18 Nov 2012

'It wasn't good for us' - Is this BR's first big mistake as LFC manager?

I'm sure many fans were surprised and disappointed to see Brendan Rodgers replace Suso with Jordan Henderson after only 38 minutes of yesterday's Premier League game against Wigan at Anfield. First half substitutions are pretty embarrassing for the player concerned, and usually take place when a manager is unhappy with an individual's performance. Rodger's decision seemed to pay dividends, and he has now explained the reasoning behind the controversial substitution.

In his post-match press conference, Rodgers admitted that he felt compelled to make the tough decision, explaining:

"I felt that the organisation at the front end of the field wasn't what I wanted really.

"We were playing two and one, and I felt that it wasn't so good for us when we didn't have the ball. Then just flip the triangle round and two players going to join in, and that seemed to work well for us

"You can let it run but I always try to use my intuition and what I feel is best for the team at that moment. He [Suso] had some nice touches, he nearly scored but that's a part of the game. I just felt that I'd flip the triangle around"


Although the result appears to vindicate Rodgers' decision, it's never nice being substituted in the first half (!); there is a certain ignominy attached to being yanked out of the action so early, and it's conceivable that Suso's confidence could be affected by the decision.

People will inevitably misinterpret my view here so just to be clear: I'm not saying that the decision to sub Suso was wrong, just the timing. Why couldn't Rodgers wait until half-time? It's not as if the Reds were in danger of losing the game with Suso on the field, is it? What is seven minutes versus maintaining a promising young-player's confidence?

Suso seems like a strong character, but here's no escaping the reality that with the early substitution, Rodgers basically told the world that he didn't trust Suso to do his job properly, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is playing on the Spaniard's mind.

Suso has been superb for LFC this season, and he's earned his regular starting place in the league. Rodgers deserves great credit for bringing him through and trusting him in some big games, but I fear he may have undone some of that great work with the ill-advised first-haf change.

Henderson did extremely well when he came on though, so kudos to him for taking his chance. Jose Enrique is also doing well for the team at the moment, and hopefully that will continue.

Jaimie Kanwar


117 comments:

  1. your such a negative prick lol

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  2. Buck Rogers should quote Han Solo to Suso: "Great Kid. Don't get cocky"

    Such experiences develop the mental toughness that all top sportsmen must possess to be successful. If he is sensible and is being advised properly, he will learn from this and put it behind him.

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  3. Pointless article. Don't try to create trouble where there are none ...

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  4. buying Borini was the first big one then claiming that the pass and move philosophy was his gift to LFC
    What the hell have I been watching before this apprentice was born

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  5. Another article based on YOUR opinion and nothing else. If Suso is the consumate professional, he would have accepted Brendan's reasonings, and simply gets on with life at the club.

    You see, that is what you do as a professional footballer. You get on with it.

    You are becoming like the rest of the blogs, scaremongering.

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  6. I don't think it should be a problem. As long as Rodgers makes it clear to Suso and all the players that tactical changes are not a result of poor performances. It may also keep their feet on the ground.

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  7. You arent the brightest are you mate? Or are you just writing this crap to create controversy and bring more hits to your website?

    Rodgers subbed Suso, not because he didnt trust him, but because he wanted flip the midfield triangle around thus stifling Wigan's attacks and meaning we see more of the ball. Henderson came on for his work-rate and his brilliant closing down, because Wigan were getting more of the ball. And guess what? It worked. It completely changed the game.

    I'm sure Suso would rather be subbed after 38 minutes and see the team go on to win 3-0 than stay on and see the team falter to another draw.

    So yeah, he subbed him for tactical reasons, not for performance related issues. Stop trying to stir.

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  8. seriously get over yerself... yes I was surprised, but the manager is the manager... how many times were we moaning last season cause Kenny never changed anything until the 70th minute when it was too late. In three of the last four games Rogers has changed our shape for the better.

    well done him...

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  9. Of course it's my opinion! What a ridiculous thing to say. What else should posts on an *opinion* site be based on?!

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  10. That's fair, but was it really necessary to substitute Suso in the first half? Why couldn't the change be made at half-time? Suso probably felt massively embarassed to leave the field after 38 minutes, as it's something that rarely happens.

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  11. Being a writer, for the masses of fans who read you, then you should appear more liberal, rather than spouting your opinion and expecting us all to roll over and accept it. You are a scaremonger.

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  12. You clearly have some kind of inferiority complex. I give my opinion I don't expect anyone to 'roll over and accept it'. I don't even know where you get that nonsense from.

