Would you keep Rodgers at the end of the season?

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I tend to think the key question is always the same with regards managers, be they at Madrid or Margate: Do you think they've got the best out of the players they have?

 

Managers who get their first choice players are rare, and a truly clear line of accountability is even rarer. The days of someone handing over sole responsibility for transfers to a manager seems to have evaporated from the English game; lost to an era of the likes of Redknapp continually bankrupting sides and fucking off.

[Jairzinho]

But, based on what? Just because we should? I agree about the 28 point swing but then it was a 45 point swing in the opposite direction last season.

 

And the teams who spend the most generally finish the highest. It might be meaningless but it's also a fact. If we were the 4th (or 3rd etc) biggest spenders on wages and transfer fees, I'd expect us to finish in the top 4 every year. And it'd be a failure if we didn't. As we are now clearly 5th in both of those tables, we need to get things right on and off the pitch - and have things go our way - to have a chance at a top 4 finish. And clearly these things aren't. And even if we did get everything right, we are still reliant on other teams fucking up because, in general, they'll have better players.

 

Because we're capable of doing so. Because we aren't getting the best out of the players we do have.

 

Other teams have fucked up this season. City are averaging less than two points per game. Arsenal, in second, are on course for less than 80 points.

[reece289]

But, based on what? Just because we should? I agree about the 28 point swing but then it was a 45 point swing in the opposite direction last season.

 

And the teams who spend the most generally finish the highest. It might be meaningless but it's also a fact. If we were the 4th (or 3rd etc) biggest spenders on wages and transfer fees, I'd expect us to finish in the top 4 every year. And it'd be a failure if we didn't. As we are now clearly 5th in both of those tables, we need to get things right on and off the pitch - and have things go our way - to have a chance at a top 4 finish. And clearly these things aren't. And even if we did get everything right, we are still reliant on other teams fucking up because, in general, they'll have better players.

All fair and good you think but this league is under performing as a whole in Europe looking at the reasoning. How can we the 9th richest club be happy with being knocked out of European comps by team far under or resources? If you look at last season and look at wages per game played we came about right. Spurs have played loads more that us this season.

 

You cannot look at one comp and ignore others.

[Hades]

Having a director of football to sign players is good enough for Barca, Madrid and Bayern but not good enough for us.

 

What a load of bollocks.

[Section_31]

I'd like to see Rodgers make in game tactical changes from the sidelines via the medium of dance. 

 

[stringvest]

Act your age, not your shirt number...

[Major Tom]

Because we're capable of doing so. Because we aren't getting the best out of the players we do have.

 

 

Yeah, I agree with that.

 

But, then, obviously it's not just us under-performing. Look at City; they seemingly have everything that Rodgers' detractors appear desire; an experienced manager and a director of football. And they're woefully shit at the moment.

 

There is no silver bullet here.

[Cardie]

Having a director of football to sign players is good enough for Barca, Madrid and Bayern but not good enough for us.

 

What a load of bollocks.

We have a director of football.

 

 

[Major Tom]

All fair and good you think but this league is under performing as a whole in Europe looking at the reasoning. How can we the 9th richest club be happy with being knocked out of European comps by team far under or resources?

 

Cup comps will always throw up stupid results. Unless you are going to claim Bradford are better than Chelsea.

 

But, yeah, we were shit in Europe. But I'd back us to top those teams in a 38 game league which is a far truer reflection of how good you are.

[Jairzinho]

Yeah, I agree with that.

 

But, then, obviously it's not just us under-performing. Look at City; they seemingly have everything that Rodgers' detractors appear desire; an experienced manager and a director of football. And they're woefully shit at the moment.

 

There is no silver bullet here.

 

I'm not really arsed what City are doing. I'm not sure they're really worth comparing to us because, like Chelsea, they're a toy club. They don't need to be run properly. Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, etc are probably more relevant comparisons.

 

I expected 70-80 points in the league (probably finishing 3rd), last 8/16 of the CL, and to get to a final of a domestic cup this season. I think they're quite fair expectations. We lost the best player on the planet, and were never going to go half a season with about 13/14 players as we did the 2nd half of last, nor was trying to win every game 5-4 going to be sustainable. However, we spent a lot of money in the summer. Unfortunately we didn't spend it very well. That's on those in charge. You don't get to say "Well, we didn't buy anyone that can even nail down a place in the side, so is it okay if we finish 7th now". No, no it fucking isn't.

[Stu Monty]

All fair and good you think but this league is under performing as a whole in Europe looking at the reasoning. How can we the 9th richest club be happy with being knocked out of European comps by team far under or resources? If you look at last season and look at wages per game played we came about right. Spurs have played loads more that us this season.

