Is Rodgers becoming a laughing stock?

[Rustyjeffears]

You are obviously a massive Rafa fan which is obviously fair enough. But when do you think you'll move on from him and accept his return just might not be in the best interests of the club?

 

It's a genuine question.

 

Actually, I thought it was best for all parties when he did go because:

 

1) the club was going nowhere due to the financial issues. The year we finished second was the year normal clubs would have pushed on. Instead because we had fuck all money it went backwards.

2) he looked a broken man trying to run a team, and fight the owners. He needed a break and shouldn't have gone to Inter.

 

A lot of the stuff I have read since he left changed my opinion massively. I was wrong about him and never realised the shit he was up against. I mean openly trying to replace him with Klinsamann for start was only scratching the surface. It was utter bollocks that no manager should have to put up with. When you look at what he achieved here despite all that makes me realise how good he is. I also believe he gets the club and fits in with us.

 

I know he isn't perfect. But he is a damn good manager. I think he is owed a proper shot at managing this club under proper conditions. I think there is a small chance he will and will be delighted if he does.

 

That doesn't mean I won't get behind a manager of the club who isn't Rafa, if I can see that he is improving us. To me Rodgers is an average manager, who speaks a good game. I've may become a top manager in years to come, but we shouldn't be the club for him to test this out on, because right now we a falling further back. There may be a point where that slide may never be recovered. Right now we are teetering on that edge.

[Gym Beglin]

I don't disagree with the general tenor of your comment, and I'm still in the camp of supporting Rodgers' philosophy and vision (with major reservations about the prioritisation of transfer targets). However, I think you're undermining your argument by bending facts to support your argument....

'the player that Suarez has gone on to become'..... you mean the Suarez that was Player of the Tournament at the 2011 Copa America and achieved 17 goals and 10 assists last season.... even though 'Suarez couldn't score' under Dalglish? 'no youth product coming through' ....... who gave Sterling his debut? The Gerrard form has been commented on already. And Henderson had some pretty decent games last season on the occasions Dalglish played him in a position he was better suited to, Chelsea at home springs to mind.

 

Gerrard's playing better now than he has for about 3 years, IMHO.

 

Henderson has found a new level this season, IMHO.

 

Sterling made a couple of cameos under Dalglish when we were playing out the season and waiting for the cup games. Rodgers threw him straight in, and also threw in Suso, Wisdom and even Morgan and Coady have featured at some point. We're not at the vinegar strokes of the season yet where he could still throw Sinclair and Ibe in.

 

My general feeling about the Dalglish reign was that the players looked disinterested and unhappy by the end of it. There was an aura of 'dead man walking' and maybe that contributed to the malaise, but it is what it is. We started the season brilliantly and finished it horribly. A proper 5 months of turgid shit, further exacerbated by three very expensive players that contributed virtually nothing to the team at the time. Kenny couldnt get form out of the players he himself brought in and took to Boyzone concerts, whereas Rodgers HAS done something with two of them. I'm not going to connect the dots on this one because it is lazy and I don't know the answer to why this is, but the bottom line is that last season felt like the end of something, whereas this feels like the beginning of something and there are performances to be proud of at times, even if the results do not reflect that.

 

Kenny also brought in Coates and Adam, another £16m isn't it?

 

Rodgers will be judged on his signings just as Kenny was, and Kenny was given 18 months to get something out of Carroll and failed, IMHO. He also was given 12 months (too short in most people's eyes) to get something out of Downing, Adam, Henderson, and failed to accomplish that.

If we're still complaining bittlerly about Borini, Allen and Coutinho in May then yes there's scope to get on Rodgers' back a bit more. Let's revisit this in May and take it from there.

[Trucker Paddy]

 

You twisted my words to be fair' date=' and I ought to pick you up on that. I said that Allen would fit into the Barca squad. I didn't say he'd usurp Xavi or Iniesta exactly, but that he'd be more than capable of hanging around with Thiago Alcantara as a member of the group, because he 'gets it' and is very mobile and technically superb.

 

You ask why doesn't he stand out here? More than one reason I think. Initially, he DID stand out, he was terrific in the first few games of the season. But I think that tiredness did prove to be a factor, he played in the Olympics during the Summer and covered a lot of ground, and was obviously training inbetween games. He was then covering a lot of ground for us because Henderson and Gerrard didnt exactly hit the ground running this season, and then he was played out of position when Lucas got injured. All the while, he's dwindling in stamina, playing more games than he's been used to, and hasn't exactly benefitted from quality around him. A rested Allen put in a side with Sturridge, with a Henderson playing well, and Lucas now looking fit, and with Borini and Countinho to feature, it should look a lot different.[/quote']

 

Listen I hope you're proved right mate I really do but I have major doubts on all the signings bar sturridge and I've no opinion on couthinho as I've never seen him play

[Code]

How I long for a manager like Hughes or Hodgeson to inspire me with their melodic tones and gripping interviews. Or Moyes, yeah I'd love Moyes, regailing me with this tails of how his boys done him proud, with that little faint glimmer of hope in his eye, longing for someone to tell him it's going to be ok, and it's not Shepherds pie again for tea.

