Aldo: Rodgers is special and this is our best football in 25 years

[tlw content]

John Aldridge has hailed Brendan Rodgers as ‘the best manager Liverpool have had for a long time’ and claims the Reds are currently ‘playing their best football in 25 years’

 

'Aldo' was speaking after Liverpool’s humiliation of Manchester United at Old Trafford moved the Reds to within four points of leaders Chelsea having played a game less, and the legendary striker was impressed with what he saw. "I'd never seen Liverpool go to Old Trafford and leave two players up front all the time" he said.

 

"The message was clear - 'let them worry about us'. We were the side repeatedly asking questions and dominated from start to finish.  This is the best football I've seen from a Liverpool team for 25 years” added Aldridge. “What we are being treated to is of the highest quality. Rodgers' side are a joy to watch."

 

Aldridge of course, was an integral part of what is regarded by many as Liverpool’s greatest ever attacking side in the late 80’s, scoring 63 goals in 104 games before moving on to Real Sociedad, and the striker sees comparisons in what the current side are producing and the side he played in."Not since the Liverpool team I played in during the late 80s has the club played such an exciting brand of football” he said.

 

"I know we won trophies under Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez but we didn't win games in this manner. Under previous managers we went to places like Old Trafford looking to grind out results, but the current crop go to every ground with such a positive mentality and looking to win.

 

"Rodgers is bold and he's the best manager we've had for a long time. What he has already achieved in transforming the club's fortunes has been magnificent.  Sunday's 3-0 win over United was a massive statement. If our finishing had been up to scratch it would have been five or six.

 

"We actually played better against Arsenal and Everton at home and Tottenham away but in terms of results Sunday was the best of the lot. United are our arch enemies - to go there and win that comfortably was special."

 

 

Is Aldo right, is this the best football for 25 years?  Perhaps it's even better?

 

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[Spy Bee]

Sound as a pound.

[Biscao]

Hard to disagree with any of that.

[Section_31]

It's our best footy without question, not our best manager - yet. He needs to win trophies first, and he'd be the first to admit that.

[stringvest]

I really want to buy into this stuff, but we haven't won a thing yet.

[Pureblood]

It's our best footy without question, not our best manager - yet. He needs to win trophies first, and he'd be the first to admit that.

 

Aye.  I'm growing a little tired at the lack of respect shown for Houllier and Benitez just because we're mounting a title challenge and playing great football.  It doesn't take the shine off their respective achievements, for me.  I'm not really arsed how we play as long as we win.  That said I have been hugely entertained this season.

[BCM]

Rodgers is doing very well, but save the plaudits to when the trophies are in the cabinet, or when we are dominating Europe again. This point scoring is silly.

[Aldonose]

Aye. I'm growing a little tired at the lack of respect shown for Houllier and Benitez just because we're mounting a title challenge and playing great football. It doesn't take the shine off their respective achievements, for me. I'm not really arsed how we play as long as we win. That said I have been hugely entertained this season.

Yeah, the best football is winning football. Anything else is a bonus. Utopia would be playing the way we're doing and winning trophies. It's a definite possibility under Rodgers if the past 12 months is anything to go by.

[Pureblood]

Yeah, the best football is winning football. Anything else is a bonus. Utopia would be playing the way we're doing and winning trophies. It's a definite possibility under Rodgers if the past 12 months is anything to go by.

 

I'll take a deflection off Aspas' left nipple against Cardiff.  0-1. Just give us the points.

[Aldonose]

I'll take a deflection off Aspas' left nipple against Cardiff. 0-1. Just give us the points.

Haha it's true. The next couple of months is more about character and mentality. We've proved we have progressed in terms of our fluidity etc, its now time to dig in and win whatever way possible.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I don't think it's any disrespect to GED or Rafa. I think we are just playing great football and doing it from a different starting point. There's loads of things to praise even before we've won anything. If he does, it'll be incredible.

[stringvest]

When all is said and done NV, if we don't win anything, it would be silly to celebrate it. I would,guess that all Liverpool fans are enjoying the football we're producing this season, but while acknowledging we've improved, I won't see him on a par with Houllier or Benitez if we don't win anything. They both managed to qualify for the CL, though I acknowledge that this is probably harder to do these days.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Not sure who is saying he is on a par with them. He won't be until he wins something, but he hasn't really had the same job as them. He took over a side in a totally different state than those managers. Should he win the league this season, whilst offering the most exciting brand of football in the league, it would be more amazing than any of their achievements.

