It's not too bad to have the manager and players all have a poor performance but still get a better result than last year. Progress. If we're going to assume our rivals for top 4 are going to go the season without making any mistakes either then we never had any chance of beating them anyway.
BR has admittedhis error both in changing mid game and verbally holding his hands up afterwards. I'll accept his mistakes as long as they aren't repeated.. He's only one factor though. Too many holes in squad with not eenough money or CL to fill immediately in summer (something Mourinho has never had to worry about at any club). Which exacerbates the situation when you're so called best players under perform (Johnson), struggle to maintain their level due to age ,.Gerrard or get injured, Sturridge, Lucas, Enrique. It also makes the bad side of a 50/50 transfer success rate look worse when you have to rely on the not successes to play. Now there's two ways to view BRs tactical approach, either he's right to insist on his template and "find out" the players that cant hack it. The obvious risk with this is losing games we may win until we get players that can. Or you believe he should sacrifice his ideas and bow to players playing how they want to get performances. ( Or maybe there's a middle ground where you try a bit of both and risk looking foolish occasionally. This I believe is what is happening. I think BR believes he has to play players he wouldn't have in his ideal squad because it's accepted they are in the "best in the league group" for their position even if their current performance says different. As for top 4? We are exactly where if not ahead of where the majority thought We'd be. On paper behind the squads of Spurs and possibly United and Everton but competing in reality If we repeat the points total of first half of season and still miss top 4? I'll not complain. It will still be ahead of our curve. I think the raw ingredients are there at GK and CB. I think both the finished article and some exciting youth are there up front. Our midfield will not be sorted properly for another 2 years for very obvious reasons.
If we beat Everton there will be people saying how we can win the title again next week... Villa was a bad result caused by atrocious formation, something which Rodgers will hopefully learn from. Of the three teams mentioned we have the best chance at 4th but it is far from certain. Our current problem mirrors that of a little over 12 months ago. Too much pressure being place on centre backs and keeper. There is a big gap in front of our back line that no one is adequately filling. Our full backs are not helping very well defensively either- too oft they are not in position to defend and when they are, they mess up. The return of Enrique- a new RB and placing someone competant in the DM role is all it will take to have a good close to the season. If Rodgers didn't learn from Villa (it took 6 months the first time) it could be a bumpy ending... I hope he learnt though.
Don't have to wait until the Derby for me to re-state we can win the title. It is what we must continue to try and achieve to ensure that our level stays as high as possible. For that to happen we need all the luck in the world and everything to go our way - but then the club that does win the title (if not us) will also need the same.
Saturdays result was down to BR's wrong tactics. Plain and simple. Given his previous template had swept nearly all before it and actually won the second half, I still can't fathom why he made the change other than to fit players into the team. That's just plain stupid! It also suggests that he doesn't have a bloody 'template'! Fair comments about some players under-performing, drives me mad!....and if you mean that our midfield won't be sorted until Gerrard retires......god help us! I expect stronger leadership than that from him! Gerrard is close to being someone that we can call on from the bench....and I think he knows that tbh.
he should be brought on to score us goals when needed or when we are in control and resting players for games. i do hope that his time is coming to an end esp in midfield, like to see him further forward but as that wont happen surely he would be a better option to have on the bench and bring on than say moses who is ****. if he got his shooting boots back we would be laughing, but while he is having to play where he is, never know sadly.
It was a bad day mate but in general Rodgers has us playing well and we're in a good position at the moment. It's on a knife edge and our season could go either way. All we can do is support the team and trust the manager, both parties will get stick when required but we also have to praise what Rodgers and his players have done this season so far.
I've supported the team for 45 years As for the manager. I reserve the right to be critical. I'm not saying that we haven't made progress...we have.....and the football we play sometimes is excellent but it will mean absolutely nothing if we finish the season in 5th, a point or two off a play off spot. What then? Lose Suarez? We step backwards really, we'll not find another of his ilk for a while. This season is our best chance of top 4 for a long time....next year, teams will be more settled, even if we invest massively, we'll be playing catch up. Hence my angst!
