Rodgers is struggling lately and may find his position even more under pressure come this time on Sunday
I don’t blame those who want Brendan Rodgers out.
That’s how bad things have got. I will often back a manager through a rough period in the name of stability (unless your name is Roy Hodgson), but even I must concede that this “rough period” has gone on way too long now.
However, those who want Rodgers out now might be warned that it won’t solve any of our current problems. The manager is one of the factors behind Liverpool’s issues this season, but he isn’t the sole problem. Our squad will still be in a poor state; the next manager will have to cope with the same flaws that Rodgers has, and I’m not convinced they’d do any better.
The next manager will still have to work with a goalkeeper that has zero confidence and poor distribution, a defence that can’t gel together and is consistently left vulnerable by the lack of protection in midfield and can’t rely on their keeper behind them, a club captain whose role in the side no one can really figure out anymore and a lack of strikers up front with our star player out injured.
Of course, Liverpool should be looking to make new additions in January in order to fix some of these deficiencies, but most fans have lost confidence in Rodgers to bring in genuine talent after the remarkably unsuccessful £120m spending spree last summer. Some would use that as a reason to sack him now, so that we can recruit successfully without his input.
It’s not as simple as that though. I’m not sure any team can benefit from signing players a manager doesn’t want to work with anyway, but it’s been unclear at best who’s responsible for most of the recent signings. We know that Rodgers was responsible for the signings of Borini, Allen and Sahin, and it is widely believed that Assaidi, Sturridge and Coutinho were committee signings. But beyond that, who knows really?
Mignolet always seemed a strange signing given Rodgers’ preference for a keeper that uses his feet, but if he didn’t want him then surely those in the committee need to take the blame? We signed Sakho, who was in and out of the side last year and has barely played at all this season. Injuries aside, Rodgers doesn’t seem to like him so who was it who wanted him? Balotelli has been declared a calculated gamble by the club and Lambert seems completely at odds with Rodgers’ philosophy. Who pushed for these signings?
It is thought that Rodgers pushed for the signing of Lallana and Lovren, but there’s been no real confirmation on who wanted who last summer. There’s no guarantee that if Rodgers goes, the committee won’t just go for the same players without him anyway. If Rodgers must pay the price for the way things have panned out, then so must those in charge of player recruitment in the committee.
These are all problems that the following manager will struggle to overcome. And who would we even get to replace Rodgers anyway?
Rumours have it that we’ve approached Andre Villas-Boas in the last week or so. I did actually want him when we were looking for Kenny Dalglish’s successor 3 years ago, but would anyone really say he’s a vast upgrade on Rodgers? I believe AVB was treated unfairly at both Chelsea and Spurs, but his insistence on a high line seems ill-equipped for the Premier League and our defenders are incompetent enough as it is without having them be susceptible to runners in behind them all the time. Things would get worse before they get better.
I think we could realistically get Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season if Dortmund continue to under perform, but there’s no way we’ll get him before then. I’ve seen some fans suggest Diego Simeone, but he is the hottest managerial property in the world right now. Every club under the sun will be in for him once he decides to leave Atletico Madrid (and we don’t even know when that will be), and I’m not sure I can see us beating the riches of Chelsea, Man City, PSG etc when he becomes available.
Considering how great the previous 18 months were under Brendan Rodgers, I’m still inclined to keep faith and root for stability in the hope that he can turn things around, no matter how long that would take.
However, if we must sack Rodgers then there’s no point in doing it now. Wait until the end of the season, give him a chance to make things right. If he doesn’t, then maybe it will be time to assess our options.
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Getting someone who knows the transfer window well n able to recruit own talent, rodgers weakness was relying on southampton all summer can’t get proven players from abroad I even wanted tadic in the first place
A very sensible and well written article which I agree in part but the part I don’t agree is a good argument, I actually think BR should be given to the end of next season sounds daft but these days managers cant be hits over night and he had Suarez last year who brought out the best of even the many mediocre players we still have, why did we get rid of Pepe was it the wages? better all around goalie than Simon M any day, our resources should be put towards a goalie and a decent forward in this window coming
I defended him all throughout his first two years and can now see some of the things fans were always complaining about. It does actually look as if he hasn’t got a clue. Can’t get a team to defend for his life, no balance throughout, no idea of players a clue like Liverpool need etc etc.
However I agree with Paul. ‘if’ he comes through this storm and the summer players start performing, then it may only be a blimp, but if the second half of this season goes as badly as the first then Mr BR may well end up as D.Moyes assistant in Spain. And will only have himself to blame!!
