Barcelona are reportedly considering a move for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose current contract expires in 2015, but what are the chances of the Reds' boss jumping ship for the Nou Camp?
According to The Mirror this week:
"Barcelona are keeping a close eye on contract talks between Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers.
"Gerardo Martino is likely to leave in the summer and the Spaniards see Rodgers as a front-runner to replace him".
Rodgers is doing a superb job at Anfield, but as history proves, the allure of clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid can sometimes be too much, and the manager's job at Barca is undoubtedly one of the most coveted in world football.
Rodgers' footballing philosophy is perfectly aligned to the tiki-taka approach favoured by Barcelona, but when asked about his LFC future this week, the Reds' boss made it clear that he is 'happy' at LFC, and has no intention of leaving. He told reporters:
“It [LFC] is an incredible club, and I love being the manager. I haven’t got an agent so I don’t have someone pumping stories out about me not being happy. There will be plenty of time come the end of the season, to talk about a new deal.”
Rodgers-Barcelona seems like a match-made in heaven, but LFC's manager is still relatively inexperienced at the top level, and I'm sure he has a burning desire to achieve sustained success at Anfield before moving to pastures anew. Indeed, last year, Rodgers made it clear that he sees his long-term future Liverpool. he told ESPN:
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I needed to take it. I wanted to take it because I hoped I could build something here and stay here for a long time"
It really is incredible to contemplate that Liverpool could win the title in Rodgers' second season in charge, especially considering the following:
* LFC finished 28 points off top-spot last year.
* Luis Suarez missed the first six games of the season.
* Gerrard, Sturridge, Lucas, and Coutinho have all been injured.
* Rodgers wasted a lot of money on ineffective transfers.
One thing's for sure - if Rodgers breaks LFC's 24-year drought this season and leads the club to the Premier League title, he will instantly become one of the most wanted-managers in European football, and LFC will no doubt have to swat away countless offers for his services.
Author: Jaimie K
According to The Mirror this week:
"Barcelona are keeping a close eye on contract talks between Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers.
"Gerardo Martino is likely to leave in the summer and the Spaniards see Rodgers as a front-runner to replace him".
Rodgers is doing a superb job at Anfield, but as history proves, the allure of clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid can sometimes be too much, and the manager's job at Barca is undoubtedly one of the most coveted in world football.
Rodgers' footballing philosophy is perfectly aligned to the tiki-taka approach favoured by Barcelona, but when asked about his LFC future this week, the Reds' boss made it clear that he is 'happy' at LFC, and has no intention of leaving. He told reporters:
“It [LFC] is an incredible club, and I love being the manager. I haven’t got an agent so I don’t have someone pumping stories out about me not being happy. There will be plenty of time come the end of the season, to talk about a new deal.”
Rodgers-Barcelona seems like a match-made in heaven, but LFC's manager is still relatively inexperienced at the top level, and I'm sure he has a burning desire to achieve sustained success at Anfield before moving to pastures anew. Indeed, last year, Rodgers made it clear that he sees his long-term future Liverpool. he told ESPN:
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I needed to take it. I wanted to take it because I hoped I could build something here and stay here for a long time"
It really is incredible to contemplate that Liverpool could win the title in Rodgers' second season in charge, especially considering the following:
* LFC finished 28 points off top-spot last year.
* Luis Suarez missed the first six games of the season.
* Gerrard, Sturridge, Lucas, and Coutinho have all been injured.
* Rodgers wasted a lot of money on ineffective transfers.
One thing's for sure - if Rodgers breaks LFC's 24-year drought this season and leads the club to the Premier League title, he will instantly become one of the most wanted-managers in European football, and LFC will no doubt have to swat away countless offers for his services.
Author: Jaimie K
I remember many a long discussion with posters who will remain nameless over whether BR was a decent manager or not.
ReplyDeleteComparisons were made to Hodgson, in Hodgson's favour unbelievably, with some saying he was clueless, needed to be sacked etc etc
Now where are they?
I knew BR is a good manager but never know he's this good! Credit to him and thanks for making us dream. Hope he stays for a very long time and leave some legacy behind. YNWA!
ReplyDeleteYou will never let go this notion that Rodgers wasted alot of money on players. You need to give it up. 75% of the players he has bought are young players, players that u can't judge their career yet. The players he has bought are not being kept out because they are duds, its because our team has improved alot. A player like Borini could be here and doing a grerat job but he certainly not going to displace Suarez or Sturridge. Joe Allen is now a starter. Sakho was a starter before getting injured at Chelsea. And like i said all these players are young. And you keep on talking about Alberto being out of favor, he is not, he has to displace form players. And don't forget we have been missing out on players due to no European football andf the club unwilling to pay over their valuation for players. Look what that got spurs. You want to see who bought duds, look at Man United and Spurs squad. Its not right you keep on pumping that story out there. You need to stop it.
