What's your opinion of Brendan Rodgers?

[The Acolyte]

CL qualification for winning it is a big carrot.

This seems to have been missed/ignored by the media. The teams most likely to get a top 4 spot are:

Man City

Chelsea

Arsenal

Man U

Spurs 

Liverpool

Southampton &

West Ham

 

4 into 8 doesn't go. It is a great opportunity for a rookie manager (relatively) to cut his teeth in Europe with a team slowly coming together. It will bond the team if we win a trophy without a world class player (Suarez) or such an inspirational but past his best captain.

[billypilgrimnz]

If we win it and finish 5th does that mean the 4th placed team drop out of the ECL? If so I hope its the fucking mancs

 

No, England will have five teams in next year's comp if that happens. The only way 4th misses out is if the EL and CL winners are both English teams and they both finish outside the top 4.

[stringvest]

I take it your talking about Madrid or Basel, in both games the players dropped or on the bench were playing dog shit before those games and could have no complaints abou being not selected.

 

Against Madrid it looked like his tactics worked, keep the game tight until the 60th minute and then bring our big players on when Madrid tired a bit and try get a goal.It didn't happen but we performed better then at home when the big names were selected.

 

Against Basel the players dropped were not contributing at the time and we were one goal away from going through despite playing with ten men for 45 minutes.

 

So we failed on both occasions?  Plucky underdogs territory that.  

[Major Tom]

I think I'd agree if I thought the chances of finishing 4th were drastically reduced with us still being in the Europa League. We have a big squad, it shouldn't be a big problem. Also, I have very little faith in us making the most of qualifying for the CL from a long term point of view. For example, all of the players we signed last summer we could have done so without CL football. You'd imagine that being in the CL for two seasons, rather than just one, may increase our ability to attract a certain type of player a bit, but then I'm not convinced we're going to target any top class 25-30 year olds anyway. It isn't Moneyball, seemingly.

 

I obviously want us to be in the CL, but I'm far less interested in the long term finance, etc, angle, partly because it's really fucking boring, and partly because I have absolutely no faith in the plan/project.

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't expect us to win the Europa League, and certainly won't be criticising Rodgers if we don't. I think lots of people are getting far too carried away with our upturn in form (possibly just because the contrast from earlier in the season is so big due us previously being so monumentally shit), and are drastically underestimating at least half a dozen sides left in the Europa League.

I'd prefer CL to fifth/sixth place and the EL again. And if competing in the EL impacts in any way our ability to reach 4th place, put it to the bottom of the priorities.

 

I don't give a fuck about finances either. But I do care about our ability to attract top players. And the CL is a good start in that regard.

 

Agree about the EL having good teams still left in it. But, even if we were short favourites, it's still a cup comp. Albeit over two legs so mitigates that to an extent.

 

I take it the project you have no faith in is some kind of speak for having no faith in Rodgers. I'll disagree with you there.

[Jairzinho]

 

I take it the project you have no faith in is some kind of speak for having no faith in Rodgers. I'll disagree with you there.

 

I'd rather you didn't, because that isn't what I mean.

 

I don't have any faith in our Arsenal like theory of transfer dealings, nor do I have much belief that the owners have any interest in us winning anything. I think they'd be very happy with us fucking off the two domestic competitions every season and concentrating on finishing 4th.

[Major Tom]

I'd rather you didn't, because that isn't what I mean.

 

I don't have any faith in our Arsenal like theory of transfer dealings, nor do I have much belief that the owners have any interest in us winning anything. I think they'd be very happy with us fucking off the two domestic competitions every season and concentrating on finishing 4th.

Ok.

 

The transfer stuff is on Rodgers. If he doesn't have the last say, well he's foolish as the buck stops with him on the pitch. I think he does have the last say so the rest is merely spending within a budget. We could have done better last summer for sure. But so could have everyone in the league with the exception of Chelsea who were a bit good.

 

On FSG. I just don't know how you or anyone else have any idea of their intentions. I really don't. I mean, you may well be right but how have you got any idea? That just might be rhetorical.

 

I see maybe some merit in the argument of minimum spend for maximum return regardless of success in the pitch. But what evidence are we seeing of that? They are not sugar daddies so the only other option is spending within our means. Or do you think they are not even doing that and are syphoning money out of the club?

 

As I said, you may well be right but I just don't know how you get where you get to. And by you, I mean anyone who has a view on FSG. whatever view that maybe.

[Jairzinho]

Do you think next summer the owners will say to Rodgers "Here is x amount, you get this plus anything you get from sales to spend entirely as you please". Do you believe he has that level of autonomy? I disagree that the buck does stop with him. The club has a deliberately convoluted power structure regarding transfers specifically so that nobody has to take any responsibility.

 

The owners have stated themselves that they like the Arsenal model. Well, the Arsenal model is aiming to finish 4th every season. They aren't going to win the League or Champions League any time soon, in no small part due to not really trying to do so. 

 

Regardless of how much money they have, the fundamental aim should be to build the very best, and crucially, balanced, team and squad with what money we do have. Why did we start this season without addressing the keeper, holding midfielder, and striker situations? They were the key positions that needed sorting out. I would hazard a guess that we couldn't find a solution that was Moneyball enough. We couldn't find a player young enough and on low enough wages so, instead, we bought lots of players for other positions. I like Markovic, we probably overpaid for him, but he's a good young footballer. But did we need to buy him? As I've said several times, no doubt to the annoyance of many, concentrating purely on the long term doesn't work. Situations change, and also the likelihood of keeping the nucleus of players together for long enough for it to work is almost impossible in a game poisoned by snide agents.

