Brendan Rodgers Thread

[Jose Jones]

I like Rodgers, but this season is still just over half way, and a lot of things could change people's perceptions of him yet, I think.

We are just about where we hoped to be at the start, in fourth, but still only a squeaky bit ahead of Everton, Spurs and Man U.  If we have a great second half of the season we can all pat Rodgers and the team on the back as we crash back into the Champions League (and maybe get better than 4th).

If we have a couple of injuries and a bit of bad run of form we could quite easily still finish 7th.

[Section_31]

I'm still far from convinced by him but you can't knock how we're doing in the league and it'd be churlish to do so. One thing I will say is that I've always thought he carries himself well and deserves the respect of Liverpool fans, unlike Hodgson. He says the right things and he's obviously fiercely loyal to the club, its heritage, the players and the fans and he deserves support for that fact.

 

I think people should always take a balanced view though, if people have their doubts about him I think it's unfair to dismiss those doubts just because we're playing well, just as it's wrong to freak out and go OTT when we lose. We have to look at his tenure as a whole. At this point I'd say he's making progress.

[MLB]

This just in: he's boss.

[Rotpeter]

Forgive me, I was on my mobile phone. We have the best defensive record in the league at home. My issue was you suggesting he can't organise a defence like Mourinho. Well, aside from us having had many injuries in that area (we've currently got our best LB and two best CBs out), he has been better than Mourinho at home. So it's not an inability to organise a defence that's the issue. At least not unless you think his ability to organise differs by travelling a few hundred yards down the road.

 

The main issue for me is personnel. We've got several out, and the fullbacks can't stop crosses. Take away the crossing goals - which isn't to do with Rodgers; we've been shaky on set-pieces for many years - and we're in the mix away from home. We're not talking managerial inability here, just some time and adjustments.

 

The dichotomy between playing at home or just a few hundred yards down the road is as old as football and confirmed every single year by the league table.  Pretend it doesn't exist if you like.

 

For me to buy into this he's as good as Mourinho thing, I need less excuses and more seeing the team defend as well as a Mourinho team.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

The dichotomy between playing at home or just a few hundred yards down the road is as old as football and confirmed every single year by the league table.  Pretend it doesn't exist if you like.

I don't need to pretend anything. I'm talking about organisation of the defence. That doesn't change a few hundred yards down the road.

 

For me to buy into this he's as good as Mourinho thing

What 'he's as good as Mourinho' thing? The one you fabricated? I'm certainly not selling anything for you to buy into. I couldn't give two bollocks what you buy into. What I said was that he has been better - the defensive record - at home. That's just what has happened. It's really nothing to do with me. The reason I raise the point is because his ability to organise a defence doesn't change when he plays at Goodison. His ability isn't what changes. What has happened this season is injuries, plus playing almost all of the top teams away from home already. The difference is much more stark between the quality of personnel available to the managers, not the ability to organise.

 

I need less excuses and more seeing the team defend as well as a Mourinho team.

Just watch our home games, then. Of course, there are other differences outside his ability to organise a defence. You know, like having a settled team full of players they selected at very high cost.

[spider-neil]

Pointless comparing Mourinho's defending with Brendan's. Mourinho commit's less bodies to the attack and puts men behind the ball, obviously they are going to be harder to break down.

 

A lot of our problems defending is;

 

* We lose the ball when we are at our most vulnerable, too many players up field.

(which leaves the centre backs horribly exposed)

 

* We don't make enough effort to stop crosses coming in.

(which puts pressure on the centre backs to make clearing headers)

 

* We seemingly have no clue how to slow the pace of the game down when we are under the cosh to take 5 minutes out of game.

(which puts the centre backs under a stream of constant pressure)

 

All of the above can we worked on and improved on the training field. I also think our fullbakcs are going to be upgraded in the summer.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Pointless comparing Mourinho's defending with Brendan's. Mourinho commit's less bodies to the attack and puts men behind the ball, obviously they are going to be harder to break down.

