Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool -> Celtic -> Leicester)

Yeah probably a good idea bearing in mind the level of intelligence on here sometimes   

No, you are being a bit of a tit. Pull the tampon out lady.

His real test is going to be what he does when Stevie is back fit.  We're flying without him and there's no reason for him to walk back into the starting XI even if he is 100% fit. 

But will Rodgers try to shoehorn him in....?

There's always this first real test.
When Suarez left, it was his first real test to make the team win despite of all new faces.
After few issues, he manages to make us hard to beat again and start winning games.
Then again came the first real test. To go through the Feb month trying to get good points against top teams.
He manages to do it again and again comes the first real test. "what he does when Stevie is back fit".

I think there will always be the first real test for him but he will always come out of it with flying colours.

Ok.  so does Stevie walk back into the starting XI when he's back fit?

Ok.  so does Stevie walk back into the starting XI when he's back fit?

No.

Back to Rodgers, credit due to him for flipping us around and having us challenging once more in the league.

Does anyone else share the opinion that Rodgers can have us only challenging without European distractions?.

FSG stuck with him and he's repaying the faith we had a bad start due to losing our main striker and one of the top 5 players in the world. people who blamed BR are mad no team would recover from that loss the way we have and its credit to the players working hard, BR sticking to his guns and tactics and also the Board for showing faith in him. I hope he's given a new 5yr extended deal this summer along with Sterling and Jordan Henderson as a one day announcement.

No.

Back to Rodgers, credit due to him for flipping us around and having us challenging once more in the league.

Does anyone else share the opinion that Rodgers can have us only challenging without European distractions?.

Interesting question because so far the evidence suggests no and he seems to need the extra coaching time with players to get them ready for the one game on the weekend.

But as the new players get used to his methods then surely they don't need as much coaching as they all become ingrained in his philosophy.
The other biggie is that he has minimal European experience being so young and new to this level himself. No doubt it takes a different mindset and approach compared to the PL.

A bit of a chicken and egg situation how do you get experience if your knocked out before you even get going?

It was always the risk of choosing a rookie manager but He has shown he is a clever guy and is learning all the time and will master the trick of playing midweek on Europe and on the weekend.

As dell boy would say this time next year......

Ok.  so does Stevie walk back into the starting XI when he's back fit?

Who knows? Depends on how he performs in training and what tactical roles Brendan wants to use. Unfortunately this means that we as fans can only speculate. Fortunately for us, that is all we are good at.

On another note; and this isn't aimed at anyone, but does anyone else hate the expression "walk into [the team/the XI/etc]"? It seems to imply automatically that it is without merit. Other similar irritations I have are "shunted out wide" and "frozen out". They are dripping with narrative, which is rarely justified.

I think we need 3 or 4 quality players added to the squad to be able to mount any challenge in Europe, having said that, if we had scraped through the qualifying table no f*cker would relish playing us now with the form we are in.

We were on a bit of form going in against Besiktas only do be undone by a pen miss, I hoped we would feature till the semi if not the actual final.

Touching on adding "quality players" to this squad, it's what's required now, one or two seniors with European experience to help us push on in those competitions.

I hope the summer recruitment drive is one that we desire without asking to break the bank.

We were on a bit of form going in against Besiktas only do be undone by a pen miss, I hoped we would feature till the semi if not the actual final.

Touching on adding "quality players" to this squad, it's what's required now, one or two seniors with European experience to help us push on in those competitions.

I hope the summer recruitment drive is one that we desire without asking to break the bank.

I agree with you Shabs I think Brendan Rodgers lack of experience I European Football has let him down in the champions league and Europa. I also agree that we bring in a couple of top class signings and not multi signings like the last summer transfer window.

I agree with you Shabs I think Brendan Rodgers lack of experience I European Football has let him down in the champions league and Europa. I also agree that we bring in a couple of top class signings and not multi signings like the last summer transfer window.

We brought quality in last summer. Honestly, if our best signings this coming summer are as good as our best last summer, I will be happy, regardless of how much they cost or how fancy pants their names are.

Season has panned out more or less as I expected it so far, been a bit bumpier at the start of the season than I envisaged but always felt we'll qualify for the champions league, hopefully we'll do just that, credit to Rodgers though, were not performing at the level we were last season, but were still playing some pretty nice football and picking up points as we go.

No.

Back to Rodgers, credit due to him for flipping us around and having us challenging once more in the league.

Does anyone else share the opinion that Rodgers can have us only challenging without European distractions?.

No, we've been challenging for awhile now. I think that's just another twig invented to beat the boss with. The players have started to respond, the system change played a part and we've steadily improved as the players have gotten healthy. I don like think Europe has anything to do with it.

No, we've been challenging for awhile now. I think that's just another twig invented to beat the boss with. The players have started to respond, the system change played a part and we've steadily improved as the players have gotten healthy. I don like think Europe has anything to do with it.

I think its a fair point.

However, I can't help but feel this point has arisen to beat the manager with; rather than it being a fair examination.

I don like think Europe has anything to do with it.

I vaguely remember Brendan talking to the press about how limited coaching time (off the back of Champions League) had an impact on our defence FL.

Maybe that's what Shabs is suggesting? If it is then it's probably a fair enough point; given Brendan mentioned it himself.

