[Guest Post] After Liverpool’s comparatively poor start to the season, the dissatisfaction surrounding the club is rampant, with the last two results sending the doom and gloom merchants in a frenzy of negativity. Calls for Brendan Rodgers to be sacked are abundant on most LFC related sites/forums, but according to site regular FdotM, Rodgers is still the right man to lead the Reds.
At the time of writing, Liverpool have only won 4 out of 9 league games, and conceded 12 goals along the way.
A predictable defeat to Manchester City was quickly rectified by a promising performance at White Hart Lane, and like most fans, I thought this would be a galvanising victory. Unfortunately, the dreaded international brake came and disrupted our flow.
Unlike last season, a major issues is that we are losing while playing badly. Early last year, we racked up a few early results playing poorly but we got the 3 points, even without Suarez in the team. This time, Liverpool can't call on the genius of Suarez, so what now? Is our form just an early season blip or is there a real cause for concern? Below are some of my opinions:
Real Madrid
I honestly don’t know what fans were expecting from this game, but one thing was clear: Real Madrid’s squad is filled with world class players, including one of the best players to ever grace the game, Cristiano Ronaldo. Simply comparing their attack to our defence was enough to numb down my expectations, so when they scored I wasn’t too hurt, and fully expected it.
Make no mistake, Liverpool were taught a footballing lessons from one of the best teams in the world. Funny thing is, last season we were in that bracket, now it seems like a distant memory. Liverpool were simply outplayed by an amazing team with an amazing manager.
Balotelli Shirt-Swap
It was a very silly thing to do when losing 3-0 down, but Brendan has done the right thing by speaking to him privately like he did with the culprits last season. It’s done, so let’s move on.
LFC Fans
Most fans, like me, were very pleased with our signings this season. Having had a look at some past posts from this website and others it’s easy to see the majority of them were very happy and impressed with how aggressive Liverpool were in their transfer dealings.
It’s these same fans that are now questioning why Rodgers’ signings. How quickly we forget. Most football fans are hypocritical by nature, but having a balanced view of certain things can help greatly. Negativity spreads like wildfire and at the moment there’s plenty of it. Perspective is a good thing to ponder over in times like these when the team is not hitting the high gears. But of course, perspective has a limit.
Quality and Quantity of Signings
On a personal level, I was happy with the signings we made, particularly Lovren, Can, Lallana & Lambert. Excited about Moreno and cautiously pleased with Balotelli and Markovic. The main concern that I had was that we made quite a number of signings and these were always going to take time to gel. Tottenham last season came to mind, but unlike Spurs, we made 4 singings with Premier League experience.
The new lads. When they do adapt we will be much better, for now we just have to wait for that game when they “click”. So far it has not happened yet, and the Tottenham victory was clearly a false dawn.
Balotelli
I had a slight smile on my face but was very cautious about this one. Balotelli is a player that may score a hat-trick and look disinterested at the same time, Liverpool fans want to see his effort and commitment. So far I have seen very little of him, but I think he will get better once Sturridge partners him up front.
The only issue I have with Balotelli is that he was a better player when he was 17 than he is now. He has become slow and lacking creativity, with most of his goals in Italy coming from penalties and free kicks. There’s something lacking in his game. He lacks movement, tactical awareness, clinical finishing. He does not use his strength to his advantage and generally looks uninterested. He has shown flashes of effort but not enough.
Markovic
I was content with this signing but not the amount we spent on him. He is a decent player but that’s all he has ever been since he broke into the Serbia national team. At Benfica, he showed flashes of his potential but even at that level he had many average games so the amount we played for him was a very concerning.
As we all know, he is not performing well at the moment, he seems scared to attack the ball, rather he chooses the easier option and we’ve seen this quite a few times already this season. He is a left winger so playing him on the right will impact his performance somewhat. I am confident he will improve but not sure he will become a world class player that we all hope he will become.
What also concerns me is Rodgers reluctance to spent the Markovic £20M on an experienced, first-team quality attacking mid/winger? Loads of class players come to mind.
Lovren
I was over the moon with this signing. The price was too expensive but I thought we were really getting a good defender. I still think so. But you can’t solve your defence in just a few games. I just don’t know what has gone wrong with him. Is it the weight of the shirt? High expectation from the fans? Players around him?
One this is for sure, he is not performing near enough to this capacity and the 12 goals conceded in league shows that. Must improve.
Lambert
I was excited because everyone, including himself, knew he was coming in as a backup. And keeping in mind the level of his performance and creative output for Southampton in the Premier League I was very happy to having him on board in that capacity. Low wages, short contract, proven goal scorer, Liverpudlian and Liverpool fan. What else do you want?
Well, playing for Liverpool is much more pressurized than playing for Soto. He mentioned about not being match fit but as a football player it’s his job to be fit, it’s not like he has been injured. Very disappointed so far.
Emre Can
Has not played enough to make my mind up but so far his performances has been like the team, average I expect him to improve as he has the potential to do so. Suggestion: Why not playing him at CB? He has played this position numerous times for Germany and both Bayern. Surely it’s worth a shot in the Capital One cup?
