Liverpool FC Forum

[RedAnt]

I said this in the match thread, but the more I watch the more I'm convinced there's something wrong.

I don't know if there's in-fighting with the players or BR has simply lost the dressing room, but something's not right. Where was Gerrard yesterday? Why didn't he travel with the squad?  And why the f**k did Johnson start?

I've no idea what's going on, but the players seem to have given up. No passion, no drive and no points...

Yep. Something's not right. I have a feeling that BR can't recover from this. Even if he goes on to be a great manager, his time at LFC is likely over. Sometimes things just go bad. A combination of things. Of course, BR conceding fourth place won't have helped morale or motivation. It wasn't an attempt at reverse psychology, but a genuine giving up. At the same time he's also been calling players "outstanding" which will give very confusing signals to the squad. Players like Sterling, full of themselves, will puff out their chests, assured they're doing fine and that it's the other players or the tactics that leave the team struggling. Experienced, realistic players like Gerrard will of course back the manager publicly, but behind the scenes, "outstanding" would be an insult. Gerrard is self critical, a passionate Liverpool fan who has declared before that he needs no patting on the back, and certainly not when team and player performances are in fact very lacklustre. Lazy players like Mario, though not often praised by the manager would see those around him getting pats on the back for equally poor performances might think "why bother?" And go off listening to music, or playing on Twittergrambook.
We're a poor team, filled with overpaid, over-valued players with a bargain bucket manager who complains about bargain bucket players after wasting God knows how much time and money on them before telling the owners, via the press, that the committee needs to sign marquee players. Oh, and a striker or two because they forgot to sign him one last season and, confident man that he is, he was to shy to bring it up.

[Kopite-Jud]

I said this in the match thread, but the more I watch the more I'm convinced there's something wrong.

I don't know if there's in-fighting with the players or BR has simply lost the dressing room, but something's not right. Where was Gerrard yesterday? Why didn't he travel with the squad?  And why the f**k did Johnson start?

I've no idea what's going on, but the players seem to have given up. No passion, no drive and no points...

Yep. Something's not right. I have a feeling that BR can't recover from this. Even if he goes on to be a great manager, his time at LFC is likely over. Sometimes things just go bad. A combination of things. Of course, BR conceding fourth place won't have helped morale or motivation. It wasn't an attempt at reverse psychology, but a genuine giving up. At the same time he's also been calling players "outstanding" which will give very confusing signals to the squad. Players like Sterling, full of themselves, will puff out their chests, assured they're doing fine and that it's the other players or the tactics that leave the team struggling. Experienced, realistic players like Gerrard will of course back the manager publicly, but behind the scenes, "outstanding" would be an insult. Gerrard is self critical, a passionate Liverpool fan who has declared before that he needs no patting on the back, and certainly not when team and player performances are in fact very lacklustre. Lazy players like Mario, though not often praised by the manager would see those around him getting pats on the back for equally poor performances might think "why bother?" And go off listening to music, or playing on Twittergrambook.
We're a poor team, filled with overpaid, over-valued players with a bargain bucket manager who complains about bargain bucket players after wasting God knows how much time and money on them before telling the owners, via the press, that the committee needs to sign marquee players. Oh, and a striker or two because they forgot to sign him one last season and, confident man that he is, he was to shy to bring it up.

   

[RedAnt]

The board have backed him, publicly and financially. He's blamed everyone and everything except himself and the owners up until the Hull game. I guess he's heard criticism of the "outstanding" thing and decided on a new tact. The players were ok, the tactics of course were, no doubt outstanding, but the striker, bless 'im, Balotelli, he tries so hard, couldn't hit a cows butt. We'd have won if we'd had say... *taps his chin and rolls his eyes upwards* ...a marquee signing, someone who CAN hit a cows ar.se, not in the £20m brackett like Lazar, he's potential, but some really, really marquee (who wouldn't really join MY team anyway) like...£50m?"
So for all the money spent after Suarez' departure he's now indirectly blaming FSG. Not sure they'll like that. Was it Brendan's final throw of the dice?

