Topic: Hull City 1 - Liverpool 0

[Darth Red]

Well all of a sudden being captain means taking all set plays.

Henderson is not captain material but you're right it appears to be a school yard mentality.

[robgomm]

No he didn't build a team around him at all.
Players like Messi, Ronaldo, Suraez you don't build teams around as they've just masters at what they do. They're born winners.

Only thing rodgers needed to do was concentrate on our defense and he fucked that up and it's still a mess.

Look the bottom line is if Rodgers was a player for us we would be saying he isn't good enough. As a manager he isn't good enough. For this club to move forward now we need better and that's the cold hard facts of the matter.

He set up the team to suit the way we attacked with Suarez in it. Compare the games he was out early on to how we played when he was back. I understand your mind is made up and I'm not here to change it but don't rewrite history to make dumb arguments.

[Lawnmowerman]

Eddie Howe, welcome to Liverpool.

[Draex]

My local side mate now, doing okay as well.
 

Why do you even support Liverpool? 

[CLOCKSPEED]

Suarez is a phenomenon. He's even breathed new life into Barca even with all the talent they have. Once he left the foundations left behind were weak. And despite the enormous investment pumped into the team lat summer - we still look just as weak.

People only now realising Suarez was and is probably the best player in the world last year and this. Yeah he has dips but all round contribution he ahead of all the rest. That's what we had in our side ffs would even make me look good

[redalways]

Last season?

Yes this is his last season

[Fordy]

Henderson is not captain material but you're right it appears to be a school yard mentality.

Agree and one of the reasons why I have a feeling he has lost the dressing room.

Players not wanting to step up. Rodgers has his favs and that is clear but the problem is his favs are not good enough.

[Paul JH]

"We'll do the best we can and Manchester City's result at the weekend gives us an opportunity to finish second." Rodgers after beating Swansea 17 March ...

"We wanted to be in that top four but it was always going to be difficult for us with the way our season mapped itself out". Rodgers last night ...

Brendan, just be quiet and stop talking.
I could live with the results if he didn't talk us up after every win, and talk down our chances after every insipid performance like last night.

[BarryCrocker]

Agree and one of the reasons why I have a feeling he has lost the dressing room.

Players not wanting to step up. Rodgers has his favs and that is clear but the problem is his favs are not good enough.

True. The most naturally talented player in the squad in Lucas. If we aren't bringing in captain material then he's got to be given the armband for next season.

[naka]

The season is truly a failure. Utter disaster.

Champions league was embarrassing
Europa was embarrassing
And league has been shambolic
Can we just forfeit the rest of our games before it gets any worse

[Dave D]

FFS, can Eddie and Big John not enjoy a leisurely stroll through downtown Miami without people jumping to conclusions.

It's obviously a smokescreen for Pulis. He'll sort out one of the most expensive defences in world football. Fuck the attack and the goals.

[steveeastend]

The dressing room IMO is a rats nest at the moment littered with players who are either difficult to handle (Sterling, Balotelli, Sturridge) or have allegedly an axe to grind with Rodgers (some justifiably) (Borini, Lambert, Sakho, Toure).

When you have this kind of unruly dressing room you need strong figures to deal with it and keep people in line and at the moment we have a young manager whose tactical nous is being questioned and a prospective captain who is also very inexperienced.

I think so too, good point.

[Titi Camara]

[Fordy]

True. The most naturally talented player in the squad in Lucas. If we aren't bringing in captain material then he's got to be given the armband for next season.

Agree but Lucas isn't stupid.

He knows Hendo and certainly Allen are part of the a Rodgers favs club and will likely be ahead of him.

My gut feeling is that if Rodgers stays then Lucas is off.

[BarryCrocker]

Agree but Lucas isn't stupid.

He knows Hendo and certainly Allen are part of the a Rodgers favs club and will likely be ahead of him.

My gut feeling is that if Rodgers stays then Lucas is off.

