Brendan Rodgers Thread

[El Rojo]

He's fostered a flair and style of football that has us right back up at the top.

 

We're absolutely brilliant to watch and a measure of how our mentality has changed saw us go to City and Chelsea over Christmas and go head to head against them rather than freeze or play for a draw. We didn't go in with an inferior attitude.

 

And as immense as we've been since the start of 2013, we've been absolutely blighted with injuries/suspensions to Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard, Coutinho, Agger, Enrique and others from our small squad over that period of time without getting derailed.

 

The whole 'superb/fantastic/absolutely wonderful/immense/hugely proud of the players' schtick that he churns out after every match sometimes grates a bit, but he's revolutionised our football and the mindset of the players in the best way possible.

 

He's great.

[Guest LFD]

He's boss!

 

[Anubis]

I think Rodgers is a quick study. I never agreed with the David Brent label, but he did have a tendancy to try hard to be Shanklyesque for a while. But he's cut that out and is doing very well both on and off the field. I think that's a consequence of fans shifting from a position where they weren't sure of him but willing to give him a chance, to actively supporting him. I think that's given him more confidence about his position as manager.

[Barney_Rubble]

Very impressed with him today.

 

To have the balls to swap Stevie and Lucas and then hook Coutinho off unceremoniously and introduce Sturridge who, lets not forget, hadn't played for god knows how long and put him right in the middle of it all when the game was still in the balance - that deserves to be applauded.

 

Sturridge made an instant impact and, to be honest, without him I am not sure we would have won that game.

 

I said it many times, particularly on this thread, that Rodgers' quick thinking and the fact he is not shirking from change when such change needs to be made are two of his best qualities. It is refreshing to see. Well done Brendan, we are lucky to have you!

[Elite]

Only worry I have is that there will be a fine line between success and failure for us this season due to an incredibly tight top 7. We could theoretically finish seventh and be 3pts off 4th place. I really like Rodgers though and hope he delivers.

[DanDanShaw]

I know it's not really important and I am a huge admirer of Rafa Benitez as a manager, but does anybody else enjoy watching a manager show real passion when we score?  It's fucking boss when the camera pans to him and his little elf assistant and they're both going mad.

[Barney_Rubble]

I know it's not really important and I am a huge admirer of Rafa Benitez as a manager, but does anybody else enjoy watching a manager show real passion when we score? It's fucking boss when the camera pans to him and his little elf assistant and they're both going mad.

How good is that?

 

I have to admit I am one of those who defended Rafa to the hilt and wanted him back pretty badly, though I am the first to put my hand up and say that Rodgers did, finally, helped me "get over" Rafa.

 

While we haven't reached the dizzying heights of Rafa's tenure yet, I believe it is just a matter of time with Rodgers, provided he continues in the same vein and is fully backed to the hilt by the yanks - the latter still remains a real concern, though, as always, time will tell.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

His goal celebration is ace: two hands up, palms open... Wait... Bring down for a double fist clench.

[RobbieOR]

Liked him since he got the job but delighted he's managed to convince the doubters. We're going places under him. No doubt about it. 

[ZonkoVille77]

Delighted with him, he's making me really enjoy the game again. Some might say he's lucky having Suarez but I think he deserves credit for the improvement seen in other players. Well in BR.

 

But I'm worried about what he's doing with Gerrard (in a footballing sense of course)

[old skool tom]

Was one of the few who voted for him on here to be our next manager...

 

its great to wake up on matchday again and be excited as fuck because I know our manager will instruct our team to attack and play at a high pace!  

 

lots to learn I'm sure but I also love the way he tries different formations and combinations despite being a 4 3 3 man........I just hope he doesnt do what Roy Evans did and become obsessed with defense/being solid after first couple of seasons because we concede quite a lot.

yes tighten up a little if you want BR but keep focussing on attacking..love watching us now!

its far too fucking expensive football now so  its even more important to be entertained for your hard earned cash!

