Maxi was probably just worth the money but Kenny didnt really play him and Kuyt much in the last season so there wages were being wasted.
Although I agree we could have used Carroll this season, if BR doesn't see him fitting then he was right to move him on. the only problem I have with it was the lack of replacement first. I don't agree that the likes of Konchesky, Poulsen and Jovanovic (only the latter was a free by the way) were on more money than Kuyt, Maxi and Cole (two free's).
ok lets just be fair and objective. 1. what is the measure to be used? is this a measure of one guy v another or is this a measure of how he's gone and done against his own performance objectives. 2. What was he expected to do in first season? 3. is the word transition banned form this or not? For me FSG didn't particularly set a performance objective like they did with kenny. After spending that moeny they really thought 4th as the objective. I do not think they applied that to Rodgers as they seem to see the flops and errors thus saw off comolli etc. So for me we go back to the first press conference and see the following points: "Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and Liverpool Football Club announced that Brendan Rodgers has been appointed as the club's new Manager, after signing a contract. Rodgers, 39, is regarded as being at the forefront of a new generation of football coaches, an excellent tactician and motivator with a progressive philosophy. After an extensive two-week process where many highly-qualified candidates were carefully considered, Liverpool's ownership group identified Rodgers as the single outstanding candidate to implement their long-term vision. At Liverpool, Rodgers' primary focus will be the first team but he'll also work extensively in collaboration with the new football operations structure as the team adheres to the continental football Sporting Director model. Further details on this structure will be provided in due course. Rodgers joins the Reds after a hugely successful spell at Swansea City; where he won them promotion to the Barclay's Premier League in his first full season in-charge. He then further defied the odds by securing a mid-table finish in England's top flight, playing a brand of football praised for its fluidity and entertaining, attacking nature. New Manager Brendan Rodgers says he can't wait to get started at Anfield: "I'm blessed to be given this opportunity. I want to thank John Henry, Tom Werner and FSG for the opportunity to manage such a great club. I'm really excited and I can't wait to get started on this incredible project going forward. I promise to dedicate my life to fight for this club and defend the great principles of Liverpool Football Club on and off the field." Liverpool's Principal Owner John Henry says they've got the man they want: "Fenway Sports Group is committed to building for the long-term. Brendan Rodgers' appointment today as manager of Liverpool Football Club is one of the most important steps we will take in building the kind of club on and off the pitch supporters can be excited about. "Brendan's comprehensive football philosophy is perfectly aligned with those at the club and those soon to join the club. He was the first choice unanimously among them and he had no hesitation at all in embracing exactly what we want to try to build at Liverpool. "We do not expect miracles overnight nor should anyone else. But we firmly believe that the direction the club is heading in will lead to Premier League championships. We will embrace the unconventional, build the right way and together set a bold, exciting course for this historic club." Chairman Tom Werner says the fans can look forward to some exciting times ahead: "The style of football Brendan is associated with is exactly what we want to see at Anfield. "Aggressive, attacking play; Swansea were a revelation last season with their brand of entertaining football. "But it's not just what he has achieved in the last two years that has impressed us; he has dedicated his career to coaching, has studied the game all over Europe and he is the perfect person to take this club forward. ------------------ So what s happened so far: 1. transfers. shocking summer good January. Dave Fallows was appointed as head of recruitment and Barry Hunter has come in from Manchester City. Rodgers is not not in control as he was, now ther eis an actual "committee" as mentioned. The result of the summer was us being so far off where we could be that the season was a write off. 2. structure. Rodgers contradicted FSG day one on structure and they flip flopped I am still not sure what they will do next. 3. Football style. There is absolutely no question in my mind that the style of football "desired" was delivered to some extent. The goals scored and passing style certainly testifies to this. 4. specific targets. there were no public targets so do fsg care? who knows. Conclusion: I think from what we know FSG cannot be unhappy cos what they said they wanted the got. I think next year is a totally different ball game. if you even look like finishing 7th again you're gone rodgers...
