Topic: Rodgers the man of the moment

[rossipersempre]

When RB first appointed, i wasn't sure if the decision was right. He is a good manager and done some good stuff but with only one season in the EPL, i personally thought it was too soon for him to take on a club this big. Other doubts i have including "how our big players going to react with this appointment?" - i.e. Chelsea players against Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas.

Freudian slip?

[dernaroy]

i admireyour optimism but if you honestly believe we will finish even in the top 6 this year , then you my friend (im at pains to say this ) are deluded.

I am also deluded then!

[SP]

This team needs a come from behind win to give them the confidence to know that they can win when the chips are down.

Did I imagine the game against Young Boys having a 3-2 score line at one point?

[Johnny Foreigner]

You're going to have a difficult time this season then mate. Because that is not how Brendan's vision operates, he's implenting his philosophy and like Rafa before him the system is all important, it's all about getting the A game nailed down first. The reference to Barcelona is because a lot of the concepts they use Brendan wants to adopt, and Barca are probably the best example of a team believing in their system - especially when they are 0-1 down in the 90th minute, they continue playing the same way.

Not sure if I really buy into this "play like barcelona" concept.. Barcelona has a player that scores 50 goal a season, an extraordinary generation and they also purchase large/outspend anyone bar real madrid...

When messi leaves and xavi/iniesta retires; they will have to be more pragmatic..

For unknown reasons, we're currently not big spenders and believing we'll play the current city/chelsea squad off the park by doing some neat pass/move new to man is not very realistic..

Rodgers will have to adapt; no point when you positioned mid-table with swansea but we'll have to make compromises in order to compete for top 6-8

[danielfonseca]

And whenever Rafa stuck it up them, that was always the worst they had played ever. When utd look shit for 90 mins, its a good bet that the team they are playing has a lot to do with it. Seriously mate we've all been through this utd had an off day bollucks before. We kept the ball so so well on Sunday and made them look like a pile of shite. If you cant see that, if you cant even muster a little bit of an upbeat tone about the way we played them off the park, then i have to question what the fuck you know about football.

We know that rodgers is going for relentless death by football for those that come to Anfield , and thats what we were getting until Shelvy went. If you cant see that and take a bit of comfort. If all you could see was a poor Utd performance then i out you as a manc fella. They always have an off day when they come to ours and we play well.

I do love the enthusiasm mate, but I do not see the relevance of an emotionally charged match with others played in previous seasons.
Also the football is great but it was just as good in previous seasons but with some results. (except hodge)
I do not see why we have to assess BR on the football we play rather than the results that come with it, unfortunately I do not have the same confidence in him that you do and hope I am wrong.
I do not think this will end well  is purely my opinion, unless supporters like you convince other supporters to lower their expectations and accept mediocrity in the name of football by speeches
He inherited the 3rd best defence in the league and should have used that as the base to tweak, refine, and add to evolve the team onwards and forward from last season , instead we have a complete change of everything and have regressed.

[wheresnemeth]

Did I imagine the game against Young Boys having a 3-2 score line at one point?

I'm talking about the premier league, our confidence in cup competitions hasn't translated into the league.

[Funky_Gibbons]

For unknown reasons, we're currently not big spenders and believing we'll play the current city/chelsea squad off the park by doing some neat pass/move new to man is not very realistic..

But we have played City of the park this season, restricted them to 3-shots on target, and gifted them a goal in the last few minutes.

[Only Me]

No feelings about Rodgers either way yet. He's a good talker, but when all is said and done we now have the Swansea backroom team running football matters at Liverpool. Fuck me.

Yes the football looks a bit prettier than it did, but the points aren't coming, and that wasn't exactly the Man U of Cantona/Schmiechel/Keane now was it?

For whatever reason, he's now got a paper thin squad, with the gaps being filled with unproven kids - Suso "on the world's watchlist" -really?