Edit: Here's the article mate:

Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool FC don't need a defensive coach

“Our problem and the issue we have which we need to find the solution for is our lack of coaching time. Take this week, we played Wednesday night, the players physically recover on Thursday, and that leaves us with only a short period of time on the training field before we’ve got the game on Saturday.

“Over the last 18 months we have seen the developments of this team given coaching time. It’s really not rocket science.

“The introduction of all our new players and having limited coaching time has caused us issues. We need to be better.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brendan-rodgers-liverpool-fc-dont-7990098

And there's no denying Brendan knew more than people [mugs like me included] who thought a specialist coach was all that was needed...   

I don't believe there can be too much dispute that our up-turn, in defensive fortunes, dove-tails perfectly with the Champions League exit and with that; more coaching time... just like Brendan said it would.

I vaguely remember Brendan talking to the press about how limited coaching time (off the back of Champions League) had an impact on our defence FL.

Maybe that's what Shabs is suggesting? If it is then it's probably a fair enough point; given Brendan mentioned it himself.

Edit: Here's the article mate:

Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool FC don't need a defensive coach

“Our problem and the issue we have which we need to find the solution for is our lack of coaching time. Take this week, we played Wednesday night, the players physically recover on Thursday, and that leaves us with only a short period of time on the training field before we’ve got the game on Saturday.

“Over the last 18 months we have seen the developments of this team given coaching time. It’s really not rocket science.

“The introduction of all our new players and having limited coaching time has caused us issues. We need to be better.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brendan-rodgers-liverpool-fc-dont-7990098

And there's no denying Brendan knew more than people [mugs like me included] who thought a specialist coach was all that was needed...   

I don't believe there can be too much dispute that our up-turn, in defensive fortunes, dove-tails perfectly with the Champions League exit and with that; more coaching time... just like Brendan said it would.

It's a fair question I asked & I can't understand why some would think I've invented another reason to whip the Boss with.

I guess we are getting to a point where you can't question anything regarding Rodgers without having an agenda.

Certain managers like Jose,Rafa, Fergie,Pep,Ancellotti all have a knack of getting results in Europe whilst maintaing a league challenge.

I hope Rodgers has learned a valuable lesson this season regarding challenging in Europe & the league.

It's a fair question I asked & I can't understand why some would think I've invented another reason to whip the Boss with.

I guess we are getting to a point where you can't question anything regarding Rodgers without having an agenda.

Certain managers like Jose,Rafa, Fergie,Pep,Ancellotti all have a knack of getting results in Europe whilst maintaing a league challenge.

I hope Rodgers has learned a valuable lesson this season regarding challenging in Europe & the league.

Fair point Shabs you asked a reasonable question, no need for folks to assume anything else.

It's a fair question I asked & I can't understand why some would think I've invented another reason to whip the Boss with.

I guess we are getting to a point where you can't question anything regarding Rodgers without having an agenda.

Certain managers like Jose,Rafa, Fergie,Pep,Ancellotti all have a knack of getting results in Europe whilst maintaing a league challenge.

I hope Rodgers has learned a valuable lesson this season regarding challenging in Europe & the league.

A while back you considered yourself a "hater" of the Rodgers' regime; I can't think why people would question your motives either. 

he's had a lesson in Europe and as he's a very intelligent man he will learn from it with reagards to what type of players we need to success in Europe. this summer is a big summer as always but this one more as we've lost our main man Gerrard who did attract top players just from his name alone. now BR has to do it by the style of great football we play, our new stadium expansion and the project he's taking forward, which is slowly but surly paying off.
IF we get CL this year i think we will start to attract top players as it will be our 2nd season in a row back in the competition and i think BR will do alot better in it next time round.
he's still young if you compare him to the BIG names in management and is still getting results of his so called top managers as we are one of the best in form teams at the moment.

A while back you considered yourself a "hater" of the Rodgers' regime; I can't think why people would question your motives either. 

Nah petal, never considered my self a Rodgers hater, just don't rate him as much as some do.

When we win something significant with him as manager other than having a good run in one competition the league maybe I may find myself coming around a touch more.

He made a c**t of the start of the season.
He fixed it, maybe a bit late but he did.

As much as he had questions to answer early on he deserves plaudits now.
Of course a trophy would help in that regard so get it done, Brendan.

It's a fair question I asked & I can't understand why some would think I've invented another reason to whip the Boss with.

I guess we are getting to a point where you can't question anything regarding Rodgers without having an agenda.

Certain managers like Jose,Rafa, Fergie,Pep,Ancellotti all have a knack of getting results in Europe whilst maintaing a league challenge.

I hope Rodgers has learned a valuable lesson this season regarding challenging in Europe & the league.

The question is both fair and reasonable and is something that I have thought about as well.

I think if we hadn't had so many new players coming in, then we would probably have done better in the CL.

As things stand, BR still has some learning to do but given what he's shown already, I think he can do it.

Fair point Shabs you asked a reasonable question, no need for folks to assume anything else.

I can assume whatever I like. That's the beauty of a functioning brain.

Wasn't necessarily laying it at Shabs' footsteps, it's something I've seen banded about by others as well. I stand by my assertion, I think to lay the blame on European involvement is just a simple way of looking at a complex issue.

Boss from the boss at his conference, putting in place some tw*t journo trying to engineer his own headlines,
Regarding Hendo being the new Gerrard , and if Gerrard would walk straight back in,

Apologies not got a link...


YNWA