15 May 2015

Confirmed: 'Crazy' boss wanted by Liverpool will consider 'concrete offers'. Replace Rodgers?

Will Brendan Rodgers still be the manager of Liverpool next season? The Reds' late-season collapse has inevitably led to speculation that FSG will replace Brendan Rodgers this season, and one of the managers reportedly in the frame to replace him has now confirmed that he's open to offers this summer.

In April, The Mirror claimed that Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa is on Liverpool's managerial 'short-list', and outlined a couple of reasons why the Argentine is a perfect fit for LFC:

"In tactical terms,[Bielsa] makes sense. Liverpool is a squad used to pressing, a Bielsa fundamental, and to playing with a back three, which Bielsa often favours".

When asked on Thursday about his future on Thursday, Bielsa told reporters:

"If I receive a concrete offer, I will read it as any coach would, and I'll give an answer."

The Argentine also revealed a tidbit of information that may be enticing to Liverpool:

"One thing is certain, playing in the Champions League will not affect my decision"

Some info about Bielsa, who is currently at 33-1 to replace Rodgers this summer:

* Has a two year deal, which contains a 'break' clause in June of each year.

* Nickname: 'El Loco' (Roughly 'The Crazy One').

* Supposedly paces the width of the pitch before every game in order to 'refine his tactics down to the very last detail'.

* 2002: Took 7000 videos of matches, goals, players, free-kicks, corners and penalties with to the World Cup in Japan (as Argentina coach).

* On being criticised by the media in the second half of this season: "When we were winning, I was 'immense' and the whole of French football should 'adopt my methods'. Now you say the opposite. It’s what has happened for the last 30 years. In negative moments everyone abandons you"

* A story from his days as manager of Atletico Bilbao: "Bielsa was stopped by a group of kids who asked him to sign their sticker album. He said no, took the album off them and told them to meet him the following day. When he turned up 24 hours later, the entire team had signed the album".

* At Bilbao, allegedly drenched random areas of the San Mames pitch in a bid to disrupt Barcelona's tiki-taka football.

* Pep Guardiola once stated that Bielsa is the 'best coach on the planet'.

* Guardiola's assessment: "Bielsa’s teams are very aggressive. They don’t let you breathe. Seven arrive in the penalty area, they lose the ball and 11 defend. Their games are all up and back, up and back, without stopping.”

* Diego Simeone's assessment: "He [Bielsa] knows how to get the most out of each player. When you've been in his team, you come away from it another player".

* Bielsa is renowned for his intense training sessions, and according to Marseille striker AndrĂ©-Pierre Gignac: "He [Bielsa] knows everything to the smallest detail. I glanced at his training schedules - there are hundreds of them, and every one featured games he analyzed. He taught us a vibrant, real type of football.”

* SEP 2014: Publicly criticised Marseille's performance in the transfer market: "The time for building the team is over, and the result is negative. There was a gulf between what was expected and what actually happened"



* SEP 2014: Accused Marseille President Vincent Labrune of lying over transfers: "I think the president made promises that he had no intention of keeping. I want is that people tell me the truth. If he had done so at the start, perhaps I could have accepted it, but to find out later, that disgusts me."

* When he first arrived at Marseille, Bielsa used a local supermarket manager as his translator during press conferences.

With his tactical obsession, analytical approach, painstaking attention to detail, outspoken opinions on transfers, and willingness to publicly question club owners, Bielsa sounds very similar to Rafa Benitez, which is why he probably has no chance of ever managing Liverpool.

FSG clearly want a yes-man; someone who won't rock the boat; will push their 'buy 'em young' agenda, and will work within their preferred transfer structure, which means working with a the club's failed 'transfer committee'.

Benitez wouldn't work under such restrictions, and I highly doubt it will appeal to Bielsa, either.

Personally, I'd love to see what Bielsa could do with Liverpool, but at 59, he's arguably too old, and given his managerial history, he probably wouldn't last long at Anfield.

Bielsa is basically a 'hired gun' - he has never spent more than two years at any one club, and Liverpool (arguably) need a manager who'll build a lasting legacy at Anfield, and continue the development of the club's youth system.

survey hosting


Author: Jaimie K


106 comments:

  1. Nicolas Chamberlain9:12 pm, May 15, 2015

    Its time for a real winner.
    Ancelotti, Klopp but my wish is Mourinho.
    If he wants to be immortal he should take the Liverpool job.

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  2. Heck no. BR's time is wearing thin, but I'd rather keep him than hire Bielsa honestly.

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  3. I'd love to see him here but only if we keep Balotelli just to see how the two interact.