    Don't tell me what to write or how to write it. If you don't like this site, don't visit. Simple.

    And please stick to debating the issue from now on. I am not the focus of the discussion; BR's decision to sub Suso in the first half is the issue at hand.

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  13. Suso is a very good player but as yet he is overated - texiera is much much better and will walk into the first team when borrell stops hiding him from Rodgers. I think he wants to keep him for the under 21s. REMEMBER ME JAMIE, I TOLD YOU HOW GOOD STERLING AND SUSO WERE A LONG TIME AGO SO MARK MY WORDS ON TEXIERA.

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  14. Let's hope you're right about Teixeira.

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  15. It's not that Rodgers did not trust Suso, it's that Rodgers rightly believed that given the tactics and players of our opposing team, a different type of player was needed. A stitch in time saves nine and in an industry based on results, such tactical intuition is a necessity. I'm pretty sure that players can understand this as well.

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  16. Rodgers said: 'It wasn't good for us when we didn't have the ball' - does this not suggest that he had concerns about Suso's defensive work off the ball? If so, he didn't trust him to defend well enough when he didn't have the ball, no?

    Remember, this is Wigan we were up against, Not Man United or Chelsea. Are Wigan such an amazing threat to Liverpool *at Anfield* that Rodgers couldn't wait until half-time to make the change?

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  17. Weve conceded a lot of goals late in the first half jamie, if the boss wasnt happy then fair play to him for changin things instead of waiting

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  18. Shut up you moron.

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  19. The new formation resulted a goal in the early 2nd half. If BR waited till half-time to make changes, the team may need some time to adjust, and may not even able to pounced on the poor pass by Wigan.

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  20. I think you've over-estimated the quality of Suso's performances so far JK. He always has a couple of nice moments (coming off the bench against Man U and WBA) but tends to drift in and out of the game. That is a result of playing him on the wing instead of in the middle I suppose. I actually thought we should start him (in the middle) yesterday and don't think it was his performance as such that triggered the sub but I think Rodgers made a good call. Good to see he still considers Henderson. I'm sure there is a good player in him.

    As for the timing, from a man management perspective it doesn't look great, but having said that, how often in the last 3 years have we seen Liverpool suffer from complacency. We can control possession and just concede one right before half time. I've seen it happens loads starting Rafa's last season. I applaud Rodgers for not hoping that things will be okay for the next 10 minutes and instead making sure. It is a shame Suso had to lose out (there will be more opportunities ahead!) but that is just how goes sometimes.

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  21. I dont think its an error - Suso has been brilliant and Rodgers did what he felt right. Though it would have been better to wait till half time. Henderson was good but nothing out of this world.

    Enrique was class and the bollocking he's had from Rodgers has done the trick. Shame it didnt work for downing!

    Rodgers mistakes were blowing a small budget on Allen and Borini and letting go of Aquiliani next to nothing. He knew we were short up front and lacked a creative midfielder. So instead of making this his prioirty he spent it elsewhere and when FSG didnt stump up the funds for Dempsey -which i am glad - he was stuck.

    Getting rid of carrol and hopefully downing are good decisions. If we manage to lure a creative midfielder and a proven striker we should at least get top 6 this season.

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  22. Good points. I don't have a problem with the sub itself, just with the timing. I don't see any upside putting a young player through the ignominy of being replaced in the first half. That's happened to me once when I played football, and it embarrassed the hell out of me. I think it would most people.

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  23. He has an inferiority complex!
    Now that is funny :-)
    Your choice of avatar says it all LOL

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  24. Oh c'mon..it was a tactical change...surely Suso wouldve known that given his good tactical knowledge..Its like sub-ing an inform defender with a substitute GK coz ur 1st team GK got red-carded..If anything, Suso should take positives from this match...and with Henderson showing some form (!), its good that there's competition for him now..!

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  25. the sooner the better, especially in this case :)

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  26. What does my choice of Avatar have to do with anything? I love Arnie's movies; he's one of my fave actors, and Commando is an '80s classic. That's why I have that avatar.

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  27. I appreciate that it was a tactical change, but why did it need to be made in the 38th minute of the first half? Why not wait till half time and save Suso the embarrassment of being subbed against Wigan at Anfield before half time?

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  28. Good points. I don't have a problem with the sub itself, just with the timing. I don't see any upside putting a young player through the ignominy of being replaced in the first half, especially at home against inferior opposition. That's happened to me once when I played football, and it embarrassed the hell out of me. I think it would most people.

