Do We Lack Scouse Mentality?

I certainly think so.

Age may have lessened Gerrard's ability, but the match against Basle last month was one where - once again - he seemed intent on taking by the scruff of the neck. He didn't look nervous, looked assured - looked every bit like the leader we've seen over the years. Now if only the rest of them had that mentality, we would have won. Too many advanced positions and good movement was squandered by an inability of composure and nervousness in that match I seem to remember.

But with Gerrard leaving, the mentality is going to take a severe beating I fear. Lambert's attitude is perfect, sadly he doesn't seem cut out for us at the moment and looks like a fish out of water after a long long absence from the club,  but lets not forget Jon Flanagan.

I thought Flanagan displayed that typical lionhearted fearless scouse mentality when he came in last year - his ability to slot right in, work his sock off and look as if he'd worn the shirt for years quickly made him a fans favourite. He looked top quality at times. That attitude was perfectly exemplified by Carragher and Gerrard, and I'd like to think many of the lads coming through the youth system such as Rossiter display these qualities too.

Of course, the players have to have ability to make the grade. I'm in no way suggesting we just fill the squad with Liverpudlians because that's getting us nowhere, but it highlights how essential our youth academy is. Even those players who lacked ability made up for it in passion - Jay Spearing who ultimately lacked the ability would nevertheless put 110% and that attitude (and for sure we would all have rather had him than Charlie Adam), along with Kenny Dalglish's appointment provided us with the immediate kick up the arse after the soulless Roy Hodgson. We need players on the doorstep who understand the importance of the football club. Local lads have that embedded mentality from the culture and upbringing in Liverpool.

If we can't get quality local lads into the side in the next few years, then it will be to the detriment of the club and its direction. The Carraghers and the Gerrards provide the perfect template of what is mentally required of a Liverpool player. It gives us an identity which prods us in the right direction of what we look for in a player. So its no wonder that with the Scouse identity, it has prodded us in the right direction seeking out similar quality players from abroad or closer to home (as was the case with Dalglish) who will bust a gut for the club and take full responsibility for their actions. It's no wonder we have a winners mentality - that has been bred from the scouse mentality upon which the club and its success was founded. I pray the likes of Rossiter and co come through the ranks - we desperately need the character.

The current batch don't nearly have the mentality. They may show signs of ability, but a million Steve Peters won't turn them into captains. Without any local influence, the club may lack direction and become increasingly aimless in its quest for success.

I have been a soccer fan for quite some time but have only REALLY been into it for the past 5-6 years. Learning how deep the levels go have been really fun to watch.

I agree with you about home grown players. It is very similar to baseball/MLB teams here in the USA. It seems as if these things come in waves. Teams get good for about 5-6 years, then those players get older and drop off and they aren't AS successful for a few years, then 10 years later the cycle repeats its self. I think younger homegrown players take on the attitude of their town. Soccer is a LOT different that baseball in this respect but it is still seen.

I agree with you, that until our youth program is ready to become 'the next big one' we will have a little struggle and be middle of the table.I just hope we haven't hit our plateau after last years finish!

Not sure about lacking Scouse mentality but we certainly are mentally weak as a team, no other way to describe losing 2 goals to the team at the bottom of the league!

Yea we do now...

When you have been with any club as a boy, then teen, then full on 1st team player, there is gonna be a massive amount of pride in wearing the shirt. Whatever club you play for. Also a desire and determination to keep that place in the side. Especially nowadays when that place is under threat from ' foreign superstar' imports.  We need to retain some of that pride and desire in the side, so desperately need the next local lad to make the transition.
 I'm not sure if i'm being bias, just telling it as I see it, but the liverpool players coming through, seem to have that little bit more passion for me. Definitely need one or two in the side thats for sure. It remains a part of our identity. Would hate to finish up like Citeh or the arse.  Although the arse have got better lately, after being the first prem side to field a side full of foreigners.
Flano needs a local lad who can understand him on the pitch anyway. 

The local lads who go on to play for Liverpool have the passion and love of club bred into them.
Their families might be Liverpool or Everton fans, or as is common, loyalty is split between the two clubs because we have two great football communities that form one football family in Liverpool. 
The local lads are brought up on the home and workplace banter that exists in this great city. 
The passion is like a 'passion transfusion' if I can describe it that way.  It enters the blood stream at a very early age.  I hope Flanno recovers and returns, and that Jordan Rossiter can soon make an impact.  Personally I think Hendo has the passion too all though he is not from Liverpool but from another part of the world where they take their football pretty seriously, just look at his reaction when he scores a goal.  Thats a lad who takes a pride in who he plays for, and pride is a good starting point for any activity passionately pursued.

At times I think our Academy is too concerned in bringing in 'exciting 15 year olds' from overseas than developing further local players.

Only senior player in the side, and probably not even a guaranteed first team starter is Flanagan.

Sad to see and a sad indictment really on the Academy which start with players well before they are 10.

The local lads who go on to play for Liverpool have the passion and love of club bred into them.

Sad truth is that many of those 10 year olds from the area are now priced out of the game and have little experience of what it feels like to support the club amongst passionate fans.

If the players are good enough and mentally strong enough it doesn't matter if they come from toxteth or Tonga.

2 things this topic raises for me is

1) Our players are not mentally strong enough and I've said this for a long time.

2) our academy is getting praise for....nothing really. It's sending nothing through

At times I think our Academy is too concerned in bringing in 'exciting 15 year olds' from overseas than developing further local players.

Only senior player in the side, and probably not even a guaranteed first team starter is Flanagan.