    Would be primetime TV for a reality show and I'd watch every second of it.

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  4. Ancelotti is finished at Madrid. I honestly believe that if FSG offered him big money, he'd come to us.

    What are people's thoughts on this? Would it be a good move?

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  5. I'm in total agreement with JK on this one. I'd love to see what Bielsa could do with us but equally how ever beautiful it is, it won't last very long.

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  6. Bielsa is a good coach but his teams tend to implode for some reason, we have seen that with Bilbao and we are seeing that with Marseille who could miss out on champion's league after having lost every ligue 1 games in April.

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  7. Stan Dinaround9:56 pm, May 15, 2015

    On being criticised by the media in the second half of this season: "When
    we were winning, I was 'immense' and the whole of French football
    should 'adopt my methods'. Now you say the opposite. It’s what has
    happened for the last 30 years. In negative moments everyone abandons
    you"

    Sounds familiar....

    A story from his days as manager of Atletico Bilbao: "Bielsa
    was stopped by a group of kids who asked him to sign their sticker
    album. He said no, took the album off them and told them to meet him the
    following day. When he turned up 24 hours later, the entire team had
    signed the album".

    Of Brendan- Last year, the manager heard that a young employee at the club — not one
    in his sphere of Melwood — was undergoing life-changing surgery. The
    night before the patient-to-be was due into hospital to prepare for the
    operation, he received a phone call off Rodgers, who encouraged him to
    be brave and think not of the procedure, but of the betterment that
    would follow it. It touched him, and even now, the lad cannot fully
    articulate how much that gesture from the boss meant to him.(from TAW)


    It seems the only reason this bloke gets a mention is the fact he criticises the owners.....


    Whatever..... I have no time for this childish attepmt to make someone else appear a better man....even if he is no better than Rodgers,

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  8. Rohan Anderson9:56 pm, May 15, 2015

    He would come to us anyway. Sure he is a big Liverpool fan/admirer.

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  9. Rohan Anderson9:58 pm, May 15, 2015

    Might aswell stick with BR.

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  10. Stan Dinaround9:58 pm, May 15, 2015

    I have just made a comment, no malice or abuse, lets see if he allows it.

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  11. Ancelotti is a top coach and has the charisma to attract top players, had success pretty much everywhere he went, only the second manager ever to win 3 CL trophy with Paisley and won both the Copa del Rey and CL in his first season at Madrid.

    Real are having a "complicated" season but managing them is quite a hard task, so if we could attract him i'd definitely go for it.

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  12. I would honestly prefer to lose the use of my eyes and ears than watch and listen to Mourihno as manager of LFC.

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  13. The problem for Ancelotti is much the same as Brendan, unrelenting and wholey unreasonable fans...

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  14. I prefer football to be honest... Leave the side shows to Mourinho.

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  15. some liverpool fans are harsh on BR but the basics point they make about him are still true though : inability to attract top players and some strange tactical decision.



    If you have the chance to attract one of the best manager around it'd be stupid to at least not check if he'd be interested in taking the job.

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  16. Are you his agent?

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  17. I'll read it and answer it. Gotta love that...

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  18. Bit bitey there mate, might want to pipe down a bit.

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  19. Jaimie, regarding that myth yesterday, do you consider Clarence Seedorf an attacking midfielder?

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  20. What a suprise, deleted.

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  21. I'd have to disagree, as much as I don't like him, he'd succeed I think, and then we'd all love him, funny ould thing, football.

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  22. Confession time. I know I shouldn't like him but I can't help it. ;-)

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  23. Rodgers is well known for being held up as a genius one moment, then riddiculed the next... Brendan has also performed many charitable and selfless acts for no other reason, than being a decent bloke....The only reason this bloke gets a mention is because he stands upto/ or publicly bad mouths the owners...
    Lets be honest and admit that this extremely looselink is being made, is some poor attempt to make him appear the better man...

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  24. I up voted in th hope this was all pure sarcasm... If not, consider it removed...;)

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  25. Won't be others reasoning but I can't abide by the bloke since his sneaky eye gouging attempt.

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  26. His absolute lack of class is high up on my list of why Mourinho is a muppet...

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  27. Sorry you'd better up vote me again. I seldom say anything that isn't sarcastic but this time I I am being serious -I know I need help !

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  28. I know I deserve it - sorry I think it must be witchcraft

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  29. That fingering he tried was pathetic and unlike Luis' chewiscidal tendencies which IMO were more a childlike heat of the moment tantrum, Jose knew perfectly well what he was attempting and picked the oldest, least likely to fight back, guy on the pitch.

