Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool -> Celtic -> Leicester)

Obviously I'm still behind Brendan 100%. Mind you, aside from taking a team who were perpetually under three different managers finishing 7th and almost winning the league with them inside two years he's achieved f*** all, so he'd better pull his finger out. This season we've been sh!te lets be honest, but my feeling is we'll still finish fourth and still have a good shot at getting out of the CL group, but anyway.

Those talking about a striker in January are surely aware that we have already played against the one we ought to be in for. He'd cost an arm and a leg and for some would represent a gamble, but Berahino at WBA has done enough to convince me he's going to be an absolutely top class forward. He'll cost an arm and a leg in January, but in 18 months he'll cost double that. My guess is we'd have to stump up a Markovic type fee if we do the work now, he's worth it.

Obviously I'm still behind Brendan 100%. Mind you, aside from taking a team who were perpetually under three different managers finishing 7th and almost winning the league with them inside two years he's achieved f*** all, so he'd better pull his finger out. This season we've been sh!te lets be honest, but my feeling is we'll still finish fourth and still have a good shot at getting out of the CL group, but anyway.

Those talking about a striker in January are surely aware that we have already played against the one we ought to be in for. He'd cost an arm and a leg and for some would represent a gamble, but Berahino at WBA has done enough to convince me he's going to be an absolutely top class forward. He'll cost an arm and a leg in January, but in 18 months he'll cost double that. My guess is we'd have to stump up a Markovic type fee if we do the work now, he's worth it.

Honestly never heard about Berahino before you mentioned him mate, but having now read a little about him I am obviously an expert on him and agree he seems a good player. Certainly he has excelled at u21 level and seems to score goals for fun, while comparisons to Ian Wright can't be bad at his age.

Obviously I will have to watch a couple of youtube clips before giving my complete seal of approval but £20million sounds reasonable sight unseen.

Obviously I'm still behind Brendan 100%. Mind you, aside from taking a team who were perpetually under three different managers finishing 7th and almost winning the league with them inside two years he's achieved f*** all, so he'd better pull his finger out. This season we've been sh!te lets be honest, but my feeling is we'll still finish fourth and still have a good shot at getting out of the CL group, but anyway.

Those talking about a striker in January are surely aware that we have already played against the one we ought to be in for. He'd cost an arm and a leg and for some would represent a gamble, but Berahino at WBA has done enough to convince me he's going to be an absolutely top class forward. He'll cost an arm and a leg in January, but in 18 months he'll cost double that. My guess is we'd have to stump up a Markovic type fee if we do the work now, he's worth it.

He's nippy and like to run in behind the defence,  exactly the type of player we should have went for!  Not sure if he is just a big fish in a small pond At the min,  but he looks decent. Might be worth a gamble, may be they would take Mario off our hands in a player + cash deal.

I think the problem is that we prioritized every area apart from the one that needed it most. To finish a transfer window with one player we didn't want (Borini), one player who was told he wouldn't be starting games (Lambert) and one player who was brought in as a calculated risk because of a lack of other options (Balotelli), to me shows a lack of genuine foresight.

We spent too much money trying to strengthen the squad to enable us to compete across the board and not enough on strengthening the team to enable us to win games.

The lack of a genuine 3rd striker has cost us dearly in my opinion as we have been forced to play with a single striker since Sturridge's injury when if we had a third striker of reasonable quality he could have stepped in and at least given us some semblance of an attacking threat whilst hopefully bringing a little more out of Balotelli than we have seen so far.

I predicted before the season that I expected we would score around 75 goals this season without Suarez... at the moment that looks a pretty optimistic prediction as we are on course to finish with around 65 goals at the moment ....while conceding around 60!

It certainly looked like we were serious about strengthening the attack,  with our interest in Sanchez,  I believe Brendan would have liked D'maria and/or Falco they were never likely $$$$$! In the end we ran out of options, so bought Mario as a last resort.

He's nippy and like to run in behind the defence,  exactly the type of player we should have went for!  Not sure if he is just a big fish in a small pond At the min,  but he looks decent. Might be worth a gamble, may be they would take Mario off our hands in a player + cash deal.

