I think 2nd WAS an achievement. Even if he had Suarez. We were helped by other big teams having off seasons but it was still an accomplishment. The thing is. Rodgers is a big softie. When things are going well that's ok. (and we started that season winning through luck when we should have lost/drawn) A lucky start and the team were motivated and rearing to fight. No hardman needed. As soon as things got rough Rodgers couldn't handle it. He's too much of a teddy bear to discipline and motivate the squad. If we could fluke our way every year to the top of the table after first 5 or 6 games that might be enough to make Rodgers softy approach work.
I agree with this and think it's an important point. However, at the beginning of the season I was prepared to accept that an element of luck mitigated the ups and downs of the previous 3 and believed that this season was make or break for him. I wasn't expecting such a dismal start to it, and at the moment, I can't see any really positive signs that we're going to get it right. Unlike many on here, I can accept the occasional defensive lapse as part of the game, but the inability to score is really doing my head in. I don't think the group of players is that bad at all. I think there's a lot of talent in the team, so the failure must lie within the aspects of a game that are the responsibility of the manager. I've been very patient and tried to see the difficulties, but that patience is running out. I won't put BR in the same category as Woy, but I just can't see that he has enough of what it takes to get us back to the top- or even near it.
We have perhaps the 5th best squad so to be below 5th or performing less than a champions league challenger is underperforming.
I think it is both. His recruiting judgement IMO has been appalling. Given the large amounts he was given, are these players the best he could have recruited? When you look around the premiership, you can see lots of talented players costing a fraction of our players and playing much better. And I agree that he is far from using the players at our disposal properly. Does he have a system? in the early years he was in favour of a passing game. At Swansea he did that. He could outpass Van Gaal (Mmm may be not!) but now how does he want his players to play? Benteke is our star striker. does he like long balls behind the defence and crosses? Firmino, what has he been doing? he has been anonymous. The fact that Balotelli and Aspas are now scoring for their teams must tell us something...
Committees exist at most top European clubs. They're essentially a team of scouts headed by DoF with minimal input from the manager/First Team Coach. We're just the only ones dumb enough to actually label it as a 'committee'. Arsenal is the only exception I can think of because Wenger has been at the club for so long and has earned that much power to head his team of scouts. Fergie was the same but I suspect LVG has gone back to a normal/continental way and given power to someone else. Mourinho has always operated under a DoF as well. The best managers in the world are used to having players signed for them - this is why they're referred to as First Team Coach, and not Manager because their job is to develop and coach the resources they are given. And it makes sense - most managers are poor judges of talent so why not let the experts do the recruiting, and let the 'manager' do what he's best at which is coaching. Split up the responsibilities and let the experts do their job. But this can only work is all parties are aligned towards the same goal. Personally, we have a team of scouts who have identified some great players. But we have a manager who has signed players who go against that. Now there's a conflict in the type of player we want to sign. This is why we badly need a DoF to provide us with a framework and structure.
Luis Alberto and Manquillo are enjoying some good form this season as well. Remains to be seen how their get on for the rest of the season and they could easily fail - but I personally think Rodgers did not give them time of day or get the best out of them. If they didn't perform right away, then they were simply written off. Compare that to his own preferred players and how many opportunities they were given (and still given to this day).
do we have experts though? they seem as clueless in spotting talent as brendan does. we have very little experience of anything at this club with fecking anything. i get people should be able to prove themselves etc etc but ffs you need some level of people knowing what the **** is going on, our lot seem clueless on all levels. we can mix experience with youth player wise, yet we have no one in management who knows what the **** they are doing as they are all amateurs, including our owners!!!
Something has to change that I'm certain of and have been for some time. Rodgers is not the right man I was vocal on this early last season, there's a lack of passion in the team driven by a manager who heavily relies on systems and forgets that football is much more than tactics and formations. I want Liverpool back I'd rather the crazy times where we won and lost with passion and pride in our team than the non football that is currently on show.
This The policy of only buying youngish players who will have residual value after their contract is misguided. In theory it is a great policy. But in practice it does not work because at the price range LFC deals, you are taking a gamble. And you are buying middle of the range players. A proven young star will cost a lot. And very good potential cost a lot too. Using this policy, we will get one very good player for every 10 players we buy. So it has proven in practice. We got Suarez, Coutinho, Sterling but in the process we had to buy loads of Carrolls, Downings, Lallannas, Lovrens, Allens, Balotellis, Aspas, Markovic, etc. This club cannot survive with just one brillant star (who then gets sold after a few years for a top price anyway). With our policy we will never go for an experienced player like Schweinsteiger because he would be considered too old. The amount of money spent in the last 4-5years prove my point. What's the point if we miss European football and stay in mid table as an average team? It is time we revisit that policy.
If you look at last season, the youngsters were the ones who played best. The older ones are the ones who let us down. Buying Young is a good policy. Problem is we have a manager who doesn't know how to use them and doesn't give them a chance. Rodgers signed Lallana, Lovren, Lambert and Milner. We have signed experienced players - shame they're just sh*t.
Stupid decision to get rid of him. He was brilliant defensively and the only criticism anyone had for him was that he couldn't attack. Looking at Clyne this year, I can't see any difference.
