IN the first instalment of this feature we looked at how well Brendan Rodgers implemented a new playing style to the team and how he augmented the squad with the inclusion of young players.
This section will look at how the first team was dealt with and his performance in competitions.
FSG had made plain that they did not feel that Liverpool had been getting value for money. High wages and high transfer fees had yielded little success and with a restructuring of contracts, Rodgers had to work in a different environment to many of his predecessors. To that end high earners like Bellamy, Aquilani, Maxi, Adam and Kuyt were dispensed with and Carroll’s services were sacrificed with the hope of adding an extra option to the front line.
Sadly, the team was not reinforced up-front until Sturridge’s arrival but the cull continued with Joe Cole being moved on in January. While a new contract was awarded to Suarez, this saw a much greater emphasis on reward for performance, a growing trait in LFC player’s contracts.
Rodgers is still only part way through this shift of creating a cheaper and more productive team and the club has been busy realigning the squad early this summer. However, how he has dealt with the first team in the interim has provided some insight into his ability.
One of the hopes for the new man was that he could revitalise players who had underwhelmed in a red shirt. Repairing the reputation of current squad members would improve the team as well as increase the transfer fees that those players could command.
Downing had been one of the big name signings the previous year but endured an abject debut season. With his price tag plummeting and his on pitch performance flat lining, Rodgers was expected to do all he could to restore value and belief to the North East winger. It took a shift to left back and a warning that his future no longer remained at Anfield for Downing to rediscover the form that made him a regular in the England squad and one of Aston Villa’s key players. He pinned down a first team place for the rest of the season and was reliable for the remainder of the campaign.
Rodgers also coaxed quality out of Jordan Henderson, another big money purchase. Restoring the young midfielder to a central role and providing him with the competition of similar aged rivals, Joe Allen and Jonjo Shelvey, Henderson ended the season with 5 goals and 4 assists. This was a greater goal contribution than he had managed in any of his previous seasons. It also reminded us of the potential that had prompted Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli to fork out a huge chunk of their transfer budget for the player.
Rodgers must be given credit for this rejuvenation of squad members whose Liverpool careers had looked in jeopardy. Both players now look to have a Liverpool future and the re-sale value for these two is much greater than it was at the end of last season. A further example was the manager’s response to Jose Enrique’s wavering form at the end of the 2012 season and the beginning of last season. He had no fear in dropping LFC’s only recognised senior left-back. The result was another return to form and restoration to the starting line-up for the Spaniard.
Yet, this was not the only department in which Rodgers did well with the first team. Some of the veterans also improved under the new manager. Gerrard amassed more starts than he had done in the two previous seasons and despite playing in a deeper role, he registered 10 goals, 9 of which came in the league. While the manager cannot be directly heralded for conjuring up a fit Steven Gerrard for the whole season, he can be credited for retaining our captain’s goal threat while moving him further away from the attacking line.
Likewise, Glen Johnson, the so called defensive liability, started in 16 games in which Liverpool kept a clean sheet, more than any other player and he had his best season in a red shirt. The fullback was at the heart of Liverpool’s liberal attacking movements and was the only rival to Luis Suarez for player of the season.
Which neatly brings us to the Uruguayan.
Suarez is Liverpool’s most valuable asset both on the pitch and in terms of value. Brendan Rodgers’ impact here is one that is not just overlooked it has been overwritten. At the beginning of the season fans were worried about our goal tally. Not only had our most expensive striker been moved on without replacement but also our no.1 forward man was someone who most thought of as incapable of plundering the goals needed to mount an assault at the top of the table. Having mustered 15 league goals in 44 appearances for Kenny Dalglish at an average of a goal every 2.9 game,s the Uruguayan was cursed for his profligacy.
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However, Rodgers enticed 23 goals from 33 games out of Suarez, a rate of a goal every 1.4 games. His overall record also improved from 21 goals in 52 games (2.47 games per goal) under the King to 30 goals in 44 games (1.466 games per goal) under the Northern Irishman. Doubling the potency of your greatest weapon is an exceptional feat, especially as this was an imperative given the reduced forward options at Rodgers disposal. There is no doubt that Suarez is a more valuable asset to the team than he was 12 months ago and that is in no small part down to Rodgers ability to create a system which exploit the talents of the skilful.
While Rodgers gains plenty of positives for his ability to improve the attacking talents at his disposal, the defensive talents were more of a concern. An inability to deal with strong and aerially dominant opponents was Liverpool’s Achilles heel this term.
Stoke, Aston Villa and West Brom were all dangerous opponents for LFC and although these frailties were papered over by the return of Carragher, it is a dilemma that must be resolved next year. Rodgers must decide whether Skrtel’s huge drop in form was transitory or whether it demonstrated a fundamental inability to get to grips with the new system and playing style.
