IT’S not often this season that I have criticised Brendan Rodgers but after the debacle that was Aston Villa at home, it is unfortunately, unavoidable. Despite a poor points return this season, performances have generally ranged from average to pretty good.
Last Saturday’s game however, was dreadful fare.
After a bright but unforgivably wasteful first 20 minutes, Liverpool’s performance was devoid of any drive, flexibility or dynamism and players and manager must each share their load of the blame.
It’s no secret that Rodgers’ squad isn’t as deep on quality as anyone connected with the club would like, but last weekend it seemed strange that he neglected some rather obvious options at his disposal, particularly in regards to making changes in his midfield. At West Ham the previous week, Lucas, Joe Allen and Steven Gerrard were dominated by Mohamed Diame and only when the imposing Senegal international departed and Jordan Henderson made a belated appearance for the Reds did Liverpool begin to assert any control on the match.
It was surprising then, that the improving Henderson was not included in the starting line-up against Villa. For all his detractors, Henderson has displayed admirable application, determination and some fine form of late. Perhaps most importantly, he has an energy reserve that an exhausted looking Allen, 32 year old Gerrard and a not yet match fit Lucas all currently lack.
Villa’s second and third goals were essentially scored because of poor tracking and a lack of physical output from Joe Allen who failed to track Weimann down at the Kop end in the first half and was brushed aside like a child by the outstanding Benteke at the Anfield Road end in the second period. In general, the performance from the Reds, especially in midfield, was best described as flat. The pressing game that Rodgers’ side will ultimately live or die by was a mess in the middle third of the pitch and for too long the best exponent of this philosophy that Liverpool currently have in their midfield (Henderson) twiddled his thumbs on the bench.
Blaming a shock result simply on the absence of Henderson isn’t telling close to the full story, of course. The selection of Jonjo Shelvey as part of a front three, starting wide on the left was equally perplexing but not nearly as unfathomable as Rodgers’ season long resistance to playing his captain in any position other than central midfield.
In Being: Liverpool, we saw the manager pull young Jonjo aside and tell him that he saw Steven Gerrard as being able to play wide right with the ex-Charlton youngster spearheading a midfield three. Surprisingly, this has never been tried by the manager and the roles have been reversed with Shelvey looking uncomfortable in the wider areas that Gerrard has previously excelled in under Rafa Benitez.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
A front three including an out of position Jonjo Shelvey and another youngster badly in need of a rest, Raheem Sterling, isn’t exactly a mouth watering proposition when it comes to scoring goals. The mystifying exclusion from squads of Oussama Assaidi also came into focus this weekend and one has to wonder why Rodgers is regularly ignoring a player who can at least fit into the position Shelvey took up on Saturday. Assaidi may not be world class but he is a comfortable playing as a winger and has surely merited at least a position on the bench more often than he has been afforded thus far.
There are players at Liverpool who simply aren’t of the requisite quality and when Rodgers has had to use them it is hard to criticise the manager; but there are also players at the club who are very good and should be effective for the team who are currently under performing, none more so than the captain.
For years Steven Gerrard has told anyone who would listen that he wants to play in central midfield – that it is his best position. This season, he has been almost exclusively stationed in this preferred role. He has been underwhelming at best. Questions must to raised, such as whether Rodgers has the fortitude to drop, substitute or even change his captain’s position when it is necessary. So far, the answer appears to be ‘no’. We’ve yet to see Gerrard playing in a wide position where he was so effective under Rafa Benitez’s management that he was actually crowned Footballer of the Year and whenever the chips are down, regardless of his performance level, Gerrard is never sacrificed when a substitution is made.
Gerrard is 32 now and not the physical powerhouse that he once was, but he can and should be contributing more to the team than he is at present. Perhaps he has played too much football this season but he either needs to raise his game in central midfield or his manager needs to think about using him in another way, because Liverpool aren’t getting nearly enough out of one of their best players as things stand.
With January reinforcements on the horizon things should get easier for Rodgers as his options become less limited. Having said that, certain players must improve in the second half of the season and Rodgers is the man who will ultimately be judged on their performances. He is the man who must find a way to coax a positive change out of some players or the criticism regarding his management will only intensify.
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’right’]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook
I go to the cinema to see a film. Whether I enjoy it or not rests on the efforts of the Director and the stars… I go to a football match to see a game. Whether I enjoy it…….. ‘nough said.
??
OK its a little early … ive just woken up … ive thought about it for a minute and i still cant figure out who you think is to blame
Agreed, no idea what they’re going on about…..
Rodgers totally . He picks team , formation , tactics , he choose which ones to buy .
Nearly every decision he has made so far has been wrong
We have a top goalkeeper , one of the best defenses in the league , some top midfielders in Lucas and Gerrard . Fantastic young playrers to choose from and the best striker in the premier league
All that and Rodgers has us 12th
Oh and note to Dave, what are you going on about? We’ve had a top keeper who’s been playing at nowhere near his capacity, a defence who have been adjusting to not having a fully fit Lucas in front of them, hence the number of goals we’re conceding and those fantastic young players are only in and around the first team thanks to Rodgers. They’re far too young for us to be needing to rely on them week in week out. They do not have the stamina to be able to perform consistently yet at the highest level. They’ll get there as they look to have the talent, but if they do get there it will be largely because of Rodgers not despite him.
