In October, 'angry' Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno publicly slammed ex-Reds boss Brendan Rodgers for restricting his first-team chances in the early stages of the season. Moreno failed to start any of Liverpool's first six matches, and according to Anfield legend Jan Molby, Rodgers had a specific reason for keeping him on the bench.
Speaking to the Daily Mail last week, Moreno scathed:
"After the game against Stoke, when we kept a clean sheet, he [Rodgers] said he wasn’t going to change anything defensively, But he did say the chance would come.
"I was angry. I had this inner anger, a rage almost. I was playing well. He told me that I was training well, but I couldn’t see why I wasn’t getting a chance".
In his Friday column for the Liverpool Echo, Molby offered some possible inside information on why Rodgers ignored the allegedly 'magnificent' Moreno earlier in the season:
"I'd heard rumours Rodgers thought the Spaniard wasn't tall enough for a full-back and wasn't a good enough defender".
Molby is pretty plugged into what goes on at Anfield, so I don't dispute the veracity of the 'rumours' he's hearing, but if Moreno's height was a problem, then why did Rodgers sanction the deal in the first place?
It sounds tenuous to me, especially since many fantastic full-backs over the years have been on the smaller side (Roberto Carlos, and Ashley Cole, for example). That aside, I don't really see why Moreno has a problem:
* Last season, Moreno was defensively suspect, and made numerous glaring mistakes that led directly to goals (i.e. against Arsenal, Man City, and Stoke, to name just three). As such, if Rodgers pegged Moreno as a poor defender, he had good reason to hold that view.
* Moreno admits that Rodgers kept him in the loop about his chances, which is a sign of honest and open communication.
* After the clean sheet against Stoke, Rodgers was right to stick with the same defence, and most managers probably would've done the same. Liverpool also kept clean sheets in the next two games, so keeping the same defensive unit together was clearly the right decision.
* As Moreno confirms, Rodgers promised the Spaniard he'd get his chance, and he did. After Liverpool conceded 6 goals in 2 games (against Man United and West ham), Rodgers made a defensive change, and Moreno started 5 of the next 6 games.
So, to recap:
* Rodgers had the inexplicable temerity to stick with a successful defensive unit.
* He then disgraced himself by engaging in open communication with Moreno.
* As a final insult, Rodgers then heinously kept his promise to bring Moreno into the team.
Well, all I can say is:
In my view, Moreno's comments were crass, opportunistic, and juvenile. Rodgers can be criticised for many things, but not this, and it's (arguably) out of order to dance on Rodgers' grave and publicly throw him under the bus in this manner.
To me, Moreno sounds like an over-entitled brat, and he spat his dummy out instead of being mature enough to see that the TEAM is bigger than any one individual. I'd understand it Moreno had something legitimate to moan about, but he doesn't have a leg to stand on here.
Author: Jaimie K
Speaking to the Daily Mail last week, Moreno scathed:
"After the game against Stoke, when we kept a clean sheet, he [Rodgers] said he wasn’t going to change anything defensively, But he did say the chance would come.
"I was angry. I had this inner anger, a rage almost. I was playing well. He told me that I was training well, but I couldn’t see why I wasn’t getting a chance".
In his Friday column for the Liverpool Echo, Molby offered some possible inside information on why Rodgers ignored the allegedly 'magnificent' Moreno earlier in the season:
"I'd heard rumours Rodgers thought the Spaniard wasn't tall enough for a full-back and wasn't a good enough defender".
Molby is pretty plugged into what goes on at Anfield, so I don't dispute the veracity of the 'rumours' he's hearing, but if Moreno's height was a problem, then why did Rodgers sanction the deal in the first place?
It sounds tenuous to me, especially since many fantastic full-backs over the years have been on the smaller side (Roberto Carlos, and Ashley Cole, for example). That aside, I don't really see why Moreno has a problem:
* Last season, Moreno was defensively suspect, and made numerous glaring mistakes that led directly to goals (i.e. against Arsenal, Man City, and Stoke, to name just three). As such, if Rodgers pegged Moreno as a poor defender, he had good reason to hold that view.
* Moreno admits that Rodgers kept him in the loop about his chances, which is a sign of honest and open communication.
* After the clean sheet against Stoke, Rodgers was right to stick with the same defence, and most managers probably would've done the same. Liverpool also kept clean sheets in the next two games, so keeping the same defensive unit together was clearly the right decision.
* As Moreno confirms, Rodgers promised the Spaniard he'd get his chance, and he did. After Liverpool conceded 6 goals in 2 games (against Man United and West ham), Rodgers made a defensive change, and Moreno started 5 of the next 6 games.
So, to recap:
* Rodgers had the inexplicable temerity to stick with a successful defensive unit.
* He then disgraced himself by engaging in open communication with Moreno.
* As a final insult, Rodgers then heinously kept his promise to bring Moreno into the team.
Well, all I can say is:
In my view, Moreno's comments were crass, opportunistic, and juvenile. Rodgers can be criticised for many things, but not this, and it's (arguably) out of order to dance on Rodgers' grave and publicly throw him under the bus in this manner.
To me, Moreno sounds like an over-entitled brat, and he spat his dummy out instead of being mature enough to see that the TEAM is bigger than any one individual. I'd understand it Moreno had something legitimate to moan about, but he doesn't have a leg to stand on here.
Author: Jaimie K
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