Manquilo & Moreno
The Spanish duo havr settled in nicely, and their performances have been better than most players in the team. Still very inexperienced though, and they’re both prone to lapses of concentration. I definitely prefer Manquilo over Johnson.
Lallana
Unfortunate to be injured so early on, but has slowly picked up form. We paid way over the odds for hi, but he is one of our better performers.
Overall
On paper these signings look good, but Rodgers needs to take some responsibility for some of the poor singings he has made:
* We haven’t replaced Suarez despite knowing he was going to leave for a while.
* We haven’t bought a readymade replacement for the ageing Steven Gerrard
* We haven’t improved our keeper situation
* We wasted money on unnecessary singings/squad players
* BR still does not know our best squad and tactics
* Defending set pieces is still an issue which has not been rectified.
We’ve definitely been unfortunate with injuries, but so has Arsenal and United. BR had the summer to rectify this situation and he is struggling to justify some of this signings. Do I still support the gaffer Absolutely, and mark my words, we will hit a good run of form at some point this season.
Despite the poor performances this season, we are still joint 4th in the table, and the further positive is that all teams are dropping points and we haven’t even picked up form. Prior to the West Brom game, we won two games in row, and wins cure negativity.
Another slight positive is that winning against Basel at home and Ludogorets away will see us quality for the next stage o the Champions League.
In conclusion, please numb your expectations. Last season was amazing but this is a new season. The team is struggling and they need your support. BR has made some bad choices but I also believe he is a big part of the reason why we were so good last season.
Of course having a world-class player like Suarez and a top class player like Sturridge helped, but BR can fix our problems, I truly believe that.
Onwards and Upwards.
Author: Will [aka FdotM]
At the time of writing, Liverpool have only won 4 out of 9 league games, and conceded 12 goals along the way.
A predictable defeat to Manchester City was quickly rectified by a promising performance at White Hart Lane, and like most fans, I thought this would be a galvanising victory. Unfortunately, the dreaded international brake came and disrupted our flow.
Unlike last season, a major issues is that we are losing while playing badly. Early last year, we racked up a few early results playing poorly but we got the 3 points, even without Suarez in the team. This time, Liverpool can't call on the genius of Suarez, so what now? Is our form just an early season blip or is there a real cause for concern? Below are some of my opinions:
Real Madrid
I honestly don’t know what fans were expecting from this game, but one thing was clear: Real Madrid’s squad is filled with world class players, including one of the best players to ever grace the game, Cristiano Ronaldo. Simply comparing their attack to our defence was enough to numb down my expectations, so when they scored I wasn’t too hurt, and fully expected it.
Make no mistake, Liverpool were taught a footballing lessons from one of the best teams in the world. Funny thing is, last season we were in that bracket, now it seems like a distant memory. Liverpool were simply outplayed by an amazing team with an amazing manager.
Balotelli Shirt-Swap
It was a very silly thing to do when losing 3-0 down, but Brendan has done the right thing by speaking to him privately like he did with the culprits last season. It’s done, so let’s move on.
LFC Fans
Most fans, like me, were very pleased with our signings this season. Having had a look at some past posts from this website and others it’s easy to see the majority of them were very happy and impressed with how aggressive Liverpool were in their transfer dealings.
It’s these same fans that are now questioning why Rodgers’ signings. How quickly we forget. Most football fans are hypocritical by nature, but having a balanced view of certain things can help greatly. Negativity spreads like wildfire and at the moment there’s plenty of it. Perspective is a good thing to ponder over in times like these when the team is not hitting the high gears. But of course, perspective has a limit.
Quality and Quantity of Signings
On a personal level, I was happy with the signings we made, particularly Lovren, Can, Lallana & Lambert. Excited about Moreno and cautiously pleased with Balotelli and Markovic. The main concern that I had was that we made quite a number of signings and these were always going to take time to gel. Tottenham last season came to mind, but unlike Spurs, we made 4 singings with Premier League experience.
The new lads. When they do adapt we will be much better, for now we just have to wait for that game when they “click”. So far it has not happened yet, and the Tottenham victory was clearly a false dawn.
Balotelli
I had a slight smile on my face but was very cautious about this one. Balotelli is a player that may score a hat-trick and look disinterested at the same time, Liverpool fans want to see his effort and commitment. So far I have seen very little of him, but I think he will get better once Sturridge partners him up front.
The only issue I have with Balotelli is that he was a better player when he was 17 than he is now. He has become slow and lacking creativity, with most of his goals in Italy coming from penalties and free kicks. There’s something lacking in his game. He lacks movement, tactical awareness, clinical finishing. He does not use his strength to his advantage and generally looks uninterested. He has shown flashes of effort but not enough.
Markovic
I was content with this signing but not the amount we spent on him. He is a decent player but that’s all he has ever been since he broke into the Serbia national team. At Benfica, he showed flashes of his potential but even at that level he had many average games so the amount we played for him was a very concerning.
As we all know, he is not performing well at the moment, he seems scared to attack the ball, rather he chooses the easier option and we’ve seen this quite a few times already this season. He is a left winger so playing him on the right will impact his performance somewhat. I am confident he will improve but not sure he will become a world class player that we all hope he will become.