 

Rodgers interviews have fast become a bit of a joke, who is he trying to fool, what exactly is the point with what he is preaching over and over and over and over again?

 

You know exactly what he is going to say before he opens his mouth and I've personally been of the belief for some time its one of the reasons he got appointed in the summer compared to Kenny who constantly took the piss out of the journalists and challenged them instead of just going along with their shite.

 

Rodgers does not offend anyone (apart from his own fans who he obviously must think are a bit stupid) so he was a great choice to give the club some good press.

 

Even on Norwegian TV they have started to take the piss out of the Rodgers interviews now and they would not do that if they were not totally embarrassing

 

Whats the problem with just telling it as it is like Steve Clarke does as an example?

[Gym Beglin]

As Dave U said, if Gerrard scored that penalty then this thread doesn't happen and we're 9 points off Spurs in 4th.

 

Still too big a gap IMHO, but I never felt that 4th was in any way realistic this season and there shouldnt have been this pressure to get it.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Rodgers interviews have fast become a bit of a joke, who is he trying to fool, what exactly is the point with what he is preaching over and over and over and over again?

 

You know exactly what he is going to say before he opens his mouth and I've personally been of the belief for some time its one of the reasons he got appointed in the summer compared to Kenny who constantly took the piss out of the journalists and challenged them instead of just going along with their shite.

 

Rodgers does not offend anyone (apart from his own fans who he obviously must think are a bit stupid) so he was a great choice to give the club some good press.

 

Even on Norwegian TV they have started to take the piss out of the Rodgers interviews now and they would not do that if they were not totally embarrassing

 

Whats the problem with just telling it as it is like Steve Clarke does as an example?

 

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts, he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.

[Mark M]

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts, he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.

Well Said. Agree with all that.

[piscinin]

Rafa sacked himself, he couldn’t help himself. If he had kept his head down, and done his job, he would still have been here.

 

His subsequent record at Inter Milan confirms his total unsuitability for working with FSG.

 

Gerrard has served the club for his entire professional career, always putting the club first, through good and bad, something that Rafa could not manage.

 

 

Rodgers, to his credit, has got on with it.

 

Well, apart from giving Ayre a pummeling in his unveiling press conference and playing a game of chicken over signing a striker in his first transfer window.

[Anny Road]

Good post Zeek.

Is he fuck a laughing stock. We are in transition and 6th or 7th best is were we are at. Get used to it. People still think Mourinho is coming in for fucks sake. Lets build a team. Get behind him.

[Major Tom]

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts, he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.

 

Excellent.

[Magic Sponge]

 

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts' date=' he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.[/quote']

 

Top draw that Al.

[Whelan]

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts, he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.

 

Brilliant!

 

Bit in bold is particularly relevant.

[Manny]

Who gives a fuck about what shite he spouts to journailsts, he doesn't give a fuck about them, show me a manager that doesn't talk shit and I'll show you a liar. When Rodgers has spoken in the fan meetings I've heard nothing but positive comments, and that's a serious undertstatement, people who I long respect, who live and breath lfc have fell over themselves to tell me how impressed they have been by him. Luckily nobody watches Norwegian tv so whatever amateur, nobody Journalist is mocking him on there, well, it's not relevant. As long as he talks sense where it matters, in the fucking dressing room I don't care if he starts reading poetry after a game. He has the players backing and belief, once again he hasn't gained this from reading David Brents autobiography.

 

Last season Kenny, outside of lfc was a complete laughing stock for the way he dealt with and spoke to the press, every other fan base joked and mocked him, senile etc, our fans lapped it up. You know what the difference was, he had the fans backing, it didn't matter what he said, he was LFC's manager. Rodgers unfortunately has not been given this luxury, he's judged on every word he say's, and every result. He's judged by fans like yourself that are more interested in trying to find flaws, spouting spurious, tedious, noone gives a fuck about facts, than looking for improvement and positivity. It's like a fucking genetic dissorder with half our fanbase. He's been at the club for less than a season and the knives are out.

 

These fans don't take the time out to actually assess out current standing as a club. They don't take time to ponder what the alternative is to Rodgers or to consider what he may be capable of. Anyway it fucking sucks to be you, salivating over the next dropped point, I know that much.

 

Hear fucking hear.

[H Silglad]

I've seen less chest beating in a cardio care unit, I'll be over in the corner being a little sick.

[RobbieOR]

I love you Zeke

[Kevin D]

That would be fine if he hadn't turned Sturridge down and gone for Dempsey instead. I personally believe that any criticism of a Liverpool manager should be fair and done with respect though, and threads like this are anything but fair or respectful.

 

I think there's enough evidence to suggest if he had been told early and unequivocally of the owners refusal to sanction a bid of more than 4m, that he would have moved on Sturridge.

[xerxes]

Well, apart from giving Ayre a pummeling in his unveiling press conference and playing a game of chicken over signing a striker in his first transfer window.

 

A somewhat exaggerated take on events.