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  30. Honestly.. if Bielsais the only one out there then we're better off sticking with BR..

    However, I am sure we should be able to entice Klopp or Rafa to LFC at this moment in time, if not other high profile managers as well..

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  31. Rafa lost a semi lastnight, surely not good enough now......

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  32. That's semi final Stuart C

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  33. Without being too cynical, at least Rafa got to a European semi this time around unlike our current esteeeeem leader..

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  34. Course it is ! ;-)

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  35. He's spoken fondly of us, but I think FSG would really have to tickle his balls to get him to come. here.

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  36. A) Moanio will never come to LFC
    B) He'd have a worse time than Rafa had at Chelsea

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  37. His league record leaves a lot to be desired, but I'd certainly be interested in him. That said, I think his style suits elite teams more and I think Klopp would better fit our squad as it is right now.

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  38. You make it sound almost worth it now....

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  39. A defo improvement on BR - so why not..

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  40. After 3 years of BR, to be followed by Moanio will defo mean finding the pills cabinet..

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  41. So if class is an important aspect in your manager (which I agree with btw), how/when has BR shown this over the 3 years he has been in charge..

    All I seem to remember is a self-absorbed hyperbole flame thrower..

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  42. You cannot compare the two... It was Mourinho whocalims to be the special one after all..

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  43. Absolutely agree agree.. Moanio and BR are leagues apart in all categories..

    Moanio talks trash but at least wins stuff.. whereas BR just talks trash.

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  44. No, I didn't mind him at real but now I absolutely hate the man, much like I a feel that if suarez joined a different premier league team, I would have complety hated him too, it's when it's working for you and you know it's rubbing other teams up the wrong way, that's when it's great. I'm just saying that no matter how much I hate someone, if there helping Liverpool succeed then I'm right behind them.

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  45. So basically there's absolutely nothing linking him with Liverpool whatsoever, not even the usual highly tedious link. That being the case I don't see much point in discussing it

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  46. Stop with all your unsubstantiated bullshit! You have never once written an article with even an element of truth. It's pathetic, your pathetic and you need to stop!

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  47. Hendo is a goalkeeper, end of.

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  48. Get a room..lol

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  49. Are you really mean the real's ancelotti? He has no throphies this year with madrid, with so much talent in his hand......unacceptable (imo)

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  50. It's the reverse, the rest of the squad gets their marching orders not to play with him from someone, I see Balotelli making runs that goes unnoticed while Sturbridge and stirring run into defenders with their heads down, I do hope Liverpool moves Balotelli, his skills are being wasted there with a 3 rate manager and petty players!

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  51. Scored 32 goals for AC Milan in 50 games, had a hand in winning 10 trophies for 3 clubs! Scored in every game in the World Cup qualifier, beat England in every game he has played them, scored all the winner, scored a screamer against Brazil, got his country to 3rd place in the conga cup, beat Mexico with pure wil...there is more, but why should I be the one to kill your ignorance?

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  52. If Can joins Henderson in the midfield next season, then rather than having an outright DM & AM in the middle we could technically have a DAM x 2. This swapping and changing is a tactic that Rodgers like to play to confuse the opposition, albeit sometimes confusing the players at the same time. So next season Henderson will neither be an AM or DM but a DAM alongside Can. On paper it's a very mobile midfield with both players capable of covering a lot of ground in both halves of the pitch.

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  53. Dude Rodgers wanted Balotelli to fail, all indications point to him not wanting Balotelli, how do you only play a playou like him 137 minutes in the entire second half of a season and sit him for 5 games just as he seem to be catching form, I mean the inner against Spurs, the pk winner and the assist for the winner, I am betting when Rodgers lease some nasty things about him will come to light...on his worse day Balotelli is better gthan any English striker!

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  54. Lazy. You parrot, test shows Balotelli runs 5.2miles a game to Louis 5.7' seem being tall makes him seem he is doing less...

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  55. I bras teammates played for him, Balotelli s don't!

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  56. Italy as a team plays for Balotelli, Liverpool players don't...no one can tell me they pass to him, in the Italian team that's all they do, of the 3 passes made to Balotelli in the box at Liverpool he converted 2!

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  57. He played 137 minutes all of the second half how is he to score?

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  58. He's a mad man. Same goes for Rafa. Don't want any of them near the club.

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  59. He would need loads of money to buy ready-made players

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  60. I like Henderson but like many on the team, his finishing needs major improvement. He and IBE need tobe clinical and produce for us to be competitive next year.........

