Liverpool FC Forum

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

rodgers reveals he looked at the spurs job 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... Spurs.html

he turned it down when he was at swansea which takes some doing, not many young managers would turn down the chance to manage a potential CL club mainly because the opportunity may not arise again.
rodgers obviously had enough confidence in his own ability that one day one of the true giants of the game would come looking to hire him and to be fair he called it right.

[red till i die!!]

rodgers reveals he looked at the spurs job 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... Spurs.html

he turned it down when he was at swansea which takes some doing, not many young managers would turn down the chance to manage a potential CL club mainly because the opportunity may not arise again.
rodgers obviously had enough confidence in his own ability that one day one of the true giants of the game would come looking to hire him and to be fair he called it right.

there was only a couple of weeks in it from when arry left till he took this job. from memory id say it wasnt any more than 2. the pressure would have been there from day 1 if he had took it because of the success of redknapp. he wouldnt have had his way either and would have too much interference from levy and baldini.

[Stu the Red]

Back onto the subject, how do we all stand with the manager?

From a personal point of view I have to say I'm still largely undecided. For me though, after a couple of years of him being here I think if anything, that represents he's getting the majority of things right.

For me, tactically he still has a lot to learn. I think at times we lack defensive strategy and at times we allow the opposition to exploit our weaknesses far to easily. I also am yet to see him (off the top of my head) change the pattern of a game with subs. Something the spaniard was excellent at doing.

I think in terms of transfers I've been pretty disappointed so far, however, there have been positives. Much the same with squad management/building.

In terms of his player management he's come across as absolutely spot on. There is definately a togetherness amoung the squad.

His media handling is also excellent, although he does occasionally waffle on a bit about nothing.

Progress I think has been steady too, which is definately a plus, we do however need an accelerated period of this at some point I believe. For the time being at least, so far so good.

I'd say i'm 55%-60% happy and more than willing to allow him the time needed to prove he has what it takes.

[LFC1990]

I think Brendan is showing that he has a philosphy and if he has the players to play in it it will work.

Looking at this season we still havent once played our strongest 11 which i think is

Mignolet
Johnson
Toure
Agger
Enrique
Lucas
Henderson
Gerrard
Coutinho
Suarez
Sturridge

At one point a member of the above has been out and we sit second 2 points off Arsenal in Brendans second season.

I think his real test will come after Cardiff 2 away games against 2 of the best sides in the league in a space of 2 days. Very hard but if we walk away with 2 points we can be happy.

Transfer wise i think he has done quite well.

Brining in Borini and Aspas was obviously mistakes however Aspas was showing it in la liga last year and Borini had success under rodgers even if it was championship football.

Obviously ilori and Alberto was bought for the future.

Coutinho and Sturridge was both fanatastoc buys and to get both for just over 20 million was fantastic.

I also like the way he handled team affairs.

Firstly he wasnt scared to bench 35 million pound man Carroll where some managers would have thought the pressure of playing him, Brendan had his way and Carroll didnt fit it.

He has also dealt with Suarez situation very well and for that he has more respect from Suarez i believe and alot of fans.

If there is a way he can bring the fa cup home and finish in say top 4 i think the owners will trust him enough with serious money and build this club fighting for the league next year although i still dont rule out this season.

All in all I think Rodgers has a blueprint and following it well.

[Red Focus]

BR likes to say that for a club to finish 7th the previous season to win the league the next season was unprecedented. Well, I disagree. For those of you who are old enough to remember, Nottingham Forest were promoted from the old 2nd Division in season 1976/77 and the next season 1977/78, they were First Division champions and went on to be Champions of Europe for the next 2 seasons. So it is possible but logic tells me it's not possible and he was right that the title is City's to lose because of the depth and quality of their squad. All I can say is, we have to play with the goal of winning the league but if we don't but end up in top 4, I'll be happy. And we'll talk about winning the league next season.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

BR likes to say that for a club to finish 7th the previous season to win the league the next season was unprecedented. Well, I disagree. For those of you who are old enough to remember, Nottingham Forest were promoted from the old 2nd Division in season 1976/77 and the next season 1977/78, they were First Division champions and went on to be Champions of Europe for the next 2 seasons. So it is possible but logic tells me it's not possible and he was right that the title is City's to lose because of the depth and quality of their squad. All I can say is, we have to play with the goal of winning the league but if we don't but end up in top 4, I'll be happy. And we'll talk about winning the league next season.

you can bet your bottom dollar that brendan is thinking of winning the title, especially considering our position in the league and the inconsistency of all the top sides, this is a great opportunity and he knows it, he is just playing down expectations to keep the pressure off our players and piling it all on to citys players by basically saying if they dont win it they`ve f####d up.