And I think it's just wishful thinking to assume that on the basis of one instance of play, that Gerard has suddenly become tactically astute, under the guidance of some sort of new football messiah. Not having that.

Still, as others have said, he's the manager now, like it or not, and we can't risk another round of sackings - he must be given time even if, as I personally suspect, we end up as a mid/lower table team on his watch.

I just find it hard to take all the politics/off-field/ownership shite that have seen us go from having a world renowned proven manager, who turned us into the most feared team in Europe at one point, to this young lad, who isn't in the same class. It mirrors the fall of the squad too; Alonso/Torres/Mascherano to Allen/Borini/Suso. Sad really, but hey-ho, we saved some wages.

[benitezthered]

Interesting thread.

I was never Rodgers biggest advocate when he took the job. I thought that whilst he can come out with some lovely soundbites it doesn't mask the point he has only won 12 Premier League games in his career. However once he came, he has my backing and I only hope the board give him sufficient backing - in terms of time and money.

I'm becoming more and more impressed by him, which when we have two points from a possible 15 is quite an achievement. I think game by game you can see the players slowly becoming more used to his philosophy, and how he wants us to play. This year I think we shouldn't set a target in terms of league places - provided come the end of the season it is clear we are a better team that we were in August, I'll be happy. I can't see us getting back in the CL in the next couple of seasons unfortunately, however that's not the point, and it's not Rodgers fault how far we've fallen. Steady progression year on year will see us back there eventually, and I have every faith we will see that progression.

My one gripe with his 'philosophy' is that we need a plan B. It is arrogant and simplistic to think that we can win every game we play by 'dominating possession'. Whilst I think Kenny went too far the other way (to me, some games it seemed that he was making things up as he went along) I think we need flexibility - at a very early, very basic level Carroll would have facilitated some flexibility.

[Johnny Foreigner]

But we have played City of the park this season, restricted them to 3-shots on target, and gifted them a goal in the last few minutes.

City had more possesion and restricted us to three shots on target, so I am not sure who played who off the park...

[GreenLaneRed27]

Alot of the themes and issues discussed in this thread thus far fail to acknowledge the extraordinary context in which we are situated... We have a new manager, a squad that has been decimated and a new footballing 'philosophy' that is taking shape. It could all be a mindset thing - we are still haunted by the disastrous ending to last season and subsequent manager sacking and player exodus. Rodgers was never gonna perform miracles in the early phases of this season (especially given the fixture list) and it would probably be best to dampen the optimism of the OP and write off the season up to Xmas/January when we will be more tactically acquainted with Rodgers ideas/style and have an opportunity to reinforce the squad. The reality is we have 2/15 points and if we repeat this sort of meagre return in the next 5 games the mood and optimism will soon vanish. I thinks it best to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because I feel hailling Rodgers as the 'man of the moment' not only heightens pressure and expectation but will lead to polarised and exaggerated criticism if we fail to produce in the next section of games. There's only so long we can blame 'luck', 'referees' and euloogise our great new football style without achieving any points! Rodgers needs to deliver wins AND performances before we can bestow the title 'man of the moment' upon him... patience is the key, but (for me) the jury's still very much out!

[Red Genius]

Not sure if I really buy into this "play like barcelona" concept.. Barcelona has a player that scores 50 goal a season, an extraordinary generation and they also purchase large/outspend anyone bar real madrid...

When messi leaves and xavi/iniesta retires; they will have to be more pragmatic..

For unknown reasons, we're currently not big spenders and believing we'll play the current city/chelsea squad off the park by doing some neat pass/move new to man is not very realistic..

Rodgers will have to adapt; no point when you positioned mid-table with swansea but we'll have to make compromises in order to compete for top 6-8

We are not going to copy Barcelona and mirror their play identically. However Brendan is obviously keen to adopt some key principles, maintaining possession, high lines of pressure up the pitch to retain the ball quickly, the movement and angles of passing (patterns of play)

He has an idea of how he wants us to play, anybody saying he will need to compromise that, may be very correct and prove to be right, what i'm saying is that i do not believe he will. He trusts his approach and the style he wants to implement, he wrote a frigging bible over a decade or whatever it was to get this job. If anyone believes he's going to burn that and start from scratch i believe they will be very much mistaken.