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  61. Bielsa is like Rodgers. He gets teams up the table but never to the top

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  62. 5fingersofklopp8:26 am, May 16, 2015

    Shortlist of 1. KLOPP

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  63. Kill my ignorance you smarmy little prick? Oh yea that was all down to Balotelli. His club's won trophies DESPITE Balotelli not because of him. Remove set pieces from his goal tally and it is far less impressive.
    Anyway you can naively believe that Mario's a saint and that EVERYONE who's ever worked with him is wrong and that it's the media's fault he can't get a game for us OR his country and that every club he's been at can't get shot of him soon enough.
    Balotelli is a myth

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  64. "...esteemed"


    ?


    ; )

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  65. As one of the top 10 richest clubs in the world, why haven't we got one of the top 10 managers in the world?

    As one of the top 10 richest clubs in the world, I think we should have a world class manager and not, bless him, an unproven, inexperienced, learning as he goes, cheap option.

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  66. Charitable and selfless acts do not interest me as a fan of LFC.

    What interests me is, building a succesfful team where players are bought to suit a system and grow together year after year so that the sum of the whole is greater than the parts.

    We can't/won't buy the best players, so we need the best "teamwork"...and that's never going to happen when unsuited players are brought in and the playing formation/strategy is changed constantly.

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  67. Hate the guy, but he'd bring us success, which is more important than personal feelings.

    And besides, I'm sure the footy equivalent of the Stockhom Syndrome would kick in!

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  68. "It's time for a real winner"

    Bingo, nailed it, and word!

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  69. And why do you think that is? Was it the same at Inter, city and Milan? Always somebody else's fault

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  70. He may have more natural ability but is either unable or unwilling to apply it and I have never seen worse decision making from a player.
    Who do you think would've had a more positive impact on our season, Mario or Danny Wellbeck? I'm no Wellbeck fan but it would've undoubtedly been him. Same goes for Sturridge, Rooney, Kane and probably Ings and Austin as well. They may not have Balotelli's natural ability but they are and would have been far more effective than he's been

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  71. So according to Deloitte as of Janurary 2015 we are the ninth richest club in the world by Revenue of 255mil however it was the first time in 7 years we have actually recorded a profit, although a very small one.

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  72. Stan Dinaround1:11 pm, May 16, 2015

    No suprise, I agree, I merely point them out to highlight a deliberate attempt to make Brendan seem a lesser man..... Bielsa has an issue with teams falling apart towards the end of a season, so all that team work amounts to nothing.... Marsaille were top for quite a while at the start, now they'll be lucky to qualify for CL....

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  73. Stan Dinaround1:17 pm, May 16, 2015

    He will win trophies, not a given......even if he did, he would cheapen the name of LFC in the process with his slanging matches with other managers and officials.... I'm all for standing up for the club, but it can be done with a hint of class too.

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  74. I wouldn't mind some short-term success, after 25 years of long-term failure.

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  75. Mourinho won't come. For all his talk he knows he'll Be found out when he really has to manage on a budget and build a team.

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  76. The difference is, they complain about him signing Bale whereas we complain about our manager signing Balotelli

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  77. I would Be fine with HIM being unable to attract top players if he could at least be able to spot the difference between Aspas and a decent player. Its not about who he doesn't sign, its about who he does sign.

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  78. Hi Hug, I think that all really sums it up nicely, especially the need for our team to perform to a level above the sum of it's individual players and then growing from there, but their should IMO always be room for some good ole charitable and selfless acts in any walk of life, including the land of LFC, most all of the club are after all (given hard work got them there) doing pretty well in life.

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  79. Actually maybe Rafa' not mad, I liked you're clarity of thought though!

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  80. Come on... I'm sure you don't entirely mean that, it's been wayyyyyy too long waiting for us to get back to the top but we've had a little success along the way.

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  81. Pieter Engelbrecht3:11 pm, May 16, 2015

    jose the man

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  82. Yeah, you're right, I don't entirely mean that. I'm just afraid that our version of 'building for the future' involves selling our young players when they become good enough to win the league!

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  83. Stan Dinaround3:49 pm, May 16, 2015

    Ancelotti didn't sign anyone, thats all on el presidente...

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  84. I'm with you on that one, it just seems a difficult thing to hang onto them without so much 'club loyalty' these days, all hail Captain Gerrard.

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  85. Stan Dinaround4:21 pm, May 16, 2015

    How come this statement keeps getting removed? because it's true maybe

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  86. Stan Dinaround4:26 pm, May 16, 2015

    I'm getting tired of making comments that keep getting removed, leaving the reply to said comment, because it agrees with you.... If you don't like a counter argument, you should really leave all arguments alone....

