Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has rung the changes yet again, and despite the natuore of the opposition, there's still no room in the starting line-up for Mario Balotelli.
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Manquillo, Sakho, Skrtel, Can, Markovic, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Lambert
SUBS: Ward, Enrique, Toure, Moreno, Borini, Balotelli, Williams
This is a very strong team, which shows that Rodgers is taking the game seriously. A few points:
* Sterling is not in the squad, and that suggests he's being rested for this game, which is a good decision. The other (preferable) possibility is that Sterling has rejected LFC's £100K a week contract offer, and the club has dumped him from the squad and are about to sell him to the highest bidder #beautifuldream
* Adam Lallana is out injured or a month, which, given his recent good form, is a bit of a blow, but it presents a chance for Markovic to stake his claim for a regular starting place.
* The biggest surprise is that Balotelli is not in the starting line-up. With Sterling out, and Sturridge injured, he's the obvious choice, but Rodgers has gone with 32-year old Lambert instead, which (IMO) is a bit of a humiliation for the Italian.
* Rodgers is basically saying that the Balotelli is not good enough and/or cannot be trusted to play against League Two opposition. Clearly, that's €20m well-spent, Brendan. Bravo!
* Nice to see Jordan Williams on the bench. If things go well, he should hopefully feature at some point during the second half.
* Kolo Toure misses out yet again, and with the ANC just around the corner, this may be the beginning of the end of his Liverpool career.
Anything but an emphatic victory is unacceptable today. No excuses, surely?
My prediction: 5-1
Author: Jaimie K
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Manquillo, Sakho, Skrtel, Can, Markovic, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Lambert
SUBS: Ward, Enrique, Toure, Moreno, Borini, Balotelli, Williams
This is a very strong team, which shows that Rodgers is taking the game seriously. A few points:
* Sterling is not in the squad, and that suggests he's being rested for this game, which is a good decision. The other (preferable) possibility is that Sterling has rejected LFC's £100K a week contract offer, and the club has dumped him from the squad and are about to sell him to the highest bidder #beautifuldream
* Adam Lallana is out injured or a month, which, given his recent good form, is a bit of a blow, but it presents a chance for Markovic to stake his claim for a regular starting place.
* The biggest surprise is that Balotelli is not in the starting line-up. With Sterling out, and Sturridge injured, he's the obvious choice, but Rodgers has gone with 32-year old Lambert instead, which (IMO) is a bit of a humiliation for the Italian.
* Rodgers is basically saying that the Balotelli is not good enough and/or cannot be trusted to play against League Two opposition. Clearly, that's €20m well-spent, Brendan. Bravo!
* Nice to see Jordan Williams on the bench. If things go well, he should hopefully feature at some point during the second half.
* Kolo Toure misses out yet again, and with the ANC just around the corner, this may be the beginning of the end of his Liverpool career.
Anything but an emphatic victory is unacceptable today. No excuses, surely?
My prediction: 5-1
Author: Jaimie K
This Williams, is that the young defender we took from Spurs?
ReplyDeleteThe youth academy is dead
ReplyDeleteJerome Sinclair a forward scoring for fun , that offers pace and mobility is not considered good enough to play against a league 2 side
Rodgers does not care about academy he is buying Shaqiri or another winger to block Jordon Ibes route ,
Sinclair and Ojo not egtting a place on bench against a league 2 side is a joke especially when we have two left backs on bench
Someone get rid of him
Need to start quick and quieten the crowd. Get our tackles in early and not be intimidated. We might as well sell Balotelli now, he obviously doesn't fit BRs plans so sell him and get another striker in.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Sterling.
ReplyDeleteno i think he is liverpool academy through and through
ReplyDeleteDon't think tonight is the night to blood a young striker, can see this being a physical game. If it was at home I would probably say give him a go but not at there place. Experience is needed on a night like this.
ReplyDeleteYes but Lambert is the type of player
ReplyDeletethat supposedly does not fit system
Why not give sinclair a player that can press like Rodgers said he wants
why not a place on bench ?, do we need morenoa nd enrique there
Just back from injury but nice to see Yesil played today, as well as Suso,
ReplyDeleteBalotelli is not a team player..........until he learns to adjust to our style of play he should be benched indefinitely
ReplyDeleterodgers can always blame the committee for purchases.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the two left backs but not Sinclair, don't get me wrong I think he will be a good player in time but I don't think tonight would be a good time to throw him in. Imagine if BR played him from the start and we lost. BR would get crucified for not taking it seriously.
