I DON’T like Stoke City very much. I find them boring and uninspiring to watch. I don’t appreciate constant long diagonal punts up field.
Watching the clock tick away dozens of time per match as balls are wiped with towels and set pieces are prepared meticulously isn’t my bag either.
I don’t find their physical approach easy on the eye but most importantly, I don’t like it when Liverpool have to play against them because I know it will be a tough game for the Reds to win.
Say what you will about Stoke (I often do), but they are a team you can set your watch by.
Liverpool conceded three times against them on Boxing Day. The first goal came from a long punt and flick on, the second from a corner and the third was from a long throw. Quelle suprise. The fact that Liverpool seemed ill equipped to deal with such obvious tactics was alarming but more frustrating still was the Reds inability to impose their contrasting style of play on their opponents throughout the game. Was that really a shock though?
Stoke are a team that have been pieced together in their managers image over several years. Tony Pulis knows how he wants his team to play, he knows what is effective and he has purchased footballers who will carry out his instructions consistently. The fact that these instructions are winning headers, being first to second balls, hitting percentage ‘diagonals’ and generally working as hard as humanely possible rather than attempting to play dazzling one touch pass and move football doesn’t matter.
The point remains that over a period of time Tony Pulis has assembled a squad that is able to successfully implement his preferred style of play. It doesn’t matter that his team play unattractive football, all that matters is that they are doing exactly what their manager wants them to.
Conversely, Brendan Rodgers’ group of players contains many who seem at odds with his football style. Whether or not his philosophy will ultimately be successful remains to be seen, but calls for his sacking (and there have been some, let’s not kid ourselves) and the growing lack of faith in his management at such an embryonic stage in his Liverpool career is depressing and unfortunately symptomatic of the modern day game. Time is hard to come by for managers these days, especially at Anfield.
Liverpool haven’t done as well as they should have this season in terms of league position, no one can dispute that and Rodgers has made mistakes, sometimes very important ones that have cost his team points (in my opinion). But cast your mind back 6 months and most Liverpool fans were applauding the notion of having a young manager with a vision.
Excitement surrounded the appointment of the softly spoken Northern Irishman who had a defined idea of how he wanted Liverpool to play going forward. 6 league defeats later and the goodwill and talk of steady progress over time is quickly evaporating.
Rodgers inherited a club that had been outside the top 6 under the stewardship of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish over the past 3 seasons and then lost important players like Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy in the summer. Is it any wonder Liverpool are barely hanging on to the coat tails of the teams fighting for fourth place when you look at it like that?
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It’s hard to swallow for Kopites but under FSG there is going to be no quick fix no matter what manager is at the helm. John Henry and co. are apparently unwilling to sanction the huge transfer fees and ludicrous wages that would give Liverpool an opportunity to immediately begin to challenge the top clubs again.
Whatever reservations are held about the clubs American owners, in the summer they appointed a manager who they believed could bring success within their business model. They didn’t move for a Harry Redknapp style manager and seek a quick fix, they appointed a 39 year old with a clearly defined plan for the future which (like every manager in world football) was not guaranteed to work.
They put their faith in Brendan Rodgers and so did the supporters of Liverpool. So, given that most Reds on Merseyside this summer embraced the notion of introducing more youth team players and building for the future with slow steady progress under a new manager is it not just a little short sighted for people to be condemning Rodgers as a failure after half a season and only 2 first team additions to the playing staff (one of whom has been injured for most of the season)?
Liverpool are a team who have finished between 6th and 8th for the past three seasons. A return to the Champions League is their obvious objective but the chances of it happening this season were only remote to begin with and with the criminal loss to Aston Villa and the surrender at Stoke it now seems outlandish that Liverpool will finish in the top four. But would it be asking too much to give this new manager another transfer window or two to actually bring in players to the club who actually fit his style of play and to wait and see if improvement occurs?
Daniel Sturridge is on his way from Chelsea, and while he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, does anyone seriously think that he wouldn’t have provided more league goals than Raheem Sterling (one), Stewart Downing (one), Jose Enrique (one) or Suso (zero) have this season?
Joe Cole, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and the like aren’t players that fit Rodgers system right now and he must be given time to acquire players who will before he is judged. Like Rodgers, Liverpool supporters want to see their team playing attractive, passing football and winning games. Why not give the man who intends to make this dream a reality the time and players to do it before getting on his back?
If you buy into a philosophy and a long term plan then you have to accept that it is likely going to take a while to perfect. Stoke are one of the best defensive sides in Europe this season and that didn’t happen overnight.
It happened because Tony Pulis, a man whose footballing philosophy I wholeheartedly disagree with, was allowed time to work with the players at his disposal and gradually mould a team in his image over numerous transfer windows. Giving Brendan Rodgers the same opportunity might just be an idea.