 

You cannot look at one comp and ignore others.

 

Because being the 9th richest club in the world is not as relevant as being the 5th richest club in England. We'd be better off being the 20th richest in the world and the 4th richest in England - as it would allow us more access to Champions League revenue and players. 

 

We got knocked out of Europe and it was an under-achievement. Basle and Besiktas are no mugs though. Getting European nous is something the players, and possibly coaching team will have to pick up on. 

[Russ Atmosphere]

But, based on what? Just because we should? I agree about the 28 point swing but then it was a 45 point swing in the opposite direction last season.

 

And the teams who spend the most generally finish the highest. It might be meaningless but it's also a fact. If we were the 4th (or 3rd etc) biggest spenders on wages and transfer fees, I'd expect us to finish in the top 4 every year. And it'd be a failure if we didn't. As we are now clearly 5th in both of those tables, we need to get things right on and off the pitch - and have things go our way - to have a chance at a top 4 finish. And clearly these things aren't. And even if we did get everything right, we are still reliant on other teams fucking up because, in general, they'll have better players.

Can you show me the transfer fee one where we're fifth? Was that this summer?

[JohnnyH]

Having a director of football to sign players is good enough for Barca, Madrid and Bayern but not good enough for us.

 

What a load of bollocks.

 

And if those Directors of Football start bringing in players of the quality of Ronaldo, Alonso, Lewandowski, Bale, Rakitić, Suarez, etc, then I'm pretty sure we'll challenge for the title again.

[Stu Monty]

I'm not really arsed what City are doing. I'm not sure they're really worth comparing to us because, like Chelsea, they're a toy club. They don't need to be run properly. Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, etc are probably more relevant comparisons.

 

I expected 70-80 points in the league (probably finishing 3rd), last 8/16 of the CL, and to get to a final of a domestic cup this season. I think they're quite fair expectations. We lost the best player on the planet, and were never going to go half a season with about 13/14 players as we did the 2nd half of last, nor was trying to win every game 5-4 going to be sustainable. However, we spent a lot of money in the summer. Unfortunately we didn't spend it very well. That's on those in charge. You don't get to say "Well, we didn't buy anyone that can even nail down a place in the side, so is it okay if we finish 7th now". No, no it fucking isn't.

 

Is anyone saying that?

 

Your expectation of finishing 3rd is ambitious. That's okay. Being ambitious is what we should be. But if it turns out that after shooting three under par and finishing second you (after apparently a car crash of a season) just shoot par this time round (5th) then it's more a case of acknowledging that sometimes that's going to happen - and looking how you shoot under par again next season.

 

I think that other than positions it's also your proximity to your target that is important. I'm very much on the patient end of the scale but there is a difference between finishing 6th or 7th but being in with a shot of 4th on the final day or finishing 5th but being cut adrift by 12 points. I'll take the first one of those over the second right now if you offer me the chance.

[Denny Crane]

Rodgers seemed very happy in the summer  Let's not forget after working with the scouts/commitee the same people for the previous 3-4 windows he signed a new contract. In fact you would even say he was a braggart taking potshots at Southampton and Spurs in the summer. Talking of his plan and how they had being working on it for the past year.

 

Brendan Rodgers has taken a dig at Tottenham's transfer policy after confirming Liverpool's search for another striker is ongoing.

 

The decision to sell Luis Suarez to Barcelona in a £75 million deal has allowed Rodgers to invest heavily in his squad and he has already signed six players this summer.

 

 

Why Liverpool won't fail like Tottenham

Liverpool will be affected by Suarez's sale © Getty Images

• Fear not Liverpool fans, here are five reasons why your club won't "do a Tottenham" following the sale of Luis Suarez.
• David Usher explains it all here

Tottenham found themselves in a similar position last summer having sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world-record fee of £86m but both Erik Lamela (£30m) and Roberto Soldado (£26m) failed to justify their huge price tags while the likes of Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli endured disappointing campaigns.

 

However, Rodgers believes Liverpool are doing good business. He told Sky Sports: "It's a different club and different vision we have here. At Liverpool there's a strategy behind what we are doing.

 

"We were talking a lot right the way through last season with the recruitment team; we knew that we had to improve the depth of our squad - it was one of the objectives for the summer.

"Clearly we weren't strong enough last year in terms of depth, numbers and quality. We had always earmarked in the summer to bring in a number of players, in the hope that we would be in the Champions League.

 

"There's no doubt we will look where we can, and if we can, to bring in another striker."

