Brendan Rodgers, a statistical overview of Swansea 11/12.

[silverlining]

I don't see what relevance politics has to do with this.

 

I don't think we'll improve significantly next season, and that will lead to pressure. Just my opinion.

 

The mancs X2, arsenal and Chelsea have an impenetrable look to them as far as the top four is concerned. I think it would require a very talented manager to drag this Liverpool squad into the top four and oust one of those teams. And i don't think Rodgers is that man.

 

I'll eat my own nob if we break the top four during his three year contract.

 

Well, I think I've made my opinion on managers quite clear. Below a *very* rarified few elite managers, they can't usually make that much of a difference.

 

You would need to get every transfer decision right, have luck, be tactically astute and man-manage perfectly to get this Liverpool side into the Top 4

 

We wasted our last big investment on some poor and average players. I will wait and see what business we do this summer, but not even the ghosts of Shankly and Paisley could get this current squad to challenge for a title

[Guest TK-421]

Well, I think I've made my opinion on managers quite clear. Below a *very* rarified few elite managers, they can't usually make that much of a difference.

 

You would need to get every transfer decision right, have luck, be tactically astute and man-manage perfectly to get this Liverpool side into the Top 4

 

We wasted our last big investment on some poor and average players. I will wait and see what business we do this summer, but not even the ghosts of Shankly and Paisley could get this current squad to challenge for a title

 

It's continuity I see as the problem. I think the squad had promise and was progressing under Kenny. Needlessly sacking him changed everything. Rodgers now has the unenviable task of shaping his squad with very limited funds. With the Euros going on this task is even harder. What was wrong with waiting for a year and seeing how Kenny got on? If he didn't measure up we could have changed things next year, without the distraction of the Euros. It's not like Rodgers was going anywhere until we nabbed him.

 

It will be another period of transition. Results and performances will be inconsisent and both Rodgers and FSG will then come under considerable pressure.

 

That's how I see it playing out.

[xerxes]

It's continuity I see as the problem. I think the squad had promise and was progressing under Kenny

There was a case for retaining kenny which I supported, and that is that the alternatives were not signaly better.

 

But even his supporters can see that the progression was down the league table with the worst home record in half a century.

[Guest TK-421]

There was a case for retaining kenny which I supported, and that is that the alternatives were not signaly better.

 

But even his supporters can see that the progression was down the league table with the worst home record in half a century.

 

Yeah, if you concentrate solely on the league I can see why you would come to that conclusion.

[No2]

A lot of those stats are useless and some are just not "quantifiable". The main one that sticks out has being useful is goals scored and conceded in the 6 yard box. I haven't seen Swansea play more than a handful of times but they do strike me as a very small side and their keeper is tiny by goalkeepers standards. It would only be natural for them to concede more than average and score less than average in these circumstances. We are a bigger side (especially with Carroll in the team) so we can scratch this particular stat straight away.

 

The second one I wanted to comment on is the one I feel is most important and seems to have quite a few concerned. The stat concerning area's of the field were they retain possession. I read an article on Rodgers recently where he spoke of closing out games by keeping the ball, the easiest area the keep the ball is the area least populated by opposition players, ie your defensive third. The stats show they won a lot of games to nil, this would suggest that the need to occupy the final third was nullified quite regularly therefore increasing the percentages of time just keeping the ball for the sake of it. It would also help explain the lack crosses or shots, why whack it over the bar Stewart Downing style when you can just recycle the ball over and over? Why cross it for Danny Graham when the percentages will favor the 2 big centre halves? Keep the ball you win the game, simples.

 

Finally from the stats I think we can rule out the idea that he is an attacking manager, I wouldn't go as far to say he's a defensive manager but I think he is a practical manager, someone who manages to marry both Mourinhio's and Guardiola's philosophies into one.

[Whelan]

It's continuity I see as the problem. I think the squad had promise and was progressing under Kenny. Needlessly sacking him changed everything. Rodgers now has the unenviable task of shaping his squad with very limited funds. With the Euros going on this task is even harder. What was wrong with waiting for a year and seeing how Kenny got on? If he didn't measure up we could have changed things next year, without the distraction of the Euros. It's not like Rodgers was going anywhere until we nabbed him.

 

It will be another period of transition. Results and performances will be inconsisent and both Rodgers and FSG will then come under considerable pressure.

 

That's how I see it playing out.

 

Sorry mate but I don't consider the suggested £30m to be 'very limited' at all, particularly not with monies raised as well. That is Belhanda and Luk De Jong (for example).

