Early thoughts on Rodgers

[piscinin]

Rodgers: A marked difference from May - Liverpool FC

 

19 new players isn't unreasonable is it?

 

You have to stop listening to and reading his interviews dave else you'll go crazy.

[the walsh]

my wish is for the owners to sell up their clueless no CEO amongst other things and i agree with the other post the l plates are all over the club at the moment wigan reading and norwich are our only wins were slidding further and further away.

[piscinin]

I think a lot of that stems from inexperience. I think as his confidence grows in the role, hopefully, that'll fade.

 

Yeah, that's exactly what he needs, more confidence. :whistle:

[Guest davelfc]

my wish is for the owners to sell up their clueless no CEO amongst other things and i agree with the other post the l plates are all over the club at the moment wigan reading and norwich are our only wins were slidding further and further away.

 

And be replaced by what, more wolves? They're even making Moores and Parry look competent.

[BCM]

I just hope we are within touching distance of Tottenham / Arsenal by January. It will then put the club in a position to see if they really want to get into the top 4 and spend some money. We cannot afford to buy mediocre £6Million players anymore. You pay £6-£10 million for strikers you get mediocre returns (unless they are almost out of contract). We need to draw forwards to get into the top 4.

 

I am in 2 minds over the manager so I am sitting on the fence with him.

I think he can make it with us . There are a few things that do my head in like publicly talking about targets but I think he will do well for us.

 

Some of the stick he gets on here is a bit harsh.

 

No chance we will push top four. im more worried about losing players than buying them.

 

The fact that we can only beat Norwich Wigan and Reading tells its own story.

 

Breandan Rodgers > Teflon.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

19 new players isn't unreasonable is it?

 

You have to stop listening to and reading his interviews dave else you'll go crazy.

 

That fucking irked me.

 

He expects to have signed 15+ players before we can judge him on the performance of the team? He expects to be here for 4+ years before things will change? What the fuck?

 

I've been, and remain, behind him but he is really taking the piss with some of the shit he is saying. Its apologist bullshit.

 

Its also terribly self-depreciating. Which club is going to approach any match against us with any inkling of fear when our manager keeps reinforcing how fucking shit we are, and how accepting of that fact he is?

 

Yeah, you've had it hard. But not 3 wins in 13 hard.

[piscinin]

That fucking irked me.

 

He expects to have signed 15+ players before we can judge him on the performance of the team? He expects to be here for 4+ years before things will change? What the fuck?

 

I've been, and remain, behind him but he is really taking the piss with some of the shit he is saying. Its apologist bullshit.

 

Its also terribly self-depreciating. Which club is going to approach any match against us with any inkling of fear when our manager keeps reinforcing how fucking shit we are, and how accepting of that fact he is?

 

Yeah, you've had it hard. But not 3 wins in 13 hard.

 

All he does it talk, talk, talk. :whistle:

 

He talks so much that he'll tangle himself up from time to time.

[Kevin D]

True.

 

Controversial this perhaps, but I don't care, but I actually think American owners think English football fans are retarded. They do and say things and seem to think fans will fall for it at face value, I don't know why, I don't know if American sport fans are like that - or if they just think we're a special breed of idiot. Hicks Snr and Jnr took it to new levels with swigging from an LFC mug and being seen in an LFC scarf down the pub, but to a lesser extent I get the vibe from FSG too. You kind of feel like you're being patted on the head and told to have a nice day.

 

They want to exploit English football clubs for their 'worldwide appeal' because American sport doesn't have that global appeal to the same extent, and also because regulations make it harder to make big bucks from their domestic game, so they come over here and try and exploit an English club. But they don't want to get too involved, so whether it's the hiring and firing of staff, to building a ground, to even oppointing someone who's up to the task to run the thing, it's as if on some level they don't take it seriously enough to think it's really neccessary, and that the fans can be placated with a few gestures.

 

I think they're just amazed at the sheer scale of what Tom Hicks called "brand loyalty". FSG could come out tomorrow and say they're actively trying to destroy the club, hate scousers etc and 3,000 people would still be paying £50 a ticket on a Wednesday night in London, Suarez shirts would still be flying off the walls and Anfield would still get 40,000 a league game.

 

If you don't conclude that we're stupid, the only alternative is that we are crazy.

