Author Topic: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00  (Read 10991 times)

royhendo

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Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« on: October 17, 2012, 12:46:25 pm »
 
LIVERPOOL             vs             READING

Saturday 20th October 2012 15:00


Saturday's game brings with it many intriguing parallels and contrasts, most notably with Liverpool's current manager a former manager of the Royals, but also in relation to their league showings to date, where officiating, defensive lapses, and late drama have perhaps undermined encouraging patterns of play. We spoke to Dan Wimbush, editor of Reading site http://www.thetilehurstend.com/ to get his thoughts ahead of the game. 

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RAWK
So Dan, your team faces a trip to Anfield on Saturday, with, dare I say it, your tails up after two good recent away results in the cup and the league. How has the start of the season been for you so far?



Dan
Has the season actually started yet?

Given the stop-start nature of the Premier League it's not really felt like a proper season yet. This time last year we'd played 13 Championship games, this year just 6 Premier League matches.

After a last minute penalty earned us a point on the opening day against Stoke we put in a great performance at Chelsea, only to be undone by a blatantly offside Torres goal.

A combination of an August rain out, the Super Cup and Internationals then meant we had nearly four weeks until our next game where Tottenham utterly took us apart at the Madejski. After another limp loss at West Brom we've finally started turning the corner, denied a win over Newcastle thanks to a Demba Ba handball before blowing a 2-0 lead at Swansea and leaving with a point. Two league cup wins have also been a positive.

It's safe to say that few Royals are delighted with our start but considering the opposition we've faced it's not been a disaster either.


RAWK
Some from this end would suggest a parallel with Liverpool's start in that respect. Performances have encouraged, while results have let us down, be it down to poor finishing, questionable refereeing, or downright defensive stupidity. You currently sit 3 points adrift of the Reds on 3 points - would you have taken that when you started the season, given the fixtures you've faced? Are there aspects of your play that aren't reflected in that points return so far?



Dan
Yes and No. I think we'd have liked to get at least one win on the board, with Stoke and Swansea both games we would have given ourselves a chance of picking up all three points from. As yourselves have found out, the Hawthorns won't be an easy place to go this year, I don't think we expected anything from Spurs or Chelsea so happy to write those ones off, but getting a point at home to Newcastle was pleasing. In saying all that we deserved all three against Pardew's side and Chelsea will feel very lucky to have come away with all three points at Stamford Bridge.

Brian McDermott was perhaps guilty to trying to change too much too soon this season and it's the return to last year's style and personnel that have helped turn our form around. That's not to say the likes of Danny Guthrie and Chris Gunter are bad players, it's just Reading have played at such a high tempo for the last couple of years it can be hard to just step in and adapt straight away.


RAWK
Which leads nicely to my next question, thank you Dan. It's been clear from previous encounters with McDermott's side that you favour that approach to the game, with energy from your forward players and always looking to play at that kind of high tempo. Being familiar with Noel Hunt's game North of the border for example, you could see how signings of that kind fitted McDermott's view of how the game should be played. Is there a typical 'style' to Reading's game, stretching back to the days of Steve Coppell, for example? Would you say you have a clear footballing identity as a club?



Dan
I think it's a style that started with Alan Pardew and has continued ever since. We've always been a team that relies on a lot of hard work, pressuring and pressing at every opportunity and then breaking at speed down the wings or with a direct ball up to a striker. Some have labelled us long ball and I can see where that comes from but there's a lot more to our game then sending up long balls to Hunt and Pogrebnyak. Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe are two key players in the attacking unit and give either of them space and they can hurt you as Liverpool fans might well remember a spectacular run from McAnuff at Anfield a few years ago.

In terms of personnel we've always tried to sign players with the 'right DNA' ie players that are hungry and with a point to prove. With the odd exception, we've largely been happy to put faith in younger players or those that haven't quite hit the heights elsewhere. You look at teams such as QPR who cast off key cogs in their championship winning side within weeks of promotion and it's pleasing to see that Brian's prepared to give the players that got us here a chance. The one worry from some is that his loyalty might have stopped us adding more proven top level quality but so far it's seemingly worked out just about OK.