We need better players upfront, that will come in the subsequent transfer windows, so in the meantime we have to accept our weaknesses but focus on the progression in our play. If we had a Rush a Fowler or a Torres in this team, we'd start to look a hell of a lot more potent, but the reality is, we don't. That's not the system's fault - and it's a hell of a lot harder to implement a way of playing that it is to cherry pick a handful of players to improve it.

I believe in what Rodgers is doing and as long as we can put in displays of commitment and performances like the weekend i'm happy, if the results eventually sap players confidence in the system we have a problem, but we're nowhere near that stage.

[rossipersempre]

Alonso/Torres/Mascherano to Allen/Borini/Suso.

Better than Adam/Kuyt/Spearing it has to be said.

[didi]

its not like we are a shite team, certainly better squad then when Rafa took us over and when Kenny took over, we are actually weaker now again since Rodgers went about his business in the summer

[Funky_Gibbons]

City had more possesion and restricted us to three shots on target, so I am not sure who played who off the park...

Well whatever your view on the game, we went toe-to-toe against them playing the football we wanted to and more than held our own.

[careful on these streets, I've heard stories]

Yep, some posters on here are making out like it's a bad thing for supporters to look for the positives and back the manager. There's plenty to be optimistic about.

Where we are in the table isn't indicative of how we're playing, and is not surprising considering the teams we've had to play as well.

Yeah frankly some of the comments in here are disgraceful and if it was about any other of our recent managers apart from Rodgers I bet there would be alot more people pointing it out.

[henry]

Freudian slip?

oops, typo. lol 

i meant BR.

[Cocomin]

I thought we played well on sunday for long periods even when we down to 10 men and we played well against City and Sunderland but we are second bottom the table doesn't lie they say so at what point does Brendan change the way we play out from the back ?.... surely we can knock it long late on if were under pressure it wont make us a long ball team we just need to get more streetwise i'm not panicking yet though.

[stewil007]

People talk about Suarez's head snapping backwards as an unnatural movement - which in all fairness it is.  Yet nobody questions the splaying of legs when they go down as though thats a natural movement.........why did Valencias right leg fling out to the side when any contact (if any) came from his left side.  Curious

[Funky_Gibbons]

its not like we are a shite team, certainly better squad then when Rafa took us over and when Kenny took over, we are actually weaker now again since Rodgers went about his business in the summer

Rafa took over the fourth best team in the league and a vast majority of them went on to win the Champions league.

Rodger's has taken over a team that has finished 8th and won the Carling cup and has been told to cull the squad while not having sufficient funds to strengthen.

I agree our first choice eleven is very strong. If you look at that United team on Sunday how many of their players would make our team? Give me RVP and our first eleven would be as good as any.

[fowler9_god]

Well whatever your view on the game, we went toe-to-toe against them playing the football we wanted to and more than held our own.

We have played City 'off the park' 3 years in a row now actually at Anfield.

[stewil007]

I thought we played well on sunday for long periods even when we down to 10 men and we played well against City and Sunderland but we are second bottom the table doesn't lie they say so at what point does Brendan change the way we play out from the back ?.... surely we can knock it long late on if were under pressure it wont make us a long ball team we just need to get more streetwise i'm not panicking yet though.

why would you play it long late on?  who to?  we don't have a target man, it would play into the opposition defences hands and give away possession.

Chances are that late on in the game, the opposition are likely to be heading back to their own box to defend allowing our defence and midfield to move the ball forward quicker, keeping the ball and passing forward as per the usual way won't take that much longer than lumping it forward - 5 seconds maybe.

