Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool -> Celtic -> Leicester)

Who knows what It was that made Sanchez choose Arsenal over us, everything is just speculation. All I know is, Rodgers should've had an option B, C or at the very least, D... unless D was Balotelli? :O

Well, we apparently tried for Karim Benzema, Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao, Loic Remy and ended up with Mario.

I would have been happy with Wilfried Bony or Samuel Eto'o or Mauro Icardi or Alexandre Lacazette or Jackson Martinez or Wissam Ben Yedder etc etc etc. 

Fairly sure that Brendan was 'dictating' the policy actually.  Didn't FSG abandon their plans for the structure to suit his arrival?

They did mate, but maybe the trade off for not having a D.O.F. was that Brendan agreed to FSG's transfer policies. ( restricted wages, no signings over 27 etc etc)

I think the Dempsey non transfer showed us just who holds the purse strings.

F***ing stalker

you know you love it.

They did mate, but maybe the trade off for not having a D.O.F. was that Brendan agreed to FSG's transfer policies. ( restricted wages, no signings over 27 etc etc)

I think the Dempsey non transfer showed us just who holds the purse strings.

I am sure JH said no signings of players without a sell on fee being available so anyone over 28 or so not much chance.
No idea why they bought Lambert

Don't know mate. If Rodgers is not allowed to choose the players he wants to sign by the owners then his position is being completely undermined. Most managers walk in this scenario.

Exactly and its why Brendan has to man up to FSG give him his targets and stick to his guns or he is fu**ed either way

I am sure JH said no signings of players without a sell on fee being available so anyone over 28 or so not much chance.
No idea why they bought Lambert

Probably part of thinking over buying Origi , loan him out for the season and bring in Lambert for the short term.

I am sure JH said no signings of players without a sell on fee being available so anyone over 28 or so not much chance.
No idea why they bought Lambert

Like I said many times, I can understand the restrictions from previous seasons, but this window may have changed due to a huge increase in revenue. 3rd season in, maybe there was more trust in Rodgers to spend big, be it fees or wages, but instead, Rodgers didn't feel confident enough to take the gamble and took the "safe" option in buying depth?

I see it from both perspective, the arguments for and against FSG and Rodgers, but I'm leaning more towards Rodgers choosing depth over quality rather than FSG refusing to sanction this and that.

Like I said many times, I can understand the restrictions from previous seasons, but this window may have changed due to a huge increase in revenue. 3rd season in, maybe there was more trust in Rodgers to spend big, be it fees or wages, but instead, Rodgers didn't feel confident enough to take the gamble and took the "safe" option in buying depth?

I see it from both perspective, the arguments for and against FSG and Rodgers, but I'm leaning more towards Rodgers choosing depth over quality rather than FSG refusing to sanction this and that.

"I don't want to put a figure on how many [players I would like] but I would rather have one or two absolute top players than seven that might not help us," Rodgers told Liverpool's official website.

"It's about the quality. We can't be going into the Champions League this year with doubts about players. We have to be going in knowing what the players' capacity to play is and their capabilities

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/liverpool-transfer-news-brendan-rodgers-says-he-wants-one-two-top-players-1448492

“I can categorically tell you Mario Balotelli will not be at Liverpool,”

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/03/liverpool-not-sign-milan-mario-balotelli-brendan-rodgers

"I don't want to put a figure on how many [players I would like] but I would rather have one or two absolute top players than seven that might not help us," Rodgers told Liverpool's official website.

"It's about the quality. We can't be going into the Champions League this year with doubts about players. We have to be going in knowing what the players' capacity to play is and their capabilities

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/liverpool-transfer-news-brendan-rodgers-says-he-wants-one-two-top-players-1448492

Brendan says a lot of things like 'I won't be signing Mario Balotelli' and 'I've picked a strong team for this Madrid game - I haven't rested players ahead of the Chelsea game.'

You could probably find a quote for him to support any argument.  Yesterday he said he's bought some very good players this summer and in August he said future transfer windows wouldn't be as big because he had built a solid base for the club.

I remember him saying that, but It doesn't make sense for him to say that if he knew FSG's policy was in place, why would he undermine his employers?

I remember him saying that, but It doesn't make sense for him to say that if he knew FSG's policy was in place, why would he undermine his employers?

Maybe he was trying to influence them and failed miserably.

you know you love it.

Can't catch me kid. Actually next door to Bicmick's pub in Wimbledon at the moment. Half passed already. Gonna go in there and tell him I want Rafa back just to wind him up

Can't catch me kid. Actually next door to Bicmick's pub in Wimbledon at the moment. Half passed already. Gonna go in there and tell him I want Rafa back just to wind him up

Tell him I saw him this morning in Caldy looking pleased with himself that'll get  him going

Confidence is totally shot throughout the team now.