RAWK
You sent a shiver down my spine there - I remember McAnuff's run well. In fact, it happened at a time when many of us on this site had become exasperated with a lack of incision and ambition out wide. McAnuff put our equivalents to shame.

It maybe highlights the importance of the system, doesn't it? The fact that, in your minds, there's such a thing as a player with the 'right DNA' for Reading FC presumes quite a well-formed idea of how you should play your football, which of course you underline perfectly. It maybe hints at a root cause of the difficulties the current Liverpool manager faced when he took the helm of your club a few seasons ago. Does it? Was Brendan's less direct approach to your build-up a problem for your fans? Or was it simply down to results, personalities, or a combination of the two?



Dan
Ahhh Brendan, I've covered his problems at Reading in an article I wrote just over a year ago. However in a nutshell Brendan was on a bit of a hiding to nothing having to take over a squad that was being dismantled after a golden era under Steve Coppell. Much like he's had to do at Liverpool, Brendan not only had to move on the high earners who no longer had the hunger or quality to get us back up, but also took it upon himself to try and change the style of the football club. It's not that there's anything wrong with tippy tappy football but when you're playing a radically different style to one that brought success over the best part of a decade you better well hope it gets results and in Brendan's case, those results just didn't come.

We won just once at home in four months under Rodgers and while there were signs that perhaps we were turning the corner, the fact is we we perilously close to the drop zone and you can understand why Sir John Madejski pulled the trigger before the new year. It wasn't just the results, we just looked gutless, a timid group of mostly younger players who looked lost as soon as they'd passed their way into the opposition half.

His personality was also off putting to many of our fans. It was nice that he had grand ambitions but constant talk of his 'philosophies' and relationships with Jose Mourinho never sat well with many who had greatly appreciated Coppell's reserved and down to earth style. He then fell out with his big signing Matt Mills and with talk of him losing the dressing room there was only one way things were going to go.

I've long held the belief that perhaps we sacked Brendan too soon and could have turned it around but you cannot argue with the magnificent work that Brian McDermott has done and I wouldn't change that for anything. Brian immediately got us back to playing a style we were more familiar with and his no nonsense, back to basics approach on and off the field helped restore confidence amongst the players and fans. Within 18 months we were at Wembley and two years later crowned Champions, a fantastic achievement for a club without big crowds or parachute payments.


Brendan's subsequent success at Swansea shows he can help tweak a team to good results but he's still got a lot to prove before he can be considered a top manager. Personally I think it's a bad appointment for Liverpool but if expectations are kept very low for the next two years and patience is shown, it might well pay off in the long-term.


RAWK
You certainly wouldn't get much argument against Brian McDermott's work from here Dan - he seems both a good man, and a very capable manager. I guess the three fundamental differences in his favour at LFC are that a. the brand of football wasn't that far removed from what he's trying to do, save for some of the more structural elements of his system, b. the youth system had been set up to supply the kind of players his system needs (something that's clearly borne fruit so far and is maybe our biggest positive this season to date), and c. the senior players have bought in to his approach big time. It's maybe fair to say his personality isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the crowd are chanting his name. You don't get the impression that was ever close to happening at Reading. Is that fair? Was there resentment at the 'big book of tactics' from the off? He had an infamous press conference outburst near the end of his tenure there, didn't he?



Dan
Fans were initially supportive of Brendan, he'd played and coached for us for a number of years and he'd made a promising start to managerial life at Watford. The problem wasn't so much what he was saying, but the fact was that the results weren't there to back up his 'big book of tactics' or his media spiel. Again when an understated and quiet manager wins the league with 106 points and his replacement talks and talks and talks and you find yourself near the bottom, it's hard to fully support the change!

The press conference outburst came on local radio when he was chatting to long time Reading commentator Tim Dellor. Dellor had suggested that the previous week's 4-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace had been better than that day's 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe and Rodgers just flipped. He seemed outraged at the mere suggestion and claimed that if you held Dellor's belief than you weren't a supporter of the football club. It was a staggering outburst from a man clearly under pressure and while publicly the argument was said to have nothing to do with the decision to sack Brendan, I can't believe it wasn't in the minds of the boardroom members and he was sacked very soon afterwards.