[xerxes]

True.

 

Controversial this perhaps, but I don't care, but I actually think American owners think English football fans are retarded. They do and say things and seem to think fans will fall for it at face value, I don't know why, I don't know if American sport fans are like that - or if they just think we're a special breed of idiot. Hicks Snr and Jnr took it to new levels with swigging from an LFC mug and being seen in an LFC scarf down the pub, but to a lesser extent I get the vibe from FSG too. You kind of feel like you're being patted on the head and told to have a nice day.

 

They want to exploit English football clubs for their 'worldwide appeal' because American sport doesn't have that global appeal to the same extent, and also because regulations make it harder to make big bucks from their domestic game, so they come over here and try and exploit an English club. But they don't want to get too involved, so whether it's the hiring and firing of staff, to building a ground, to even oppointing someone who's up to the task to run the thing, it's as if on some level they don't take it seriously enough to think it's really neccessary, and that the fans can be placated with a few gestures.

 

We are an offshore punt for some very rich men, no more, no less.

 

What is baffling is that they front up £220m to buy the club, they pay off Hodgson to the tune of around £5m, KK for £8m, Comolli will have been £1m plus, ( and Jenny)- but are not prepared to pay say £4m a year for a Barwick, and the same again for a LVG. Men who understand the game and the business. I don’t blame FSG for not understanding football- i do blame them for failing to hire those who do.

Werner is an expert on media rights and PR, yet has failed to deliver a naming rights deal and was nowhere to be seen during the Suarez debacle. DiBenedetto owns a property development company and runs Roma, but has had no obvious contribution to make to the stadium debate. So not only are their yawning gaps in their skill sets, but where they do have expertise they have failed to deliver.

 

One of the problems of a twenty strong consortium is the downside risk is so low. At an average £11m investment per person, if the club halved in value (highly unlikely) they would only lose £5m each, and several of them measure their wealth in hundreds of millions- it really is small change.

[xerxes]

He expects to have signed 15+ players before we can judge him on the performance of the team? He expects to be here for 4+ years before things will change? What the fuck?

 

To be fair, in four years time he will have had around seven years managerial experience, Shankly had ten years before he could take us on. If you consider how few players Rodgers has signed in the past three seasons he probably will need fifteen plusplayers in to get it right. We knew that when we appointed him. It was, and is, a risk- fingers crossed.

[Kevin D]

It's hard to judge the job Rodgers is doing so far. I personally thought he totally mismanaged the transfer window well before August 31st as the absolute paramount objective had to be getting either a goalscoring wide player with pace, or a proven 20-goal striker. There could be no doubt about that, in my opinion. However he was badly shafted on August 31st and I have no idea how well Dempsey would have slotted in alongside Sahin, Suarez and Sterling; he could have been the signing of the season for all I know. Thus, it's not entirely fair to judge what he did in the summer.

 

He then loaded the first-team with youth players, and has all but written the season off, which makes any conventional discussion about results very difficult. What I can say, though, is I think so far he's getting far less from individual players and the team collectively than he should be; ordinarily when a manager comes in, he's initially able to get 10% more from the players and that hasn't been the case as I see it. More concerning is that among the senior players it's mainly been a decline in performances, alarmingly so in a few cases.

 

I think he's doing about okay, give or take, but as I've said there are a lot of unprecedented factors at play that make it difficult for me to say.

[FanchesterCity]

I think they're just amazed at the sheer scale of what Tom Hicks called "brand loyalty". FSG could come out tomorrow and say they're actively trying to destroy the club, hate scousers etc and 3,000 people would still be paying £50 a ticket on a Wednesday night in London, Suarez shirts would still be flying off the walls and Anfield would still get 40,000 a league game.

 

If you don't conclude that we're stupid, the only alternative is that we are crazy.

 

It's a huge brand, but they've paid a lot for it, and they seem to be struggling to know how to best harness that brand to make themselves more money. They aren't alone in that, it's the case for most clubs.

 

They're in a catch .22 situation now - not wanting to have to spend much more, but at the same recognising CL is where the money is at, and any prolonged period out of it is seriously damaging to their plans.