ReplyDeletei wonder if brenton will still be manager next season. with no steve g to pull players to LFC, we are relying on history and money.
ReplyDeleteid rather have Simeone , Klopp or RDB.
What position?
ReplyDeleteOkay Borini
ReplyDeleteborini offers more to liverpool to the way tehy play tehn Lmabert ever will
why is eh doing taht to borini
Even Carragher
ReplyDeletemidfiled but he can also play centre back. i think he played midfield when he made his senior debut
ReplyDeleteThanks...
ReplyDeleteno you're thinking of kevin stewart. he went on loan few days ago to cheltenham
ReplyDeleteGosh it's a toss up with lfc nowadays.... Hope we play good and win.... That is all...
ReplyDeleteThanks man...
ReplyDeleteYeah fair enough Borini, but to be honest can't see him being a liverpool player much longer.
ReplyDeleteand here i thought I was by myself in thinking sell sterling to the highest bidder! the kid still has so much to develop, especially in the shooting department and multiple articles say he is holding out for 120, 130k, even 100k is ridiculous!
ReplyDeletecould not agree more with you. the last time we where this inconsistent and did not have a clue as to what to expect from the team was under kenny's last few months as a manager.
ReplyDeleteWell he has the right to move on and develop elsewhere
ReplyDeleteHe will look much better feeding Augero
he is not a goal scorer but a creator his shooting does not have to be great , silvas shooting only now improved
Fact is him and Coutinho have been the only players that can say tehy ahve done well
Have no idea where is Yesil at all?
ReplyDeleteDo not dare curse the signing of Shaqiri when you're the one constantly rambling on about the lack of pace and mobility in attack.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P gremmerer
ReplyDeleteI agree about Ojo and Sinclair tho.
ReplyDeleteits hard when you type fast like in do
ReplyDeleteyes i agree with your point that he is not a goal scorer, and should for the moment stick to creating rather than taking a frustratingly soft shot at goal. There is not any excitement at all when he's in the box and takes a shot. everytime i'm hoping he passes to another to shoot. keep developing his shot in training and in the mean time stick to being a little menace for defenders and creating
ReplyDeleteif we cant keep sterling we are no longer a top tier club its that simple....if he goes he goes it is what it is
ReplyDeleteIdonotfinditveryhardatall.
ReplyDeletethe problem we have is we have paid big contracts to average players and no doubt sterling and his agent looks at this and thinks 120,000 glen johnson ill have a bit of that...its a self fullfilling prophacy we have brought on our selves
ReplyDeleteI'd rather see the back of you.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Don't mean it.
ReplyDelete5-1 to who?
ReplyDeleteHat trick for Stevie !
ReplyDeleteFFS we want to get out of this with no more injuries !
ReplyDeleteLambert you plonker
ReplyDeleteBloody good save
ReplyDeleteWe still can't defend a set piece
ReplyDeletewe deserve nothing
ReplyDeletepoor poor mig
ReplyDeleteHahaha.. Migs is so bad all I can do is laugh
ReplyDeleteHave to admit I hope AFC go on to win because so far they deserve it and the FA Cup will be better with them in it
ReplyDeleteHe s crap we are all crap
ReplyDeleteWow this Madrid side are pretty good
ReplyDeleteBring on Ballo he can't do any worse
ReplyDelete101 How to beat Liverpool
ReplyDeletePump any kind of ball in the box = goal
Lambert has been too quiet!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you want him to do?
ReplyDeleteHe can't do much if we can't get the ball to him
Utter gash
ReplyDeleteNo he just went to Cheltenham. Stewart I think his name is.
ReplyDeletehasn't really held it up on the few occasions he got it either.
ReplyDeleteOr a draw as a replay at Anfield would give them a lot more money
ReplyDeleteShow for the ball, pull out wide do something!
ReplyDeleteIs he playing ?
ReplyDeleteHahahahahha
ReplyDeleteMignolet - Rubbish. Manquillo - Rubbish, send back to Atletico. Coutinho ) rubbish tonight. Lambert - not able to do the one thing he was brought for in the first place, win games like these. All the others are having a decent enough game.We could bring on Balotelli and he could score three. On the other hand he is much more likely not to get his lazy arse in gear and do nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe slightest bit of pressure and we crumble
ReplyDeleteYeah, we are weak both physically and mentally. If Rodgers has got any money at all this month he needs to find a keeper.