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  29. In ten minutes (with added on time) a lot can happen. we could be 2 goals up or down. why wait when changes can be made instantly.

    Suso being an 18 year old kid will understand the importance of the change. These kids should learn the responsibilities they carry when they put on the red shirt. It is all for the best for the team and not an individual player. Jamie I'm not with you on this one.

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  30. Wigan won at anfield last season, we hadnt beat them in 5 so on the field of play sadly they have more than matched us lately, suso,s a good prospect but needs to come on a lot more yet, its a team game & if being subbed 7mins before h/t hurt his feelings or busted his confidence then he wouldnt have the spirit i want in any player wearing the red jersey, good result, lets kick on from here and look at the positives!

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  31. Maybe BR wanted a goal before the break..we all know how the atmosphere during halftime changes if either team scores a goal...and he gave them 7 minutes to find one, though it didn work out for that 7 minutes..

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  32. Attention seeking article (granted you got it). It was a very good and wise decision to make the change as we didn't klick at all going forward + Suso contributed zip, zero, nil. In comes Henderson and have arguably his best game in a red shirt. If anything I think this shows Brendan's able and willing to react when plan A doesn't work out, unlike GH and Rafa who rather dropped points than admitting their gameplan didn't work.

    Well done Rodgers!!!

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  33. Your looking to deeply at it ...suso is a big boy on big money i for one don't want players who cant take a decision....suso looked fine with it and seems a grounded guy....as for Rogers i think hes doing great and has convinced me...with a bit more look this season we would have been top 4

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  34. How about this. There are 90mins (or 105 if it's the Scum losing) in a game and Rodgers thought another system might work better so he made a change? Nothing else really to it and it worked.
    I'm sure suso will get over it as the team won.
    Does that sound simple enough?

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  35. It will take time for a attacking midfielder of his type to stamp his presence in a game consistently. He is a puppy and shouldn't be, imo, played as regularly as he has been this season but we don't have a great squad. Sterling's game is different to Suso's, as Sterling has the element of directness and pace that makes it easier to fit in in PL quicker. Suso is talented but for the short term, it isn't surprising that he will be inconsistent, as its par for the course for most players of his age and type, despite the talent.

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  36. Agree chum .. the man seen a part of the pitch where we were being over run a bit so he made a call and changed it , for the better may i add .. players feelings should'nt come in to it really .. and tbh the young lad is weak in his defensive work with just being so young and light and not fully developed yet , so the right call for me .. Suso has plenty of time yet , its all ahead of him !

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  37. Nice passing praise squeezed in at the end for Enrique, Jaimie. I'm sure he will show you up more over the coming months ;)

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  38. Do agree to a point but i dont think Allen or Borini were a waste of money in any way shape or form , both them young guys will come good , both have fantastic attitudes and i thought Aquiliani was very light weight and dabbled to long on the ball and got robbed of the ball a lot it tight battles .. was'nt botherd if he stayed or went .

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  39. Suso is a big boy. This won't affect him one bit. He's a professional and he knows substitutions are about Liverpool FC, not Suso.

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  40. Maybe he's letting him know to get his attitude right and if it aint 100 % im taking you off no matter if its 8 minutes in or 38 minutes and that should apply to all the players .

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  41. remember rodgers is a young manager. probably needs a bit of tempering in his decisions. future is very bright YNWA. good point jamie.

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  42. Great points and 100 % agree but if stevie had or was having a real bad game i'd like to think the same would apply , tho even on a bad day Gerrard puts a shift in and always affects the game in some way , so a few years yet before the shepards hook would come out for him lol

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  43. agree with you jaimie on this one but also thought henderson upped the tempo when he came on but susos confidence mite have been dented hope not because he can play

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  44. i was surprised but i think we have to remember that the change was made for the reasons Rodgers stated. We conceded a goal just before half time against newcastle so he was right not to wait if he felt the change would help. I think we need to give Rodgers praise for this rather than seeing it as a mistake. Im sure he has the man management skills to ensure suso is not demoralized by this and he wasnt humiliated as the fans at anfield thought suso had taken a knock.

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  45. If he had waited till half time and then the game had fizzled out to another draw you would have found something to pick holes in anyway.
    Would bringing a player of at half time really be much different? i.e affect his confidence less? That is unless the manager came out in the press and blamed injury for the withdrawal of said player.

    I think it is refreshing to have a manager that breaks the mould of waiting till the 60th minute before making a change.

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  46. calm down, calm down!

