Liverpool 1 Chelsea 2 - "Three thoughts" by Paul Natton

[tlw content]

1. These team selections are not acceptable

 

So I'm taking back my comments made in the aftermath of the defeat to Madrid last Tuesday: in the light of the eleven selected for this match, that team selection was a disgrace. I said we'd need to see the line up against Chelsea to gauge Rodgers' true motivation in picking that second string team for the Bernabeu and sadly, I was amazed that only Can of those controversial choices retained his place for the match against the champions elect (because let's face it - that's exactly what they are).

 

If I'm Kolo Toure, after my best game in years coming against the best side in the world and away from home, I'd already be angry about Rodgers' red herring that I could possibly keep my place for Chelsea. However, after watching the drivel served up by Dejan Lovren in this match, I'd be apoplectic.  Similarly, Javier Manquillo, having faced Marcelo, Ronaldo et al and largely faced them down, I'd be bewildered by the lack of a chance to forge a little continuity in this match.

 

For me, after Tuesday's hearteningly composed and disciplined performance, I'd say the grounds for retaining Toure, Manquillo and Can were compelling, Borini and Lallana very strong and even Lucas ahead of the captain by no means a foregone conclusion in Stevie's favour. That only Emre Can kept his place is a travesty as far as I'm concerned. It sends out all the wrong signals about what is required to get into the team and stay there: play the best game of your Liverpool career against the toughest of opponents and you're out, but continue the nervy, mistake-riven and further-deteriorating rubbish Lovren has been serving up and you're back in the team.

 

Don't get me wrong - I don't want this to sound like a diatribe aimed at the Croat; many a new player has initially wilted under the heat of Anfield's expectation and this lad won't be the last. Furthermore, I'm not writing him off either: he's a good player who just needs to find his feet at the club like so many others before him. So Brendan must stick with him, right? Wrong. Tuesday's team selection and its follow up was a defining moment and Rodgers has got it horribly wrong. In bringing back the players who've consistently let us down recently and not backing those who stepped up to the challenge, he's effectively said that we accepted defeat in Madrid before kick off and that he doesn't care about form. Well that's just not acceptable for me and this last week has badly damaged Rodgers' standing in my eyes.

 

A young and highly talented manager who was a massive factor in our brilliant (but ultimately fruitless, let's not forget) season last time round is making the kind of mistakes that, if not addressed will bring his Liverpool career to a premature end.

 

Yesterday was an utterly miserable experience for me: cold, wet and ill outside Anfield before kick off, coming off the back of terrible performances and/or poor results and then the slap in the face of that team selection followed by the inevitable defeat to an admittedly imperious Chelsea. Not good enough Brendan - not good enough by a long way.

 

2. Is this the inevitable LFC manager's medium term egotism or something worse?

 

Almost every manager who spends any time at Liverpool begins to react to the pressure to win the league eventually and, in the relatively recent past, that's seen the likes of Houllier and Benitez make a succession of ever more bewilderingly pig-headed choices that have ultimately led to their downfall. For me, the effect of that pressure on the ego is compounded by our love of deifying managers: if you are wildly lauded by 40,000 Reds every week then it will eventually go to your head and you'll start to think you can make ever-more credulity-defying decisions.

 

If you're Gerard Houllier or Rafa Benitez, with major trophies under your belt, there's some justification (if not ultimate vindication) for an egotistical approach. Indeed, most of the genuine managerial greats are/were raging self-regardists - including our own. In fact, the only truly humble men I can think of who belong in the conversation about the very best in the game are Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti. All the rest love themselves and think they can do no wrong and, for my money, Brendan is edging towards such self-regard way too prematurely.

 

One of the most heartening things about his Liverpool tenure prior to this season was his pragmatic approach that seemed highly attuned to the bleedin' obvious that we fans could see in front of us every week. However, this season the list of increasingly strange decisions is mounting: the purchase of Balotelli is foremost here, but I'd add to that the ditching of the diamond, the lack of two up front, the pushing of Sterling away from the focus of the attack, the blind faith in Lovren, the bizarre sidelining of Lallana, his self-confessed number one transfer - the list goes on.

