Rodgers In

[Section_31]

Another issue with judging Rodgers on his transfer activity is knowing if the players he gets in are really the players he wants, or whether they're the only ones willing to come here. The more we decline, the more we'll be looking to inferior signings, the only way you can arrest that is by having a big name manager with a couple of marquee signings.

[amli]

Looking forward to the 'Rodgers Shake It All About' thread.

[Major Tom]

Another issue with judging Rodgers on his transfer activity is knowing if the players he gets in are really the players he wants, or whether they're the only ones willing to come here. The more we decline, the more we'll be looking to inferior signings, the only way you can arrest that is by having a big name manager with a couple of marquee signings.

 

Best way is throwing money at the problem, whoever the manager. Players - like most - are partial to the colour of money.

[fowler9]

Looking forward to the 'Rodgers Shake It All About' thread.

 

already have one for Arsene

 

[Anubis]

Anyone who wants an accurate definition of "on the rocks" should take a look at Villa's current league position as of right now. Had Kenny left us there you could say we were "on the rocks" but we were 8th and bad reached two cup finals. Over half the teams in the league would have killed to be on those rocks.

[Strontium]

Yeah, but you think Carroll is going to outscore Suarez and that 'Downing is boss'. You would think that.

 

 

Context: Carroll has since been injured for most of the season, and I wrote that about Downing in May 2008, at the end of a season in which he had 9 goals and 6 assists in the league.

 

Given that you were singing Downing's praises as recently as last year, that's a somewhat shitty tactic you're resorting to there. What a shock.

[fowler9]

Anyone who wants an accurate definition of "on the rocks" should take a look at Villa's current league position as of right now. Had Kenny left us there you could say we were "on the rocks" but we were 8th and bad reached two cup finals. Over half the teams in the league would have killed to be on those rocks.

 

 

thats neither here nor there as with you saying Villa are on the rocks well every team in the Championship etc would love to be on the rocks, fact is we've been in a rut now for three seasons and that is on the rocks by our standards

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Context: Carroll has since been injured for most of the season, and I wrote that about Downing in May 2008, at the end of a season in which he had 9 goals and 6 assists in the league.

 

Given that you were singing Downing's praises as recently as last year, that's a somewhat shitty tactic you're resorting to there. What a shock.

 

Fucking hell. You said you were 'delighted' when he signed. I was the most vocally opposed to Downing's signing. On any forum. Bar none.

[Major Tom]

I daresay Hank has never sung Downing's praises! I smell bullshit.

[Guest San Don]

Is any sane supporter saying rodgers should be sacked now? Or is the earliest people saying he should be judged is at the end of the season?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I daresay Hank has never sung Downing's praises! I smell bullshit.

 

I probably said he had a good game after he had a good game, or something.

[Neil G]

You've got that absolutely spot on. I've got very little complements for the squad taken over by Rodgers. In fact, it's as weak as any squad inherited by a Liverpool manager in my lifetime.

 

 

I agree with your last sentence, but that's beside the point, isn't it? I'm not comparing the relative strengths of squads inherited by different managers. I'm contesting your claim that the one Rodgers inherited was poor.

 

It wasn't a poor squad. It contained 8 of the regular 11 starters from the team that outperformed every side bar the top 3 in Kenny's first half-season, plus Gerrard, who despite what you say is still an outstanding player when played in his best position. As for last season:

 

 

This is absolutely bizarre and desperate stuff, Neil. Firstly, we were 10 points off of fourth at the beginning of March and 13 points off by the end of it. That's 'in contention'? Secondly, what are you going on about? League position isn't about what you do by the time the Christmas turkey runs out. Which is why West Brom being 3 points from 3rd place and 2 points from 4th going into the new year this season doesn't really matter.

 

 

Firstly, when we kicked off against Arsenal we were 7 points behind them with a game in hand. Secondly, after we lost that game the players mentally threw in the towel in the league. The really poor performances in the league didn't begin in earnest until after that defeat. It was an issue of motivation, not the quality of the squad.

 

I'll say it again: the squad underperformed, and that was largely Kenny's fault. The players were good enough to get a much higher points total than they did. Quality of players isn't the only factor that determines results and league position.

 

 

Had we won against Villa or (not and) Stoke, we'd only be 4 points off now and we've not got a good squad/ Shit, had we been IN the top four, we'd still not have a good squad. Just give over, it's clearly in a dreadful state and needs overhauling, despite spending loads on attacking positions.

 

 

Dreadful state? Get a grip. A couple of goalscorers and it's comfortably top four material.

