Serious question to other supporters, there are loads of threads to take the piss, so try and take a step back stop laughing and compose yourself before answering. Take a look at our board and you'll see a load of answers as to why we are doing so badly, Managers fault, Balotellis fault, Mingolet gets mentioned a lot, Rodgers is the main problem now, Johnson of course, tactics formation, not using the right players and finally Suarez carried us last season. So looking from the outside in what has gone wrong? And what do we do to resolve it?
All confidence has gone. Said last season that confidence is the most important thing in football. A confident average player offers more than an out of confodence superstar more often than not.
My thoughts are a combination of poor decisions made by Rodgers and his staff. Firstly there was no clear target identified to replace Suarez and his contribution to last season was underestimated. Secondly too many young players with "potential" were bought instead of seasoned players who would have slotted in easily and improved the first team. The center back problem, we still have no leader, no communicator a Fonte was needed more than a Lovren if you get what I mean. Gerrard is quite simply too old and his performances are not good enough but he starts nearly every game. Balotelli is not, never has been and never will be any good he is the noose that Rodgers slipped around his own neck. So to me a combination of things have lead to this seasons poor start, who's to blame? It has to be the manager, can he turn it around? Sadly I don't think he got the right people helping him in order for him to do this.
In order to have any chance at finishing any where near the top 4 ever again, you need to find yourself another Goofy. Every non-Mouser who had any knowledge of football said that "when Goofy goes, so will 'Pool's dreams of finishing anywhere other than in mid table obscurity." The problem that you Mousers have is that you all seem to genuinely believe that you could have got top 4 last season on merit without Goofy in your team! It is arrogance of a staggering magnitude, and is the reason why so many people (not just those who follow football) are now laughing at you. That's my honest, non-wumming view.
Gerrard being seen as undroppable is a big factor for me. Not sure how he stayed on the pitch against us (Newcastle) and yesterday at Palace. I thought Allen massively out performed him yesterday and yet it was Allen that was subbed. Also the fact that Suarez wasn't replaced with a like for like player, and by that i don't mean a super star but someone who is always on the go, strecthes teams, works hard etc. I think Shane Long would have been a much better buy than Ballotelli, don't for one second think I'm comparing his abillity to Suarez, it's just that his movement would have created more space for the likes of Sterling, Lallana etc. Obviously your defence is a mess despite throwing a lot of money at it. I think he needs to pick a back four that includes Toure (your only leader at the back) and just tell them to get back to basics.
'Firstly there was no clear target identified to replace Suarez and his contribution to last season was underestimated'. 'Secondly too many young players with "potential" were bought instead of seasoned players who would have slotted in easily and improved the first team'. It is easy to criticise some of the signings, in hindsight. But there is no way Suarez could be replaced with one equivalent - there isn't one. With Champions League games to contend with this year, it made perfect sense to increase the size of the squad with good, not necessarily galactico, signings. Lallana had a fantastic season with Saints, as did Lovren, as did Lambert. Markovic is a strange one, Can I don't know much about, but he seemed to have a good game against Chelsea. So the squad potential is there. Rodgers has to make some big decisions, and do it now. His comments on 'defending is easy' lines after the Chelsea game last season are starting to look more stupid by the week. The guy talks more blarney than David O'Leary in his Leeds days. Don't become the new Arsenal. The clue is in the starting 11 for the away game against Madrid - a creditable performance, against the best team in Europe. Gerrard has to be dropped, Toure brought back into defense. The striker situation is a problem, which needs looking at in the transfer window, but there's not much wrong with the rest of the team, that some tactical changes won't fix.
Combination of a few things. First of all the most glaring: Liverpool were an attacking side last season and the two guys who got the goals have been absent. Suarez was sold and Sturridge injured. Thats both your goal scorers gone and your threat neutered. Second - Misspending of funds: Rodgers has bought quantity over quality. Yes your squad was a little thin last season, but its better to replace great players with other great players if you wish to maintain your run. He has bought a couple good players, and the rest are too young, unproven or just plain mediocre. I wont list which one is which as opinions on who comes under which category will no doubt differ, but the truth of the fact as a whole is inescapable. The priority always needs to be the first XI first, squad second. Balotelli was a risk which hasn't paid off aswell, he is no Suarez! I thought he was worth a punt at that price admittedly, looks like I was wrong too! Gerrard: Just drop him, he doesn't fit. Rodgers seems to be finding any way of trying to keep him in the team because, I am guessing, of his talismanic value. But when it starts being to the teams detriment, your heart cannot rule your head and he needs to be dropped.... Defending: Get a fecking defensive coach. Your defence is the same as last season, but minus the 52 goals that helped pull their asses out of the fire. Last season the Palace result was 3-3, this time 3-1, same number of goals conceded, a third of the goals scored.
I wouldn't anyway but that avenue of choice was taken away without ever visiting your board due to a snide. However I would imagine your board to be like that of Arsenal & their north London neighbours 'the Spuds' in meltdown. Of what I've seen of the last 4 games is there is no leadership on the field and too many anonymous faces strolling around playing a different game. Keep it up
You needed to buy a £25m+ superstar with the Suarez money, such as Fabregas or Costa, not loads of £20m semi-stars, like Spuds did. Actually your purchases cost as much as ours! And you over performed last season playing part-time, like we all said to be fair, so this season has been tougher playing full time. On a cheerier note for Dippers, imagine how bad United will be playing full time next season. Imagine the teams they would have had to put out playing full time this year with all their injuries!! Top 4 is not beyond Liverpool if they put a run together after Xmas, and a flukey Champions League run too
Didn't even attempt to replace Suarez with a similarly hardworking striker, made too many early changes and keep playing Gerrard for virtually every minute of every game. Rather than gradually introducing the new players over the course of the season, Rodgers chucked in quite a few and then kept switching things all the time. You had a fairly settled side last season and time to prepare for every game with a suitable recovery period. Now you've got a manager that's chopping and changing all the time and a game every few days, so the team has lost it's stability, cohesiveness and consistency. He's also failing to play to some players' strengths, picking Balotelli on his own up top and then publicly criticising him, for example. Your defensive weaknesses are still there and your system doesn't offer them much cover. That was fine when you were scoring for fun, but that's no longer the case. Things will pick up when Sturridge is back and your new players have had a chance to settle, but the manager's under real pressure now.
I blame Rogers (but he must stay KRAP) Of the 24 players he bought in only 2 of them are working out (but one is injured)
I think Ealing blue sums up my thoughts exactly. You've got to love HIAG though, can't resist a dig at every opportunity.
Dont forget we wanted Sanchez, he chose London (although I think his poor pride was hurt at being part of the Suarez deal) Last year we were in for Costa, didnt want to leave Atletico Salah and Willian, Chelsea outbid us for both Sanchez, Costa + Willian would have been good signings for us, Salah not so sure
