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Does Rodgers deserve another season.


thompsonsnose
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It's a completely different club now. We were the best run club in the country for a generation and a well oiled machine with each manager winning shitloads while on the previous manager's staff.

 

Look at the state of the meffs in charge now. We've gone from the best run club there is to one of the worst. It's no place for a naive rookie manager.

 

I think that's the most depressing thing about our current situation, if the decision makers at the club gave the impression of doing a competent job and our relative lack of success was solely down to a relative lack of cash it would be a lot easier to accept, but they just don't. For a start the pitch - how did one of the elite clubs in global football end up with a playing surface that looks like the Baseball Ground circa winter 1973? Did it not occur to anyone last year that the impending stadium expansion might impact on that and get it sorted out beforehand? No, it seems. Whoever had that responsibility failed to do their job properly, one of many.

 

Also, after Sterling's performances during the second half of last season and his inclusion in the World Cup squad, wouldn't it have been a good idea to bump his money up a bit and get him to sign up for another 5 years? Not a chance, that would require foresight, something the club sorely lacks these days.

 

I don't know whether these sorts of failures are symptomatic of rank incompetence or a short-term, penny pinching ethos that's coming from the owners, all I know is it's making the club look amateurish and second rate. Rodgers, Ayre, the medical team with Sturridge, all of them look pretty damn clueless to me. Each and every decision they make looks suspect. The latest example of this is offering Toure another year's contract when we have 2 much younger centre backs out on loan, 3 if you count Wisdom. Will Toure really be able to do much of a job for us as he approaches his 35th birthday? I doubt it, so why bother keeping him on when there are younger players who could?

 

FSG seem ever more detached from their investment these days, I'm surprised that there hasn't been more comment about them not having the courtesy to come over and bid farewell to the probably the club's greatest ever player last weekend. They need to pull their fingers out and start making some changes or their foray into the world's most popular sport will not end well. 

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http://www.blindreligion.com/fsg-sack-rodgers/

 

 

FSG SACK BRENDAN RODGERS AND THEY DID IT LAST YEAR

 

Last month we brought you the incredible revelation that Raheem Sterling was lying during his interview with the BBC. Today reports are he is asking for a move which is something we stated he would MONTHS AGO.

 

However there’s a massively more shocking story coming out of Liverpool today and the revelations will blow Liverpool’s fans minds. Two very sources have alleged the following.

 

- Brendan Rodgers was sacked last November. He will face the same indignity as Kenny Dalglish having to fly to the U.S and receive his p45 Wednesday 3rd June 2015

 

- FSG had a crisis meeting last year and blamed themselves for not having a contingency plan for this season going so badly

 

- With so many new signings having loyalty to Rodgers and senior players like Gerrard, Toure and Johnson having excellent relationships it was decided the sacking couldn’t take place until they had left

 

- Gerrard’s influence in the dressing room became a big worry for FSG and his position amongst supporters and it was decided he would have to leave

 

- FSG have been sounding out replacements for Rodgers since last year

 

- From November on there has been a transfer ban which led to no January activity and pulling out of the race to sign Depay late on

 

- FSG have been using the press to leak stories about reported interest in Rodgers transfer targets with no intention of signing them to keep Rodgers in the dark

 

- Liverpool are already identifying a different set of targets that Rodgers has not approved and is unaware are even being discussed

 

- Klopp has refused to speak with FSG until the season is over and said he will not allow his team to be distracted with a Cup Final approaching

 

- However his agent has been in discussion with LFC for months and has already provided a list of targets

 

- Feeling inside Anfield recent slump is because the players and the staff know the writing is on the wall for Rodgers

 

- FSG deliberately sabotaged the Sterling deal. The offer was nothing like £100,000 per week and even with potential bonus incentives did not reach that figure.

 

- FSG are aware changing manager is expensive and agreed last November to sell Sterling to find the new managers spending spree though they hadn’t identified manager at that time

 

- Rodgers recently had a furious exchange with a staff member when in front of the players his methods were questioned

 

- FSG did not attend Steven Gerrard’s last game out of a lack of respect for Gerrard but simply because Rodgers has made it clear he is looking to speak to them face to face as he is aware there are two agendas being pushed at Anfield.

 

Now we don’t even know where to start with this? There’s almost too much to go on and it sounds like an episode of Dynasty or Dallas back in the 1980’s. The source we have is rock solid but we have to be careful and put this is what they are alleging and not the opinions of Blind Religion.

