Brendan Rodgers

[kingjulian]

I think it is time to talk about Rodgers. Yes, last season was great. But how much of that was down to Suarez?

We all know he can talk a great game, but if he doesn't walk the talk, he is going to find himself to be the laughing stock sooner than later.


He has got a whole bunch of decisions wrong or he has shitted out of some key decisions this season.

Yes, there is a lot to talk about in terms of singings we have made in the summer or players we have sold/loaned out.
1. Balotelli/Borini (It's looking like playing Borini ahead of Balotelli may limit the damage done a little bit, and at least protect Borini's value in the market)
2. CB/ Goal keeper. It's looking like a great idea to basically waste away Pepe Reina. He was and is miles ahead of Ming. The jury is very much out on Agger/Lovren.
3. Ibe. We could have used him this season, especially since the Belgian can't play for us.
4. Continued preference for Johnson when it has become abundantly clear the two new fullbacks are definitely better than Johnson and Enrique and they obviously put in more of an effort.

All that is minor compares to his two biggest lapse this season.
1. Gerrard. A decision needs to be made. This can't go on. He needs to be used better. Lampard doesn't start every minute and it shows in his performance when he does get on the pitch.
2. Playing style....we seem to lack ideas in going forward and seem comical when attacked. The coaching needs to take a great deal of stick for this.

 

[leftpeg]

The players are failing the manager right now.

 

[Oncy]

Mr Rodgers needs to sit Steven Gerrard the fuck down.
Lampard left Chelsea because he was playing 20 mins here or there. Gerrard wont even get hauled off when we are winning or losing.
Its beyond a joke.
He also needs to stop fucking around with the back 4 and sign a decent keeper.

 

[peterhague]

There's no such thing as the players failing the manager.

The manager is responsible.

 

[leftpeg]

The manager didn't miss the sitter...Balotelli did. The manager didn't slope around the pitch not giving a shit all day...Balotelli did. The manager didn't miss every fucking ball into our own penalty area today...the back four did.

 

[Y1]

Will killed Rodgers Rabit?

 

[refugee]

We have a real problem with the quality of his signings in his 3 years here. A lot of money has been wasted.

Obviously some of his signings still have time to redeem themselves, but will they?

Its also hard to attribute blame when we don't know how much input the transfer committee has on signings.

 

[Whirly]

Strange post given Johnson and Mignolet were two of our best today.

 

[peterhague]

The manager didn't miss the sitter...Balotelli did. The manager didn't slope around the pitch not giving a shit all day...Balotelli did. The manager didn't miss every fucking ball into our own penalty area today...the back four did.

Yeah, no-one recognised any risk involved in signing Balotelli. LOL. No-one recognised any risk in having so much invested in Sturridge. LOL.

No-one has pointed out a continuing chronic inability in BR to organise our defence. LOL

etc

 

[kingjulian]

Strange post given Johnson and Mignolet were two of our best today.

Not posting based on just one game. I think i would much prefer to have the energy and workrate that we saw from Moreno, Manquillo or Flanno last season. Johnson plays like that for three games in a season. I don't think can take the bad with the good in this case.

 

[Glen C]

Yeah, no-one recognised any risk involved in signing Balotelli. LOL. No-one recognised any risk in having so much invested in Sturridge. LOL.

No-one has pointed out a continuing chronic inability in BR to organise our defence. LOL

etc

So spot on its unreal. We were all saying this in the summer so Rodgers has to take the blame.

 

[Whirly]

Not posting based on just one game. I think i would much prefer to have the energy and workrate that we saw from Moreno, Manquillo or Flanno last season. Johnson plays like that for three games in a season. I don't think can take the bad with the good in this case.

I mean I was probably Johnson's biggest critic all of last season from a really early stage. But at this point I think he's just a rotation RB and utility LB, and not a whole lot more. We're definitely overpaying him, but he seems to be more attentive on the very small sample size we have since his return, so I'm okay with him playing him when BR sees fit.

I didn't have any complaints about today. That could change if he plays poorly, but I'd like to think that BR doesn't see him as the regular he was last season. Are there any BR comments lately on who his first choice RB is?

 

[Hansern]

The Reina point is not even worth mentioning. Reina gets better the longer it is since anyone saw him play in a red shirt.
Ming is looking like he cant develop in the areas we need him to, but I'm not sure Valdes is that much more commanding either.
Is he?

Its a fucking shame we didnt go for Begovic as we originally wanted to.

Balotelli is miles better than Borini imho. No contest.

 

[peterhague]

So spot on its unreal. We were all saying this in the summer so Rodgers has to take the blame.

I can forgive as normal human mistakes the problems he's had in blending a new attack, whether it's Balotelli, the pointless sentimentality of signing Lambert, not being sure how to proceed formation-wise.

I think you have to accept things like that.

BUT, as for

1. seemingly not having the first fucking idea how to solve the defensive problems (or even to prevent creating new and worse ones)
2. not being man enough to drop Gerrard


Well, they're serious, serious, problems.

 

[Hansern]

I'd say he deserves a bit of credit for changing it around for 2nd half though. It won us the game.

