If a manager whose team are 11 points off 2nd place even mentions it that will it set them up for ridicule. Had he been more measured they wouldn't have reported it the way they did and it would have still shown some ambition - Liverpool fans would kill for a 4th spot this season - why wouldn't they?. I just think he's not altogether used to everything he says being reported in the media due to the size of the club - his press conferences will always be among the most anticipated..
He neglected to mention the gap for the clubs below Liverpool is a lot smaller, and thinks that three wins qualifies as "consistency". You want to talk about other users having a low intelligence level when the best you can come back with is a tantrum and a few emoticons? And, by the way, the word is "crap" - something you need to cut, because your posts are keeping this thread alive and relevant in equal measure. Steve Kean's were also keenly anticipated last season, because his increasingly ridiculous pronouncements gave journalists more than enough rope to hang him with. Similarly, journalists were queuing up to see Villas-Boas fail at the start of the season, but have backed off since. Long story short, there's more than one reason for journalists to queue up for a manager's press conference.
I agree but you think he'd be aware of it by now. That said you'd like to think the BBC would know better!
The BBC's standard of journalism usually stoops to using the 6 O'Clock News' headlines to plug that evening's Panorama...
'Could' We all know we don't have the quality to finish second. Rodgers too. Think he was criticised on here recently for downplaying things coming into January. It's what managers have to do - manage the media. It means as much as you read into it.
The thing with Rodgers, as mentioned on here a few times, is he is utterly piss poor at it - and he has no excuse, either, as he would have seen at Chelsea what it's like to have the media waiting for you to slip up so they can crucify you, whilst he has experience of dealing with the press from his stints at Watford, Reading and Swansea so he has more experience of dealing with the English (and Welsh!) press. As I said before, Villas-Boas knew that journalists had pre-written articles on him failing (both from a "Villas-Boas fails again" standpoint, and because he wasn't Harry) and he came through it and at the very least has got them off his back, with a smattering of praise for the job he's doing. Rodgers, meanwhile, is loading the press corps' gun for them with some of his pronouncements - which implies he doesn't need to manage the press, but someone at the club needs to manage him.
Where's HIAG to give his well thought out and balanced views, when we need him? Not enough commitment if you ask me.
Haven't seen personal attacks on Rodgers akin to with AVB or say Steve Kean. More attacks on Liverpool, but everyone likes to get a kick in so it's to be expected.
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about - you lot all love it really. I know i would
That's the thing, a manager shouldn't run the risk of inviting ridicule with their comments. For example, Steve McClaren saying there were positives to be taken from Middlesbrough being on the end of a 4-0 tonking is the sort of thing that makes fans of the club cringe, which is something else a manager should not be doing if they can help it. Rodgers shouldn't be keeping his mouth shut...although he does use that weird hybrid of management speak and euphemism more than other managers, but he should consider keeping his head down if he can avoid it (as should every other manager whose press conferences have a high proportion of responses along the lines of "LOL") because it allows the media to paint whatever picture of the club or the manager they want when results are going wrong.
"It was a second defeat in 12 games for Liverpool and will serve as a reality check to their growing levels of expectancy and optimism that they might be able to launch an assault on the Champions League places. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had even claimed he was looking higher than fourth place but those comments came back to haunt him after his side were beaten by an improving and youthful Villa, who extended their unbeaten league run to five games to move up to 14th place."
In the early part of the season I was wondering why Lambert chose Villa, as he could have very easily damaged his reputation before he'd got one. Now, however, there are glimpses that he knows what he's doing - even if part of it seems to be try to avoid paying Sunderland any more appearance fees for Darren Bent.
