Brendan Rodgers

[Ric Flair]

21 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Wanting us to attack before the 60th minute is my idea of a footballing utopia.

Which we regularly do except for in recent weeks where we are out on our fight desperately trying to fight for the FA Cup (won the fcuker - NEXT) and top 4 with basically 2 outfield players on form in Tielemans and Iheanacho. It's actually beggars belief we still won't cave in, this team needs major reinforcements, if we make this same mistake again for a 3rd season running of not having 3 strikers and at least 4 wingers and 3 ACM's then I will start to accept some of the fantasy spoken on here.

[hackneyfox]

If he didn't have a fault he wouldn't be with us.

Still a much better manager than the naysayers on here think though.

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

The very simple answer for me is this.

With a Brendan Rodgers team I pretty much know how games will go after 10 or so minutes.

Last night I was shouting at the screen (and writing on here) to do something, to change something, because if not we’d concede.

The only surprise was that we held out until half time. 
For me, the issue with Rodgers is he doesn’t know particularly how to change things IF plan A isn’t working. 
Whether this is due to our injuries, is open to debate, because we’ve seen us lose pitifully to sides when we HAVE had options on the bench.

I can’t knock him because he usually gets it right first time. I think he has the biggest win ratio of any LCFC manager?

But when we can see it’s not working, then I think he changes things too slowly and usually by that time the game is just about over. 
A good case in point was the Newcastle game. But there are many others.

Against Newcastle it was clear they were up for it, their front two were tearing us a new one, they were tearing our midfield up for arse paper and Rodgers DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

That’s his limitation I believe. One which has been pointed out by fans of other clubs he’s managed too

 

Col if that was the case why are we 2nd in the league for points won from losing positions? Why are we one of the top teams for the amount of goals we score in the 2nd half or the amount of goals in the closing stages of games? The truth is that's what we used to be, a soft underbelly of a team that if it didn't go our way from the off then we were done for but not this season, we are almost the opposite.

 

There's been a fair few games where we start amazingly and take the lead and then don't control the game. So in some ways we are massively improving on our mental resilience and forcing games we aren't in control of and in others we are losing concentration and I put that down to some reasonable mitigating circumstances but we need to make sure that changes in future seasons.

[Tielemans63]

Very little consideration given to how well Chelsea played last night. They pressed us like bastards last night. They'd beat most sides playing like that. They beat Real Madrid playing like that.

[Mark]

24 minutes ago, AS78UK said:

The main issue is he doesn't want the attack to move quickly & press, despite it being the obvious thing to do.  Favouring a slow buildup at all times.  We can't always afford to put the pressure on ourselves against stronger opposition especially ones that press higher up the pitch.   

 

Took us 60+ minutes to find a gear against Chelsea before we looked a threat at all.   His interview after the game indicated he preferred a slower buildup.   Depressing to hear as it was the only point in the game we looked a threat.  

Yeah this is worrying, I thought for a while it was down to injuries but remember that West Brom game where we were 3-0 up, that was one half we actually played well in this back five and it did his head so much he was kicking the bottle on the touchline and ranting about it post match.

[Unabomber]

3 minutes ago, Paddy. said:

Very little consideration given to how well Chelsea played last night. They pressed us like bastards last night. They'd beat most sides playing like that. They beat Real Madrid playing like that.

This. I haven’t seen many comment on how well Chelsea played. They battered us and would beat anyone in the league with that performance. 

[pazzerfox]

5 minutes ago, Paddy. said:

Very little consideration given to how well Chelsea played last night. They pressed us like bastards last night. They'd beat most sides playing like that. They beat Real Madrid playing like that.

Agreed.  I thought Chelsea were superb and i actually thought we did well to stay with them to an extent!  They were just slightly too good for us yesterday.

[Beachyboy]

10 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

The very simple answer for me is this.

With a Brendan Rodgers team I pretty much know how games will go after 10 or so minutes.

Last night I was shouting at the screen (and writing on here) to do something, to change something, because if not we’d concede.

The only surprise was that we held out until half time. 
For me, the issue with Rodgers is he doesn’t know particularly how to change things IF plan A isn’t working. 
Whether this is due to our injuries, is open to debate, because we’ve seen us lose pitifully to sides when we HAVE had options on the bench.

I can’t knock him because he usually gets it right first time. I think he has the biggest win ratio of any LCFC manager?

But when we can see it’s not working, then I think he changes things too slowly and usually by that time the game is just about over. 
A good case in point was the Newcastle game. But there are many others.

Against Newcastle it was clear they were up for it, their front two were tearing us a new one, they were tearing our midfield up for arse paper and Rodgers DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

That’s his limitation I believe. One which has been pointed out by fans of other clubs he’s managed too

Would I change him? No way

But I’m being honest in my analysis of him as a top flight manager.

 

He can be to safe with some decisions, actually think a narrow Liverpool win tonight isn't a bad result, the grey area of a draw being enough with Rogers at the helm, doesn't sit comfortably with me.