[Anubis]

...fact is we've been in a rut now for three seasons and that is on the rocks by our standards

 

That's horseshit.

[KMD7]

Another issue with judging Rodgers on his transfer activity is knowing if the players he gets in are really the players he wants, or whether they're the only ones willing to come here. The more we decline, the more we'll be looking to inferior signings, the only way you can arrest that is by having a big name manager with a couple of marquee signings.

 

That's a very valid point mate. It also puts more pressure on him to make sure the ones he does sign hit the ground running.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I agree with your last sentence, but that's beside the point, isn't it? I'm not comparing the relative strengths of squads inherited by different managers. I'm contesting your claim that the one Rodgers inherited was poor.

 

It wasn't a poor squad. It contained 8 of the regular 11 starters from the team that outperformed every side bar the top 3 in Kenny's first half-season, plus Gerrard, who despite what you say is still an outstanding player when played in his best position. As for last season:

 

 

Firstly, when we kicked off against Arsenal we were 7 points behind them with a game in hand. Secondly, after we lost that game the players mentally threw in the towel in the league. The really poor performances in the league didn't begin in earnest until after that defeat. It was an issue of motivation, not the quality of the squad.

 

I'll say it again: the squad underperformed, and that was largely Kenny's fault. The players were good enough to get a much higher points total than they did. Quality of players isn't the only factor that determines results and league position.

 

Dreadful state? Get a grip. A couple of goalscorers and it's comfortably top four material.

 

I guess we're just going to have to disagree, because it's poor as piss. I can respect that you don't think it is, I just disagree. In a really big way.

[Neil G]

Is any sane supporter saying rodgers should be sacked now? Or is the earliest people saying he should be judged is at the end of the season?

 

 

I reckon there are maybe half a dozen people on here who want him out now, plus a lot more who've expressed serious concerns but are prepared to give him the rest of the season. Somehow this has been portrayed as a campaign to kick him out. Witness the number of people piling into threads saying "anyone who wants him sacked now is an idiot" or the like.

[Strontium]

Fucking hell. You said you were 'delighted' when he signed. I was the most vocally opposed to Downing's signing. On any forum. Bar none.

 

 

I think Downing is a good player, although we paid too much for him. And there have been much worse performers in our team than him over the last season and a half.

 

Starting at page 12 here, this looks like at least faint praise to me

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/65220-stuart-downing-12.html

[fowler9]

That's horseshit.

 

7th,6th and 8th, looking like it might be something similar this time, fail to see how that is anything but a major problem for a club that should be challenging at the top

[Code]

IfI remember it correctly we finished 3rd in a mini league between the top 8 teams in the league last season.

 

A poor team would not manage that.

 

I have posted the table on here before, but cant find it as I ha ve no idea how the search function works.

 

If I did the same now we would be rock bottom if I included us in a minileague with the top 7 teams.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I think Downing is a good player, although we paid too much for him. And there have been much worse performers in our team than him over the last season and a half.

 

Starting at page 12 here, this looks like at least faint praise to me

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/65220-stuart-downing-12.html

 

Can you link the post you're talking about. You quite clearly like Downing, said you were 'delighted' and that you'd 'wanted to sign him since he was at Boro'. No need to be shy, you like Carroll and Downing, that's fine. It's natural to then suppose you'd like what Kenny was doing.

[KMD7]

I guess we're just going to have to disagree, because it's poor as piss. I can respect that you don't think it is, I just disagree. In a really big way.

 

Do you really think so Hank? I respect your opinion but I'm wondering if we had for example Van Persie last season how much our goal per chance ratio would have increased, and subsequently our league position. We may have even made top 4, with the addition of just one player.

[Neil G]

I guess we're just going to have to disagree, because it's poor as piss. I can respect that you don't think it is, I just disagree. In a really big way.

 

 

Fair do's. I maintain that we've got everything we need for top four bar the finishing. Let's see how much improvement occurs if and when we sign a couple of goalscorers in January.

[fowler9]

IfI remember it correctly we finished 3rd in a mini league between the top 8 teams in the league last season.

 

A poor team would not manage that.

 

.

 

A good team wouldn't have picked up as few points as we did in the second half of the season

[Anubis]

7th,6th and 8th, looking like it might be something similar this time, fail to see how that is anything but a major problem for a club that should be challenging at the top

 

That's underachieving, not being on the rocks. The nearest this club has come to being on the rocks was when we were a day away from administration. And that was not in a football sense, but in a business sense.

[Major Tom]

IfI remember it correctly we finished 3rd in a mini league between the top 8 teams in the league last season.

 

Jesus H. Christ, Code, you are so full of shit!