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  47. Rafa often waited until 60 minutes to make a change, infuriatingly so, wasting 15 minutes to make changes we all wanted at half time.

    I don't see a problem with a manager wanting to make an important change before half time if he thinks it is a tactical switch that is needed. Why waste 10 minutes with an approach he sees as unlikely to bear fruit?

    If an 18 year old with a huge amount of game time has a problem with the man employed to run the club substituting him, he can leave in my opinion.

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  48. ye his defencive work can be called in to question in the newcastle game when they scored wisdon was draged in to area which left the newcastle lad to score when you look up the pitch suso is standing on the half way line watching mate so brendan may have reserves about his defencive duties

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  49. This is tactical change...... thanks he had the flare. He is the boss.

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  50. I agree. Rodgers should have waited till hall time to make the change. Suso is a gem of a player and I hope his confidence will not be dented by such a sudden change.

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  51. I wouldn't have believed it was possible to find something to whine about after a good 3-0 win but somehow J Kanwar keep finding a way. Enjoy the win!!!!!!

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  52. I agree it could have waited until half time. Maybe it was to give Hendo a feel of the game and then spot any flaws in his game to point out at half time. Either way I was pleasantly surprised to see Henderson play quite well. Very energetic!

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  53. who cares, we won, 3 - 0 , whats the problem.
    now if suarez was subbed at that time you would have a good cause for a headline......................maybe you wouldn't !!!
    lets keep these young lads feet firmly on the ground, I understand that.
    jk you do not obviously

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  54. My point was that when you have a limited budget you prioritize. So if your a striker short or creative CM short you look to fill these gaps. He didnt. Borini is a prospective talent. Allen is way to similar to Leiva. Aqualiani was perceived as light weight but if you dont have a creative CM you dont sell the only you have for peanuts.

    If there was a proven striker alongside suarez im sure that we would convert a lot more of the chances suarez creates - because the guy at the moment is single handedly carrying the team. However ive been very impressed since enrique came back, and i still hope that in a couple of years henderson will have proven the doubters wrong.

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  55. Focus on the fact that we have a manager with the courage to accept that he got his starting line up wrong and made the change. We haven't had that for a long time.

    Suso must see the glass half full, for having the honour of playing for 38 minutes in the red shirt. By all rights he's too young and shouldn't be pushed too early, but needs must after the debacle of the last transfer window.

    Suso is most likely not as insecure as you Jamie, so I suspect that he will survive the experience of being subbed early, without the scars that you obviously still carry.

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  56. Tactical, not personal. BR stated he wanted to flip the midfield triangle, as the 'system' wasn't working.

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  57. I guess you can say he did not trust Suso because through his playing position, he could not naturally maintain pressure in the field where Rodgers wanted. But to say that Rodgers did not trust him and leaving the statement open like that is a bit too strong, provoking of a response (I think it was your aim) and makes me feel uneasy, because it's quite a generalised statement and gives the idea that the manager has completely lost faith in Suso or felt betrayed by his performance in a way or another.

    I'm really only taking issue with the use of the word 'trust'. I feel it's too strong because most of the time, it's used when a manager feels badly let down by his players. (eg. Downing's contribution) It was not the case here and Rodgers even acknowledged Suso's contribution by mentioning his testing shot.

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  58. I think most in the stadium probably thought it was injury related anyway

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  59. Jamie is Rodgers not paid to make big decisions? if Jose Mourinho made a decision or Sir Alex would any one complain!

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  60. Sorry mate. I think you have rose tinted goggles on there. Commando is cheese. Even though its amusing. Predator is the true classic. :)

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  61. Im sure hell take it in his stride. He changed the game last week. This game it didnt work out.

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  62. 'You're funny guy, Sully. I like you. That's why I'm going to kill you last!' - You're right, Commando is pure cheese, but it's such great fun :-)

    Agree that Predator is also a classic. They just don't make them like that anymore.

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  63. Slow news day? :) Rodger´s biggest mistake results in a win. Keep making those kind of mistakes Brendan. He made the change. It paid dividends. Suso is happy to just be playing. Hopefully he´s not that egocentric.

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  64. Suso was good but I felt he was suffering from the midweek participation in the under 21 for Spain.
    I know Sterling also played for England but he was his usual energetic self but Suso was not impoding himself on the game like he does at his best with his intricate passing and not losing posession.
    Wigan had too much room in midfield in the first half to do their own tiki taka but that changed with the introduction of Henderson. Allen passes well but seems to get easily overun if there is noone covering him even though he is supposed to be playing that covering role so Henderdon brought energy and covered Allen as well.
    Wigan were a better side in the first half for that reason but Rodgers redressed that after seeing the signs for 38 minutes and it was a master stroke.
    Now hopefully he has a plan for the Swansea tiki taka.

