'The reason is...' - BR explains Brad Smith decision vs. Chelsea. Vote of No-Confidence...?

Over the last week, a series of poor refereeing decisions have temporarily derailed Liverpool's bid to consolidate a place in the top four, but Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is responsible for one of the most inexplicable decisions of the Christmas period.

In the 60th minute of Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, Joe Allen went off injured, and with the Reds desperately needing a goal to avoid defeat, Rodgers decided to bring on 19-year old Brad Smith for his first team debut.

In his pre-Hull City press conference yesterday, Rodgers outlined his reasons for throwing Smith into the deep end. He told reporters:

"The reason I put him [Smith] on is he has the capacity physically to cope with that level. He's quick, strong and powerful, and that's the kind of profile of player that you need"

Before I go any further: I have absolutely no problem with Rodgers blooding young players. It's exciting to see academy talents make it into the first team, and based on his performances for the U21s, Smith deserves his place in the squad. However, in this case, Rodgers made entirely the wrong decision, and his reasoning above doesn't justify his choice.

* If the idea was to increase LFC's physical presence in the game, why not bring on Cissokho? He is bigger, stronger, taller, and more 'powerful', and massively more experienced than Smith. Plus, he is left-footed (!), plays on the left, and has experience as an attacking wing-back. Ignoring Cissokho in favour of Smith arguably proves that there is no merit to the idea that Alberto and Aspas were snubbed because they need to 'beef up'.

* Bringing on Smith over Aspas and Alberto is a massive vote of no-confidence in the Spanish duo. What else can it be? If Rodgers trusted those players, he would've brought one of them on. Instead, he issued what basically amounts to a giant f**k you to his two summer signings.

* Imagine how Alberto and Aspas must feel. A combined cost of £15m, but in one of the most vital games of the season, with LFC desperately needing a goal, they're both ignored in favour of a teenaged without a single first-team appearance to his name. This is disheartening and demotivating man-management.

Fans will inevitably spin the unbacked myth that perhaps Aspas and Alberto 'do not train well', but there is absolutely no evidence to support that. Indeed, Rodgers himself has praised both several times for 'working hard' on the training ground. One again: what is the point in spending £15m on Alberto and Aspas if they are to be ignored in favour of untested teenagers?!

* Bringing on Smith is also a tacit acknowledgment by Rodgers of his failure in the summer transfer market. If Alberto and Aspas figured in his plans and/or he believed in their talent, one or them would've replaced Joe Allen. It's a little shocking that Rodgers select an untested teenager over £15m worth of summer transfers, and FSG should take him to task over this.

* There's a theory circulating that Rodgers brought on Smith as a political move; a ham-fisted attempt to pressure FSG into spending money in the January transfer window ('Look! My squad is so depleted I had to use a teenager against Chelsea!') If this is the case, then it is massively irresponsible and unprofessional behaviour. The first priority for Rodgers should be getting results for LFC, and deliberately weakening the team (in one of the biggest games of the season) just to make a point is - or should be - a sackable offence (IMO).

However, I do not believe for one second that this theory is true. After the City defeat, Rodgers would've been aware of the importance of getting a result against Chelsea, and as an honourable man, with LFC's best interests at heart, I reject the notion that he would deliberately subjugate the team's success for his own selfish reasons. Clearly, Rodgers genuinely believed the Smith change to be the right tactical choice, which in-and-of itself is a cause for concern (!)

A manager's job is to make decisions that benefit the team. Did Rodgers do this against Chelsea? Liverpool needed to score to rescue a point, and with two attacking players on the bench, the manager brought on a teenage LEFT BACK, and proceeded to play him out of position. How was this the best decision for the team?

Smith didn't make any impression on the game, and was basically a passenger for thirty minutes. That's not his fault, though - he's never played at Premier League level before, so it's only to be expected. Alberto and Aspas have also struggled to make an impression so far, BUT both are infinitely more experienced than Smith, and arguably more capable of changing a game.

What does Luis Alberto have to do to get a consistent chance on the field? Even with countless injuries, and Coutinho misfiring, he still doesn't get any pitch-time. The idea that he's 'one for the future' is nonsense. If Alberto is on the bench - which he is in every game - then he's ready to play. He's 20 years old, not 17, and if a player like Suso - who is younger - can go on loan and play regularly in La Liga, Alberto can do the same.

I stress again: it's great to see young players get chances at LFC, but Rodgers (arguably) made a gigantic tactical faux pas with his decision to throw Smith on against Chelsea, and that decision arguably contributed to LFC losing the game.

Author: Jaimie K