There is also remains a question mark over whether Enrique can perform for a full season having delivered only half a season of quality for Liverpool each season thus far. Yet, as highlighted in a previous piece, the perceived deficiencies at the back still saw the team concede a similar number of goals and keep the second highest clean sheets.
So while Rodgers did well with some of the talents at his disposal, this only really matters in how it translates into success in competitions. In the League Cup, Liverpool made amends for their opening day defeat by triumphing at The Hawthorns but followed that up with a wretched defeat at the hands of Swansea, of all clubs, in the next round. Chants of ‘you’re just a s*** Swansea City’ ringing around Anfield while humorous, was one of the lowest points of the season.
In the FA Cup Liverpool fared no better losing in the fourth round to Oldham Athletic. Anyone in attendance that night could attest to Boundary Park being the one of worst environments to be subjected to freezing temperatures and rain. The holes in the roof only added to the majesty of it all. The defeat was compounded by the fact that it was aerial prowess again that was the source of LFC’s defensive issues.
Yet none of this would have mattered had Rodgers finished higher up in the Premier League. The new manager was asked to arrest the deterioration of Liverpool’s league finishes. Over the last 4 seasons Liverpool have seen standards slip in the league from being Champions League heavyweights and title contenders to scratching around the upper mid-table.
The stated ambition was to challenge for the top 4 this season and there can be no shying away from the fact that Liverpool never seriously threatened to break into the promised land of Champions League football. Had there been an improvement in standards that at least saw Liverpool look like they could compete with the top teams, the display in the cups would not have been an issue. If we were still in the running for the top four with a couple of games to go it would have showed real signs of progress.
The reality is that Liverpool weren’t that close and when the team looked to have momentum in December, instead of pushing on, they faltered. The positive is that the team looked galvanised in the second half of the season and we should feel optimistic that we will be a stronger and more competitive team next season especially after we picked up more points than we have for a while. That said, Rodgers underperformed in the department where his ability most counts.
So with one year of the Rodgers era already laid to rest, the truth is that the man has had areas where he has excelled but the end product on the pitch was not good enough. That does not mean that he has done a bad job.
Indeed, if we look at the season in the context it should be placed, a transitional season, Rodgers has actually performed fairly well. He has cast off players unsuitable to his system, he has brought optimism to a flagging Academy, and he has introduced a playing style that can crush opponents. But these aspects have not been harnessed together to form a successful season overall.
There is still the worry that the team might not be able to perform under pressure when challenging for a top position. This is something we’ll only discover next season. The foundations though, look to have been securely embedded and if the blueprint is the right one, we may have built something much better come May next year.
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We need mkhitaryan plse
if we get him , mkhitaryan , then i believe we’ll be in top 4 and if we can hold on to suarez , we’ll be even stronger , need mkhitaryan though
Rodgers lack consistency
Liverpool fans should be really pleased
With the progress that BR as made
Over the last 10 yrs the only thing what as kept us going is our name Liverpool fc
We have seen big names come and under performed and not wear our shirt with pride as it should be worn
BR his trying to set a system that we play attractive football and we score goals
So for all you Liverpool fans that don’t believe in BR then go and support Chelsea’man city and buy the title
I would rather win it by hard work and desire I’m a true Liverpool fan for 30 yrs
And I still believe in my team YNWA
Your a fool.
you’re a bigger fool @Rom
I’ll second that Nana. I wish this site could rid itself of those Mancs.
Wooooooo. Grow up. Only Mancs and bitters want us to keep Rodgers. Which one are u ?
I agree. Would rather win the league developing players and buying astutely than buying big and being a grotesque, plastic club like chelsea and man city. They represent everything I detest about the epl
If the current lfc manager represents everything u want in a manager, then am sorry to let u knw that as a matter of fact, u ve no foresight nd ambition.
Take note that hardwork nd desire to win is missing in the brendan lfc.
Rodgers has been awful from start to finish. Clearly way out of his depth
You honestly don’t know what your talking about look at the facts facts
More goals
3rd highest scoring team
BR improved talent brought in
Ynwa
Err. Dumbo ! . We had a pathetic season in case u didn’t notice….or is 7th with 3 embarrassing early cup exits with our season over in February ok with kids like u ?
You need to get a clue. This isn’t FIFA13
No condition is permanent, if we are nt gud 2day we wil be gud 2mrw…but let add mkhitaryan to da strong squad we re building under B.R
Brendan Rodgers is Karl Pilkington
sharplfc nice comment. BR should b given more time,he knows wats best 4 d club. IBWT
7th in the table. Dreadful performances in the cups. Poor players signed last summer….I would say BR has been terrible
He is simply here as a yes man for FSG. he didn’t deserve the Liverpool job, and he doesn’t deserve to keep it now. Rodgers had 55m to spend and a season with little injury problems. Rodgers should have been sacked. Kenny was sacked for far less
Another retarded moanfest called stevie G stil thinks k.k was better.go play golf ur sick chel* is the place for you
Rodgers has had his bedding in year , hopefully he has completed his ‘learning curve’ and now he needs to start producing.