Oh, and just to make it clear - he has us playing well going forwards. Defending, we look like chumps. He's responsible for both!
Saturdays result was down to BR's wrong tactics. Plain and simple. Given his previous template had swept nearly all before it and actually won the second half, I still can't fathom why he made the change other than to fit players into the team. That's just plain stupid! It also suggests that he doesn't have a bloody 'template'! Fair comments about some players under-performing, drives me mad!....and if you mean that our midfield won't be sorted until Gerrard retires......god help us! I expect stronger leadership than that from him! Gerrard is close to being someone that we can call on from the bench....and I think he knows that tbh.[/QUOTE] Didn't disagree regarding Villa, put it under the "occasional embarrassment" column when doing neither what he believes or what the players want, and a sign that he's not quite confident enough yet to do what needs to be done vs players feelings. Hope he has it by the end of this season. And we agree totally on "trying to fit everyone in" too. That was kindve my point. He's not enough spaces to put in those on form, those he believes in based on his views and those that everyone would scream if he didn't yet just aren't good enough currently. And Yes, I did mean that regarding Gerrard. Saying that Gerrard is a square peg in a round midfield would be an understatement. Do we try him in nets next match and still blame the holes on the system? This in no way says he's not a good midfielder or even still individually our best midfielder but he doesn't make our best midfield with the other players we currently have. Hence the constant tinkering with no real improvement in stability. Still think **** full backs is exacerbating the DM isolation though. I think BR is proving the point before he becomes that impact player. Not sure he'd have been in a strong enough position to do that last year or even this year. And maybe just maybe he's trying to treat Gerrard with dignity at the expense of some results. I don't agree he should do this but others reaction to how he treated Reina suggests its a wise move. Also depends on who we can get to improve the rest of our midfield of course. Can BR get the players he wants for the price the committee wants and they are an actual success in next two Windows?. Hope so. It was a **** performance from manager down. But a some of those players it wasn't their first second or third of the season... 4th is still there, obviously no team can have too many Villa games and get CL.
Didn't disagree regarding Villa, put it under the "occasional embarrassment" column when doing neither what he believes or what the players want, and a sign that he's not quite confident enough yet to do what needs to be done vs players feelings. Hope he has it by the end of this season. And we agree totally on "trying to fit everyone in" too. That was kindve my point. He's not enough spaces to put in those on form, those he believes in based on his views and those that everyone would scream if he didn't yet just aren't good enough currently. And Yes, I did mean that regarding Gerrard. Saying that Gerrard is a square peg in a round midfield would be an understatement. Do we try him in nets next match and still blame the holes on the system? This in no way says he's not a good midfielder or even still individually our best midfielder but he doesn't make our best midfield with the other players we currently have. Hence the constant tinkering with no real improvement in stability. Still think **** full backs is exacerbating the DM isolation though. I think BR is proving the point before he becomes that impact player. Not sure he'd have been in a strong enough position to do that last year or even this year. And maybe just maybe he's trying to treat Gerrard with dignity at the expense of some results. I don't agree he should do this but others reaction to how he treated Reina suggests its a wise move. Also depends on who we can get to improve the rest of our midfield of course. Can BR get the players he wants for the price the committee wants and they are an actual success in next two Windows?. Hope so. It was a **** performance from manager down. But a some of those players it wasn't their first second or third of the season... 4th is still there, obviously no team can have too many Villa games and get CL.[/QUOTE] We're not that far apart As for Reina, I didn't like the way he was shuffled out but I do suspect that BR had to get some of the big salaries out before he got others in. That's jsut the way it is sometimes! Shame though, his distribution is better than Migs, who is starting to look a little fragile! Regarding the next two windows. Only one matters; this one. No top four, no Suarez and the next window is altogether different!
cheque book out fsg you batards **** or bust time, and NO AMOUNT of money will be conciliation for losing luis if we don't get top 4, he is that good i reckon it will take us 2 seasons back maybe more, the impact losing him will have. pretty please with a ****ing cherry on the top BUY DAMN IT!
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2 things - you've just upset all of the Mancs our games and the other head to heads could well bring those above us back into the eqaution