Really like the look of the lad and it's a matter of time before the vultures descend on him, just the sort of striker we need without Studge. As for Brendan I feel he needs to take stock and a step back from being so open about everything.

It certainly looked like we were serious about strengthening the attack,  with our interest in Sanchez,  I believe Brendan would have liked D'maria and/or Falco they were never likely $$$$$! In the end we ran out of options, so bought Mario as a last resort.

I am not so sure mate. I think we were interested in Sanchez but once he had made his preference clear I think we were stumped. I have no doubt Brendan would have liked D'Maria or Falcao.... or Messi or Ronaldo come to that ... but once we missed out on Remy who I think would have been the ideal 3rd striker, we just went looking for another bargain buy rather than trying to get the best striker we could attract or afford.

To me our transfer policy has been more about buying this weeks transfer bargain than bringing in players that will improve us. Gambling on players potential rather than players of proven ability.  Can, Markovic, Moreno, Origi etc all have great potential but we needed players who could deliver NOW.  It's no use buying a packet of vegetable seeds when you are starving now.   

I am not so sure mate. I think we were interested in Sanchez but once he had made his preference clear I think we were stumped. I have no doubt Brendan would have liked D'Maria or Falcao.... or Messi or Ronaldo come to that ... but once we missed out on Remy who I think would have been the ideal 3rd striker, we just went looking for another bargain buy rather than trying to get the best striker we could attract or afford.

To me our transfer policy has been more about buying this weeks transfer bargain than bringing in players that will improve us. Gambling on players potential rather than players of proven ability.  Can, Markovic, Moreno, Origi etc all have great potential but we needed players who could deliver NOW.  It's no use buying a packet of vegetable seeds when you are starving now.   

Who was available though mate? Altough everyone is available for the right price, just like Suarez.

To be fair he did take over the side still stuck in the mindset of  kennys  second half in charge

"Mindset" - that's an interesting take on things. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that M4 - I remember the 'mindset' being less of an issue to the end of that season than injuries to basically the whole of our midfield for long periods.

I know the team certainly took a hit, in the League, when it became clear they couldn't finish top four, had already qualified for 'Europe', had already won one Cup and were playing towards the final of another. Maybe that [stop concentrating on the League] is the 'mindset' you mean? If it is; I can see that.

Although the other side of that particular coin is; Brendan had inherited players who had tasted success (albeit 'limited') the season before and a midfield who was fit... not forgetting his own players - Borini, Allen, Assaidi, Yesil and Sahin.

To be honest - Brendan's poor start had less to do with the players he inherited and 'mindset' than new players, trying to play a new system [remember the tippy-tappy, sterile, pass it around the back five for an hour, possession based stuff?] playing inexperienced kids and not forgetting... a very difficult opening set of fixtures.

The improvement, as I recall (but my old mind may be wrong), came when we, signed Coutinho and Sturridge, brought back senior players, ditched tippy-tappy, sterile possession 'style' and played the more direct game we'd been used to. [Couts & Studge being the only 'Brendan' additions to the starting XI].

In my opinion the only 'mindset' problems, we have, come from whoever dictates a transfer policy should based primarily on cost/re-sale value/wages, rather than ability. 

Anyway - back on topic: I firmly believe that Brendan can turn things around. Far from being stubborn; I've always seen him as adaptable and open to change and it's that, which I believe, will see us through this sticky patch.

Who was available though mate? Altough everyone is available for the right price, just like Suarez.

As you say, I think it depends how much you are willing to spend.  My own preference would have been for Tevez, a similar type of player to  Suarez, although Reus might have been an option for the right price. We all have our favorites, but it is the lack of any real ambition to bring in the quality we needed that hits home the hardest. We never seemed to really "go" all out for any player after Sanchez but drifted from player to player until time was almost up .... then just settled for Balotelli.   

While Chelsea seemed to have a well planned approach to transfers, and the mancs seemed to have a throw enough money at the problem approach, we seemed to have a "who's cheap and available" attitude.

The biggest concern for me is that we no longer seem willing to even try to compete with other clubs for players. We managed to spend over a £100million this summer and I can't think of one player we beat off other clubs to sign. 