Thanks! I would be fine with that as well, Paul. I always hate to bring up Alex Ferguson, but he often alternated between 2nd and 7th etc in his first 5 seasons at United. They stuck with him and were ultimately rewarded.
Of course, the league and football in general is much different now but I can’t help but feel we’d get similar benefits. Brendan’s a young manager and much more flexible than we’ve seen this season. If we can work the kinks out I’m confident he can get us back to the heights we reached last season.
liverpoolFC ur transfer policy is the down fall of your team,and Br. Is not a good buyer. Get us director of football to get things right.
It was a director of football who splashed out 30m on Carroll and some other dross. He did have a hand in Suarez but an overpriced Downing and Henderson are nothing to celebrate.
Thre is a lot we don’t know and we won’t know. There are a few things we certainly so.
Defensive set up is down to brendan. I include the positioning when defending free kicks. Fair?
Gerrard moved to Pirlo position. It was stupid from the start. Pirlo was never the explosive midfielder that changed games through bursting runs . Yes, GERRARD can still do that. But not 3 games a week and not from deep. Did the comitee decide that?
Johnson, a mistake per game guarantee . Also a guaranteed start. Why? Who’s decision? Comitee ?
Allen starting ahead of Lucas in holdin mf? Who’s decision?
Let’s not move to spending 120 million reported and start Lambert, blame it on whoever you want. As a manager, brendan should have said, I want X Y X.not gonna happen , ok. Please don’t buy anyone. Ding expect a lot either. Fair?
But brendan thought he was God in the summer. Giving advice on England, how football should be played etc. It went to his head, last season.
Moving on to my beloved club. Don’t sack him without a replacement. Worse than Brendan , No manager at all.
I don’t buy into new manager no improvement. Mignolet was never a world beater, but he bece the worse in the league. Reina was well on the way to becoming the worse. Question, could it be coaching?
I’m tired, fed up and got a ticket for Sunday
Yes, Brendan must be held responsible for the defending. Definitely fair. I remember Andy Heaton of The Anfield Wrap saying once that it’s not as simple as simply hiring a new defensive coach, but something is clearly wrong there and it worries me deeply.
I agree that moving Gerrard to DM was a poor idea. In fact, I wrote about it regularly last season when we were still playing well. Of course the committee have nothing to do with that though. I only ever talked about the committee in relation to transfers. Rodgers has made a lot of mistakes in how he sets his teams up, but I’m still confident he can solve these problems in time.
Regarding Reina, I actually thought he got slightly better in the second half of Rodgers’ first season before we loaned him out but yes, it seems as though his form dropped as soon as Hodgson got rid of Rafa’s Spanish goalkeeping coach. So the coaching may well have something to do with it. Mignolet just seems the wrong player for this team now. I defended him all last season, but I just can’t do it anymore.
But I’m glad you agree that sacking without a replacement is a bad idea.
A new manager might actually be able to organise a back four. However I don’t see who can come in at this point and I think Rodgers deserves up to the end of this season. In the summer they have to change it if there’s no improvement
Please no AVB though, he has a similar approach to defending.
The transfer committee has to go to. Absolute bell ends
No AVB please,
Why I still like BR to be sack no matter what is because he allow his self ego take us out of our long waited CL by refusing to feature intime those (Borini, Coutinho or Can and even Kolo (whom has picked form of recent) who could have had a lot of influence but sticked with those whom he doesn’t have to be told will never make any impact like, Lambert, Allen and Lovren. By this reasons whatsoever, we are talking about the growth of our dear club Lfc, I, we the fans expect nothing less. So let him be shown the door… YNWA
Erin, I like your comment. YNWA
And Josh, that decision to trat Madrid away as a lost game before kick off? A good decision by Brendan. It’s what you told me.
Benefit of hindsight , still think so? I’ve supported my club for 20 years. I can except lack of quality, but lack of tring? Lack of aggression? Lack of ambition? NEVER
I don’t think anyone can say in hindsight that it worked. However, with the situation we were in at the time and the games we had to juggle, I do believe Rodgers made the best decision that he could. We were more likely to get as a result against Chelsea than Madrid, and the league has to be the priority so that we get top 4 again. And I don’t think we can say that any of the players dropped for that Madrid game really deserved to start. Everyone had been terrible for a while.
