Taken from the club site today Rodgers on Tiki Taka football 19th Jun 2012 - Latest News Brendan Rodgers wants Liverpool to play attacking football that is 'full of imagination' - but he insists the Reds won't try to copy Barcelona. Some observers labelled the 39-year-old's former club Swansea 'the Barcelona of the Premier League'. Even his players referred to how they were being asked to play as Tiki-Taka, a style associated with the Catalan giants. But Rodgers insists Liverpool do not need to emulate anyone. "The way I want to play here is the Liverpool way," he told Liverpoolfc.com. "The history and tradition of this club has been about offensive football, attacking football - but always with discipline. "The game will be based around what Liverpool are about, which is control, dominating games with the ball, working very hard when you haven't got the ball, and keeping the game as simple as possible. "Of course I'll bring in a certain philosophy which I'm attached to, but the principles of your game are based around the players. "I suppose the Tiki-Taka football has come from Barcelona and that Spanish version. It probably came up with the players at Swansea, who referred to it a lot in our training and our work on having the ball and resting on the ball." Resting on the ball means you work as hard as possible to recover possession when it is lost, only resting once the ball is back in control. Regardless of all the above, though, Rodgers knows that winning is the most important principle for any Liverpool manager. "It doesn't matter if it's Tiki-Taka football or possession football - the supporters and all of us want winning football. That's what the philosophy will be about. The video you selected is only available to LFCTV Online members. You are now watching our Preview video, login or click here to sign up. Play Video Rodgers on Tiki-Taka "It will be about playing attractive, attacking football full of imagination. For me the best thing about the game other than scoring goals is having the football, and that'll be the idea and the fundamentals we'll work on - but they are playing ultimately to win. "We're in the business of winning and hopefully we can entertain along the way." Rodgers is already at Melwood preparing for 2012-13 but will have to wait until early July to start working with his new squad. "I'm really looking forward to it," he added. "My natural environment is the training field. I enjoy working with players, I enjoy trying to help educate them and make them better on and off the field. "The players have had quite a rest. The players in the Euros and whatnot, or the players who go to the Olympics - their pre-season will be a little bit broken this year. But I'm really looking forward to seeing the players who come back in early July and getting the ball out on the green grass." Author: @JimmyRiceWriter Tagged: Brendan Rodgers , Rodgers , barcelona , tiki-taka
As long as there is an end product to it all. I love the tiki-taka, total football, pass and move liverpool groove stuff but after last season, we really need to look at how often can we pay that round leathery thing in that big open net.
Another encouraging read and impressive statement/interview with Rodgers. The key thing about this style of football is constant pressure and winning the ball back high up the pitch and I hope Rodgers can get our attackers closing down the opposition much quicker. Suarez is great for this but you can see his frustration when no one else helps him out.
Whilst we were guilty of missing a lot of good chances, I think our chance conversion rate was slightly misleading. I watched pretty much every game and we often had a plenty of 'chances' and 'shots' but I would question the quality of these so called opportunites. There were plenty of useless crosses that came into the box - does this count as a chance? There were plenty of poor long range efforts - are these counted as a key chance? I still feel that our midfield is our weak point and we need more incision, more pace (both in terms of speed in the legs but also speed in the brain and we need obviously need to become more clinical.
What we used to have : Player of the year Gerrard, Alonso, Mascher, Lucas, Sissoko Now: Ageing Injury prone gerrard, Adam, spearing, top Lucas, Shelvey/hendo Massive differance there for me. I like the look of Sigurdson and think he is a natural replacement for Gerrard in terms of AM, long range shooting, getting in the box, can pick out passes when needed, etc. I think we still need that proper CM to sit with Lucas, more of a playmaker. Banega, Moutinho, Veloso, Gago, Pjanic all off the top of the head.
I'm glad at least to hear this but will wait and see the true result. I have concluded after some thought about this that any english side thinking it can play the barca way is deluded. Simply put the physicality ,weather and speed of the english game doesn't bred xavi and iniestas. it breeds athletes, runners and cloggers seriously though if we look at the 4 best kids lfc ever made, fowler, mcmanaman, owen, gerrard...... well none really fit the barca tictak game... owen and fowelr couldn't pass it very well not control it but were finishers and quick poachers. mcmanaman could only dribble it and gerrard, the most complete of all loved a tackle and was an incredible athlete in terms of power and pace with an eye for a wonder cross. for this style to work... and all it is is a pressing game that forces errors the three most vital things i see are: 1. athleticism along the lines of kuyt.... to press up high and then faster defenders also have pace at the back to cover breaks. 2. ability on the ball to not give it away again after 3 passes. 3. tactical belief and discipline to hold position properly.... alonso had this in spades. I don't see a requirement to play 50 passes slowly to build up and then attack, thats good but in england i feel there is a requirement for strong running on the ball, directness (ie hit it to carroll who holds it up even if thats out wide) and positivity. I've seen lfc for year play passes along the back 4 while sides sit off then take their draw at anfield. So i am glad rodgers isn't promising barca or arsenal style "tic tacs"... It has to be done in the english way, effective at the bread and butter, the league. I'm in total favour of a pressing attack minded game that puts sides under a lot of pressure.... I just want to see it done not talked on.