I fully agree with your comments on Henderson. I was highly surprised that Rodgers didn’t bring him on sooner, particularly as both Allen and Gerrard were having such poor games relatively speaking. We’ve looked lethargic and pedestrian in the middle in recent weeks, so would have been pleased at the very least to bring Henderson in there for Allen, but potentially even dropped Shelvey back in the middle in place of Gerrard as well and brought Suso on to play the wide attacking role.
People on various websites continue to mention why isn’t Assaidi playing…… He’s injured, hence his non-inclusion in the squad recently, however over and above this, he is struggling to adapt to the country and doesn’t speak a word of English, which is meaning he’s struggling to call for the ball, tell team mates where the ball should be played to him etc.. That on top of the additional pace and presence required in premier league football. Rodgers is therefore keeping him out of the firing line until he is a little more settled off the pitch in the hope it will help him to settle into the side.
All of what Dave said is true , I have heard the excuses > bad luck ,small squad , new tactics , bad players left over from KD . It doesn’t wash – the small squad is BR fault for wasting 15m on Allen instead of where needed and letting others go
Its BR fault if he cant get the squad up to speed on his tactics . The players like Downing , Carroll and Adam were mistakes and not top quality but they are decent premier players and could have been used more until suitable replacements found
No , we have heard the excuses all year . BR needs to take responsibility for messing us up
I couldn’t disagree more Magnus. Of course Rodgers has to take some responsibility. However, you cannot be deluded enough to think that we can continue to pay hundreds of thousands a week in wages to very average players such as Downing, Adam, Carroll as you point out whilst trying to bring other players in. We simply, without Champions League money cannot afford to do that. Last season we had the 3rd highest wage bill in the Premier League and finished 8th. What we are trying to achieve is the inverse of that, i.e. a third place finish with the 8th highest wage bill and that is how it should be. Rodgers needed to move those players on so that he could afford to buy the players we needed to improve the squad.
100% rodgers to blame . no more excuses plse
Shocking signings , shockingly bad team selections & subs etc , Persistance with the shockingly embarrassingly bad Joe Allen . It would be difficult to find a worse manager in the PL
At the end of the day , every manager can point to excuses ,” this went wrong “or ” that happened” – Fact is , it doesn’t matter . The buck stops with the manager , and on the evidence so far – Rodgers has failed miserably
Today was the first time he actually picked a proper team ,nearly everyone in correct positions , no Allen – 30 games 1 decent team selection
It amazes me that people keep defending Rodgers .He has performed abysmally in every department and makes ridiculous post match interviews to cover for his inability to get a result
This guy is just a championship manager who blagged his way into the job . Its not like its a Liverpool legend like Carra , Kenny or someone that is owed loyalty . Any one coming on here defending him is just in denial , its not nice to find out the person you put trust into , just isnt up to the job
redDUMB to the rescue
Jack the lad trolling again , at least have the balls to use your real id
if a manager shells out 15m on a waste of space like allen , and then refuses to drop him then he is to blame for our worst ever premier league start
Sorry Brendan must take responsibility , his signings are terrible , his football boring and negative , and his excuses are becoming legendary
Those 3 things = Epic fail
Rodgers picks them , trains them , bought some of them , motivates them etc etc
He has some excellent players , it is his fault
LFC played better without J. Allen and R. Sterling!
Way better without Allen . 1st time this season we played with 11 men
My god you people are moronic. And what a type A fool of an article.
To suggest the players have no fault in where we currently sit is the most idiotic notion in a long time.
The only moron is you . Another armchair fan who has never even been to anfield
Yea… Every single missed goal, muffed pass, red card, etc etc is Rogers fault…. U moronic fool
he picks them you fool , he continues to play allen even when he is sh*t for 20 games in a row , he tells them pass pass pass pass zzzz . he makes dumb ass substitutions , he wasted 30m plus , he went into the season with 1 striker , he doesnt play gerrard in his best position …. plus much much more
you dont really understand football , do you ?
or are you getting mixed up with aussie rules
maybe if you actually went to a game , you might understand better
I wouldn’t bother replying to the dopes on here Ozred. Most are so deluded they even accuse you of being someone else. ‘Gary’ calls himself a red and insults and accuses people of having never been to Anfield even though he couldn’t possibly know, then he fails to realise that it’s Liverpool’s worldwide support that makes it the club it is……….need anymore be said!
Who has heard the news that daniel sturridge is dew for a medical 2morrow
Well! Well! Is that Liverpool I see 5 points from 3rd position at Christmas! Well done BR! LOL!!
LOL – You think 8th is acceptable for LFC ? LOL What kind of idiot are you ?
We are Liverpool Football Club , not Stoke
Of course Rodgers is responsible . The players dont get sacked for being poor , the manager gets sacked for picking poor players
Rodgers fans can invent excuses if they wish ,but Rodgers has control ,he can buy good players or crap ones > and he bought crap
Players don’t get sacked for being poor… What do they get sacked for then??
BR as our manager must take full responsibility . If he cant get the players to perform then he is to blame .
BR is to be blame 4 his sellections and signings. Now he is talking of bringing Daniel Sturrige, how do u expect to compete with the likes of man u, man city, chelsea, arsenal, tothenham or even everton. Even if u are looking 4 young talent, WHY STURRIGE? check our reserve team close your eyes and pick any player there is equivalant to sturrige
Damn right . 12m could be better spent on someone else . Rodgers is clueless
Rodgers deserves credit for finally picking a decent team v Fulham . But can take the blame for most of the other 30 games
If you are looking for a scam forex site, this is the place for you. Here you find all forex scammers!