 

With Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Emre Can and Dejan Lovren already on board, £10m striker Divock Origi became the latest name to sign up at Anfield.

Origi will be immediately loaned back to Lille for another season as part of the deal, though, leaving Rodgers still searching for back-up to Daniel Sturridge and Lambert for the coming campaign.

Loic Remy had been on the verge of sealing an £8m move from Queens Park Rangers but it collapsed when the striker reportedly failed a medical.

Rodgers has, however, backed Sturridge to improve on his 24 goals last season and believes he can form a deadly partnership with Lambert.

"I looked at the combination of Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert in training today and they were exceptional; the link-up play and some of their combination play was great," added Rodgers.

"I think you'll see Daniel go on another level again this season, with the confidence of a full campaign last year and scoring the goals he did. Hopefully he can stay injury free this season.

"We've [also] got Rickie Lambert who will get goals for us. He's starting to really get comfortable with the group."

 

http://en.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/328287.html

[reece289]

Cup comps will always throw up stupid results. Unless you are going to claim Bradford are better than Chelsea.

 

But, yeah, we were shit in Europe. But I'd back us to top those teams in a 38 game league which is a far truer reflection of how good you are.

It isnt just about the pl or europe, the aim of top teams is to compete in both. We havent even competed in the two european comps we were in. I would bet that if you took away european football from Arsenal and saw them go out of the domestic cups as early as we did last year you would see them do what we did last season if not better.

 

If Rodgers cannot handle both then we dont have the timeframe to hope he discovers it.

[Stu Monty]

If he wasn't happy, hypothetically, what would you have him do?

[stringvest]

ouch!

[Denny Crane]

The Southampton stuff in the summer from Rodgers.  Maybe we had a choice and decided to sell Suarez...

 

Brendan Rodgers says he has no sympathy for Southampton, claiming they gave up their ambition to be a Champions League club and decided to cash in on their players.

Five players have left St Mary's this summer, with Rodgers signing three for Liverpool in Adam Lallana (for £25 million), Dejan Lovren (£20m) and Rickie Lambert (£4m).

 

"They have a choice as a club," Rodgers said of Liverpool's opponents on Sunday at Anfield. "They don't have to sell. You have a choice. Maybe Southampton's objectives have changed. They were looking to be a Champions League club, I believe. They obviously wanted to change. I suppose Liverpool have taken three players but Arsenal have taken a player [defender Calum Chambers for £16m], Manchester United have taken a player [England international Luke Shaw for £27m]. There might be one or two others who leave. It's just the way it works.

 

"We were after a certain type of player that fits the profile and the mould of the way we play. They played in a similar mould to us, so the players understand the pressing, the intensity and the possession so, I don't have sympathy, no.

 

"Don't get me wrong, Southampton is a great club. But so was Swansea [Rodgers' old club]. Swansea have produced a young player in Ben Davies and he's now gone to Tottenham. It's the nature of it. The players will want to compete at the highest level they possibly can.

[johnsusername]

Yes he should be given another season. Some better players to go with it would be nice as well.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Can someone ask Southampton if they have any sympathy for us?

[reece289]

If he wasn't happy, hypothetically, what would you have him do?

Not sure who you are replying to?

[Denny Crane]

It's a red herring everyone at the club should be working together and according to Rodgers they were emphatically so.

 

It was only when fingers were being pointed at him late last year he changed his tune and started briefing a different story.

 

I'm sure he regrets that and hopefully he has apologised to people at the club for misleading others.

 

However the whole say about final say is a bit disingenuous. As Stringvest mentioned you have to get the nod to buy and sell and how much wages etc. It's a £500-600 million business.

 

Those mentioning final say, would be the first to complain if we tried to sell Sakho for 5million and buy Ashley Willams for 21 million. Checks have to be in place.

 

Rodgers would have prob sold Skrtel and Henderson for a combined 8-9 million if he had his way. What was it Henderson as 3-4million towards Dempsey who wanted 100k?.

 

Let's not forget Rodgers free reign period. I would have paid millions more for Joe Allen and Fabio Borini will excite the fans. 

 

I think a team is only right and fair. However if they decide Rodgers has failed heads will have to roll in the scouting team also. They did similar with Commolli and Kenny in the past.

 

Rodgers is no patsy, he is vociferous in what the managers role is at a club. I have no reason to believe he is a stooge which is what some of you lot are implying. Nothing wrong with teamwork.

[Major Tom]

Code is back and how.

[Stu Monty]

Any one of the people who are going to great lengths to try and point out that he loves the system and therefore carries the can for its failures. 

 

Denny (Frode) in particular,.