Season 2012-2013

[the dude abides]

I shouldn't have laughed but I did.

It's a simple case of you can't have the whole until you have both halves.

exactly.

when I was at school, it was so frustrating, busting a gut to score goals at the front.....and then find we were conceding so easily at the back.

attack is only one part of football - otherwise, we might just as well have employed Keegan as our new boss.

[Tes]

It's at times like this how I wish Anfieldroad.com forum had an ignore feature.

Every other forum has one - why not this one!!

Why do you want to stick your fingers in your ears just because you don't happen to agree with something that's being said?

It seems quite alright for Edward and Martin to say the things they say during matches. Things that are no different to what others get accused of saying or rather being as negative as others are accused of being, yet for some strange reason they themselves don't regard it as negativity in the same way they do when others do likewise.
 
I guess it just depends on who you are as to whether it's simply what you're seeing when we're actually playing, so not negative or whether you then use what you've just seen to form opinions with - then it is negative.

Whilst the game is happening there always seems to be broad concensus, or rather Martin and Edward confirm what others are saying, or at least say the same things, and then afterwards, when it's easier because you can deny things are as they are because you're no longer being force fed the opposite by your eyes, opinions seem to change about 180 degrees, and those on here who don't occupy the new position of 180 degrees due North or South, East or West from the previous position are defined as 'negative'.

A psychologist or anthropologist would have a field day on here.

[Tes]

Dunno, imo his latest Press Conference was impenetrable gobbledygook

"The squad got to two cup finals last season but it was broken up.
Players left. I moved some on. Last year the Carling Cup was a clear
priority for Liverpool. For me, it couldn't have been. I didn't have the
depth of squad. As much as I wanted it to be, I never felt it was going
to be that sort of season unless we could get the reinforcements. This
has been a great learning curve and we need to keep building the group."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/20/liverpool-zenit-st-petersburg-brendan-rodgers

I seriously have no idea what he's on about.

Just an embarassment ahead of an important European tie.

Ed, I have a translation in my head but if I say it, it would not make me a true supporter anymore, because it doesn't appear to shed a good light on our leader, so then I'd be accused of being negative or something similar.

Instead I shall leave it to others, who appear to have been able to get on his wavelength, to explain it to those of us who as yet are less appreciative.

But Ed and Dude. Seriously, you'll have to stop it with the hiumour, my keyboard will be getting caffeine poisoning otherwise.

"impenetrable gobbledygook". Comedy gold. I just wish it could be referring to someone but our manager.

So, can anyone offer a translation for those of us less enlightened mortals?

[the dude abides]

"impenetrable gobbledygook". Comedy gold. I just wish it could be referring to someone but our manager.

So, can anyone offer a translation for those of us less enlightened mortals?

essentially, what He is saying is BELIEVE

[the dude abides]

The squad got to two cup finals last season but it was broken up.
Players left. I moved some on. Last year the Carling Cup was a clear
priority for Liverpool. For me, it couldn't have been. I didn't have the
depth of squad. As much as I wanted it to be, I never felt it was going
to be that sort of season unless we could get the reinforcements.

it's like some program that assembles english words into meaningless phrases.

essentially, Martians came down and broke the squad up.

though no fault of the Great Gubsh.ite, he thus had no depth of squad, nor time, nor any motivation, to chase the Carling Cup.

if I get time, I should put Brent's face into a Field of Dreams poster (using photoshop).

[Ed]

I'll give it a go!

"The squad got to two cup finals last season but it was broken up.
Players left. I moved some on."
Ok so I'm gathering he was partly responsible for breaking up the
squad that got to two cup finals.

"Last year the Carling Cup was a clear priority for Liverpool."
So I'm gathering this season, the Carling Cup was not a clear priority for us.

"For me, it couldn't have been."
No wait, for Brendan.

"I didn't have the depth of squad."
I see, but aren't you partly responsible for breaking up the
squad that reached 2 cup finals?

"As much as I wanted it to be,"
You wanted it to be a season where we competed for trophies
and then made sure that it wouldn't be?

"I never felt it was going to be that sort of season unless we could
get the reinforcements."
Aha, that's why you moved players on, so that we would
need reinforcements that we couldn't get to win trophies ?

"This has been a great learning curve "
For who?

"and we need to keep building the group."
So we reach two cup finals, let players go, reach no
cup finals and need to keep building the group???

The mind simply boggles!

[the dude abides]

"The squad got to two cup finals last season but it was broken up.
Players left. I moved some on."

"(As much as I wanted it to be), I didn't have the depth of squad (to compete for the Carling Cup)."



see, there is a method to the madness.

lest there be any threat that Brendan might be asked to compete with a competitive squad, and be found wanting, he weakens the squad (so that he no longer is able to compete for trophies).

Sure as heck takes the pressure of a poor manager.

More should follow this lead.

