If the unthinkable happened and Rodgers was sacked.....

[mattyq]

Mourinho didnt ever finish seventh with Chelsea.

Or win the Champions League with them

I'm not arguing for Rafa's return...he's a brilliant manager and in a perfect world it'd be ace but i don't think he could work with FSG and it'd degenerate quickly after a season or two

[Jairzinho]

Mourinho didnt ever finish seventh with Chelsea.

 

Slightly different expectations. Or there should be anyway.

[Jairzinho]

Or win the Champions League with them

I'm not arguing for Rafa's return...he's a brilliant manager and in a perfect world it'd be ace but i don't think he could work with FSG and it'd degenerate quickly after a season or two

 

It just wouldn't happen with these owners. They want a young, inexperienced, manager willing to go along with our fucking ridiculous transfer policy.

[Adebisi]

I wonder if he has lost the dressing room a bit. No one seems to be working hard and players that were ace last season like Henderson and Sterling seem to have gone backwards a tad. There's other reasons why both are struggling of course, but even when confidence is low you expect hard work. 

I dunno man, I love Rodgers. I want him to get it right and I think he could but football is a crazy game, it doesn't take long for fans to lose patience. I'm more annoyed with the team than Rodgers but it wont be long before both are causing equal frustrations. 

[ratcatcher]

Brendan Rodgers concedes Liverpool's disaster slump leaves him fighting for his job after more misery at Crystal Palace

• Liverpool lost 3-1 at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon
• Rickie Lambert had given the visitors an early lead at Selhurst Park
• But they were blown away by Neil Warnock's Eagles
• Brendan Rodgers admitted he is fighting to save his job  
• Jamie Carragher was disappointed at the side's lack of leadership  

By Neil Ashton for the Daily Mail

Published: 17:08, 23 November 2014 | Updated: 18:02, 23 November 2014

 

CRYSTAL PALACE 3-1 LIVERPOOL 

Click here to read Matt Barlow's report from Selhurst Park. 

Brendan Rodgers admitted he is fighting to save his job after Liverpool’s disastrous 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace.

Rodgers admitted he has held talks with Liverpool’s American owners over a dramatic slump in form that has left them 18 points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Former Liverpool defender and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher was scathing in his assessment of the performance and labelled the team ‘mentally, physically weak’. He also claimed they lack ‘leadership’.

 

 

Click here to read Neil Ashton's ratings from Selhurst Park.  

Rodgers, who later hinted at issues within the dressing room, admitted: ‘I’m not arrogant enough to think I am safe from anything.

‘Any manager will tell you that you have to win games and get results, particularly after the way we have been developing as a club.

‘I have great communication with the owners. We’ve been honest enough with each other and we have to get results.

‘You have to perform. Owners and directors and chairmen have to see development on the field.

‘Barring this period, our development has been very good and fast. But there's no doubt you have to get results.

‘That will support the confidence to the owners, and you take it from there. I will only ever do my best.

‘The best has seen us develop well. Now I must fight even harder. The full responsibility comes down to me.

 

Martin Skrtel and Raheem Sterling look dejected after Liverpool again blew a one-goal lead in south London

 

Joe Ledley and Dwight Gayle celebrate after Crystal Palace took a lead they would not relinquish

 

The Reds boss hinted at issues within the dressing room after another defeat in the league

Brendan Rodgers: I'm not arrogant to think my job's safe

 

‘Now I have to fight even harder and take the responsibility. As manager, the responsibility comes down to me and any pressure comes on to me.’

Liverpool took the lead inside two minutes when Rickie Lambert, in the team because Mario Balotelli apparently has a groin injury, beat Julian Speroni.

Dwight Gayle, who scored twice in the famous 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park against Liverpool last season, equalised for Palace in the first half.

Joe Ledley put Palace in front and captain Mile Jedinak scored a sensational free-kick to finish Liverpool off.

Carragher, who was critical of the Liverpool team after their failure to hold on to a 3-0 lead here last season, was brutal in his assessment.

