14 Jul 2015

'Outstanding': After Sterling-Liverpool fiasco, Rodgers proves that he's learned absolutely nothing about the dangers of ego-massage

Over the summer, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was conspicuous by his absence from the media, with many fans speculated that FSG had ordered the Reds boss to tone down his gross overpraise of players and/or new signings. Well, that theory has been well and truly blown out of the water today, and it's clear that Rodgers has learned nothing from the Raheem Sterling fiasco.

Here is a selection of Rodgers' comments after Liverpool's 4-0 victory over an exceedingly poor Thai All-Stars team:

* On Origi: "Firstly Divock, I thought he was excellent"

* On Milner: "I thought James Milner was outstanding, showed his quality, his intensity".

* On Clyne: "Nathaniel Clyne was excellent"

Milner was 'outstanding'? That is a typically egregious (and irresponsible) exaggeration from Rodgers, and fans better get used to it (again).

Milner *should* be outstanding against vastly inferior players, and he - along with other LFC players - don't deserve to be put on pedestals for performing adequately against a team that's arguably equivalent to League Two standard (or below).

If Clyne, Milner at al are 'outstanding' and 'excellent' against such poor opposition, where do they go from here? They've played 45 minutes of football for Liverpool, and Rodgers is already lionising them like they've just helped the club win the league.

It's also interesting to note that Rodgers failed to offer any significant praise for Joao Teixeira, who played extremely well *and* grabbed two assists during the game. He's happy to confer overwrought superlatives on his own signings, but when asked about the Portuguese, Rodgers gave the following muted response:

"Joao has got experience now having had his loan spell with Brighton. We are going to need a good squad this season and all these young players are fighting to show that they can be in the squad"

So, Milner is labelled 'outstanding', and Rodgers doesn't have one word of encouragement for a player who took only three months to return from a broken leg, and played a significant part in winning the game?

Maybe it's just me, but I find this really irritating.

Yes, I go on about this issue all the time, but I'm not the only one who is sick of Rodgers' sycophantic, counter-productive fawning.



After the train-wreck of last season, none of Liverpool's players deserve to prematurely praised like this. What did it achieve last year?

Absolutely nothing positive.

The only thing Rodgers' nauseating overpraise *did* achieve is the gargantuan inflation of Sterling's ego, and the emboldening of The Mercenary and his agent in their shameless quest to quit the club.

I personally don't want to hear any superlatives thrown around about any player unless and until Liverpool have successfully navigated the first 10-15 games of the season, and are nestling in the top four.

Anything outside that, and Rodgers should refrain from his usual sycophantic schtick, and FSG should institute an internal policy strictly prohibiting gross overpraise of players.

Ultimately, it's only ONE game into Liverpool's pre-season schedule, and Rodgers is back to his old ways, which shows (IMO) that he has not progressed as a manager.

Same $h1t, different season.

Author: Jaimie K


56 comments:

  1. Rodgers clearly did embolden Sterling and his agent.

    According to the Liverpool Echo in May:

    "During negotiations they [Sterling's Reps] cited the fact that Rodgers has previously hailed the England international as the best young player in Europe and insist that as a result he should be paid accordingly".

    Rodgers acknowledged this soon after:

    “It would be disappointing if an honest opinion on a player at the moment you are asked is used as a stick to beat you with. But it doesn’t surprise me, it is the modern world,”

    http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/rodgers-praise-sterling-shouldnt-used-8846337

    Praising BR for Sterling's fee is (IMO) pro-Rodgers revisionism. British players go for stupidly inflated fees even without the constant gross overpraise.

    If Rodgers had handled Sterling the right way over the last two years (i.e. kept him grounded), he might still be a Liverpool player now.

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  2. click bait for angry men

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  3. Great quality to have mate. You put ego to one side listened to your conscience & wanted to put things right for piece of mind. Well done lad :)

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  4. For anyone who missed it:
    Thailand All-Stars vs Liverpool - Hybrid Friendlies 2015 Full Match
    ^Copy and paste into the 'tube'
    Don't know how long it will stay on there for though.

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  5. Didn't see the game but great to hear origi played well!

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  6. Full game is currently on the tube ;-)
    I did write a post detailing how to find but that hasn't made it past the quiz master so you will have to search a bit instead.

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  7. I don't agree with how Rodgers conducts himself but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong. The end product of his comments seem to suggest it's wrong eg. his comments on Mario last season seemed to be the opposite of what I would say, but I can only hope he has his reasons.