What also concerns me is Rodgers reluctance to spent the Markovic £20M on an experienced, first-team quality attacking mid/winger? Loads of class players come to mind.
Lovren
I was over the moon with this signing. The price was too expensive but I thought we were really getting a good defender. I still think so. But you can’t solve your defence in just a few games. I just don’t know what has gone wrong with him. Is it the weight of the shirt? High expectation from the fans? Players around him?
One this is for sure, he is not performing near enough to this capacity and the 12 goals conceded in league shows that. Must improve.
Lambert
I was excited because everyone, including himself, knew he was coming in as a backup. And keeping in mind the level of his performance and creative output for Southampton in the Premier League I was very happy to having him on board in that capacity. Low wages, short contract, proven goal scorer, Liverpudlian and Liverpool fan. What else do you want?
Well, playing for Liverpool is much more pressurized than playing for Soto. He mentioned about not being match fit but as a football player it’s his job to be fit, it’s not like he has been injured. Very disappointed so far.
Emre Can
Has not played enough to make my mind up but so far his performances has been like the team, average I expect him to improve as he has the potential to do so. Suggestion: Why not playing him at CB? He has played this position numerous times for Germany and both Bayern. Surely it’s worth a shot in the Capital One cup?
Manquilo & Moreno
The Spanish duo havr settled in nicely, and their performances have been better than most players in the team. Still very inexperienced though, and they’re both prone to lapses of concentration. I definitely prefer Manquilo over Johnson.
Lallana
Unfortunate to be injured so early on, but has slowly picked up form. We paid way over the odds for hi, but he is one of our better performers.
Overall
On paper these signings look good, but Rodgers needs to take some responsibility for some of the poor singings he has made:
* We haven’t replaced Suarez despite knowing he was going to leave for a while.
* We haven’t bought a readymade replacement for the ageing Steven Gerrard
* We haven’t improved our keeper situation
* We wasted money on unnecessary singings/squad players
* BR still does not know our best squad and tactics
* Defending set pieces is still an issue which has not been rectified.
We’ve definitely been unfortunate with injuries, but so has Arsenal and United. BR had the summer to rectify this situation and he is struggling to justify some of this signings. Do I still support the gaffer Absolutely, and mark my words, we will hit a good run of form at some point this season.
Despite the poor performances this season, we are still joint 4th in the table, and the further positive is that all teams are dropping points and we haven’t even picked up form. Prior to the West Brom game, we won two games in row, and wins cure negativity.
Another slight positive is that winning against Basel at home and Ludogorets away will see us quality for the next stage o the Champions League.
In conclusion, please numb your expectations. Last season was amazing but this is a new season. The team is struggling and they need your support. BR has made some bad choices but I also believe he is a big part of the reason why we were so good last season.
Of course having a world-class player like Suarez and a top class player like Sturridge helped, but BR can fix our problems, I truly believe that.
Onwards and Upwards.
customer surveys
Author: Will [aka FdotM]
I agree, we pressed so hard from the top that it opened up so much space in midfield. We need that back.
ReplyDeleteBR needs to stop playing Balo on his own though.
I have made that point time and time again. Play somebody alongside Balo. Rodgers needs to get the idea out of his head that he is going to get the same results out of the Italian like he did out of Suarez. End game.
ReplyDeleteHe is right if he has the balls to drop grandad Gerrard starting a 34 year old 3 games in 6 days is bad managment also stop alienating senior players and seems a few players in the team and who have left not happy with his style
ReplyDeleteDisappointing that 30% of voters (at time of writing) have voted 'no'. We've lost our two best players and we're still right within touching distance of the top 4. Some people have short memories and little regard for loyalty.
ReplyDeleteNext season is the season for us we might not get top 4 but i think most of our players will stay with a question mark over sterling
ReplyDelete.............................................sturridge
sterling...................................lallana..............................origi
...................................coutinho............henderson
moreno.......................lovren.................skrtel.................flangan
..............................................mignolet
with can, ibe and iloris also competing for places
one striker and maybe a goalkeeper
Rodgers for me his biggest problem is
ReplyDeleteSTEVEN GERRARD
it is so clear that gerrard has higher authority in dressing room and in club also worshiped like god by millions of supporters
so brendan has to keep him happy
the best midfield is clearly
......................................................lallana
..........................................coutinho.............henderson
i cant see how rodgers will solve this problem dropping gerrard would be losing the fan base while playing gerrard and losing will also lose the fan base
There really is no reason to be thinking about next season right now. We need to finish top 4 this season and the team and formation you keep on posting is of no value to us this season.
ReplyDeletelets be honest
ReplyDeletetop 4 is gone this season
you said it yourself after hull draw but you seem to conveniently forget that
this is a season of transition
my formation is a 433
ReplyDeletewe only played that vs everton
i said we would ahve back up
ReplyDeletewe might sign jackson martinez and a new goalkeeper
Can(21) is not DM, he cannot be Moulded into defensive midfielder just because he has the size for it. Yaya Toure(31), Moussa Sissoko(25), Moussa Dembele(27), Paulinho(26) and Diame(27) are all big , physically built, power but mobile players with a bit of pace to them. But they are all better offensive than they are defensive.