ReplyDeleteBR is a genius in that he is always willing to learn and pickup on new things. like earlier on in the season, when he clocked how deadly we are on the counter he changed the gameplan abit to allow teams to play abit at anfield so we can counter them. it has worked massively. BR has also shown that he can change his tactics depending on how the game is looking.example, vs Swansea, the counter attack football never really worked and we had to bring on Allen to control the game abit more. and against Southampton he put on Sterling and we switched back to our counter attack style. however, i believe if he was more effective in the transfer window we would be even more devasting. effectively i think these are the signing he should make come May.
ReplyDeleteBen Davies- were in desperate need of LB, and bringing in a young talented player who knows BR methods and can fit in straight away. is only 20 and will become a Anfield fan favourite and can cement that as his place. £10-12M
Ivan Rakitic- Rakitic is a quality, experienced but not too old(26 years) and can play in a number of roles. would absolutely love to have him in our squad. and when Gerrard finally does retire, Rakitic can be the immediate successor. £18M
Loic Remy-Remy is a quality PL and CL experienced striker with a release clause of £8M. im sorry, but this cannot be ignored. we are going into CL football, and if Sturridge or Suarez were to be banned or injured, having a immediate replacement will be crucial. and i wouldnt mind a team of Sturridge and Remy, Remy and Suarez or all three, or just the original SAS, but i think signing Remy would be a good boost to the look of our squad and options. £8M
Adem Ljajic-Luis Alberto is meant to be putting pressure on Coutinho for the AM roe but hes clearly not quick enough for the PL, very similar to Sahin. Ljajic will be a better option. fantastic abilty, reminds me of Messi. would be a good midfielder who fits the FSG profile and will grow into a top class player. Fiorentina is not the right club for him. i wanted LFC to sign him in summer but i really hope we replace Alberto with him. £12M
Rodgers is right to hold contract talks at the end of the season. He can negotiate a better deal (in terms of pay) if he wins the league and nobody can hold it against him. I hope FSG offer him just a 3-4 year extension on his contract (anything longer is usually disastrous; Moyes and Pardew anyone). Personally I don't think he's ready for Barcelona. The pressure at that club is massive (largely because those fans and directors are numb nuts; PepG couldn't handle it after 14 trophies). Also Rodgers hasn't yet juggled Europe and League together much (If not for Europa league we might have made it to top four last year).
ReplyDeletePlease don't tell me what to do :-) I'm not letting go of the notion that BR wasted a lot of money on players because it's absolutely *true*, and just because LFC are doing well in the league doesn't change that.
ReplyDeleteBeen saying it for a while and laugh if you are so inclined, but BR is the best manager in the Premier League. Don't tell me about that one at the Bridge who is an embarrassment to football, because he is vastly overrated. One just needs to look at how that one teams play - boring stuff even with world class players at his disposal. Try and nick one then bring on Mikel. Yeah he's the best manager in the world. LOL. And oh, BR let's his charges do the talking on the field, That one does it in the media to get the fame.
ReplyDeleteWell keep acting like the other media hacts who will write anything to cause controversy and get hits off their site. Its still dishonesty and agenda driven
ReplyDeleteIt's quite insulting to name those 'managers' in the same post with BR. Nothing less than a new 5 year contract should be handed to him. He's a genius and with support will bring many trophies and titles to this great institution. You just need to look at how he works - his tactics from game to game are second to none in the Premier League. He has put us in contention for the title with players of inferior quality to the other top teams.
ReplyDeleteSo you went and added a long essay to my reply then deleted my reply. And im the one fan censoring. You are the one running a LFC site and make up things. Its a known fact that players reach their prime about 25-28 around that area. Suarez is 27 and is still getting better. Most of the players Rodgers bought are below this age range....fact. What is wrong or opinionated about saying these players need time to be coached and develop at LFC? Nothing at all, except it wont get on LFC fans nerves. Its better to say a 20 year Old Spaniard is a bust of a buy than to say he needs times to develop. Because even the great Xabi Alonso had two dud seasons in between a good and a great one at LFC. Censor away
ReplyDeleteAt Barca BR would be constantly in the limelight. It is a given that half of the Barca faithful would hate him because he's not Catalan...or at least Spanish. Every little glitch would be blown beyond all proportion. In a few years he would be treated like AVB at Spurs or DeMAtteo at Chelsea.
ReplyDeleteHe has the chance to build a storied club back to the pinnacle of world football. It would be his creation as it has been to date. At Barca he would be a caretaker of something he didn't build. FSG should just pay the man what he's worth and get on with raking in the dough as they and he build a new chapter in greatness. In a few years every coach will quit dreaming of Barca and Real Madrid and dream of Liverpool.