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  8. Rodgers kept quiet because he got his arse handed to him by Stoke and then he let two other people take the fall for it. It is what shamed cowards do. But the new season has started so he'll have to talk again and we have to put up with him. Sadly.

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  9. Think you need to chill out Jamie and quit sensationalising something that really isn't a big deal.

    Unfortunately one so called fan jumps on Rodger's back and the rest so called fans follow. The guy can't win with you lot.

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  10. Cheers Funkdoc.
    No biggie though, doesn't cost to post a quick apology; apart from internet data usage fees, wear and tear on keyboard, time, loss of earnings, stress, stress related absence from work, more loss of earnings, counselling to get back to work, petrol to get to counselling... actually who do I see about the bill for these posts.

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  11. I also watched him a lot at Cardiff.. I'd cringe everytime the ball was passed to him as a sitting midfielder.. There must be better options..

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  12. cant get use to the big money rogers as burnt on average players , then he talks them up like they're the missing pieces , which we've been missing since last time we won the league ,

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  13. Yep its me Jaimie.don't worry your outstanding too!!

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  14. What? Is there a queue forming ready to smack Brendan round the head at any given opportunity... Brendan praised some players, oh wow!. It's nothing new, and honestly, you'd have to be completely incapable of self control if you let it go to your head.... This compliment lark, is just Brendans way, always has been, and always will be... The real problem here Jaimie, is that you hate anything even remotely positive with regard to LFC, prefering instead to focus on the negative. and that's ok too... Thats just your way.... No reason to make a big deal out of it.

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  15. I agree that he does over-praise players a lot but what else was he supposed to say after a 4-0 won. That we played ok and that we should have won by that score line? Sometimes I think that you try and make something out of nothing, there is no big problem here yet and it's not as if he gave a ten minute speech about the team etc.

    After three sentences of praise, you labeled it as "egregious (and irresponsible) exaggeration from Rodgers. I think your criticism is a bit exaggerated in this particular case.

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  16. He has no excuses left.........................win or get the sack.

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  17. Can't disagree with a word you've said.

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  18. You can disagree with the last sentence because it's only pre-season, not an actual new season ;-)

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  19. I don't think we will miss RS. I didn't see any flopping at first contact and grabbing the ball to force a whistle today.

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  20. But after three sentences of praise you labelled it as "egregious" and "irresponsible" praise. That is a bit exaggerated and that is IMO sensationalising a small matter. Yes Rodgers does too it too often but on this case it was just right, it's almost as if you Think he should be putting a downer on things.

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  21. Telling someone they did a good job after a win is a bad thing?


    Look, I agree that praise after a loss or a dull draw is misplaced (unless of course the result was completely against the run of play) but we won, quite convincingly. Yes it was against lesser opposition, but there were many, many good things on display. Why shouldn't he point them out? Yes he shouldn't be throwing around terms like "World Class" and "absolutely spectacular," but all he said was that they were excellent and outstanding. And it's true.

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  22. Yet your more than happy with the reverse.... Bagging on players is equally, if not more damaging... No worries though.....

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  23. It's called being a manager Jamie and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

    A so called LFC fan wanting another LFC fan to get on the manager's back for doing their job clearly isn't a person LFC want associated with the club.

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  24. Would it be wrong of me to say I think we looked better today than we did whenever Raheem played last season?


    He was great initially because he had a point to prove and had to work to stay in the team. Last year, his attitude just bugged me. The contract thing was the last straw. I'm glad he's gone.

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  25. F@cking outstanding

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  26. James F@cking Milner

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  27. Simply F@cking outstanding.

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  28. I think we won a match, kept a clean sheet, had four goals from four guys and Ings could have had a fifth if the ref had better eyes. Old guys played well. New signings played well. Young guys played well. The team played like they understood each other. What was BR supposed to say? Was he to insult a Thai fan base and say his team played so-so against totally inferior competition? They played well. Move on to Brisbane and hopefully the Cassandras will die down.

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  29. I think this could break the record for the most comments deleted in a row

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  30. I agree Jamie, his over praise is pathetic and the sooner this clown is sacked the better.

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  31. Thought Bogdan was a let down though, hardly got himself into the game at all....

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  32. Yes, it's a bad thing. It's the first game of pre-season, the goal of which is to get players up to speed. Yet after 45 minutes against a Sunday league team, Rodgers is calling players outstanding and excellent.

    Why should Milner, Clyne et al now bust a gut to improve? They've already been told they're 'outstanding' after just 45 minutes, so why try harder?\

    It's a psychological thing. Irrespective of performance, Rodgers should be keeping the players hungry and on their toes, something that he didn't do last season.