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  65. Jamie just tries to polarize to get as many visitors and replies as he possibly can ...

    That's why he always asks a question in the headline ...

    Most of his articles are pointless anyway.

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  66. manc imposter - real reds please do not post here

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  67. I would rather have a manager who subs players in the first half for tactical reasons and if players are not performing, instead of a Rafa like substitution, 60th minute, 70th minute 80th minute even though the players are playing shi-te. This Suso substitution changed the face of the game and Henderson put in a better shift than Suso. The player also appeared to suffer a knock early in the game and was not doing much of his defensive duties as required in a Brendan Rodgers setup. I am actually waiting for the day when Stevie G will be substituted at half-time. There are days and lately quite often Stevie is not in the game the whole match. He gives balls away cheaply and puts the team under a lot of pressure. If Brendan has the bottle to sub the captain, then this team will improve further.

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  68. Kanwar

    Who told you you were a Liverpool fan?

    You are using Liverpool's good name to get traffic and attention on your blog

    What BR did is not worth the controversy you're creating

    You're like a vulture...waiting for anything that's newsworthy and then twisting
    it so that you can get passions high on your site.

    You also use catchy titles to lure people on your site

    I truly do't know what to make of you

    If you had been a real fan you would stop stirring teh mud all the time

    P.S

    Be a man

    Stop deleting posts that go against your tide
    It's pasrt of the game...whether insulting or not, this is called Freedom of speech
    We'renot in North Korea or Myanmar
    Enough with the sissy-like censorship !!!!

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  69. Kanwar

    Who told you you were a Liverpool fan?

    You are using Liverpool's good name to get traffic and attention on your blog

    What BR did is not worth the controversy you're creating

    You're like a vulture...waiting for anything that's newsworthy and then twisting
    it so that you can get passions high on your site.

    You also use catchy titles to lure people on your site

    I truly do't know what to make of you

    If you had been a real fan you would stop stirring teh mud all the time

    P.S

    Be a man

    Stop deleting posts that go against your tide
    It's part of the game...whether insulting or not, this is called Freedom of speech
    We're not in North Korea or Myanmar
    Enough with the sissy-like censorship !!!!

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  70. I don't think we should speculate too much on the implications of the substitution. I was surprised by the sub but I must applaud Rodgers for his acumen and courage for doing it. Afterall, as a manager he should be calling the shot to improve the overall team's performance should he sees things that need to be rectified and be results oriented.

    So, whether its 7 mins more or half time is irrevelant. In fact it does makes sense if you see it from the view that the team has 7 mins to adjust to the new set up and Rodgers can see how it plays out and he has got half time to reinforce upon the players how he now wants them to play. As a professional player, Suso can't get too sensitive over such matters and I don't think he will.

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  71. Jamie, i don't mind a substitution during the first half. if your team is not playing well, make a change, do something. i see no reason why to give the opposing team an advantage even if its for 7 minutes. If Wigan would of scored before half time, chances are that we would be talking about another draw at home. I like that BR has some 'cojones'.. his relationship with the players is superb and Suso shouldn't take it personally -i know he won't anyway-, the team always comes first. I believe patience is finally starting to pay off. what do you think?

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  72. listen lads ye can say wat ye want about rodgers but lrt me tell ye this he,s playing a style of football we hav,nt seen since the 80s and he,ll b successfull with it just ye wait n c he,ll get money 2 spend in january and will buy a couple of strikers and if we r only a few points off 4th we,ll have a great chance of champions L football nxt season all im saying is back the manager as he,s the man in charge and hope suarez stays fit and does,nt get injured as its not he,s fault he did,nt get a striker in AUGUST it was the clubs fault YNWA JFT96

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  73. In theory Benitez and KD tried and stated this philosophy but the fact is they didn't nail it!
    Too many long balls in the past! Now we try and work it from keeper to defender to attacker!
    Get real and leave the guy alone!
    I for one have a great feeling about Rogers and he has the BALLS to get rid of Dalglish's poor signings!
    Not to mention bring up the youth in the first team!

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  74. It happened to me once and I went on to become Maradona.

    True story.

    ...but I know where you are coming from. If it was a senior player he probably would have waited until half time, so as not to hurt his ego but, as I've said, having seen us give away stupid goals due to complacency, I'm glad Rodgers nipped it in the bud.