I'm very confident that FSG will have Brendan's contract situation well in hand. One thing they've shown themselves to be is shrewd businessmen they will know the value of a manager that has taken the club from 7th to a realistic title shot whilst trimming a fair bit off the wage bill at the same time. It's pretty much unheard of. I'm also pretty sure Brendan will want to see his work through, his Liverpool reign is in its infancy. He's going nowhere
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell would this wonderful man be unhappy at Liverpool? If he wins the title, he will instantly be a Liverpool legend.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, he has the opportunity to etch his name into the history and fabric of our great club. We are close to looking like the red machine I remember in the 80's and players/coaching staff alike have to grab this chance making it a springboard for successful years to comes.
ReplyDeleteBuild on this season, don't stop evolving and keep adding players to ensure everybody on their toes. Most importantly keep this style of play and bring back those glory years.
Europe is ready to welcome us back to elite stage and they'll be glad we're back at least until they have to come to Anfield.
Why is it you ask people to state their opinion and take instantly as an insult? I think Supa makes a valid point and you should state your disagreement. I know there are some banfoos who said idiotic things but stop threatting people with deleting their post. If you don't want us stating our opinions then don't let us.
ReplyDeleteHere.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've already said I'm sorry. :(
I doubted him, and I was wrong.
I didn't rate Sturridge.
I thought that the club was too big for BR. I never wanted him out, I just thought that some away games his approach was of a manager happy with not losing.
But this season HIS team has been awesome. Stupendous. A joy to watch. Playing some of the best football I've seen since '88 or the Roy Evans heyday.
Long may it continue.
I agree with Supa. Jamie needs to stop this kind of talk. It's only really typical of a journo to spark this kind of negativity. We're going for it this year and I still can't believe how Brendan has done it but he has. Pay credit where due and don't kick a man while he standing tall. YNWA
ReplyDeleteMost managers tend to make mistakes in the transfer market, despite all the scouting etc some players cant adjust to lifestyle or style of play in the PL, whether it be how they play or the opposition. Yes BR I admit has made mistakes in the transfer market, I would say Allen, Alberto, Aspas, Borini, have failed to show they really have what it takes to improve us or help us stay where we are now in our current high position. The likes of Allen and Borini can be used as back ups or for tactical tweeks. We can compare the transfer failings of Liverpool with many clubs i.e. Tottenham, or even Manure Uniturd under the reign Fergi, when they bought Veron, Djemba, Rochembach etc etc, or even Arsene Wenger who simply 'did not see it' with the likes of Squilaci, Silvestre, Reyes etc. If manager manages to make a success of about 40%+ of his incoming transfers I would have in scheme of things that is a decent return.
ReplyDeleteBR has managed to waste our small transfer fees over successive transfer windows but that spend has bought us Coutinho and Sturidge, which is 2 good quality players. The harsh reality is we are this season playing in effect with the same squad we finished with last season, as BR does not fancy his summer recruits, other than Sakho who is out injured. The money wasted in the summer on the likes of Aspas and Alberto could have been better spent even if it be on a single player that would have added to the first 11 or at the very least provide strong competition.
Despite the negatives BR in his short tenure, this season has given Liverpool fans the hope and i would say now has got a champions league place with the limited resources available to him, compared the competition around him. I know he did manage to squander much of this limited as already mentioned above but if every 18 months his transfer dealings produced 2 quality players like Coutinho and Sturidge and he facilitates the improvement of youth players to play in the first team like he has flanagan and sterling then I would be a very happy Liverpool fan with that achieveing the goal of getting Liverpool in the top 4 at the very least every season, then I would be a happy Liverpool fan; as we would have come far from the days of finish 7th.
The allure of madrid (no finals in 12 years lfc 2 ) and barca 4 times winners lfc 5 ....you sound like you want him to go ALBERTO ALBERTO ALBERTO so sick of you moaning all the time we just bet utd at old trafford bet them comfartably .What do you write about sturidge dive suarez looking for 2nd yellow rodgers will be gone and so what cos jamie k says he wasted all our money .GET A GRIP or support someone else ya moaning miserable git
ReplyDeleteJaimie, how do you conclude that his stats compare favorably to GJ, when there are lower in every category? Not by much, to be fair, but still lower.
ReplyDeleteFlanagan has stepped up, he's played all the big games too, Spurs, United, Everton all away.
ReplyDeleteAll I'm saying is I don't want another Aspas or Alberto to come in. If we are going to pay good money, make it count, otherwise the clubs own youngsters should get a shot. Robinson, Wisdom and McLaughlin can go out on loan next season. But if Flanagan stays here and is left as 3rd or 4th choice, he will just be demoralised after a pretty good season for him. Cissokho came in with a pretty good reputation, I was initially happy with the signing, but who has done the better job?
He's a Swansea lad, so 15 Million! ;)
ReplyDeleteI like that last part.
ReplyDeleteThey're lower, but not by much, so in my view, they compare favourably. Just a matter of personal interpretation I guess.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I've only seen Robinson a few times. In one game he had to play centre back, he did okay but Blackpool lost by a few goals..