    Liverpool capitulated in some (on paper) winnable games, and the hunger/desire just wasn't there. In my view, part of the problem is that excessive overpraise makes players complacent, and dulls competitive edge.

    All the players should feel a fire under them at all times; telling them they're outstanding all the time - especially when it's not warranted - makes players psychologically relax, and feel comfortable.

    The last thing players should feel is comfortable, no matter who it is.

    This is the problem that's dragging Liverpool down at the moment (IMO). Too many players are comfortable, and there's not enough fire and hunger in the team.

    Mark my words, the same problems will continue to happen unless and until Liverpool appoint a manager who doesn't pander to players' egos.

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  33. Trust me mate, the world would be a better place if we copied you :) I'm voting for you next election.

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  34. Before you depress me any longer with this, I may leave.

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  35. To be fair players like Pogba Vidal and Marchisio are worth a lot more than shown, and if we're looking at it that way, Sterling only cost 500k. Their squad is easily worth 200m now.

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  36. That is the point buying worthy players?

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  37. Same with Suso et al...The issue is that Rodgers doesn't care about growing talent,as long as he didn't buy them ...they don't fit with his unique brand of football and then they must be sold or frustrated into leaving....These players played their hearts out and when the opportunity comes to shine he boots them out and saddles us with overhyped misfits like Borini,Ballotelli,lambert,lallana etc....


    what happened to fallagan?? A robust youth who excelled so much that i wonder why he isn't in the first team setup?


    I said it before and i will say it again ...We need a coach with a strong character...a coach that understands what man management is all about...Rodgers doesn't foot the bill and as such should let us be....

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  38. Well clearly Sterling seemed worthy enough to Man City.

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  39. Yes, and they could hire some good scouts, coaches and managers and have the whole team for the same amount of money which is my point...

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  40. Absolutely mate and they've done it all behind closed doors. They've let their actions and their chequebooks do the talking and I for one couldn't be happier with our owners

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  41. Couldn't agree more, FSG have been true to their word and stuck to their side of the bargain from the start

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  42. You're clutching at straws my friend

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  43. Pedro's headed to Italy not Liverpool, unfortunately...................

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  44. and hopefully BR can STFU and follow FSG's fine example. He hasn't grasped the concept but I agree that FSG have put a muzzle on him.
    Less=More................

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  45. I hope FSG has had enough sense to Call 1-800-KLOPP already just to see if he would be interested after his sabbatical, perhaps January if we are 8th or lower.

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  46. Spot on Stan...........Normal business stuff..........

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  47. AMEN. Since Milner's free and Firmino's signing, Ian Ayre has gone dark. I hope it means he is busting his ass trying to sign Lacazette or another prolific striker instead of thinking our work is done.....
    We don't yet have enough goals in our revamped squad.....assists are nice but goals win games and between Henderson and Couts there is not enough clinical track record to lead us to think the job is done for this window.
    Forget Lallana, Markovic Lambert, Balo and Borini. Although I hope Ibe scores 8-12 goals this season, these others just don't and won't add what we still lack.........

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  48. He bottles it in big games, but we don't play any of them luckily.

    Ah. Shite.

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  49. I recorded the match and watched about 15 minutes, will still watch the rest.

    It is a preseason match after all so fitness the main priority in these matches but the bit I saw of Ings, just cannot understand why we did not just give Jerome Sinclair a chance at the big time. We have seen over and over again, when players from no disrespect smaller teams come to LFC then they cannot grasp the big club mentality. I reckon Ings will struggle. F*** help us if we do not get a prolific/suited striker.

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  50. Totally agree I have not seen much of Ings but I saw the glaring miss he made at the U21s. Sinclair could of really done something without demanding a huge wage or to play every week. I also think he has more potential than Ings. Bottom line is a striker is needed asap and a Pedro type would be ideal.

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  51. I have the answer!!! Managers have favourites and unfortunately for managers like Rogers his favourites are appallingly poor and they do not perform eg Allen and Lovren.

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  52. Would die to see that in a big game eg vs chelsea, the arses or manure

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  53. I thought he looked ok, only ok though to be fair but he did kind of score a goal that would of stood if not for the foul on their keeper a nano-second before, which IMO played no part in the goal.
    Small margins and for me those are the kind of 'breaks' you need to get going on all cylinders.
    We still very much need that other, proven to be prolific at a high level, Striker you mention though, that's for sure.

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