 

Is this a case of Brendan being far too clever by half and thinking he can defy logic and find clever solutions to simple problems, or is it something far worse? That comment from the other week that he's up at 4am plotting what to do was worrying for me: you're only awake at that time if you can't sleep, on shift work or have a new baby in the house and, despite all his protestations to the contrary with regard to the pressure of the job, Brendan isn't a new dad working in a factory. I am very worried that he has signed a load of players who are either mistakes or ones for the future and he's got no idea how to get them all to gel whilst managing the inevitable expectations of playing for a Liverpool team that came within a whisker of the title last season.

 

I like Rodgers very much and will regard him with affection and regard for his talent no matter what happens from here on with Liverpool. However, he is reaching a critical point in his career and how he responds will define it, in my view. A simplified, form-first approach to team selection and shape on a game by game basis could see us limp though to the eventual return of our only real goal threat who then might be able to fire us to the financially crucial top four slot by the end of the campaign. However, a persistence with this "too clever by half" decision making we're seeing now has disaster written all over it, for me.

 

Swallow your pride Brendan by dropping the poor performers, reinstating the diamond and focusing on what made us so good last time around: a high tempo attacking game and bags of aggression. Anything else doesn't bear thinking about.

 

3. We're just not very good anymore

 

Refereeing decisions were a major factor in yesterday's result: it was not a corner prior to their first goal, it should have been a throw in to us prior to their second and we were denied a clear penalty when Cahill handled in the box. Furthermore, Taylor allowed Costa, Matic and Ivanovic, in particular, a degree of leeway in their approach to the laws of the game that favoured Mourinho's typically cynical strategising. All three could have left the pitch for accumulated incidents had the referee started the match in the way he finished it by waving the yellow card freely.

 

That all said, ultimately we were - and are - just not good enough to trouble a Chelsea team who will end up strolling to the title. Where they are all power, aggression and steely eyed-determination, allied to pace, class and clinical finishing we are supine and clueless, unable to keep clean sheets, score goals or even challenge for a second ball, never mind win the thing back. Is there a more heartening sight for opposing teams than the weekly farce of "catch the hot potato" played out by the centre halves and goal keeper when it comes to getting the ball forward? Oh wait, yes there is: it's the sight of a slow, non-goal scorer lumbering around to little effect on his own at the other end.

 

I could get quite angry about the signing of Mario Balotelli were it not for the fact that I don't think the lad himself is deserving of my vitriol and also that I got carried away in the warm glow of last season and ignored the evidence to the contrary when we signed him, preferring to dwell on the mythical positives a player of his stature would bring. Sadly, reality has well and truly bitten: he's just not very good is he? What exactly does he offer us please, because I cannot think of a single thing about his game that's of benefit to the team?

 

When Rafa Benitez persisted with Peter Crouch in the face of rampant criticism from without (and from some elements within, actually), many of us could see how the big man's touch, link up play and work rate were still making a contribution even as the goals were missing. The same cannot be said of Balotelli and the worrying thing is that I can't see how he'll burst into a purple patch of goals that mitigates against the rest when he's not even taking shots or getting within range of doing so. 

 

This isn't all about the keeper, dodgy new centre half and troubled Italian though: throughout the squad there's barely a player worthy of a place based on current form, and the constant changes of shape and personnel are compounding what was always going to be a difficult season, post-Luis. For me, this campaign now hangs entirely on the ability - and he does have ability; plenty of it, in my view - of the manager to turn it around. I'm desperate for him to do so but I have to confess that as things stand right now, I'm finding it very hard to predict. I can't even hang a few ridiculously optimistic hopes on the January transfer window because we all know that the one cold, hard fact of the post-title decades remains true as ever at Liverpool: we're useless in the transfer market - and that's without considering the fact that these owners will only splash out on one of either fee or wages thereby denying us the genuine top quality players we so obviously lack.

 

Maybe this is all just an overly emotional hangover from losing the best player we've ever had, but I don't think so. The eye test never lies - and we're abject even before you glance at the league table and fixture list. I just hope Rodgers can turn it around because if he can't, I think we'll be back to that depressing old square one yet again next summer, sadly. 

 

Paul Natton

 

Click here to view the article

[Paco]

I think a lot of it comes down to having too many players to choose from and not getting the combination right.