It's sorta like a Catch 22 Premiership version.  If you have a competitive squad, you are under pressure to compete for trophies (and could lose your job, when you get found out, and come up woefully short).  So why take that risk.  Reduce your career risks and stay uncompetitive.

[Martinmarx]

The negativity and unwillingness to see anything positive in this place is really depressing. It's not about not accepting other people's views, it's how they go about it - the attitude if you like.

There's nothing so easy, while at the same time petty, as taking a text, a quote, breaking it into pieces and then interpret it through a one-sided perspective hellbent on making it sound negative. Other just use in-depth analysis starting with "too inexperienced to manage this club" eventually arriving at concluding our manager is a "brainless manager". Every solid argument dodged or twisted into an entirely different meaning or context. Martyrdom being the general modus operandi when questions about that approach being raised. Accusations of labelling people without any proper or transparent evidence.

I read through much of what Ray's writing. Thankfully his native tounge is English so he speaks many of the words and meanings I'd like to express. Yet he's met with ridicule and accusations of having said this or that a year ago - as if his stance on a similar issue a year ago have anything at all to do with the relevance of his current argument.

It's just sad. That's all.

[barticus]

The negativity and unwillingness to see anything positive in this place is really depressing. It's not about not accepting other people's views, it's how they go about it - the attitude if you like.

There's nothing so easy, while at the same time petty, as taking a text, a quote, breaking it into pieces and then interpret it through a one-sided perspective hellbent on making it sound negative. Other just use in-depth analysis starting with "too inexperienced to manage this club" eventually arriving at concluding our manager is a "brainless manager". Every solid argument dodged or twisted into an entirely different meaning or context. Martyrdom being the general modus operandi when questions about that approach being raised. Accusations of labelling people without any proper or transparent evidence.

I read through much of what Ray's writing. Thankfully his native tounge is English so he speaks many of the words and meanings I'd like to express. Yet he's met with ridicule and accusations of having said this or that a year ago - as if his stance on a similar issue a year ago have anything at all to do with the relevance of his current argument.

It's just sad. That's all.

Martin mate...this has nothing to do with wanting to slag off pro rodgers people. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and it's good that they have one. Pro Rodgers are allowed as are Con Rodgers.

The Con's would probably love to be wrong about Rodgers and that we're seeing a dramatic change in our fortunes. BUT WE'RE NOT.

Just pointing out some of Rodgers ludicrous mistakes has not been confirmed as breaking the blasphemy codes.
The latest state of let's face it GIBBERISH from Rodgers which Ted pointed out only digs him deeper into his hole.
Could, shoulda, woulda.
If he had kept seasoned pro's like Bellers, maxi and kuyt, aquilani and carroll...then he would have been stronger.. No shine-a-light..Is he blaming himself?
Trying to change things to quickly, rather than ease the team into a new system? Most clever managers would, to try to change over night showed in the poor results.

i'm hoping obviously that we win tonight. Do i trust Rodgers to pick the right team? Nope, not me.
Pointing out what the manager does and says is not being negative. It's simply a case of pointing out that maybe the ship shouldnt be steering into a large iceberg.

[Martinmarx]

Martin mate...this has nothing to do with wanting to slag off pro rodgers people. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and it's good that they have one. Pro Rodgers are allowed as are Con Rodgers.

The Con's would probably love to be wrong about Rodgers and that we're seeing a dramatic change in our fortunes. BUT WE'RE NOT.

As I said in my post, or at least tried to, it's not about having different views on things, it's about, at least for me, intentions, attitude and willingness to see things in a levelheaded manner.

Just pointing out some of Rodgers ludicrous mistakes has not been confirmed as breaking the blasphemy codes.

But it isn't just pointing out his mistakes, it's about see and moan about them wherever they can or cannot be found. After we beat Swansea all you could hear was contempt for us having the nerve to beat a side where some players were rested as if they were in fact Messi, Ronaldo, Van Persie etc. Me? I was glad as fork we bounced back and gave us the perfect set up for tonite's game. But that's probably just me, Ray and Edward.

The latest state of let's face it GIBBERISH from Rodgers which Ted pointed out only digs him deeper into his hole.
Could, shoulda, woulda..

It's funny really. When it suits your argument media's a huge lot that conspire against you. When it suits your argument, they represent the  truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So what if he's a bit of a talker. Is it really really really that troublesome? I may not prefer it myself but to ridicule and p**s on the manager because of his personal qualities is just shameful the way I see it.

If he had kept seasoned pro's like Bellers, maxi and kuyt, aquilani and carroll...then he would have been stronger.. No shine-a-light..Is he blaming himself?
Trying to change things to quickly, rather than ease the team into a new system? Most clever managers would, to try to change over night showed in the poor results.

Bart mate, no pun intended, but you know fack all about who called those shots and to what extent. None, zip, zero, furkin nil. So until you have first hand information on what happend, who, where and because of what it just goes a long way to prove I'm right in saying some people on here truly have an agenda that is shockingly illoyal. I won't comment on the pro's and con's of keeping/getting rid of those players as that's an entirely different, albeit very interesting, discussion.

i'm hoping obviously that we win tonight. Do i trust Rodgers to pick the right team? Nope, not me.
Pointing out what the manager does and says is not being negative. It's simply a case of pointing out that maybe the ship shouldnt be steering into a large iceberg.