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  87. Stan Dinaround4:28 pm, May 16, 2015

    Thats how it works is it, edit out anything you don't agree with, and call it sniping....But you can snipe others....

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  88. Apparently for some, BR is as good as we can get, as no major name will ever want to revive the once proud name of LFC.

    Maybe those same fans may have forgotten that we won the CL (or equivalent) 5 times, most recently only 10 years ago. Since then only 7 teams have won it since (Barca having won it 3 times).

    So yep.. no top flight manager would be interested in LFC so we'll have to make do with BR.

    HOGWASH...

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  89. Yeah yeah, just like Ayre and Parry sign(ed) our players

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  90. I was 100% behind BR. But this Crystal Palace game... I want him out now. I realize there were injuries, and no one can replace Suarez. But the same complaints I had last year are the same I have this year. Suspect defense, no clear plan for what he wants to do with the team, waits too long to make decisions (not just in the games, but also over the season) and a poor judge of talent. He needs to go, and with one game left, I'd do it now to send a message. I'd also have his replacement under contract by the end of the week. Hopefully Klopp.

    Everyone knew Suarez was leaving last year. We knew the money was going to be there. BR and that screw-up Ayre waited. No replacement of at least some talent, and there were plenty out there. Instead they went and raided a mid-table team with questionable talent at the end of the season. All that transfer money, wasted! Last season LFC overachieved, but a good core was there, and with a top scoring threat to take pressure off the defense, it worked. The fact that BR couldn't at least get the same effort out of Ricky "The Walking Dead" Lambert should tell you something. If you want to be a mid table team, go out and overpay for mid table players.

    I'm pissed, and sorry to vent, but this should have been the year that the number 2 spot, or even the top of the table was truly and properly ours. But it's not, we're fifth, and barely have earned that. And I put it all on BR now.

    This club, legends like Stevie G, and us fans deserve better! We don't need El Loco, a hired gun who will leave after 2 seasons and do nothing to build a long term winning philosophy here. We need someone like Klopp, long term, proven, and able to succeed. We need quality players like Stevie and Carra, not lunks like Lambert and Baloteli. FSG needs to make the right choice for the fans, or we need to make FSG make the right choice. I don't want Rafa back, but whoever flew that BR out banner over Anfield, do it again, I'm 100% behind BR out now.

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  91. He scored lots of goals at those teams, for Inter he was 17 and came off the bench most of the time, at city he was hurt for one and a half years of the 3 he spent there, and he scored a lot for them, a lot of the games he played with city he came off the bench because they had 4 world class strikers and they all had to play, at Milan he scored 32 in "50' hey do you watch football outside of the PRIM, seem everything you know about Balotelli comes from the British media which we both know is such a Balotelli loving press'!

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  92. Rogders must be sacked. This appalling little man has wasted in excess of a £100m on crap. His selections are bizarre. His football bafflingFor good ness sake please leave our club

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  93. City first trophy Balotelli was MOM, an education for you, we all know city league winner he made the assist that won that, at inter he tas top scorer in the Italian cup, saved inter CL away to Ruben Kiev by scoring a screamer and assisting on two, inter had lost the first league, let's all be honest here Balotelli had a hand in every cup he won, but you are British I don't expect you to know that and you are a hater so I don't expect you to accept any truth about Balotelli.

    Set pieces are goal too, of his 32 at Milan he9 were from set pieces, at inter it was far less, look dude, of all the goals Balotelli has scored, 23 of them were from PK you are a freaking parrot do some research.

    Everyone who has ever worked with him has said he is a fantastic player! Or do you confidently skip over that part, see MO didn't like that Balotelli let the racism bother him but he was 19...look man I know he is a fantastic player and Liverpool is a sucky club with a manager that mismanaged him..end of!

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  94. We need a good coach, not a philosopher

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  95. Genius. Best ever

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  96. Was not the same at city inter or Milan, dude he scored at those places, lots of goals!

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  97. If he played in this second half of this season I am almost sure he would be among the top scorer on the team!

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  98. We still love you Jaimie. No need to write a whole article about being defensive...

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  99. Does having a hand in indicate it was all down to hater?

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  100. Have a very good reason why I don't think it is the player, go back and watch balotellis play from the spurs game to when he took the PK away from his so call captin, immediately after he did that Rodgers found some ghost reason why he can't play for the next 5 games, not even a sub, he played the guy that had a hand in you winning 4 games on the bounce 137 minutes in the entire second half of the season...I hope he leaves!

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  101. No, he needs a coach like clearance seedorf who I think got the best out of Balotelli by saying we are doing this together!

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  102. Most players struggle in new systems at first, is this news to you sir?

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