    Also, (how true this actually is is debatable, but I feel it is a general trend I've observed) the foreign players (non-British) tend to have more understanding when they are subbed (which is a credit to their professionalism) than our lads, who take it more personally it would seem.

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  75. I think if the manager sees something he doesnt like and wants to change it then change it asap. Its in the clubs interests not the individuals. I dont think this is worth talking about to be honest. The objective is to get the 3 points in the game which was achieved. Managers need balls... Rogers showed that he has no qualms in replacing players at any given time when he thinks is necessary which is great. Why wait till half time? Why waste 7,8 mins of play using a system which clearly isnt working. Before he changed it there were times when we struggled to retain possesion, struggled to get the ball back off Wigan. The only thing that effects players confidence is articles like this one which drag out the affair and get everybody talking about it. Suso is a great young player, just not in that particular game against that particular opposition. No offence to anyone in writing this. Just an opinion.

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  76. Wait.. I dont agree. The club shouldnt wait for anyone. Wait for 7-8 minutes? It takes seconds to score a goal. Its about winning games together as a team, if that means taking someone off and changing the game then so be it. As long as the team wins then all the players should be happy as all the players are part of the team. The headline should read 'Brendans master class tactical change' not Suso's poor confidence. It would be nice to have a bit of positivity rather than the negativity which we seem to see these days.

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  77. BR was chosen and is paid for his experience and vision for the future. He saw something he didn't like (and I didn't like the fact in the first half Wigan were passing for fun around us, albeit non penetrating) so he decided to change it. Ultimately he is there to look after the team first and with the change we looked more solid and started on the road to win the game. Good decision and good timing I say.
    The fact Suso has been given a new contract and for most games is in the starting XI should keep him happy and confident.

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  78. Swansea second lowest goals scored last season and 2 away wins. Ye the crab's football easier on the eye than Hodgson but still negative, backwards sideways any way other than forwards.
    Ye he may come good but only because we now run a YTS scheme for trainee managers and in this case his ego is bigger than the mersey tunnel

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  79. SUSO is a paid pro.football player,I'm right behind Rodgers tactical decision & as a team the players must trust the boss,the thought that suso is embarrassed ,as you once was,doesn't come into it,this is a professional game at highest level & shouldn't affect him

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  80. Jamie you have many times said that the club is bigger than any player etc. If Brendan thought it would benefit the side to make the change when he did then it was the right decision. Suso will just have to accept it and make sure next time he plays that he plays so well it would not even enter BR's mind to sub him.

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  81. sure, but arguably, Swansea had a team that had no business finishing mid table last season... Rogers built a team that stood the difficult test of the EPL in their debut season.

    I for one am a bit nervous about the next fixture against Swansea... Hope BR can come up with another stroke of genius to beat a really good team and keep on climbing that table!

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  82. Suso didn't look too disapointed when he came off...

    Anyway, the sub was for the good of the team. Every decision Rogers makes is for the team, The bold decisions aren't ALWAYS going to work, but he has the balls that were lacking with our last 4 or 5 managers.

    He has great belief in his ability not to mention the initiative and intuition to make decisions that can influence and change a game. Full marks to BR, SUSO just has to fall in and tow the line... we won didn't we?

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  83. What a waste of my time, you really need to pick your topic a wee bit more carefully. Speculation for the sake of speculation, not much meat on this bone laddy ;)

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  84. I think it was necessary: until the change was made, Wigan were really imposing themselves on the game, we were not dominating possession and they were getting chances and half chances.

    We looked a bit shaky in defense especially soft in the midfield, and we're just not able to hold onto the ball consistently. One good thing that was happening is that we were getting value for what little ball (less than normal I mean) we had. Our usual possession statistic is around 60%, it was too even with Wigan - you said it yourself, "a change was needed". Why not now? The impetus of now could mean the difference between 1 goal lead and a 3 goal lead... which was the case i believe.

    Now I'm sure you'll agree, once the sub was made, Wigan's chances and possession dried up and we we're able to get more chances... not to mention Jordan Henderson played like a man possessed and SHOULD have scored.

    All I'm saying... I was as shocked as anyone when Suso came off!

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  85. I really think Rogers should start thinking about moving Suso into the midfield, especially for smaller games or interchanging with Gerrard...

