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Bipolar Reds Need To Believe

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Daniel Sturridge and Stewart DowningA lot of the time in football and indeed sport in general, it’s not just about ability. It’s about mentality. All too often we have seen supposedly inferior teams, players, fighters fall short against opposition that are better than them purely and simply because of their mindsets.

I am finding it very difficult to measure and gauge the mentality of Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool.

It’s a tough one to call. Not least because of the young age of our team. In our defeat at Old Trafford, I thought that all the young lads looked way out of their depth. Andre Wisdom has enjoyed a good start to his Liverpool career at right-back but looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Sterling has been the same and I thought that was his poorest game to date.

There are mitigating circumstances of course because we were anything but fantastic on the day and I’m not pointing to them in criticism. But they didn’t, for me, stand up to the task of playing in one of the toughest grounds in the country where so many teams and players think they are beaten on the pitch.

To their credit the young players have come in and more than held their own this season. The manager has invested a lot of faith in them by picking them. It’s just that one game that they have really struggled in so far. They have so much expectation on their young shoulders and have coped well so far.

But overall, I don’t know how to measure where we’re up to. Some games I think “we would have lost that another time” and others I think “we’re no better off than we were last season.” We are a very mixed bag and there are many examples you could use to prove your argument.

In November, when we drew 0-0 with Swansea City away from home, I remember thinking “we’ve come along” because the season before, we would have lost a game like that, when we were under a good bit of pressure in the second-half. But we managed to hold on and keep a clean sheet, getting a pretty reasonable draw in the process. The same the week later, after looking like we were going to go down at the hands of Allardici’s cloggers, we dug in and scored two quick goals late in the second-half to go on and win the game.
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But then along comes the Aston Villa game to throw it all out of the window. I will still think of that game in ten years and wonder how we contrived to lose it. We started off brilliantly, but wasted a catalogue of fantastic chances. Suddenly, Benteke scores and we’re all over the place. There was a little bit of pressure on us to win that game as Rodgers had challenged us to aim for third before that match. It was also our chance to win three consecutive games in the league since 2010, which was for me the bigger issue.

It seems to be that the moment a bit of pressure manifests itself, some of the players hit the panic button. I’m not going to highlight individuals because I don’t think it’s a problem on an individual basis. It’s a team problem. The Mansfield Town FA Cup tie is a perfect illustrative example. We kept panicking and giving away stupid free kicks around the edge of the box, inviting them to swing the ball into the box when they were inevitably going to take one of their chances and score.

One thing that definitely does settle us down is an early goal. If we take the lead inside the first twenty minutes or so we go on to win games comfortably as a rule. The demolitions of Sunderland and Fulham in the last month have proven that. Break down stubborn opposition early on and we usually go on to win a game with ease. The game at Stoke on Boxing Day a massive exception.

So where are we at? I think that we are a bit bipolar. Not just in terms of results, either. We are all over the place but there is a pattern. Start well, score early, generally go on to win and win well. Fall behind and we generally have a problem. I can only use the word “generally” because we are so up and down.

We just don’t have that crucial bit of self belief. I truly don’t think playing staff wise we are a million miles off the top four, but we just don’t believe we’re going to do it. We don’t have the belief to go and win 6 or 7 games in a row, and I truly believe that if we did that, we would be in pole position for 4th because everyone else is also suffering from a lack of consistency.

Whether you believe in sports psychology or not, cracking our mentality is the key to getting the best out of this team. I believe we have a lot of talent and a lot of our failings are in our head. It’s not an easy task but if Rodgers wants success here, it’s something he needs to resolve and quickly.
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I'm a fully trained journalist who shunned a career in the profession due to my disillusionment with the tabloid press, instead hoping to become a professional author. I've written for The Liverpool Way for 7 years and am a regular on the forum using the name Agt Provocateur.

A passionate member of supporter group Kop Faithful, I've been a season ticket holder of 8 years and a regular match goer since 1995.

When not criticising diminishing refereeing standards in football, I can be found at Langtree Park, the home of St Helens Rugby League Club being highly critical of non existent standards of refereeing in Rugby League. I'm is also a massive Lancashire and England cricket fan.

