Season 2014/15

[Martinmarx]

Anyway, on we go to the FA cup which is now the only hope of glory.

Not much to hope for. If we're lucky we'll manage extra-time where hopefully we can keep them out to go through on peno's. This a midtable side, the Championship mind. Expect us to go out.

[Ed]

Dunno Marx, I've seen a lot of strange things happen in football.
It can all change in a blink of an eye. Though things look bleak at the
moment, Stevie was always a cup player and we may scrape through
against Rovers and yet meet Arsenal in the final.

At which point, today's result will count for little in terms of the outcome
to that game.

[Martinmarx]

Dunno Marx, I've seen a lot of strange things happen in football.
It can all change in a blink of an eye. Though things look bleak at the
moment, Stevie was always a cup player and we may scrape through
against Rovers and yet meet Arsenal in the final.

At which point, today's result will count for little in terms of the outcome
to that game.

Not so sure. Last 2 games really rubbed it in last season was a one off, that we have a manger who really doesn't have a clue. I can't see him win a game like the one on Tuesday. He's never done it before, but then again there's a first time for everything. All in all I don't care that much to be honest - we're not moving forward with Rodgers at the helm. Sterling underperformes all season yet the manager allows him to humiliate the club and the team while freezing out Balotelli for no good reason. Mature leadership that.

[Ed]

Not so sure. Last 2 games really rubbed it in.

Yeah, completely out-thought and out-classed in the league by the big boys
at precisely the wrong time of the season. Brittle system. Shambles.

Out of the race for the supposed holy grail of CL with 7 games to go. Incredible.

I forget how much we've spent under Rodgers, I know it's a huge figure and
yet I haven't a clue where we are in terms of the 'project'. Is there an appetite
for throwing more good money after bad? How much more? What are we to expect
in return? Bear in mind that we were laughed out of Europe with the squad we have
(Besiktas??).

I think he needs to win the FA cup to save his job.

He may go even if he wins it. Would be a nice send off. End it there.

[the dude abides]

Blackburn's Ewood Park on Wednesday night, for Brendan Rodgers, is akin to Fergie's famous 80's do-or-die FA Cup tie against Notts Forest.

In terms of form, Blackburn have been getting better results away from home.  Their home form is pretty poor, or at best, patchy.   Pretty much the form you'd expect of a team sitting mid-table in the Championship.

We should beat them with plenty to spare.

And then we'd play Aston Villa in the semi........and presumably Arsenal in the Captain Marvel final.

So Rodgers has two banana skins to negotiate, Blackburn and Villa. 

Personally, FA Cup or no FA Cup, I think he is finished.  No Champions League, No Rodgers.

The wheels have come off his project.  The big clubs know how to play him.  It's over.

[Edward224]

Whether he is finished or not is another matter.

However Dude you are in for a major disappointment if you think FSG will hire the likes of Ancelotti, Rafa etc.

FSG like the Brendan Rodgers prototype of management therefore were they to end Brendan's tenure (I still say 99.9% Brendan will be here next season) then they'll look for a similar model.

They may hire a technical/DoF alongside that new manager. However they won't sway from the same prototype of manager.

Therefore we'll begin again with the likes of Eddie Howe or Rudi Garcia or AVB or Laudrup. They have very high opinions of Eddie Howe, so I am told.

[barticus]

Therefore we'll begin again with the likes of Eddie Howe or Rudi Garcia or AVB or Laudrup. They have very high opinions of Eddie Howe, so I am told.

Yeah why hire a manager of credibility? Is the new FSG mandate to bring in a new manager of vague promise for a 3 year period, create a 'project' and spend a shed load of cash only to start all again?
Would be cheaper to get a decent manager...

[the dude abides]

Whether he is finished or not is another matter.

However Dude you are in for a major disappointment if you think FSG will hire the likes of Ancelotti, Rafa etc.

FSG like the Brendan Rodgers prototype of management therefore were they to end Brendan's tenure (I still say 99.9% Brendan will be here next season) then they'll look for a similar model.

They may hire a technical/DoF alongside that new manager. However they won't sway from the same prototype of manager.

Therefore we'll begin again with the likes of Eddie Howe or Rudi Garcia or AVB or Laudrup. They have very high opinions of Eddie Howe, so I am told.

I always believe you, Edward (and respect your input).  You have a good ear to what our owners are about.

Eddie Howe, and that ilk, is scary. 

But I think that not being involved in the Champions League, will help focus their minds.  BIG TIME.

They clearly have their own ideas, as to how success can be achieved. 

But their ideas in England are falling flat.  And with much less income (due to no CL money) and reduced abilities to attract top players, the realities of SOCCER will begin to hit home (to our yankee friends).