   

As you say, I think it depends how much you are willing to spend.  My own preference would have been for Tevez, a similar type of player to  Suarez, although Reus might have been an option for the right price. We all have our favorites, but it is the lack of any real ambition to bring in the quality we needed that hits home the hardest. We never seemed to really "go" all out for any player after Sanchez but drifted from player to player until time was almost up .... then just settled for Balotelli.   

While Chelsea seemed to have a well planned approach to transfers, and the mancs seemed to have a throw enough money at the problem approach, we seemed to have a "who's cheap and available" attitude.

The biggest concern for me is that we no longer seem willing to even try to compete with other clubs for players. We managed to spend over a £100million this summer and I can't think of one player we beat off other clubs to sign. 

   

Isn't it strange when people argue that Brendan got most of the players he wanted,  wouldn't it be better if Brendan was allowed to buy all the players he really wants.

Isn't it strange when people argue that Brendan got most of the players he wanted,  wouldn't it be better if Brendan was allowed to buy all the players he really wants.

I think that is the only reason Brendan hasn't taken more stick than he has done for his transfer flops mate... everyone knows he has restrictions on who he can and can't buy.

I think that is the only reason Brendan hasn't taken more stick than he has done for his transfer flops mate... everyone knows he has restrictions on who he can and can't buy.

I'd be a hypocrite if I criticized his transfers this season,  as I agreed with a lot of them,  Lallana,  Markovic, Moreno, Lambert and Origi all seemed like good business on his behalf

I'd be a hypocrite if I criticized his transfers this season,  as I agreed with a lot of them,  Lallana,  Markovic, Moreno, Lambert and Origi all seemed like good business on his behalf

I was a little more ambitious and wanted Neuer, Hummells, Fabregas, Lallana, Reus and Tevez

I was a little more ambitious and wanted Neuer, Hummells, Fabregas, Lallana, Reus and Tevez

John Henry just choked on his breakfast! 

I really don't think we should sign anyone else this season we have enough players lets see what we have got.
I couldn't stand another "one for the future" signing.

I really don't think we should sign anyone else this season we have enough players lets see what we have got.
I couldn't stand another "one for the future" signing.

You don't think we should sign a new goal keeper and goal scorer, who we should have signed as a priority in the Summer? I'm with you on the 'ones for the future', it's killing our club but surely you must agree that if we can get established talent in those two areas we'd be best served signing them?

You don't think we should sign a new goal keeper and goal scorer, who we should have signed as a priority in the Summer? I'm with you on the 'ones for the future', it's killing our club but surely you must agree that if we can get established talent in those two areas we'd be best served signing them?

we have spent £210+million and we had 5 outfield players from them on Weds.
I don't trust us to go out and buy the right lads in January

I really don't think we should sign anyone else this season we have enough players lets see what we have got.
I couldn't stand another "one for the future" signing.

The ''one for the future'' tag does tie in with somebody's agenda if not financial constrictions.

why didnt we loan song ? i guess he wasnt so expensive if west ham afforded him ? he's a F***ing rock in midfield

why didnt we loan song ? i guess he wasnt so expensive if west ham afforded him ? he's a f**king rock in midfield

Have to agree, he won that game for them today.

Surely the match to confirm to Rodgers that a lone striker is NOT the way forward - two strikers up front and we were creating space and movement like it was last season. Two strikers up front - and it looked a solid shape for the first time since Tottenham..... whe we played two strikers up front.

It should not be seen as a stigma to start with two strikers - the lone striker system is overrated these days, and there is still a place for two strikers. This bizaare idea that it's out of date in the footballing world is insane.

Two strikers MUST start the next game.

When have we won competitions with lone strikers anyway?

why didnt we loan song ? i guess he wasnt so expensive if west ham afforded him ? he's a f**king rock in midfield

one of the players who I wanted to see at anfield.

and he went to West Ham!

Deserves every bit of stick that heads his way tonight:

Starting Balotelli.
Not starting Coutinho.

Both awful decisions and no doubt will say "positive is the clean-sheet" well F**k that a draw against Hull at home wont get us anywhere near top 4.

We are dire.