 

They are very lucky in one sense, to have bought into a very solid brand that's unlikely to fade for some time, but unlucky in realising that even Liverpool can't compete at the top without regularly topping up (financial investment). PL clubs are thirsty beasts.

 

Of course, some will point to the odd success story like Arsenal or more pertinently Dortmund, but those are rare beasts for a reason. It's not the 'normal' pattern for a club to do well with little spending.

 

If it was easy to make fortunes from football clubs, more would be doing it. The reality appears to be that it's damn hard to make attractive profits AND be successful. FSG look to be more interesting in profit than success.

[jsjazz]

I'm not sure how much progress we are making really.

We played some brilliant football under kenny (as well as some utter dross), and we've played some good footy this season, as well as some turgid crap.

I can't see much evidence of a new possession/ tiki taka model. Look carefully and plenty of teams in the PL are keeping the ball well. Teams have worked us out- everyone pressurizes our back four, who don't have options to pass to or get flustered so still end up lumping it long and losing it.

We seem to be cut open down the middle far too easily, even with 3 midfielders in there. Lucas coming back may help, but I'm still not sure who the other two will be, and who will play where.

We've played the kids, which is great, but apart from Sterling, the others (Suso, Wisdom etc.) need to be eased in, and even Sterling looks like he needs a break.

Thank God for Suarez.

We may get reinforcements in Jan, but that depends on whether the owners have any cash, and whether anyone wants to come to a midtable former giant, because lets face it, thats what we are at the moment.

I'm not convinced by Rodgers yet, but as the most obvious upgrade who would have come to us is now otherwise employed, I don't see what getting rid would achieve, so I guess we have to live in hope.

[Guest San Don]

To be fair, in four years time he will have had around seven years managerial experience, Shankly had ten years before he could take us on. If you consider how few players Rodgers has signed in the past three seasons he probably will need fifteen plusplayers in to get it right. We knew that when we appointed him. It was, and is, a risk- fingers crossed.

 

LOL! Talking shit again. Shankly applied for and got the LFC manager's job 3 or 4 years prior. But, he turned it down when he found out the then board only wanted him to coach the players and the directors would continue to pick the team.

 

He didnt have 10 before he 'could take us on'! You really are a dullard.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

To be fair, in four years time he will have had around seven years managerial experience, Shankly had ten years before he could take us on. If you consider how few players Rodgers has signed in the past three seasons he probably will need fifteen plusplayers in to get it right. We knew that when we appointed him. It was, and is, a risk- fingers crossed.

 

Worded like that, it was a fucking shit decision and if he expects that, he can leave right now. I certainly didn't expect anybody needing 15 fucking signings - FIFTEEN - to turn us around when he came in.

 

The very notion makes my blood boil. This isn't fucking Swansea for fucks sake. Why he, or any other manager, should be afforded the reigns of our club to "gains some experience" is fucking beyond me and makes me want to throw up. If he wasn't ready to manage our club, then he shouldn't manage our club.

 

That interview tonight really pissed me off. I don't mind a manager getting it wrong but I do mind one thinking he can waltz around Anfield for half a decade on the back of his....(I don't really know what to put here; on the back of what? He certainly hasn't achieved anything of note, yet.)

 

I've often heard him push the mantra of hard work and earning your place in the team/world - it'd be nice if he kept that in mind. I wondered at the time whether his balking at our initial approach smacked of arrogance, I hope that feeling doesn't grow. If he wants to stay here and be supported, he has to prove his worth as a manager.

 

Certainly if Kenny, considering his glorious history with the club, had to do the same.

[Nightcat]

Until you get that turnover of players, then you can't look at it as your team.

 

"I'm not so sure it will be in January, to be honest. This year the club wanted to balance the books and see where it was at.

 

"There was a big investment in the club and obviously a lot of players went out in the summer, and a few came in. We'll look to do some business in January to help and support the players that are here.

 

"That's where we're at as a football club. The owners trust me to grow it over time.

 

FSG knew exactly what they were doing, taking fucking big risks with our club that are backfiring.

 

I told you he thinks he is managing Colchester and some of you didn't like it.

 

He says that the owners hired a manager with ONE year experience in the Premier League who has won absolutely nothing and trusted him to grow Liverpool F.C. To grow one of the biggest clubs in Europe.Ah ok.