ReplyDeleteAnd E Can(21) is in the same mould as them he is better offensively than he is defensively.
So out of 25 man squad, relying on 2 players to carry threat is acceptable? And you think a team based around just two attackers is going to win any trophies?
ReplyDeleteSince the season is over, maybe you could stop posting?
ReplyDeleteStrange logic that you want to get rid of two defenders without bringing any back in and even stranger considering its our defence that stopped us from winning the title last year and seems to have got even worse this year!!! I presume you play a lot of that football manager game that is far removed from reality
ReplyDeleteYou just cant please some people, and usually they have rose tinted glasses on, either remember our glory days or have read about them, these same people probably would have been calling for Shankly to be sacked as it took him a few seasons to get it right, I wont pretend that I am happy that certain issues we're not addressed, but I also dont know about the politics of the club, all I do know is that this is my (our) club, my (our) team and my (our) manager and its my (our) duty to get behind them and give my (our) support through thick and thin, and to quote the late great Shankly " if you cant support us when we lose, dont support us when we win or draw"
ReplyDeleteAll the good team are based arround one or two players, I don`t understand your point...
ReplyDeleteI voted yes, but I am not giving BR any excuses for this. Suarez was going to leave sooner or later and Sturridge is injury prone and he did not do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to be less stubborn and open to other ideas. It seems if he doesn't like a player for whatever reason he will dump him. Borini is one guy who is desperate to prove himself and I think would partner Balo very well. I know he wants him out so will not play him, but why not just tell him you have till Jan to prove yourself and if you don't then that's the end of it. Balo needs a partner as he cannot play as a loan striker. He also has something against Suso as well, he has never been given him a good run of games, looks like he will be gone soon as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for the defence, BR has turned great defenders into lousy ones, Sakho is great for France, Lovren was great for Southampton, we had one of the best defences in the PL in Skrtel and Aggar and suddenly they all became useless, this cannot be about the players, surely BR is doing something wrong here.
In my opinion BR is still learning, but I believe he will eventually get it right, the football we played last year was not a fluke, yes we had a world class player in Suarez but one man does not make a team and we played as well without him when he was banned
It looks more and more like we're not gonna get top 4, get a draw against a lesser side (like against hull) every time we have the opportunity to get back in the mix and falling short at the end of the season.
ReplyDeletei don't especially want to see him gone but seeing how the season is going i can feel the owners will sack him if there's no top 4, so given my prediction of falling short i said no but i hope he'll prove me wrong.
He plays there for German U21 and does push forward on occasion but I think BR bought him to play in front of back 4
ReplyDeleteSo who will get top four? Arsenal who also drew with Hull? United who drew with West Brom? Surely you don't think it will be Soto or West Ham? We are still in touching distance, three points off City who will likely finish second. While we are still so close it is still on. We definitely need to improve but that can happen.
ReplyDeletewell west ham have proven to be solid at the back and effective up front lately and southampton are just building on their previous season.
ReplyDeleteI could really see southampton being the surprise package and getting the top 4, just like us west ham falling short when the experience will play his part, and Arsenal grabbing it on the finish line just like every season.
(Arsenal are just doing an Arsenal, having a bad smart then building on a good run of games to finish the season strong)
West Ham fans are not that optimistic about their season.
ReplyDeleteWest Ham fans are not that optimistic about their season.
ReplyDeleteWest Ham fans are not that optimistic about their season.
ReplyDeleteI am sure there were some saying the same thing ladt season about Soto. Doing an Arsenal? What about doing a Liverpool? We have been better the second half of each of Rodgers seasons at Liverpool.
ReplyDeletewe have done that 2 season (and finish 7th despite having a good run is not really impressive), sure last year was impressive but look at our attacking threat this season, and if we want to do it again we have to hope for sturridge to not pick another injury this season.
ReplyDeleteArsenal have done that for so many years and Sanchez is starting to show his class, of course if Rodgers get a couple of top experienced player at the key post in january we could built on it but every time he had the chance he went for the unproven expensive youngsters.
You do realize that it was more than just a rumor we tried to sign Sanchez? Reus. Benzema. Remy... And hoping that a player won`t spend half a season injured ain`t that crazy you know...
ReplyDeleteAnd therein lies the problem. He can't attract the top players cos they don't want to play with unproven team mates who have won nothing incl himself
ReplyDeletedid i said anything about us buying Sanchez ? i said that he's starting to prove his class at Arsenal and that we only bought potential when we should have gone for experience.
ReplyDelete(my point was that Sanchez is starting to show that he can be the difference when they need it, not that we should/could have buy him or whatever)
B R is definately THE MAN but we will lose to Swansea - give B R breathing space and we will FLY AGAIN
ReplyDeletewe could buy Reus if we pay the wages he ask for, the fact that we don't doesn't mean we can't.