[Stu the Red]

City are the best side in the country, no question. They're practically unbeatable at home and seem to have sorted out their away form now.

They will win the league. The fact we're even discussing the possibility though after 17 games shows an improvement.

The fact that its still very realistic that we might not do much wrong and could still finish sixth is also on the cards.

We have to keep perspective.

For me, we aren't good enough player for player to win a league. The maximum we can hope for is 4th as I said earlier in the season. I firmly believe City will win it, Chelsea will finish second, Arsenal third, then ourselves, Man Utd or Everton 4th. Its very difficult to call fourth place at the moment, as it is sixth.

Fourth is a very good season, regardless of others deficiencies. Anything higher and Rodgers will have done a superb job.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

City are the best side in the country, no question. They're practically unbeatable at home and seem to have sorted out their away form now.

They will win the league. The fact we're even discussing the possibility though after 17 games shows an improvement.

The fact that its still very realistic that we might not do much wrong and could still finish sixth is also on the cards.

We have to keep perspective.

For me, we aren't good enough player for player to win a league. The maximum we can hope for is 4th as I said earlier in the season. I firmly believe City will win it, Chelsea will finish second, Arsenal third, then ourselves, Man Utd or Everton 4th. Its very difficult to call fourth place at the moment, as it is sixth.

Fourth is a very good season, regardless of others deficiencies. Anything higher and Rodgers will have done a superb job.

i`d agree with all that, but you dont get to the top of the table around christmas without thinking you`ve got a reasonable chance of winning the title, especially when you have the best player in the country in your side.
dont forget in 2014 all the other top sides bar united have got to come to anfield

[red till i die!!]

city look strong and are improving so it will be hard not to see them at least chase someone to the wire, chelsea are terrible this season    cant score and cant keep clean sheets, i dont think they will take either of the top 2 spots. arsenal where my choice for the league based on their run of form in 2013. they still have the ability to do it.
as for us, id be more than happy with top 4, all of those sides will spend in january to help them push on and we need to do the same, look where we are with the squad we have and if we make 2 decent signings of note then i dont see why we couldnt continue to surprise everyone and keep ourselves up there with a shout.
whats changed for us is that we are now an attractive proposition and currently have one of the best players in the world plying his trade here. that has to go some way to attracting quality players.

[maypaxvobiscum]

Brendan Rodgers risked an FA charge by launching a scathing attack on the officials after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City and questioning the appointment of a referee from Greater Manchester.

The Liverpool manager believed a series of major decisions went against his side and was particularly aggrieved that Raheem Sterling had a goal disallowed after he was wrongly ruled offside.

Rodgers called the officials’ performance “horrendous” and insisted that referee Lee Mason, from Bolton, lives too near City to be given such a match.

He said in his postmatch news conference: “I was very proud of the players, I thought they were absolutely outstanding. They had no help from the officials. I thought today they were horrendous in terms of performance. We had nothing that went our way at all.

“I thought we never got any decisions. The linesman on the offside one, he wasn’t even on the same cut of grass. If you are working at this level, you have to get it right. It’s not even a difficult one. It is a perfectly-timed run and he is given offside when he is through one-on-one on goal. They are big moments in big games.

"There is another incident when Luis [Suarez] doesn’t get a free kick when Joleon Lescott comes through him and it is waved play on. It is arguable it is a penalty at the end. Hopefully we don’t have a Greater Manchester referee again on a Liverpool-Manchester City [game].”

Rodgers insisted it is out of character for him to criticise referees and their assistants and said he was only commenting because he felt they were particularly poor.

He added: “The officials will make mistakes. I just felt the mistakes that were made tonight shouldn’t have happened at this level. We get Raheem through on goal and you are talking about three feet [onside]. It’s not even the same cut of grass. Where you are as a linesman, you can see the whole picture. It is a poor decision. Of course if Raheem goes through he scores.