I hope not. Then again going on our form we'll sell him for 8m and make some sort of a replacement for 20m.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Champions league was embarrassing
Europa was embarrassing
And league has been shambolic
Can we just forfeit the rest of our games before it gets any worse

Forfeit my arse. This is the kind of testing period that separates the men from the boys. It's like having a torch into a player's soul, no better time to watch every single one of them - players and staff - as closely as possible.

[FLRed67]

Couldn't agree  more. He's one of the greatest con artists in the history of sport. He's actually never done anything to show that at any point he'll be a reliable, quality, consistent goalscorer... His reputation is beyond belief and has been perpetuated by the brain dead media

I think it's combination of our owners being new to the game, an inexperienced manager who has limited control over transfers, very clever Italian owners + their compliant media, and, most of all, ""superagents" who appear to exercise enormous influence in the game - entirely for the benefit of their bank accounts.

By all accounts, a lot clubs were approached to take Balotelli after the World Cup, including Arsenal. Everyone turned him down. Except us.

We appear to be the suckers in the global football marketplace.

it seems to me that changes need to be made in the people running, the club, from top to bottom.

 

[plura]

Missed the game, but were we really that bad? Well losing to Hull isn't a proof of strength really?

[ThePoolMan]

David Hendrick ‏@DaveHendrick_AI Apr 25

"Sacking Rodgers will set us back 2 years". Yep, because sacking Souness for Evans, Evans for Ged, Ged for Rafa, Hodge for Kenny and

David Hendrick ‏@DaveHendrick_AI Apr 25

Kenny for Rodgers really set us back didn't it? Only time we've been set back by sacking a manager was Hodge replacing Rafa and we were

David Hendrick ‏@DaveHendrick_AI Apr 25

Slipping under Rafa anyway and finished in about the same league position after Kenny took over.

I disagree with this `Dave Hendrick'. We were not "set back" when Benitez was sacked in faviour of Hodgson - we were literally wiped out as one of ou best maangers ever was replaced by the worst manager ever to "coach" Liverpool. The slip up in his last season was caused by the then owners' lack of support for him. We would not have slipped as bad or at all had he been given the kind of funds that Rodgers has been given.

[Fordy]

I think if Rodgers can complete a clearout and find buyers for all the players that are surplus to requirements he should be allowed to stay, whether that is with a DoF or a revamped TC, i don't know but something has to change on that front.

The dressing room IMO is a rats nest at the moment littered with players who are either difficult to handle (Sterling, Balotelli, Sturridge) or have allegedly an axe to grind with Rodgers (some justifiably) (Borini, Lambert, Sakho, Toure).

When you have this kind of unruly dressing room you need strong figures to deal with it and keep people in line and at the moment we have a young manager whose tactical nous is being questioned and a prospective captain who is also very inexperienced.

Problem for Rodgers is that Carra left and now Gerrard Is leaving.

we currently have no leaders or that everyone is thinking Hendo is the future captain and not fully behind it so not stepping up.

[BarryCrocker]

Balotelli is the Katie Hopkins of football ...

Comparing someone who's been impacted by racism to someone who is a racist is out of line.

[ThePoolMan]

I think it's combination of our owners being new to the game, an inexperienced manager who has limited control over transfers, very clever Italian owners + their compliant media, and, most of all, ""superagents" who appear to exercise enormous influence in the game - entirely for the benefit of their bank accounts.

By all accounts, a lot clubs were approached to take Balotelli after the World Cup, including Arsenal. Everyone turned him down. Except us.

We appear to be the suckers in the global football marketplace.

it seems to me that changes need to be made in the people running, the club, from top to bottom.

 

It's easy to see how FSG thought Balotelli was a great deal. An over confidence in their own intelligence and ability to spot winners amidst the losers. An arrogance that thought that they could succeed to reform him when so many other clubs have all tried and failed. A refusal to truly invest in world class players by paying what they are worth in today's market.

The biggest culprit for this season's failure is FSG themselves and their own fatally flawed transfer stategy.