Carragher said: ‘Something's not right, they're getting bullied out of games. At the end of last season, when they came here, we said they were mentally, physically weak - same again. Nothing's changed.

‘No matter the £120 million spent on players, [Luis] Suarez has gone - so what? Suarez has gone. They are still mentally weak, there is no leadership on the pitch.

‘As as a Liverpool fan, which I am - I don't care about being neutral on TV - what I'm saying is as a fan when you're watching your own team, the worst thing you can ever be throwing at your own team or think of them is they are being bullied or being weak and that's what we've seen today from Liverpool and not for the first time.

Brendan Rodgers: We need to a solution very quickly

 

 

 

 

Rodgers endured another damp ending to a weekend as he watched his side capitulate 

‘It has been going on all season and we're saying “new players, give them time to adjust” - I'm not a big believer in that.

‘I've never moved club, and when a foreign player comes in it takes a bit of time to adapt but we're getting to the stage now where you want to start seeing performances.

‘Liverpool aren't getting beat by quality, they're getting bullied. They're getting beaten by enthusiasm from Crystal Palace.’

Rodgers faces another massive test in the Champions League this week when they travel to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets before returning to England to face Stoke City at Anfield.

He also hinted at issues within the dressing room after the departure of Luis Suarez last summer.

The Liverpool manager said: ‘We've been a very close group for a couple of years, but we had to make the changes and bring players in. The group was very thin.

‘We're in another transition phase, but whatever phase it is we have to do better than that. We've brought in very good players.’

 

 

The Liverpool chief, who came within two points of landing the Premier League title last season, admitted confidence is low.

He added: ‘Palace have a simple game-plan, to concede the ball and play on the counter-attack. What we've got as a model of a football club is to bring in young players.

‘This is a group doing their best, but they're just not quite firing. Their confidence is low.

‘But we need to find a way. They're very talented players, but it's been a new phase this season: a lot of games, a lot less preparation time in terms of coaching, key injuries.

‘It's my responsibility as the manager, ultimately. I put the team out there, the best team to win us the game.

Rodgers also replied abruptly when he was quizzed about Mario Balotelli’s presence at the Liverpool Arena on Saturday night to watch the boxing. Balotelli missed the clash with injury.

The Liverpool chief added: ‘He came back from the Italian squad and the groin was still sore. We'll assess that over the next few days.

‘He was obviously free. No, issue. He wasn't out too late, and he was in for treatment.’ 

[Dr. J]

Palace have shipped 6 goals past us the last 2 times we played. We've lost 6 games, have -3 gd and are 18 points off the top. And we suck.

 

I think we're firmly in the realm of the thinkable.

[Lee909]

We will have half the points of Southampton if the win tomorrow.

 

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

 

 

[an tha]

'palace have a simple game plan, concede possession and hit on the counter'

 

Otherwise known as exactly what everybody does to us because of how easy we make it to do that to us.

[Dr. J]

 

Rodgers, who later hinted at issues within the dressing room

 

Where does he do that?

 

The bullying issue has been ongoing. Game after game our players get kicked about and we never retaliate. We've been needing a hard man for some time.

[Dr Nowt]

Not unthinkable that it will happen anymore unfortunately, we're dropping like a brick and this is after all modern football.

[Phoenix]

Slightly different expectations. Or there should be anyway.

 

indeed there are. 7th would still get Rafa the sack now.

 

Way too much baggage for him to come back now in my opinion. Then again if Garry Monk is the alternative or Stevie /Carra combo then there is nothing to lose.

[thompsonsnose]

It just wouldn't happen with these owners. They want a young, inexperienced, manager willing to go along with our fucking ridiculous transfer policy.

After spending nearly £40mill on Markovic anf Lovren, maybe they are wondering what the hell Moneyball means themselves.

They'd both have to have had remarkable seasons to provide a return.

Whatever it is Rodgers has not delivered the remit.

If i was FSG id be very very confused right now.

Moneyball starts with decent scouts surely?

We don't have any.

[thompsonsnose]

I wonder if he has lost the dressing room a bit. No one seems to be working hard and players that were ace last season like Henderson and Sterling seem to have gone backwards a tad. There's other reasons why both are struggling of course, but even when confidence is low you expect hard work. 