“I never speak about officials but I feel the need to protect the players this evening. They were outstanding and got nothing. I was surprised we were playing in Manchester and have a referee from Greater Manchester. I am sure we won’t get Liverpool-Manchester City [refereed by] someone from the Wirral.”

Rodgers felt his side deserved to become the first team to beat City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League this season.

He added: “We are disappointed not to have won, never mind losing. We showed great confidence and belief and scored a wonderful goal. Some of our movement and passing was exceptional and for me it is great to see. We have lost the game but take a great deal of encouragement.”

[Octsky]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... eague.html

look at the pic @ 20th min.
sterling was clearly 2 yards offside, i dont see how any pro linesmen can get that incorrectly. there should be a system in which officials who got the wrong decisions are ban from a few games.
i dont blame rogers for feeling injustice and blasted the refs. fergie used to do that and got away with it.

so far, i dont have a good feeling abt rogers being the "one". i fear his inexperience. i really do. without the oil money, to lead us back to glory requires a exceptional, one-once a decade manager. his mid ticket signings of aspas and aberto didnt really inspire the team presently.
end of season if we can get top 4 then my opinion will do a 360 change.

[devaney]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2528052/Manchester-City-v-Liverpool-live-Premier-League.html

look at the pic @ 20th min.
sterling was clearly 2 yards offside, i dont see how any pro linesmen can get that incorrectly. there should be a system in which officials who got the wrong decisions are ban from a few games.
i dont blame rogers for feeling injustice and blasted the refs. fergie used to do that and got away with it.

so far, i dont have a good feeling abt rogers being the "one". i fear his inexperience. i really do. without the oil money, to lead us back to glory requires a exceptional, one-once a decade manager. his mid ticket signings of aspas and aberto didnt really inspire the team presently.
end of season if we can get top 4 then my opinion will do a 360 change.

I think you mean onside?

Based on your post in another thread I don't think you had seen the match before making this post. Apologies if I am wrong.

I think your comments about BR should have been reserved until you had actually watched the match. We have a committee that is responsible for player transfers that so far have bought some excellent players and some thoroughly awful ones.This happens with every club.To date their mistakes are minuscule compared with the likes of Carroll,Downing and Adam who cost nearly £60 and were sold less than two years later for not much more than £20m !!  We do not have a committee to manage the team. That is BR's responsibility and he deserves a lot of credit for what he has achieved so far. Before the season started, what percentage of Liverpool supporters do you think would have placed us top of the league on Christmas day? I reckon it would be less than 5%. Rodger's performance against City by a manager was one of the gutsiest I have seen in a long time.Yes we could have tried to bore the arse of everybody and scraped a draw by parking the proverbial fig bus. Instead we entertained with some fantastic football and sent a clear message to everybody including our owners of just how far we have come with Rodger's as the manager. Just look at how Chelsea and Arsenal approached their recent game by comparison.With a bit of luck on our side yesterday we would have won.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2528052/Manchester-City-v-Liverpool-live-Premier-League.html

look at the pic @ 20th min.
sterling was clearly 2 yards offside, i dont see how any pro linesmen can get that incorrectly. there should be a system in which officials who got the wrong decisions are ban from a few games.
i dont blame rogers for feeling injustice and blasted the refs. fergie used to do that and got away with it.

so far, i dont have a good feeling abt rogers being the "one". i fear his inexperience. i really do. without the oil money, to lead us back to glory requires a exceptional, one-once a decade manager. his mid ticket signings of aspas and aberto didnt really inspire the team presently.
end of season if we can get top 4 then my opinion will do a 360 change.

i didnt want rodgers when he was first appointed, i thought this job would be way too big for someone under 40, especially someone who had no connections to the club.
i have to say though he has been phenominal, absolutely phenominal. we could have struck gold here.

[woof woof !]

Still have some lingering reservations about BR, mainly with regard to some of the signings and loanee's brought in since he took over. I also question some of his decisions re substitutions but I guess all of us do that with any manager 

Tactically for the most part he's done well and overall the team is currently playing some great football, credit has to be given to the manager for that . I believe he'll lead us to a CL place and if the club can hang on too Suarez and BR can get his next couple of signings "right" we'll be in for one hell of a season next year. 

[stmichael]

Get that new contract signed.