ReplyDeleteAndre Wisdom too, looks okay. He's a big unit and it's strange seeing him out wide, especially when he gets forward, he's not going to whip the ball into the box or anything so I reckon he should focus on becoming a centre back.
I'm not saying these youngsters are going to be great but I think they can be handy players. Instead of paying a pretty chunky fee for the likes of Aspas/Alberto, why not use some youngsters?
Yeah, I googled it and compare favorably means to be in comparison with, i always assumed it meant to be better than. I'll give you this one.:)
ReplyDeleteHis stats are pretty impressive, especially for how raw he is.
Brendan Rodgers will NOT leave !!
ReplyDeleteKids.... Play nice.
ReplyDeleteAs for Rodgers, the jury is still out. The last few games I saw Cissokho play, I would have to say he played very well.
As for Coutinho he has had a few stumbles, but his brilliant passes through passes, more than make up for his stumbles. Remember, he is still quite young. And Toure, If you call him a bad signing you have lost your cotton pickin' mind. He has nothing more to prove to anyone, besides he has been playing out of position, if memory serves me right.
All I would like to see from fellow Liverpool fans is some civility and not so much bitching and moaning.
Agreed
ReplyDeleteyeah. i dont think fsg will lets br go after they trigger his 15million pound contract with swansea.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm with supa on this one...by your own logic, you are engaging in fan censorship. He is a fan, and your comments to him are just as if not more censoring than his were to you. You talk about objective truth, but whether or not BR wasted money on the signings he brought in is absolutely a matter of opinion, and one not everyone shares with you. Let's think about who BR has brought in. -Allen, who you don't like but I would say is a very good player who does a lot of hard work for the team that doesn't get the kind of headlines goal scoring does. -Mignolet, who is excellent (small shaky period around xmas) and has saved us a lot of points with fantastic shot-stopping, certainly an upgrade on Reina.
ReplyDelete-Sakho, who is very good and will be for a long time.
-Toure, who brings valuable experience and was especially good in the beginning of the season.
-Sturridge, who is absolutely fantastic.
-Coutinho, also fantastic, still very young and with a whole lot to offer in the years to come.
-Borini, also young, jury is still out but I think he can be a contributor in the future, I'm personally not 100% sold on him.
-Aspas, who I think was a waste of money and failed signing.
-Luis Alberto, who is a very good young player and was bought for the future, I've been impressed with him when he has played and he'll start paying back his fee in a year or two.
-Tiago Ilori, also one for the future who I think will be fantastic for us.
-Moses and Cissokho, loans who I don't rate (no transfer fee).
-Sahin, another loan who didn't work out.
-Texiera, youngster who looked solid in his one appearance, one for the future, such a small transfer fee that it's barely worth discussing.
-Yesil, again tiny transfer fee, very promising young player who hopefully can get past his injury issues.
I think that's everyone. So, a couple of failed loans with no transfer fees and one definitive failure in Aspas. As supa says, you've made this assertion that BR is bad in the transfer market, wastes our money in the market, but as I've laid out here I disagree. If you feel comfortable sh*tting on supa for saying what he said than you should have no problem rebutting these points and showing us exactly why you think BR has "wasted a lot of money" in the market, instead of just getting defensive and talking about fan censorship. It's also worth noting that BR's net spend is not the sum of all these transfer fees, as he's done a good job of moving along dead wood and getting players off the wage bill.
I eagerly await your response, if you can find the time to give one.
I think I'm with supa on this one...by your own logic, you are engaging in fan censorship. He is a fan, and your comments to him are just as if not more censoring than his were to you. You talk about objective truth, but whether or not BR wasted money on the signings he brought in is absolutely a matter of opinion, and one not everyone shares with you. Let's think about who BR has brought in. -Allen, who you don't like but I would say is a very good player who does a lot of hard work for the team that doesn't get the kind of headlines goal scoring does.
ReplyDelete-Mignolet, who is excellent (small shaky period around xmas) and has saved us a lot of points with fantastic shot-stopping, certainly an upgrade on Reina.
-Sakho, who is very good and will be for a long time.
-Toure, who brings valuable experience and was especially good in the beginning of the season.
-Sturridge, who is absolutely fantastic.
-Coutinho, also fantastic, still very young and with a whole lot to offer in the years to come.
-Borini, also young, jury is still out but I think he can be a contributor in the future, I'm personally not 100% sold on him.
-Aspas, who I think was a waste of money and failed signing.
-Luis Alberto, who is a very good young player and was bought for the future, I've been impressed with him when he has played and he'll start paying back his fee in a year or two.
-Tiago Ilori, also one for the future who I think will be fantastic for us.
-Moses and Cissokho, loans who I don't rate (no transfer fee).
-Sahin, another loan who didn't work out.