Suarez gave FSG and Rodgers breathing space, and a false dawn, for their ridiculous notions.  With the departure of arguably the best Liverpool player ever, their project was left naked.

Randy Lerner had his own ideas too.  But when he thought Martin O'Neill's project (taking Villa to 6th place, for three seasons in a row) was too expensive to take to the next level, he apparently thought it could be done on the cheap......well, we see what has subsequently happened to Villa.

Rodgers was a cheap solution.  Appointing him has been an expensive mistake.

The only question now is how long our American owners will persist with their condescending, arrogant, attitude, to owning a SOCCER FRANCHISE in England. 

If they persist with their young projects (one can substitute YOUNG for CHEAP employees), then we will drop away, and be another Spurs or Newcastle. 

Maybe we are seeing a common thread emerging.  They do not want to appoint a top manager - too expensive.

They want young players - cheaper to pay.....and dismiss senior players, like Kuyt and his colleagues of that time, who coincidently would be on higher wages. 

FSG won't buy success on the cheap in English football. 

[the dude abides]

Yeah why hire a manager of credibility? Is the new FSG mandate to bring in a new manager of vague promise for a 3 year period, create a 'project' and spend a shed load of cash only to start all again?
Would be cheaper to get a decent manager...

absolutely, Bart.

they are cutting corners, and ending up paying big-time for it.

[Ed]

Whether he is finished or not is another matter.

However Dude you are in for a major disappointment if you think FSG will hire the likes of Ancelotti, Rafa etc.

FSG like the Brendan Rodgers prototype of management therefore were they to end Brendan's tenure (I still say 99.9% Brendan will be here next season) then they'll look for a similar model.

They may hire a technical/DoF alongside that new manager. However they won't sway from the same prototype of manager.

Therefore we'll begin again with the likes of Eddie Howe or Rudi Garcia or AVB or Laudrup. They have very high opinions of Eddie Howe, so I am told.

It's not the type of manager per se. Opinions differ on whether we
should get a top class manager in or not.

The question is the ability of FSG to identify the right guy (virtually a 1
in a million type). It'd be easier to identify a top class guy but possibly
difficult to convince such a guy to work under some restricted model. The
uncertainty surrounding a bargain basement coach seems too risky. I'd cut
losses with Rodgers, tweak the model and bring in the Borussia Dortmund guy.
He seems a happy compromise to me.

Like it or not in most respects we are currently at the level of Spurs.
There are 4 clubs better than us in virtually every area of running a
football club. I don't care who the owner is, that is unacceptable for LFC.
We can make excuses but then we'd have to somewhat reluctantly
start talking about Southampton.

[the dude abides]

the Jolly Rodgers project now has run some three seasons. It has hit the rocks.

No trophies to show for it.   And no CL football for the second time, in three seasons of trying.

Suarez, world class player that he is, artificially (carried us on his own back) took us to 2nd in the middle year.

A title winning premiership team's average age is 28 to 29 years of age.  Yet our average age is something like 24 years of age.  And yet the club insist on bringing in young talent, with an unhealthy young age balance to the team.  Why?  Why?  Why?  Do they think they will come to jolly old England and reinvent the wheel.  Do they think they know more about football than the folk who have been here all their lives.

They bring in a young boss, who has never one anything of note in his life - apart from one Championship Play-Off final, against Reading.

Under Rodgers we have finished, in the league - 7th, 2nd, and this season we most likely will finish between 5th and 7th

And apparently (and bizarrely) his position is safe.

On the otherhand, Rafa Benitez takes us to several trophies, including the ultimate one, the Champions League.    Despite us not being able to compete, financially, with the top clubs in England or Spain, and the turmoil of Hicks and Gillett, Rafa takes us to the pinnacle of Europe - i.e. the number one ranked club on the continent.  We played superbly balanced football.

And we finished, in the league, across those seasons -  3rd, 3rd, 4th, 2nd, 7th

Am I missing something here? 

Rafa literally walks on water.  He worships Liverpool and the area.

And our fecking idiotic arrogant owners seem to want nothing to do with him.

There is something in this picture that makes absolutely no sense.

Either our owners, and senior management, need to change their thinking.....or get out.

Their stupidity was hidden last year by the talent of Suarez.  Now the little Uruguayan is gone, they are like the king with no clothes.   Their ignorance and arrogance is exposed for all to see.

The end is nigh. 

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Dude,

You annoy me intensely with garbage like that. You don't want anyone to mange Liverpool who hasn't won anything with previous clubs. Check Shankly's record. He won nothing with 4 previous clubs before he came to Anfield so presumably on that basis you would have spewed your bile on him back them if we'd had an internet.