 

The United States laws are far more aggressive over stories like this and to be honest we were due to run this story yesterday but have been up debating all night if we should for our own safety.

 

However the news is too huge. We were told that all through Liverpool’s resurgence of form after a dreadful start there was absolutely no chance FSG were going to turn it around bar Champions League qualification. Even then after Liverpool’s performance in the competition Tom Werner is the one who flatly refused to accept LFC can allow that to happen again.

 

Since then it has been one long rollercoaster of FSG engineering Rodgers sacking. The decision to encourage Gerrard to move on we’re told wasn’t financial or football related but his relationship with Rodgers had become so close they were concerned about sacking Rodgers with Gerrard still there.

 

Players like Johnson and Toure have had support from Rodgers despite poor form and they too have influence in the dressing room. We were told that Rodgers and Toure did have an exchange but that exchange was because they’re actually quite close and felt they could. It was club officials that leaked the story to drive a wedge between Toure and Rodgers and further lessen Rodgers hold over the dressing room.

 

FSG are refusing to negotiate with Skrtel until the new manager arrives. However they will pursue targets such as Milner and Ings simply on the basis of value. Now if all of this sounds dramatic the fact Liverpool are the ones who at the start of the season sabotaged the Sterling deal puts the whole thing in a new light.

 

We’ve been told in no uncertain terms it was absolutely clear FSG as soon as they decided to oust Rodgers and set about making that job as easy as possible also decided to manage the situation with the fans and how to finance it. There has been a consistent media campaign against Sterling. Ex players talking about his agent leaking stories when in fact we’ve heard it was FSG leaking stories about Sterling’s agent leaking stories.

 

Its mind blowing stuff and soap opera-esque. However FSG knew the fans loved Sterling and they also knew that Sterling would be the best way to finance a huge spending spree for the new manager. They decided that the fans would accept Rodgers departure, Sterling’s departure and Gerrard’s departure if they could drive a wedge between the fans and Sterling and after all three have departed embark on a huge spending spree.

 

That’s absolutely the plan we’ve been told will happen. Rodgers will be gone, Sterling will be gone and this was all decided last year. Liverpool have forced Sterling’s hand and he will ask for the move as his wages remain low and his contract runs down. FSG will make a statement saying due to his contract situation they had no choice but to try and get the best price they can.

 

Some fans won’t be sad to see Rodgers gone and some will. All fans will be sad to see Gerrard leave. Some fans earlier in the season would have raged at Sterling leaving and said more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

We have no idea if that’s right but we’ve been told FSG have absolutely no worries that they will get rid of Rodgers, get rid of the remaining influences in the dressing room, cash in on Sterling and use that money and the extra TV revenue to spend another 100m this summer.

 

The feeling in the United States is that they won’t have to spend a penny this summer but will be heralded as the best owners in the Premier League as they put extra TV money and players sales to a pot of 100m. What set of fans are going to moan about a 100m spending spree? Unless it turns out like the last 100m Liverpool spent.

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I, for one, think it sounds perfectly logical that a random T-shirt website would have the biggest sports scoop of the summer.

 

And I see it's all over twitter that DiMarzio has said we've been talking with Klopp (and Rafa!) as well.  It's practically written in stone, then.

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"With so many new signings having loyalty to Rodgers and senior players like Gerrard, Toure and Johnson having excellent relationships it was decided the sacking couldn’t take place until they had left

"Gerrard’s influence in the dressing room became a big worry for FSG and his position amongst supporters and it was decided he would have to leave"

This is the best part. I had my doubts until I read that "the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG."

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"With so many new signings having loyalty to Rodgers and senior players like Gerrard, Toure and Johnson having excellent relationships it was decided the sacking couldn’t take place until they had left

 

"Gerrard’s influence in the dressing room became a big worry for FSG and his position amongst supporters and it was decided he would have to leave"

 

This is the past part. I had my doubts until I read that "the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG."

 

It breaks down well before that, though.  If the strategy was to turn the fans against Sterling so no one would complain if he were sold, then they were depending completely on him and his agent going to the press over and over again about the contract.

 

If Sterling and his agent kept their mouths shut, then the supposed master plan collapses.  Doesn't sound that well thought through IMO.

 

Although I will say that if it turns out that Brendan really is getting the sack and Klopp is coming in with a list of targets and a huge wad of cash to spend, then I will forgive FSG for everything.  

 

See, FSG?  It's not too late to put this plan into action to make yourselves popular and save the direction of the club.  Even if it wasn't your plan before, you could make it your plan now!