 

The common consensus is that you have to have a bigger squad to compete on all fronts but houllier rafa and now rodgers were at their best when everyone knew the best team whether it was on form or because of injuries or suspensions. when team selection was forced upon the manager it often worked out best. when he tried to be too cute it backfired.

[Dr. J]

 

For me, the effect of that pressure on the ego is compounded by our love of deifying managers: if you are wildly lauded by 40,000 Reds every week then it will eventually go to your head and you'll start to think you can make ever-more credulity-defying decisions.

 

Well thought out and written article, but this quote stands out. Imo, two things have crushed us these past 20 odd years - excessive sentimentality and manager worship. We remain the most manager-centric club in football. In this case, people attribute last season's 'success' to Rodgers more than Suarez, which is absurd.

 

Yes, Mourinho is a top class manager. But Chelsea won the CL with Roberto di Matteo, ffs, and almost won another with Avram Grant, neither of whom were awarded with lifetime contracts and perpetual testimonials.

 

What we have to be afraid of now is falling into our usual pattern of taking the manager's/owners' side in the inevitable conflict that arises from tons of cash spent and poor results.

[Paul]

That doesn't explain the changes in shape though: 4231, 433, switching berween a back three and four during a match. It's a mess.

[Paco]

its a crazy world when a manager goes from 'he built a team like shankly did' to this in less than 12 months.

 

hope he turns it round because I like him and I like the football we ve played in the first 2 seasons.

[Paul]

Agreed.

[Denny Crane]

That doesn't explain the changes in shape though: 4231, 433, switching berween a back three and four during a match. It's a mess.

 

This is the biggest indictment of his failure. If you do not know what the shape is or have a strong idea of the roles for players. How do you buy the right players for your system?. How do you get the players to gel?, how do you know when they are individual or system problems?. How difficult is Rodgers then making it to buy players?. Was it easier for say, Southampton and West Ham to buy players as their managers had a clear idea how they wanted to set their team up maybe.

 

I actually think people also underestimated the skills and nouse required to balance a league and European campaign.Rodgers, Martinez and Pocchetini, all 3 who were lauded last season with no Europe. This season their teams are struggling compared to last year. I believe this intensity, Rodgers and some our fans kept mentioning, was our players playing less minutes last season. Rodgers seems to now believe that to be the case, hence him throwing the Madrid game to keep players fresh for a league game. It's all a mess of Rodgers own making. I have little time for hedge-fund owners who are out to make a fortune from us. But even i am I miffed at people moaning about wages and more money needs to be spent. He needs to get the best out of what he has first.

[ratcatcher]

End of the day, rodgers is manager. He doesnt and shouldnt care one jot what the media thinks of his team selection. He it is him who succeeds or fails.

 

I dont think it was an inevitable defeat either.

[ZonkoVille77]

My 3 thoughts

 

1 - balotelli is fuckin site

2 - lovren is fuckin shite

3 - Johnson is fuckin shite

[Russ Atmosphere]

To me Rodgers is a very good man manager who is tactically average and is atrocious in the transfer market. He may get better at what he isn't good at, or he may not.

[RoboRiise]

its a crazy world when a manager goes from 'he built a team like shankly did' to this in less than 12 months.

 

hope he turns it round because I like him and I like the football we ve played in the first 2 seasons.

 

Same here.  That's exactly why losing it is such a kick in the teeth.

 

Good piece Paul.

 

Spot on about the team yesterday giving the lie to Rodgers' bullshit about picking a team for a team against Madrid - he did nothing of the sort.  He rested what he clearly sees as his first choice players so they would be fresh for Chelsea.  I can only hope he will wake up to the fact that the only person who thinks Lovren and Johnson (and yes, even Gerrard) should be automatic first choices right now is him.

[aws]

To me Rodgers is a very good man manager who is tactically average and is atrocious in the transfer market. He may get better at what he isn't good at, or he may not.

I think he's a good coach as well but otherwise that's my view of him too. He'll need to improve soon or he'll be sacked or asked to operate under a DOF next summer.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I agree completely with the deifying of managers. I don't do it. After last season I was pulled up because I said rodgers real test will come when we no longer have suarez, people said I can't believe rodgers still hasn't earnt peoples unwavering support. It's football, these ain't my relatives or friends, my support for them is conditional on how they do for the thing I do have a life long loyalty too which is the club. It doesn't mean I've turned on rodgers, he's annoying me at the minute I think he's doing a bad job currently but I do think he can turn it around and I don't want him replaced.

