attitude - there is a stunning lack of fight there. Rodgers started the season with a hell of a lot of credit still in the account but the players were already showing the sort of insular, ineffectual, attitude that normally shows itself in relegation zone teams when the manager is on his last legs. I've been utterly gobsmacked by the blatant lack of resolve on the pitch by some - Johnson, yesterday, was a disgrace.


I suppose on the positive side, if they feel they owe him nothing, he can at least act as if he owes them nothing, and bomb a few right out of the side. The defenders, in particular, should be told all places are up for grabs and will be assigned purely on merit - you play in a disciplined way or you're out (of course, they need to be SHOWN what a disciplined way actually is, which is still a problem for the coaches). As I've said before, Sterling needs a mini holiday. Send him off for a few days in the sun. He'll be no good until he's fresh again mentally as well as physically. If Can is going to make it here, as a personality as well as a player, then the time is now: he has to seize his chance. Hendo needs to find his form but we need his energy at least. Lucas may as well come back briefly as the least worst defensive midfielder. Gerrard, if he plays at all, ought to be sent up behind Lambert and told to do something positive for a game. We need some hunger in the squad so the likes of Rossiter, Teixeira, Wilson and Yesil need to be considered seriously for the bench.
 
gkmacca said:
I suppose on the positive side, if they feel they owe him nothing, he can at least act as if he owes them nothing, and bomb a few right out of the side. The defenders, in particular, should be told all places are up for grabs and will be assigned purely on merit - you play in a disciplined way or you're out (of course, they need to be SHOWN what a disciplined way actually is, which is still a problem for the coaches).
Click to expand...

Does BR have the strength of character to do this?, I hope so; I think it's key along with recognition that he needs more help with coaching.
 
The problem is that no matter who we play, we don't have people who can score goals. The only players we have fit that have proved they can are Sterling and Gerrard. So they need to play.
I'm not too bothered about the back five, I like our fullbacks, despite the errors, so they can play. I don't particularly like any of our CBs, but Lovren is better than he's showing and would look better with a proper DM and a keeper with confidence. I don't think Mignolet is good enough, and his form certainly isn't great, but I don't think I'd be quiet ready to drop him for Jones yet.
Can has being adventurous at times and bring a bit of urgency, Lucas deserves a shot as DM.
Lallana has probably been the best of the options attacking wise, without actually producing anywhere near enough.

That leaves how to play up front. Like most people, I don't like any of them, I'd pick Balotelli for no justifiable reason.

-----------------Mignolet-----------------
Manquillo-Skrtel--Lovren--Moreno
----------Lucas----Can------------
---------------Gerrard------------
--Sterling----Balotelli---Lallana
 
jexykrodic said:
Does BR have the strength of character to do this?, I hope so; I think it's key along with recognition that he needs more help with coaching.
Click to expand...


It doesn't help that he's surrounded himself with such a submissive-looking coaching staff. Take Mike Marsh - nice fella no doubt but I doubt he currently has the coaching nous of Sammy Lee or the authority of Thompson. If a self-confident manager genuinely wanted an ex-Red on his team - to really play a key role - then Marsh always seemed a dubious choice.
 
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