I think you're right in that his conditions at Liverpool are a lot more favorable and he comes in at a time when league expectations are low, your youth system seems to be coming into its own but I do worry that if results don't turn around by the season's end, it could be an early exit. His big problem here was that he refused to adapt until it was too late when if he'd realised his failings sooner he might well have survived longer to build a team suitable to play his style.


RAWK
I think that underlines the big worry I have Dan, namely that the Liverpool's owners must back their man and ride out any blips this season brings in terms of results. Fans get jumpy more than ever these days, and seem to find it easy to forget those little incidents that made results fall one way or t'other. Suddenly everything can seem disastrous if Newcastle blag an equaliser via a handball, or if your centre half gifts the ball to Carlos Tevez with only the keeper to beat.

My gut feeling says it won't take that long to resolve the little structural issues we're facing though. We just need to tighten a few bolts here and there, and when January comes, we need genuine goalscoring output to be added to the mix. That said, the bolts haven't yet been demonstrably tightened, and we have weanesses... and annoyingly, we can look vulnerable in the channels inside and behind our full backs (what with you having a little pace and directness on the break).

How do you think the game will go for you? Are there any players we should be worrying about?



Dan
The last international break did us no good and we looked rusty but with few of our regulars away with their countries this time it might have done us a few favours, particularly with quite a few Liverpool players being away. If we play as we did against Newcastle we've every chance of nicking at least a point but if we give you too much respect than the likes of Suarez will cause havoc in the same way that Spurs so mercilessly ripped us to shreds a few weeks ago.

Jimmy Kebe is probably the player most likely to create something from nothing, with Jobi McAnuff also dangerous as we've discussed. Beyond that and Pavel Pogrebnyak has genuine top level quality, while the industry of players like Noel Hunt and Jason Roberts can always cause headaches.

For most of the past two weeks I've thought we'll probably slip to a narrow defeat but as the game grows closer I'm beginning to think we might just spring a surprise and get something from the game. Both teams will be desperate for a win but Brian has always been able to dig a result out when it matters the most and we'd all be delighted with a point or three to really kick the 'new' season off well.


RAWK
Is McDermott likely to keep it open and try to take the game to Liverpool, or will he 'park the bus'?



Dan
We've never been a team to park the bus, though we've never been a team that goes gung-ho either!

I imagine he'll stick with a 4-4-2 and try to play our normal game. It's a tactic that won plenty of key games away last season and considering our last flirtation with 4-5-1 ended in heavy defeat, I don't think we'll see it employed on Saturday.


RAWK
Is there anyone you covet in the Liverpool squad at the minute? Anyone you fear ahead of the game?



Dan
He's not popular but as Norwich found out, on his day Suarez is a top, top player. The qualities of players like Gerrard are well known but some of your tricky younger players like Sterling and Suso could also get some joy out of our defence.

The Liverpool first XI still remains a team capable of beating anyone in the top half I just hope things don't click on Saturday!


RAWK
Well, best of luck and thanks very much for your time. And best of luck for the future with your site, because it's excellent!
« Last Edit: October 17, 2012, 04:14:02 pm by royhendo »

Offline the 92A

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2012, 04:10:38 pm »
Interesting variation on a theme having just one away fan and running it as a discussion, personally I enjoyed Dan's take on Brendan and Reading and his take on the season. Roy alluded that certain clubs have a way of playing that suits their club and fans and maybe Rodgers style will suit us more than Reading but while I think there is some mileage in that idea, I think patience is key for any managerial appointment be it at Reading or Liverpool and some times the practical situation gives managers more or less of this valuable commodity.I hope that Rodgers being very much an FSG manager accoords him more patience than Dalglish was shown because from what I've seen he is definetly on the right track. Great read, thanks Roy and Dan.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2012, 07:53:44 pm »
Excellent job lads.