 

As the years have gone by and we have watched the loyalty of players diminish the same has gone for my opinion and loyalty for them. Gerrad is the last player I'll ever have that kind of hero relationship with probably because he's just about older than me too and will be the last great player I'm younger than. Even I can see now though that the player himself and the team are struggling with his current role. It's not just him though many of the players are struggling with the roles they are being asked to play.

 

I think many managers just over think the game. I think knowing a player is more important an attribute than any other for a manager. at our very best we bought well, our success has nearly always come from having good footballers in key roles.

[RoboRiise]

Same here.  That's exactly why losing it is such a kick in the teeth.

 

Good piece Paul.

 

Spot on about the team yesterday giving the lie to Rodgers' bullshit about picking a team for a team against Madrid - he did nothing of the sort.  He rested what he clearly sees as his first choice players so they would be fresh for Chelsea.  I can only hope he will wake up to the fact that the only person who thinks Lovren and Johnson (and yes, even Gerrard) should be automatic first choices right now is him.

 

I'll clarify that - Gerrard shouldn't be an automatic first choice (in fact not a choice at all) as a DM.  Right now I'd actually play him behind the striker, at least he can read the game, play a man in and knows where the net it.

[ratcatcher]

I'll clarify that - Gerrard shouldn't be an automatic first choice (in fact not a choice at all) as a DM.  Right now I'd actually play him behind the striker, at least he can read the game, play a man in and knows where the net it.

 

Dont agree with the bit about him not being an automatic first choice but do agree about him playing further forward. Been saying it all season. Play him further forward and tell him not to defend every attack by the oppos. Some other water carrier in the team should be assigned that role.

[the chimp]

The post by Paul and reference to what the Madrid team selection really meant (touched upon by Lurtzy and a couple of others yesterday as well); about trying to be too clever etc., resonnates with my own views. For me (and i csn only talk of my own thoughts) he's blatantly lied to the supporters this week and mistreated our support and faith in him. I actually like the guy and am really hoping he can address the concerns (valid) voiced by many on here. For me, however, there should be little doubtibg that any pressure the manager is facing is overwhelmingly of his own making.

 

To another point made in the replies above also, I don't know about Rodgers necessarily being a good man-manager either; he's marginalided more than just Agger since he's been here.

[Paul]

Agger's departure is not on Rodgers.

[the chimp]

After spoke about being largely ignored by the manager - good man-management that isn't.

[Paul]

Daniel Agger's departure from Liverpool is not on Brendan Rodgers, mate. Look at where he went and for how much and then ask yourself if that sounds right.

[scudger99]

Agger was in decline, and injury prone.  Add to that he was being bullied by "physical" players.  And I'm a big Agger fan. 

You can't hold BR responsible for that.

[PatiencePending]

Great article Paul. Nails the key issues for me. 

 

Incompetence by those in the 'transfer committee' and currently by the team management is wrecking the season. Bringing in what appears to be the wrong sort of players and then persisting in playing those who are out of form/ not up to standard is well out of order. FFS - Get a grip Brendan Rodgers!

 

Getting Sturridge back and keeping him fit and scoring goals is going to be absolutely vital to halting this alarming decline. If that doesn't happen it doesn't bear thinking how this season may eventually pan out. 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Spot on all of that Paul.

[thompsonsnose]

To me Rodgers is a very good man manager who is tactically average and is atrocious in the transfer market. He may get better at what he isn't good at, or he may not.

Kolo would possibly disagree.

[Marcas]

The transfers have generally been a total joke. £45m on two players and one doesn't even make the squad. We spent £8m on a defender two years ago who's never pulled on a first team shirt and I haven't a clue where he's on loan. I mean, for fuck's sake, who is making these decisions??? We lost our best player, but WTF! We change our entire style of play? We continue with Lovren who completely sucks and Johnson? Get a fucking grip!

[Koptimus Prime]

Mo players Mo problems.

 

Rodgers is better with a smaller squad, formations and starting XI's are just baffling at the mo, we spent £45m on Markovic and Lallana but neither good enough to play yesterday.