[Bobby Hundreds]

Yeah but this attacking trait that's being likened to evans sides. How much of it is the ability of Suarez and to a lesser degree Sturridge the miss balance of quality on the team. If we lose Suarez possibly the best player in the world at the moment what do we have. I'm more for Rodgers than against by a long shot but I'm still not totally convinced. The league is that close its hard to gauge how we are, we are just one point ahead of Everton and spurs who sacked their manager and considered to be doing terribly are just two points behind. We put lesser team to the sword but then Suarez is the best player on the planet he puts them to the sword most already agree he's probably the best footballer that's ever played for us. But then you have to give credit to Rodgers for getting the best out of Suarez.

 

I still don't know about us as a team don't get me wrong what I see now I prefer to what we've had in the past few years I enjoy it so I'm not complaining but I've doubts as to whether we'd find any kind of consistency if we didn't have the best player around. I'm happy to see where it leads.

[TheHowieLama]

I find myself squinting at the screen and nodding in approval while simultaneously not understanding a single word of it. Repped. 

[YNWAViking]

Positive, offensive, good talker, likes to control games, gives young good players a chance - ok to good tactician. Does need to improve our defensive play though - at times its proper shit.

 

With some luck & good play the next few months we'll end up in a top 4 position. And that will be a great achievement imo.

[bossy]

I like him but I'm not overly impressed by us this season. A few really good games and Luis are disguising how poorly we often play. He appears to be lucky which is a good trait to have so I'm more optimistic than not.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

His goal celebration is ace: two hands up, palms open... Wait... Bring down for a double fist clench.

It's power balladesque.

[spider-neil]

I don't think Brendan has had all his best players fit and available for long enough to really show what he is about. Suarez, Coutinho, Sturridge, Gerrard, Sakho all out at some point or another.

Injuries happen, my problem is Brendan doesn't change like for like. For instance when Coutinho go injured the Alberto should have come in for him rather than trying to force Moses into a number 10 role.

 

I don't think Brendan is even halfway to what he wants to do and is making adjustments based on the players he has rather than last season of trying to bend the players to what he wants to do. I think it will be 6 transfer windows (He's had 3) before you see Rodgers' team really take shape.

[KevieG]

Two good full backs and a defensive midfielder and we'd be pushing very hard for the title. That's an amazing transformation considering we are operating in the era of  financial doping. And we are playing the best attacking football in 20 years to boot. Got to be pleased.

[Soleilrouge]

I agree with Kevie G

I agree with Kevie G

I say I agree, I agree

I agree with Kevie G

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

As great as the transformation has been in terms of goals and results, especially when you consider the team he took over and the results the half-season previous, it's not really that which impresses me the most about him. Kenny was left questioning the attitude of the players after yet another loss - Fulham I think it was - and called them out about it. That's gone. Rodgers has come in, cut the cancer right out, and got a team together that fights for each other. That's not easy to do, but it's his ethos of hard work and humility that is paying dividends, just as much as it is his signings.

[Dr Nowt]

As great as the transformation has been in terms of goals and results, especially when you consider the team he took over and the results the half-season previous, it's not really that which impresses me the most about him. Kenny was left questioning the attitude of the players after yet another loss - Fulham I think it was - and called them out about it. That's gone. Rodgers has come in, cut the cancer right out, and got a team together that fights for each other. That's not easy to do, but it's his ethos of hard work and humility that is paying dividends, just as much as it is his signings.

 

Not sure about Fulham, but definitely after Bolton away. 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Not sure about Fulham, but definitely after Bolton away.

Could have been Bolton away, mate. Certainly called them out for being lazy shits, though. There was a period there where they left themselves, the manager and the club down big time. We've really turned a corner with that, now. Rodgers has come in and really grown into the role as a leader. It's clear he won't stand for too much bullshit, even from the likes of Suarez. Sturridge was called a selfish player with a poor attitude before he joined here, now he's a quality team player with a 'team first' mentality.