<<And our fecking idiotic arrogant owners seem to want nothing to do with him.>>

The same arrogant owners who bought the club thereby preventing LFC from going into administration. The same owners who have just used their own money to pay for the construction of a new main stand. The same stupid owners who played hard-ball with Suarez and when he was eventually sold he went for a club record because they had the nous to get him to sign a new contract.

We should be grateful for what FSG have done for the club. Rafa won nothing for his last 4 seasons and was directly responsible for the departure of Alonso. He's a machine, not a man manager.

[Martinmarx]

Dude,

You annoy me intensely with garbage like that. You don't want anyone to mange Liverpool who hasn't won anything with previous clubs. Check Shankly's record. He won nothing with 4 previous clubs before he came to Anfield so presumably on that basis you would have spewed your bile on him back them if we'd had an internet.

<<And our fecking idiotic arrogant owners seem to want nothing to do with him.>>

The same arrogant owners who bought the club thereby preventing LFC from going into administration. The same owners who have just used their own money to pay for the construction of a new main stand. The same stupid owners who played hard-ball with Suarez and when he was eventually sold he went for a club record because they had the nous to get him to sign a new contract.

We should be grateful for what FSG have done for the club. Rafa won nothing for his last 4 seasons and was directly responsible for the departure of Alonso. He's a machine, not a man manager.

Nice to see you ASI!!! I agree with your points on the yanks and Rafa. Putting those issues a side for a minute, it's obvious Rodgers must come under scrutiny after 3 full seasons. He is arguably one of the best LFC-managers ever to put together good runs. Last season and this, confirms this. In the process we broke club record after club record. The problem is that when we've been on this good run, when we put ourselves up for a deciding game we bottle it time and again. And we just don't bottle it, we blow it big fukcing time. We could still be playing Chelsea without scoring. Against Basel it just didn't look like it mattered. And I haven't seen us this outplayed at Anfield on this side of the turn of the millennia as we were against United. Arsenal, to some extent is down, to them taking their chances, we having some serious suspensions/injuries. That one wasn't as bad as is made out - as expected as it was we'd get a good hiding.

I think Rodgers (actually it's my Manc-mate trying to lift me up) has laid a good foundation here at the club. It's just the feeling he doesn't have it. His disregard of the importance of having a quality striker in the team is almost shocking. He must be the only manager in Europe who Believes it's possible to win success playing 6 offensively minded midfielders averaging 22 years, 174 cm and 68 kg. He's good at man management but is too idealistic in his understanding and approach of the game to ever win success here or anywhere else.

I wouldn't say sack him for the sake of it, like Dude. But if a more proven and experienced name pops up I don't think we can afford to miss the chance. The stakes are high. One or two more seasons without success and we will slowly slip into midtable mediocrity.

[the dude abides]

Dude, You annoy me intensely with garbage like that.

ASI, you make more comebacks than Frank Sinatra.

And each time you come back, it is purely to attack me.  It's obvious you have the hots for me. 

Dry your eyes, buddy.

And I posted a lot of relevant data, above, in the previous post.   You just post abuse and ridicule at me.

If you want to discuss issues objectively, do come back and argue your points.

Don't pretend that you are here to have a discussion.  You sit on the sideline, like some stalker (ala Mark Chapman) merely to throw rocks every 6 months at me.  You are a stalker, nothing less, nothing more.

Get a life.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Martin,

I agree his performance must be analysed after each season and I'm sure that's what the owners are doing. The defeats against Utd and Arsenal were bad and it's clear in both games they played us at our own game of closing down.

Rogers is no fool. If we spotted the closing down he'll be devising a strategy to overcome it. Long balls up field are the obvious answer. The quicker you get the ball in the other half the better our chances of scoring. Play it into open space and get Sterling et al to run on to them. Worth a try and we might see something different tonight.

Rogers is young and he will learn just as Wenger, LVG and others have done. He sorted out the defence that became so good it beats a 30+ year record in clean sheets. No Skrtel is a pain.

But if you keep swapping managers you get nowhere. Look at Arsenal fans at the start of the season with their "bye bye Arsene" banners. Things can turn around very quickly in football.

Would you risk Jurgen Klopp? Total disaster this season. Ancelotti is no spring chicken and LVG is a few years away from retirement. So is Wenger. Big changes at a few clubs in the next couple of years.

We'll have Origi plus one other next season up front plus Sterling and Sturridge. Can in midfield will be a bonus. Things aren't as bad as they seem.

And if Utd beat City on Sunday and we beat Newcastle on Monday we'll be just 4 points behind City in 4th. CL football would then be a good possibility.