Rodgers’ biggest mistake
WHAT did I expect? Less than a week ago I wrote that, despite the rather fortunate nature of our victory over Spurs, I felt a sense of optimism in that we had played perhaps our hardest remaining fixture and the rest should really be all plain-sailing.
I could not have been more wrong as, again, the one thing that is consistent about Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool is their bloody inconsistency.
It’s getting to be a little tiring now.
Some will point the finger at Skrtel replacing Carragher but Carragher wasn’t even on the bench. He was injured. I would also point to the fact that Skrtel had been our best defender for the past two seasons, prior to his poor run this year and that Carragher and Agger have both been as susceptible to individual and defensive errors this season.
Others are piling it on Joe Allen, because his season has tailed off after a good start. These are the kinds of ‘fans’ that hear that Allen has been playing with a shoulder injury for much of the season and choose to not let that get in the way of attacking a talented young midfielder.
Much of the blame for Saturday’s defeat to Southampton falls at the manager’s door. Picking an injured Joe Allen ahead of a fully-fit Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson was a stupid, naïve and quite arrogant mistake on Rodgers’ part but it wasn’t his biggest mistake.
No, his biggest mistake is one he’s made on many occasions – refusing to budge from his favourite (and seemingly, only) formation.
Just like against West Brom, Oldham, Aston Villa and Stoke, Liverpool were undone against the Saints by our manager’s inability to alter his tactics in the face of an opponent lining up to take advantage of our lack of numbers in midfield.
Attempting to mimic Barcelona is lovely, in theory, and as we have seen on a few occasions this season, when it works it looks (and feels) great. But there are times when you have to accept that you don’t have the players to do it properly just yet and use what you do have, and this Liverpool side have failed miserably in that regard so many times this year.
On Saturday the result would’ve been much different if we’d followed Southampton’s lead and supplemented our midfield with Lucas and Henderson. This would have allowed a more combative approach and we wouldn’t have been dominated and out-fought by a side likely to be relegated. How could any manager expect a midfield three of Gerrard, a winger (Stewart Downing) and a partially injured, out-of-form midfielder to cope with Southampton’s five-man midfield? Baffling.
However, while I’ve stated on many occasions that I’m not Brendan’s biggest fan (and that’s unlikely to change any time soon) it would be a little blind to place all of the blame on him for the result at the weekend.
The final 10 minutes of the game was embarrassing, as the players look bereft of ideas, leadership and, more worryingly for us, the desire to actually turn the result around.
What worried me most is that the players looked somewhat out of sorts all day, but once the game wore on and the rare chance was squandered by Liverpool, the rain started to fall more heavily and Reds players began to look noticeably like they just wanted to go home. I haven’t seen anything like it for years. I don’t want to see anything like it again for a long time either.
One of my favourite aspects of any Rafa Benitez team, was its refusal to quit, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Even the poorer teams at the beginning of his time as Reds boss had a steeliness to them, a spine that was rock solid and rarely gave away cheap goals.
But many of the players currently occupying defensive positions are Benitez signings, which just makes the new-found spinelessness of our defence and midfield all the more difficult to swallow. Say what you will about many of his signings but he very, very rarely signed a player who didn’t have a strong character and will to succeed.
After the performance and result on Saturday Liverpool’s powder-puff centre has once again been exposed and raises serious questions about the legitimacy of any ‘progress’ the club has supposedly made this season.
One thing is for sure though, it’s the very last time I’ll be getting caught up in the feelings of optimism after a fluky win over a top-4 side, until there is very real evidence that the win signifies genuine signs of evolution from mediocrity to proper contenders.
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March 19th, 2013
Gutted , BR must quit if we do not reach 4th spot, because he would have failed of hios stupid team selections , BR is not capable to take us anywhere not 4 th next season as well
March 19th, 2013
This year has always been about learning and a big learning Curve. This is Rodgers first major job where every result & performance is under the microscope. At Reading, Swansea and chelsea reserves he was able to get away with losing these types of games.
