I don't think we have, our problems are down to the system we play and the understanding of the system by the players. If Rodgers can solve this and change the formation and drop some players who are not performing then we may recover quickly unfortunately he doesn't seem to be doing this.
All of our new signings have shown glimpses of their quality. I don't think any of them are like Aspas or Borini suffering from a lack of ability.
Borini looked decent at Sunderland under a good manager and Aspas has just helped Sevilla go joint top of La Liga!
No apologies for that: the Spurs game apart, Sterling was decidedly ropey until the New Year. I gave him the second best player in the team rating at the end of the season. All of which was down to inexperience and nerves - are you truly saying Balotelli will have the same impact as Sterling did in the second half of this season? I really hope you're right.
Only Mario knows, really. I think he is a massively talented player with issues, if he could sort them out he could become a top premier league player. Big 'if' I know... I think a few months playing alongside Sturridge could really bring the best out of him. Plus he's still quite young for a target man type striker, a lot of them don't start really start developing into top strikers until they were 26/27 etc.
I looked back at that thread about sterling I wrote moreinjuredthanowen Moderator Join Date Jun 2011 Posts 17,681 Post Thanks / Like Blog Entries 7 Rep Power 7422751 I think it simply is a case of playing to not take a risk as much as anything. if he makes the right runs and goaes about simply trying to beat a player he'd easily succeed. its the back passing and buck passing that holds them back.. fear.. pure and simple. I feel this is still fair to have said and after Christmas all of lfc played without fear and sterling certainly made better run and scored Frankly right now he looks like he doesn't know what to do and is second guessing himself... Just be positive should be the message. Rodgers is one for saying crap like that so given how coutinho wants to be positive a couple of players moving in front to sterling might help but in general he is too deep to use his strengths and when he does get it advanced he is over playing it Roll on sturridge I say, sterling can be a lot better and it's not just tiredness it's confidence oh and greez was right in that thread he is now only 19 and was 18 then
I have probably ( well did) miss all the shenanigans from the summer signings in my absence but here are my two cents. I think with the Suarez money, we should have gone for at least 1-2 immediate stars and players who would fit immediately into our style and program. Balotelli is a "star/name" but even when we were mentioned with him, I couldn't help but think how is exactly the opposite of Suarez and Studge and how that would work. Finding out now that when you want to press from the front, it doesn't work with ol Balo up there, especially on his own. This all may change when Studge comes back but feel had we maybe gone for Balo AND kept faith with Remy, we could be in a different proposition. Another one for me, again with the money. Of the 75 million, or close to that, we spent about 55 million of it on 3 SOuthampton players. Lallana is good, Lovren is good but neither worth the money we paid, not even close. Lambert wasn't a waste but again, different type of striker to how we play and plays best in a two front system, something we haven't really given him yet. I am fine with Can, fine with Moreno and Manquillo, but still think the midfield is lacking some real steel in there or at least a player who is postionally intelligent in plugging the gaps. It feels like a summer window where we should have come away with a Reus, Shaquiri, Alonso, etc type of signing and we came away spunking a boat load on three southampton players ( good players but have to look at Kenny and Downing/Carroll for similar expenditure). I saw where we were linked to Berahino and I just can't help but think please no as we seem to always get pulled into spending the top top top dollar to buy players who are half of the price we pay. Anyhoo, my two cents on just the buys and how it does fall at Rodgers feet. Now he has to find the best ways to get the most out of the squad.
Well said mate. Completely agree - we work our b*llocks off to get back into the CL and we sign 3 underwhelming senior players from Soton. I think all 3 are good squad players to have but that's not what we needed - as you say, we needed 2-3 players who are ready, experienced and will improve the first team. Lovren, is not better than either Skrtel or Sakho. Lallana is not better than Coutinho They are good players to rotate with but we needed more.
That could have said: We work our b*llocks off to get back into the CL and we sign 3 players we could have signed without CL football.
It is funny how we have been baying about getting into the CL to get real quality, immediate quality. United slip out and get Di Maria, Blind, Falcao ( no defense really mind you) and we get IN the CL and get Lovren,Lallana, Lambert lol. Again, not dismissing the players as "bad" just with that money, would have rather maybe one or two project guys ( Manquillo, Moreno, Markovic although Moreno is doing pretty well) and 2-3 immediate guys. We will see, still very early but it could all change with Studge back. He is looking like the glue that keeps that front line and attack strong.
I agree - the youngsters i.e. Moreno, Manqullo and now Can haven't done anything wrong. In fact, the youngsters in our squad are the ones who are carrying this team. For me, the annoying this is the scattergun approach to replacing Suarez. I think Rodgers and co genuinely believed Suarez was staying for another season which would explain the sh*t attacking signings but it's so naive. Once Sturridge comes back, we'll be a different animal and I expect us to be attacking with the same intensity as last season. BUT - we shouldn't be in a position where we're so reliant on player.
I see a lot of people on twitter going on about Mario being the scapegoat which is partially correct, we are still so so poor at defending set pieces, crosses, and anything with a counter attacking element. Would have loved to see Valdes but he seems United bound now as he can control a box, play with his feet, organize, etc. Still, imagine a Cavani who may have been interested, Benzema might have been a stretch, Mandzukic etc. Or if you want to look at guys who can provide the service and chip in with the goals, Valbuena went to Dynamo Moscow for 6 mil....... 6 mil!!!!!
I still think Lavezzi was the guy we should have gone for. Fair enough, he doesn't score enough but replacing the work ethic and movement would have enabled to play the same way. The chances would have still been there so the goals would have come, more so than now.