 

Since when is a quip a pummeling? The striker debacle in the summer was ineptitude, not a powerplay.

[zigackly]

I think there's enough evidence to suggest if he had been told early and unequivocally of the owners refusal to sanction a bid of more than 4m, that he would have moved on Sturridge.

 

Perhaps we'll never know all the ins and outs of it, but I'm uncomfortable with letting him off the hook entirely. Communication is a two way process, so when a miscommunication occurs, both parties must share some portion of the blame for a lack of clarity. As long as lessons were learned though, it's hopefully been a salutary experience when viewed through the lens of time.

[KMD7]

I'm not getting this about Rodgers becoming a laughing stock at all. I think he handles the media well. Not sure about this Brent like persona that's he purported to have either. I think he comes across pretty well on tv most of the time he's spoken on it.

[Kevin D]

Perhaps we'll never know all the ins and outs of it, but I'm uncomfortable with letting him off the hook entirely. Communication is a two way process, so when a miscommunication occurs, both parties must share some portion of the blame for a lack of clarity. As long as lessons were learned though, it's hopefully been a salutary experience when viewed through the lens of time.

 

I think that's fair enough. My position is that, at worst, he was guilty of naivety and carries about 10% of the blame. By the way, that last sentence makes you sound like Xeres's brother.

[Moctezuma]

The loss to WBA does seem to have caused some real consternation but partly this is down to Steve Clarke being in the opposite dug out. The guy clearly had a beneficial effect on Agger and Skrtle’s form last year so why we had to lose him as an effective assistant/good defensive coach is irritating (though he deserves his chance and perhaps felt loyal to Kenny).

 

I think one of the biggest problems we face as a fan base is the prospect of rebuilding once again, I think people cling to Benitez so much (something I'm guilty of on occasion) because it felt like we were only a minor step away from becoming a major force again. But this was scuppered by Hicks and Gillet woeful mismanagement and endangering of the clubs existence and the sale of Alonso.

 

So far the Rodgers era feels very much like Roy Evans: nice play, inclusion of promising young players, poor defending especially from set pieces, the odd high scoring win/credible result, inconsistency (losing at home to poor/lower ranked opponents) and two defeats and a draw (granted should have been a win) against our biggest rivals.

 

Having said that I will continue to back him as we need some continuity as sacking managers every season will just get us into more trouble long term. The counter argument to my own position being that if we do retain someone who is going to leave the club bumbling along outside the Champions League places then we will be in real trouble long term as regardless of how big you perceive the club to be, due to the financial short fall and lack of prestige we will slip further away.

 

For me though it’s not just this slight dissatisfaction, it’s the general feeling of malaise that I have toward the game at the moment which perhaps would dissipate somewhat if we were winning. That is annoyance at the media and Sky, the existence of an entirely greed is good philosophy, the fleecing of fans, the denigration of the Uefa Cup and domestic cups and the exaltation of the stale money spinning Champions League (including fourth space being some golden prize). If it weren’t for the passion I have for Liverpool I’d find it very difficult to enjoy the game outwith Barcelona’s brilliance and the upsets in the League cup this year.

 

I hope under Rodgers performances can improve but I have consigned this season mentally as a write off (unless something miraculous happens in the Europa League).

Hopefully we can retain Suarez, look to find a capable way of playing without Gerrard (if he starts to decline) and improve the defence over the summer; this would then give us a season where everything would be in place for a decent tilt at getting up the table and success in the cups. Which given what the club has been through would be excellent, as it takes a long time to bounce back from the type of setbacks that happened under the old ownership and the mistakes that were made at the start of this current one.

[zigackly]

How a manager performs in front of the press is of secondary importance to what happens on the pitch. For me, it's just become a stick to beat him with because results and performances have been inconclusive in the context of our last few seasons. We've improved our goalscoring, but our defence has become porous. He at least deserves the chance to continue with one whilst putting a stop to the other.

[Guest davelfc]

I'm not getting this about Rodgers becoming a laughing stock at all. I think he handles the media well. Not sure about this Brent like persona that's he purported to have either. I think he comes across pretty well on tv most of the time he's spoken on it.

 

I think it started with the documentary 'being Liverpool' and hasn't gone away.

 

Had we been getting results and been higher up the table his comments would be viewed in an entirely different way by many. I'm not too concerned about what he says to the media, he is certainly not the media hand grenade that Hodgson was.

[Guest davelfc]

How a manager performs in front of the press is of secondary importance to what happens on the pitch. For me, it's just become a stick to beat him with because results and performances have been inconclusive in the context of our last few seasons. We've improved our goalscoring, but our defence has become porous. He at least deserves the chance to continue with one whilst putting a stop to the other.

 

I agree with this, it's close to what I said. Hopefully a fully fit Sturridge for the rest of the season will give us the edge we need and some decent results.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

I sincerely believe people are just completely perplexed by listening to a manager speak with raw passion for the game and belief in what he's trying to do, the robotic drone from most managers sets the precedent and anything which strays from that is approached with ridicule and fear.