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In fact continuing my point regarding Lovren and my post on the last page (because I'm on a roll right now) that stats analysis may well be telling us correctly that Lovren has the attributes to be a top class defender.  After all he didn't look bad in Southampton's team, which is how he ended up here.

 

Trouble is, being effective in Southampton's team, or United's, City's or anybody else's is worthless to us; what we need to spend our money on is players that will work well in our team and with our manager's tactics, whatever the hell they are.

 

That's where a stats-based approach falls down.  It can tell you what percentage of blocks a player makes in a particular area of the pitch, how many forward passes he completes, what percentage of long and short balls he plays, whatever.  What they don't tell you is why he was doing those things, what the side he was playing in were set up like etc.

 

If you have a CB who plays as part of a settled pair in a 4 man defence with a solid DM screening in front of them he may have an impressive tackling percentage because the opposing striker is receiving the ball when he's isolated and tightly marked.  If he has an impressive percentage of headers won it could be because he plays behind a tight midfield unit who are constantly pressuring the ball with the opposition having to resort to aimlessly lumping it forward.

 

Take him out of that team and play him on the left of a back three where he will be having to decide whether to move out to cover a wide player or stay tight to cover the centre, behind a midfield unit that's about as hard as a baby's first shit and couldn't press a shirt and all the stats in the world about his performances with his previous team won't tell you anything worth knowing because you're not comparing like with like.

 

Chuck in a manager who changes his tactics week to week and even mid-game often without any apparent rhyme or reason, requiring the player to be able to adapt quickly to changing responsibilities and in my opinion at least, you're crossing the boundary where judging a player and whether he will be a good fit for your team changes from a science to an art.  That's what the football people give you, their experience and ability to judge a player like that.

 

Take someone like Hansen for example.  Granted he was phoning it in on MOTD towards the end but I lost count of the number of times he would point out something a player did (or didn't do) maybe 10 seconds before a goal that turned out to be critical.  I'll take that kind of analysis from a pro who knows and has played the game at the highest level over the 2005 FM Champion (Southern Regional B division) any day.

 

I'm no luddite, I think it's great that managers and coaches have access to so much information about a player's performance these days, I'd never mock a manager for using it to help him understand his team's performances and it can be a huge aid but that's all it should be - an aid.

 

The trouble is that looking at the composition of the committee we have three people there with no background in the game at all.

 

Edwards was brought in by Comolli which says it all really - OK he got us Suarez but there's a reason he was binned and it's basically everybody he signed other than Suarez so yeah, his stats guru whose career basically consists of finishing uni and then playing fantasy football for real with other people's money doesn't fill me with confidence. 

 

Mike Gordon is apparently the one from FSG who knows the most about 'soccer' which is a bit like saying Mama Cass was the second fittest bird in the Mamas and Papas; technically true but hardly a recommendation.  I'm still to learn exactly what knowledge of the game he is supposed to have but the fact that it's not been trumpeted around too much tells me all I need to know really.

 

Then of course there's Ayre.  He's the most worrying of the lot to me because he's a fan and strikes me as the kind of bloke who thinks he actually does know something about spotting a player.  OK, so do I but the diference is that I won't be spending £16m of the club's money on Balotelli any time soon.

 

Out of those, Gordon should only be involved to make the coffee and tell Ayre to sign the cheques and Ayre's role should be that and no more.  As for Edwards, all I can say is that if it was his spreadsheets that told Comolli that Downing and Charlie Adam were what we needed, I can't begin to grasp how he's still here.

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This is the Di Marzio stuff we have contacted Klopp and Benitez allegedly.

 

Sounds like it's written by Rafa's agent though.

 

The latest is both have been contacted for the Madrid job also.

 

Rafa Benitez's future is getting further from Naples. Indeed, Napoli's Spanish manager had reached an agreement in principle with West Ham United for next season, but this morning scenarios are changed quickly: Benitez has had a direct contact with Hammer's chairman and he has declined the offer of the English club because... because Real Madrid is strongly interested in him. Yes. Liverpool (which has contacted Klopp too in case decides to change his manager) and Manchester City have tried some indirect contacts, but Real is ahead in negotiations. The negotiation between the parts is advanced, the contacts are continuing: and so Rafa Benitez is Ancelotti's successor? Real Madrid's chairman, Florentino Perez, is seriously thinking about him, he's ready to make a revolution after this season. Then, after the contacts in the past, Benitez and Merengues might join soon each other. Napoli, now, seems to be so far.