I thought that to be fair about it and not slate the guy i call a clown half the time i should really try to show where i base an assessment off. On that basis rodgers has delivered on some things that fsg said they wanted. I think they also flip flopped on transfers and structure not to mention stadium. If we want to judge rodgers purely on what a fan wants thats a separate conversation. its safe to say the entire management at the club are failing the fans so judging rodgers in isolation to that is unfair in my view.
Talk of projects and being progressive makes me itchy. Stinks of PR and management doubletalk. Give me a football man who doesn't do PR and I'd be happy. As for 'an excellent tactician', i've seen little evidence of changes being made during games to indicate he's tactically astitute. But we have shown the 'style' FSG want. Moving the ball quickly and passing it about. Just not sure that all this flim-flam amounts to much. I'd be happy to have a team that wins stuff and worry about the style afterwards...
What if all this foundation stuff works in a similar way to how it did at Barcelona (shudders at the link)? Rijkard did the foundation and built a very good side with a set style of play which was supported by some very promising young players. Guardiola came in a tweaked it to make them arguably the best club side there has ever been. (note the word 'arguably') Would anyone be willing to put up with BR for two or three years if we some someone else come in and build on what he's done afterwards? not saying that will be the case, I want BR to be successful and I think he can improve us. Not convinced he can win us the league but at this moment in time that isn't the target.
As much building that Rijkaard did, he still won leagues, CL, copa del rey, etc. I know it is much easier when it was ( at the time) pretty much Barca, Real, Valencia but still.
I'd be delighted if all this came to pass - its just despite the changes in 'style' we have seen over the season, we appear to be no further forward position-wise than under Kenny. And the season came apart for Kenny because Lucas got injured - we went from average 2 points per game to 1.44 points per game, collapsing from challenging for 4th to being nowhere...
barca work was done before rijkard... as evidenced by him not recreating the success. I honestly have seen rodgers making tatcial errors of formation and changing it in game. I have not seen an instant response to something though. the half time note pad thing yes but we've only seen him haul off suso early for instance. barca are based on one thing... great great players. those great players drag the rest through... we see this with utd too. they have learned form the mistake around 2004 where they ran out of options and tired this 4-5-1 thing etc. they changed made sure they had the options up front. LFC on the other hand for at least 5-7 years have not hhad enough options. under rafa it was torres and gerrard and nothing.. if anything occurred we were screwed. we bought keane and amazingly despite the issues when torres was injured we were top of the league... funny that.... the minute he left torres as injured and we fell off the pace. We need OPTIONS.. not kids, not bargains like assiadi, no we need genuine options. Utd have RVP, Rooney and Hernandez and they spent 60mil right there. theres another 32mi in nani and valencia. another 20mil on young. Right now LFC to me have a genuine set of 3 players in coutinho sturrdige and suarez. we need three more. downing, suso, sterling, assaidi and borini are not top 4... two might be in two years but that's NOT today. Add carroll to that. i just named 20mil, 35mil and 11mil or in other words 66million WASTED in my view. When LFC have 5 genuine options going forward we can be dragged along in other areas.... lets face it for 6 months we relied on defence to crawl through games and played one dimensionally. If we fix that we can do better... its that simple. at least rodgers can say he added two of the right options and only one of the wrong ones.. plu only wasted 1/6th of the money.. the rest sits suarely on comolli and kenny. if we are lucky that 55mil could be converted into 25mil now and we start again.
I said his record wasn't convincing when he arrived, especailly when compared to De Matteo, who'd had as many games but a much better record which actually warranted a step up. Nothing's changed. The phrase that keeps coming back to me is, "As advertised." And for this, some fans suck his dick and demand patience. Pth.
Even many here are not fully sold ( still think he has a lot of growing to do and maybe needs to stop his nose up at some things) but do we want to go through ANOTHER coaching merry go round? We barely have the funds for players let alone firing, paying off, and re-hiring new coaches. Oh and Kenny should have got another year, fact. Is what it is though.
I'd like to add to St.Johns quote that when Lucas got injured it was in January and we had time to get someone in, we didn't and it cost us as we were right there!!
Very I think. Should have went and got Matuidi before he went to PSG, would have added direct compeittion, cover, and inmprove not only our first team but depth s well. Comolli was a fan of his too.