ReplyDeleteOh dear what the hell is going on ?
ReplyDeleteI hope we judge Lambert the same way we judge Ballotelli
ReplyDeleteFSG are not gonna give him any money
ReplyDeleteAnd a defence coach
ReplyDeletei didnt realise he was playing for 30mins....mingo is mingo he cant handle crosses
ReplyDeleteOur so called defence has NEVER been able to handle crosses end of !
ReplyDeleteWide, really?
ReplyDeletelike ive been saying rodgers is far from safe this window.....needs to bring balo or borini on for lambert ...put moreno on and move marko furthr forward
ReplyDeletei think he's saying that he needs to move more to get the ball rather than stay up front and wave.
ReplyDeleteIf you're lone striker you have to move. Balotelli is expected to do that why not Lambert?
ReplyDeleteNot me Lambert was born in Cretaceous period
ReplyDeletewhen you look at this team you now realise why its vital we keep sterling .....put your petty differences aside he is head and shoulders liverpool's best player and should be paid as such
ReplyDeleteWe've paid upwards of 20 million for some of our players, yet they can't pass their way around f***ing Wimbledon, who probably train on bloody tennis courts.
ReplyDeletei call paddy fields
ReplyDeleteYour best players will also ask for the best wages, no matter how old they are
ReplyDeletewe can't defend corners and high balls for 3 years now. either we get a new manager or a defensive coach. BR can't do this again
ReplyDeleteGerrard saves our ass again
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't agree with this. Sterling has had plenty of bad games against crap opposition.
ReplyDeleteyes gerrard
ReplyDeleteand still he is better than most in liverpool at the moment
ReplyDeletequite funny how gerrard when playing further forward ( where most fans say he should play ) score two
ReplyDeleteWhy oh Why are you going Stevie when we need you so badly
ReplyDeleteYeah, Gerrard scored, but how can you be positive? We're still playing like shite. Still vulnerable under the most innocuous of attempts to create a good chance.
ReplyDeletefor example
ReplyDeletehe scored one from that position.
ReplyDeleteit that a soul song
ReplyDeleteHe still remains our only catalyst
ReplyDeletethank god their goalkeeper is no better than Mignolet
ReplyDeleteJk has his mind set on certain players that of coarse is his perogative
ReplyDeleteHa our soul we be lost when Stevie goes
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the 100k deal that has got under his skin?
ReplyDeletewe have been hopeless all season to any balls floated into the box thats why we need two fullbacks playing to try and cut out crosses
ReplyDeleteHe is not LFC's 'only catalyst'. That's exaggeration (IMO), and stems from the incessant fan-compulsion to anoint one player as the club's saviour.
ReplyDeleteWhen fit, Sturridge is far more important than Sterling.
is that the irish goalie we are after
ReplyDeletepoor lambert
ReplyDeleteI agree JK. I meant currently ie whilst Sturridge is injured
ReplyDeleteOh no Enrique
ReplyDeletereally you jk you have to tone down the constant religious connotations in regards players.....i like sterling but its hardly biblical
ReplyDeleteWe r going to park the bus now ;-)
ReplyDeletethat a mighty big when jk
ReplyDeleteHaha!
ReplyDeleteI sense a baptism of Fire around the corner!
ReplyDeleteCan't deny he deserves a lot better .....
ReplyDeleteSpot on, Nick an Gil.
ReplyDeletehes our best player ....and thats the way it is
ReplyDeleteCOME ON BALO
ReplyDeletethats okay as long as mingo isnt driving or hell hit the corner flag opposite end
ReplyDeleteWeirdly I was scrolling down the comment section looking for a comment from you saying "utter gash", and here it is. Maybe I should take over the predictions paragraph, JK. Agree with your comment, though.
ReplyDeleteis he singing
ReplyDeleteBalotelli has done more in two minutes than Lambert
ReplyDeletemario has already done more in a couple minutes what lambert did all game.
ReplyDelete20m
ReplyDeleteMarkovic has had a good game but that shot was doo doo
ReplyDeletei really don't like his style of play.
ReplyDeletemarkovic was nowhere to be found.
