Season 2014/15

[Tes]

Most likely, these lads are on decent money at Anfield - money that no one else wants to take on.

I think that's been the stumbling block definitely as far as Assaidi's concerned, because last Summer he couldn't agree terms with Stoke, whilst at the same time wanting a certain level of pay off from us, which suggests there was some distance between what he gets with us and what he would have earned signing for Stoke permanently.

You quite often see some clubs bringing in (relative) unknowns for peanuts, who then get signed by bigger clubs for a vastly increased fee, having been a top drawer performer.
Unfortunately we don't seem able to tap into that vein either.

[the dude abides]

You quite often see some clubs bringing in (relative) unknowns for peanuts, who then get signed by bigger clubs for a vastly increased fee, having been a top drawer performer.
Unfortunately we don't seem able to tap into that vein either.

yes, you'd imagine that if we recruited young lads on the going-rate (like the Stokes and Villas of this world do), that it would be a tremendous incentive for them to do well, and get offered a major contract (worth very good wages).

instead, we recruit youngsters, with mere potential, on big contracts......which we are then stuck with.

and thus new recruitment is stalled, whilst we have these immovable players at the club, who will never contribute anything of note to the first team.

one would have imagined that Pam Ayres would have spotted this issue by now, and acted.

[Tes]

yes, you'd imagine that if we recruited young lads on the going-rate (like the Stokes and Villas of this world do), that it would be a tremendous incentive for them to do well, and get offered a major contract (worth very good wages).

instead, we recruit youngsters, with mere potential, on big contracts......which we are then stuck with.

and thus new recruitment is stalled, whilst we have these immovable players at the club, who will never contribute anything of note to the first team.

one would have imagined that Pam Ayres would have spotted this issue by now, and acted.

We can add Wigan to that list also. These players seem willing to sign for the 'lesser' clubs and perform to the standard required to be taken by larger clubs after a season or two.
If we could cut out 'the middle man' and our scouting be of the standard required to find these sort of players, surely we should be able to attract them like the other clubs do, on the same sort of money, but with the additional advantages of them getting to play for a club like our's and with the potential to be at a club that could pay the bigger salary without them needing to move club. For some reason we just don't ever manage it, instead we end up with players at the lower end of the scale ability-wise and at the higher end of the payscale, or even on to the next level for a player of their ability.

[Ed]

We can add Wigan to that list also. These players seem willing to sign for the 'lesser' clubs and perform to the standard required to be taken by larger clubs after a season or two.
If we could cut out 'the middle man' and our scouting be of the standard required to find these sort of players, surely we should be able to attract them like the other clubs do, on the same sort of money, but with the additional advantages of them getting to play for a club like our's and with the potential to be at a club that could pay the bigger salary without them needing to move club. For some reason we just don't ever manage it, instead we end up with players at the lower end of the scale ability-wise and at the higher end of the payscale, or even on to the next level for a player of their ability.

It's tricky Tes.

Talent-wise there are very few unknowns in football these days.

But if we, for example, boast the best youth set-up in Europe, we
can attract talent earlier that may take longer to come under scouts
radar.

If we have, for example, well respected names known in the field at the club,
it also makes us more attractive.

If, for example, we perform mighty feats in high-profile tournaments such as the
Europa League, it has knock-on effects in terms of signings.

BUT, if we pursue a narrow-minded strategy of focusing on the domestic league
and routinely fail in this endeavour...

Some people confuse the extent to which Rafa was building different areas of the
club to be competitive with how the team played in the league. It's the difference
between the manager of a top club and a clueless coach.

[Edward224]

Rodgers admitting he took off Gerrard for an ovation from Chelsea? Rather than to win the match? Fuc king nuts.

If we didn't know he was off before, we now do. Because no manager who would be here next year would have taken off Gerrard when we needed another goal.

[Gurdeep]

Rodgers admitting he took off Gerrard for an ovation from Chelsea? Rather than to win the match? Fuc king nuts.

If we didn't know he was off before, we now do. Because no manager who would be here next year would have taken off Gerrard when we needed another goal.

He actually made that statement after the game?

[Ed]

Rodgers admitting he took off Gerrard for an ovation from Chelsea? Rather than to win the match? Fuc king nuts.

Man United play Arsenal next. There was potential for an upset there.

After that they play Hull away, who are fighting for their lives, but Newcastle are in freefall.

There were 2 valuable points left on the table against Chelsea.

The league run in is all about pressure.

This goes back to my argument that we never actually competed for 4th.

I'd be expecting us to be bristling 'til the 95th minute against Chelsea, every
ounce of sweat expended in pursuit of an almost hopeless cause.

What do we get? More grandstanding from a PR manager.

[Martinmarx]

Woeful performance. Especially from our next captain who was only too occupied pretending. If Jordan Henderson is given the armband it signals a drastic decline in ambitions at this club. Never has such a mediocre player managed to get the privelige in a top club. He's so mediocre in pretty much everything he does it's fornicating unbelieveable.

Am utterly convinced Stoke would've won this 4-2. But us, no, we couldn't even fire us to put a proper challenge in.

5th it is. EL it is. Thursdays it is. Disrupting the League it is.

No knee-jerk reaction but I fear we'll struggle to get 60 points next season. A top half finish will probably be hailed by Rodgers as progress.

[Tes]

Just another game where we as fans would have expected the players to be up for it and 'busting a gut' and instead we get lethargy and disinterest again.

They obviously have no interest in CL football, though it will be used as an excuse for leaving.

This is not wishful thinking or fueled by any agenda but it looks like Rodgers has seriously lost the dressing room.
Unfortunately the bunch of overpaid ponces who disgrace the shirt can't be motivated by playing for the fans or even have enough pride to actually attempt to earn their ridiculous salaries.