ReplyDeleteBorini and Lucas being sold in january could mean we have more money for wages, at the end of the season Toure and Johnson contract running out (doesn't Gerrard contract run out at the end of the season?) could mean an other top player with the wages that goes with it.
of course if Rodgers get a couple of top experienced player at the key post in january we could built on it but every time he had the chance he went for the unproven expensive youngsters.
ReplyDeleteI was replying to that part of your post..
Top four gone this Season ?? Dont be bloody daft man - its still only October ??????????????????????????????
ReplyDeleteThe man has had more money than any other in the history of the club and you say season four. Interesting concept that a manager spends a quarter of a billion and we are an absolute shambles at the back , abject in midfield with no goals and our attack includes Lambert , Balotelli and Borini . Top four as a minimum or down the road I am afraid. NO replacement for Gerrard, Knew Suarez was going and Sturridge has a history of injury absences. Not good enough
ReplyDeleteExcellent article mate, thoroughly enjoyed it and agree with pretty much everything you said
ReplyDeleteYep ditto
ReplyDeleteOf course we COULD get him but when the likes of Van Gallstone or Guardiola come calling with their cv it's too hard to turn down. I think we have to build up from within with the odd ageing top player signing for us. 2 or 3 seasons we could have a real team with the likes of Ojo Rossiter etc coming thru. I can but dream
ReplyDeleteIf you two ain`t brothers...
ReplyDeletelitter mates
ReplyDeleteI'm with you
ReplyDeleteB Rodgers did not rectify last seasons problems as last season he spent £25M on Llori(20) and Sakho(24), This season he has spent £34M on Lovren(25), Moreno(22) and 2 year loan deal for Manquillo(20) yet whatver defence we put together teams are scoring past us for fun.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem is the Poor GK we have behind them that they do not trust and there being no MOBILE TOUGH TACKLING DM in whole squad.
B Rodgers needs to ship out B Jones(32) and spend £10-£15M on bringing either H Lloris(27) Of Tottenham, T Krul(26) Of Newcastle or A Begovic(27) Of Stoke to club in January
B Rodgers needs to ship out the two defenders i mentioned in January ( G Johnson(29) and K Toure(33) ) and bring in two tough tackling DM/Enforcers ( Y M'Vila(24) and C Tiote(28) ) and i can guarantee team would be harder to break down and concede less goals with those 3 useless defensive players been replaced by class quality defensive players. It is not football manager, its common sense and facts.
well i just stated the fact the we went for potential and did not buy proven player, i did not say anything about the media or whatever player;
ReplyDeleteFor realying on sturridge, not it's not crazy to hope for him but seeing how he just picked an other injury before even coming back while we're not even in November make me wonder if it's a good thing to rely on a player (even if he's a really good player) to be the one to lead our attack until the end of the season, maybe even the next few years seeing how he constantly get injured every season.
He was jogging apparently
ReplyDeleteDear Jaimie K please stop being Brendan Rogers' defense lawyer. It is time for him to go. Period. He is a good man no doubt about it and I have nothing against him. It is just about time for him to go. Kenny Dalglish should've never been replaced. He brought Suarez and Henderson and started building up the new Liverpool we see today. Most Rogers' signings have been wrong. Imagine for a moment if the money that was spent on Lallana and Markovic was rather spent on Benzema or Higuain. Suarez should have never been sold. Balotelli can only produce goals if players like above would be by his side. FSG and Brendan Rogers must understand that a few select world class players can make Liverpool champions. But with all due respect just like we need world class players we also need a world class coach. There is nothing under Brendan Rogers belt whereas Liverpool 's greatest Legend Kenny Dalglish who won the League Championship as a player/manager, sits sidelined.
ReplyDeleteSturridge could do the unthinkable and go injury free rest of the season. Or just a little one if there are any internationals ;o We may well sign someone in Jan who doesn't necessarily have to be all that experienced just come in and perform a la Cout. Then there is Cout himself who looks like he may be finding that preseason Dortmund game form. That could change a lot of things as well as injury free runs for Can and Lallana who have both shown in their own ways some of the reasons they were signed. Right now all this is just as likely to happen as Arsenal going on a run. They are never away from having their own injury woes and like us have not solved some problem areas in their team. Not to mention after they do go on a good run they always drop off again. That 7th finish was not good but the second half of the season we had near enough Champo form. I won't say there is reason to be optimistic but there is reason to not be pessimistic.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, City, Arsenal has spent for the 'top' player lately sure mourinho and Wenger has the CV but it just prove that if you pays the wage you can attract the player. and if we stop being stupid with our transfer dealings we can clear the wages to buy some top players.
ReplyDeleteWhat annoys me is that these are two 'simple' tactics to put back into the Liverpool side. (Two strikers and the pressing football). The best games from last season came when 4 of our players worked their way up the pitch from kick-off, dominating the first half and then having a safe lead for the second.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I respect Rodgers' man-management and the exceptional job he did last year, his work in the transfer market would make you worry if he even knows what the problem is (for example, the striker issue) - but he wants this as much as we do and I think Balo will pull through after he gets a goal or two under his belt.