The "McAnuff run". Oh yes. It's when you realised that, actually, they had more skill and ambition in their team than we did - certainly on the flanks.

The stuff on Rodgers at Reading is really interesting. It's certainly got me thinking.

Anyway, cheers to both Roy and Dan for an illuminating chat.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2012, 10:40:54 pm »
Great stuff

And that article on what went wrong for Rodgers at reading is well worth a read.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2012, 11:01:05 pm »
A different twist on the Spyin' Kop, but it worked very well Roy.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2012, 10:50:29 am »
Great stuff

And that article on what went wrong for Rodgers at reading is well worth a read.

Yeah it was a little bonus that article, managers fail for many reasons and it's good to see a well balanced look at the reasons why instead of the normal sky/ tabloid view that tends to become the accepted reason.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2012, 10:50:49 am »
Thanks for that Roy, very interesting and a refreshing change from some of the previous Spyin' Kop articles. I agree Archie, that article is very thought provoking. Much appreciated.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2012, 10:58:52 am »
Excellent SK thanks Roy.
Not sure if was the format change or the thoughtfulness of Dans replies,  either way it was a very good read.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2012, 11:04:26 am »
Thanks, Roy. A very interesting read.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2012, 11:06:31 am »
Very interesting indeed, thanks.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2012, 11:12:56 am »
Quality that, cheers.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2012, 11:19:27 am »
Like the new format Roy. No snidey digs or whopperesque comments but rather well thought out and reasoned responses. Cheers.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2012, 11:38:34 am »
I remember that Macanuff run well. What I remember much more vividly though is Peter Drury saying "go on, do it again" the next time he picked the ball up. I know commentators love a good cup uset but I nearly launched something at the TV when he said that!

Cheers Roy - interesting debate though and a more than fair appraisal from him there I think.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2012, 11:48:43 am »
]What a quality Spying Kop. I'd eradicated that run game from my memory bank until then.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2012, 11:52:57 am by No666 »

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2012, 11:51:48 am »
No new format as such - just more like the 2 man internal ones - sometimes when the person's engaging its worth keeping it to them only I reckon. Interesting fella isn't he? Good site too.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2012, 12:47:34 pm »
I remember that Macanuff run well. .....
What a quality Spying Kop. I'd eradicated that run game from my memory bank until then.

Don't worry lads. We've got our own McAnuffs on the wing now - and some.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2012, 12:52:53 pm »
Thanks for writing it up.
Always love reading a good Spyin' Kop™.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #17 on: October 18, 2012, 01:12:17 pm »
Good read, especially Dans take on Brendan. Thanks.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #18 on: October 19, 2012, 01:19:37 am »
The press conference outburst came on local radio when he was chatting to long time Reading commentator Tim Dellor. Dellor had suggested that the previous week's 4-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace had been better than that day's 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe and Rodgers just flipped. He seemed outraged at the mere suggestion and claimed that if you held Dellor's belief than you weren't a supporter of the football club. It was a staggering outburst from a man clearly under pressure and while publicly the argument was said to have nothing to do with the decision to sack Brendan, I can't believe it wasn't in the minds of the boardroom members and he was sacked very soon afterwards.

Excellent read that, thank you.

For anybody else curious, I found an audio link to the press conference talked about there. To be honest I expected worse although it is always deemed poor form to get a bit upset at members of the press. It's certainly no worse than the sort of comments we would hear from most managers on MoTD each week. I've certainly heard Kenny give Vinny from Sky far worse. Perspective is interesting, you're a young manager about to be fired and that is seen as you flipping out / You're an old head in the job 25 years putting a journo in his place for talking about something he knows nothing about. Thought Dellor did will to defuse the situation or maybe Rodgers would have flipped properly.