[filbertway]

9 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Which we regularly do except for in recent weeks where we are out on our fight desperately trying to fight for the FA Cup (won the fcuker - NEXT) and top 4 with basically 2 outfield players on form in Tielemans and Iheanacho. It's actually beggars belief we still won't cave in, this team needs major reinforcements, if we make this same mistake again for a 3rd season running of not having 3 strikers and at least 4 wingers and 3 ACM's then I will start to accept some of the fantasy spoken on here.

The annoying thing for me is that he froze our Under who has proven hes capable of providing goals and has pace.

 

Rodgers has chosen to tie one hand behind his back on this one. If we showed an attacking intent and the players werent good enough then fair play. We show no attacking intent though. We might dominate the ball against poor teams, but we attack at a snail's pace and dont get bodies forwards.

 

For a top 4 team our attacking options are horrific and it should be an area we prioritise in the summer 

 

We score plenty of second half goals, generally after the 60 minute mark and that's because Rodgers has the players well and truly shackled until then.

 

Then after every game he trots out "we didnt play fast enough blah blah blah"

 

Then we see the same game plan.

 

I'm with deano, Rodgers is doing a solid enough job but it's not this world class job that nobody else in football would be able to do. I hope he ensures we improve in the area required and we get back to seeing braver football from him next season.

 

His stubbornness is really hard to stomach at times for me and I think it's a major weakness that he could work on

[Webbo]

10 minutes ago, Paddy. said:

Very little consideration given to how well Chelsea played last night. They pressed us like bastards last night. They'd beat most sides playing like that. They beat Real Madrid playing like that.

They could European champions in a couple of weeks, but some people assume we can just turn and win. 

[Ric Flair]

3 minutes ago, filbertway said:

The annoying thing for me is that he froze our Under who has proven hes capable of providing goals and has pace.

 

Rodgers has chosen to tie one hand behind his back on this one. If we showed an attacking intent and the players werent good enough then fair play. We show no attacking intent though. We might dominate the ball against poor teams, but we attack at a snail's pace and dont get bodies forwards.

 

For a top 4 team our attacking options are horrific and it should be an area we prioritise in the summer 

 

We score plenty of second half goals, generally after the 60 minute mark and that's because Rodgers has the players well and truly shackled until then.

 

Then after every game he trots out "we didnt play fast enough blah blah blah"

 

Then we see the same game plan.

 

I'm with deano, Rodgers is doing a solid enough job but it's not this world class job that nobody else in football would be able to do. I hope he ensures we improve in the area required and we get back to seeing braver football from him next season.

 

His stubbornness is really hard to stomach at times for me and I think it's a major weakness that he could work on

He's certainly got his faults, I'm putting down this regression in attacking play due to our injuries and the amount of games we are juggling, otherwise it doesn't make sense.

 

[los dedos]

If I had one gripe with Rodgers this year it's his failure to sort out the set piece problem . Even if we were just average at it in the premiership I think Champions league would be already in the bag. 

[Gazza M]

5 minutes ago, los dedos said:

If I had one gripe with Rodgers this year it's his failure to sort out the set piece problem . Even if we were just average at it in the premiership I think Champions league would be already in the bag. 

Tielemans on corners is pathetic. There is only Albrighton that can put a good cross in. If on the field he must take them. Why can't Brendan see that? 

[SheppyFox]

2 hours ago, Webbo said:

If a bigger club comes in for him, he'll probably go anyway. As has been said many many times, Kante left us for a club not into the champions league.

This obsession with money is what drove the Super league that we're all suppose to hate.

You’re probably right, we’d be better positioned to persuade him with UCL though, no?

[Col city fan]

That’s it, we’ve dropped to 5th

So so disappointing 

[CosbehFox]

31 minutes ago, filbertway said:

The annoying thing for me is that he froze our Under who has proven hes capable of providing goals and has pace.

Did he? He had a spell around October/November but other than that, particularly when he started games, he was utterly wasteful 

[filbertway]

17 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Did he? He had a spell around October/November but other than that, particularly when he started games, he was utterly wasteful 

Under: 941 mins. 2 goals and 3 assists.

 

Perez: 1873 mins. 3 goals 1 assist.

 

Twice as productive as Perez in a new team, with cameo performances and a new country.

 

Pace to burn and a more than adequate option  in attack

[CosbehFox]

1 minute ago, filbertway said:

Under: 941 mins. 2 goals and 3 assists.

 

Perez: 1873 mins. 3 goals 1 assist.

 

Twice as productive as Perez in a new team, with cameo performances and a new country.

 

Pace to burn and a more than adequate option  in attack

You’ve changed the argument there. Didn’t bring up Perez cos he hasn’t played the same position as Under for about a year.
 

Under doesn’t fit to the employed shape at the moment (although last night it would have) and despite what it’s been said, I reckon we had to put a packet down for him to play any more games. If we played a formation to get Under in the team, we’d have been having a makeshift left winger. 

[filbertway]

6 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

You’ve changed the argument there. Didn’t bring up Perez cos he hasn’t played the same position as Under for about a year.
 

Under doesn’t fit to the employed shape at the moment (although last night it would have) and despite what it’s been said, I reckon we had to put a packet down for him to play any more games. If we played a formation to get Under in the team, we’d have been having a makeshift left winger. 

