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.
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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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Rogers mistake is he opens his mouth all the frikkin time, prove it on the pitch. thats how u get respect :/
Rodgers I’d simply clueless . Analyzing his mistakes would take too long and it’s a complete waste of time as he doesn’t learn from them
So stubborn that he doesn’t want to learn from his mistakes. We want to be on the team’s side but Brendan makes it very difficult for us! He needs to buy players who are strong, with height and real workhorses!!! Our fitness regime must change and be tough. Oh how I noticed the body language of our players when it started pouring a bit heavily and in comparison the Saints players! It was embarrassing to say the least.wake up guys, we are getting tired of this.
Rogers is useless .should be gone in summer
Put Hendo in the team if there is a department agree we have too many players is the midfield so why play an injured Allen when you have got Hendo, Lucas and Jonjo. I seriously think that Rogers should select players depending on the type of opponents. It cannot be one type fits all. Most of the matches we have lost were against teams that have big strong players. You find players like Hendo on the bench and small and injured Allen will be struggling in the middle of the park. Riggers fails to read the game at times.
Brendan Rodgers is not up to LFC standard. Has’nt brought in a decent player yet. He does’nt even know his first eleven. Lucas and Allen are both useless, we’ll never do any good with those two, he told Downing to go before xmas, now he plays every game..WTF??!! Playing for feck all with 3 month of the season left is’nt progress. Rodgers out in summer.. FSG…sell to someone with ambition…please.
‘Lucas is useless’.
You’re an idiot!!
This guy is just a douche! Did you sit on your rain while writing all this, Chips??
You really need to crawl back into your cave and hunt for brains, instead of food
Rodgers out . Worst season in living memory. Worst signing in living memory (allen). Worst manager in living memory
…and I’m 57 years old
Are you that forgetful you don’t remember Hodgson?
Hmmmmm . No . Check it out . Roy had a better league win ratio than Rodgers .
Roy was a top experienced manager with a history of achievements and success – far better than Rodgers
Roy had a host of bad injuries to key players – Rodgers has been immensely lucky with injuries
Roy was bad – but he had the experience and intelligence to turn it around . Rodgers does not
konchesky!!?? poulsen!!?? biscan!!?? just to name a few…nd i am 12 years old
While understand your sentiments but hope you realise you were only 4 years old when Igor Biscan left for Panathinaikos in our Champions league winning year of 2005.
Our coach is not good enough clear and simple
Allen his best buy is our team worse player.
Agree Lucas Hendderson better option,
What a waste of point ,3 ,and Spurs lost ,gap would have been 6 only , i really started to dream of CL .
nOW its clear BR must be out ,we need smart coach not fro England please.
Malaga coach is great option ,true class
No his best signings are Sturridge and Coutinho. But Sturridge has been on the radar long before Rogers turned up and even Rogers admitted he didnt meet Coutinho before he was signed which begs the question who did!?
Rogers would need permission to meet Coutinho b4 he signed, also if they did meet, it would have alerted other clubs to his availability. Suarez apart, our best signing in years.
We are waiting our time with Brendan Rodgers. Teams like stoke and everton are more effective than Liverpool on many occasions in the premiership because of their direct style. It is ok playing pretty football against Swansea reserves but we must be able to adapt when the plan isn’t working. When Rodgers binned Andy Carroll without a chance, the writing was on the wall. No need to get rid of Kenny so quickly and Rafa would have us in the top four this season. Emporer’s new clothes methinks.
Good point by Tommy –
How lucky has Rodgers been with injuries ?
Gerrard hasn’t missed a game – that has never happened before
Suarez missed 1 to suspension
All his key players have been virtually injury free
Wow . When has another manager had that much good luck ?
I have never seen it before
… And despite that plus a poor arsenal , Chelsea and Newcastle teams.- we are still way behind the top 4
Yes -Rodgers Has been very very lucky . Imagine if Suarez had been out for a few weeks , or stevie .
Throw Daniel Agger into that list. When was the last time he played an entire season injury free??
Thank You Bill, all our Good players has been fit, but Rodgers cant get results . Useless stubborn coach.
See it this way, Last year under kenny, Suarez had 8 match bounds, Gerard was somtimes injured, so as Agger, Skertel and we still made 8 position in the league, got the carling cup and were in FA final, beat chelsea twice in a week, knock off the two manchesters in FA and Carling Cups, beat Arsenal at home etc. what do we have now only managed to beat Spurs one of the clubs in the 1st six. out of Carling cup, FA and was beaten by Oldham Fc. culdnt get any away goal with Zenit to continue in Europa and likely to finish 7th this season and see our best player Suarez leave for European championship football.
