Reg » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:30 am wrote:Lads it took Rafa a couple of seasons to get the side playing as he wanted and - don't forget - a lot of transfers that didn't work out. Once the machine was humming we won some of the most glorious games ever, Real Madrid 4-0 ffs! But these things take time. Rodgers has a plan, he has the passion and vision of a young Rafa but is not allowed to make any mistakes on the transfer front! Thats the biggest difference, no Morientes, none of the other countless lads who didn't work out. So stop blaming the manager for not creating in 3 games what took Rafa 2-3 years.
I thought it was a good game. I'm disappointed we didn't win but that what happens when you don't get shots on goal. Disappointed but not upset because that was good football just missing out on a clinical finish. We need a young Diego Forlan to slot them in and complement Suarez.
A few observations: Carra is finished, there's no way he could have coped with that tempo, good to see the likes of Kelley and Coates on the bench. Similarly with Allen being superb once again, Sterling playing out of his socks and Shelvey looking more composed month by month, either StevieG gets himself fit and fits into this formation or he'll find himself surplus to requirements by christmas. There's no room in the middle of the park for a passenger as Wee Jay found out. Enrique needs to gain 3 yards as well and adapt - quick. Similarly Pepe seems to have lost the spark, not because of the second goal but the smile has gone, the obvious enthusiasm, he looks like he's doing a job, playing for LFC is no longer the centre of his universe.
But its defo upwards and upwards, I don't give a fig we have 1 point after 3 games, we're clearly a far better team than 6 months ago, there's a clear gameplan, style and objective. Its going to take a few months to adjust but we'll get there. Downing... an odd sod if there was one, he played left back last week yet was standing in the box by himself in the last 15 minutes... what to do with that lad?
Meanwhile BR has 4 months to identify the striker who's going to slot away these great chances we're creating. And it isn't, or wasn't, Dempsey.
Allez les Rouges !
Since this is the Rodgers thread I'll focus less on the game and more on the man. I have to say I was excited about his appointment. He's a guy who likes to play possession football and his system is largely based on having 3 in the middle who are very good in possession (with one of the trio playing higher up and driving into the box; Sigurdson scored 7 goals), and 3 upfront who can make things happen. The first part, he got right imo. He inherited a very good crop of central midfielders including Lucas & Gerrard, and managed to improve it by adding Sahin and Allen. Further up is where he fell short imo.
As far as transfers go, I think we saw the opposite of what Kenny did. While Kenny spent a ton of money bringing in players who couldnt do the job for us, Rodgers came in and got rid (without replacing) of a bunch of players who DID do the job for us. Maxi, Kuyt, Bellamy and Carroll were all allowed to leave and in return he brought in.... Borini. So far if we are honest, he hasnt done that well in the market despite bringing in Allen.
Now for the silver lining you seem to be talking about, the primary cause for optimism is that promise of what COULD be. On paper, we have the foundation of what COULD potentially be a top4 side with the right additions. Swansea relied on 2 wide forwards who had pace, dribbling and energy and were capable of chipping in with the odd goal here and there (Sinclair had 8 and Dyer 6). Their center forward was nothing special and his main job was to stay close to the box and pounce on whatever chances that came his way.He managed 14 goals. The creativity came largely from the trio of Sigurdsson, Dyer, and Sinclair.
What we have atm is this: Downing, Sterling, Borini, J.Cole, Assaidi, and Gerrard responsible for the creative with Suarez playing further up. The problem the way i see it is that Gerrard is the only one out of the creative 3 who is good enough to start for us regularly in this setup. Suarez further up isnt a natural goalscorer and sitting in the box waiting for chances to come his way never was and never will be his game. In a way, we are 2 good players short of having an attacking quartet that are capable of both creating and scoring goals, and more importantly making the system work for Rodgers. Ideally, we'd bring in a top goalscorer to play the Graham role and a good pacey winger to play the Dyer role. That would allow Suarez to drift to the flank and Gerrard to continue in the central role. Again though, its all fantasy and until the transfers are made, we'll have to do with what we've got. And unfortunately, what we've got is a side that is ill equipped to regularly play this system with the personnel at hand. You said we are a better side and that we have a gameplan..etc Im not too sure about that. We might have a gameplan but we are struggling to successfully implement it. We struggle to create chances and we struggle to put away the little we create. Ultimately, it's all about results and unfortunately we dont have a few months worth of poor results to "get it right". Like Rodgers said, we have to make do with what we've got and try to stay competitive until the window opens again.
Which is why for me, Rodgers needs to be a bit more flexible for now until we can get our targets sorted. Being down to Arsenal at home, he persisted with the setup instead of changing it. We were struggling to create chances and what we needed at the time was a bit more direct play to really have a go at Arsenal. We needed a plan B and it wasnt coming. I thought Borini should have been pushed upfront to support Gerrard and Suarez with Sahin making way for Downing. As it turned out, we had the wrong players (Downing, Sahin, Allen) getting the ball in the box late on rather than our forwards. Little things that we get wrong that could prove the difference between success and failure.