 

We should also note that those managers were in charge for 6 or more years. Rodgers has had a season and two thirds. He isn't there yet, but the credit he deserves for doing the job he has is right and proper, in my opinion.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I like Aldo, he always comes across as a proper fan, but you have to take into account that everything he writes is pure emotion and after the OT display I think everyone will forgive him some hyperbolic reaction.

 

Rodgers could well be on course to be counted amongst some of the giants we've had at the helm, but the last piece of the puzzle is winning things. 

[Neil G]

Not sure who is saying he is on a par with them. 

 

Aldo is.

 

Agree with the rest of your post though.

[Section_31]

I like Aldo, he always comes across as a proper fan, but you have to take into account that everything he writes is pure emotion and after the OT display I think everyone will forgive him some hyperbolic reaction.

 

Rodgers could well be on course to be counted amongst some of the giants we've had at the helm, but the last piece of the puzzle is winning things.

Spot on that, Aldo wears his heart on his sleave at all times, that's why he's a legend.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Aldo is.

Mind showing me where, mate? I'm clearly missing it.

[Elite]

Its silly to compare him with Ged and Rafa yet but whatever happens Rodgers has given us our pride back and got us believing again.

[Neil G]

Mind showing me where, mate? I'm clearly missing it.

 

"Rodgers is bold and he's the best manager we've had for a long time." Start of the second paragraph from the bottom, also quoted in the headline.

 

I took it as him saying Rodgers is better than Rafa, as four years isn't a long time in this context.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

"Rodgers is bold and he's the best manager we've had for a long time." Start of the second paragraph from the bottom, also quoted in the headline.

 

I took it as him saying Rodgers is better than Rafa, as four years isn't a long time in this context.

I took it as him expanding on the attacking side of things. I don't think he's putting him on a par with European cup winning managers. Certainly not in that sentence when he went on to talk about transforming the club, which he has done since he took over.

[Neil G]

I took it as him expanding on the attacking side of things. I don't think he's putting him on a par with European cup winning managers. Certainly not in that sentence when he went on to talk about transforming the club, which he has done since he took over.

 

"Best manager we've had in a long time" is a pretty unequivocal statement. That's what Sec and TK were responding to.

[TSC]

Well certainly Gerrard's comments this week would back up Aldo's view.  Anyway it's about opinions, and what can't really be debated is that this is probably the best football we've seen a Liverpool team play in years.  Dalglish's team of 88 was best in my memory and this is the best since then in my opinion.  Yep it lacks trophies and we may fall short in the league but he's only been here a short time.  First one's always the hardest of course.  It'd be some achievement if his first was the big one.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

"Best manager we've had in a long time" is a pretty unequivocal statement.

Right. So he thinks he's better than Shanks? I mean, that's a long time. Come off it, it's a throw away comment not an unequivocal statement (which, by the way, would have been 'he's better than Rafa and Ged'). He's giving the guy some credit, not slagging off former managers.

[JermainePennant]

Aye.  I'm growing a little tired at the lack of respect shown for Houllier and Benitez just because we're mounting a title challenge and playing great football.  It doesn't take the shine off their respective achievements, for me.  I'm not really arsed how we play as long as we win.  That said I have been hugely entertained this season.

I agree about rafa but nothing needs to happen for me to know GH was a shit manager certainly after 2001 and he also had us playing the worst football ive seen in my time watching lfc.

 

Obviously Hodgson was worse but he only got months while GH had years, there are also a lot of other flaws gh has that I cant be bothered listing, they are clear.

 

Rafa was and is the best lfc manager I have seen in my lifetime, I loved and still do love him for what he did here but now I would swap Brendan for noone.Brendan is doing an outstanding job but as others have said he needs to add a few trophies before he can be considered one of the greats like Rafa.

[Neil G]

Right. So he thinks he's better than Shanks? I mean, that's a long time. Come off it, it's a throw away comment not an unequivocal statement (which, by the way, would have been 'he's better than Rafa and Ged'). He's giving the guy some credit, not slagging off former managers.

 

Mate, you asked why people were talking about Rodgers being put on a par with Rafa and GH. Surely you can see how people would infer that from the words "Rodgers is the best manager we've had in a long time", whatever Aldo actually meant and however you read it yourself.