 

He also says that the owners hired him with a scope to balance the books. Indeed they hired a yesman, good he admits it.

[FanchesterCity]

He could have said:

 

"being a manager is about managing... otherwise I'd be called a buyer. To make it 'my' team I only need time and willing players who'll buy into my methods. As long as I have that, it'll be 'my' team. Top make Liverpool top 4 material again, might take more quality in certain positions, but it's still my team no matter what position we're in!"

[RobbieOR]

Fucking hell, some of you are weird.

[Megadrive Man]

Rodgers just doesn't strike me as a winner.

 

Under Rafa, I felt like we could beat anybody in the world on our day, we did beat virtually all the top teams in Europe during his reign.

 

Under Kenny I felt we weren't quite at the highest level but could still compete in all competitions. If we'd decided that we weren't going to spend huge amounts of money in the summer, then it makes it all the more baffling that Dalglish wasn't given another season to try and get things right, with the squad he'd assembled.

 

Under Rodgers it just feels like we've settled for mediocrity. He's like a better version of Hodgson. Unfortunately I think we will have to stick with him. He ticks all the right boxes for the owners, who I believe are the real problem. Admittedly they are nowhere near as bad as the previous regime, but I feel that whilst they are still here, virtually no manager in the world will realistically be able to get us back to being a top team again.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

What the fuck is this "balance the books" bullshit about?

 

Balance what fucking books? Whilst our total spend is atrocious, our net spend is fuck all. He is talking as if we've been living beyond our means for 3 years. The owners are lucky in that they haven't really had to spend anything.

 

Wankers.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

doublepost

[FanchesterCity]

Shanks was interviewed for the job in 51. Not sure he was offered it, but that's by the by. He didn't like the notion that his selections would be doubled checked by the board.

[Timão]

I told you he thinks he is managing Colchester and some of you didn't like it.

 

He says that the owners hired a manager with ONE year experience in the Premier League who has won absolutely nothing and trusted him to grow Liverpool F.C. To grow one of the biggest clubs in Europe.Ah ok.

 

He also says that the owners hired him with a scope to balance the books. Indeed they hired a yesman, good he admits it.

 

A previous post went all ape 'we are not fucking Swansea', now the above!

 

Get it into your head: We are (currently) NOT a big club in Europe, we have hisotry and that is all we have. At this moment in time we are not big in any sense of the word.

 

It drives me fucking mad when people talk as if we were at the level of Utd or even fucking Borussia Dortmund...we are nowhere near it, we are a mid-table club with a glorious history who came close to financial meltdown less than three years ago.

 

What DO people expect?

 

FSG have fucked up on several issues since they have taken over but, as said before, they gave Kenny more money to spent than ANY LFC manager in modern times and he wasted it (Suares and Enrique excepted).

 

We have been out of the CL since 2009, we had huge debts, we are no longer a top address in European or even English football. The owners threw money at it and it went wrong, why would they do it again?

 

Fact: We are were we are because we have been very bad at running ourselves properly. Rodgers may or may not be the right manager, but that is not his fault.

 

Dortmund would actually be a great example to follow: nearly folded, gave a new and inexperieneced manager time (but not much money), had a plan and stuck to it.

 

The result is there for all to see.

 

It is time we, as fans and as a club, admit how far we have fallen so that we could at least TRY to climb back up.

[Jonjo Baldy]

Next season will be make or break for Rodgers. We haven't seen his style of play implemented properly, the team is still learning, and if anyone watched Swansea last season they were ridiculously efficient in keeping possession and passing, with the constant triangles they used to create, I haven't seen that on a consistent basis this season at Anfield, but you don't get your team playing like that in 3 months.

[xerxes]

LOL! Talking shit again. Shankly applied for and got the LFC manager's job 3 or 4 years prior. But, he turned it down when he found out the then board only wanted him to coach the players and the directors would continue to pick the team.

 

He didnt have 10 before he 'could take us on'! You really are a dullard.

 

I think you will find that Shankly's first managerial position was in 1949, he joined us in 1959, that is ten years. Facts.

 

I enjoy your periodic bouts of self-humiliation- carry on!:P

 

(How I chuckled at your not realising that, in your own story, six or seven years managerial experience wasn't enough to manage LFC, substantiated my own point!)