 

A lot of our problems defending is;

 

* We lose the ball when we are at our most vulnerable, too many players up field.

(which leaves the centre backs horribly exposed)

 

* We don't make enough effort to stop crosses coming in.

(which puts pressure on the centre backs to make clearing headers)

 

* We seemingly have no clue how to slow the pace of the game down when we are under the cosh to take 5 minutes out of game.

(which puts the centre backs under a stream of constant pressure)

 

All of the above can we worked on and improved on the training field. I also think our fullbakcs are going to be upgraded in the summer.

Agree, but those things aren't about the manager's ability to organise a defence. Nor are points 1 and 3 much of an issue at home. They're not an issue when we don't play Lucas and Gerrard together, either. So that's personnel. Issue 2 drives me wild, but that's also an issue with personnel - both DM and FB.

[spider-neil]

Agree, but those things aren't about the manager's ability to organise a defence. Nor are points 1 and 3 much of an issue at home. They're not an issue when we don't play Lucas and Gerrard together, either. So that's personnel. Issue 2 drives me wild, but that's also an issue with personnel - both DM and FB.

 

I guess I agree with that.

For point 1) I'm of the opinion that Allen will improve our ability to retain possession up field.

For point 2) I think there is going to be a fullback clearout with us purchasing fullbacks that aggressively attack the opposition and aggresively prevent the opposition getting unchallenged crosses into our box.

For point 3) We are going to have to more clever drawing fouls, time wasting etc.

 

I think a lot of our defensive problems aren't exclusive to our defense but I don't see Brendan going for personnel to change things in January.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Yeah, it's a process isn't it. It will all take time.

[Guest LFD]

Agree, but those things aren't about the manager's ability to organise a defence.

I'd say allowing the opposition to put in too many crosses is.

 

It happened last season and now this season. If he wanted to stop it, he could have.

[Longview1982]

Brendan is a young manager who himself has admitted is learning all the time, so far in his career the signs look very promising and suggest he could go on to be one of the best managers in the world.

 

 

 

Rodgers has done a decent job here so far. If he sustains what we've done so far this season until May then it will have been a good performance from him.

 

I keep hearing him described as a "young manager" as though we should cut him slack the same way we would a teenager breaking through into the first team. That's nonsense.

 

He's at the same age (38-43) when managers like Mourinho, Ancellotti, Klopp, Guardiola, Conti, Mancini and even Benitez had won, or were about to win, their first league title or Champions League (or both).

 

He should be judged as a manager now, not as a "young manager learning on the job" and in that sense he's doing okay.

[spider-neil]

Many of those managers won with the challenge of 1 or maybe 2 teams where as Brendan is playing in a league where there is a challenge of 5 or 6 teams, 2 of whom have a bottomless pit of money.

[Paco]

Wants more goals from coutinho sterling and henderson.

 

dam straight.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Valid request. Perhaps he should also request that our defenders contest some headers and close players down about to have a shot.

[Soleilrouge]

Rodgers has no doubt improved things but the jury remains out on his overall ability

 

Good managers are those who build teams that can defend and attack to a sufficiently high standard and don't sacrifice one to the detriment of the other

 

All good teams can do both simultaneously to a very hgh standard

 

The only time I ahve us seen us do this under Brendan against a very good team was Spurs away

 

We attacked well against Chelsea and City but defended insufficiently well in both games - and I'm not talking about the defensive mistakes

[Major Tom]

We attacked well against Chelsea and City but defended insufficiently well in both games - and I'm not talking about the defensive mistakes

 

erm...

[JermainePennant]

The dichotomy between playing at home or just a few hundred yards down the road is as old as football and confirmed every single year by the league table.  Pretend it doesn't exist if you like.

 

For me to buy into this he's as good as Mourinho thing, I need less excuses and more seeing the team defend as well as a Mourinho team.

