Windbag Wields the Axe

[gkmacca]

Liverpool will bankroll Brendan Rodgers after his patience snaps

Liverpool will bankroll Brendan Rodgers’ attempts to strengthen his side in January after his patience finally snapped [wot? After so few games? How queer!] with the under-performing squad he inherited [and can't improve in spite of being the greatest coach in the world].

Fringe man: Liverpool's Joe Cole failed to take his chance against Swansea City Photo: PA

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By Chris 'Toady in chief' Bascombe​

11:00PM GMT 01 Nov 2012​

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Comment

The thinness of Rodgers’ options were laid bare in the 3-1 defeat to Swansea City in the Capital One Cup, the urgency for reinforcements to relieve the pressure on Luis Suárez, Steven Gerrard and the club’s increasingly overburdened youngsters all too clear.​

Joe Cole was the most high-profile failure, but there was an equally unfavourable assessment of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson - players whose opportunities have been limited since the summer but fell woefully short of making a point to the manager.​

Rodgers made reference to the “astronomical” costs of retaining players who are surplus to requirements, his frustration at the lack of strength in depth plain to see.​

Although Cole, who is costing Liverpool around £5 million a year for the duration of his four-year deal, is an obvious target, Rodgers would offload all of his costly fringe players in January if he thought there was an interest and he could replace them.​

Those players are fully aware they are welcome to talk to other clubs - although attracting any offers that would lure them from their comfortable, lucrative salaries on Merseyside will be as difficult in the New Year as it was last summer.​

Left-back Jose Enrique has also failed to impress the manager, only featuring in emergencies, and with Andy Carroll already on loan and Charlie Adam sold, it is a damning indictment on the profligate spending prior to Rodgers’ arrival.​

Suárez and back-up centre-half Sebastian Coates are the only signings left from the Kenny Dalglish reign who Liverpool are not actively trying to sell.​

Liverpool’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, will make money available to reinforce when the transfer window opens, although it is by no means a deep kitty.​

Although they failed to back Rodgers in his pursuit of Clint Dempsey on transfer-deadline day in August, they will welcome a list of fresh targets for January which will once more include Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, his contract impasse having been monitored closely at Anfield since the summer.​

Rodgers could assist his spending powers by reducing his wage bill even further, but he is not working under any guarantee there will any takers for his unwanted, high earning players.​

The volume of money wasted at Anfield since their last successful spending splurge in 2007 is horrifying. Five years ago, former manager Rafael Benítez signed Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Martin Skrtel in the same calendar year in what represents the last successful sequence of purchases, but since then - with the exception of Glen Johnson, Suárez and last summer’s acquisition of Joe Allen, every major signing has been a failure.​

Robbie Keane (£20 million), Alberto Aquilani (£20 million), Downing (£20 million), Henderson (£18 million), Carroll (£35 million), Adam (£9 million) and Enrique (£7 million) form a rogues gallery, evidence of the most wasteful era of spending in Anfield and, perhaps, Premier League history.​

Cole, signed on a free transfer in 2010, cannot be excluded from this list given his extortionate wages. The Anfield board know Rodgers is paying the price for this legacy, which is why they have adopted a long-term strategy. The surrendering of their League Cup title is a setback, but the Northern Irishman can expect several transfer windows to assemble his own team.​

So far he has only recruited Allen, who has been a success, and Italian striker Fabio Borini - currently injured after a difficult start - for significant fees.​

Nuri Şahin is a loanee while teenager Samed Yesil and winger Oussama Assaidi were recruited for a relatively small price, on a completely different wage structure to the levels created by Rodgers’ predecessors.​

Goalkeeper Brad Jones, meanwhile, is hopeful of maintaining his run in the side to prolong Pepe Reina’s absence. The Australian has been in steady form and has won the confidence of Rodgers.​

“Everyone wants to play,” Jones said. “When I came to Liverpool I knew Pepe had an unbelievable record. He is a difficult guy to get out of the way. We have a good, friendly rivalry.​

“For me this run of games has been a good opportunity to play and show I can perform if needed in the first team. Then it’s down to the manager to what he sees fit. It’s a case of all of us putting pressure on each other.​

“I’ve been fairly happy with how things have gone. I haven’t had masses to do but I feel that what I have done has been fairly steady.”​

Surplus to requirements?​

Joe Cole - Signed on a Bosman in the summer of 2010 on a £20 million wage package, he must surely be asking himself if he has the capability to play at the highest level anymore. Even taking account of lack of fitness and game time, his performance against Swansea was disturbingly poor.​