The defence is a real worry though.

 

[Whirly]

Does anybody know what our shape was after Coutinho/Allen came on?

 

[mr_moo]

Got a lot to answer for, all the points being mentioned.

Balo, defence, lambert, not having balls to drop stevie, ibe, GK situation.

Really am struggling to see how we can finish top 4. Only saving grace is arse and United dropping pts.

 

[Glen C]

Liverpool lucky to beat QPR - Brendan Rodgers
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side did not deserve their thrilling victory over QPR.
QPR spurned several clear chances before four goals in the last nine minutes, culminating in Steven Caulker's own goal, gave the Reds a 3-2 victory at Loftus Road.
Rodgers said: "QPR certainly did not deserve to lose. We were lucky to win, but we showed tremendous character.
"QPR definitely deserved something from the game. Overall, we were fortunate."
The Northern Irishman said his side had "no rhythm" in the first half and "there was no speed in the game".
He added: "Joe Allen and Philippe Coutinho coming on gave us a technical lift and we started to create more.
"Raheem Sterling was outstanding in his running and in his desire."

 

[Hansern]

Ibe playing for Derby is only a good thing imho

 

[peterhague]

Got a lot to answer for, all the points being mentioned.

Balo, defence, lambert, not having balls to drop stevie, ibe, GK situation.

Really am struggling to see how we can finish top 4. Only saving grace is arse and United dropping pts.

Well top 4 looks tough when you watch the matches but as you say the only thing that matters is our rivals, and given the fixtures it would be very surprising if we don't get to January at least very close to 4th or maybe even higher. So there's plenty of reason for hope there.

But I do think we'll have to make signings in Jan. At least a striker and either a GK or a defender, ideally both.

 

[mr_moo]

Well top 4 looks tough when you watch the matches but as you say the only thing that matters is our rivals, and given the fixtures it would be very surprising if we don't get to January at least very close to 4th or maybe even higher. So there's plenty of reason for hope there.

But I do think we'll have to make signings in Jan. At least a striker and either a GK or a defender, ideally both.

Very tough when watching the games. If we are in the mix come jan and with some very good signings, we might be ok. Need a striker, GK and potentially another CB.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

i feel like we're this comical bunch of underdog losers who know they are walking into a shitstorm each time but somehow manage to come away miraculously unscathed.

next game will be hilarious, me reckons.

 

[peterhague]

Very tough when watching the games. If we are in the mix come jan and with some very good signings, we might be ok. Need a striker, GK and potentially another CB.

Also, we're lacking leaders, badly.

That was another thing we lost when Suarez was sold. Gerrard is waning and has never been the best leader anyway, Henderson isn't there yet IMO, Can has potential but is too young and not even a starter yet, Lovren is a clown, so are Skrtel and Mignolet.

Right through the heart of the side, where you want 3 or 4 big characters, *at least*, we're really lacking.

 

[Athens]

i feel like we're this comical bunch of underdog losers who know they are walking into a shitstorm each time but somehow manage to come away miraculously unscathed.

next game will be hilarious, me reckons.

That might be the best attitude to watch all of the remaining matches this season.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

our defence looks worse if anything and our link up play in attack has just fallen apart, got to say it comes down to him in the end, especially at the back

 

[Nir.Barak]

I think criticizing Rodgers isn't fair and way too early, we are now just being reminded what a shit team he received when he came here and for all his skills, he's not a magician after all and without Suarez we still have a good squad compared to what he received 3 years ago and he's still very much on track.

 

[mom]

he's a good manager, and I have faith in him. But, as I said in the match thread, at the moment, he's clueless. Which maybe a little harsh, but I just don't see what he's getting right at the moment.
The defence is laughable, and shows no sign of improvement under him, and it's hardly a new thing.
He has absolutely no idea what to do with our captain.
The midfield does ok from time to time, but generally is nowhere near the level needed to get top four again, let alone win anything.
Yes, we're missing DS, which is a massive loss, but then he's brought in Balo, who can play, but not as a lone striker. The back up options are both his, but are not good enough to make a difference.

I don't think he'll get the defence right unless he accepts the fact that he's out of his depth there and gets a little help. The mid and attack I think he'll get right, but at the moment, he's all over the place.

Yes of course the players are at fault, but so is he, and in a big way.

We played the worse team in the league by a mile today, and they bossed us totally in the first half and should have bee at least 2 up by half time. Oh, and we made Zamora look like Drogba at his very best.

 

[peterhague]

The problem is whether we can suffer a manager who is very good in most respects but who simply can't organise the defense. Isn't that basically a nonnegotiable quality of a top class coach? What future do we have if that's the case? Just hoping that we can continue finding gems like Suarez every few years? That's fine if you're Real Madrid but it doesn't really suit our means that well, does it?

 

[Buddha]

I'm not worried. I'm kind of pleased we're 5th having missed Sturridge (that's really fucking up our goalscoring and whole system) and haven't fired yet.

It makes me think we hit our groove we're looking good for top 4.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

it really is amazing that we're 5th and only 4 points behind the mighty man city.

and above arsenal. poor arsenal.