Topic: Crystal Palace(lona) 3 v Liverpool 1

[Snail]

@LFC boss Brendan Rodgers: "We concede poor goals and we've got no-one to blame but ourselves & as the manager I take full responsibility."

:/

Uh-oh.

[stoa]

Palace's first goal is basically in a nutshell of what is going wrong for us defensively. One of our midfielders gets treatment on the sideline. What do the guys on the pitch do? Three of them decide it's a good idea to focus on the guy with the ball at the halfway-line only to be taken out of the game by a single pass to Bolasie who can charge at our defence without being bothered. He then gets a shot away and four defenders are just watching Gayle scoring the rebound. That is just awful from all of them...

Other than that, not much to say about the game. Delighted for Lambert, but he probably can't be arsed about his first Liverpool-goal after a game like that...

[NigelManx]

I never ever want a Liverpool manager to be sacked..never...but I have said before that BR seems clueless defence wise..and nothing Ive seem tells me otherwise....He seems to be stubborn too...He looks lost and getting asked too many questions by teams...The Stevie role and playing it around has always looked suspect and once the other teams saw what Mourinio...did at the end of last season the writing was on the wall and we were sussed....Now he doesnt have an answer..along with playing players you shouldn't be playing...It must be hard for players who come in..do a good job and get dropped....a big week this week....BR is in trouble

[nevoo36]

It will be his downfall, he himself said we would not spend if the 'right' players for our system are not available, so how the players bought in the summer fit with the system?

I fear December end, out of contention for top 4 and Thursday night football back at Anfield, at least we are in the Quarter Final of a cup competition though.

Its funny how everyone is pinning their hopes on Sturridges' return being the catalyst for the change in our fortunes, well he is out until the New Year and anything worth playing for will be all but gone.

[rich87]

Rodgers on press conference with Jeff now:

Starts by praising Lambert.
Low on Confidence. Intensity of game has dropped of. Conceded poor goals.
He as manager takes full responsibility for it. No intensity.
We aim to be tighter. More defensive resolute. We got the goal, and that should be enough.
Working on defending. Working hard to be compact. Worked to manage the game. Try to work game from behind.
Comes with experience, lot of young players, new players.
Thought Free kick was unfortunate (Skrtels) both pulling shirts.
Never a free kick to begin with.
 Disapointing result for us. Especially considering level we have been for past couple of seasons.
Palace were honest and fair, it was our own physicality we weren't aggressive enough in our play.
 We didn't pass the ball in way we expect.
Rodgers said to players after we have to become a team, have to work harder, had disapoining results, we need to get together and work hard, and look at ourselves.
Manager included, I am responsible for results, the manager needs to take responcibility, and that is something I will look at deeply.
 He doesn't think its a crisis but its not at expectancy level, certainly wasn't in the plan, have to face reality of it, not been good enough.
Group of players is good enough, and we need to start turning it round very quick.

That's a quick summary of what he has just said. Hope those that were waiting for it, that is okay. I can tell you a little about how he was. He sounded sombre and a little lost and embarrassed. He looks guilty, but honestly he looks like he is ready in some respects to walk away if the going gets to tough.

He spoke well though, nice to see him taking some responsibility, and there wasn't much praise today, unlike recent weeks. After the praise for Lambert getting his first goal, he did start to adjust. He says clearly, he has to look at himself and the problems he has. And maybe that refers to his stubborness to change things? To drop certain players?

[number 168]

And how great has he done in an inferior league?


I assume you mean Serie A? Currently 3rd, I'd have some of that. Add in la Liga titles and European succes, not a bad call.

[Sat1]

Think its wrong to be mentioning rafa. Especially this early in the season.

He left along time ago and was never given 100 million to spend, maybe he would of spunked it on average joes too

[plskikme]

No mate we were extremely poor.  The thing is not to panic and do something stupid like we did with Rafa a few years ago.  We're having a bad season.  It happens, we need to keep going.  It's important that Rodgers doesn't feel like he needs a massive short term improvement to keep his job, and has to sacrifice his principles and long term aims in a reactionary way.

I like your sentiments, we were awful today though - but we won't stay that way.

Mate you need to point out some evidence of improvement like an earlier post making the opposite argument did. There is faith and there is blind hope, there is nothing Rodgers is doing at the moment that seems like he'll sort this mess out.

Rodgers lost me at Chelsea. He showed then that he's not interested in picking players based on merit or performance. Combine that with poor transfers, and you realise there's absolutely no way things can get better.