    This WAS the lineup I wanted BR to play this weekend:

    Reina/Jones
    Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
    Gerrard Allen Suso
    Suarez Sterling Assaidi/Morgan (play central if so)

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  86. We scored 3 goals in 6 minutes once upon a time....the team comes first

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  87. He said Suso did fine, it was the team shape and characteristics that needed changing and Suso was the one to go. Simples

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  88. Jamie, i can see where you're coming from. It probably will knock Suso a bit, but if he is as great as everyone claims, he'll have the mental toughness to put it behind. Everyone seems to be forgetting, a manager changing the system so early is as good as admitting he was wrong. So Suso is not alone in his embarassment, and Rodgers will sit down with him and explain it was the system that needed changing. If he'd brought on a like for like player such as Joe Cole, that would suggest Suso was playing bad, but he put on a conpletely different style of player so thats no fault of Susos, but in fact a fault of Rodgers which he recognised, and dealt with ASAP.

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  89. Jamie , we were speaking about this on the bus coming from the game , BR got a lot of praise for it having the balls to change a game. From 12 minutes to 38 minutes Wigan outplayed us totally and he saw an issue with the space in the middle. Briging on Jordan and giving him the brief to get the ball , close the gap was a game changer. Suso was applauded by us all and got a slap on the back by all the team. It was not a mark on Suso who is a natural winger / forward being replaced by a ball winning midfielder ...he is young but even he can see it is a tactical change and I think he would rather have played 38 minutes in a game we won 3-0 than 80 minutes in a game we drew or lost as trust me Wigan were the only team that looked like winning at the 25 - 35 minute mark ...Not a mistake a genuine manager who is looking after the team and the fans :)

    YNWA ....

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  90. So, you tell me to get on topic, and discuss the topic at hand, yet here you are waffling about movies ffs.

    It IS true what they say, you are NOT a Liverpool fan, you a merely a manc scum in disguise, and using this 'so called' column as a way to vent your anger.

    Having fun are we?

    Newsnow are idiots to even include you in their findings, as your waffle is not club related, its all personal thoughts.

    You should be ashamed of yourself to associate your name with Liverpool.

    After Googling you, it appears everyone else in Liverpool agree's to the fact that you are an imbecile, and that's putting it mildly.

    TO ALL THE REAL LFC FANS OUT THERE (IF THERE ARE ANY LEFT HERE) DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND BLOCK LIVERPOOL-KOP FROM YOUR EYES FOREVER.

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  91. I disagree with you Jamie, BECAUSE of a view you expressed in a previous blog that i agreed with: if BR is guilty of anything, it's 'over-praise'. You stated that it could send an unhelpful message to players to heap praise on them for ordinary or sub-standard performances. I agree with you on that. So, can you imagine BR being anything but massively supportive and encouraging of Suso behind the scenes, despite whst the subtext if a first half substitution may imply? BR strapped on a pair and made a decision he believed could change the game - why delay on that?

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  92. Why wait, if it's not working fix it

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  93. If the problem was that we needed to win the ball back quicker, of the 2 players at my disposal, I too would bring Hendo on - he's a machine - massive work rate. That is why the sub made sense right away.

    Hendo's work rate and harassment of opposition is the only area in which i rate Hendo higher than Sus. Suso is more likely to change a game offensively with a shot or intelligent choice of pass. BR will know Suso is a better player generally and would have started him for that reason. But when it became apparent we needed

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  94. ...a ball winner, bringing Hendo on was a natural choice. Ultimately, wrapping up a kid in cotton wool is no good for his confidence. He's a well-paid, good-looking, talented kid, living the dream and playing for a top football club. I think he'll get over it.

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  95. Another positive is that it sends a clear message to the whole squad about competition for places. If your concern is for Suso's confidence, ultimately he will be a better and more confident player knowing every minute he is on the pitch is because he is wanted there.

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  96. so the fact it was a tactical sub shows you know nothing....the game needed changing and Rodgers will change it then and not wait another 40 mins for it to not to work further

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  97. Jamie, it is a valid point about the surprising substitution, but BR explained it, do you think SUso, has not got the intelligence to understand BR like we do??? Thank god we have a Manager that see's things early and doesn't hand about to make teh changes that we the fans normally see so soon in a game. That is what will separate Rodgers from the rest!

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  98. Hi Jaimie,

    I felt compelled to answer to this particular response because you keep asking the same question time and time again without fail. At the end of the day nobody other than BR and his close advisors will know why the change was made on 38 minutes and not half time. As far as I am concerned, I would much prefer the change done asap rather than having to sit here and bemoan a Wigan goal because of a problem the management identified but failed to act upon.

    Decisions made by the manager should be to the benefit of the team and not the individual player. That's all!