 

I dunno man, I love Rodgers. I want him to get it right and I think he could but football is a crazy game, it doesn't take long for fans to lose patience. I'm more annoyed with the team than Rodgers but it wont be long before both are causing equal frustrations. 

Rodgers does not learn from obvious mistakes and failings.

Fans don't repeatedly pick shit players, in the wrong formation.

Rodgers does.

That's why the thread i started last year on the subject is up to about 60 pages.

Clear the players aren't buying it any more.

[mattyq]

After spending nearly £40mill on Markovic anf Lovren, maybe they are wondering what the hell Moneyball means themselves.

They'd both have to have had remarkable seasons to provide a return.

Whatever it is Rodgers has not delivered the remit.

If i was FSG id be very very confused right now.

Moneyball starts with decent scouts surely?

We don't have any.

Decent scouts and management 

You have to be able to identify why the moneyball players failed and how to rectify it so they can fulfil their potential

We fail on both counts

[Phoenix]

After spending nearly £40mill on Markovic anf Lovren, maybe they are wondering what the hell Moneyball means themselves.

They'd both have to have had remarkable seasons to provide a return.

Whatever it is Rodgers has not delivered the remit.

If i was FSG id be very very confused right now.

Moneyball starts with decent scouts surely?

We don't have any.

 

The buck stops with Rodgers. Lovren, Lallana, Balotelli, Lambert, Moreno are not youngsters.

 

Even ignoring the 20 million spent on Markovic he has spent enough on "established" players.

[xerxes]

I don't think that Rodgers has lost the dressing room, I think that he doesn't know what to do, and that is communicating itself to the players.

 

Rodgers is not a bad manager, but he has had no experience of building a side in the transfer market as opposed to managing what he has.

 

He did brilliantly with the SAS last season, but this is new territory for him. Is he the mastermind of a superb attacking football philosophy, or was he just getting the best out of a world class forward and his sidekick?

[bossy]

I don't necessarily think we should get Rafa back. If Rodgers got us to seventh though I'd consider it a success after our start. I don't know who to get but this can't continue and it's been obvious that one up doesn't work right from the moment he was without Sturridge.

[chauncey]

[Jairzinho]

indeed there are. 7th would still get Rafa the sack now.

 

Way too much baggage for him to come back now in my opinion. Then again if Garry Monk is the alternative or Stevie /Carra combo then there is nothing to lose.

 

I'd like Rodgers to get until the summer to sort this fucking mess out (we're not going to be in a relegation battle, we're going to finish between 6th - 10th).

 

If there aren't signs that we're improving markedly, especially defensively, then I'd like him to be replaced by an experienced manager. Someone that has won something in the past. Someone with experience managing in Europe. If we can attract a better manager than Benitez to the club, excellent. If we can't, then I'm not against it being him. 

 

All this "never go back" "baggage" stuff really is fucking meaningless. If he makes us a better side then even the people that dislike the man on a personal level won't care.

 

It's all irrelevant though, and I'm aware I've said as much a few posts up, whilst FSG are here we'll only be managed by young, inexperienced managers that won't kick up a fuss over the various restrictions on their job. Hopefully Rodgers gets his shit together, drops the players stinking the place out every week, finds a shape to the side that suits the squad, and we at least show some signs that we know what we're doing. Give us something to build on. As for FSG, hopefully short term they sanction funds for a DM and striker in January, and long term they tear up their ridiculous "we're cleverer than you" transfer policy. 

[ngogswilly]

I'd like Rodgers to get until the summer to sort this fucking mess out (we're not going to be in a relegation battle, we're going to finish between 6th - 10th).

 

If there aren't signs that we're improving markedly, especially defensively, then I'd like him to be replaced by an experienced manager. Someone that has won something in the past. Someone with experience managing in Europe. If we can attract a better manager than Benitez to the club, excellent. If we can't, then I'm not against it being him. 

 

All this "never go back" "baggage" stuff really is fucking meaningless. If he makes us a better side then even the people that dislike the man on a personal level won't care.