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I didn’t want Rogers in the first place, his tactics of holding the ball are negative, Alan Shearer was correct (in my view) to criticise Joe Allen’s square passing, rather than forward passing, Rogers responded calling forward passing “high risk” There are on average two goals a season scored from your own half of the pitch. there is nothing more high risk than playing the ball about in defence. If it wasn’t for the aggression of Suarez and the two fullbacks we would be relegation candidates, this down to B.R,s philosophy.
Rodgers has been very lucky that Suarez has saved us from complete humiliation so far . When he leaves in the summer it will be Rodgers fault for messing up the season
No one wanted Rodgers to begin with except fgs. What supporters wanted an unproven manager to take over our great club? Another fgs troll/stooge article. Pathetic.
Seems you’re well-and-truly on the bandwagon that wants to dismiss Stoke City for their unattractive approach to winning (and not losing) football matches. Back-handed compliments are as patronizing as your ignorance is predictable. What you seem to avoid recognition of in relation to Boxing Day was that overall, Stoke played the better football in a game they coasted to victory in.
PS I agree you should stick with Rodgers and wait until the end of the season to review his progress. He does need to learn quickly however that prissy football on the edge of your own box is far too risky, and should only be played a bit further up the field. (And Without Suarez Liverpool would be bottom 5 by the end of the season).
Stoke are shocking mate. Wish to support them? Please do, personally I’d give up on football if my team played like that. There are ways to do things in life, and that’s no way to play football!! Oh and by the way, take the best player from any team and they’d drop dramatically so what you say about Suarez has no relevance whatsoever. Enjoy your day!
jeez ive read your articles and i knew you were stupid , but i never thought THIS stupid
HE IS a Stoke fan you cabbage !
Go spend 10 years learning something of football before writing anything again
I dont like Rodgers football . I find it boring and uninspiring . sideways sideways backwards sideways backwards sideways backwards sideways …..zzzz its boring .
Im with you there . Liverpool have made many fans snooze this season
Yes , Rodgers has not only made us rubbish , but he has made us boring too !!!
Im thinking the author may be swallowing his words after watching stoke put 3 past Southampton in fine style,with no set piece in sight.
“…and then lost important players like maxi rodriguez,dirk kuyt and craig bellamy…” listen to yourself there.He sold them all.If he wanted em to stay,they would have.Clearing d guys on high wage u wanna call it but its just an excuse to take this great club into d bottom half of the table.Now let d sideway passers win d game for us.We are just lucky to have suarez,else you sure bet we’d be in d shambles of bottom 5.If they can’t let him go,they simply should find someone who wouldn’t go for overrated mediocre british players cos it breaks our heart wen they simply wear a red shirt and look like a headless chicken on the pitch.Peace
You are right . The two players had a year left and would have stayed if Rodgers wanted them
Rodgers is a born loser
Listen to YOURSELF Lanky…if HE wanted them to stay…dont talk rubbish…he had no say, they wanted to go and decided to go long before Rodgers came. Check your facts before placing the blame on the easiest target.
Yep. An inconvenient fact that nobody in here wants to recognize. Bellamy and maxi both committed to returning home to finish of their careers and dirk looking to finish of his career with a final contract with the idea of playing regularly the key component if that decision.
Whilst we suffer for it this year we will be better for it long term. Game time into sterling suso and shelvy is the outcome which will benefit from next year and beyond. Every chance sterling would have signed a contract elsewhere had he not been given the opportunities he has.
Plenty of mistakes have been made and questions remain but to pin everything on rogers is moronic.
Talking shi*e as always . Ive never seen anyone else that knows a little as football as u , judging by your nonsense comments
Talking about yourself Ed…give your head a wobble soft lad
listen at yourselves slagging off your manager and your players. get behind your side and encourage. Us Stokies cheer every player and are 100% behind our team every game and they respond to that. Youre blaming Rodgers but king kenny is the one who blew ur cash on carrol downing and henderson..abour£75 mill ??? love ur side for wot it is…a mid table club like us..good luck on the battle for 7th – 10th
Don’t flatter yourself mate.
Thats easy for you to say , you have a excellent successful manager doing wonders for you , we have a 2nd rate no mark who is taking us backwards
Oh and without goofy youd be in a battle wiv villa and wigan…..
Even Pulis long ball football would be better than the rubbish rodgers churns out
Even Stoke are better than Rodgers Liverpool . Sack the ass before things get worse
tHE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SITE AS COMMENTORS ARE AN EMBARASSMENT TO LIVERPOOL FANS EVERYWHERE.
No , you are the embarrassment . For those that want proof please read his last article LOL
Yes , that fool is clueless
I like stoke citys passion , never say die attitude, desire , and positivity . liverpool under rodgers possess none of those qualities . we will never be successful until we do