Stewart Downing - An England squad regular, his lack of desire and character in a Liverpool jersey was all too apparent in the League Cup defeat. Signed by Kenny Dalglish for £20 million, the frustration is that he has shown isolated very isolated moments of quality. Nowhere near enough to convince The Kop, however.​

Jordan Henderson - Has been messed around since his £18 million arrival; first played wide right last season and ending up at full-back on Wednesday, but his purchase for such an extraordinary price remains mystifying. Fulham were given the chance to sign him last summer and he could be a makeweight in future deals.​

Jose Enrique - Began well following a £7 million move from Newcastle a year ago, but has since deteriorated rapidly. Now behind teenager Andre Wisdom and the injured Martin Kelly in the pecking order, although Glen Johnson’s recent injury won him back his place. His defending has been a constant weakness.​

 

[Ryan]

"Windbag"? Really?

 

[Gary25]

Rodgers is finding out more and more by the day of the job he has on his hands.

He's in the priviliged position of managing Liverpool FC but it's obviously not the Liverpool FC of years gone by - on and off the pitch. He's gonna have to be backed by everyone or this could end horribly and we're back to square one again.

 

[gkmacca]

No, no, no, it's not his fault, it never is and never will be. It's those terrible players he can't improve. No wonder he sneaks off to brief hacks about how helpless he is, in spite of his brilliance as a coach, to change things. Yes, he can cuddle them and stroke their cheeks, but they're just not good enough to help the great Brendan Rodgers. No wonder he now feels the need to hang them all out to dry. It was much the same at Reading.

 

[gkmacca]

From the Indie:

Elimination from the League Cup has meant there is one less front for Liverpool to fight on but their manager, Brendan Rodgers, has acknowledged he cannot keep relying on Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
In an ideal world, and with a far better squad than Rodgers possesses, Liverpool's captain and their only fit senior striker would not have played 45 minutes in a vain attempt to turn the tide against Swansea on Wednesday night. Nobody at Anfield was spouting the easy clichés that this was a competition they were well rid of. Liverpool are holders of the League Cup, a trophy they have won more than any other club.
Michael Laudrup, Rodgers' successor as Swansea manager, correctly identified it as the shortest, swiftest route to the glory that fuels football.
In the home dressing room, the Liverpool keeper Brad Jones, who was almost the only member of their starting line-up to enhance his reputation, said: "The feeling we got last season going to Wembley and lifting the trophy was fantastic. It was one we wanted to replicate." In the aftermath of a comprehensive 3-1 defeat, Rodgers described his squad as "small and thin", adding that the problems would take two transfer windows to rectify.
The squad is also expensive, riddled with injuries and full of players like Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, who have little future at Anfield. A pair of midfielders who cost £39m have been pressed into service as full-backs in recent matches, which tells several stories.
"For this match, I looked at the young players and the fringe players and tried to give them the opportunity to get into the Premier League team," Rodgers said. "I gave the players the opportunity to come in and shine – and that is all you can do as a coach or a manager. I can't keep playing Steven Gerrard and using Luis Suarez as our only striker."
Rodgers was asked if he was not frustrated by a reliance on these two senior players in a way that would be unthinkable at Manchester United or Chelsea.
"But that is where the club is at," he said. "I would have loved to have given Gerrard and Suarez that rest because they have been played continuously and they are the catalysts for the team, but when you need them you need them.
"However, we just can't keep relying on one or two players. The ethos at Swansea, the club I have just left, is that there is no individual greater than the team. That is the ethos I want to move towards but it will take time."
Despite a beginning that in terms of raw results looks alarmingly similar to Roy Hodgson's at Anfield, the indications are that time is still on Rodgers' side.
If you exclude the detritus of the Europa League qualifiers, he has won five of his first 14 fixtures compared to Hodgson's four. Kenny Dalglish began last season with eight victories from 14.
However, Rodgers is still wrestling with Dalglish's legacy, the heavy spending on a swathe of British players whom his successor has swiftly decided are surplus to requirements.
Given the gross over-reliance on Suarez, it seems extraordinary that Rodgers has publicly ruled out recalling Andy Carroll from his loan at West Ham, despite a clause in the agreement that would enable him to do this in January.
The striker's return would at a stroke have given Liverpool a plan B and brought back a footballer whose performances in the last days of Dalglish's tenure were encouraging. However, the suspicion was always that Carroll's departure was a statement of intent by Rodgers – and these are the hardest to reverse.
Rodgers' reds rifts
The Liverpool manager has fallen out with a number of big names since arriving at Anfield:
Andy Carroll Rodgers had no hesitation in shipping £35m man out to West Ham.
Joe Cole Has been used very sparingly since return from Lille loan spell.
Stewart Downing Criticised efforts of the former Middlesbrough winger.
Jordan Henderson Yet to start a Premier League game this term and was used at right-back against Swansea.