 

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/calciomercato/benitezs-future-is-faraway-from-napoli-no-to-west-ham-ongoing-contacts-with-real-madrid/

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Rodgers was appointed basically as a young manager to come in and coach the team as part of a wider structure revamp at the club. The plan was a DOF who would take over from Comolli.

 

Yet what happened was this rookie manager was allowed to refuse to work with a DOF at all (which led to this big committee after Rodgers spent his first summer targeting his old Swansea players and Clint Dempsey).

 

Funniest part of that is Dempsey would probably have been our first choice forward this season whilst Sturridge was injured.

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This is the Di Marzio stuff we have contacted Klopp and Benitez allegedly.

 

Sounds like it's written by Rafa's agent though.

 

The latest is both have been contacted for the Madrid job also.

 

Rafa Benitez's future is getting further from Naples. Indeed, Napoli's Spanish manager had reached an agreement in principle with West Ham United for next season, but this morning scenarios are changed quickly: Benitez has had a direct contact with Hammer's chairman and he has declined the offer of the English club because... because Real Madrid is strongly interested in him. Yes. Liverpool (which has contacted Klopp too in case decides to change his manager) and Manchester City have tried some indirect contacts, but Real is ahead in negotiations. The negotiation between the parts is advanced, the contacts are continuing: and so Rafa Benitez is Ancelotti's successor? Real Madrid's chairman, Florentino Perez, is seriously thinking about him, he's ready to make a revolution after this season. Then, after the contacts in the past, Benitez and Merengues might join soon each other. Napoli, now, seems to be so far.

 

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/calciomercato/benitezs-future-is-faraway-from-napoli-no-to-west-ham-ongoing-contacts-with-real-madrid/

 

That reads like someone got a Cornation Street script and changed all the names to football managers.  Who's shagging Sam Allardyce?

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That article DT posted is like a Dan Brown novel. Gripping. Full of twists and turns. But when you sit down and think about it you realise the characters are one dimensional and under proper critical scrutiny the plot falls apart.

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http://www.blindreligion.com/fsg-sack-rodgers/

 

 

FSG SACK BRENDAN RODGERS AND THEY DID IT LAST YEAR

 

Last month we brought you the incredible revelation that Raheem Sterling was lying during his interview with the BBC. Today reports are he is asking for a move which is something we stated he would MONTHS AGO.

 

However there’s a massively more shocking story coming out of Liverpool today and the revelations will blow Liverpool’s fans minds. Two very sources have alleged the following.

 

- Brendan Rodgers was sacked last November. He will face the same indignity as Kenny Dalglish having to fly to the U.S and receive his p45 Wednesday 3rd June 2015

 

- FSG had a crisis meeting last year and blamed themselves for not having a contingency plan for this season going so badly

 

- With so many new signings having loyalty to Rodgers and senior players like Gerrard, Toure and Johnson having excellent relationships it was decided the sacking couldn’t take place until they had left

 

- Gerrard’s influence in the dressing room became a big worry for FSG and his position amongst supporters and it was decided he would have to leave

 

- FSG have been sounding out replacements for Rodgers since last year

 

- From November on there has been a transfer ban which led to no January activity and pulling out of the race to sign Depay late on

 

- FSG have been using the press to leak stories about reported interest in Rodgers transfer targets with no intention of signing them to keep Rodgers in the dark

 

- Liverpool are already identifying a different set of targets that Rodgers has not approved and is unaware are even being discussed

 

- Klopp has refused to speak with FSG until the season is over and said he will not allow his team to be distracted with a Cup Final approaching

 

- However his agent has been in discussion with LFC for months and has already provided a list of targets

 

- Feeling inside Anfield recent slump is because the players and the staff know the writing is on the wall for Rodgers

 

- FSG deliberately sabotaged the Sterling deal. The offer was nothing like £100,000 per week and even with potential bonus incentives did not reach that figure.

 

- FSG are aware changing manager is expensive and agreed last November to sell Sterling to find the new managers spending spree though they hadn’t identified manager at that time

 

- Rodgers recently had a furious exchange with a staff member when in front of the players his methods were questioned

 

- FSG did not attend Steven Gerrard’s last game out of a lack of respect for Gerrard but simply because Rodgers has made it clear he is looking to speak to them face to face as he is aware there are two agendas being pushed at Anfield.

 

Now we don’t even know where to start with this? There’s almost too much to go on and it sounds like an episode of Dynasty or Dallas back in the 1980’s. The source we have is rock solid but we have to be careful and put this is what they are alleging and not the opinions of Blind Religion.

