To be honest I don't think we will either. United look set to go absolutely mental this summer. We need another 5/6 good players to balance CL with the league to in any way maintain this season's form and intensity. We'll make signings this summer, but it's unlikely that they'll all succeed. On the squad... we have a great first choice attack, a decent midfield and a brittle defence. Our bench is pretty terrible, especially if there're injuries. You could say there's a trusted group of maybe 13 players? Compared to City and Chelsea, whose benches have the like of Jovetic, Negredo, Schurrle etc... no competition. Finishing second or third with this squad is a ridiculous achievement. I like the sound of Monk, would like to see him succeed.
How much of the weak squad is Rodgers' responsibility though? Up front you start; Suarez (£20m ish?) Sturridge (£12m Rodgers signing) Sterling (Dalglish/Benitez signing) Bench: Borini (£11m ish), Aspas (£8m Rodgers signing), Moses (costly Rodgers loan) In midfield let's say you start Lucas, Gerrard and Coutinho (£8.5m Rodgers signing) Bench = Allen (£15m Rodgers signing), Henderson (£18m? Dalglish signing...and a good player IMO), The Spanish kid who Rodgers spent £6/7m on? Defence Start: Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Flanagan/Enrique Bench: Tiago Ilori (Rodgers signed for £7/8m?) Toure (Rodgers signing...top wages), Sakho? (£18m Rodgers signing), Cissokho (Rodgers signing and not cheap) He let Reina go and spent £10m on Mignolet in goal....could that £10m have been better spent? if the depth 'ain't good enough surely it's mostly Rodgers' fault. Don't get a manager spending nearly £30m on his defence and yet it's the weakest area of the team. I agree this season has been a good achievement and he's made some good signings; Coutinho, Sturridge, Allen (I like him anyway ) ...and he's successfully got you playing 2/3 formations (although essentially the same type of football)...but everyone's singing his praises like he did something wonderful. He hasn't won anything! If I was a scouser I'd be worried about the way he sent the team out to win against Chelsea. You only needed a draw.
Ok I'll play... Sturridge and Coutinho were unqualified surprise successes. Both were decent players but were really getting a last chance at a big club with us and have taken it. Aspas has been a disaster. Complete waste. Alberto has barely played despite looking very composed when he has - his recent driving offences suggest attitude problems, but who knows. Costly mistake maybe. Ilori has been very good on loan since January, watched Granada's game vs Barca and he was very calm for his age. Has surprised everyone with his quarterback style passing range in Spain. Cissokho is a loan, not too fussed because he's clearly a stopgap - and hasn't played since the rise of Flanagan. Moses too is just there for numbers it seems. Sakho... he looks on the edge of being brilliant. Few mistakes... but what can you expect from a centreback moving from such a poor league? Very rare to bed in straight away. Reina wanted out to Barca by the sounds of it. Was replaced, the move didn't happen because Valdes stayed. Had to go. Reina's distribution is better but you want a keeper to stop shots and Mig does that better these days IMO. Reina was on a decline and had been since Rafa. Jury is still out on whether Mignolet will ever be as good as Reina was once, however. The most important thing to note is we have a transfer committee in place, which Rodgers is a part of. Aspas for example stinks of a committee signing - cheap, did well for a poor Spanish side, good work ethic... But overall we've been very hit and miss with transfers, I'd agree. Overall this season has been a ridiculous success... imagine saying we would go into the last day with a chance of winning the bloody thing. Crazy. Agree on the Chelsea point - but maybe he didn't think we have the players to do it. Certainly this summer will test the club's sense. We need a DM, RB, LB etc badly.
Borini? Allen? There's £26m right there. Also, I'm counting 16-18 players that are (or should be...because of the large outlay) considered match day 18 quality. You've also got an academy that is choc full of bright talents...some of whom you paid money out for, out bidding other clubs for. Like I say. I do accept he's done a good job but I see the set up at Liverpool as being one of the 6 clubs that should challenge for top 4,pots and yes titles. Lot's of things went right for Liverpool this year. Look at your competitors; Man City - most money, title, cup...struggled with CL Chelsea - were playing CL all season....hamstrung themselves on Lukaku also Arsenal - played CL, cup run (probably going to win it), didn't bring enough players in (nevermind Ozil's price) Man Utd - total transition season that couldn't have gone any worse! and stayed in CL for a long time Spurs - tried to integrate too many players, sacked manager, were in Europa (worse than CL) Best opportunity you've had in years and fair play with the advantage of no European football you took a CL place...but personally I'd be gutted because with 3 games left the title was yours. He just had to send his team out to kill that Chelsea game. Might be years before you have another chance. What a wasted opportunity.
1. Rodgers gets top vote from me. 7th to almost winning the title in one season is outrageous. 2. Pulis second place, Palace were shocking at the start of the season and when we beat them 2-0 at Selhurst, that was arguably our easiest win of the season. Pulis has worked wonders. 3. Pellegrini is third from me. A great season for City taking a league/cup double. Not a bad effort considering it's his first season with them, and his first season in Britain. I really struggled with the idea of Poyet. He's obviously worked a miracle to get them out of trouble and they got to a cup final, but in the league all season they've been a mess and, to be honest, they looked dead and buried after that 5-1 loss to Tottenham. I can't justify putting Poyet in my top 3 managers because these seasonal awards are judged over a season. Poyet has had an impressive 4 games at the end of the season that's saved the club, but he'll be the first to admit that, despite showing glimpses of potential since he took over in October, they were relegation fodder for the first 33 games. Hardly manager of the season material.
I would hate to put a top 5 manager in the frame as to the funds they have available, and I have in rodgers
It certainly was our best opportunity this year... but we had to have a ridiculous season to create that opportunity. You can criticise all the big clubs for doing something wrong when they don't win the league, it's the same every season. Chelsea haven't won it because they've had a terrible run in. When your squad is as big as theirs, saying you can't handle two competitions is a joke. Same with City. EDIT: Just realised I haven't said who I'd pick... Rodgers Pulis Bruce/Martinez