There can be no more excuses because last season was not acceptable for a club of Liverpools stature . He needs to produce results now or he needs to go.
I think y’all hating will bow your heads in shame cme end of next season wen we have drastically improved
Poor season in general . I dint think Rodgers is the man for the job . we wont get top 4 under Rodgers , we need a top manager soon if things dont improve
I wld be happy to be proved wrong by rodgers but its unfortunate that wont happen.
where do some people think this club is, for the last number of years we have been at best a mid-table team not world beaters, FSG payed to get us out of the mess that previous owners put us into, along with stupid buys of over priced players, Brendan Rodgers has been brought in to return us to how things were done when we were winning things its how they do things they look at when you were winning things and repeat how it was done.
BR is not good enough for LFC. Should be sacked as soon as possible.
Im convinced Rodgers is our worst manager ever , he doesnt have what it takes to be a top manager. I expect him to be gone after next season.
get down the bookies and put everything you have on it
Brendan rogers should be given every bit of support from true lfc fans
The ones that don’t believe do one
You are not true Liverpool fans
Because BR has improved our team and
Getting rid of dead wood who was brought by previous managers so plz get it right with wot you write facts facts ynwa
Blah blah blah
So ? If u don’t believe in Rodgers ur not a true fan ? Ha.
Grow up u clown
And Rodgers has NOT improved anything. Your just a sheep unable to think for yourself
Dennis ur a moron
Sturridge’ coutinho’ two very good buys in January previous manger dalglish Carroll sh*
Downing was sh* but done ok under BR
Henderson was sh* but done ok under BR we score a lot of goals last season under BR third highest in prem
Three good buys so far so ur be eatting your word when we are challenging for the prem so follow the team in stead of slagging the manager u moron ynwa
You are clearly a halfwit.
Consider what he started with. His management skills both in terms of restructuring and creating an attractive and scary good attacking football style of play has been impressive. It was a transition year.
If he can’t kick on this coming season you would have an argument, but all things considering, the man has showed he’s a pretty good manager so far.
Cheers
Shutup . You are the half-wit. More idiotic excuses from the Rodgers fanboy
Brilliant counter argument there. You really showed me why I was wrong and you know what you’re talking about with that well thought out and structured reply.
Tell me how long sir Alex took to improve united? Has BR done more in less time. He actually has.
Cheers
Yawn. Your knowledge of football is as always pathetic. If you had a idea you would know fergie improved utd immediately…but you are uneducated when it comes to football
Check the facts before bleating out nonsense excuses. You are laughable
improved???? i wonder if some of our fans really watch our games. if yes, then they must be comparing brenda lfc with hodgson lfc……its as clear as daylight.
I like Brendan , I like what he is trying to do but I don’t think he has the know-how or the experience to manage a club of our size.
I hope I am wrong but I fear another disappointment this season . Brendan talks a good game but has failed to back it up so far.
YNWA jf96
Hi Thomas
We may have been a big club ten years ago but we have just been existing on the name Liverpool football club
We was once a club where every other club was afraid to face us but now we just a ordinary football club but that is not down to BR that is previous managers
BR is trying to repair the damage what others have done and me personally think is is doing a fantastic job and he will get us there ynwa BR thanx
hodgson was our first mistake nd we got rid of him, rodgers is skyrocketing our nose dive to relegation nd i hope nd wish to be proved wrong.
There is no future for Liverpool as a top club unless we replace Rodgers with a top manager. Rodgers has been poor in every department. The squad is being downgraded by this average manager and we shall continue to struggle until Rodgers is removed. X(
The problem is n’t frm BR,But frm the owner that fail to invest massively in the team.lf u look at other like manu,city ,chelsea, juve look at d amount there been given by the club to buy players.
Hey David.. genious. The manager is too weak to manage lfc… he is really a kind of lower mid table club… he did well with ‘swanselona’ that was all he could do… he cant win a trophy,,, he lack tactics… players are seen wicked coz of him.. scoring a goal or making a tackle is up to player’s tactic…. but how a ball move from behind up to the scorer, a system of playing is a work of manager…. he failed,,,, how can we loose all those games and at high no. of goals? we always lost by 3 goals to weaker sides like west brom… assume rodgers was given that arsenal squad… for sure he would be in championship by now…
all the top drawers in the arsenal team wld ve handed in a transfer request.