 

I don't think FSG are "syphoning" money out of the club, I just think that they believe they're cleverer than all other owners, and that they've put together a cunning plan. Well I don't think the plan is very cunning. That's all.

[TheHowieLama]

I think the plan they have put into motion will see us finishing higher up the table than the plan we have been pursuing for the previous 20 years.

[Jairzinho]

We're back to Brad Jones being better than Charles Itandje here.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I'm really not sure we have been looking towards the long term to excess though.

 

To me there seems to be evidence that we're approaching transfers in a distinctly bifurcated manner, like most big clubs. Some young players who'll develop and some who should slot straight into the first team.

 

Lovren and Lallana was our attempt to address the short term and evolve. The issue there is more one of prioritisation of positions needing filling rather than us looking too long term or trying to be clever.

 

If we'd signed a better CF, and certain tactical decisions were made earlier in the season, I think most of those labelled "cynics" would be infinitely happier. 

 

I'm still not totally sold on the whole project, but I'd say in recent times it's been the application rather than the strategy that's been at fault.

[TheHowieLama]

We're back to Brad Jones being better than Charles Itandje here.

 

If you mean reality, I agree.

[Jairzinho]

What?

[TheHowieLama]

He is better than Itandje and we are better off than we have been in 20+ years.

[Paco]

Obviously this is the real us in europe.

 

shouldn't really be surprised. European football is very tight and technical with teams well organised and difficult to break down.

 

we re at our very best when teams open up or want to go toe to toe. I d fancy us against anybody in a tear up but when teams sit deep we find it very difficult to beat them.

 

progress tonight on that front and hopefully the fact we re leading the tie now will mean besiktas come out and play leaving us space to exploit.

[Naz17]

His post match conference last night:

 

http://www.lfc.vn/presser-matchday/rodgers-post-besiktas-presser-el-k1/

 

Thought he handled it very well.

[Coro]

we are better off than we have been in 20+ years.

 

Tell that to those who have been priced out of going to the match.

[xerxes]

Credit to Brendan for gaining us an advantage against a very good Besiktas team.

 

I think the second leg, where they have to come at us, may suit us.

[VladimirIlyich]

World class for me means a top player, an indisputably top player. Fowler was a world class player because, irrespective of his relative lack of trophies or international success, even the most die hard manc at the time would have rated him as an incredible striker.

 

Your world class credentials are directly proportionate to the bowel movements of opposition fans when they see your name on the team sheet.

Totally disagree about Fowler. Great player for us and a brilliant goalscorer but not my definition of world class. Didnt do much after he left us either.

 

[Gnasher]

Still can't get over that game. The only thing worse was the cunts celebrating how plucky Liverpool kept the score down.

Even worse than us getting hammered by a bigger margin at Anfeild?

[JermainePennant]

Fans are going mad on Twitter after Rodgers has criticised Marios work rate against besiktas after he scored the penalty.

 

Nothing wrong with this imo as he is making sure Balotelli knows he still has to fight for his place and keep up the work rate.

 

It may be harsh as I thought Marios workrate was no worse then sturridges, however Balotelli went a long time without doing what was asked of him so I can see why Rodgers would not be convinced that he has turned the corner yet.

[Red House]

Fans are going mad on Twitter after Rodgers has criticised Marios work rate against besiktas after he scored the penalty.

 

Nothing wrong with this imo as he is making sure Balotelli knows he still has to fight for his place and keep up the work rate.

 

It may be harsh as I thought Marios workrate was no worse then sturridges, however Balotelli went a long time without doing what was asked of him so I can see why Rodgers would not be convinced that he has turned the corner yet.

 

Coz' keeping the criticism behind the dressing room doors wasn't an option, right? What's the fucking point of slamming Balotelli in public just as the guy is finding some sort of form, when he could easily have talked to him in private about the need to keep the pressing going after scoring? Brendan should really learn when to shut his gob, so many cringeworthy media comments during his time here.

[JermainePennant]

Coz' keeping the criticism behind the dressing room doors wasn't an option, right? What's the fucking point of slamming Balotelli in public just as the guy is finding some sort of form, when he could easily have talked to him in private about the need to keep the pressing going after scoring? Brendan should really learn when to shut his gob, so many cringeworthy media comments during his time here.

Good point mate he should have done it behind closed doors, can't say I agree with the way Rodgers has handled this but I can see what he's trying to do.

[Anubis]

But what about those cunts still throwing the straw men in?

 

Cunts, those cunts, Grinch.

 

I don't know, Tom. Could you add some context to that? I feel as though I can't truly evaliate it until I know the context in which it's made.

[s(k)aturation]

Dave U's book this year should be called "Outstanding".

[Dundalis]

Coz' keeping the criticism behind the dressing room doors wasn't an option, right? What's the fucking point of slamming Balotelli in public just as the guy is finding some sort of form, when he could easily have talked to him in private about the need to keep the pressing going after scoring? Brendan should really learn when to shut his gob, so many cringeworthy media comments during his time here.

He had time to think about it, so it was obviously done on purpose. I think most people acknowledge that Rodgers is one of the better man managers in the world, so I'd say he knows players personalities and what makes them tick better than any of us.

 

If he thinks it was right to say something about Ballotelli in public, then that's fine with me. He's proven he knows what he's doing on that front.