But shouldn't ther be, then, at least some sort of evidence we're heading straight on to that iceberg? Some? Just little? How little? By the sound of you and others we were heading for that iceberg before the ship was even manufactured, ffs.

Finally, pointing out what the manager does and says is hardly a neutral pastime, now is it? You do it for a reason. Then, why is everything he said always and without exception quoted in a negative context? Is it because every single word he uttered since June 1 2012 was that wrong, bad, flawed? Every word? Every time? You lot carry no credibility to yor constant complaining. It's tedious and embarrassing at best.

[Edward224]

Nicely said Martin.

[Martinmarx]

Cheers Edward. It shall be interesting to hear how it wasn't down to Brendan we got into the last 16.

[Martinmarx]

Kuyt on Rodgers http://liverpool.theoffside.com/2013/2/21/4013082/dirk-kuyt-brendan-rodgers-can-build-a-good-team-liverpool:

Brendan Rodgers was actually quite good to me because he was one of the first people to ring me and wish me all the best with my career. I think he is a very good manager and it is difficult sometimes but I think if they give him the time he can build a good team.

"They have very good games with some disappointing results. What I can make of it from here is that they are building a team and when you are doing that there can be ups and downs.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

I hear the Pope is out of a job.  Maybe we could put feelers out and see if the oul boy would fancy taking over the Anfield job, come May time.    Like I mean, if empty CVs are all that you need to get the Liverpool job these days, then I might even put my own in.

And like the present boss, when things are not going great, you ask for belief and faith.  Pope would be well suited, because he is big when it comes to the faith business.

IGNORE MODE = TRUE

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Ray, I don't see any 'just' in conceding too many goals. I realise we all see football differently, but defending is 50% of the overall equation.

So presumably the other 50% is attack. That's very black and white Tes. I see it differently but can't put percentages to it.

You ask if it's beyond him. That I don't know and can't and won't judge until I see any evidence of him attempting it. We're as open now as we were on the first day of the season. WBA gave us a sample of that.

I won't judge him until 10 games into next season when he's been able to get a new defence sorted out. The WBA games were both one-offs and are unlikely to be repeated. I would draw your attention to the GF and GA tables. We're 4th and 8th respectively. We've actually scored more than City and only let in 3 more than Utd. It's how they've been conceded that have caused us to drop points but if you compare our performances now to earlier in the season we're playing better football. Utd, for all their good players and experienced manager were conceding almost every game earlier in the season. Was Ferguson criticised? No. So Rogers shouldn't either especially with his inexperience.

Whilst we're scoring more (with that I'm happy), we've regressed defensively by as much as we've improved in scoring goals.

Last season it was 47-40. This season it's 49-34 with 12 to go. We've already scored more than all of last season. We could still only concede 6 in our last 12 games but it will probably be a bit higher. I'm sure our GD will be more than 7 which indicates progress. Also, we now have the same number of points after 27 as last season but then we only picked up another 11 points. That WILL be bettered this season. Another pointer to progress.

Even is Suarez does dry up Sturridge and others will score. of that I'm sure.

I don't see a sign of an attempted improvement or that the manager has identified it as a problem.
For example, look how he talks about possession. "Teams that average 79% of possession win games". Fine.
However, it's what we do with our 79% in comparison with what the opposition do with their 21%. If we don't score with our 79% we need to be able to defend when they have the ball for 21%.
Possession alone isn't enough. You have to defend both with and without the ball, and you can't defend with possession as your only defensive plan.

Won't disagree with any of that.

As for minds made up. I'm not sure what you can mean. I base my opinion on what I'm seeing. If our defending improves and we concede less and drop fewer points, whilst continuing to score more regularly than last season, my opinion will change because what I'm seeing has changed. Ergo my opinion is based on what I'm seeing and not seeing.

Yours is a flexible mind so I don't put you in the same camp as other here. I won't name them. We all know who they are. That's what I mean about minds made up. They won't budge and in dude's case with continue to insult the manager even though he criticises people here when they supposedly insult him.

Personally I couldn't give a monkey's whether it's Rodgers' name or anybody else's on the door of the manager's office. All I want is for whoever that man may be, to do the neccesary for the club, and conduct himself appropriately as manager of LFC.
Now as far as belief goes, and that's a different thing to my opinion, at last for me, I have nothing to base belief on, as yet. I make a point of putting as yet, because if things change, and I'm hoping they will, and for the better, then there will be something to base belief upon.

I will back the manager too unless it's obvious he hasn't the backing of the team. The Kop is a pretty good barometer. Not heard much discontent from them after some disappointing games. But I do believe in Rogers. maybe that's the difference between us.