It's quite remarkable how far the quality has dropped in such a short space of time. But I completely agree about the CM - we have not recovered since Alonso's departure. I think we can all bang on about his technical ability etc but he provided much more - he was the calming influence in the midfield. If a player was in trouble for time and space, they could always find Alonso and he would sort it. We don't really have that player in the team.
Really looking forward to the style of play under Rodgers, I can't see him changing the style he played with Swansea and that is very much like Tiki Taka. I think he understands that as fans we want a certain style of football and is trying to distance us from comparisons to Barca. However everything he says in that interview is a style of football based on Tiki Taka.
Adam I hope he has a better year. Also, without jinxing anything is it me or is Carroll starting to get that swagger back in his game? It will be interesting to see who Rodgers targets. And lets remember, Uncle Roy was able to get Meireles in so Rodgers can still pull a good CM if need be. Which leads me to this: Imagine if we had Gerrard, Lucas, Aquilani, Meireles, Adam, Spearing, hendo, Shelvey. That looks a lot better to me but we decided to loan and get rid of two players, who if they did not want to be here ( Aqua possibly but Commoli said it was more abotu playing time ...... ) then that is fine, but if they wanted to stay, big mistake that last year.
Ha you may laugh at Adam but I think he was pretty good - but only when he was next to Lucas. He looked composed on the ball, likes to dribble, made a few assists and scored a couple of goals. But then it went downhill ... But I agree re. Carroll - looks a beast in the air and dominates defenders. Definately a useful player to have in our team.
Adam may get a chance, we know it will be a 4-3-3 so with Rodgers picking the team and our current players who will he play? Henderson---Lucas---Adam Gerrard----Carroll----Suarez or Gerrard---Lucas---Adam Downing----Suarez----Bellamy I'm sure we will buy but we already have players that fit his system.
Remember also that despite Alonso's awesomeness in his final season, the 2 previous to that he was nothing short of average.
I think the basics foundations are achievable with any squad of players no matter the technical ability. What I mean by this is: Without the ball: The players are expected to chase the lost ball immediately in twos & threes where it is lost. If it can't be retrieved immediately the team reorganizes in a disciplined way. With the ball: Individual players constantly have to justify their position on the pitch by making themselves available for the ball when they don't have it. No hiding or disappearing during the match. When on the ball show discipline & patience, play the pass that's there not forcing the one that's not. wait until the opening is there; trust that your team mates constant movement and availability will wear down the opposition enough to create the opening. Now is it such a great leap to think we can not do this? It doesn't automatically make us Barcelona nor does it make us Swansea. The simple fact is like any other style of play it depends on the individual skill levels & physical attributes of the players in the squad. The more skill each player has the more passing & receiving options there will be in a match; hence Barcelona have more...just because we'd have less chances than them with this squad doesn't mean we can't be successful with it. BR could be coming in espousing the virtues of the Stoke way. We could do that too; possibly some would argue our team isn't big or strong enough others would argue that we'd improve it because of the technical ability of our players. I bet Pulis could take the Barcelona squad and still make them contenders playing the long ball. It's a matter of ascetics; I'd prefer the pass & move style. I think the premier league player has almost all the attributes to make BRs approach work they just get it beaten out of them at 14 it can be coaxed back out. But like any style, some of our squad won't (either through physical or mental weakness ) hack it. They can be weeded out & replaced hopefully with top of the league class players if not; players of the same general ability who CAN adopt the model. Obviously I, the layman have dangerously over simplified this but I look at our squad & can't name many that can't do the basics; they are supremely fit young men for christs sake. And to repeat myself; any style we adopt will only be as good as the players we have and how prepared they are to apply themselves to it. From looking at Swansea, BR seems to have a gift at convincing players to apply themselves to the model & or bring in players that excel at it. I'm still optimistic chaps!
