Time to reassess expectations

[StanSP]

Just now, SydenhamFox said:

Not with Fofana, Evans and possibly Vestergaard out long term. The whole thrust of my OP. 

Is Vestergaard possibly out long term? 

[Ric Flair]

We are possibly 2 or 3 poor results on the spin away from some of our fans calling for Rodgers head, I can sense it. Even throughout his 2 unbelievable seasons here that both ended in a nose dive in the league our fans can't put it behind them. Winning the FA Cup and Community Shield don't carry much goodwill in the bank either, he's very under appreciated as a manager. Some have never taken to him and its taking quite unreasonable expectations to even tolerate him from some of the stuff I read.

 

We have been spoilt as a club under Brendan and because of our catapult in to stardom in 2015/16 and the QF run in 2016/17. We are now very much accustomed and almost entitled to be a team that's considered one of the big boys. Our fans are so temperamental, they cannot stand any big club bias because we are now proving we can go toe to toe with them and the fact they've all been successful and big powerful clubs for decades shouldn't count for anything. We are everything. The same as our fans can't handle when teams like West Ham, Leeds or Villa are praised by others, it threatens our mantle as the dogs bollocks. We crave all the attention and adulation.

 

We cannot handle the inevitable drop off that will come at some point again, we're seeing reactions already in the midst of an incredible few years where Rodgers came in and instantly turned us from a mid table plodder to a comfortable top 6 team who goes very far in Cup competitions to the point of winning the one we hadn't previously won in our entire existence.

 

Our squad has some issues that have to be rectified in this next 7 days, the injury problems we have can't be ignored either as this could well start to scupper what Rodgers has built here and we've seen in football how quickly things can unravel. With a fan base that will quickly turn on Rodgers and the exaggeration of a crisis that will be picked up and ran with by the media given the chance we are at a pivotal moment in Rodgers tenure here. He's only another 1 or 2 losses in the next few games from having to deal with pressure he's not experienced as a manager for several years and everything will feel very negative and bleak.

 

I believe in our manager, I still don't forget where we've come from and that we have no automatic right to remain in the top 6 because we've done it 2 seasons on the bounce and won 1 title and 1 Cup. Football doesn't work like that, the reason the elite are the elite isn't because of a purple patch, it requires years of institution and monopoly and plenty of unfair advantage and bias. We have built an incredible story and club in the last decade under Vichai and Top and we can't let rough spells threaten the legacy of that. 

 

Over to you Brendan to do what you're good at and keep building this club I'm so proud of.

[An Away Move]

Just now, SydenhamFox said:

Not with Fofana, Evans and possibly Vestergaard out long term. The whole thrust of my OP. 

Combined with a transitional year re: Vardy up front. 

[LVFox]

Think our expectations should be quite easy to have in mind.

 

If we qualify for any european football next season it's been a good year.

 

If we finish top 10 its a frustrating but forgiveable season.

If we finish bottom half it's been a bad season.

Top 4 or a cup win is excellent.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

We are possibly 2 or 3 poor results on the spin away from some of our fans calling for Rodgers head, I can sense it. Even throughout his 2 unbelievable seasons here that both ended in a nose dive in the league our fans can't put it behind them. Winning the FA Cup and Community Shield don't carry much goodwill in the bank either, he's very under appreciated as a manager. Some have never taken to him and its taking quite unreasonable expectations to even tolerate him from some of the stuff I read.

 

We have been spoilt as a club under Brendan and because of our catapult in to stardom in 2015/16 and the QF run in 2016/17. We are now very much accustomed and almost entitled to be a team that's considered one of the big boys. Our fans are so temperamental, they cannot stand any big club bias because we are now proving we can go toe to toe with them and the fact they've all been successful and big powerful clubs for decades shouldn't count for anything. We are everything. The same as our fans can't handle when teams like West Ham, Leeds or Villa are praised by others, it threatens our mantle as the dogs bollocks. We crave all the attention and adulation.

 

We cannot handle the inevitable drop off that will come at some point again, we're seeing reactions already in the midst of an incredible few years where Rodgers came in and instantly turned us from a mid table plodder to a comfortable top 6 team who goes very far in Cup competitions to the point of winning the one we hadn't previously won in our entire existence.