 

It's all irrelevant though, and I'm aware I've said as much a few posts up, whilst FSG are here we'll only be managed by young, inexperienced managers that won't kick up a fuss over the various restrictions on their job. Hopefully Rodgers gets his shit together, drops the players stinking the place out every week, finds a shape to the side that suits the squad, and we at least show some signs that we know what we're doing. Give us something to build on. As for FSG, hopefully short term they sanction funds for a DM and striker in January, and long term they tear up their ridiculous "we're cleverer than you" transfer policy. 

 

Pretty much word for word how I feel about the situation.

[Faustus]

I agree with Jairzinho.

 

If we were to part company with Rodgers, I'd go all out for Klopp. I think he'd be attainable. I get the feeling he knows he's coming to the end of his time at Dortmund, hence that comment about England being the only other country he'd work in. Frankly, I think we'd be soft if we didn't put the feelers out to his agent even at this time.

[Phoenix]

I'd like Rodgers to get until the summer to sort this fucking mess out (we're not going to be in a relegation battle, we're going to finish between 6th - 10th).

 

If there aren't signs that we're improving markedly, especially defensively, then I'd like him to be replaced by an experienced manager. Someone that has won something in the past. Someone with experience managing in Europe. If we can attract a better manager than Benitez to the club, excellent. If we can't, then I'm not against it being him. 

 

All this "never go back" "baggage" stuff really is fucking meaningless. If he makes us a better side then even the people that dislike the man on a personal level won't care.

 

It's all irrelevant though, and I'm aware I've said as much a few posts up, whilst FSG are here we'll only be managed by young, inexperienced managers that won't kick up a fuss over the various restrictions on their job. Hopefully Rodgers gets his shit together, drops the players stinking the place out every week, finds a shape to the side that suits the squad, and we at least show some signs that we know what we're doing. Give us something to build on. As for FSG, hopefully short term they sanction funds for a DM and striker in January, and long term they tear up their ridiculous "we're cleverer than you" transfer policy. 

 

Fair enough, on a side note, he wont survive finishing outside the champions league qualification.

[Aldonose]

I'd like Rodgers to get until the summer to sort this fucking mess out (we're not going to be in a relegation battle, we're going to finish between 6th - 10th).

 

If there aren't signs that we're improving markedly, especially defensively, then I'd like him to be replaced by an experienced manager. Someone that has won something in the past. Someone with experience managing in Europe. If we can attract a better manager than Benitez to the club, excellent. If we can't, then I'm not against it being him.

 

All this "never go back" "baggage" stuff really is fucking meaningless. If he makes us a better side then even the people that dislike the man on a personal level won't care.

 

It's all irrelevant though, and I'm aware I've said as much a few posts up, whilst FSG are here we'll only be managed by young, inexperienced managers that won't kick up a fuss over the various restrictions on their job. Hopefully Rodgers gets his shit together, drops the players stinking the place out every week, finds a shape to the side that suits the squad, and we at least show some signs that we know what we're doing. Give us something to build on. As for FSG, hopefully short term they sanction funds for a DM and striker in January, and long term they tear up their ridiculous "we're cleverer than you" transfer policy.

I absolutely agree with you on the areas of the team that need strengthening. The same areas that needed strengthening in the summer. I just don't trust him to bring in the players we need. I also doubt Fenway will give him any significant funds after the summer debacle. We've barely seen Markovich, and to a lesser degree Lallana. He's needed a mobile, dynamic cm to play in the 3 from day one. Trouble is, Brendan doesn't think so.

[JoeyJones65]

Worth a read :

 

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/debate-were-reading-right-sack-8097473

 

 

DEBATE: Were Reading FC right to sack Brendan Rodgers?

• Nov 12, 2014 14:08
• By Hugh Fort

Fan Elliott Clarkson presents the "For" arguement. He's up against getreading's Hugh Fort presenting the "against" view

• 16 Shares
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Brendan Rodgers' methods raised a few eyebrows at Reading, some fans feel he should've been given more time, some think sacking him was spot on

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been getting some stick recently over his team's performances after their brilliant season last year.