ReplyDelete------------------Mignolet
ReplyDeleteManquillo--Lovren--Skrtel--Moreno
---------------------Can
------Gerrard/Allen--Henderson
---------------Coutinho/Lallana
----------Balotelli-------Sturridge/Borini for now
Looks fine to me - we just need to press like we did last season and we'll be gold.
There's a Sterling-sized hole in your lineup, mate.
ReplyDeleteWoops.
ReplyDeleteStick em' in somewhere :)
ReplyDelete'Hailed his impact against Hull?' We got zero goals. His impact was therefore zero.
ReplyDeleteI think he would struggle like most overseas players do, for a period of time, in the Premier league; and if thats the case, then he wouldn't make an impact until next season. What's the point, wait till the players LFC have brought in to reach Premier league standard.
ReplyDeleteHad to look it up...
ReplyDeleteI think Jan will see us get another striker. Te owners know what is at stake and it is why it will be necessary to stay in touching distance of the top three.
ReplyDeletePaul
ReplyDeleteYou cannot compare the greatest manager in the clubs history to BR. Shanks took over when we were at the bottom of the 2nd division and the rest is in our great history. BR took over a team who were in two cup finals and KD gave up on the last five league games prior to the fa cup final as he did not want europa league distraction. Need a manager with some stature who can attract top players and who buys good players. Met Bill Shankly several times and this man had an aura like no other and did not want to be every manager's mate.
Coutinho is no CM. Not in the least bit. And honestly, Gerrard hasn't been all that terrible. Need replacing? sure, but he's not the reason we are playing bad as a team. And if we were to replace him, it would be with Can or a new DM/CM (think bender bros, Khedira, Schneiderlin, etc. in terms of playing style)
ReplyDeleteI don't think he'll move, he's having a good time at Madrid and he does get game time. Played really well against Liverpool and Barcelona, for an attacking midfielder he did surprisingly well defensively aswell. Real complete midfielder but can't see him moving now. He might have moved in the summer because there was no guarantee he was going to get game time with the new players, and his price could've only gone up now.
ReplyDeleteOnly problem with him he cant play 80-90 min
ReplyDeletehe is crazy of the bench
If he can't play a full game, then we're better off starting him and attacking the other team so that we can get a lead and then should he tire we can substitute him for a more controlling 'steady' player like Lucas, Hendo. Allen or Can.
ReplyDeleteI'm not comfortable with the idea of using one of our most in form players to win games from the bench when the first XI can't cut the mustard.
That applies to every other player on the pitch[including six replacements].
ReplyDeleteI was a bit disappointed with signing Lallana and Markovic thought they paid way too much and like you said there seemed better options out there.
ReplyDeleteI must say many fans including myself have been a bit impatient i am normally not like that but this season is so frustrating.
I read a piece out of the Guardian today a small piece from Suarezes book on Rodgers im not sure it will change many minds but people may get a better idea of him as a manager.
All in all a nicely written piece of work Fdot and on subjects which have drawn a lot of debate amongst fans well done.
Is anyone else thinking that Vargas from QPR would be a good signing? His style matches Sturridges so could be great when DS is injured. I'm sure he'd rather pay for Liverpool next season than QPR in the championship
ReplyDeleteJust say you've rested him
ReplyDeleteplastic fans-join shelski instead
ReplyDeleteThe fans who are calling for Rodgers' head at the moment are the same fans who were claiming he was a small club manager in his first season. He proved them wrong then, he'll do it again. I don't know what is it with some fans these days, maybe it's just that the internet is such an easy outlet for frustration and it artificially inflates people's short term reactions. But for me the idea that Rodgers is suddenly no longer a good manager after a couple of months of poor form is nonsense. The football we were playing last season was the best attacking football I ever remember Liverpool playing. Defensively we were still poor but in terms of flowing attacking football it was simply brilliant. Of course I don't have detailed memories of what is was like when Rush and Daglish were at their peak but I'm still talking about a solid 20 years of my own personal experience. For me that's a big statement to make and I think Rodgers is the reason why. Of course the man is not perfect and he'll make plenty of mistakes but if there is a good chance we can get back that breathtaking football again then he is unquestionably the right man for the job. I think he'll learn and get better and I think by the end of this season we'll be proud of the team and what they can achieve. That includes every single one of them.
ReplyDeleteit'a a joke to believe that BR was the reason, we were so good last season.
ReplyDeleteSUAREZ was the reason.
At the end of the match the camera lingered on Balotelli for a looong time. The expression on his face was subtle but I saw genuine disappointment. I saw a guy who clearly cared. Maybe he always looks like that but for all that we lost the game I was pleased to see that response. He was spent, tired, had worked hard and at the end of it had nothing and it effected him, he was bothered. So it should be. The worst thing right now would be for Mario to stop caring and clearly that's not the case. Maybe I'm clutching at straws but I do still want to believe that Mario is getting better and that he's learning what's needed of him. Pascoe said as much in a recent interview and I hope it's all true and not just a pep talk for the player. He may not show it with the same intensity but what's important is that he is willing to work and willing to try. So long as that continues I'll have faith that he'll turn things around. The day he stops caring and just gives up will be the end of it.
