maguskwt » Mon Mar 23, 2015 10:31 am wrote:RedAnt » Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:28 am wrote:As I said in the match thread, BRs approach, this tikka-takka possession thing only works against lesser teams and tactics. LVG loves the continental game. It's where he's made his name. He hasn't figured out what to do against the English game and he and his team keep getting assaulted up and down the country. He'd have relished pitting his wits against the egotistical and tactically inferior Brendan Rodgers. He'd have recognised BR's arrogance and predicted that we'd play the same system we always play (of course) and he'd have planned accordingly.
If BR is gonna be the worldie some believe he is then he would have done something yesterday. But he didn't. He sat and watched as his tactics were made impotent by LVG's approach. He had no idea how to change things. He was still trying to rearrange the team some 15 minutes after Gerrard saw red.
I'm afraid BR was fully out-thought and the team fully outplayed.
Sorry folks, but our manager is no genius. I fear he's very average.
Good... except that we haven't played "tiki taka" football since December of 2012... when it was seen as restricting Gerrard's range of passing.
I'm not great with words but what I mean to say is that BR doesn't seem to have his finger on the pulse in games, or even prior too. In the match thread you've pointed at Gerrard and under performing players. I said before the game that I thought Stevie should play. He'd inject the passion required and the experience and understanding of the fixture. Ok, if he'd started, he may still have had his rush of blood to the head, but I doubt it. What we saw instead, as people have pointed out, was men against boys. So since BR didn't select Gerrard, then as manager it's his duty to mentally prepare the players. Were they prepared? It didn't look they way.
I'd have expected a smart manager to shake things up since he was playing vs a continental mastermind. The belief that his tactics that have worked so well recently would work when up against a manager who loves to play against the European style is very naive and arrogant. BR should be thinking "this will be tough. A test. This guy is much more experienced than I am." But he didn't. He's very confident in himself.
Even LVG, much to his shame, has reverted to long ball when it suits, because used at the right time it gets results. He's also seen his own team come undone to it again and again.
BR isn't capable of thinking on his feet. He needs to bring a plan to the table and if it fails he goes back to the drawing board. He seems unable to tweak it.