[leeroy74]

does he not have a valid point though? Maybe BR asked for a £50m signing to replace Suarez and maybe FSG told him no. Maybe just maybe he has a fair point - last night we had no-one upfront who could win us that game. Balotelli? not likely. Borini? not a chance. Sturridge? injured. Suarez? sold him.

It could be like trying to build a wall. If you don't have good enough mortar that walls not going to stay up for long.

Suppose BR buys a top marquee striker and next season we start to look like potential title challengers again, like last season, then BR is the man. However what if we don't, then he becomes the enemy. It's a massive gamble for FSG to keep BR for another season. I personally would give him one more season, a few quid to replace Suarez properly and see what happens.

[red till i die!!]

does he not have a valid point though? Maybe BR asked for a £50m signing to replace Suarez and maybe FSG told him no. Maybe just maybe he has a fair point - last night we had no-one upfront who could win us that game. Balotelli? not likely. Borini? not a chance. Sturridge? injured. Suarez? sold him.

It could be like trying to build a wall. If you don't have good enough mortar that walls not going to stay up for long.

Suppose BR buys a top marquee striker and next season we start to look like potential title challengers again, like last season, then BR is the man. However what if we don't, then he becomes the enemy. It's a massive gamble for FSG to keep BR for another season. I personally would give him one more season, a few quid to replace Suarez properly and see what happens.

Honestly lee do you really have to see us sign players like walcott, milner and ings before you realize his time is up. The lack of firepower last night was purely down to him and no one else. He has brought 5 strikers in during his time here and we spent most of the season with sterling up front. We brought £50 million off that bench also with no impact. Even the excuse about missing sturridge is lame as everyone knows he is a sick note. Even if you don't the history is there to at least prove it and it was a massive gamble relying on him to stay fit.

He doesn't even give those players time to integrate themselves into the team. If he was giving them 20 minutes here and there then they would be in a better position when called on to start rather than 20 minutes and we'l see you when you get back from narnia. We were chasing the game last night and i could have swore markovic came in at RB. Of course we also have no one better at LB than glen undroppable johnson. All these decisons are down to him not anyone else as much as some would like them to be. Its poor coaching and management all round.

He will always talk himself up and say he will do this and that but it won't materialize. At this stage he is basically relying on every signing he makes hitting the ground at a sprint and its not going to happen. We will have an influx of new faces again and the result will be they need to adapt and acclimatize but statistically have a good chance of turning up in january. He will still play them out of position and drop them for large periods of time along with forcing them into a system that makes them look like they just met before kick off.

Another season with him is again will be another case of wash rinse and repeat. Just because he said we will challenge next season and sign top players doesn't mean he will. If anything I'd have thought his most ardent supporters would have at least twigged his words mean nothing.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

To be fair we are missing one or two players as well.
Can, Skrtel and Sakho have been a pretty solid defensive unit for us but they haven't played together as a 3 since the United game. Lucas was instrumental in turning our season around as well but he has basically missed the entire run in.
Imo we are better than we are currently showing and we still have the makings of a very good side but we are crying out for one or two star names though to give the team direction.

[RedAnt]

To be fair we are missing one or two players as well.
Can, Skrtel and Sakho have been a pretty solid defensive unit for us but they haven't played together as a 3 since the United game. Lucas was instrumental in turning our season around as well but he has basically missed the entire run in.
Imo we are better than we are currently showing and we still have the makings of a very good side but we are crying out for one or two star names though to give the team direction.

Dude, are you Brendan in disguise?

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

So basically its over ! If any employee approached me and said "Do you know that contract I was supposed to deliver ,you know the same contract that was vitally
important for the longevity of this business ,well I couldn't swing it ,I actually imbibed copious amounts of alcohol snorted  a few lines and had a blast on the old
Shisha pipe ,all these dramatically impairing my judgement ,and eventually culminating with me vomiting over the clients ,but don't worry I plan to pen a couple
of well versed begging letters".... I would laugh in his f*cking face ,before confiscating his pen.



