Failure to beat West Brom could lead to crisis talk (ESPN article)

[tlw content]

by Dave Usher for ESPN

 

The advantage of games coming thick and fast is that you don't have to wait long for the opportunity to redeem yourself after a poor performance. The disadvantage is that when poor results quickly stack up, you can find yourself in something of a crisis. Liverpool haven't quite reached that point yet, but they're getting dangerously close, and failure to win at home to West Brom on Saturday would cap a wretched few weeks for the Anfield club.

 

Little or nothing has gone right for the Reds since they beat Spurs at White Hart Lane a little over a month ago. Daniel Sturridge, Joe Allen and Emre Can were injured on international duty, and it's all gone downhill in a hurry. Manager Brendan Rodgers' men have taken just one point from nine in the Premier League since that 3-0 win in North London. They've fared slightly better in the cups -- at least in terms of results -- but have still been far from convincing, needing a stoppage-time penalty to beat Ludogorets before having to endure extra time and penalties to finally see off Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup.

 

Their latest disappointment came this week: a timid 1-0 Champions League defeat in Switzerland against the side who represent the biggest threat to advancement beyond the group stages.

 

In fairness, anyone can lose to Basel -- just ask Chelsea and Manchester United -- and that result taken in isolation is not cause for alarm. When viewed in the broader context of other recent results and performances, however, you can hardly blame Kopites for feeling a little worried right now. The good news is they have a home game this weekend to try to get the rig back on the road. The bad news is there is little or nothing to suggest they will win it.

 

Read the rest of the article here.

 

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[Paco]

wow. never ceases to amaze me how quickly things can change. manager of the year to crisis in a few months.

[Reckoner]

yes, but only in the braindead world of modern football, where every incident must be commented on relentlessly until all opinions have been covered several thousand times, and reactionary streams of conciousness are passed off as influential blogs.

[xerxes]

We have a very easy run of league games, an opportunity to progress in the LC, and our contest with Real Madrid coming up.

 

By the time we pay Chelsea, we could be in the knockout stages of the CL, the latter stages of the LC and knocking on fourth.

 

Equally we could see a much bleaker picture.

 

I still think that the return of Sturridge and Supermario settling in will see us alright. But this is uncharted territory for Brendan, lets hope that he rises to the challenge as he has done so far.

[Section_31]

Context is everything, if we'd lost Suarez and spent no cash then you'd expect a dip in form, if you'd spent monumental amounts of cash after making it into the champions league, nearly winning the league and thus having a once in a decade opportunity to improve, but bought a pile of steaming turd and regressed - I'd call that a crisis.

[Ranxerox]

That article is so spot on it feels like a stabbing pain in my kidney.

[Dr. J]

We started the season with a razor thin margin for error in terms of competing for a CL place. Another loss against a non-competitor would make every remaining game against a competitor practically must win. We've been poor every game except for one.

 

Crisis?

[Gym Beglin]

I wouldn't ring the crisis bell just yet, even after a defeat to West Brom, which is likely.

 

We KNOW what's wrong, but just haven't got the options to change it until Can and Allen return.

 

Rodgers is definitely the man I want in charge, and hopefully this shitty period will make him a better manager for it as long as he learns his lessons.

[Pureblood]

We KNOW what's wrong, but just haven't got the options to change it until Can and Allen return.

 

Is Can going to play as goalkeeper? 

[Gym Beglin]

Is Can going to play as goalkeeper?

 

You dirty cock-licking bastard.

[ratcatcher]

Dont see anything in that article except the headline that failure to win on Saturday could lead to crisis talks.

 

Bit over reactionary in my view.

[Ranxerox]

I wouldn't ring the crisis bell just yet, even after a defeat to West Brom, which is likely.

 

We KNOW what's wrong, but just haven't got the options to change it until Can and Allen return.

 

Rodgers is definitely the man I want in charge, and hopefully this shitty period will make him a better manager for it as long as he learns his lessons.

 

Can is 20, and many of our recent signings have failed to impress, why are so many assuming he will solve our midfield problems? Seems a bit blinkered.

[jamespp]

We have a very easy run of league games

unfortunately that run started 3 games ago

[Reckoner]

unfortunately that run started 3 games ago

eh? Merseyside derby and a CL Away game?

league games coming up against west brom, qpr, swansea, newcastle, hull, should provide a few wins.

I know how we look, i know, but if we play like we did against everton we will be alright.

we need to beat Westbrom, after the break we will have sturridge back, Allen and Can too possibly. Big european atmosphere against Real, morale boosting win, we'll be fucking flying. Go ed.

[Reckoner]

bollocks i just repped jamespp by accident, he must be negged to oblivion.

[Chip Butty]

It was always going to be difficult - siging 9 new players and if hopefully Valdes comes in, we'll be just short of a 2nd centre-halve in recruiting an entire new team, so It's inevitbale it will take time for everyone to settle. 

 

For me its all about whethere the board and more so the fans, have the stomach and the mettle - to stand by the manager and his squad.

 

I'd like to think they both will.

 

Lets be honest here, was anyone expecting a seemless transition from last season to this.

[JermainePennant]

It was always going to be difficult - siging 9 new players and if hopefully Valdes comes in, we'll be just short of a 2nd centre-halve in recruiting an entire new team, so It's inevitbale it will take time for everyone to settle. 

 

For me its all about whethere the board and more so the fans, have the stomach and the mettle - to stand by the manager and his squad.

 

I'd like to think they both will.

 

Lets be honest here, was anyone expecting a seemless transition from last season to this.

Spot on mate, it was always going to be a difficult year and what will affect our progression is how the fans react.

 

I have no doubts Rodgers will bring a title here if he gets enough time and for that reason the only thing he could do this season for me to want him to get sacked is if he got us relegated.

 

We were way ahead of schedule last season and there are a lot of factors that would make this season different, fans need to stay calm and not add any extra pressure, Rodgers has shown he can do what's required with lfc, any other manager even if a big name would be a gamble.

[Bjornebye]

We will not lose tomorrow. 

 

Thanks. 

[Gym Beglin]

Can is 20, and many of our recent signings have failed to impress, why are so many assuming he will solve our midfield problems? Seems a bit blinkered.

I think the difference is that we're not asking someone to step into DM and reinvent the wheel. We're just asking a 20 year old to step in and run around a bit to stop the other team from walking through us.

[Reckoner]

I think the difference is that we're not asking someone to step into DM and reinvent the wheel. We're just asking a 20 year old to step in and run around a bit to stop the other team from walking through us.

wow, you should talk more on here.