Of course Barcelona don't hold the monopoly of the game. There are thousands of clubs in the world so some are bound to be similar. It is just that I am a firm believer of club identity. John Barnes sums it up quite well in his book (his thoughts just before joining us) about Liverpool having a certain way of playing that was deeply written into the clubs genes. I believe we still have those genes, they just need freshening up. Each manager that comes in obviously have their own way, their own style, and nothing will change that. It is just the constant "like Barcelona" **** I keep seeing, it is An Shambles
I still fondly remember the days of us keeping the ball, if nothing was on it would go back to the keeper and we would start again. I think Rodgers style will be closer to the football we played in the 80's and we did ok then.
Either way Rafa came in with fresh ideas but left prematurely. I see Rodgers as a forward thinking manager who likes to keep up to date with modern methods and I welcome that. If he wants to emulate the best teams in the world (Barca/Spain) then great - I think it's brilliant that we're aspiring to be the best or at least copy them. As mentioned previously, it will take BR time to get the right players that will play the way he wants so we should be patient. There was a great article on this board about the clubs persona and adapting - I think we are guilty at being stuck in our ways and looking at the old 'pass and move' tactics, playing with wingers, doing things the 'Liverpool Way' etc, and also by failing to capitalise on our success from a commercial aspect. There are some people who believe Rodgers is talking too much to the media but in this day and age, we need a manager who isn't dimissive to the press (as much as I love it!) as will only create more negative publicity and unwanted attention. Edit: I understand the need to stay true to our roots etc but we've gone over 20 years without a league title ...
There is a certain way to do it, snapping at questions makes you look like you are on edge or under pressure. If a question comes up that you do not wish to answer / stir things up then you simply dismiss it with a generic "we're not here to talk about that today". If it happens again, you fake laugh and say the same thing.
The press will find a way to twisting whatever the manager has to say - journalism is unbelievable these days and it's quite embarrassing but you have to play the game. It's why people like Harry Redknapp are loved because they engage with them. I don't agree with it but we have to play along. If we were winning on the pitch, then I don't care what BR says to the press, but we're not winning and haven't been for a few years so everything is magnified and scrutinised. We need all the help we can get and hopefully BR can help get the media off of our backs. Seems to be working as I actually read a positive article about LFC in the Daily Mail!!
I'd like to reassure every one that I play tika-taka on FIFA 12 and it works fine with the Liverpool team. We always win the league and cups, so don't panic
I play the same style with Napoli. No one can mess with the Holy Trinity of Lavezzi - Cavani - Hamsik. Unfortunately, I will have to find a new team now that Lavezzi has gone to PSG
I'm not saying we don't need to change, nor am I saying we do, I am saying whatever we do we shouldn't be copying someone else's blueprint. We should implement a style that is best suited to our foundations - I don't mean our history, I mean our currently existence, something that suits and us and would well well with the current squad, staff, stadium, fans, etc.
Yeah your not wrong, a prime example recently which actually made my blood boil was when we turned down Newcastle to loan Carroll. The BBC of all sites chose to go with the headline "LFC will not allow Carroll to leave for less than £20m" - clicked in to it & the whole article never mentioned the £20m part again, but that's what everyone takes and runs with as if BR said it himself!!! You would think with the whole enquiry/scandal thing that has been going on it would have sharpened up a bit but just seems to get worse by the day.
I hear you - but then that would suggest that we continue doing what we're doing which has been underachieving for the past 20 years? Rafa implemented a solid foundation with the acadamy built on good technique and hard work. IMO - BR is carrying on with this but with a bit more emphasis on the technical side.
Wish I could but I only play online and I don't like tampering with the squads. Plus, I wish they would get rid of Tactical defending!! ARGGHHH
And that is exactly what we should do IMO but because it is the best way forward for us, not because Barcelona or whoever else are doing something similar Edit: twenty years of failure: we have been on the crust of success on various occasions in those twenty years with Evans, Houlliers and Rafa all getting close to a title. Unfortunately, none of them quite made it but surely we must be doing something right in the first place to get so close? It is just finding that extra 5%...
GC OR S = WUM Seriously though, I see where he is coming from. Personally I just dislike the term 'Tika-taka', sounds like one of those annoying songs that are played over and over on the radio or something. I think our style will look different to Swansea, if all goes well for Brendan then we should expect to be more in the opponents half than our own. He has better players at his disposal too, we weren't far off it last season in terms of possession etc...just needs a little tweaking. At Reading he had to implement his style from fresh which was always going to be hard at a club at that level of quality (at the time). Swansea already had a bit of the philosophy embedded in already which suited Rodgers, much like Liverpool now, all I hope for is that it goes just as smoothly and he gets time. It will be interesting to see how we play when all the players are back and we start to see some of the first 11 playing together.