ReplyDeleteVery good post, and agree with pretty much everything you say.
ReplyDeleteIt annoys me to see such knee jerk reactions from fans. Like you say, we are still in a decent position in the league despite playing pretty poorly.
West Ham aren't going to keep it up, and I don't think Soton will either, and when they crack, we have to be ready to take their place.
Jaimie didn't write this.
ReplyDeleteYour first line - I agree with that. When Rodgers began at LFC, some people (me included) said that the defining aspect of his tenure would be the way he managed Gerrard. So far, I'm not convinced he's doing that the way I would, but that's why he gets the big bucks, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe injury to Lucas that sparked Gerrard's move to defensive midfield didn't help matters, I think. But time will tell if BR will do what some of us think he should and make Gerrard fight for his place, whether that be in DM or against Hendo, Can, Lallana and Coutinho.
We'll always be in awe of our captain, but if it comes at the expense of an aspect of our game, I'm not so sure I want him to be an automatic choice.
Btw, are you also known as 'loss of suarez'?
Yes. During the World Cup I thought he would be good for us. He was linked to LFC a few years ago. With Origi coming, though, it's unlikely, unless Borini and Lambert leave.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, this sounds good: Sturridge, Balotelli, Origi, Vargas. There'll be enough games to go round.
Not sure if you've played on a sports team (and apologies if this is a personal attack), but unless you are surrounded by supremely talented teammates and/or played against complete incompetents, the coach is pretty much the be-all and end-all of the team's performance.
ReplyDeleteA good coach brings the best out of the players - even top players need coaching - and a bad one can demoralise even the best players with poor tactics, selection and personality issues. So, no. BR was a huge reason for our excellent play last season, as were Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling (second half of the season), Hendo and all our other players that did their jobs for the team.
How are ya Greggy?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't too optimistic about Lallana either but I think despite his limited game time he's already proven he's a classy player. He has Hendo's work rate too. I thought Lallana would be another Downing but it seems Markovic has become that. Maybe 25m was a bit hefty, but seeing what other members of the squad are producing, I'm glad we have him now.
Haven't been on here in a month, so what do you make of the team/season so far?
Clown, I am not a plastic fan. Just an honest fan, instead of the manager wasting millions on potential that most have not come good, spend the money on world class talent for NOW and future. As B Rodgers transfers since his reign have been diabolical to say the least.
ReplyDeleteMignolet(26) is ONLY A GREAT SHOT STOPPER, everything else he is poor and diabolical with, He seems to think he can play in centre mid at times the amount of times the CLOWN comes off his line, he is just lucky there are not alot of Alonso type midfielders out there or he would be getting lobbed from the Half way line on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteHe is GK stay in your box unless your needed.
Disappointing although i never expected to reach last seasons dizzy heights its been frustrating but maybe just the tonic to test players and manager.
ReplyDeleteNoticed you had not appeared for a while thought that Sydney fcs promising start may have taken your attention.
No kidding you would be doing exams i supposed well hope you aced it anyway.
Uncharted territory for Sydney FC, I mean, we have an organised team, unified change room. Things are looking up. Reds are looking good though!
ReplyDeleteAgree mostly with Liverpool.
Nah my absence was for an entirely different reason but glad you noticed ;) and I'm a year ahead of the kiddos sitting those awful exams. Just popped in to see what some of the regulars think about us at the moment.
Good to see you back and yes ive been good some entertaining reading in the comments on a few old threads you'd get a good read out of the game day ones especially.
ReplyDeleteThere might be some quality Nick caps lock rage but I'll pass as there will no doubt be hundreds of logan match day comments :P
ReplyDeleteSaw your 2-1 Swansea prediction you're quite grim haha
At this time maybe a bit of experimentation is needed its only a league cup game and nows the time to take risks.
ReplyDeleteYes he is, along with various other pseudonyms
ReplyDeleteLoved that post. Very well said mate
ReplyDeleteOh, please. Give me a break. You're entitled to your view but this is a typical superfan riposte, steeped in superfan superiority, and complete with obligatory Shankly quote. That quote at the end is nonsense, and just promotes damaging , counter-proiductive blind faith.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't dream of comparing B Rodgers with the late great B Shankly in the way you think I may have, my point being that Shankly didn't get it right from the off, and it took time, something that sadly isn't being given to managers today, what if Liverpool hadn't given Shankly the time, would we be 5 times euro champions or a team just making up the numbers, would manure have won all the trophy's that they did if they had ditched fergie, I am just saying give Rodgers a chance.
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to the knee-jerk hysteria that being hyper-critical encourages? You often speak about over-hype and praise being damaging but being over critical is just as damaging.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself if sitting at Anfield at our next game you would rather have 47,000 fans with Paul's attitude of getting behind the team and manager or with 47,000 calling (very unreasonably imo) for the manager to be sacked.
A negative mindset is difficult to break when it sets in and is very unlikely to be of any use to the team. Criticism where it is deserved is fair enough but people have to be realistic as well. The team can't always play well, turning the managers office into a revolving door is definitely not the way to go
You are just displaying the superfan perspective once again. This site is not 'hyper critical' - it is realistic, and offers constructive criticism, backed up with legitimate reasoning. You and other superfans just can't handle it because you have an outdated, inflexible view of what LFC fans should be.