-Texiera, youngster who looked solid in his one appearance, one for the future, such a small transfer fee that it's barely worth discussing.
-Yesil, again tiny transfer fee, very promising young player who hopefully can get past his injury issues.
-Assaidi, who barely got a chance to show us anything and has been good here and there for Stoke, I'm not sold on him.
I think that's everyone. So, a couple of failed loans with no transfer fees and one definitive failure in Aspas (and maybe Assaidi as well). As supa says, you've made this assertion that BR is bad in the transfer market, wastes our money in the market, but as I've laid out here I disagree. If you feel comfortable sh*tting on supa for saying what he said than you should have no problem rebutting these points and showing us exactly why you think BR has "wasted a lot of money" in the market, instead of just getting defensive and talking about fan censorship. It's also worth noting that BR's net spend is not the sum of all these transfer fees, as he's done a good job of moving along dead wood and getting players off the wage bill.
I eagerly await your response, if you can find the time to give one.
Rodgers will get the best out of the "ineffective transfers" in due time.
ReplyDeleteThey are still young and will come through with his coaching abilities
Thumping the Mancs at OT was just as good a feeling like Istanbul.
Maybe better.
I still, till this day, don't understand what you are trying to say with this idea of 'wasted money'. BR can only play 11 players at a time, some lose form and some improve which ignites the manager to rotate the squad.
ReplyDeleteBorini - on loan to a prem club because with the way the SAS are playing, he won't get in the squad
Allen - Henderson has improved so much and in an unexpected manor that it has forced him to the bench.
Alberto - young and inexperienced at the top level, but one for the future
Aspas - theres no way he will be starting if the SAS are as prolific as they are.
Managers make singings based on their predictions on how the existing squads will progress, and adding more fire power incase they don't.
Henderson, Sterling, Sturridge and Gerrard (his fitness mainly) have over exceeded expectations. Pushing out the 4 names I mentioned above.
A lot of these signings are good signings. Unfortunately we have not ben able to see to the extent of their abilities due to the improvement of players already in our team. But why does that mean they fall under your category of 'wasted money'?
Somehow my long reply to this isn't being approved
ReplyDeleteI think I'm with supa on this one...by your own logic, you are engaging in fan censorship. He is a fan, and your comments to him are just as if not more censoring than his were to you. You talk about objective truth, but whether or not BR wasted money on the signings he brought in is absolutely a matter of opinion, and one not everyone shares with you. Let's think about who BR has brought in. -Allen, who you don't like but I would say is a very good player who does a lot of hard work for the team that doesn't get the kind of headlines goal scoring does.
ReplyDelete-Mignolet, who is excellent (small shaky period around xmas) and has saved us a lot of points with fantastic shot-stopping, certainly an upgrade on Reina.
-Sakho, who is very good and will be for a long time.
-Toure, who brings valuable experience and was especially good in the beginning of the season.
-Sturridge, who is absolutely fantastic.
-Coutinho, also fantastic, still very young and with a whole lot to offer in the years to come.
-Borini, also young, jury is still out but I think he can be a contributor in the future, I'm personally not 100% sold on him.
-Aspas, who I think was a waste of money and failed signing.
-Luis Alberto, who is a very good young player and was bought for the future, I've been impressed with him when he has played and he'll start paying back his fee in a year or two.
-Tiago Ilori, also one for the future who I think will be fantastic for us.
-Moses and Cissokho, loans who I don't rate (no transfer fee).
-Sahin, another loan who didn't work out.
-Texiera, youngster who looked solid in his one appearance, one for the future, such a small transfer fee that it's barely worth discussing.
-Yesil, again tiny transfer fee, very promising young player who hopefully can get past his injury issues.
-Assaidi, who barely got a chance to show us anything and has been good here and there for Stoke, I'm not sold on him.
I think that's everyone. So, a couple of failed loans with no transfer fees and one definitive failure in Aspas (and maybe Assaidi as well). As supa says, you've made this assertion that BR is bad in the transfer market, wastes our money in the market, but as I've laid out here I disagree. If you feel comfortable sh*tting on supa for saying what he said than you should have no problem rebutting these points and showing us exactly why you think BR has "wasted a lot of money" in the market, instead of just getting defensive and talking about fan censorship. It's also worth noting that BR's net spend is not the sum of all these transfer fees, as he's done a good job of moving along dead wood and getting players off the wage bill.
I eagerly await your response, if you can find the time to give one.
Spot on
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you Jaimie. You do recycle a lot of negative points that you've made about LFC and Rodgers. Say it once and be done with it already. Yes some of the signings were not the greatest.Have those signings been given a lot of time though? No. Some of the signings were brilliant. It has even itself out. He didn't waste more money than what he has made on players like Coutinho and Sturridge, and raised players value like Sterling and Henderson who are playing out of their skin. You really do need to give it up with all that rubbish. Seems like you enjoy writing more negative articles than positive. Maybe you just like the reactions you get, not sure. Either way, it's getting old.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we could get 20 years from him, 6 league titles, 6 fa cups, 6 league cups, And maybe just ,maybe another champions league trophy! I suppose dreams are for free!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes he will.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't offer him a new contract after the season.