    If the player's ego has been hurt as a result, then a good manager will put an arm around him and explain the decisions. If the right philosophy is employed by the manager and coaching staff, Suso will know that the change was made to benefit the team and that should be enough for him to get on with it.

    Now, please stop repeating the same question. It's getting rather tiresome.

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  99. AP - If I want to keep asking the same question, I will. Please don't tell me what to post.

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  100. But Jaimie, what's the point of repeatedly asking a question that cannot be answered with 100% conviction by any of the posters here?!

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  101. Please, stop being a pedant. I asked the question several times because no one had answered it. I'm looking for opinions, not absolute knowledge.

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  102. I'm sorry that you feel that I am being a pedant. This is not my intention.

    However there is a glaring inconsistency in what you say. You start with "I asked the question several times because no one had answered it." This suggests you are looking for a specific answer. But then you go on in the very next sentence to say "I'm looking for opinions, not absolute knowledge.". So which is it?!

    I'm sorry if this post irks you but I have read a few of your responses Jaimie and I must say, for someone who is looking for opinions, you are not very good at spotting them nor are you very good at accepting them when they do not fit into your way of thinking. (This is my opinion and as you say more often than not, I am entitled to my opinion.) Shame as the subjects you choose to write about are generally quite thought provoking and interesting. I just wish you could back it up with a discussion rather than getting your back up at the 1st sign of someone disagreeing with you.

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  103. Why did you remove my response?! How childish!

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  104. Ou former assisant manager has West Brom(!) in the champions league spot. Maybe we should bring him back using that argument or possibly not got rid of him in the first place?

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  105. I agree with your comments JK. The timing of the sub was odd and i was convinced it was due to an injury especially given the way Suso was playing; I genuinely thought it was his best game to date in a red a shirt. Our first goal came about from a mistake by Wigan's defense and nothing to do with the tactical change. The game was always going to open up after we scored our first goal. Let's just hope this doesn't effect his confidence!

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  106. Buck Rogers Hahahhahahahaha dats funny ....

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  107. Soo Tru ....We are Liverpool , we donot need to copy other teams ...Tika tika crap ...King Kenny and Clarke we already building Liverpools pass and move last year ...Buck is just reaping the rewards of them and what Rafa did for theyouth academy ...Lets get real

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  108. Who says you need to accept it?!?

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  109. Hi Jaimie,

    It's better to be proactive than reactive. Do you agree? The aim of putting JH on for Suso was to be more effective off the ball. Goals can be scored in the last 8 mins in the first half as much as any other time. BR might start Suso next game and he'll quickly forget about the last game.

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  110. They are still not coming back!! so Shut up and enjoy the Roggers Show!! if not you can always support the teams that Ralfa is going to coach!

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  111. dude... seriously? that 4th position is temporary! West Brom will never finish there...

    I am very happy with BR!

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  112. Love Kenny but his signings ended him!

    Rogers is a better manager for the modern game

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  113. Jamie I agree. The timing was not the best but at the same time it seemed to have a positive effect in the game on the long run. Hopefully BR will learn from this. In any case it is embarrassing.

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  114. Where has it been stated by Suso that he was embarrassed about coming off before half time. This is a ridiculous statement to continually make and insinuate unless he has come out stating as much. The only embarressment is the embarressment we as fans perceive there would be in coming off early but the reality is that these guys are liverpool players and such are there to do whatever is necessary for the good of the team. The change has been explained by BR as being tactical. He was the obvious choice of the 3 in the front line to come off in order to adjust the teams shape. Being the 38th minute is insignificant, BR saw the problem and acted, it gave him a chance to see the new system for at least 10 min and then make any tweaks required at halftime. The timing is only important for those who want to make an issue out of it. Suso had no issue or at least didn't show any discontent when he came off which to me indicates he understood what the manager was trying to do. Instead of coming out and applauding his leadership which changed the game to our advantage we sit here nit picking his timing just so we can nit pick at something and create some controversy. He did good, the team won,we played well can't we just be happy that this weekend was a good weekend and bask in our third win of the season without trudging out such minuscule negative perceptions.
    Just saying be happy we have plenty of time to vent frustrations when and if the team starts to falter!! (I hope the faltering does not occur) YNWA

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  115. one win againts poor wigan and you all believe rodgers is the right manager,shame on you called lfc fans,i dont need young perspective manager ,we need manager who brings chl every season ,i am not watching chl last 3 years,my question is are you not missing great nights,RAFA RAFAEL COME BACK

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