Season 2012-2013

[the dude abides]

Or stunt their growth as they mentally turn in on themselves. I think Sterling can be excluded as he's fathered a couple of bairns already, allegedly. 

 

pound for pound, Sterling is the best player in the league.

[Tes]

pound for pound, Sterling is the best player in the league.

And one of the richest. 

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Ray, it's this exact sort of thing that drives me mad with Rodgers. When we go two up there is no apparent aspect to our gameplan to shut up shop and keep that lead. At that point possession becomes an important factor in keeping the lead. You are at your most vulnerable in the first 15 minutes after scoring a goal.
Therefore we have to address that as part of our gameplan.
But possession alone does not provide the answer. For example we could switch to a more definitive 4-2-3-1 or even 4-3-2-1 morphing into 4-2-3-1 5-10 mins after the goal. With 4-3-3, we then keep two in front of the defence and only one fullback attack at a time. Also as the opposition will up their tempo in motivation to equalise, we have to up our tempo in motivation to close down quicker and force them back, not allowing them to build confidence increasing momentum.

As you say Ray it's happened all season with no sign of change or improvement as we've progressed further into and through the season. It's one of the frustrations Swansea fans had last season with Rodgers, so that tells me it's a flaw in his methods and tactics.

He's a young manager, hugely inexperienced as a manager, but who has coached and developed a philosphy that hasn't been put to the test in it's infancy. Therefore the philosophy has grown and developed unchecked until he appears blinded to aspects of it's failings, because he had so long to convinced himself unchecked of it's validity. We tend to be more idealistic in youth, than in seniority, at the beginning rather than after years of experience and practice. He's behaving true to human nature. And there's no-one in any position at the club with the knowledge or presence to 'have a word'.
And so we're back to the ineffectiveness and unsuitability for purpose of the administration from the top down.

Compare who Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish had in place at the club to support and back up their efforts, both on the coaching  and administrative side. The differences and downgrade are gaping.

Rodgers needs experienced help and the humility to accept it.

Tes, I'm not sure what to say to all that. Teams will always have goals scored against them when ahead irrespective of the formation. It happened against Arsenal and City but not against several teams home and away. We know Rogers isn't going to turn things around in one season. The man has to be given time. For all we know (and we know almost nothing of what actually goes on inside the club) he may have identified outside help he requires and that may be addressed in the summer.

For now I'm just going to support the manager and team and hope we have a strong end to the season. Who knows what will happen in the summer.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Interesting. When we're losing the detractors are on here like a shot. Currently 5-0 up and not a whisper. Hmmm. 

[Edward224]

Interesting. When we're losing the detractors are on here like a shot. Currently 5-0 up and not a whisper. Hmmm. 

What else did you expect?

[barticus]

Interesting. When we're losing the detractors are on here like a shot. Currently 5-0 up and not a whisper. Hmmm. 

Good result. Swansea rest 7 players though for the Carling Cup next sunday though. So i won't quite start feeling that Rodgers has turned a corner. We can only beat the team infront of us though and we did that capably today.

[Ed]

Interesting. When we're losing the detractors are on here like a shot. Currently 5-0 up and not a whisper. Hmmm. 

ASI, we've got an important European tie coming up,
a big test for the manager, 5-0 against a weakened Swansea
will mean little unless he can cross the bridge between
we played well and should have scored but for their
man of the match keeper, the lads gave it everything and
notions of victory in defeat to the land of getting results in
big games.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Good result. Swansea rest 7 players though for the Carling Cup next sunday though. So i won't quite start feeling that Rodgers has turned a corner. We can only beat the team infront of us though and we did that capably today.

Very flawed judgement from Laudrup. Why the need to rest 7 players for a game in 7 days against a Championship side?

And very promising home debut from Couthino with a goal. Just need to iron out the inconsistency. Nothing wrong with the way we play when we do it well.

[Martinmarx]

Very happy with the performance, but hugely frustrated with the inconsistency. If we had half the attitude of today against the Baggies we would've walked it.

Very very happy to see Coutinho score on his debut (could easily have been 2). I truly Believe it's important new players get a goal as early as possilbe. It seems as our joke for a manager, unlike his predecessors, got it spot on with both Sturridge and Coutinho in that aspect.

Good game and just what we needed ahead of Thursday. I'm not saying it's gonna happen but I'll give Brendan and the lads a good chance to get past Zenit.

Suarez just fantastic!!!

[Ageing Stick Insect]

ASI, we've got an important European tie coming up,
a big test for the manager, 5-0 against a weakened Swansea
will mean little unless he can cross the bridge between
we played well and should have scored but for their
man of the match keeper, the lads gave it everything and
notions of victory in defeat to the land of getting results in
big games.

I think everyone knows that Ed but it does our aspirations no harm at all to put in a good performance today. Give the man some credit.

[Tes]

Interesting. When we're losing the detractors are on here like a shot. Currently 5-0 up and not a whisper. Hmmm. 

Detractor is a rather disingenuous term, Ray. Shall we just squeeze our eyes tight shut and hope when we open them everything will be OK again?

Our problem hasn't been with teams who perform like Swansea did against us, as Norwich will attest. If we'd have defended just a touch better against Arsenal we'd be just 2 points off them, though they'd have a game in hand, instead of 5 and possibly 8 after their game in hand.
Not conceding goals do make a real difference over the course of a season.

Still, we beat the team that was put out in front of us comprehensively, and Coutinho's hinting that he could be an excellent addition in combination with Suarez and Sturridge. Massive shame for Borini dislocating his shoulder and now missing the rest of the season. He seems destined not to get a chance to prove if he can make it here.

Now we need the Russians to suffer travel sickness.

[Tes]

It seems as our joke for a manager, unlike his predecessors, got it spot on with both Sturridge and Coutinho in that aspect.

The Sturridge / Carroll debacle is on Comolli's shoulders. Even I can't find it my swinging brick to blame Dalglish for that one. And Coutinho? Wasn't he a near ever present for a certain ex-manager and Hodgson was well be Coutinho's time at Inter.

Condemn a person when they judge a player after more than a single game if it's less than positive but deciding he's an outstanding success who's rays the manager can bask in is OK after a single game. He's made a promising start, no more, no less and after one game you can't ask for more.

So if the player doing well is down to the manager, then when they played like they did on Monday and were sloppy against Zenit, then the same has to apply, unless of course the goalposts are on wheels when it suits.

[Tes]

Tes, I'm not sure what to say to all that. Teams will always have goals scored against them when ahead irrespective of the formation. It happened against Arsenal and City but not against several teams home and away.

Two or more goals conceded in 20 games is more than 'that sort of thing happens'. It's even more important to see out the game when you take two goal leads against teams ahead of you in the league and who are potential rivals like Everton and Arsenal.

It's something I'd be unhappy about whoever's name was on the manager's door.

Rodger's also happens to think so, good for him, and us:

http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/brendan-rodgers-interview-post-swansea-rout/

[Ed]

Give the man some credit.

I will when he delivers against Zenit.

I won't come on here and dismiss him when
he plots that victory. Personally, I would have
rested Stevie today.

[Tes]

I will when he delivers against Zenit.

I won't come on here and dismiss him when
he plots that victory. Personally, I would have
rested Stevie today.

Wrong answer, Ed. 

We've just whopped the mighty Swansea 5-0 at home.

I think that's what they mean by progress. And, they're in the top ten, nay, they were ahead of us before kick off. We've beaten a team ahead of us in the league. Let your cup runneth over. 

C'mon Ed, get with the progress program.