[Guest TK-421]

Sorry mate but I don't consider the suggested £30m to be 'very limited' at all, particularly not with monies raised as well. That is Belhanda and Luk De Jong (for example).

 

Belhanda and Luk De Jong will probably want to join clubs who pay them more and compete in better competitions.

 

The wage bill is the bigger issue, anyway. We could spend 30m on the modern day Juan Veron, where will it get us?

 

If we can't attract the best players and pay them the market rate we'll struggle to improve, wouldn't you agree?

[piscinin]

A lot of those stats are useless and some are just not "quantifiable". The main one that sticks out has being useful is goals scored and conceded in the 6 yard box. I haven't seen Swansea play more than a handful of times but they do strike me as a very small side and their keeper is tiny by goalkeepers standards. It would only be natural for them to concede more than average and score less than average in these circumstances. We are a bigger side (especially with Carroll in the team) so we can scratch this particular stat straight away.

 

The second one I wanted to comment on is the one I feel is most important and seems to have quite a few concerned. The stat concerning area's of the field were they retain possession. I read an article on Rodgers recently where he spoke of closing out games by keeping the ball, the easiest area the keep the ball is the area least populated by opposition players, ie your defensive third. The stats show they won a lot of games to nil, this would suggest that the need to occupy the final third was nullified quite regularly therefore increasing the percentages of time just keeping the ball for the sake of it. It would also help explain the lack crosses or shots, why whack it over the bar Stewart Downing style when you can just recycle the ball over and over? Why cross it for Danny Graham when the percentages will favor the 2 big centre halves? Keep the ball you win the game, simples.

 

Finally from the stats I think we can rule out the idea that he is an attacking manager, I wouldn't go as far to say he's a defensive manager but I think he is a practical manager, someone who manages to marry both Mourinhio's and Guardiola's philosophies into one.

 

Excellent!

 

That's up there with "to play the type of footie favoured Spain, Barcelona and Swansea"!

[Whelan]

Belhanda and Luk De Jong will probably want to join clubs who pay them more and compete in better competitions.

 

The wage bill is the bigger issue, anyway. We could spend 30m on the modern day Juan Veron, where will it get us?

 

If we can't attract the best players and pay them the market rate we'll struggle to improve, wouldn't you agree?

 

Well the wage bill will probably be losing Maxi (90 grand), Cole (120 grand) and Aquilani (90 grand), and Kuyt (70 grand) so we do have room.

 

It is all very well saying Belhanda and Luk De Jong will want to join clubs who pay them more and compete in better competitions but how many teams can pay more AND need them! Chelsea have just signed Hazzard, to go with Marin and De Bruin, and probably Hulk, United seem to be signing the Japanese lad from Dortmund, City have Silva and Nasri, Barcelona and Real won't want him, the Italians can't afford him, so realistically he doesn't have too many options.

 

Even so, you go for Griezmann instead, or Krasnic!

 

Tottenham do not pay market rate and they have challenged for the past three years, and attracted the players. Then whole point about changes being made is that we want more value for our players, not to be throwing £20m at Downings and the like, we want the De Bruin's and the Cisse's for £10m, that is the reason behind the changes.

 

I would like to add, that Cabaye, Sessegnon, Peinnar and VDF have (together) all cost considerably less than £30m and would have improved us a lot. It can be done.

[Guest TK-421]

Well the wage bill will probably be losing Maxi (90 grand), Cole (120 grand) and Aquilani (90 grand), and Kuyt (70 grand) so we do have room.

 

It is all very well saying Belhanda and Luk De Jong will want to join clubs who pay them more and compete in better competitions but how many teams can pay more AND need them! Chelsea have just signed Hazzard, to go with Marin and De Bruin, and probably Hulk, United seem to be signing the Japanese lad from Dortmund, City have Silva and Nasri, Barcelona and Real won't want him, the Italians can't afford him, so realistically he doesn't have too many options.

 

Even so, you go for Griezmann instead, or Krasnic!

 

Tottenham do not pay market rate and they have challenged for the past three years, and attracted the players. Then whole point about changes being made is that we want more value for our players, not to be throwing £20m at Downings and the like, we want the De Bruin's and the Cisse's for £10m, that is the reason behind the changes.

 

Point taken about freeing up wages but I can't see all of that money being reinvested in the absence of CL football. The squad, inevitably, will be weaker than it was before and weaker in comparison to its rivals.

 

We're basically rolling a dice and hoping it lands on a Papiss Cisse or Cabaye.

 

It's risky, and likely to go wrong in my humble opinion.