OFFER HIM A NEW CONTRACT!
That is just his strategy to get readers, it is obvious.
ReplyDeleteIt also get's on my nerve.
Newsnow Liverpool are responsible for me reading his article.
Every time I see negative articles, I am like " jaimie k" without scrolling to the bottom, to confirm.
I am right almost every time.
Sometimes I hate the reactions you get out of me.
Transfers are a gamble, Sturbridge,Suarez of them where transferred therefore their we're a gamble.
Sometime you lose big and sometime you win big.
Sometimes you just lose but you NEVER just win.
So please continue putting something else out there, It's surprisingly healthy, because it Reminds me how far Liverpool FC has come in two years.
From mid table to league contenders
Gotta love the big broad brush you just used there JK "fans like you" and what fans are they? can you please expand on this?
ReplyDeleteAre these the very fans that keep you in a job?
Regards
Well done BR! Disagree on the wasted money but thats because I understand that player form changes not just based on their skill, but development and games played are factors too, not to mention injuries. Theplayers brought in for big money have worked excellently in the team. The cheaper ones who may or may not cement their place are easily replaced. With a history that includes the ridiculous prices for brit players and the lack of funds Liverpool have, the manager has done excellently. Anyone expecting 2 or 3 messis a year is sadly deluded and fails to understand the risks involved in managing humans.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly Barcelona and Real Madrid are massive names in football but manage Liverpool and everyone remembers YOU not just the name Liverpool FC ........I have no need to reel off the names, see how many great manager of theirs you can name
ReplyDeleteOh yeah Suarez missed the first six games. I totally forgot about that :-) That was back in the day when we could still lose to Man United. I think I fell in love with BR just now when I read "I don't have an agent". What a wonderful world that would be (RIP Sam Cooke)
ReplyDeleteHere. I doubted the transfers and still do. But there is no denying the progress the team has made. Nor would I want to :-)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't imagine that Brendan Rodgers is any happier with his signings this year than Jaimie. They've been a disappointment. It doesn't mean in my view that we should change tack and try only to sign established Brazilian and Spanish internationals. That's a risk of a different kind. I'd rather see us continue to try and pick up players who have something to prove, and I've no interest in LFC becoming just another branch of Global Soccerball Inc., like Shakhtar, or Chelsea, or PSG, or Man City, or whatever. But it does mean that the criticism is justified.
ReplyDeleteJaimie's judgements from earlier in the season were spot on, basically, and have been borne out by events. Neither Cissokho, Moses, Aspas or Alberto have contributed meaningfully to our success so far this season and Alberto does appear to have gone backwards -- though it's too soon to write him off. Borini though he's done fairly well at Sunderland under difficult circumstances is by no means going to be greeted as a returning hero when he comes back in the summer. I disagree with our host about Allen and Sakho, but on the whole his criticism has been accurate.
In the same way his criticism of Suarez was justified: we can see that Rodgers agreed because Suarez has had to completely change his approach to the game. That's even better than him leaving; the toxic cloud that was Luis Suarez has been transformed. Same again for the question of Gerrard's suitability for midfield responsibility. Gerrard has had to *change*. He's a different player than he was, a better player, who has finally, after nearly 20 years, learned what it means to play with tactical discipline. The criticism was correct as things stood; that's *why* he had to change.
What Jaimie got wrong was anticipating the consequences of his judgements: he saw disaster or at least disappointment as a consequence of Suarez and Gerrard's deficiencies, and the failure in the transfer market. But he underestimated what Rodgers has proven himself capable of, something which few observers foresaw. Remoulding Gerrard, succeeding where Houllier, Benitez, and Hodgson (!) failed. Reforming Suarez. And preparing the team in such a way that what seemed like a totally inadequate squad, desperately in need of new players in virtually every position, now seems to have options, strength in depth, leadership and ambition.
Rodgers is just as ambitious as anyone, a move to Barca and he's made it, does'nt mean he'd be successful though, got sacked from reading, remember. Thing is with clubs like Barca and Real, it's instant success or you're out. Maybe he could take a few signings with him, like Aspas, Alberto, Assaidi, Borini, Moses and Sissokho...yeah they would love them at the Nou Camp.