ReplyDeleteBollox
ReplyDeleteIn comparison to how he's been at LFC, this game was good. I feel he lacks an end product
ReplyDeleteTrust me I'm Markovic's biggest critic. He was a willing runner today
ReplyDeleteThey deserve a draw
ReplyDeleteOverall we have been tripe
ReplyDeletethis lad gerrard is a real diamond in the rough i tell ya.. if he plays his cards right he might be a LFC first team regular for years to come. #futureisbright...#YNWA
ReplyDeletei feel like he lacks everything apart from his pace. he can't even controll the ball when running. 20m what a waste
ReplyDeleteV Lucky to get away with this one - Without Stevie No Goals
ReplyDeleteMario has generated some legitimate chances in the last few games he's played.
ReplyDeleteIf he keeps playing, he's eventually going to convert those chances and the team will be better off for it.
Well if Akinfenwa is 16 stone there 's bloody hope for me yet !
ReplyDeleteIs he worth £20mill? Can Louis Farakhan lead the klu klux klan?
ReplyDeletea simple no would have sufficed
ReplyDeleteToo boring. You get the point though!
ReplyDeleteI blame the ground .. Lfc could have lost again....:( lucky to escape.
ReplyDeleteHeskey v Mignolet hahahaha
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the whole sterling comment.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it matter to us what he is earning a week? I haven't seen sterling sulk around the field or refuse to play. he had a run without a goal but that's been the story of liverpool this season.
His representatives like to go to the media and say real madrid want him but he still runs his butt off every game. while i personally agree that he will be overpaid if they give him 100k a week, it really doesn't matter as long as he's working his but off
So, Gerrard scored two and cleared one off the line.
ReplyDeleteScore with Stevie: Wimbledon AFC 1 Liverpool 2
Score sans Stevie: Wimbledon AFC 2 Liverpool 0
A simplistic analysis I know, but shows how much influence he still has.
Was saying the exact same thing to a mate earlier. Rodgers needs to swallow his pride and get in a specialist defensive coach cos it's basic errors that cost us every game. Sami Hypia seems the obvious choice to me
ReplyDeleteI thought Coultinho had a decent game
ReplyDeleteAppointing Hyypia would be bad for Rodgers
ReplyDeletewhen results start getting bad there will be calls for hyypia to take over If he is there at anfield every week
liek when Kenny was on staff when roy was manager
Yep 4 goals in 2 games
ReplyDeleteFSG wouldn't appoint Hypia as manager with his managerial track record
ReplyDeleteAnd if he can earn 12Ok or whatever at RM and develop / win things then who can really blame him ? Sees what's happened to Stevie realises the way club is going and no doubt with advice from his agent is going for it . After tonight he probably thinks his position is much stronger !
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he's on loan in Turkey
ReplyDeleteIn the second half yes. In the first he was pushed off the ball like Rivaldo bouncing off of Sami
ReplyDeleteWithout Gerrard, other players would've been forced to step up. A better example:
ReplyDeleteWith Gerrard: 2-2 vs. Leicester
Without Gerrard: 4-1 vs. Swansea
I am starting to struggle with my support of the increasingly clueless Brendan Rodgers... Yeah we won, but it was not for the lack of trying to lose... Emre Can at CB when Toure sits on the bench ??? Manquillo looks scared alot, and Coutihno is just clueless... People will say he is great and clever blah blah blah! but he is one dimensional,,, he charges at the oposition in the same predictable fashion every game, drops deep, picks up the ball ad runs forward, realises he's gone the wrong way and being frustratingly one footed, turns back into traffic to his right foot, each and everytime running into a brick wall and ultimately missing the opportunity to offload the ball to a breaking Markovic, or whoever happens to be playing and in a quality position. Or he does the inconcievable, he shoots, and again wastes it... Balotelli has the accolade of being the striker with the most shoots without a goal, but I bet Coutinho is close, scoring maybe 2 in every 100 shots... Swap him for Firmino now... PLEASE! I'm ranting I know, but please forgive me! I just struggle with performances like tonights, Wimbledon definaely deserved more from the game, and were unlucky not to get it..... But don't worry, we'll buy some players this month, Won;t we? probably, but not the right ones.... FSG should have realised by now that you can't run a football club the same way you run a baseball team, Football requires experience and quality, not just a good swing.... But even with a glaringly obvious need for certain positions to be filled(with quality), excuses will be made about availability and cost, and we'll endure another frustrating January while our rivals strengthen and leave us behind..... They want to protect their investment and create a self sustaining club, but refuse to act proactively, making us more competitive and thereby attractive to corperate sponsors..... If we don't spend now, we will miss out on the champions league, and the new bumper prize money being made available through BTSprts new TV deal.... It will be even more difficult to stay competitive if we don't act now.....
ReplyDeleteRant done...... for now!