- He's not going to change the system (players left isolated, lack of movement)

- He's not going to drop players (the whole shit of picking a B team against Madrid who played well and then dropping them all in favour of the "stars" against Chelsea)

- He's not going to buy players to fix the mess (he's pissed hundred million away)

It's broken, and he can't fix it.

[rushyman]

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli

£54m

Thats going to hang him

[Red Bird]

Either the gameplan is completely wrong or Rodgers has lost the dressing room.... Either way not good for him. The lack of pressing, desire & the likes of Jones laughing on the bench when we are 3-1 down is annoying as hell.

I think this is it.

[tommy LFC]

What is the point to play Gerrard as a defensive midfielder when you have Lucas or Can as a defensive midfielder......?

Because then we can't play like Barcelona and have Gerrard come back between the centre backs, receive the ball from Mignolet, turn around, look up, pass it sideways to skrtel, who plays a clever ball wide to Johnson, who is pressed and plays it back to Migniolet.

[Humperdinck]

Oh yes, let's bring Jurgen Klopp in, that's a great idea, he's doing a great job at Borussia Dortmund. Oh wait, 15th out of 18 in the Bundesliga, on less points that Liverpool after the same number of games. You same losers would have him out in a heartbeat too. Admit it, rather than allow a manager to build a dynasty here, what you actually want is just to change the manager every season and then sack them when it inevitably doesn't work. That's your idea of supporting a football club. Count me out.

Yep, the same people would want him out if he had a bad 5 games too. 18 months of excellent form forgotten in an instant because the impatient scumbags want a new toy. He's making some bad mistakes but any talk of a sacking right now is stupid, it'll happen if he doesnt improve though.

[kkjellquist]

Sad part....even without all the calls people are complaining about, a draw would have been kind, and unlikely.

[plskikme]

Think its wrong to be mentioning rafa. Especially this early in the season.

He left along time ago and was never given 100 million to spend, maybe he would of spunked it on average joes too

Joe was one of our best players tonight thank you very much.

[wesralph84]

Awful as most expected. We obviously should be winning these games but this season from day 1 we have been terrible.

Today we were out fought by palace which is unacceptable.  You could also argue that warnock tactically beat Rodgers as we couldn't handle their counter and they contained us easily.

The problem isn't sturridge being out injured it's the tactics implemented and the personal being asked to do the job. Mignolet is an average keeper, Johnson is past it and not a left back, gerrard doesn't protect the back 4, coutinho and lallana don't offer pace breaking from midfield which is what they were trying to do today, sterling is 19 and out of form but he's turned into a guaranteed starter-he's not that good to walk into the team. Lambert again is just average.

Rodgers time here is coming to an end unless he makes some big calls immediately which end up changing results. Johnson, gerrard, lovren, Mignolet and sterling all need to be dropped.  We are 12th in the league on the back of 4 straight defeats and the owners need to decide how far it goes. Top 4 is gone and if we're not careful top 6 will be gone.  That isn't acceptable for a manager in his 3rd season who has spent a fortune bringing in his players.  Rodgers lack of experience in Europe has clearly impacted his judgement in the league and today was no exception. If the right manager becomes available it seriously needs considering now. This club shouldn't be fighting in the bottom half of the league.

[Caston]

 Brendan Rodgers: "We concede poor goals and we've got no-one to blame but ourselves & as the manager I take full responsibility."

[Snail]

So... are some players getting fed up with not being picked on merit?

[clinical]

The players we bought was a scatter gun approach no thought, no real quality. Suarez and sturridge carried us. Rodgers looks clueless. People said at the time he was taking big risks on signing players for big money on the back of 1 good season or a good 6 months. He's paying and we're paying the price

[Zephyr]

I couldn't give a shite if we play the most boring defensive football and counter-attacking football, as long it looks we have a plan and begin getting results. This isn't a crisis, Brendan, but it is pretty close to being one.

 

[sikingthegreat1]

don't even know where to begin.....

is it too much to hope for an improvement against ludogorets.....

[Adeemo]

If the freefall is not arrested soon, anything could happen. I can't see how this will happen without Sturridge how is apparently still six weeks away.

Sturridge will be a good two months away.

[Redman0151]

So... are some players getting fed up with not being picked on merit?

There's been stories of it showing up in the press

[Cusamano]

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli

£54m

Thats going to hang him

So about the same as Diego Costa and Fabregas

No doubt someone will mention wages bla bla bla

[Solomon Grundy]

If I see someone post that Definition of insanity quote one more time I think I'll scream!













P.S I know that by saying this there will probably be a barrage of Definition of insanity posts coming my way now.

[Caligula?]

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli

£54m

Thats going to hang him

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt over Balotelli, don't think he wanted him and was pressured into getting just anyone because time was running out.