[mkferdy]

Yesterday was another depressing yet predictable performance and result. The way to play us at the moment is simple. Press us in possession leaving your foot in on the tackle to rough us up, score a goal then sit deep. I have no idea what we do in training but tackling with intensity isn't one of them.

It's clear we suffer from a lack of movement from the central striker position but I feel our problems run deeper than that. We look lost at the moment, its natural for young players form to be inconsistent but our lack of attacking patterns in possession is worrying. We get the ball play it wide, Ibe or Sterling try to get past the fullback to cut inside and pass back rinse and repeat.

For all the talk of a new manager what I want to see sorted this summer is the strategy when it comes to signing players. None of this mish mash some for the manager others by the committee as rumors suggest. Either let the manager die by his signings or give the committee complete control on identifying and signing players in the positions the manager needs and if that means we have to change manager then so be it we need a clear direction going forward one way or the other.

For all the stats we seem to look at signing players the mistakes of last summer cannot be repeated. We need players that fit into the style of play the manager wants plus we need players who are determined, who wont give up when things are not going right, I don't see what spreadsheet would show that so I hope whosoever scouting is looking for those attributes too.  This month long dip in form since the Utd game is unacceptable, we are like Arsenal from a few years back only with worse players.

Depressing times but things need to be sorted from the top.

[L666KOP]

Why do you even support Liverpool? 

Fucking OOT wool bastard !!

 

[Paul JH]

Comparing someone who's been impacted by racism to someone who is a racist is out of line.

I meant in the sense that both are a media creation, with no actual substance or talent, and if it wasn't for the media, wouldn't be where they are today.

And don't chastise me by bringing racism into the comparison. It wasn't what was meant at all. 

[DonkeyWan]

5 points dropped over the last two games against sides battling relegation. Our season is now over when Liverpool should be 2 points behind United and 4 off second, with both of these still to play each other. Bag of shite.

[jfc]

Our attacking play has been poor. To predictable, to narrow, not enough numbers in the box.

I still back Rodgers for next season though, I want to see the side with a top class or even just a reliable goalscorer in the side who has workrate

[ThePoolMan]

If Rodgers cannot make a difference at this sharp end of the season when we still have a chance for top 4, then why is this the case?

Last season's end he also made his naive miscalculations as well.

His inexperience is one thing but as someone on this forum has noted, Benitez was his age when he took over Liverpoool when Benitez won the La liga. Experience is not the only factor. His judgement is not up to par with the elite level as represented by coaches such as Mourinho, Benitez or Ancelotti.

[jay.taller.than.spearing]

I just read that Evertons back 4 have scored more league goals(9) than our 4 strikers (8 )

[Fordy]

Our attacking play has been poor. To predictable, to narrow, not enough numbers in the box.

I still back Rodgers for next season though, I want to see the side with a top class or even just a reliable goalscorer in the side who has workrate

Why do you back him mate?

I'll support him if manager next season at the games but I don't back him as I have no faith in him.

Every team is wanting a 20 goals a season man. Problem we have is our defence is so poor or you forgot about that?

Defence was poor last season and is this.

[ThePoolMan]

I meant in the sense that both are a media creation, with no actual substance or talent, and if it wasn't for the media, wouldn't be where they are today.

And don't chastise me by bringing racism into the comparison. It wasn't what was meant at all. 

His very good PR skills and thick dossier or coaching philosophy manual and the opinion of unnamed knowledgable football people impressed the owners so much that they gave him the job.

[Timeless Melody]

Way below par.

[Kelvinlfc]

Are we trying to relegate Villa?

Yeah so we can get Benteke on the cheap! Brendan the mastermind knew there was a reason for that absolutely abject bullshit performance!!

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

If Rodgers cannot make a difference at this sharp end of the season when we still have a chance for top 4, then why is this the case?

Last season's end he also made his naive miscalculations as well.

His inexperience is one thing but as someone on this forum has noted, Benitez was his age when he took over Liverpoool when Benitez won the La liga. Experience is not the only factor. His judgement is not up to par with the elite level as represented by coaches such as Mourinho, Benitez or Ancelotti.