Lambert is dreadful. Ballotelli did more in ten minutes than Lambert did in 80, but no-one seems to care. I'd be very happy if we sold Lambert in this window.
ReplyDeleteCoutinho was excellent in the second half. Tonight was a game I thought he might struggle to make an impact in, but he was excellent again. His finishing is improving and if he cracks that he will be world class - then Barcelona nick him...
ReplyDeletePity most of his running was up blind alleys...
ReplyDeleteWas a classic FA cup tie in the end and I enjoyed it. Rodgers has found the right formation in recent weeks, but keeps trying to bang square pegs in round holes. At least Stevie is in the right position at last. Now move Can into the CDM role, and try Markovic as a right wing back rather than left. Lambert is a waste of time (hate saying that about a good man) and he plays ahead of Ballotelli for sentimental reasons. Coutinho did well again - if he can bang in a few goals he really will be something special!
ReplyDeleteYou mention the figure of E20m for Balotelli. But has there been any official indication that this was the fee? Isn't that just the "reported", i.e. the made-up, amount? Isn't it more likely to have been a complex deal involving some kind of third-party deal with his agent? Balotelli was finished at Milan. Isn't it likely that all Liverpool had to do was to pay off his contract, and pay a kings ransom to his agent?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any real knowledge of that deal? I'd love to know more. I *strongly doubt* that he was signed on a permanent no-strings deal.
You really think we would have beaten them easily wit Gerrard left out? Swansea didn't put us under pressure like Leicester (or Burnley) with hard work. Who would have scored tonight? Hendo is nowhere near clever/inventive on the ball to fill SG' role. Countinho does well but wastes the vast majority of good shooting/key pass situations and is too easily knocked off the ball. Markovic shoots like he's scared to hurt the ball..
ReplyDeleteHope you're right. I still think Balo can come good. I agree with other posters it's totally ridiculous he sits below the immobile and ineffective waste if space that is Lambert in the pecking order (harsh but true...)
ReplyDeleteHe has a lot, man. Very nice passer, his movement is interesting, and he has an unusual game, carrying the ball through the centre -- a very Balkan style, actually.
ReplyDeleteMarkovic is a real counter-attacker. I agree is touch is stiff, it was at Benfica too. He's not a tricksy runner on the ball, but a smooth and direct one. Although he's very young and raw there's a very good player in there, I think.
Imagine if he gets his game together, the damage he could do: picking up possession from the DM in a deep position, gliding through the middle of the park past a midfield marker, players moving off him looking to receive direct quality passes to put them through. That's a rare weapon, it's worth taking a punt on players of that kind.
To be fair the beast was standing on them all.
ReplyDeleteI too mourn our dire 4-0 defeat.
ReplyDeleteWait.
Yeah I think we all feel for Lambert. If the season had gone differently for the team as a whole, it might have gone differently for him -- coming into a vibrant attack late on to add power against banked defenses looking for a break-through at a set piece or if we had gone direct. But that scenario, which came about so often last season, has not materialised more than a couple of times this term.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why people are still moaning about the defence. BR team shipped 150 goals in 120 games for liverpool. This says it all. This not just a Liverpool stat, letting in more goals than games played is apart of his
ReplyDeleteManagement record. Fact is, he is a manager that creates teams that going forward are exceptional but defending absolutely shocking. We just need to accept that a BR Liverpool will always ship more goals than games no matter what defenders or goal keepers come in. The only way ge will sure up the defence is to hire some of them fat bastards from to fat to work and jam them in the goal!!!!
Has Begovic threatened our so-called Transfer Committee or what? Okay, we'll get Neto for 3m now, then sell him in the summer and get another 3m keeper and sell him after 6 months too and keep rinsing and repeating while the club gets mired further and further in mediocrity. It's always a case of penny wise, pound foolish. Idiots!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Jaimie, who were going to score those 5 goals? Any decent side would have put 5 past this lot but we are pathetic. We can't predict anything more than 3-1 even against the weakest opposition. Sad......
ReplyDeleteI dunno. For all that he got in the right areas and scored the goals, he also doesn't have the energy and ability to play the high pressing game that is so important to Liverpool. Part of what goes wrong for Liverpool when they are under pressure is when the high pressing doesn't work and the ball ends up in dangerous positions in the midfield. If the attacking players press up but the passes get through then the deeper mid-fielders are exposed and by proxy the defenders are then exposed. Gerrard simply doesn't have the legs any more to be the kind of player who can close someone down and nick the ball away and just having that one non-working part of the team can have a massive impact.