 

The United States laws are far more aggressive over stories like this and to be honest we were due to run this story yesterday but have been up debating all night if we should for our own safety.

 

However the news is too huge. We were told that all through Liverpool’s resurgence of form after a dreadful start there was absolutely no chance FSG were going to turn it around bar Champions League qualification. Even then after Liverpool’s performance in the competition Tom Werner is the one who flatly refused to accept LFC can allow that to happen again.

 

Since then it has been one long rollercoaster of FSG engineering Rodgers sacking. The decision to encourage Gerrard to move on we’re told wasn’t financial or football related but his relationship with Rodgers had become so close they were concerned about sacking Rodgers with Gerrard still there.

 

Players like Johnson and Toure have had support from Rodgers despite poor form and they too have influence in the dressing room. We were told that Rodgers and Toure did have an exchange but that exchange was because they’re actually quite close and felt they could. It was club officials that leaked the story to drive a wedge between Toure and Rodgers and further lessen Rodgers hold over the dressing room.

 

FSG are refusing to negotiate with Skrtel until the new manager arrives. However they will pursue targets such as Milner and Ings simply on the basis of value. Now if all of this sounds dramatic the fact Liverpool are the ones who at the start of the season sabotaged the Sterling deal puts the whole thing in a new light.

 

We’ve been told in no uncertain terms it was absolutely clear FSG as soon as they decided to oust Rodgers and set about making that job as easy as possible also decided to manage the situation with the fans and how to finance it. There has been a consistent media campaign against Sterling. Ex players talking about his agent leaking stories when in fact we’ve heard it was FSG leaking stories about Sterling’s agent leaking stories.

 

Its mind blowing stuff and soap opera-esque. However FSG knew the fans loved Sterling and they also knew that Sterling would be the best way to finance a huge spending spree for the new manager. They decided that the fans would accept Rodgers departure, Sterling’s departure and Gerrard’s departure if they could drive a wedge between the fans and Sterling and after all three have departed embark on a huge spending spree.

 

That’s absolutely the plan we’ve been told will happen. Rodgers will be gone, Sterling will be gone and this was all decided last year. Liverpool have forced Sterling’s hand and he will ask for the move as his wages remain low and his contract runs down. FSG will make a statement saying due to his contract situation they had no choice but to try and get the best price they can.

 

Some fans won’t be sad to see Rodgers gone and some will. All fans will be sad to see Gerrard leave. Some fans earlier in the season would have raged at Sterling leaving and said more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

We have no idea if that’s right but we’ve been told FSG have absolutely no worries that they will get rid of Rodgers, get rid of the remaining influences in the dressing room, cash in on Sterling and use that money and the extra TV revenue to spend another 100m this summer.

 

The feeling in the United States is that they won’t have to spend a penny this summer but will be heralded as the best owners in the Premier League as they put extra TV money and players sales to a pot of 100m. What set of fans are going to moan about a 100m spending spree? Unless it turns out like the last 100m Liverpool spent.

 

more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

 

5lytn.jpg

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If they hire Klopp and support him in the transfer market, I'd be willing to support FSG* for at least two seasons, for at least until I see the full completion of the regenerated Anfield. I will even write some positive comments about them from now and then.

 

That's how desperate I am to see Liverpool succeed. 

 

 

 

*This official nightcat promise EXCLUDES Ayre from the deal. I will continue expressing my opinion on him regardless the rest.

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more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

more evidence LFC are a selling club but the situation has been so expertly managed by FSG that Liverpool fans will come out of this with full support behind FSG.

 

 

5lytn.jpg

 

5t0KFhD.jpg

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I would bring Rafa in as manager and let Rodgers rot in the reserves.

 

I'd make sure we keep Sterling by making him manager.  Rafa could be his assistant and we could get Konchesky back as DoF with Poulsen as head scout.  That'll show 'em.

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I would bring Rafa in as manager and let Rodgers rot in the reserves.

 

You know, you kid but I reckon we actually have pretty good personnel to suit a Rafa-managed style.

 

Can - Carvalho

 

Ibe - Coutinho - Sterling

 

Sturridge

 

I reckon we'd see absolutely ridiculous stats from Coutinho in that kind of lineup.  

 

Just needs a Carvalho or some other destroyer in CM and maybe a better player than Ibe/Markovic so those are the players on the bench.  Though if Rafa can get us 2nd with a good-but-not-great Riera playing almost every game, he could probably do it with Ibe and Markovic.

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