 

And let's not forget that Spurs and Newcastle, for all their plaudits in recent years, won't be in next season's CL.

[Whelan]

Point taken about freeing up wages but I can't see all of that money being reinvested in the absence of CL football. The squad, inevitably, will be weaker than it was before and weaker in comparison to its rivals.

 

We're basically rolling a dice and hoping it lands on a Papiss Cisse or Cabaye.

 

It's risky, and likely to go wrong in my humble opinion.

 

And let's not forget that Spurs and Newcastle, for all their plaudits in recent years, won't be in next season's CL.

 

I think you are right it is risky, I would argue that we have no option. Wenger has been doing this for years, primarily because of the necessity to do so when the stadium was being built.

 

The facts are that our scouting needs to be much better, it is a bit disingeuous for me to be using players like Cabaya and Sessegnon as examples, as they are not under the pressure that they would be as our players and are not expected to perform every match. But it is essential that we start buying players before they go to Villa, or Sunderland or even Ajax and Lille!

 

I like Ola John for example, there is talk of him going to be Benfica for £9m, so he can become a £20m player if he succeeds, which no doubt we will either pay for (if we are good enough) or not be an option (because we are not).

 

I have no problem with Farfan and Diamme coming in on free's if it means Belhanda and Griezmann are bought. Every transfer window since 2007 has been shit, absolute shit and that needs to change more than anything else.

[MichaelThomas]

I like Ola John for example, there is talk of him going to be Benfica for £9m,

 

He signed for them last week. Around 7 mil.

[05 Milan]

Since the summer of 2009 we have sold the likes of Torres, Mascherano, Alonso and Arbeloa, and replaced them with the likes og Aquilani, Carroll, Henderson, Downing, Konchesky, Kyrgiakos, Joe Cole and Charlie Adam. In the same time youngsters like Robinson, Flanagan and Spearing and Kelly have been promoted without particularly strenghtening the team. Just look at that list, the monet wasted is beyond belied. Here lies the reason behind our demise. If there's one thing that's going to get us back at the top, it's spending our money more wisely. Rafa knew how to do it before he lost the plot. Hopefully we will soon have a system in place that can actually identify good value in the transfer market.

[jackofdk]

Since the summer of 2009 we have sold the likes of Torres, Mascherano, Alonso and Arbeloa, and replaced them with the likes og Aquilani, Carroll, Henderson, Downing, Konchesky, Kyrgiakos, Joe Cole and Charlie Adam. In the same time youngsters like Robinson, Flanagan and Spearing and Kelly have been promoted without particularly strenghtening the team. Just look at that list, the monet wasted is beyond belied. Here lies the reason behind our demise. If there's one thing that's going to get us back at the top, it's spending our money more wisely. Rafa knew how to do it before he lost the plot. Hopefully we will soon have a system in place that can actually identify good value in the transfer market.

 

Aye. The sad thing is that even though the former owners were bleeding the club dry, we have still spent quite a bit of money. Just poorly.

[xerxes]

Aye. The sad thing is that even though the former owners were bleeding the club dry, we have still spent quite a bit of money. Just poorly.

 

Rodgers is used to being smart with his transfer spending- which i guesss was part of the attraction to FSG.

[Code]

Only 4 teams scored less than Swansea and only 4 teams had less shots at goal than Swansea last season.

 

Thats what keeping posession in your own half above all gives you.

[TheHowieLama]

We could spend 30m on the modern day Juan Veron, where will it get us?

 

 

It would get us a league title 1 in 2 - he is the PL's Ibra. It would be a snip too compared to the dosh that city laid to win it, should have just got this fella on the books.

[WhiskeyJar]

Well Code your an idiot if you done all that.

 

Someone beat ya to the punch:

 

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=A1BA00769DC2D906&id=A1BA00769DC2D906%21132#!/view.aspx?cid=A1BA00769DC2D906&resid=A1BA00769DC2D906%21133

 

or if that does not work:

 

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=A1BA00769DC2D906&id=A1BA00769DC2D906%21105

 

and choose one of the files.

 

I think you may have found your match.

[RedRazor]

My prediction is that by about mid October he will begin to realise that he is not up to the job. The loss of confidence will permeate every aspect of the club and the players and fans will begin to dread the next ninety minute angst filled installment of our demise. The humiliation of the club and its owners will be complete. We will be destroyed. Swansea supporters will travel up from south Wales just to laugh at us - even when they are playing somewhere else.

 

The storm clouds are gathering but the darkest hour is yet to come. Yet the owners are still wearing their shades.