ReplyDeleteI think if we're going to analyse his impact it has to be across the board, including all parts of the game. I don't think anyone has ever disagreed that Stevie can still influence the attacking part of the game. The problem is what he doesn't do to when he doesn't have the ball and that is too easy to underestimate.
I know its about who is getable too Handanovic is i reckon there is a number of young German keepers who would be great certainly better than Migs .
ReplyDeleteIts about getting massive potential or a top line player the mediocrity must stop its costing us cant you see that.
I think Balotelli is done, I don't see a future for him at the club. He can't even dislodge the lumbering Lambert from the side. Rodgers gave him a run of games in league fixtures and it just didn't work out. Maybe when Sturridge is back Mario can slot back in alongside him in a slightly different role, contribute in a different way. But for me I think he's finished and will be sold in this window.
ReplyDeleteThe sarcastic "Bravo Brendan" is a bit pointless. Everyone knew the risk when Mario was brought in and it absolutely has not worked out. You bang on about playing him "out of position" but even that is a tenuous argument at best. Mario was brought it as a striker. He was played as a striker. He failed as a striker. That's not Rodger's fault, it is completely down to the player not being good enough. It was clearly not the right option to buy him in the first place but that's how gambling works - sometimes it works out and often it doesn't. The club made a decision to gamble on the transfer and now they need to cut their losses and let him go.
Handanovic or Lopez are getable or a top young German or keeper maybe Perrin though i haven't seen him.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool have been littered with mid priced buys over the years who failed Westerveld Kirkland Carson Dudek Mignolet the list goes on whilst clubs like United have bought quality and been well served.
As far as finding a gem in the rough thats what we pay scouts for.
Wastage of money. Someone accepting 36k/week in this market can't be better than Jones. What I see is we 'll keep searching for GK in every window until & unless BR (FSG) realizes that GK is the safest position to invest big. Juve spent almost E50m in 2000, they are still getting the benefit, Sir Alex spent 20m+ for a teenager, now can see why.
ReplyDeleteBR isn't some genius of finding talent. Lots of Manager can buy U23 players for 5-10 mn & some of those 'll turn as Sturridge or Coutinho, but only stupids 'll expect that every time. We are not over smart, every club has scouting network & it's a open market - if a GK at 25 accepts a 35K/week deal, my commonsense tells me that we 'll be spending again in July. Buddy BR, stop wasting for the likes of Illory, Aassaidi, Alberto, Aspas, Origi....... start playing academy boys & spend part of that money to bring someone like Lloris, Begovic, Zieller, Leno or Perin.
First, let me state that I agree with you to an extent. He has failed here. As a striker, his objective is mainly to score. He hasn't. It's that simple.
ReplyDeleteNext, let me state where I disagree. Balotelli was played in a system not suited to his strengths. Granted, we'd like to believe that he'd be skilled enough to adjust and work within the system as the lone striker but the evidence has proven that he couldn't or wouldn't (I personally go with couldn't).
And this is where i have the problem with Rodgers. Rodgers did not put his players in positions to succeed based upon their strengths. He simply did not adjust until about a month ago when he went to the back 3 and put Sterling up top.
Furthermore, when Balotelli has been healthy and put into the games over the past month, he's actually played well and created opportunities. He needs to score on those opportunities but that comes in due time. Lo and behold, he's looked better when he's had a second striker up top.
To me, Rodgers has done as much a disservice to Mario and Mario has done to himself and both are welcome to share the blame for his failure here thus far.
I personally hope we do not sell him in this window. I think he has a lot left to offer here.
I think the key to doing well in this Liverpool team is the ability to adapt. Rodgers buys players who are flexible and he relies on it. That's because the team always, always comes first. There is no room at Liverpool for team tactics to be adjusted to suit just one individual. Even Suarez suffered from that, at times last season being played in a different supporting role on the left while Sturridge was the main central striker. His goal scoring record suffered because of it. So when the best striker in the world is asked to adapt for the team then someone like Mario will be expected to do the same.
ReplyDeleteOf course it's a balancing act, the manager can't expect players to suddenly start doing things they have never done before. But Mario is a very talented guy. He has all the qualities you'd look for: strength, pace, skill on the ball, passing, shooting ... there is nothing really missing from his game except tactical awareness, and I guess the hope was that he could be taught that.