 

I would never swap our attacking play just so we could have a similar defensive record, I dont believe we are anywhere near as bad as people are making out.As others have said we have had a lot of injuries in that area aswell as having new players in those positions.

 

I love brendans philosophy and if he manages to get it right with the right quality of player we will be one of the best sides in europe, we have seen when we are on our game we blow teams away and with more quality players who can affect big matchs we will only get better.

 

I think our cbs are fine although personally I would move on agger and skrtel while they still would commanad a big fee and bring in a couple younger players, the dm position needs to be added to and we need to start slowing the pace down and controlling the possesion when we are under the cosh as spider-neil said.

 

That has been the most disapointing thing for me with our play as brendan has made it clear that he wants his team to control the ball and rest in possesion which we have so far been unable to do overall.

[Rotpeter]

I would never swap our attacking play just so we could have a similar defensive record, I dont believe we are anywhere near as bad as people are making out.As others have said we have had a lot of injuries in that area aswell as having new players in those positions.

 

I love brendans philosophy and if he manages to get it right with the right quality of player we will be one of the best sides in europe, we have seen when we are on our game we blow teams away and with more quality players who can affect big matchs we will only get better.

 

I think our cbs are fine although personally I would move on agger and skrtel while they still would commanad a big fee and bring in a couple younger players, the dm position needs to be added to and we need to start slowing the pace down and controlling the possesion when we are under the cosh as spider-neil said.

 

That has been the most disapointing thing for me with our play as brendan has made it clear that he wants his team to control the ball and rest in possesion which we have so far been unable to do overall.

I'm in the 38 1-0's camp personally, so that colors my perspective. In my view to reach our full potential we need to be able be a solid unit when we can't just roll teams over. It's less of a problem this year, but once we are back into europe, playing twice a week etc, the ability "to bolt the door" is going to be essential.

 

I don't think the hope that we are going to start resting on the ball and all that waffle is going to come to pass, we've tried that and alas, our two best players do not have the right DNA hence why we abandoned it for this faster, more direct, more vertical approach. So don't hold your breath.

 

At times we are going to need to get compact, get disciplined, track every single runner, triangulate every possible pass recipient, we just don't seem to have that in our locker.

[No2]

Pointless comparing Mourinho's defending with Brendan's. Mourinho commit's less bodies to the attack and puts men behind the ball, obviously they are going to be harder to break down.

 

A lot of our problems defending is;

 

* We lose the ball when we are at our most vulnerable, too many players up field.

(which leaves the centre backs horribly exposed)

 

* We don't make enough effort to stop crosses coming in.

(which puts pressure on the centre backs to make clearing headers)

 

* We seemingly have no clue how to slow the pace of the game down when we are under the cosh to take 5 minutes out of game.

(which puts the centre backs under a stream of constant pressure)

 

All of the above can we worked on and improved on the training field. I also think our fullbakcs are going to be upgraded in the summer.

It really is as simple as that. When Chelsea are ahead they solidify everything yet still look likely to score again. When we hit the lead we look as vulnerable as side chasing a game with 10 minutes to go. Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling is plenty, Henderson and/or Allen getting ahead of the ball is unnecessary. 

 

At Goodison we where hit on the counter at least twice while we where winning, that is just negligent. At Stoke on Sunday the same thing happened yet this time we where 2 up, for Crouch's goal they had 4 attackers in the box, we had 3 defenders, in the second half they fucked up a great opportunity when 3 on 3. I don't want us to bore and cheat our way to wins like Chelsea but the manager shouldn't be allowing these situations to develop 18 months into the job. Overall I'm well happy with the progress made but our current cavalier style will win us nothing, champions beat their rivals 1-0, we simply don't look any where near capable of doing such a thing. 

[BCM]

As someone who was unsure about Rodgers for a long time, the results and style of play has much improved.

He has also cut out the nonsense speak in interviews which really got on my nerves, I think he has handled the Suarez "bite" and transfer unrest in the Summer very well.