I never seen the games at the time however looking at the match reports for both it does seem like Reading should have been out of sight by the time Gary Hooper equalised and really deserved more than a point against Scunthorpe. The Palace game sounds like Palace took their few chances and Reading didn´t and the game was pretty even.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xctmrs_brendan-rodgers-last-live-post-matc_sport
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2012, 07:27:43 am »
One interesting talking point just now is Danny Guthrie's place in their squad. He's been tweeting in response to being dropped (see above) and is basically saying "I'm trying to get out of the habit of playmaking in the midfield". They want him to get it and give it out to the wide men and he's struggling to adapt to that directness. 

They also seem to feel they have the pace out wide to pin sides back, which to me says Sterling will be a big factor in this one.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2012, 08:36:24 am »
Nice one Roy. I'm fully behind Brendan.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2012, 08:49:27 am »
Barry Hunter, our new scouting guru, was once a Reading player by the way. Anyone remember him as a player? Big strapping centre half?

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #22 on: October 19, 2012, 08:49:41 am »
Throughly interesting reading.

Especially regarding Rodgers. Found myself nodding along with the vast majority.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #23 on: October 19, 2012, 02:47:17 pm »
Barry Hunter, our new scouting guru, was once a Reading player by the way. Anyone remember him as a player? Big strapping centre half?

Yeah I do actually. Back when I used to attend Irish League games, I always remember the 3 Hunters at Crusaders. Kirk, Glenn and Barry (are they related?).

Kirk, in particular, was a complete psychopath on the pitch. At the time the Irish League was a very aggressive league anyway but he was on a different level altogether. Crusaders FC is situated in a very loyalist area of Belfast and there was lots of rumours that Kirk was an enforcer for the UDA (loyalist paramilitary organisation). The fact that these rumours were entertained should give you an idea of how hard he was.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #24 on: October 19, 2012, 06:45:49 pm »
Good article Roy mate!

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #25 on: October 19, 2012, 08:59:11 pm »
Interesting stuff, particularly what he says about Jimmy Kebe.  I live in Newbury now and as I can't get to Anfield every week (even with membership) I got membership at the Mad Stad and I went to about a dozen games last season though I've not yet been this.  Kebe is the weak link in the team.  on occasions he'll whip in a good cross or poke one in the bottom corner but 95% of the time he mis-controls it, or gives it away, or sticks it in row 20.  I've not yet seen him go past a man.  Despite all that, the fans love him and as they attack "give it to Jimmy!" cascades around the place.  So they give it to Jimmy and he mostly ballses it up.  The ones to keep an eye on are Jem Karican; very mobile, skilful, uses it well, tends to nick it rather than tackle.  Mikele Leigertwood; big, powerful, deceptively pacey, good shot. Jobi McAnuff; well we know him don't we?   Pearce and Gorkss; Individually nothing special but work well together as a team, good in the air, dangerous from set pieces, but slow.  Ian Harte; bit slow but positioning is excellent and can still whack a free kick!  Adam LeFondre; contributes little but sticks 50% of his chances away.  Adam Federici was excellent last season but he's lost his place after a dodgy start.  Noel Hunt works hard and complements LeFondre well.  Alternatively Nicky Shorey is past his best, Jay Tabb (when he plays) is ineffective and can't control a ball, Simon Church is weak, and then there's Jason Roberts about whom I have nothing to say as I despise him for being the hypocritical racist he has accused Suarez and Terry of being.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #26 on: October 19, 2012, 09:20:43 pm »
Not my cup of tea that i'm afraid. i don't mind the little digs and a bit of cheek, it was all a bit too clinical.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #27 on: October 19, 2012, 09:35:31 pm »
Usually I wish Brian McDermott well but not tomorrow of course.
He was player of the year in Sweden 1984 when he was on loan at my local club IFK Norrköping and me and my mates remember him in a very nostalgic way, what a player he was back then when our league still was reasonable competetive in Europe.
Was very surprised when I saw him on the Reading bench in those Cup games, didn´t look at all like he used to back then and hearing his name gave me memories from the eighties thinking hey my IFK had a player named the same back in the day. When the commentator said its the McDermott who used to play in the Swedish league I was like "WTF"!
Was an article in our local paper a couple of days later where he was interviewed about his time here and his new job at Reading, still a decent lad and good things to say.