At the very first mention of Balotelli at Liverpool I knew immediately that it was going to be a steep learning curve for him. No question he was going to be asked to change his game and do things that he wasn't used to. I guess that he was capable of doing it but I fully expected that it was possible he'd have a long run of games where it just didn't work. It reminds me very much of Crouch under Benitez. At times Crouch probably thought Rafa was a lunatic for the things he insisted he did, but eventually it sunk in and he started scoring goals. The player adapted.
So I guess the argument comes down to the requirement of the player to adapt. Has Rodgers made a mistake in trying to get Mario to adapt to what Liverpool need? Is Mario not an adaptable guy? Is it simply taking longer than everyone expected? In my view every single player in the squad has had to adapt to some extent and that's why I am less sympathetic to Mario's position. If everyone else has had to do it then why should he be a special case?
It was strictly English league? So where did Bruce Grobbelaar come from? Where did Jan Molby come from? It may not have been as accessible, but there were still players bought from European leagues or in the case of Grobbelaar, Vancouver in Canada.
ReplyDeletePlease name these players that you believe are poor that we have bought.
ReplyDeleteThis is Koeman's first season in a new league, yes he is doing well this season, let's see how he does next season, I have a feeling it will be the second season blues.
ReplyDeleteDifference is, Kenny was the choice of the people, Rodgers is the choice of the board. And who is to say we will finish mid table? We are only 7 points away from the top 4, which we can make up easily.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet we got Markovic, who is a world class talent and before that, we got Sturridge, Coutinho, Suarez, who are all world class talent. World class talent and world class player is not one and the same. To become a world class player, you need world class talent, but not all world class talents are world class players, proof in point is Mario Balotelli, the talent he possesses is world class, but he is not even close to being a world class player.
ReplyDeleteHere's what is absolutely mind-boggling me...how has Lambert worked out, but Balotelli hasn't!? What's keeping Lambert ahead of Balotelli? Lambert is utter shite, and still has less chance of impacting the game than Balotelli does
ReplyDeleteWhat a weak result..........
ReplyDeleteOur whole season has been weak.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that Lambert is not good enough. Why not play Borini who will offer more pace and mobility and work rate.
ReplyDeleteI think that to sell Mario and keep Lambert or Borini would be a disgrace. On Rodgers' part, it would reek of mere spiteful 'I told you so' to the transfer committee who outvoted him on Balotelli.
ReplyDeleteNot heard anything like that. Would not be good news if true but the guy is a walking injury.
ReplyDeleteNot yet sold on Markovic. he runs fast, then heads right to a defender, then loses the ball. What about a little lob pass to yourself or someone else before you get 2-3 feet from the defenders? He seems still afraid to shoot and his passing is mediocre at best.
ReplyDeleteThat said, Sterlings passing his first year sucked and he has really improved so maybe there is some hope.....
I hope my brother in law is dead wrong, I really like Sturridge on and off the field.........
ReplyDeleteWe still earn vast sums, enough to keep us in the top 12 of earners in world football... But the players we buy don't match. People claim LFC spent 100 plus million in the summer, but in reality minus the suarez money, we spent no more than the likes of Southampton....When all the figures were balanced.
ReplyDeleteHis problem is quite easily fixable.
ReplyDeleteI'd keep him, he's a model professional and someone that could have a great influence on the young players in the team, not to mention a sort of mentoring role with Sakho, due to the common language. He's experienced at the top level and has been one of our best CB's overall (not that it's alot to brag about at the moment). I don't buy in to these wholesale changes that people are suggesting, I think we should maybe offload a couple that we can get a bit of money for, but if we start doing a squad swap again, we'll be in a worse position than this season. The only players I'd look to possibly offload are Mignolet, Lucas and Borini, but I'd expect a replacement in each area. We can still get half decent money for all 3 and there are likely to be buyers for them, and all 3 positions need some real quality. We are sorted on the wings, in central/attacking midfield and in defence (I know they've been shoddy, but they are all better players than they have been showing). Besides, when we play with Hendo/Marko at WB, and Can at RCB, we only have 2 defenders on the pitch!
ReplyDeleteLook Loges if we could get a big fee it may well be a blessing i really dont see him being a week in week out striker in the future.
ReplyDeleteHe will probably be plagued with injuries like Agger for years.