He needs to find the balance in Attack and Defence as we look vulnerable to some of the better teams.

Personally would like any talk of a new contract put off till the end of the season, You can only really look at progress as a whole once the season is finished and the pots have been handed out.

[Melchett]

I like the way he does stuff and things.

 

Turd bastard

 

 

[spider-neil]

It really is as simple as that. When Chelsea are ahead they solidify everything yet still look likely to score again. When we hit the lead we look as vulnerable as side chasing a game with 10 minutes to go. Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling is plenty, Henderson and/or Allen getting ahead of the ball is unnecessary. 

 

At Goodison we where hit on the counter at least twice while we where winning, that is just negligent. At Stoke on Sunday the same thing happened yet this time we where 2 up, for Crouch's goal they had 4 attackers in the box, we had 3 defenders, in the second half they fucked up a great opportunity when 3 on 3. I don't want us to bore and cheat our way to wins like Chelsea but the manager shouldn't be allowing these situations to develop 18 months into the job. Overall I'm well happy with the progress made but our current cavalier style will win us nothing, champions beat their rivals 1-0, we simply don't look any where near capable of doing such a thing. 

 

 

The problem isn't commiting players, the problem is holding the ball better and choosing better options especially when in front.

 

Man City second goal was us losing the ball on an attack with minutes remaining on the clock. We should have been looking to retain possession, get in 1-1 and then build again. Having that many players up fieid wasn't the problem but we played a low percentage ball when we should have been looking to recycle the ball till half time.

 

Stoke's equaliser was the result of Henderson playing the ball to Gerrard who loses his footing and fatty latches onto the loose ball. Jordan (who was pretty much unchallenged) should have been looking to pivot and then pass the ball side ways or forwards rather than back where there were several Stoke defenders near our penalty box.

When teams look to press us we should be looking to turn them and take as many of their players out of the equation as possible.

 

Our midfielders need make better choices on the ball and be more patient when we are building attacks near the opposition penalty box. If you shift the opposition around fast enough the opens will happen, impossible eye of the needle passes will likely result in a counter attack with half our team in the opposition half.

[TheFridge]

There is a saying that you are only as good as your weakest link and it think it comes back to haunt us at times. Thats only to be expected with a think squad but I would hope that the resultant improvement from two new full backs and a top class defensive midfielder would transform us exponentially.

 

Watching Cissokho being outpaced and falling for tricks from a clogger like Charlie Adam showed how poor we are on that side. And Johnson just doesn't care anymore. Its a shame that Kenny didn't follow through and get Coleman a couple of years ago. He would suit us down to the ground. For the same reason I'd look to get Shaw in the summer if at all possible.

 

If we do get Champions football you can be sure that these weaknesses will be targeted.

 

 

Re: Rodgers, another thing that I like is that he seems to just go out and steamroller the shite teams in the league and there are enough of them for that policy alone to have us near the top places. Game was in the balance v Stoke and he goes all out to win with another striker. Great to see that. It worked for Ferguson for years.

 

This is one of the things i love about Rodgers and the way we play, its the way i have always wanted us to play against the dregs of the league, just go out and smash them, if they score a couple who cares because we will score 4 or 5.

 

It was the manc blueprint for years and we all know how successful it was.

 

Also Anfield into a place to be genuinely feared again, we need that.

 

Rodgers has done an exceptional job so far after the understandable ropey start he had, i also bought into him from the start and backed him to turn it around, didn't think he would turn it around this quickly though.

 

Anyone thats not really happy or convinced needs to get their head our their arse, we have a real good'un in Rodgers.

[Jhinge Machha]

“This is a humble club. We won’t be making DVDs of the performance. There are bigger things we’re trying to achieve." 

-Rodgers (after everton win)

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-brendan-rodgers-salutes-6656497

[Russ Atmosphere]

“This is a humble club. We won’t be making DVDs of the performance. There are commemoratively iced 4-0 doughnuts available from a stall in front of the club shop."