Toxic malaise of ageing pros and players not arsed or happy to ride out big contracts

[GoonerJeeves]

Signing 30+ players is a dangerous business, as is signing players that are looking for their last pay day. We got burnt with Willian, though credit to him, he was willing to cancel his contract. We've far too often given generous contracts to players that then becomes almost impossible to move to on.

 

On the whole you are better off looking for someone 20-25, and then hoping you get it right.

[Twitcher]

Shouldn't there be an element of self-motivation with these players though. Yes I'm not happy in my job, but then it isn't one where I'm being paid £millions, it isn't a dream job that I've always wanted to do from being a kid, and it isn't one where I need to perform at my best for just 90 minutes per week.

It's up to Rodgers et al to create an environment where players can be happy, and feel respected, but surely some onus lies with the individual players.

[iancognito]

 From Pearson v1 up until Ranieri we had an ethos in the club for buying hungry up and coming players with a pinch of experience to get us over the line - the likes of Chris Powell, Steve Howard, Cambiasso and Huth coming into that latter category but the last two maybe three years has drifted away from that. Now that's not specifically Rodgers but it is the people within his recruitment team and above that the DOF who oversees the process. We've had 3 HORs in 4 years and all of them have picked out some absolute duffers. Vestergaard isn't a hungry player. Bertrand's career was over 4 years ago, Soumare isn't up to the pace of this league and - frankly - looks a bit dead behind the eyes. Previous to that the likes of Ghezzal, Under, Wague and Benkovic were all underwhelming flops. Aiming our radar at foreign leagues is becoming more and more unreliable and we seem to ignore the talent stuck in the academies at other clubs that has served us pretty well as a supply line in the past.

 

If the latest HOR can't get it right and ensure that the new blood coming in is the right type of player - including their attitude and mentality - then questions need to be asked of Rudkin and the board about why they keep getting it wrong because ultimately it will cost us.

[MalletFox]

@Wasyls Pec Deck spot on 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
 

- handful of capable players (KDH, Barnes, Wilf, Madders, Justin) who will be committed with a clear future here.

 

- handful of players who are ageing and should start being phased out like Big Wes was (Evans, Albrighton, Vards, Kasper gone)

 

- 2 handfuls of players who know they don’t have a future here, aren’t first choice, have contracts running out at the end of the season and Rodgers has openly thrown under the bus (Fof gone, Youri, Cags, Perez, Amartey, Hamza, Mendy, Praet, Vesty, Bertrand)

 

All of the above is a pretty horrendous cocktail of a highly de-motivated, incapable squad of players.

 

What’s the solution? Well, there’s only one and that will be decided over the next 3 games or so I feel. Hopefully results and performances pick up, if they don’t, we need a fresh voice, fresh ideas and fresh motivation for this squad of players.

[Swalshed]

You're absolutely right @Wasyls Pec Deck, the marginal gains, also known as the 'slight edge' is so critical at this elite level of sport. 5% drop-off is all it takes to stop winning football matches, losing from winning positions, etc  and when that happens a few times, the all too familiar rot of ebbing confidence sets in.

 

But, why is the mentality of our players so fragile? Especially if you believe what they mostly say about our club being a nurturing family? I do think the points made about over-inflated contracts and associated lack of hunger are contributing factors, but this speaks of pretty weak characters that have been recruited. Prima donnas you might say.

 

It's been said a lot in recent years that there is a lack of leaders in our squad and to me this can have a major impact. Someone capable of raising the spirits and emotional drive of the group, something we see lacking week after week. Kasper was such a man, now gone and Big Wes is another big miss in that respect. In fact we had plenty of those characters in the title winning squad. 

 

I agree with other posters here, recruitment should never be just technical skills, but character is equally important. I hope the current adversity will bring our characters to the fore.

 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

11 minutes ago, Swalshed said:

You're absolutely right @Wasyls Pec Deck, the marginal gains, also known as the 'slight edge' is so critical at this elite level of sport. 5% drop-off is all it takes to stop winning football matches, losing from winning positions, etc  and when that happens a few times, the all too familiar rot of ebbing confidence sets in.

 

But, why is the mentality of our players so fragile? Especially if you believe what they mostly say about our club being a nurturing family? I do think the points made about over-inflated contracts and associated lack of hunger are contributing factors, but this speaks of pretty weak characters that have been recruited. Prima donnas you might say.

 

It's been said a lot in recent years that there is a lack of leaders in our squad and to me this can have a major impact. Someone capable of raising the spirits and emotional drive of the group, something we see lacking week after week. Kasper was such a man, now gone and Big Wes is another big miss in that respect. In fact we had plenty of those characters in the title winning squad. 

 

I agree with other posters here, recruitment should never be just technical skills, but character is equally important. I hope the current adversity will bring our characters to the fore.

 

Absolutely the leadership point. It’s an added bonus that Wout Faes has captain experience and he’s a battler - and hopefully will throw a rocket or 2 up everyone else.

[StonyFox]

It feels like we've been sleep walking into this for a while now with the contracts some of our players have got. There's definitely a lack of motivation and fight in the squad. Add into that the lack of transfers to refresh things, and a manager that doesn't seem to be able to motivate the squad (or even pick some of them), and we're going to be in for a very long season!

[deep blue]

On 30/08/2022 at 16:57, gazzaa2 said:

 

He was the same at Liverpool. He even wanted the players with leadership and character out the door because he was intimidated by them. Players like Reina, Agger and Carragher. Agger did a big interview last year around this btw. 

Interesting point, and there was a similar feeling with Taylor who quickly got rid of the strong-minded players - and look where that went v quickly.  The similarities are ominous.

[Ecdysiast]

Maybe the fantastic training centre at Seagrave is a handicap rather than an asset? If i was getting paid a fortune to turn up there, have a workout, a sauna, a massage or two, a great meal, a fun swim with my mates and round of golf I wouldn,t be that motivated to work myself into the ground or move to club with lesser facilities either.

[purpleronnie]

5 minutes ago, Ecdysiast said:

Maybe the fantastic training centre at Seagrave is a handicap rather than an asset? If i was getting paid a fortune to turn up there, have a workout, a sauna, a massage or two, a great meal, a fun swim with my mates and round of golf I wouldn,t be that motivated to work myself into the ground or move to club with lesser facilities either.

Thats why you never made it.

[Frank Large's Black Book]

On 31/08/2022 at 15:11, GoonerJeeves said:

Signing 30+ players is a dangerous business, as is signing players that are looking for their last pay day. We got burnt with Willian, though credit to him, he was willing to cancel his contract. We've far too often given generous contracts to players that then becomes almost impossible to move to on.

 

On the whole you are better off looking for someone 20-25, and then hoping you get it right.

 

So where would Marcelo fit in with that?

Edited 1 September 2022 by Frank Large's Black Book

[GoonerJeeves]

5 hours ago, Frank Large's Black Book said:

 

So where would Marcelo fit in with that?

I honestly thought that would be a rather bizarre signing. Surely astronomical wages, no resale value, doesn't know the league and will only deteriorate. Not sure that is such a good idea.