He knows what is required of him at Liverpool.
But on the flip side, a lot of Liverpool fans need to wake up and smell the coffee.
We arent as great as we used to be, we arent one of the top four anymore.
We have just won four games in a row scoring 15 goals and going great guns. Rodgers had every right to stick with the same principles for a game against a team struggling in the league.
But the Premier League is a gauntlet and if you dont play well you get beat.
These players are learning that.
Keep the faith, we will be okay. It might take two to three years to restore parity with the top four but when we get there, it will be super to watch.
March 19th, 2013
We didn’t win 4 in a row . We have no faith in a championship clueless manager
March 19th, 2013
lol . faith ? No . faith is for religious lunatics NOT football supporters
March 19th, 2013
People saying BR must quit if LFC dont reach the top four. What given right do LFC have to reach the top four? How is it his fault if players miss the target or dont play well?
With two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and two north London clubs in better positions than us, 5th or 6th is the best we can aim for until this team matures.
March 19th, 2013
Alright then blame the tea lady!
March 19th, 2013
Rodgers picks the players , signs the players an d makes them use his stupid tactics
March 19th, 2013
OMG – If Rodgers is not to blame . Who is ?
get a grip lad
March 19th, 2013
out
skrtel 15
reina 12
enrique 8
henderson 15
downing 12
borini 8
allen 8
shelvey 6
carroll 16
jonson 15
in
begovic 15
chiellini 25
ogbona 15
de chelie 10
strootman 15
eriksen 25
jovetic 25
mertens 20
—————begovic—————-
kelly—chiellini—agger—de chielie
——-strootman——–gerrard——-
-suarez——–eriksen——–mertens-
—————-jovetic—————
March 19th, 2013
we would be lucky to get 3m each for Allen and Borini
8 – 10m for Henderson
7 – 8 for Skrtel
and if west ham dont buy Carroll – 10m
March 19th, 2013
What about coutinho?
March 20th, 2013
dont you just love the fantasy football comments. lol
March 19th, 2013
Why do I keep reading about Joe allens ‘good start’ to the season?! He is a major flop and has been since day one. No future at the team not did he have one at Swansea. Useless end of. Sorry, didn’t read the rest of this article after I saw that, put me right off it
March 19th, 2013
my sentiments exactly
March 19th, 2013
you got to realise, that this club havent been the same since dalglish left in 1991. all those years we matched the current team to what dalglish left, and he turned the liverpool way around. the old way was buy cheap and unknown talents, let them grow and they become stars. thats the old way. What rodgers probebly doing is learning how lfc and the current players work. this season was never going to be big, and neither will the next, even with BR gone. It took alex F. 6 years to turn scum united into a big team. give BR a break and let him turn the ship around slowly. thats the liverpool way
March 19th, 2013
Stop with the Ferguson nonsense.
Ferguson was already a top proven manager
And he improved man u immediately
Check your facts b4 trotting out the same untruths as others do
March 19th, 2013
Exactly. The Ferguson argument is completely retarded. He had won 12 trophies before getting the job as chief scum. Jack you are a tard like every other cretin who uses the same argument. Rodgers out. Ynwa
March 19th, 2013
Rodgers is a cabbage . Cabbages don’t turn around football clubs
My god u are naive
March 19th, 2013
To be fair cabbages have their uses. Br is useless. Rodgers out.
March 19th, 2013
I just don’t know why Liverpool can’t defence well..yes. We play some great football, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t defence ! Allen was always exposed against a team like Stoke, Southampton. I knew that Liverpool will get beaten Hard against Southampton since kick off, because they don’t have the same manner week in week out. It’s a Habit, INCONSISTENCY..really dissapointed with Rodgers. Liverpool lack of Character and the mentality is not right !
March 20th, 2013
His biggest mistake was accepting a job bigger than him, really disrespectful!