ReplyDeleteThe obsessive blind faith approach is more damaging than any criticism, and it's a big reason for LFC's utter failure in the league over the last 24 years.
Footballers and managers are paid obscene amounts of money to kick a football around, and plan how to kick a football around - if they can't hack the criticism, then let them quit and give their jobs to someone else.
All I'm saying is I can't ever think of a team responding well to a string of vitriol and abuse from their own fans.
ReplyDeleteAs I said in my post, criticism where it's deserved is fair enough but it has to be realistic.
Take Markovic for example, he's been written off by a large section of our fan base already. He's only 20 for god sake! You can't always instantly have the results you're after in life. Trial and error plays a huge part in all walks of life, not just football. Managers and players need to be given time and doing nothing but criticising all the time isn't helpful.
I agree that blind faith and constant praise isn't healthy either but somewhere in the middle in the world of reason and logic should surely be what we're striving for
It isn't Markovic who is being written off per se; it is Rodgers' performance in the transfer market. When a manager spends £20m on a player, fans have the right to expect that said player will have an impact. Age is irrelevant. Rodgers creates the negativity by wasting LFC's transfer funds.
ReplyDeleteFans vent their frustration against the player, but it's really aimed at LFC's atrocious transfer performance.
In any event, Markovic is living the dream; he gets paid tens of thousands a week to play football. Football! He is pampered, and has every advantage at his beck and call. Criticism - even if it's unreasonable - goes with the territory, and if he can't hack it, he should man-up, or quit.
*chuckles* Thanks, pal. I'll try to figure some of the other code-names out.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily disagree with you, I just think it's too early to be writing players off which by default means it's too early to be judging them as a transfer fail or success. I would say the jury is still out on a fair few of our signings.
ReplyDeleteThat's not to say that I don't think mistakes have been made because I do, but there are a lot of factors to take into account, not least the prolonged loss of our main striker.
Given that in our current league position we are right in contention for the champions league places and we have a very good chance of qualifying from our champions league group, I can't believe some fans are calling for a complete regime change. We haven't been playing well but the season is still far too young to be making judgements. Give them to at least Christmas
I apologize. However, it is time to see the truth. BR cannot lead Liverpool to the title.
ReplyDeleteWe've no chance of getting Isco, but I'd be interested to see if we could get Jesé, who looked brilliant before his injury. Hopefully Real will be sufficiently interested in his recovery/protecting his value that they'd let us have him on loan. Then we could evaluate our options in the summer.
ReplyDeleteOut of interest. Who would you see as a realistic replacement?
ReplyDeleteI thought i was clear. The Greatest, Kenny Dalglish. Joachim Low, Antonio Conte, Fabio Capello, Guus Hiddink to name a few.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me, we get rid of Gerrard and we don't have a top 4 side. I can't believe how quickly people forget who one of the greatest midfielders in the EPL today is. BR plays him out of position to steady a shaky defence. You get him up where he prefers and all the great players Torres, Suarez etc. will tell you who drives every Liverpool game. Do not write off Captain Courageous just yet.
ReplyDeleteAh, sorry missed that bit. But seriously Dalglish? Haven't we already been down that road.
ReplyDeleteJoachim Low would probably not come to Liverpool .
After seeing what Capello was like at England, no thanks.
I don't really know a lot about Conte.
Hiddink could be pretty good, but again, not sure he would want to come to Liverpool.
Will, it's nice chatting with you. I don't know how old you are but I am 52, and I grew up watching Dalglish. I have tremendous respect for him. Aside from that when Dalglish took over from Roy Hodgson, Liverpool was doing really bad. He had the bright idea to unite Torres with Suarez and turn Liverpool striking line into a lethal one against any defense. As we know Torres backed out. Sadly, Dalglish didn't have enough time to show how good he would have been for Liverpool. I don't know what happened here in Boston but I am sure John Henry made a mistake firing him. He stands out for his unquestionable love for the club and I would trust him to redeem his position back. I seriously think he should be given a second chance. He showed to be a Champion as a player and a Champion as a coach. As per Conte, he is a very crazy personality on the pitch meaning very passionate about winning every game.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubting Dalglish's previous credentials. He is a Liverpool legend, simple as that.
ReplyDeleteI just get the feeling/impression that he is a little out of touch with the modern game. The football we tended to play under him in his latest stint was a little archaic in my opinion, and it just didn't fit with the modern game.
I also don't see him getting another chance even if the job came up anyway. I'd assume that in FSG's eyes he already failed.
I'm 29 by the way!
Liverpool look like to be teams that do not have tactical, lost the direction of focus. Balotelli failed as Liverpool team striker. Is this the indicator the end of a career BR with Liverpool? Very frustrating because almost 1/3 of EPL games are gone without improvement on Liverpool side. Is it the fate as SPURS past season will happen to Liverpool for this session? Look like Liverpool can't maintain 2nd spot in EPL this session even top 5 I don't think can achieve.
ReplyDelete