I think you should all listen to Astro. Things are looking very rosey at anfield please log in to view this image
And because this season is massively unpredictable, more so than previous recent seasons. Who'd have thought Chelsea would be so low and Man U (with Smalling as CB) would be top? Well mostly unpredictable, Newcastle and Sunderland
I've not seen the Carlisle or the Villa performance... but the rest have been average at best, bar 45 minutes against Arsenal. I'm all for giving him the benefit of the doubt and I think it is too early to be getting rid. But this also goes back to the end of last season where we were poor... the contact playing players out of position being the main issue. Playing Can at CB.. he played a few decent games there when he first broke in but since then he's been average and it's stalling his development. There is a making of a good team there with some talented youngsters but Rodgers seems reluctant to give them a proper chance. He's been heralded as a coach that gives young players a chance... but looking at it, has he? He gave Sterling plenty of chances but any coach would have given the talent he is. Ilori? Nope... Markovic? Hardly played but when he did was in a foreign position... Can? Sort of but only when forced due to injuries... Tex? Nope... Gomez has been given a chance far quicker than thought he might, but early days and has been taken out the team now... no problem with that for the moment though. Ibe? Given a bit of a chance but again in a position not normal for him... There's no denying he has spent a lot of money, even if net spend isn't as high as our rivals, but the whole transfer strategy which he is part of has no direction. Players are being brought in that just don't suit the "Rodgers" way, which suggests that Rodgers isn't even sure how he wants to be playing, and if he's not sure then how can the players be sure? 442, 433, 532... we've tried a bit of everything this year and last and the only one that had any real success was the diamond with 2 up and then 5 at the back for a period of time when it was new to opposition. 442 diamond he doesn't seem to like anymore and instead wants to keep reinventing football, playing different formations etc. Must be a nightmare in training for players, having to keep training in different formations and systems without ever getting fully to grips with one. His philosophy was keep the ball.. he abandoned that when it wasn't working because teams would sit back on us. It worked for Swansea because it drew teams out and they could exploit that space with 2 pacey wingers... for LFC, teams sit back and allow us to pass it around. Fair enough, with the brilliance of Suarez/Sturridge/Sterling we switched and became more counter attacking... but then losing 1 (or 2 if include injury to Sturridge) components of that system, he suddenly decided instead to try a new philosophy which didn't work and again this year. LFC under Rodgers doesn't have an identity. I ask anyone to look at us and ask what kind of football we play... Arsenal is quick passing, Chelsea were solid at the back, City were fast attacking, United under LVG are about keeping possession... we seem to be trying to be a bit of everything under Rodgers and it's not working/ The players don't know what they should be doing. So far, results aren't as bad as being made out, 3 wins, a draw against Arsenal all good, a draw at home to Norwich, not ideal but it happens, 2 defeats against United (can happen they're a decent team) and West Ham, fine it happens during a season you lose a game you don't expect but fans aren't getting excited by the football we play. LFC aren't Chelsea... us fans aren't excited by scoring a goal then sitting back for 80 minutes and winning it 1-0. We like watching our team play exciting football, even if at times it means we let a 2 goal lead slip or have a heart in mouth moment when winning and trying to push for more goals etc... He'll get time.. and rightly so, but performances must improve more so than results and if they don't Anfield will be a boring place on matchdays.
The good news is Sturridge is back. We've lacked quality upfront for a long time. Now i'd like to see Benteke causing havoc and creating space for Studge. However, there is a big 'if' about him staying fit. Is it right that our season should hinge on a persistent sick note? Of course not. As for the defence; I haven't see the goals yet but heard that they were sloppy. How many more sloppy goals do we have to concede before somebody realises that we have a chronic problem. On a brighter note; Chelsea
What is about Rodgers and post match interviews? When asked about him being under pressure the last week or so, he totally deflected the question upon the players. "How they had been treated unfairly, how they had given their all, and how Sturridge had been missed" . Not a word about himself, about the pressure on him had been fair or unfair. It is as if he had nothing to do with the team's performance
Some lovely goals, especially the two from Sturridge. Link up play with Cout was lovely. Their first goal shows why Emre Can isn't and shouldn't be playing CB.... the big CF pulls onto him and a tiny bit of movement in the box beats him all ends up and leaves him with a tap in. Can just ball watched rather than getting close and marking him.
Can is a tortoise, he is better jogging around the centre of the pitch waving his arms and pointing. In the thick of the action he is far too slow to react.
Regardless of position the man is immobile, give him the ball with 30 yards of space in front of him and he will trundle into it then pass it to the nearest player when confronted. Put him in a position where he has to react quickly and he becomes erratic at best, static more often. I see him and Sakho as very similar players in that respect (though Sakho has some pace).
Didn't see anything of the match yesterday. Great about Sturridge but I take it our defending was all over the place again!
His reaction time and acceleration are both slow but he's not immobile at all, once he gets going he's like Yaya Toure; pace power and direct. He rarely gives the ball away and isn't scared of trying something different or taking on his man. As Biscan said, he's not a CB. However, I wouldn't play him as a DM either because I think reaction time and acceleration are two key attributes for that role.
To be fair, all 3 defenders and the keeper were at fault. Can does need to be taken out of defence ASAP. Let Gomez develop in central defence.
Coutinho played in a CM role yesterday and he looked very good. Love the way he gets the ball, turns and runs into space. His link up play with Ings and Sturridge is really good.
I kind of get where you're coming from. The fact that he's now a regular German international would suggest that people IN football would argue he's not erratic and static The issue is people think he's far more versatile than he is. Give him a CM position and leave him there and he'll become a great player. Put him in CB, RB, DM, CM, RM, LM in alternate weeks he'll soon be the 'If only' of German football. Shame if he doesn't cement HIS position as he's clearly a very gifted young player. I think people forget how young he actually is tbh. But he's certainly no CB
True he did well in the middle to be fair. I personally still think he needs to be given the freedom to play on the left and cut in though. From the left he usually has his best games. Yesterday was an exception to that and he did a good job so can't knock him.
We should also remember that this has played 5 games in around 2 weeks as well playing full 120 mins mid week. That's a lot of football for anyone to play.