I gave the players the opportunity to come in and shine – and that is all you can do as a coach or a manager

That really is pathetically lame.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

Robbie Keane (£20 million), Alberto Aquilani (£20 million), Downing (£20 million), Henderson (£18 million), Carroll (£35 million), Adam (£9 million) and Enrique (£7 million)

Sickening reading , even if the prices might be slightly inflated (well i hope they are but knowing us they're probably not ) .

 

[RedZeppelin III]

Given the gross over-reliance on Suarez, it seems extraordinary that Rodgers has publicly ruled out recalling Andy Carroll from his loan at West Ham, despite a clause in the agreement that would enable him to do this in January.

Well it's the balance and debate of short and long term needs . I suspect they don't want to recall him as it would void any potential permanent deal with West Ham . If none is in place or he won't sign for West Ham permanently then they might as well recall him . Although I haven't missed his lumbering around at all , despite our woes.

 

[Hansern]

Windbag or not, "the most wasteful transfer dealings in the Premier Leagues history" isnt the most ringing endorsement.

Or was that Comollis fault? 100 million £. Its almost criminal that the quality of the squad is at this level with the money we spent.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

"Windbag"? Really?

Yah ... I want a manager like Roy who can only apologize for being a Liverpool manager

 

[Wizardry]

I thought macca was spot on with pointing out some of Rodgers comments. They were painfully reminiscent of Hodgson and his effort to suggest Liverpool was just an average club with pretensions to grandeur.

The paradox is that the squad is much better than the league table reflects. At the same time it's not good enough to perform to a level that the club - or its fans - is entitled to expect.

I thought Enrique was very good against Everton (and I was far from one of the believers when he signed).

We've got a team of Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Enrique, Allen, Gerrard, Suarez and a couple of young players like Sterling and Suso. The idea that they should be struggling to make top 10 is ludicrous.There's more talent in those first 8 than in 2/3 of the squads in the premiership - but it's not delivering at this point.

The Rodgers supporter says the owners and club were mad to not bring a striker in during July.
The Rodgers haters says it was nuts for a manager to let himself into a position of having just one real striker at the start of the season.
The realist knows that both parties have some questions to answer.

I don't doubt that Rodgers is a good manager and I think his tactical chageups against Everton were good evidence of this. That said, there's more in this squad than he's currently getting out of them.

 

[mark1975]

I thought macca was spot on with pointing out some of Rodgers comments. They were painfully reminiscent of Hodgson and his effort to suggest Liverpool was just an average club with pretensions to grandeur.

The paradox is that the squad is much better than the league table reflects. At the same time it's not good enough to perform to a level that the club - or its fans - is entitled to expect.

I thought Enrique was very good against Everton (and I was far from one of the believers when he signed).

We've got a team of Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Enrique, Allen, Gerrard, Suarez and a couple of young players like Sterling and Suso. The idea that they should be struggling to make top 10 is ludicrous.There's more talent in those first 8 than in 2/3 of the squads in the premiership - but it's not delivering at this point.

The Rodgers supporter says the owners and club were mad to not bring a striker in during July.
The Rodgers haters says it was nuts for a manager to let himself into a position of having just one real striker at the start of the season.
The realist knows that both parties have some questions to answer.

I don't doubt that Rodgers is a good manager and I think his tactical chageups against Everton were good evidence of this. That said, there's more in this squad than he's currently getting out of them.

Enrique kind of embodies our problems though. He got accolades after Everton, despite being woefully at fault for the second goal (he wasn't the only one I know). It's like Glen Johnson syndrome. He gets the plaudits for putting on a good attacking display sometimes, ignoring the fact that he's had a mistake in him that's cost us. We're applauding these players for putting in good performances, performances that are too often undermined by an almighty fuck up.That's our issue in a nut shell, inconsistency.

 

[Fox]

Sickening reading , even if the prices might be slightly inflated (well i hope they are but knowing us they're probably not ) .

every top team can match that number of flops, its just that we cannot afford to fix the issue

 

[Hansern]

Tbh Rodgers comments were nothing like Hodgson.
According to Brad Jones he gave the team bollocking at half time. And when was the last time a LFC manager subbed 2 players at half time because things werent working??!!

Rodgers gets far to much stick imho, but I'm not surprised as patience isnt our strongest area.