ReplyDeleteEvery transfer is a gamble,but the more money a club is prepared to put into a transfer,the more chance that transfer can be a success,yes i know there is your exceptions Carroll and Downing for example,but since Brendan has come in,he hasn't had the luxury of being able to shop in Harrods,he's had to rummage around in asda for young players with potential,which is a risky business plan. How much would Sturridge or Coutinho cost now? Does joe Allen and Sakho not look like good players? Both Borini and Ilori look like players with potential and if they don't have a future with us,i've no doubt we will recoup most of our outlay. I wouldn't swap Brendan for any other manager in the game right now, his ethos is very much the Liverpool way. Next season when we are back in the champions league and Brendan is able to have a rummage around in Harrods for one or two top players,then we will be able to see how good he is with his transfer dealings?! We are on cusp of something great, so get prepared to ride the red tidal wave!!!
ReplyDeleteNo, these are not the fans that 'keep me in a job'. I'm not beholden to fans on this site, and this is not my main job. Additionally, I don't write stuff to appease the fanbase, or try to ingratiate myself. I write what I think, and if fans don't like it, that's fine with me.
ReplyDeleteGood post. I disagree with the last paragraph. JK predicted us to finish 4th if memory serves me correctly, that's hardly disastrous or disappointing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with trying to push Suarez out the door after his actions during the Summer window, and several people, including myself, have highlighted the risks (mostly defensive risks) of playing Gerrard in DM. Aspas and Alberto have been a season long issue and the best counter argument people can come up with is Aspas hasn't had much playing time and Alberto is for the future.
ReplyDeleteThis week there have been gremlins coming out of their hiding holes and targeting JK, saying he got it wrong with Gerrard. Jaimie was never wrong, but this opportunity was only made possible because Gerrard is playing well at the moment. They'd still be in hiding if we weren't winning games.
Regarding the whole season so far and Rodgers...I think he has done a fantastic job. I reckon most people recognise his managerial abilities but during the first season things never really got going for him. I note all his qualities, from his tactical awareness to adaptability, to man management of Suarez, pushing Hendo and Sterling to the next level, I can go on. On the opposite end, I can't help but feel that if Sturridge was average and Suarez wasn't exactly on fire, the failed signings and early tactical errors would come back to bite Rodgers. I think SAS got us going and Rodgers has picked up the momentum and is now coaching the team superbly. I predicted we would finish 5th by the way, so I'm glad I was a little off. Let's hope we just keep going.
Agreed, actually only the purchase of Aspas could be questioned. At 26, he was nothing special & had very little to improve. However, it costed only 7mn (only for a EPL club), not 20mn+. Two of his other signings (Allen & Borini) has started to stump their authority in English game & I am sure, by the time they reach 25, they 'll be valued more than what they cost. Actually, against MU, the way Allen dominated the home side mid field, if he continues like that, I believe he 'll reach to be a 25mn+ player.
ReplyDeleteWatching Allen, Borini, Stu & Pipo, my hunch is, in 23 years time both Alberto & Illori 'll also be world class player. Aasaidi was a great purchase for 2.5mn, any time we can recoup that money (actually, if Stoke stays up, 'll pay much more than that). I think, only Shahin was a panic buy.
Here & not attempting to hide. I was deeply disappointed at Rodgers' appointment, a man from nowhere with little Prem experience whose biggest acheivement was winning promotion from the Championship with Swansea. His first season didn't impress either, with mistakes in cup games & defeats, including at Anfield, by lowlier opposition. Now, over the course of this season he has earnt my respect & admiration for the way he has managed this thin squad. Our footballing style under him is excellent, exciting & most importantly successful! He has improved & grown as a manager & is taking the team with him. I'm now a firm supporter of BR & can see him now as the man to bring success back to the club. I still think he's brought in some poor players but with a better budget, the lure of CL & deepening experience he should be able to improve in this area as well. Well done Brendan, I applaud you.
ReplyDeleteSeason's not done yet: we could *easily* end up 5th. I predicted 2nd so am feeling smug and yet strangely unsatisfied.
ReplyDeleteI think, it's a great honor to Manage Barca or Real. But for a British Manager, nothing can be more satisfactory to lead Liverpool Football Club back to it's glory days in British football. I was among very few who supported BR through out & always argued that he was an improvement over KK, but never even dreamed of what he has done in his second year though, I think, his true test 'll start this year with LFC in all 4 competitions.
ReplyDeleteBR is young & still is in his learning curve (I feel, he is brilliant in attacking side of the game, but still has to master the art of grinding out 1-0 or 0-1), but he can be the LFC Manager for next 3 decades. The lure of Barca/Real might be big, but nothing comes close for a British Manager to be recognized along with Herbert Chapman, Matt Bursbey, Bill Shankley, Bob Piaesly or Sir Alex.
I don't see him leaving LFC, not as long as FSG are in ownership.
Why did you delete my comment? Isn't the site about Opinions? Pfft what a joke.