If only we had another fella in the team with a history of playing left wing

 

We're playing this shape because Rodgers has tossed aside another winger and we let one leave in January

 

Why are we in a position where losing winger means we have to play 5 at the back?

[Guest SO1]

2 hours ago, hackneyfox said:

Someone will leave, probably a few but I don't see any reason to assume that it will be a player the club want to keep.

All depends on if we have the money to spend. Every season we have a line of players we want to sell but no takers in terms of wages and fees that would prevent it from being a financial loss. Same at every club. We have to continue to make those players better so that they continue to contribute to the squad. We don't have the luxury of waste.

 

We are very good at replacing players lost to the transfer market/big money clubs and don't see that changing. Our heavy reliance on excellent scouting and coaching is not something I see changing in the near future. This club was always a long term project and the only way it builds itself into a top 4 club is by the constant cycle of buying, improving and selling players. And even than there is no room for error. Patience.

[CosbehFox]

8 minutes ago, filbertway said:

If only we had another fella in the team with a history of playing left wing

 

We're playing this shape because Rodgers has tossed aside another winger and we let one leave in January

 

Why are we in a position where losing winger means we have to play 5 at the back?

I’ve said elsewhere I am no fan of the five at the back but outside of Barnes, we haven’t had a consistent performing winger.  Under hasn’t been consistent and his performances when starting were poor. Gray very inconsistent and burnt his bridges. Perez we know isn’t a right winger and that leaves Albrighton who again is very inconsistent in his attacking product. 
 

Then along came Kelechi who started showing consistency and goalscoring presence. However we all know he struggles as a lone striker. So it becomes a choice between playing two up front or having wingers. 
 

Rodgers needed to find a shape what got Kelechi in the team while at the same time having Maddison (or a no 10) in to provide a link between midfield and attack. 

Edited 19 May 2021 by Cardiff_Fox

[lcfc_forever]

Shocked at some of the criticism of Rodgers. He has done an outstanding job this season. Wages are the best predictor of league positions and I think our spend is 8th in the league. We've overachieved again and he's made history taking us to an FA Cup win. And we haven't thrown away top 4 - Liverpool and Chelsea's form has been superb recently, and we still have a small chance of beating one of them to it. 

 

It's remarkable we've competed in the top 4 for so long given the injuries we've had. Even now, we're missing Justin, Barnes and Evans who arguably have been three of our best performers, while Maddison isn't fully match fit and Vardy out of form. 

 

The number of games this season has caught up with us and we simply don't have the depth of squad that Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd etc. have. If we'd had a bit more rest before the Southampton game, I think you would have seen a sharper side. It's fine margins - if Vardy takes that chance late on vs Southampton or Perez scores yesterday, we'd still have Champions League in our hands. 

 

That's not to say Rodgers is without fault. He can be a little conservative in his selection - it was harsh on Praet to put him on the sidelines after the West Ham game, and similarly Ricardo after the Newcastle game. Also, while his versatility has certainly improved this season, there are moments when he could adapt better. He's a very clever, diligent coach who likes to stick to the plan but sometimes you need to be more creative and move to the situation.

 

There's so much more to come I think as the players approach their peak. The great thing about Rodgers is he is someone who does innovate and looks to constantly improve. He's a great fit for us - he's bought into the culture of the club and he's building something truly special that is sustainable. 

 

 

[Mr Mister]

1 hour ago, Mark said:

Yeah this is worrying, I thought for a while it was down to injuries but remember that West Brom game where we were 3-0 up, that was one half we actually played well in this back five and it did his head so much he was kicking the bottle on the touchline and ranting about it post match.

That was his biggest mistake. It undermined the players and it proved counter productive.

[That_Dude]

1 hour ago, Paddy. said:

Very little consideration given to how well Chelsea played last night. They pressed us like bastards last night. They'd beat most sides playing like that. They beat Real Madrid playing like that.

They absolutely obliterated us until they got their first goal.

 

It was night and day in comparison to the FA Cup, they were relentless and I've rarely seen seen such a motivation to win a game. I wasn't even mad at the final result.

[Nod.E]

8 hours ago, Babylon said:

If Spurs were winning trophies, Kane would likely be happy and Spurs certainly wouldn't be laughed at for never winning anything. 

 

Doesn't matter if we have champions league football, players will still want to go. Kante left to join a team not even in Europe because over time the money wins out. Simple as that. We all love to think the players will buy into our project, but when Man U offers you £240k a week and as much chance of winning anything as us, let's get real. They are going. 

 

Conversely we won the FA cup and challenge for the top 4 without a champions money.  But the reality is, as I said above, money wins out. At some point Arsenal will get a good manager, spend loads of money and get back there. Man C, Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool are already now competent enough to see us into 5th, as soon as they picked the right manager Chelsea took off. 

 

 

They're never all at it though are they? When's the last time all of the big 6 had a good season? In recent times Chelsea have finished mid-table, Spurs have plummeted and United had their wobble. Then there's Arsenal this season.

 

I understand money helps, but that's the rule and most seasons there tends to be an exception, or exceptions.

 

Stop being so defeatist, it's depressing.