 

[peterhague]

every top team can match that number of flops, its just that we cannot afford to fix the issue

I really don't think that's true. I reckon a decent transfer record is to get about half of your spending right, and most teams seem to manage that. We've been astonishingly bad in the last few years.

 

[keniget]

I thought macca was spot on with pointing out some of Rodgers comments. They were painfully reminiscent of Hodgson and his effort to suggest Liverpool was just an average club with pretensions to grandeur.

The paradox is that the squad is much better than the league table reflects. At the same time it's not good enough to perform to a level that the club - or its fans - is entitled to expect.

I thought Enrique was very good against Everton (and I was far from one of the believers when he signed).

We've got a team of Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Enrique, Allen, Gerrard, Suarez and a couple of young players like Sterling and Suso. The idea that they should be struggling to make top 10 is ludicrous.There's more talent in those first 8 than in 2/3 of the squads in the premiership - but it's not delivering at this point.

The Rodgers supporter says the owners and club were mad to not bring a striker in during July.
The Rodgers haters says it was nuts for a manager to let himself into a position of having just one real striker at the start of the season.
The realist knows that both parties have some questions to answer.

I don't doubt that Rodgers is a good manager and I think his tactical chageups against Everton were good evidence of this. That said, there's more in this squad than he's currently getting out of them.

Quoted for truth.

 

[jexykrodic]

Interesting to watch people begin to shuffle sideways away from Rodgers now that reality hits.

Not really supporters are we? Critics is a better word.

Apart from disinterested and naive owners, reckless transfer spending for years, unsustainable wage structure and seemingly too many players in the comfort zone; we are beginning to knock a 'gamble' Manager for not fixing it all quick sharp.

I think we need to look at ourselves and show a little faith before getting all pissy about our inconsistency. This project was always about time, a fact we won't acknowledge.

Personally I'd have recalled Rafa or retained Kenny before handing over an institution to a relative unknown but that's not where we are.

To continue moving on the deadwood, replacing them with hungry players at realistic wages and getting everyone use to the Managers style and demands will take at least 2 seasons.

We better hope we can keep the points total ticking over and for the owners to be interested enough to put up when the Manager asks.

 

[Fabio]

Rodgers is boss

Fuck allayall

 

[doctor_mac]

I'm a disappointed Macca that you have taken this uncharacteristic disrespectful line with our current manager- it was signalled early on and with your insistence in calling him Fudgie and now this is clearly a step towards full on antipathy to BR. Of course he has made mistakes, but he has also shown signs of being a courageous and inspirational manager. His ability to change the course of games thus far has shown bravery and intelligence. With a few astute signings, and hanging on to our better players I have confidence in him.

Macca, you seem to want to beat him with the Kenny stick when that isn't his fault. I didn't want Kenny sacked either, but we are where we are, and we're in a transitional stage. Give him time, and please, give him a bit of respect too.

 

[Fabio]

He doesn't deserve it as he's not done anything besides blame the players tho doc.

Which is silly to me personally as he's not done anything wrong either

 

[Sunny]

Rodgers needs to be given time. You should get off his case a little Macca.

 

[doctor_mac]

Tbh Rodgers comments were nothing like Hodgson.
According to Brad Jones he gave the team bollocking at half time. And when was the last time a LFC manager subbed 2 players at half time because things werent working??!!

Rodgers gets far to much stick imho, but I'm not surprised as patience isnt our strongest area.

Best fans in the world #Bullshit

 

[LeTallecWiz]

FUCK RODGERS! FUCK EEM IN THE ARSE I SAY!!!!

 

[Insignificance]

Rodgers needs to be given time. You should get off his case a little Macca.

Let's give him time. No problems with that.

But what is acceptable from the team, and what is the perspective of time? To me we seem to be playing worse per week, and not better per week. And we seem also to be a bit clueless on which direction we are heading... Are we sticking to any specific plan, and if so what is the plan? If we are not sticking to a specific plan, what is then the point to give him time?

I am ok to give him time. But please tell me we have a plan with giving him time. Right now it seem like he is practicing on managing a big club. We don't need that. We need a manager who knows were he is heading.

 

[gkmacca]

I'm a disappointed Macca that you have taken this uncharacteristic disrespectful line with our current manager- it was signalled early on and with your insistence in calling him Fudgie and now this is clearly a step towards full on antipathy to BR. Of course he has made mistakes, but he has also shown signs of being a courageous and inspirational manager. His ability to change the course of games thus far has shown bravery and intelligence. With a few astute signings, and hanging on to our better players I have confidence in him.