excellent discussion. DF really has written it out well.... a pressing game could be construed as what stoke do.. anyone can press high up after donkeying it up to a big man... rodgers seems to be talking about playing the right way too but he needs the right players to do it. ------------------------------------------------------- re alonso have fat frank snap your ankle will do that for you. alonso= world class. ------------------------------------------------------- i think rodgers first hard decision is about gerrard... cos first you have to find how to use him and then you've got to get him to chase down and he's not capable any more. --------------------------------------------------------- re: adam.... this guy i will make a prediction on and you can tell me after 10 games if i'm an idiot. adam has no discipline and is a ball watcher. he will be out of position and show little discipline so will be dropped by rodgers... the amount of times i've seen him ball watch while guys pass it round him was astonishing and then all he'd do is come in from behind "recovering2 and push the guy over or just slide in... yellows and reds... he won;t prosper under rodger like a player like henderon will.
Adam does need to improve that positioning and being a bit better with the ball distribution, which he has, but sometimes wants the thread of the needle, ona rope type of ball instead of the simple one. We shall see, if he doesn't change it, he could be a squad player very quickly. Agree with Gerrard, the legs is the biggest thing for me as well, everything BR is saying is something Gerrard doesn't do that well in terms of without the ball, high pressing, a good motor on you. This might be the kick that Gerrard needs ( hoepfully) as I want him to play but not to the detriment of the team and what we would be trying to accomplish. Interesting to see what happens with Carra as well, will he be even more limited in appearances or will BR buckle and play him more?
but would he play there? He was very vocal about his dislike of that and not playing through the middle.
for me i think carragher has got to be gone. when he plays he pulls the whole back 4 deeper and deeper to cover his lack of pace.... with a higher pressing game you need the ability to play a higher defensive line and match forwards running in behind. thats my view anyway. hyppia was great at coming out and heading the ball and winning it high up the pitch while others swept up the crumbs... with the best will he looked shaky if in a 1 on 1. carragher cannot win those headers, he cannot do it and so hasn't got a role in my view. skertl has the sweeping up role and agger attacks the ball. its a good combo. i hope coates can come in and add more to it. Gerrard is a puzzle, is discipline from his early days is gone and i can't see him playing a game any more where he sits back with the back 4 and moves about the center circle like scholes does and makes the play... he's not doing it for england right now is he? Gerrard either plays as a striker behind carroll and pushes suarez right side in a 4-2-31 or he has to go play right wing in my view. I think he's got a role but if we are playing ten men pressing and one guy strolling it won't work cos barca don't allow that do they? ronaldo only works as a striker cos he aint bothered tracking anyone.
My gut says( & of course they should all get their chance to prove an arse like me wrong Adam without an incredible amount of physical work won't be able to do it for 90 minutes. He always seemed that fraction of second behind play. If its mental rather than physical lets hope it was the absence of Lucas & sharing that unfamiliar role that caused that extra thinking time & delay. Downing & Cole & Aqualani have the technical ability to be great at it. I doubt whether all of them have the total mental application required. Henderson; is young & keen, he'll do the simple stuff well & hopefully BR can teach him calmness & discipline. Carroll can do it, just not in the exact Barcelona system which BR. Isn't going to adopt in its pure form. It's why we need another striker that's between Suarez & Carroll on the sliding scale. Bellamy can excel; but for 15 minutes at a time. Carragher can not do it but his time is largely up. Funnily if you'd said 5 years ago I'd have had my doubts discipline wise about Gerrard but he's older & less ego driven now. His discipline for England under Roy shows he has the maturity to do as he's told now & is one of the existing players that has the greater talent & hence greater range of passing & receiving options The rest of the squad I think can do it and most very well. I actually think if we can get the rest of the outfield 9 Comfortable doing this Suarez will look even more dangerous. The amount of times I saw him look to give & go but with no one to give last year was astounding. Now he's a greedy egotist but I think a good part of the time it was because no one moved on after passing to him bar Bellamy & Gerrard. He then decided to do the desperate. In fact the desperate usually happened because in that final 20 no one presented themselves for the short pass they ran to the back or opposite side of the box! I assume our reserves have been playing this kind of style under Borrell etc. And then we trust that BR knows who to buy...and as MITO has stated the money is there to buy who he tells the owners are vital for progression. He might not get all he wants but the test (which we'll not know) will be if he gets his "must haves"
Lol talk about seeing the same player in two different ways I honestly thought he'd been very regimented for England. I'll watch more closely tonight!!