 

Our squad has some issues that have to be rectified in this next 7 days, the injury problems we have can't be ignored either as this could well start to scupper what Rodgers has built here and we've seen in football how quickly things can unravel. With a fan base that will quickly turn on Rodgers and the exaggeration of a crisis that will be picked up and ran with by the media given the chance we are at a pivotal moment in Rodgers tenure here. He's only another 1 or 2 losses in the next few games from having to deal with pressure he's not experienced as a manager for several years and everything will feel very negative and bleak.

 

I believe in our manager, I still don't forget where we've come from and that we have no automatic right to remain in the top 6 because we've done it 2 seasons on the bounce and won 1 title and 1 Cup. Football doesn't work like that, the reason the elite are the elite isn't because of a purple patch, it requires years of institution and monopoly and plenty of unfair advantage and bias. We have built an incredible story and club in the last decade under Vichai and Top and we can't let rough spells threaten the legacy of that. 

 

Over to you Brendan to do what you're good at and keep building this club I'm so proud of.

Bloody hell what a sensible balanced post and you didn't even mention a hipster right winger once.

[Gav_LCFC14]

2 minutes ago, SydenhamFox said:

Not with Fofana, Evans and possibly Vestergaard out long term. The whole thrust of my OP. 

Vestergaard should be back this weekend. Evans should be back after the International break. Justin could be back October. 

[3stevo]

1 hour ago, Chrysalis said:

I already think this season will be tougher regardless of how we started, west ham are now a very strong team, everton and spurs are potential teams to be fighting for 5th-8th as well which is where I expect us to finish.

 

Top 4 locked down now, the two manchesters, liverpool and man city will just be too strong.

The 3 Manchesters? 

[Stevosevic]

Actually think last night was all down to the sending off. 

 

We knew they were going to be bang up for it and we'd have lots of possession but we had good openings wasted by poor final ball - Ricardo, Perez cross and Perez shot. 

 

We were starting to make things happen but you can't play with 10 men for more than a half against a good side. 

 

Let's see how Saturday goes 

Edited 24 August 2021 by Stevosevic

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Stevosevic said:

Actually think last night was all down to the sending off. 

 

We knew they were going to be bang up for it and we'd have lost of possession but we had good openings wasted by poor final ball - Ricardo, Perez cross and Perez shot. 

 

We were starting to make things happen but you can't play with 10 men for more than a half against a good side. 

 

Let's see how Saturday goes 

I think so too. I suspect 2nd half we'd have come out at 1 nil down and had a spell of play to get back in to it. I still don't like the way we've now imploded several times in 2021, I'm hoping the club are trying to get to the bottom of what's causing us to lose our heads and make so many individual and collective mistakes when games go against us.

 

That said we also turned around many games last season where we'd started badly, but its so important that we don't concede a 2nd goal as that's when it all goes to rat shit. Back to the drawing board for them, re group and try and build some belief and confidence again.

[coolhandfox]

1 hour ago, SydenhamFox said:

You are an ostrich if you think 4th or 5th is still on 😂

You mention 4th and 5th not me. 

 

They are my hopes not expectations, big difference.   

 

Only a 108 pts to play for.

 

Why play 38 games if it's decided after 2.

 

 

[ARM1968]

Have to say I believe in Brendan too. I think he has his faults which hamper him and us, but he’s a good manager and we’re very lucky to have him. 
 

It is only one match, but the defeat was very predictable and I don’t think the sending off would have altered the result personally- although I doubt we’d have been spanked for 4. 

[Steve Earle]

4 minutes ago, Stevosevic said:

Actually think last night was all down to the sending off. 

 

We knew they were going to be bang up for it and we'd have lots of possession but we had good openings wasted by poor final ball - Ricardo, Perez cross and Perez shot. 

 

We were starting to make things happen but you can't play with 10 men for more than a half against a good side. 