Other than Countinho, are there any other players that actually come out of this season with any credit, because I'm struggling to think of any.

[Tes]

Rodgers admitting he took off Gerrard for an ovation from Chelsea? Rather than to win the match? Fuc king nuts.

If we didn't know he was off before, we now do. Because no manager who would be here next year would have taken off Gerrard when we needed another goal.

I thought he was supposed to be bomb proof for another season. I really can't wait to see the names linked and the eventual replacement - "meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

[Martinmarx]

Just another game where we as fans would have expected the players to be up for it and 'busting a gut' and instead we get lethargy and disinterest again.

They obviously have no interest in CL football, though it will be used as an excuse for leaving.

This is not wishful thinking or fueled by any agenda but it looks like Rodgers has seriously lost the dressing room.
Unfortunately the bunch of overpaid ponces who disgrace the shirt can't be motivated by playing for the fans or even have enough pride to actually attempt to earn their ridiculous salaries.

Other than Countinho, are there any other players that actually come out of this season with any credit, because I'm struggling to think of any.

Skrtel and Can but that's about it. You could make an argument for Mignolet as well.

[the dude abides]

Rodgers admitting he took off Gerrard for an ovation from Chelsea? Rather than to win the match? Fuc king nuts.

If we didn't know he was off before, we now do. Because no manager who would be here next year would have taken off Gerrard when we needed another goal.

Agreed, Edward.

Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly would be spinning in their graves, if they witnessed that debacle.

Chasing a goal, and yet our manager decides to default to the pre-planned ego massage trip.

As someone said the other week (might have been Tes), we are probably going to witness every week now, the going away tour of Gerrard.   He will get played each game, to be taken off to ovations.

Why not hire an open top bus and parade him around London, Leicester, Burnley, or wherever we are playing at.....and leave the football match to those who care enough about it.

Re his job.....good point.  Maybe he knows he is on the way out the door.....or, on the otherhand, maybe he feels very safe (and thus can pull these ovation stunts).

[the dude abides]

Just another game where we as fans would have expected the players to be up for it and 'busting a gut' and instead we get lethargy and disinterest again.

They obviously have no interest in CL football, though it will be used as an excuse for leaving.

This is not wishful thinking or fueled by any agenda but it looks like Rodgers has seriously lost the dressing room.
Unfortunately the bunch of overpaid ponces who disgrace the shirt can't be motivated by playing for the fans or even have enough pride to actually attempt to earn their ridiculous salaries.

Other than Countinho, are there any other players that actually come out of this season with any credit, because I'm struggling to think of any.

after my temper calms down, Tes, I look upon it in a similar way.

One has to look at it philosophically.   If our players and management couldn't give a dam about busting a gut to get a result, then why should you or me.

I don't know if Rodgers still has the support of the dressing room or not.    He is such a David Brent type character, that it would not surprise me if they were mimicking and mocking him behind his back.

Nobody of any note wants to sign for him, either to come to Anfield, or for new extended Anfield contracts.

If Chelsea had turned up yesterday, they would have hammered us.

As it was, we couldn't even beat their party team.

If Rodgers is not given his P45 in the next couple of weeks, he is going to take the club deeper into the mire.....with more very poor purchases.

He has to be shown the door.   

[Tes]

One has to look at it philosophically.   If our players and management couldn't give a dam about busting a gut to get a result, then why should you or me.

I hear what you're saying Dude, but the reality is as a fan we can't act in that way. There's nothing in it for us as such being a fan. We have nothing material or physical to show for it, yet we still do it, and will continue to do it.

Why do we react in the myriad of ways we do, ways which are clearly demonstrated even on a tiny forum like our's (Jim's, thankyou, good Sir), and those ways are even a source of discussion amongst ourselves.
What's in it for us? Why do we do it? It's something far deeper than a mere player or manager or owner could understand, or probably even feel.

Maybe for the good of health we shouldn't, but would that void it would leave be good for our health either?

I think that's why it hurts so much when we see some of the performances, especially in pivotal games. They have so much to gain in comparison to us, the fans, yet our desire seems stronger than their's. 

[Tes]

If Rodgers is not given his P45 in the next couple of weeks, he is going to take the club deeper into the mire.....with more very poor purchases.

He has to be shown the door.

Transfers are the one thing I tend to apportion less blame to him than anything else. The transfer committee nonsense makes it too hard to know who's choice any player actually is. Whilst what he says has to be taken with a pinch of salt, his body language and words used, and he is good at choosing the right words for the 'image' he wants to portray, over the Remy and Balotelli transfers, his word body language and even tone, indicate to me that neither were his doing alone, in fact both results were the opposite of his preference.
He also made a thinly veiled and slightly barbed comment about 'pushing on with what had been pre-planned', as opposed to making Suarez's replacement the 'new' top priority. It felt as though he knew Suarez would ultimately leave and felt it was wrong to carry on a plan of action that seemed to have been made with the assumption that Suarez was at the club. Who were bought were to be additions and enhancements to a team with Suarez in, rather than a way of replacing him.

Where he is to blame is to allow himself to be put in a situation where he doesn't have the final say (finances permitting obviously) in who arrives and leaves. In this situation it's impossible to achieve 'your best' as you're working with players who aren't all your choices and that suit your 'design'.

Whether or not we get a new manager, the transfer committee 'experiment' has to be deemed a failure and done away with.
It also makes me wonder again if he has the 'absolute' say in the movements in and out of all the members, whatever their role and status, of the scouting network, or whether the owners view them as employees of their's rather than the manager's. Within the financial constraints, the manager should ultimately have an absolute final say in these things as they are part of 'the tools' a manager needs to do the job he's charged with, and that's running the footballing side of the club, and it should be the entire footballing side.