 

Since the day he joined I bought into what he was saying and I still do. Given some decent money and some time, I think we're going places. How some - I'm looking at you, bossy! - can fail to be impressed with what we're seeing at the moment, and the progress we're making, is baffling to me.

[Dr Nowt]

Could have been Bolton away, mate. Certainly called them out for being lazy shits, though. There was a period there where they left themselves, the manager and the club down big time. We've really turned a corner with that, now. Rodgers has come in and really grown into the role as a leader. It's clear he won't stand for too much bullshit, even from the likes of Suarez. Sturridge was called a selfish player with a poor attitude before he joined here, now he's a quality team player with a 'team first' mentality.

 

Since the day he joined I bought into what he was saying and I still do. Given some decent money and some time, I think we're going places. How some - I'm looking at you, bossy! - can fail to be impressed with what we're seeing at the moment, and the progress we're making, is baffling to me.

 

Me too.  As much as some say you can't base anything on how a manager speaks, it's on the field that matters, for me what's happened there is an extension of just how incredibly impressed I was with him at that first press conference.  The measure of the man came through loud and clear for me and there's no underestimating the job he's done even to this point.  Stopping the rot so quickly and getting us facing back in the right direction has been no mean feat, to do it with great style deserves real kudos.

[Xherdan]

Really anyone who is not happy with where we are right now needs to have a long hard look at the themselves. Cancer and Aids, Hodgson, Carroll, Downing, Charlie Adam, Paul Koncheskey, Phillip Degen, Jovanovic, Voronin, etc etc etc, these are all very recent.

 

Since that, we have played a blinder both on and off the field. Retaining Suarez during the summer was some of the best business we have done in a long time. Nailing him down to a contract and subsequently getting the best form of life out of him. Attacking wise, we are up there with the best in the league, with probably, the best strike force in the league.

 

Clearly we still have a lot to do, particularly with defensive reinforcements. Personally I would get rid of Skrtel and probably Agger, but we have to have quality replacements lined up. If we get this right over the next 12 months, plus add another couple of quality attacking players and we are right back in the mix, every season for CL and possibly more.

 

It feels good to be a Liverpool fan again. 

[bossy]

Could have been Bolton away, mate. Certainly called them out for being lazy shits, though. There was a period there where they left themselves, the manager and the club down big time. We've really turned a corner with that, now. Rodgers has come in and really grown into the role as a leader. It's clear he won't stand for too much bullshit, even from the likes of Suarez. Sturridge was called a selfish player with a poor attitude before he joined here, now he's a quality team player with a 'team first' mentality.

 

Since the day he joined I bought into what he was saying and I still do. Given some decent money and some time, I think we're going places. How some - I'm looking at you, bossy! - can fail to be impressed with what we're seeing at the moment, and the progress we're making, is baffling to me.

I am impressed by Rodgers just not so much with half of our team. We were so under the cosh from Stoke the other night, making stupid decisions and mistakes, being nervous in the face of Adams, failing to pass a ball with enough weight or giving it too much, that I was reminded that we aren't a great team. We aren't good enough to win the league and unless we add some mental strength we'll fail to make the champions league. I was hoping that this kind of amateurish approach had vanished. We've been good for the last 6 weeks or so, really good at times, but for a large part of the stoke game we were garbage.

Luis, Sturridge, sterling and at times couthino, showed how good they were but I feel the rest of them were often like headless chickens.

Rodgers has it in him to make us a great team I think but we can't afford the type of nerves shown by our defence and midfield the other night. Some big decisions are needed; replacing Johnson, easing out Stevie, finding a strong skilful midfield champion and coming up with a great defence. This is not going to be easy to do ( I know you haven't said it will be) for any manager but I have some confidence Rodgers can. At least we are entertaining and at times our football is fantastic but I'll be properly impressed when I don't see the likes of Henderson reverting to being little boys at times of stress.