 

Doomed I tell yer!!!

[A.V.B.]

For all the plaudits about how they play and their possession football, it's slightly concerning that most of this possession wasn't anywhere near the opposition's goal, as evidenced by the fact they scored hardly any.

 

In fact, two of the three relegated teams outscored Swansea.

 

I like winning games more than passing the ball around 5 yards in your own half and not trying to attack, although I suppose Henderson will be one of the more relieved players. If anyone else had come in, he'd be toast.

 

I doubt that very much. Any manager that has more foresight than you and can see the attacking abilities Henderson has that in the future will see him make assist after assist in a team that can actually attack, they would definitely want to keep him around.

 

As for them not scoring enough goals, their goals came from all around the side and they had a shit version of Andy Carroll as their main target man! The fact they scored enough to keep them up is nothing short of miraculous.

 

Reina

 

Johnson Agger Skrtel Enrique

 

Lucas Gerrard

 

Henderson

 

? Suarez

 

Carroll

 

The more I look at our team the more I think we've definitely got the right man to get the most out of it. I think he'll be able to play Suarez and Carroll together because he won't play them as a partnership. He'll take one look at our side and buy a winger who can score goals in the Scott Sinclair mould.

 

Sigurdsson was the player that impressed me most about that Swansea side and the role he played is one that Henderson would thrive in. He wouldn't be moved round the pitch like some on loan utility player and he'd be able to settle and mature.

 

He may actually play Gerrard as one of those dynamic wide players and look to bring something out of Adam in the role next to Lucas.

 

My guess would be his first two signings will be a defensive midfielder (much needed!) and a winger.

 

As for Carroll, he's got ten times the ability of Danny Graham which suggests he can at the very least match the 12 goals that Graham managed last season.

[xerxes]

Swansea played more passes than us last season, and more completed passes too.

 

Looks like a return to the traditional Liverpool Way to me.

[Delmar]

Only 4 teams scored less than Swansea and only 4 teams had less shots at goal than Swansea last season.

 

Thats what keeping posession in your own half above all gives you.

 

As you knowthe stats, what is the percentage that Barcelona has possession in their own half? Serious question, I'd reckon 2:1 in own half against attacking third, but I have no clue, really, just a gut feeling. There should be stats somewhere about this.

[Evil_Ways]

Only 4 teams scored less than Swansea and only 4 teams had less shots at goal than Swansea last season.

 

Thats what keeping posession in your own half above all gives you.

 

It's completely irrelevant though.

 

What kind of attacking players does Swansea have in the key roles for the system Rodgers implements ?

 

Barcelona play a very similar system, they have much more individual quality, hence they spend more time in the attacking half, hence more shots on goal and more goals.

 

We obviously dont have the same quality as Barcelona, but we certainly have more than Swansea, and im guessing we'll add in the summer.

[Lee909]

Telegraph saying Clarke has gone

[Evil_Ways]

Warning! The following content is NOT WORK SAFE. Click the Show button to reveal.

I doubt that very much. Any manager that has more foresight than you and can see the attacking abilities Henderson has that in the future will see him make assist after assist in a team that can actually attack, they would definitely want to keep him around.

 

As for them not scoring enough goals, their goals came from all around the side and they had a shit version of Andy Carroll as their main target man! The fact they scored enough to keep them up is nothing short of miraculous.

 

Reina

 

Johnson Agger Skrtel Enrique

 

Lucas Gerrard

 

Henderson

 

? Suarez

 

Carroll

 

The more I look at our team the more I think we've definitely got the right man to get the most out of it. I think he'll be able to play Suarez and Carroll together because he won't play them as a partnership. He'll take one look at our side and buy a winger who can score goals in the Scott Sinclair mould.

 

Sigurdsson was the player that impressed me most about that Swansea side and the role he played is one that Henderson would thrive in. He wouldn't be moved round the pitch like some on loan utility player and he'd be able to settle and mature.

 

He may actually play Gerrard as one of those dynamic wide players and look to bring something out of Adam in the role next to Lucas.

 

My guess would be his first two signings will be a defensive midfielder (much needed!) and a winger.

 

As for Carroll, he's got ten times the ability of Danny Graham which suggests he can at the very least match the 12 goals that Graham managed last season.

 

I agree with much of what you are saying, but i would strongly disagree about Hendersons position, i'd have him as back up to one of the CM roles or alongside Lucas, just there to keep possession, dont think he has shown nearly enough to be trusted in an advanced role, which is absolutely key in the system Rodgers play.