31 comments

  • simon says:

    Its not easy to believe , when many of the players DONT actually believe in Rodgers as a manager . The experienced players know a good manager when they see one , and they know Rodgers is not up to it

  • Steven says:

    Sack rodgers and his cohourts then we wil make top 4

  • Everred says:

    Yes we will believe, but not when we see sterling and downing on the pitch agaist man u. Infact it’s an insult to man u players because it will not be a difficult game for them. Our coach has strong player to win any team in the league but he thinks he’s a coach that knows the job more than others. Where is Assaidi? Jones is far better than reina, Sometimes i wonder if they pay half of their weekly wage to the coach for him to feature. Well in the land of the blind a one eye man is a king

  • Suarezraj says:

    Bring Rafa back!!

  • imraan says:

    the problem that you are writing about goes in 1 Direction >>>the person responsible for consistency and for breeding a Winning mentality comes down to 1 person …THE MANAGER …thats HIS JOB …Look at Jose M or Fergie ..these managers DEMAND and COMMAND respect and a neva say die mentality …Unfortunatly BR is not that man … The players clearly donot respect him and that reflects in their preformances ….
    Keep playing his Lovechild allen who is absolute crap over players who really want to succeed like Hendo and shelvey and you will continue to get results like the 1 at ManU ….

    • Jack says:

      He justs looks stupider every time he plays Allen – he wont stop either .

    • RED7 says:

      Exactly . ive never seen Gerrard look less interested . The players respect good managers with history of success . They dont respect Rodgers

  • mesmeric says:

    problem is … we dont believe ( except the fools) , the players dont believe . everyone from the players and the staff to most of the fans see rodgers as out of his depth , and most are just waiting for him to be sacked , so we can move forward with new man

  • Phil says:

    We need a good manager to unite the players and fans together , and install belief and confidence in everyone. A good manager can do that almost instantly . Rodgers has failed

  • Ozred says:

    So did red nose in his first years…. Same tossers. Same benal comments completely ignoring the reality of the squad and situation the new manager has walked in to…

    Bring back Raffa you morons all scream. Raffa can’t get the current European champions to win. Why would he get liverpool over the line?

    • Gary says:

      Same idiotic nonsense by the troll who knows nothing

      • Ozred says:

        How many years did it take red nose to reach the top 4??? U provide absolutely zero intelligent contribution… Sack rogers!!! And replace him with who? Oh that’s right anyone… Just grow up. Your not a Liverpool supporters arse. Just another whining little sook with nothing to contribute.

        • Jack says:

          Is there any end to your stupidity ????? once again you show you dont know football

          Ferguson finished 2nd in his 1st full season in charge

          duh , you are stupid AGAIN

        • bob says:

          your the one whining all the time ozred , its all you ever do . you whine about the other fans opinions constantly , why ?
          1 . why do other people’s opinions bother you so much
          2 . because you blindly follow whatever fsg put in front of you , do you think you know how to support liverpool better than everyone else ?
          3 . ive been seeing your comments for weeks , and judging by the mistakes in your knowledge – you actually dont know much when it comes to football , or have much general understanding

          just what i remember – you thought barnsley beat liverpool in cup , joe allen was dropped ( starting v man u meant he was clearly rested) , and the one above which jack disclosed – their just the ones i remember

          so you repeat yourself every day and arent very knowledge … doesnt that make you a troll ?

  • Gary says:

    This club needs a new manager to give people a lift , Rodgers inspires nobody and hasnt the ability to make people believe

    It also needs the owners to make a really big signing to make people and players believe we can compete

    Right now there is no belief in LFC

    • Ozred says:

      Yea. Let’s go and sack the manager every time little Gary decides he needs a lift…honestly mate. Go and support Chelsea. They r perfect for u.

      Clearly the stupidest poster in l4l.

      • Olsen says:

        Stop babbling you idiot . The others are right . Sack the clown Rodgers and we can move forward
        U dont know what your on about

    • Finn says:

      Thats because ALL The players know Rodgers is a fool

  • Jack says:

    Belief comes from manager , no one else . If players are lacking belief – Rodgers aint dooing his job

  • Dave Tobin says:

    The players n fans NEED something to believe in ,ie A new manager

Comments are closed.