Lack of aggression has been a big problem this season though, ultimately stems from the team’s lack of confidence.
hey,let BR wake up,bringing borini nothing done, TRANSFER tactics to be change from bringing average players to a complete players,SEE Lambert, Aspas,Alberto,suso,all doing nothing,we are tired off him let him finished only this season no good result out REM no to AVB(also average coach)
Yes victor ure right,check on the money they wasted bringing in all rubbish players,Bony,Lukaku,Chicarito,Rakitic,Benzima,Martinez,etc all were there in the market bt bringing in in aggressive players who can’t even play attacking football,really am so ashame off my club LIVERPOOL,am SO SORY
Were not gonna sign the top players because they go to top teams first. We have to try to find the players on the fringes. We also need a manager who can make us hard to beat, whilst turning the best of the rest players into world class stars (or at least not far from finished article).
I hope BR is that man because Swansea and Liverpool both have played sublime pieces of play and I think Rodgers deserves a second chance…. but not a third or fourth.
In terms of turning players into stars, I think we’ve seen Rodgers can do that. The people who credit last season’s success to Suarez, people seemed to forget how much Suarez struggled to score under Kenny Dalglish. He only started free-scoring when Rodgers came in. And everyone was talking about how much Rodgers has improved Henderson and Flanagan last season.
Do you think Rodgers is on his second chance now? Or is he still in the process of making that mistake that leads to said chance?
I think he’s in the process of making the mistakes that could lead to his downfall. I hope he turns it round but a pounding by United and he may not be able to recover,
Josh, i think when it comes to BR, we have to look at him this way, a man with an overinflated ego that does not back it up with ability. That is why he won ZERO titles in his career. Look at our biggest rival, MU, they have an egoistic coach too, but the difference is LVG knows what he is doing and he actually win trophies.
Many points to last season as evidence of his ability but that is exactly the reason JH should sacked him. If not for BR’s ego and strange tactics we would have been champions not finishing second place. The mistake made was appointing BR in the first place, look how it ended up in the first season. BR was lucky that Suarez had one wonder season and it papered over BR’s problems, this man knows no tactics and even worse when it comes to transfers, 2 out of 24 anyone ?
We have to move forward and let him walk alone, if he can’t make it work now, why does anyone thinks he would do better for the rest of the season and beyond ? We had done away with RH or KD because they had brought us relegation battles or mediocrity and we are heading that same direction now so why BR deserves more than this men ? For a man that blew more than a 100 mill in a single season with such a disastarous result, with the window looming can we trust him with more money ?
We have to move on and get it right now, all these years too much time and money had gone to waste. The first step to this important task is to sack BR right now and rope in someone that actually knows how to win titles.
I also will partially agree with you.rodgers is a wonderful coach no doubt about that. But there are certain things he lacks. I know gerrard is the best ofc player ever but its time we let him go.his slow pace and inability to mark often puts holes in the midfield that are being exploited on a steady basic. We need to let coutinho have time in the creative role.. The big question is how would you spend 12. Without bringing in a world class player.the more I read into this the more I doubt rodgers.why didnt he take the risk of on remy. There are lots of pacy players out there with similar trickery as suarez but no he goes out to buy the italian. Ballo is a wonderful striker and I can see he wants to prove himself to us but he is not the kind of player we needed. We need someone in the make of suarez like sanchez. The transition would Hv been smooth between the two. i was among the first people to jump into rodgers ship when he came and I am still in that ship,certain changes re expected from him in january. If he isn’t bold enough to make these decisions then we have to go our separate ways.
Wonderful coach, no doubting about it? When did they let you out?
My opinion …….i also will partially agree with you.rodgers is a wonderful coach no doubt about that. But there are certain things he lacks. I know gerrard is the best ofc player ever but its time we let him go.his slow pace and inability to mark often puts holes in the midfield that are being exploited on a steady basic. We need to let coutinho have time in the creative role.. The big question is how would you spend 12. Without bringing in a world class player.the more I read into this the more I doubt rodgers.why didnt he take the risk of on remy. There are lots of pacy players out there with similar trickery as suarez but no he goes out to buy the italian. Ballo is a wonderful striker and I can see he wants to prove himself to us but he is not the kind of player we needed. We need someone in the make of suarez like sanchez. The transition would Hv been smooth between the two. i was among the first people to jump into rodgers ship when he came and I am still in that ship,certain changes re expected from him in january. If he isn’t bold enough to make these decisions then we have to go our separate ways.
Definitely on his way out now after losing to the Mancs. Bizarre decisions ????
Bizzare ? It’s not the first time. Don’t know where to start. He has to be removed from the club
Are you sure ? Imagine if we had the same thought when RH was in charge ? We would be in the Championship by now and this is where we are heading with BR right now.