And games in the PL are not physical? That's what we're supposedly grooming them for right? The PL? So what if he gets a few bruises along the way. It'll toughen him up. Or do you want a guy like Coutinho pulling out of tackles? I don't believe this "not ready" stuff. You're either good enough or you're not. How many youngsters has Van Gaal so far fielded this season. Didn't hurt them much did it? With no strikers performing, guys like Sinclair should at the very least be making the bench. Rodgers just doesn't have the balls. They may not score and we may lose a game. For some reason it's ok to lose with 20 million pound rubbish on the pitch but if you do it with youngsters you're a fool for even trying.
ReplyDeleteA very nice passer you were watching the wrong game or wrong player he is fast and thats about it.
ReplyDeleteYes it is sell him.!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth are you people talking about...
ReplyDeleteYou tell us!!!!
ReplyDelete"Oustanding"???
ReplyDeleteHardly. My how standards gve dropped over the past 20 years.
Poor Players signed into club from 2008/2009 to Now: A Dossena(33) LB, D Cavaleri(32) GK, P Degen(31) RB, S Kyrgiakos(35) CB, C Adams(29) CM, S Downing(30) LW, S Coates(24) CB, F Borini(23) FD, J Allen(24) CM, O Assaidi(26) RWF, L Alberto(21) AM, I Aspas(27) FD, S Mignolet(26) GK and R Lambert(32)
ReplyDeleteWhat Goal Keeper in professional football is not a great shot stopper? That is not good enough at all at the highest level. He is comical to say the least and him and not having a mobile DM is what has cost us numerous goals last and this season.
ReplyDeleteE Can(20) may have all the attributes to be A DM, but he is a CM. He is better on the ball, than without the ball. The Best DM are best when they do not have the ball, E Can(20), J Henderson(24) and J Allen(24) all are similar midfielders who do the same thing.
E Can(20) breaks away with pace though when he goes on the odd run, When B Rodgers brings in a Mobile DM. Someone who actually enjoys getting stuck in and breaking up play, tackling and is mobile and covers ground well.
When we get the GK Position, DM Position and bring in a top class CM and a world class CM to replace our amazing class great loyal captain S Gerrard(34)
We prosper because S Gerrard(34) may not have the energy, legs, mobility, pace or speed he once had. But he is still the only world class midfielder we have at club
And the only midfielders anywhere near his level are Coutinho(22), Sterling(20) and Lallana(26)
The others are average and without S Gerrard(34) we will struggle, against AFC Wimbledon. Sakho(24), Coutinho(22), Gerrard(34) and Markovic(20) stood out as players above the rest.
The others didn't look stand out like sore thumbs as Premiership players at all
To be fair, I've heard countless false rumours supported by a 'mate in Liverpool'...
ReplyDeleteThey are both poor. One has all the ability and athleticism and the other has all the heart and passion. Put them together and we'd have one hell of a player. Unfortunately, I don't think they will ever gain the others traits.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lovren comes back I'd like to see him in the centre of the back 3 with Skrtel on the right and Sakho on the left. I like our Spanish fullbacks. I think they give us good balance with Moreno bombing forward and Manquillo being more defensive. I think a Flanno and Moreno combo would work well also.
ReplyDeleteMove Can into centre midfield with Hendo, Sturridge up top when fit with Sterling and Coutinho behind him, rotating with Lallana and Markovic.
Hopefully his recovery in America will sort out his continuous injury issues. He was the second best striker in the league last season so losing him would be a big blow. It will be like having a new players when he eventually returns.
ReplyDeleteOne does not simply discard that kind of experience, especially when there is still some skill mixed in. At the very least he'll be a mentor in the dressing room. He's way useful as a rotation option.
ReplyDeleteWith respect, I can think of plenty of decent passes he made in the first half. And maybe two in the second. I doubt he'd ever seen *anything* like AFC Wimbledon before :)
ReplyDeleteHe's got a good chance of being a terrific player. The running part of his game is about drawing defenders to him and then burning past them or offloading the ball with a quality killer pass. So he has to move the ball when he is close to them. He will make a lot of space for others and create havoc in due course. He is a *very* promising 20 year-old. A different player to Sterling but comparable talent.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice team. I'm sure that's how the squad was intended to work. Just with Sanchez in there rotating with the rest of the front three.
ReplyDeleteHonestly i can't anything special in him except his pace. He has no contoll of the ball when running at full speed running straight at defenders. There are many league 2 players that play like this
ReplyDeleteApparently Suso to AC Milan on a pre-contract done and dusted.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I think his passing is superb most of the time and his speed, vision, and decision making are superb. I want him to start every match.
ReplyDelete