ReplyDeleteThis site is about *civil* opinions. You spent most of your deleted comment moaning about me; calling the articles 'rubbish' etc. If you rock up here and start bitching about me, then your comment will be deleted. If you don't this site, you don't have to visit. If you want to discuss football, then your views are welcome. The site is about LFC/football, not about me.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly why. It's because you couldn't hack what i wrote. I didn't abuse you. Just told you the truth about being so negative, which anyone on here would agree with. You're pretty childish deleting my comment before anyone can see them, i guess you're trying to save face huh?
ReplyDeleteNo i was pointing out parts of your article that was incorrect in my opinion. Plus i said you love to write negative articles about LFC and Rodgers, why?
ReplyDeletePlus you act like a 12 year old school girl whenever anyone corrects you on something, or disagrees with what you said. The way you write is provoking people to have a go at you. So i think you;re the one that shouldn't be bitching when you're asking for it mate.
ReplyDeleteCan you recall a manager who has not bought/acquired the wrong players?
ReplyDeleteSuch things are inevitable. Often the players we could attain were 2nd string , not 1st choice, due to our lowly previous positions in the PL. It's not as though for instance BR wouldn't have wanted to buy Hazard instead of Borini.
Just read Guardiola's comments on why he had to leave Barca. He said he could no longer motivate his players. Didn't really go into why, but I suppose it became increasingly hard to tell the best team in the world they had reasons to to work hard to improve their play. In a word his players had become complacent and Guardiola could not summon the energy to change their mindsets. Arguably this is still the Barca mindset. They are 4 points down and in third. You can claim this is a great place to be for any team, but Barca has such talent that this should be professionally disappointing.
ReplyDeleteThis is the stone wall BR would be walking into. A new manager...an upstart really...with one good season under his belt produced by being gifted two of the finest strikers on the planet. Despite his managerial and tactical talents, that 'pedigree' would last five minutes at Nou Camp. The little challenges and mind games by established players would begin immediately and pretty soon BR would look like Moyes in that football genius banner that circled OT on Sunday (brilliant stuff that...go to your biggest rivals' turf, beat them like a drum, and display a vision of the future for them for the whole world to see).
He would be insane to leave Liverpool and walk into that hornet's nest of ego and entitlement. He still has a mission to accomplish at Anfield. One season does not translate to a legacy.
" I can't help but feel that if Sturridge was average and Suarez wasn't exactly on fire, the failed signings and early tactical errors would come back to bite Rodgers."
ReplyDeleteThis makes no sense. You could say that for all teams - if ronaldo wasn't on fire, if messi was average and xavi couldn't pass, if costa wasn't good, if vidal wasn't a beast. It's obvious that if any teams best players weren't performing they wouldn't be where they are.
I look at it like this, you think Rodgers could not have pulled us back up if we had faltered early, but I think that with his methods he put us in a situation where the team is playing good football and has belief, dedication, and team spirit (we have not seen all 4 of those things together for quite some time). He has prepared the team in such a way that they do not need pulling up, and they will fight and push each other through matches. This season is the first in a long time where we have fought to win just about every match we have played.
Yeah, not wasting anymore time on here reading your 'rubbish'. You aren't an LFC fan, you're a trolling United fan. You're a pathetic little cunt to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm with supa on this one...by your own logic, you are engaging in fan censorship. He is a fan, and your comments to him are just as if not more censoring than his were to you. You talk about objective truth, but whether or not BR wasted money on the signings he brought in is absolutely a matter of opinion, and one not everyone shares with you. Let's think about who BR has brought in. -Allen, who you don't like but I would say is a very good player who does a lot of hard work for the team that doesn't get the kind of headlines goal scoring does.
ReplyDelete-Mignolet, who is excellent (small shaky period around xmas) and has saved us a lot of points with fantastic shot-stopping, certainly an upgrade on Reina.
-Sakho, who is very good and will be for a long time.
-Toure, who brings valuable experience and was especially good in the beginning of the season.
-Sturridge, who is absolutely fantastic.
-Coutinho, also fantastic, still very young and with a whole lot to offer in the years to come.
Well Mike true enough many did but i think with some it was more a lack of patience than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI was unsure myself but was willing to give him time glad i did but still unhappy with a few signings but ya gotta be happy with everything looking up.
Pfft what a joke of a site.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liverpool-kop.com/2014/01/jamie-redknapp-slams-steven-gerrard-performance-aston-villa.html
ReplyDeleteIn the article above you said that in order to make way for the return of Sturridge you had suggested dropping Lucas but you went on to say that you only suggested that because you knew there was no way BR would leave out Gerrard even if it mreant weakening the team.
The article was based around criticism of Gerrards performance by Jamie Redknap. The clear implication of your comment was that if you thought that BR might be prepared to drop Gerrard then that is what you would have proposed.
I would say that was not coming ght out and saying it but it was talking around it.with a pretty clear inplication.
I agree with you and have seen many people miss your point or make unfair assumptions sbout what you say or.mean .:-)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I have seen a few entertaining strings where the points have been debated and it would be difficult to pick a winner...;-)