[benitezthered]

I agree our first choice eleven is very strong. If you look at that United team on Sunday how many of their players would make our team? Give me RVP and our first eleven would be as good as any.

Very true - although the Mancs were missing Vidic, Young, Rooney, Jones and Smalling. At least three of those would get in our starting XI, probably four. But I take your point, perhaps adding Valencia into the mix along with RVP aswell.

[The G in Gerrard]

its not like we are a shite team, certainly better squad then when Rafa took us over and when Kenny took over, we are actually weaker now again since Rodgers went about his business in the summer

Probably because we made alot of mistakes last summer that need to be remedied (and still haven't been). Also we have been doing poorly since turn of the year (in general) results wise and whatever Rodgers is trying to do will take time.

I'm very optimistic about our future, (especially with so many youngsters getting a game) I don't see how anyone else couldn't be?

[Johnny Foreigner]

Well whatever your view on the game, we went toe-to-toe against them playing the football we wanted to and more than held our own.

It is not my view. These are facts. City had more possession and both teams had three shots on goal.

The following are not facts; those are my interpretation - we did not play city off the park as you argued..

[Carlos: Very Kickable]

I trust Rodgers in a way that I simply couldn't do with Hodgson.

In my opinion, Rodgers far far exceeded what Kenny did in terms of managerial performance last season. On every count from transfers, media relations, style of play and points accumulated (per pound spent) he was, for me, the best performing manager in the league. To play better football than most teams in the Premiership with a newly promoted club whose budget stretches to having the players train at a local David Lloyd gym alongside members of the public was a massive achievement.

Yes, there's an argument for developing a plan B, but at the moment the improvement in our play with each passing game is plain go see for anyone who knows a thing about football. I would be happy for us to keep developing our plan A from this point - I see it as a kind of investment.

[killer-heels]

Rafa took over the fourth best team in the league and a vast majority of them went on to win the Champions league.

Rodger's has taken over a team that has finished 8th and won the Carling cup and has been told to cull the squad while not having sufficient funds to strengthen.

I agree our first choice eleven is very strong. If you look at that United team on Sunday how many of their players would make our team? Give me RVP and our first eleven would be as good as any.

Disagree. That Man Utd team will be competing for major honours at the top of the league while we won't be in the league. How our starting 11 can be better than theirs is a strange conclusion.

I'm very optimistic about our future, (especially with so many youngsters getting a game) I don't see how anyone else couldn't be?

I personally think we need to show alot more, particularly results wise to have such optimism. We had good performances against some of these teams last season as well so I am not sure how we can use this seasons performances as a barometer.

[johnsmithlfc]

even if, as I personally suspect, we end up as a mid/lower table team on his watch.

I just find it hard to take all the politics/off-field/ownership shite that have seen us go from having a world renowned proven manager, who turned us into the most feared team in Europe at one point, to this young lad, who isn't in the same class. It mirrors the fall of the squad too; Alonso/Torres/Mascherano to Allen/Borini/Suso. Sad really, but hey-ho, we saved some wages.

Couldn't agree more.
Fantastic post... It really, really hurts to see our club going through this, we don't deserve it, really we don't.

[GBF]

We have played City 'off the park' 3 years in a row now actually at Anfield.

means fuckall or at least mean we only raised our game against big team.  We play like the Arsenal used to play after the invincibles have left - we dont do anything with the ball, at times it looks like we want to pass the ball into the net. 

[Funky_Gibbons]

Very true - although the Mancs were missing Vidic, Young, Rooney, Jones and Smalling. At least three of those would get in our starting XI, probably four. But I take your point, perhaps adding Valencia into the mix along with RVP aswell.

Yeah good point I had forgot about Valencia - class player.....except for his dive.

I would take RVP over Rooney in my first eleven, Rooney has played shite for two or three years now, I know he's still scoring goals but he is outfield play has gone. Young - no thanks, bottles the big games. Jones would be a squad addition, Smalling is no better than Agger. 