Sad to see and a sad indictment really on the Academy which start with players well before they are 10.

Sad truth is that many of those 10 year olds from the area are now priced out of the game and have little experience of what it feels like to support the club amongst passionate fans.

Totally agree with the highlighted bit, been saying it for years.

the club does not have a scouse heartbeat any more. we cannot expect the players to have everything else out of their minds and be focused 110% on putting in a shift for the famous red shirt. we need scousers and the right football people back in the club. I hope we have the right manager and owners who are putting the right foundations in place, but I don't know.

1) Our players are not mentally strong enough and I've said this for a long time.

This is evident lately. Bang on. Why though? Surely being able to kick a ball badly is not the only remit our scouts have? Surely we should know everything about the player before we buy them. I mean everything.... Looking at Can for instance... You can see that chap has metal. Lambert, Aspas, Borini.... Look like they sh*t themselves when they are called upon.

Buy zeee germans before they are all sold.

Its hard to argue with the whole Scouse mentality thing when you think about players like Carra, Stevie, God, Owen  . But then you can look at players like Kuyt, Hamann, Rise, Sami, and managers like Rafa and Houllier to know that you don't have to be Scouse to love Liverpool.

I think it's very important to have some local lads in the team, but it more important to have committed players in the team.

Sounds like the same xenophobic rhetoric people on talk sport use when talking about the national team

"WHERES THE PASSION" "TOO MANY FOREGINERS IN THE LEAGUE"  "LETS GET STEVE MCLAREN IN, HE'S ENGLISH HE KNOWS THE PLAYERS" oh wait....

Scouse mentality...

Don't work - check.
Hire foreigners to do the work we don't want to do - check.
Thieve what we can't get - check.
Tell everybody how good we are, even when we're not - check.
Get moaned at for our appearances - check.
Whinge about southeners having more money than us - check.
Tell everybody to calm down because it'll all be alright eventually - check.
But in the meantime feel sorry for ourselves - check.
And blame everybody else for our plight - check.
Laugh at other Scousers misfortune because it's worse than ours - check.

I'd say we've got the Scouse mentality down to a tee.

In the modern game I don't think it's important to have local lads in the team. It's nice, but it's not necessary.

In past 20 years or so, just three of our own have been of a world class status - Fowler, Gerrard and Owen.

The likes of Carragher may well be a local hero and it's a sentimental feeling seeing him lift the European cup, but he has never been world class. There will be posters on here who will argue that you need those sort of players like Carragher who give you grit, hard work and determination and so on but the very best teams I have ever seen had had a world class player in EVERY position.

Maybe it is the fault of the academy for not giving more local lads opportunities and looking overseas or at other clubs instead but the rare times we have given our own a chance such as David Thompson,  Jay Spearing, Stephen Warnock, Stephen Wright, Neil Mellor (not scouse but from the acad) and more recently Robinson & Kelly...... the harsh reality is they weren't good enough.

Scouse mentality...

Don't work - check.
Hire foreigners to do the work we don't want to do - check.
Thieve what we can't get - check.
Tell everybody how good we are, even when we're not - check.
Get moaned at for our appearances - check.
Whinge about southeners having more money than us - check.
Tell everybody to calm down because it'll all be alright eventually - check.
But in the meantime feel sorry for ourselves - check.
And blame everybody else for our plight - check.
Laugh at other Scousers misfortune because it's worse than ours - check.

I'd say we've got the Scouse mentality down to a tee.

Maybe the loss of players with a winning mentality is more of a problem.

Maybe the loss of players with a winning mentality is more of a problem.

To be honest mate, the problem is the over complicating of things. When we were successful we kept everything simple, now we're constantly trying to be too clever.

That goes from the owners with their stats based signings and committee. Rodgers with his funny tactics and fancy speak. And the players with their unneeded risks.

"Football is a simple game"

To be honest mate, the problem is the over complicating of things. When we were successful we kept everything simple, now we're constantly trying to be too clever.

That goes from the owners with their stats based signings and committee. Rodgers with his funny tactics and fancy speak. And the players with their unneeded risks.

"Football is a simple game"

So you would suggest "Buy good players. Play good players in a system that suits them"

Sounds F***ing crazy.

So you would suggest "Buy good players. Play good players in a system that suits them"

Sounds F***ing crazy.

I'd actually suggest "buy the right players and play them in the right system with the basis being on simplicity."

The right player becomes a good player, a good player doesn't necessarily become the right player.

I'd actually suggest "buy the right players and play them in the right system with the basis being on simplicity."

The right player becomes a good player, a good player doesn't necessarily become the right player.

Now that is a top quote by the way!!

hope BR read this thread!!

I'd actually suggest "buy the right players and play them in the right system with the basis being on simplicity."

The right player becomes a good player, a good player doesn't necessarily become the right player.

As soon as I'd posted that I thought you might say something like this.
Very true.

"Football is a simple game"

The right player becomes a good player, a good player doesn't necessarily become the right player.

Bang on. A lot of pundits and it would seem, coaches & managers try to over complicate things. Why? to make themselves look intelligent? :S Football really isn't rocket science, is it?

Does it take a genius to figure out Balotelli was wrong for us? That Adam is crap? Downing an average player or Cole was finished? Is it really that difficult to see that Messi would be more effective playing in the middle than as a left wide player, or playing Lucas as a box-box is wrong? I could go on and on and on.

I'd actually suggest "buy the right players and play them in the right system with the basis being on simplicity."

The right player becomes a good player, a good player doesn't necessarily become the right player.

Now there's a novel suggestion Billy