Before the game i told a friend that Rodgers will mess up that game, cos if we had won, we will still be above Everton on the same point but goal difference and still pursue Arsenal and Spurs. but on many occasion that we needed to close those gaps we lose woefully to Aston villa, stoke etc thru Rodgers non wining mentality, pride, stubbornes, and favoritism with pet Joe Allen
I need Rodgers out. let this club come back to its Status. the insults and pains are to much from other fans.
I fully agree. Well said
For all the mistakes Rodgers has made this season to say he has been lucky with injuries and then reel of a list of players is a joke. Perhaps one thing he has got right is the fitness and training of these players.
Haters clearly see the bad as bad and the good as lucky. Get some perspective peeps.
lfc shud look on heyneckes.bavarians are parting ways with him
The owners MUST understand that, everytime we appoint a british manager, they keep putting LFC further down the ladder.
Since Rafa went, we have gone from the most feared team in europe, to a poor mid table team at best….and that FSG is a FACT!!!.
Not fair . Rodgers is rubbish ,but there are plenty of good British managers out there
Yes exactly. Ferguson and Moyes are British and have a reasonably good record and Bobby Robson was a British Legend as well. Kenny was great in his first stint.
What I cannot fathom is how we went for a 2nd rate manager with no credentials who’s range of talent spotting was limited to his former team instead of going for a more experienced manager to steady the ship.
FSG has played the tiki taka Russian Roulette card and we will suffer for some time yet!
His biggest mistake is taking the liverpool job.
Playing Allen was the huge mistake. It was like starting with 10 men, players just run through him like a little schoolboy. Henderson was playing well lately so I just don’t know what Rodgers was thinking.
…that’s the problem .. Rodgers is not good st thinking
Spot on Allen is just too small and too slow to play in the middle of the park. It really is men versus boys. As someone her has said we struggle against big strong teams but especially so with Allen in the side.
Where?, there’s only one, Fergie. If you do look at the ‘Premiership Table’ the first four or five teams are managed by foreigners, and that has been the case for quite a while now!.
What a disaster Rodgers has been !
Where are the owners in all this ??
Mr Henry needs to get back here and sort this mess out. We need a decent manager now
Liverpool need a new goalkeeper and a completely NEW defence, the current crop are spineless cowards, chokers and serial letdown merchants, and will build you up and knock you down again and again and AGAIN – move them OUT!.
Players are fine .it’s the clueless manager and nonsense tactics that are to blame
Spot on mate…
STE do you know foothball at all?. how can u blame the defence that came as one of the best last season? let me tel you, if your Midfeild is good there is less pressure at the back and the attack is good too. When you have an Injured small Allen in the heart of the Midfeild against a physical 5 men midfeild what do u expect the defence to do? get down players and probably get sent off or get penalties.Reason this well, there are times we nid 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or even 4-4-2 formations depending on the team you are playing against.
i sure believe the defence at times messes up, but a good midfeild will help them nontheless.
Brendan Rogers is obviously a good coach, he’s helped the team play an attractive high possession game that’s worked well with our, already established, pass & move system. However this match is another example of him being very tactically naive. We need a MANAGER now, not just a coach. Someone who has the intelligence to select the correct team and formation and be able to make smart substitutions when they’re needed, rather than ‘resting’ players 10 minutes from the end of a game.
Rodgers cannot organise a defence if his life depended on it, teams when theyre up for it carve through us like a hot knife through butter.
Liverpool performance this year is just like a roller coaster, not able to see any consistency. Joe Allen is totally not good enough to play for Liverpool and was huge mistakes to sign him with £15 million.Top 4 position is beyond our reach for few years to come. Evertonian seems stronger and better than Liverpool now. BR must sort the problem now or else resign and take over by other world class manager. FSG need to wake up now, Liverpool need a strong support to improve the squad.
Liverpool performance this year is just like a roller coaster, not able to see any consistency. Joe Allen is totally not good enough to play for Liverpool and was huge mistakes to sign him with £15 million.Top 4 position is beyond our reach for few years to come. Evertonian seems stronger and better than Liverpool now. BR must sort the problem now or else resign and take over by other world class manager. FSG need to wake up now!!
Liverpool performance this year is just like a roller coaster, not able to see any consistency. Joe Allen is totally not good enough to play for Liverpool and was huge mistakes to sign him with £15 million.Top 4 position is beyond our reach for few years to come. Evertonian seems stronger and better than us now. BR must sort the problem now or else resign and take over by other world class manager. FSG need to wake up now!!