Rodgers is seen as one of the great managerial successes of modern times after excellent spells at Watford and particularly at Swansea.

It was his success in getting the Welsh club into the Premier League, at the expense of Reading in the play-offs of 2012, and the club's easy-on-the eye passing game won them many fans amongst the neutrals.

When Rodgers' success is talked about, many people forget of his one major failure, which of course was at Reading FC.

He lasted just six months at the club after Steve Coppell left.

He was sacked in December 2009 and replaced by Brian McDermott, who ending up leading the Royals back into the Premier League.

It's a source of debate amongst Royals fans whether Rodgers should've been given more time at the club, or whether Sir John Madejski was right to sack him.

Getreading website editor, and Royals fan, Hugh Fort, and his mate, and fellow fan, Elliot Clarkson, offer two entirely contrasting views.

FOR: Elliott Clarkson

Brendan Rodgers was named LMA Manager of the Year 2014 for a reason. Last season his Liverpool team, who finished 7th the previous season finished in 2nd place.

Before that, he led a Swansea team from the Championship - by beating Reading at Wembley - to the Premier League and established them. It’s absolutely indisputable that Brendan Rodgers is a good manager.

But was he the right manager for Reading?

That’s not the right question.

The question is, was Reading the right club for Brendan Rodgers?

When he joined, Reading had just parted company with Steve Coppell and the club was in desperate need of a shake up.

Brendan came into the club with radical ideas - good ideas - and a new way of thinking.

The problem? The majority of players and fans were not only unwilling to accept those ideas, they flat out rejected them.

They wanted Steve Coppell back.

They wanted the 106-point season back. And, in the end, they forced John Madejski’s hand.

Since then we have gone through seasons of transition, appointed two average managers and, all the while, watched as Brendan Rodgers goes from strength-to-strength.

It annoys me that Reading isn’t mentioned as part of his success story.

It annoys me that Swansea are an established Premier League team because, if we’d have given Brendan a chance, I genuinely believe that could have been us.

It annoys me that we’re even asking if Reading should have sacked him because the answer is crystal clear: no. In fact, I believe it is the worst decision the club has ever made.

 

Against: Hugh Fort

 

Rodgers was seen as the natural successor to Steve Coppell - young, dynamic, and, importantly, with previous links to the club, having both played and managed Reading's academy.

 

What he bought with him was some wonderful ideas and a book absolutely choc-full of meaningless football management speak.

 

Elliott is right in saying Reading was not the right club for him and his ideas, but that's not good enough reasoning.

 

I had a season ticket that year, every time I turned up to a game whatever randomly selected team he'd picked that day gave the impression they'd been introduced to each other about 20 minutes before kick-off.

 

No-one understood what to do, the football was sleep-inducing tedious and utterly ineffective.

 

 

 

Rodgers revolutionary tactics were lost on an admittedly limited group of players.

But I ask you, if you are eating a meal, and you realise it's disgusting, do you just blindly carry on eating it in the hope it gets better, or do you eat something else completely different?

 

Rodgers ploughed on and on, performances got worse and worse and the nonsense he was talking after games just got sillier and sillier.

 

Elliott is also overlooking the fact that when he was sacked, Reading were teetering above the relegation zone.

 

They did not give the impression of a team full of hunger for a relegation battle, more a team who really didn't have any idea what they were supposed to do at all.

 

It might have worked, Rodgers might have kept us up, but it didn't look very likely from where I was sitting.

 

I don't doubt Rodgers is now a very good manager, I think he'd probably be a decent England manager, although why he'd want to is a mystery.

 

But at Reading he would not change his ways, ever single fan in the ground could see what he was doing was not working, but he never changed it.

 

The bits in bold seem uncomfortably similar to what is happening here right now.

[xerxes]

Fair enough, on a side note, he wont survive finishing outside the champions league qualification.

I think he might if Sturridge returns and we have a good second half of the season.

 

But if we fail against Basel/Ludogorets and Bournemouth he won't see the January transfer window.