In a less metaphorical sense ,"Ok I havent delivered with my promises or secured any of  the requisite goals stated in my contract ,but if you afford me another
opportunity ,and provide me with the proper tools ie a Marquee striker capable of carrying this team in order for my severely flawed philosophies to remain
adequately camouflaged then we can beat the likes of Hull and West Brom and such journeyman teams that would have the temerity to question our resolve".

"The crux is Mr Henry ,I need great players to prove I'm an 'OUTSTANDING' young innovative manager ,and frankly you and Mr Werner (with all due respect ) are
holding me back "

Brendan Rodgers condensed  2014 /15

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

29th Nov 2014

"I have an inherent belief that we can still make the top four – absolutely"

29 th April 2015

"We have an obligation to fight until the very end. Of course we want to be in the top four but that was always going to be difficult".

[red till i die!!]

To be fair we are missing one or two players as well.
Can, Skrtel and Sakho have been a pretty solid defensive unit for us but they haven't played together as a 3 since the United game. Lucas was instrumental in turning our season around as well but he has basically missed the entire run in.
Imo we are better than we are currently showing and we still have the makings of a very good side but we are crying out for one or two star names though to give the team direction.

Dude, are you Brendan in disguise?

You can shoot all the bluejays you want but its a sin to kick a misunderstood brendan 

Fwiw I do think we are a better side than we are currently playing but we need far more than just 1 or 2 star players to achieve anything.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

To be fair we are missing one or two players as well.
Can, Skrtel and Sakho have been a pretty solid defensive unit for us but they haven't played together as a 3 since the United game. Lucas was instrumental in turning our season around as well but he has basically missed the entire run in.
Imo we are better than we are currently showing and we still have the makings of a very good side but we are crying out for one or two star names though to give the team direction.

Dude, are you Brendan in disguise?

You can shoot all the bluejays you want but its a sin to kick a misunderstood brendan 

Fwiw I do think we are a better side than we are currently playing but we need far more than just 1 or 2 star players to achieve anything.

If we'd have still had Suarez I think we would have challenged again this year, as poor as this team currently looks 1 top player player can make a lot of difference.

[Penguins]

Well, this season was one where for the first time in a long time we had 0 world class players.
Even over the past 25 years when we've had Sh*t teams overall most of the time there were world class players among them.
Just over the past 15 years we've had Gerrard who was a guarantee to that.
And sometimes we've surrounded him with one or 2 more.
But with his decline and Suarez leaving we are left with a bunch of average players.
Sterling got a huge lift from Suarez and will be hard pressed to be as successful again. And besides his heart doesn't seem to be there anyway.
Coutinho is still far from the finished product and way too inconsistent.

So who will lead the team in the future? Lift up the other players. score those vital goals or get those vital tackles etc?
Henderson? Allen? And no matter what manager that will be here there won't be coming any world class players or potential world class players through the door anytime soon.

[Boocity]

Well, this season was one where for the first time in a long time we had 0 world class players.
Even over the past 25 years when we've had Sh*t teams overall most of the time there were world class players among them.
Just over the past 15 years we've had Gerrard who was a guarantee to that.
And sometimes we've surrounded him with one or 2 more.
But with his decline and Suarez leaving we are left with a bunch of average players.
Sterling got a huge lift from Suarez and will be hard pressed to be as successful again. And besides his heart doesn't seem to be there anyway.
Coutinho is still far from the finished product and way too inconsistent.

So who will lead the team in the future? Lift up the other players. score those vital goals or get those vital tackles etc?
Henderson? Allen? And no matter what manager that will be here there won't be coming any world class players or potential world class players through the door anytime soon.

Yes with the loss of Suarez and now SG I don't see where the leadership will come from, I don't see Henderson being the player the others look to, in fact I can't see anyone in the current squad to take on that role.

[Reg]

World class players?  Waddaya mean we haven't got world class players:

As of today, our super strikers kill rate in the EPL:

Daniel Sturridge 4
Rickie Lambert 2
Mario Balotelli 1
Fabio Borini 1

[eds]

As per a recent Soccernet article, Nevertons back line has scored more goals than our strikers this season:

Leighton Baines (2), Phil Jagielka (3), John Stones (1) and Seamus Coleman (3) = 9