Does Rodgers deserve another season.

[stringvest]

Hah, my anger got the better of me there, I was thinking about morale. I need to get some of these feathers out of my teeth, excuse me.

 

haha!!  I thought you knew something that had escaped the rest of us there Ziggers... I was imagining Usher opening a TLW Hello! Magazine.  

[stringvest]

In that case, you've completely misinterpreted my point mate (or i've not explained it very well). Crossed wires and all that.

 

ah, ok.  Three phone calls later, I've forgotten what it was in the first place, and now I have something to do!

[Dicko]

Do you not take into account circumstances last season - and ones before - and rivals' expenditure last summer, though?

Not after spending that much, not really no.

We spent more than anyone last summer I think and after finishing second, to not even put a credible effort into finishing fourth is not acceptable.

 

Regardless of what anyone else does.

I mean we're not even close, that can't be right.

[zigackly]

No I don't accept that. If we'd tried to dog out a draw against Chelsea I think we'd have come unstuck as the one thing that team couldn't do was absorb pressure.

 

The Palace game was simply down to goal difference for me and was basically a result of the Chelsea game.

 

The only way we had a chance of winning the league was by beating them about 10-0 and that team was so mad that at 3-0 they genuinely thought they could do it!

 

I don't subscribe to this assertion that we blew it. We won 12 out of our last 14 games and just missed out. The game that cost us was a defeat against the 3rd best team in the league. So I don't accept that.

 

My simple point here is that a fella is being ridiculed less than 12 months after he was being lauded.

 

For me, he deserves criticism and may lose his job (which would be completely justified). I don't think he deserves ridicule.

 

Ok well we can't always agree so I'm not going to argue with your assessment just reiterate that it's not mine.

 

I don't like the ridicule either. For me he's had a go but the job has proved too much for him at this point in his career, and that's no shame.

 

I do have a lot of criticism though.

[Russ Atmosphere]

No I don't accept that. If we'd tried to dog out a draw against Chelsea I think we'd have come unstuck as the one thing that team couldn't do was absorb pressure.

 

The Palace game was simply down to goal difference for me and was basically a result of the Chelsea game.

 

The only way we had a chance of winning the league was by beating them about 10-0 and that team was so mad that at 3-0 they genuinely thought they could do it!

 

I don't subscribe to this assertion that we blew it. We won 12 out of our last 14 games and just missed out. The game that cost us was a defeat against the 3rd best team in the league. So I don't accept that.

 

My simple point here is that a fella is being ridiculed less than 12 months after he was being lauded.

 

For me, he deserves criticism and may lose his job (which would be completely justified). I don't think he deserves ridicule.

I've probably read more posts saying this than read the ridicule.

[Major Tom]

We spent more than anyone last summer I think and after finishing second,

 

No, we didn't, Dicko. Not even close.

[Brownie]

ah, ok. Three phone calls later, I've forgotten what it was in the first place, and now I have something to do!

Haha same here working from home!

[zigackly]

No, we didn't, Dicko. Not even close.

 

How about we spent enough that we can't really justify accelerating backwards off a cliff? Stalling might have been acceptable in context.

[Brownie]

I've probably read more posts saying this than read the ridicule.

Good.

[scudger99]

Bang on, Brownie.

 

No Liverpool manager should be ridiculed and abused by Liverpool fans.

Unless it's owl shaped ?

[Dicko]

No, we didn't, Dicko. Not even close.

Who spent more? Genuine question.

Even so it's still moot, after finishing second we spent enough to ensure we finish fourth or at least challenge.

We haven't even remotely looked like doing either.

[Major Tom]

How about we spent enough that we can't really justify accelerating backwards off a cliff? Stalling might have been acceptable in context.

 

Well, depends what context you want to wrap round it. Do you take into consideration one year or more when you decide what accurately reflects our standing in the league? If we finish 5th (yes, big if at the moment) it will still represent our second best league finish in the past 6 seasons.

 

Saying that, we should have done better this season, points wise. Regardless of where that saw us finish in the final shake up.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Good.

Apologies if that isn't anyone here but people tend to get righteous when it suits their argument, it's annoying.

[Major Tom]

Who spent more? Genuine question.

 

Utd spent £150m or so and didn't sell the league's best player.