Macca, you seem to want to beat him with the Kenny stick when that isn't his fault. I didn't want Kenny sacked either, but we are where we are, and we're in a transitional stage. Give him time, and please, give him a bit of respect too.

Calling him Fudgie was merely my attempt to make him seem human to me . And if we're stopping being disrespectful, can we cut the insulting assumption that my disenchantment with Rodgers is motivated simply or even mainly by Dalglish being sacked? That's an insult to my intelligence, no matter how easy a slur it is.

 

[Sunny]

Let's give him time. No problems with that.

But what is acceptable from the team, and what is the perspective of time? To me we seem to be playing worse per week, and not better per week. And we seem also to be a bit clueless on which direction we are heading... Are we sticking to any specific plan, and if so what is the plan? If we are not sticking to a specific plan, what is then the point to give him time?

I am ok to give him time. But please tell me we have a plan with giving him time. Right now it seem like he is practicing on managing a big club. We don't need that. We need a manager who knows were he is heading.

The guy has walked into a club all over the place though. Where we are is not of his doing and we have no concept of how much any plan or strategy of his is being backed by our owners, which is where more of the issues lie in my opinion. Replacing him would be entirely pointless at the moment.

 

[gkmacca]

Best fans in the world #Bullshit

It's been bullshit for decades. They're just fans, making Anfield so quiet you can hear individual voices on the other side of the pitch, booing at regular intervals and groaning whenever a pass goes astray. It's probably the club with the highest quotient of self-adoring nostalgists who still think they're part of that swaying mass of humanity singing 'She Loves You' as pipe smoking broadcasters from London grip the tips of their waistcoats in awe. Yes, the DVDS, LFCTV re-runs and Dave Kirby 'plays' and poems help sustain this culture of deception, but that's all it is. It's all self-mythologising shit.

 

[doctor_mac]

Calling him Fudgie was merely my attempt to make him seem human to me . And if we're stopping being disrespectful, can we cut the insulting assumption that my disenchantment with Rodgers is motivated simply or even mainly by Dalglish being sacked? That's an insult to my intelligence, no matter how easy a slur it is.

I think your frequent reminders that this isn't better than last year signals that is at least one source for your disenchantment. Macca if you think I'm being disrespectful to you by challenging you on this, then I think you should remember that I have always been amiable to and supportive of you on here. So I think the mock indignation is a bit unnecessary too. I have no desire to 'slur' you, and I do find that a properly insulting suggestion given our friendship on this site.

 

[gkmacca]

The guy has walked into a club all over the place though. Where we are is not of his doing and we have no concept of how much any plan or strategy of his is being backed by our owners, which is where more of the issues lie in my opinion. Replacing him would be entirely pointless at the moment.

Keep up the 'club in chaos' nonsense as much as you like, although Rodgers will keep pushing this fiction on his own, don't worry about that. Hodgson came into a much, much worse scenario, and where were all his self-appointed PR merchants? Rodgers came in, weakened his own squad and is now progressively sniping at who's left to anyone in the media who wants to listen. If he can't respect his own players, he doesn't deserve much himself. He's a small man at a big club, but, yes, eventually they'll fit all too snugly.

 

[Insignificance]

The guy has walked into a club all over the place though. Where we are is not of his doing and we have no concept of how much any plan or strategy of his is being backed by our owners, which is where more of the issues lie in my opinion. Replacing him would be entirely pointless at the moment.

I agree with that.

But we still should have an idea of what is the progress plan here? What does he lack of making us good and what is a milestone of his project.?

We have gone for this project, so stopping it before it starts doesn't make any sence. But given we have invested heavily in this project (Noone can deny that offloading expensive assets in addition to managers and staff is heavy investments), we should know what to expect. For fans to expect CL footie if the project is not about reaching top four in 2 or 3 season is no point. However if CL footie is the target already this year, what is done to reach the target?

Any project should have a real aim and a real target. To become champions sometime in the future is not good enough target. if we don't succeed with our milestones, we should at least know what these milestones are. it is after all the fans club? Should League cup victory be among the targets (its a trophy and we will not fight it out for any major trophies this season). or should we forget about trophies all in all a few years?

I know we will never get these answers from the ones that should really gives us these answers.... Thats why I ask here. What is reasonable to expect? Playing nice footie without scoring is not one of them, as we have been there and done that, and thats why we invested in this project in the first place.

Please tell me that we are not just seeing what BR can eventually do, and then sack him in 4 years when we get bored of him.

 

[Mystic]

Yep, give him time, and Walcott.