His biggest issue is not 'experience', it's our lack of defensive steel. The 3 managers you mention have demonstrated with their teams an ability, when everything else is against them, to lock their team down in their own half and scrap out a result. Put it this way, a game under Rodgers is like trying to cross the river with a hole in your boat. We had a superb motor last season that nearly got us across before we sunk; this season we've been using paddles.

[DonkeyWan]

I just read that Evertons back 4 have scored more league goals(9) than our 4 strikers (8 )

If I read one more post saying " he doesn't have the strikers, that's the missing piece of the jigsaw" with Borini and Lambert (two players he personally wanted) sitting on the bench, I will burn the internet down.

4 times the money he would have at Swansea and he basically assembles an expensive mid-table side.

[ThePoolMan]

His biggest issue is not 'experience', it's our lack of defensive steel. The 3 managers you mention have demonstrated with their teams an ability, when everything else is against them, to lock their team down in their own half and scrap out a result. Put it this way, a game under Rodgers is like trying to cross the river with a hole in your boat. We had a superb motor last season that nearly got us across before we sunk; this season we've been using paddles.

And that motor was a rocket engine that we only managed to get on the cheap in a once in lifetime deal......

[I-was-watching-it-on-Sky]

Rodgers: "Mario has got a few years left on his contract & it’s fair to say that every single player here is playing for his future."

Though it seems they're not playing for his.

[jfc]

Why do you back him mate?

I'll support him if manager next season at the games but I don't back him as I have no faith in him.

Every team is wanting a 20 goals a season man. Problem we have is our defence is so poor or you forgot about that?

Defence was poor last season and is this.

The gist of it for me is that I still believe in this squad, when I say that i'm talking about the core players such as Coutinho, Sturridge, Henderson, Sterling, Skrtel, Sakho. 

It's clear that we've made the made wrong signings but we have a decent base to work, if we sign the right players and if we get it right then I believe we will be right up there.

Rodgers has made mistakes, but I want him to be given the chance to learn from them, having a squad that is imbalanced in relation to how we want to play is always going to result in dips and that will impact on his decision making because of having players in the squad who he evidently doesn't trust.

Yes he's not blameless in some of this but I still believe he should get another year to sort this out, however if he's lost the dressing room then there's no way back but I don't think that's the case in my opinion.

I remember when everyone wanted Rafa sacked in 2010, I always wanted him to get another season to learn from the mistakes, i believe the same with Rodgers. However if it goes wrong next year then i'll certainly lose faith, he has to get it right next year, a new manager would mean starting from scratch all over again not something i'm keen on just yet either especially as Rodgers hasn't exactly been poor forever.

I do think this year our recruitment will be more tailored to players who will fit our style of play after the Balotelli disaster.

I want us to blow our budget on 3 top players and that's it. We need to sort that starting line up out, no more squad players.

[plura]

If I read one more post saying " he doesn't have the strikers, that's the missing piece of the jigsaw" with Borini and Lambert (two players he personally wanted) sitting on the bench, I will burn the internet down.

4 times the money he would have at Swansea and he basically assembles an expensive mid-table side.

Some football fans just want to watch the world burn.

[FLRed67]

It's easy to see how FSG thought Balotelli was a great deal. An over confidence in their own intelligence and ability to spot winners amidst the losers. An arrogance that thought that they could succeed to reform him when so many other clubs have all tried and failed. A refusal to truly invest in world class players by paying what they are worth in today's market.

The biggest culprit for this season's failure is FSG themselves and their own fatally flawed transfer stategy.

Clearly the transfer strategy is a shambles.

But I don't think it is due to a "refusal to invest in world class players". We went after Sanchez; he turned us down.  James Rodriguez, etc were not interested in LFC.

Whether offering more money would do the trick, or offering a manager with more pedigree - I don't know.

One thing is sure, "transfer committee" as well as the owners should be asked some some hard questions.