[killer-heels]

Yeah good point I had forgot about Valencia - class player.....except for his dive.

I would take RVP over Rooney in my first eleven, Rooney has played shite for two or three years now, I know he's still scoring goals but he is outfield play has gone. Young - no thanks, bottles the big games. Jones would be a squad addition, Smalling is no better than Agger. 

They are better than we are. Our starting 11 cannot be as good as them otherwise we would have been competing for more honours than them at the top of the league.

[didi]

I personally think we need to show alot more, particularly results wise to have such optimism. We had good performances against some of these teams last season as well so I am not sure how we can use this seasons performances as a barometer.

yep have to agree with this, the team we have is/was more then capable of picking up 2 points from 15 no matter if its new regime or not.....gotta look at Kennys record against the top 4, it was excellent to say the least in the league at home bar Arsenal

[benitezthered]

Couldn't agree more.
Fantastic post... It really, really hurts to see our club going through this, we don't deserve it, really we don't.

True, and it's very, very sad. It's in a large part down to Hicks and Gillett, but we haven't helped ourselves. Our club has had more money than most over the past 15 years and with one or two exceptions, every spending spree has been ranging from poor to downright awful - so in a way I'd argue we do deserve SOME of it.

For me the worst part was that if we had proper owners after we finished 2nd, and could have spent a net of 20-25 million (not unreasonable for CL q/finalists and a team that finished second) we would have had a fantastic chance of winning the league.

[The G in Gerrard]

I personally think we need to show alot more, particularly results wise to have such optimism. We had good performances against some of these teams last season as well so I am not sure how we can use this seasons performances as a barometer.

We didn't use as many young players, the likes of Stirling or Suso would not have even made the bench. I'm hoping its long term gain for this short term period. Our performances have been good in the main and just need to improve in front of goal for things to look alot better.

[west_london_red]

They are better than we are. Our starting 11 cannot be as good as them otherwise we would have been competing for more honours than them at the top of the league.

The mancs have always been greater then the sum of their parts.

[Discipline]

Rooney has played shite for two or three years now,

He won them the league single handedly two seasons ago. Had to play as a CM last season and did well.

[benitezthered]

They are better than we are. Our starting 11 cannot be as good as them otherwise we would have been competing for more honours than them at the top of the league.

It isn't just about starting XI's. Their starting XI on Sunday was missing four or five key players. Their bench had players like Welbeck and Hernandez (both of which would start for us).

When everyone is fit, our starting XI isn't millions of miles away. It's when we have a couple of injuries teams like City and Man Utd - with their better and deeper squads - start to come into their own.

[killer-heels]

We didn't use as many young players, the likes of Stirling or Suso would not have even made the bench. I'm hoping its long term gain for this short term period. Our performances have been good in the main and just need to improve in front of goal for things to look alot better.

But does that matter as far as this season? Surely we have to see some improvement otherwise we will consistently lose good players season after season.

Performance against WBA was poor in my opinion and that result still causes the greatest deal of worry. Also, who will score the goals? Suarez doesn't seem prolific and the only other threat we have is Gerrard.

[didi]

We didn't use as many young players, the likes of Stirling or Suso would not have even made the bench. I'm hoping its long term gain for this short term period. Our performances have been good in the main and just need to improve in front of goal for things to look alot better.

signs were Sterling was gently being bedded into the squad last season for this season, not sure if Suso would be involved as much if Rodgers got his way in the transfer market

[stewil007]

They are better than we are. Our starting 11 cannot be as good as them otherwise we would have been competing for more honours than them at the top of the league.

Consistent approach to the game and stability count for a lot.

We are at the beginning of our journey, they will soon be coming to a crossraods in theirs.

How many teams have lost the game before they have even kicked a ball against Man U, and how many look at us as an easy target before  a ball is kicked? 

Teams need to fear coming to Anfield, that won't happen after the last 3 years we've had and the 5 games Rodgers has presided over.