That said fuck him and his team lets stuff them tomorrow!

Offline planet-terror

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #28 on: October 19, 2012, 10:45:52 pm »
excellent,cheers roy
bollocks

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #29 on: October 20, 2012, 01:14:07 am »
cheers Roy & Dan. Enjoyed that.
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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #30 on: October 20, 2012, 02:04:07 am »
Cheers Roy, where do you find the time to dig out these quality opposition posters?
Also hope it's our turn for an ex member of staff to come back and bite someone on the arse for a change.
Google messi topless on holiday. Now look at david silva, villa, iniesta, xavi, they have the upper bodies of little boys.

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Re: Spyin' Kop - Liverpool v Reading - 20 Oct 2012, 15:00
« Reply #31 on: October 20, 2012, 06:48:14 am »
I actually agree with BSBW as a rule but we're playing with ideas and they're good fun to do, so if you fancy helping out let us know. :)

Dan did that article on Rodgers at the top and what with everyone being on twitter, it's not so hard if you ask nicely.

On Rodgers at Reading, the man himself mentions it here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/19/brendan-rodgers-quick-fix-liverpool?CMP=twt_gu

Brendan Rodgers says there is no 'quick fix' at Liverpool
• Manager seeks first home win, against former club Reading
• 'Whoever was here, it was going to take time'


Andy Hunter
The Guardian, Friday 19 October 2012

Brendan Rodgers faces his former club Reading, having yet to record a league win at Anfield this season. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Brendan Rodgers has said he will not abandon the principles that led to the sack at Reading for a "quick fix" at Liverpool, though claims he is a better, more clinical manager for his abrupt departure from the Madejski Stadium.

The Liverpool manager was given six months and 23 games at Reading, who visit Anfield on Saturday, before being replaced by the current manager, Brian McDermott, in December 2009. Rodgers is still seeking his first home league win of the season at Liverpool and, in terms of the overhaul in personnel, the introduction of young players and a new philosophy, there are parallels with the hardest period of his managerial career. But it was lessons learned at Reading, he says, that inspired subsequent success with Swansea City and the elevation to the Liverpool job.

"I would never have said a manager benefits [from losing his job] before Reading but, when I did experience it and had six months of reflection, there was absolutely no question in my mind that it made me better," admitted Rodgers. "The assessment of my time there allowed me to be more clinical in my work when I arrived at Swansea.

"I was brought up developing young players and giving them a chance of six, seven or 10 games, not cutting them after one or two. I carried that into Reading but before I knew I was out. I still have the same philosophies but I realised you can get to the end point quicker by putting someone else in. Whereas I might have given a player 10 games, now it is only three or four. I will always protect my way of working but I learnt you have to have some flexibility."

Rodgers accepts that implementing a new playing style over time can be dangerous in such a demanding industry, particularly at a major club, but stresses there is no easy remedy for Liverpool. "The game is about getting results. There's no great problem in that for me," he added. "You've got two ways. You can invest an astronomical amount of money and that will take you there very quickly or you have to grow, build and cultivate your own. That is where we are at, that is the reality and there is no quick fix.

"You have to get results while you're doing it, absolutely. What we have is a one-club mentality and vision that we will get there. I am not crying for time. People are looking for short-term fixes but that's not why I came here. I came here because of the commitment of the board and the educated supporters who understand the position we are in. Whoever was here, it was going to take time."

Liverpool have only one senior striker, Luis Suárez, fit for the visit of Rodgers's former club, and amid the continuing furore over theatrics the manager admits the Uruguay international must take responsibility for his reputation.

Rodgers said: "In Luis's first 50 games for Liverpool his goalscoring record was only one behind Ian Rush and he is certainly not playing in the same team Ian Rush was. Yet everyone focuses on what he misses. There is a slant towards Luis that is more negative than positive. After Stoke, nobody talked about his incredible run past three players from the halfway line and that is a sadness for me. Nobody talks about his game. It [the controversy] undermines all his great play. That is something he will have to learn."
« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 06:50:14 am by royhendo »