 

Let's see how Saturday goes 

Already losing and players all over the pitch losing their individual battles. I've now watched the same game three times. Maybe if Vestergaard had been fit or Soumare was deemed ready for a start we'd have given them more of a physical battle, but it seemed to me that the manager, staff and players had learned nothing from last season's, er, hammerings,,,

[Le Renard]

Rodgers is not an elite manager, but he's the best we can get.   I'm more worried about the end of last season's form continuing at the start of this.  I know it is only two games, but the team at the moment doesn't seem to have any flow to their game, maybe it is a lack of confidence from missing out on a CL place 2 years in a row.   It was maybe easier for Rodgers to pick the team up after the first time, but I suppose it was more difficult the second time.  

[Le Renard]

1 minute ago, Le Renard said:

 

 

Edited 24 August 2021 by Le Renard

[RonnieTodger]

The irony in posters calling him reactive and then not bothering to read the content of the post.

[whoareyaaa]

Maybe change the team around and get others involved. 

[Phil Bowman]

2 hours ago, SydenhamFox said:

You are an ostrich if you think 4th or 5th is still on 😂

You speak the truth sir. We’ve dropped three points. No way back from that. Not with only 36 games left.

[An Away Move]

7 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

You mention 4th and 5th not me. 

 

They are my hopes not expectations, big difference.   

 

Only a 108 pts to play for.

 

Why play 38 games if it's decided after 2.

 

 

This is part of the problem with some of the reactions I’m getting. People are replying to me as if I’m the only one who has hoped we might get that. I’d direct those people having a go at me for this to the pre-season poll where the majority thought we would place. For the record I put 5th-7th. 

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

1 minute ago, RonnieTodger said:

The irony in posters calling him reactive and then not bothering to read the content of the post.

Because there's a massive assumption that we all think we're going to finish 4th or 5th. Many are pragmatic enough to know how difficult it's been to compete and how difficult it'll continue to be.

[Ric Flair]

4 minutes ago, Le Renard said:

Rodgers is not an elite manager, but he's the best we can get.   I'm more worried about the end of last season's form continuing at the start of this.  I know it is only two games, but the team at the moment doesn't seem to have any flow to their game, maybe it is a lack of confidence from missing out on a CL place 2 years in a row.   It was maybe easier for Rodgers to pick the team up after the first time, but I suppose it was more difficult the second time.  

We all feared that at the start of last season too. It is a worry as we don't seem that stable as a team right now and although there's a fair but of experience I think we are missing Evans massively. Bertrand coming back will help but he's also had 6 months of hell at Southampton.

 

We've got to dig in, it's never always going to go our own way. Maybe we start the season poorly but end it well, it's certainly not the end if we do start poorly and that's what we've got to remember. We have built something very good here under Brendan, its got a fair bit more stability and longevity than the fairytale of 2015/16 in my opinion.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

Just now, SydenhamFox said:

This is part of the problem with some of the reactions I’m getting. People are replying to me as if I’m the only one who has hoped we might get that. I’d direct those people having a go at me for this to the pre-season poll where the majority thought we would place. For the record I put 5th-7th. 

Weve had bad results like this in each of the last two seasons. Some perspective is needed which is clearly lacking here.

[RonnieTodger]

6 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Because there's a massive assumption that we all think we're going to finish 4th or 5th. Many are pragmatic enough to know how difficult it's been to compete and how difficult it'll continue to be.

I'd say that's a minority. 

 

If we lost at home to anyone other than Man City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs or Arsenal we'd get booed off. 

[ealingfox]

7 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

The irony in posters calling him reactive and then not bothering to read the content of the post.

 

Really makes me laugh. The usual suspects shouting 'Emotional!1!1!' and 'Reactionary!1!1' whilst flying off the handle and immediately resorting to abuse at the first sign of reasonable and justified criticism.

[Thefox81]

Not understanding all the hate for the OP. He wasnt saying its season over or we get relegated just tweak maybe what we were expecting. We have a horrendous injury list and like with Liverpool after their injury to VVD they probably altered their expectations for that coming season. I was expecting us to finish 5th or 6th. Now im expecting 8th-10th anything better is a bonus in my eyes and this is more to do with the injuries rather than last night.

[NasPb]

Problem with Rodgers is sometimes he's too conservative and or trusting in his own tactics. He's hard headed a bit. This was the game to change it up a bit. Doesn't mean he's a bad coach by any means but this loss was on him unfortunately. He needs to not be so afraid sometimes. Regardless doesn't help Pérez got sent off or that we don't have a true week in week out