[zigackly]

Well, depends what context you want to wrap round it. Do you take into consideration one year or more when you decide what accurately reflects our standing in the league? If we finish 5th (yes, big if at the moment) it will still represent our second best league finish in the past 6 seasons.

 

Saying that, we should have done better this season, points wise. Regardless of where that saw us finish in the final shake up.

 

It's not even all about points, we are gutless and clueless. I can accept failing while giving it a proper go.

[xerxes]

It's not even all about points, we are gutless and clueless. I can accept failing while giving it a proper go.

The worry for me is that our experience and guile has left and is not being replaced.

[Dicko]

Utd spent £150m or so and didn't sell the league's best player.

So Utd spent more then?

That still doesn't explain after our own expenditure which was still immense over nine players at prices that should command automatic selection that we have failed to even mount a challenge for fourth.

 

There is no way anyone can spin this season that doesn't have fingers pointing at the manager and the committee.

[Jairzinho]

United also finished 20 points below us last season.

 

Reverse the situation, would you have expected us to leapfrog them in one season?

[Major Tom]

It's not even all about points, we are gutless and clueless. I can accept failing while giving it a proper go.

 

Yeah, fair enough. The last three games have been really poor. Just when we needed to step it up.

[Tony Moanero]

But... but... but what about net spend?

[Tony Moanero]

Cunt.

 

Fart.

 

Piss.

[JermainePennant]

I agree.

 

My view on last season has always been that we were offered an unique set of favourable circumstances, which Brendan did brilliantly to capitalise on. I did not see it as the new benchmark.

 

We didn't spend well, but our position down the elite pecking order means that we either have to get lucky, or be superbly placed in our knowledge of the national and worldwide transfer market, Ayre and Brendan cannot be expected to deliver the latter.

Let's hope those favourable circumstances don't happen too often seeing as last season the 4th placed team had the highest points tally in prem history.

[Major Tom]

United also finished 20 points below us last season.

 

Reverse the situation, would you have expected us to leapfrog them in one season?

 

Last season didn't really accurately reflect the state of either club when looking at a broader picture. We'd finished 28, 27, 22 and 22 points respectively behind Utd in the four previous seasons.

 

Last season was an outlier for both clubs.

[JermainePennant]

I'd think far differently of Rodgers if we'd won the league but it's not as simple as one slip. We were poor in the first half and very nervy as we had been against Norwich and in the second half against Man City where we got away with it. The way we set up meant a slip on the halfway line - in first half injury time in a game we only needed to draw - gave Ba a free run on goal. Then in the second half we couldn't even inspire ourselves to a worthwhile chance and performed terribly, so what was said at half time? Winners find a way to win. Losers find a way to lose, every big game this season more or less we've blown it over 4 competitions.

If we'd played out the most boring 0-0 draw with Chelsea, which was on offer, then we'd probably be sitting here as champions but we couldn't adapt the tactics to make sure we kept it tight.

 

The only good thing under Rodgers in three years is one excellent league season which ended up in heartbreak because we threw the title away. We've gone completely backwards this season, we're a clueless team lacking identity and leadership, we bottle every big game and we've wasted all the transfer money. Next season will be tough whoever is in charge but I can't trust Rodgers to be the man to get us back on track when his three summer transfer windows have been such a calamity.

Rodgers tactics did not cost us the Chelsea game, they weren't getting in our half until Gerrard slipped and it shouldn't be hard to understand why there would have been nerves in the second half against Norwich.

[Hades]

People are forgetting we were very lucky last season. 11 pens and a shitload of setpiece goals, Moyes' incompetence and no European football. That is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Even if we had kept Suarez and Sturridge fit, replicating last season's finish would have been almost impossible. We also scored early loads, which meant we didn't have to come from behind, a notorious Rodgers weakpoint.

 

If we had been even a little better defensively, we would have won the title. Rodgers' tactical acumen was vastly overrated because of above mentioned lucky factors. With a better manager, we'd have had the title won in April given the blistering form of our two forwards and Sterling.

 

He has failed miserably in 2 of his 3 seasons and it could be argued his 'success' was highly dubious. We have so drastically reduced expectations at this club that he will probably keep his job, but he shouldnt'.