But that's probably the only thing I can think of to defend him with right now.

[Zephyr]

So depressing.

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli

£54m

Thats going to hang him

[The 5th Benitle]

Stop talking about Rafa Benitez coming back.

Short bans are very available for anyone who ignores this.

[scumbagcollege]

Brendan and Stevie, sitting in a tree.....

[Gerry83]

Yes it's Rodgers fault and he should rightfully be fucking criticised. The defence has been a disgrace for too long and it needs to stop. But my point was he's not being 'out-thought' by the likes of Warnock. Nobody is doing anything special in how they beat us. You don't need to be a tactical genuis to beat us the way we are playing.

You're right. You just need to put 11 on the pitch against us and your chances of winning increase beyond the 50/50 mark.

We are so average it hurts and with our summer outlay things have gone from looking like we could be becoming a force again to quite possibly the worst campaign i can remember.

Worryingly we have problems in every area on the pitch and i dont see an easy fix. Hope BR can get something out of this group and save himself before serious pressure from the media forces the hands of the owners. I think once Arsenal start getting results and Wenger is out of the limelight BR will be the new target.

[LiamG]

Steven Gerrard won 0% of his tackles today.

Martin Skrtel won 0% of his tackles today.

[gatcliffe]

Lovren, Markovic and Balotelli

£54m

Thats going to hang him

It has hung him sorry to say.

[Harris96]

Rodgers on press conference with Jeff now:

 We got the goal, and that should be enough.

If that's his mind set I'm extremely disappointed. I'm not sure whether he was just lucky it clicked for him last season but he's showing a lot of tactical naivety and stubbornness this season and it's costing us dearly.

[Reese]

So... are some players getting fed up with not being picked on merit?

Can you really blame them?

Makes the Sakho "walkout" incident a very interesting case study. Not that his behavior is ever acceptable, but it really does paint a worrying picture of what is possibly going on behind the scenes.

[Redman0151]

Brendan and Stevie, sitting in a tree.....

Is Stevie charging him rent for that too?

[Bird Bird Bird The Bird Is The Word]

Definition of Insanity: posting the same quote over and over and expecting anyone to give a shit, its not clever you thick fuckers!

[El Lobo]

He NEEDS to drop Gerrard, to drop Lovren and to drop Glen Johnson.

It's all very well accepting responsibility, but he needs to have the bollocks to drop those three players who are constantly letting us down and who cost us the title last season. All evidence suggests he hasn't got the bollocks to do so. He's hardly going to chuck his landlord out of the team is he? And unfortunately without the balls to do so, these results are only going to get worse and his job is going to be hanging by a thread very shortly.

[Robotforaday]

So... are some players getting fed up with not being picked on merit?

I would be. I would even be fed up if I was Lallana, subbed off when half the team are standing around and doing fuck all. There were at least 4 players who could be subbed off in his place - and to add insult to injury, those are players who will be starting midweek (rightly or wrongly), and so we've weakened them for then as well.

[The 5th Benitle]

Also - we discuss replacement managers when there is a vacancy, and only when there is a vacancy.


Short bans are also available for those who ignore this.

[Cid]

Oh yes, let's bring Jurgen Klopp in, that's a great idea, he's doing a great job at Borussia Dortmund. Oh wait, 15th out of 18 in the Bundesliga, on less points that Liverpool after the same number of games. You same losers would have him out in a heartbeat too. Admit it, rather than allow a manager to build a dynasty here, what you actually want is just to change the manager every season and then sack them when it inevitably doesn't work. That's your idea of supporting a football club. Count me out.

Dynasties are built by men and managers who make the right decisions over a long period of time.  The odd mistake is no issue (and Brendan has always made the odd mistake, even when we were brilliant)..but making the same mistakes over and over, with no desire to change or willingness to even recognise the problems in the side is not the way to build a dynasty..its the way to destroy one.

[RK7]

What is inexcusable imo is that his 3rd season we have no midfield and he`s supposed be good at building them.

Regardless of the personnel we have fundamental systemic issues. Due to our back 4 being hauled back by Skrtel we are to stretched too dominate games. It`s our biggest problem.

Where is the evidence that he is good at building any team?

I know this may sound harsh and last season was fantastic but Rodger's is a very inexperienced manager at the highest level, he was a massive risk when we hired him and it was always going to be a case of him learning on the job.

This is where I have my biggest concerns because he isn't learning, the same mistakes are being made and we look worse right now than what we did when he took over. He can't blame bad luck,  the game coming at the wrong time or lack of squad depth.

If he was sacked in the morning I don't think many would be surprised.