The manager needs to demonstrate he can toitaly change his approach to games. first and foremost we need  to become difficult to beat and grind out results.

We have no alternative to Mignolet but in front of him the spine should be Toure, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Borini.

We need our workrate and pressing back ASAP,

Just saw the Palace game, a bit late due to work commitments. What a shambles.

Reading through the comments - something has to change in the management group. Rodgers is more and more being proved out of his depth. In saying that sacking him won't help. I think he needs to be given fresh backup staff so that more objective opinions on player performance and squad culture can be brought in. As we are all seeing post- Madrid, some guys play regardless of form and that can't make for a healthy squad environment.

So I would be getting Steve Clarke in ASAP, as has been suggested before, to sort out the defence, but also getting someone else in there, not necessarily to replace Pascoe, but another voice in that engine room. Someone who knows the club and has been there done it - a Sammy Lee, a John Aldridge, an Alan Hansen.  They don't have to have been a great coach but they need to have the innate authority to pull Rodgers into line rather than following his misguided approaches.

As far as I'm concerned it is actually dangerous to leave Rodgers with his current autonomy, he needs to be given direction and if he doesn't like it let him walk. We can't be led to relegation by one mans stubbornness.

"I don't want to put a figure on how many [players I would like] but I would rather have one or two absolute top players than seven that might not help us," Rodgers told Liverpool's official website.

"It's about the quality. We can't be going into the Champions League this year with doubts about players. We have to be going in knowing what the players' capacity to play is and their capabilities

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/liverpool-transfer-news-brendan-rodgers-says-he-wants-one-two-top-players-1448492

“I can categorically tell you Mario Balotelli will not be at Liverpool,”

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/03/liverpool-not-sign-milan-mario-balotelli-brendan-rodgers

It does make you wonder whether the extent of his input on a player is positional with certain traits. For example, saying to the committee "I need a Striker to replace Suarez. He needs to be experienced and strong, not prone to injury" - they go out and buy Balotelli. Not exactly what he had in mind. It's either that or there's some sort of dispute going on behind the scenes between the type of player Brendan wants (Benzema) and the type of player he gets (Lambert).

I see we're back to blaming the owners and committee for forcing players on BR.

It doesn't wash with me.
His choice, his signings, his blame if it must be apportioned out.

We could start with BR seemingly being starstruck when it comes to Gerrard and work from there I suppose, but no, much easier to blame others for the managers shortcomings.
It was ever thus.

I see we're back to blaming the owners and committee for forcing players on BR.

It doesn't wash with me.
His choice, his signings, his blame if it must be apportioned out.

We could start with BR seemingly being starstruck when it comes to Gerrard and work from there I suppose, but no, much easier to blame others for the managers shortcomings.
It was ever thus.

Here's my question Swab...so we pretty much know that Rodgers was keen on Sanchez as a Suarez replacement.

So did it really come down to Sanchez preferring London, or was it that Sanchez preferred London with the deal we were willing to sanction?

In other words, here's how I see it going down:

Say both us and Arsenal met the transfer fee amount, so then it comes down to wages and/or other tertiary factors (city, lifestyle, etc....)

So was it a case of the wages offered being close and Sanchez preferring London OR did we not offer as high of a wage packet as Arsenal did?

If it was the former, then why wasn't Rodgers allowed to go in with a "knock your socks off" wage offer to try and lure him to Liverpool? If it was the latter, then the same question really applies.

Now I've assumed some things to simplify my scenario, but I'm really starting to come around to the idea that Rodgers is working handcuffed with regards to who he is allowed to sign. I just can't reconcile that he went from Sanchez to Balotelli because it was the logical progression.

I'm starting to worry that the supposed interest in players like Falcao, Costa, Sanchez, etc.... is really only paying lip service to the idea that we could/would sign an established star.

Here's my question Swab...so we pretty much know that Rodgers was keen on Sanchez as a Suarez replacement.

So did it really come down to Sanchez preferring London, or was it that Sanchez preferred London with the deal we were willing to sanction?

In other words, here's how I see it going down:

Say both us and Arsenal met the transfer fee amount, so then it comes down to wages and/or other tertiary factors (city, lifestyle, etc....)

So was it a case of the wages offered being close and Sanchez preferring London OR did we not offer as high of a wage packet as Arsenal did?

If it was the former, then why wasn't Rodgers allowed to go in with a "knock your socks off" wage offer to try and lure him to Liverpool? If it was the latter, then the same question really applies.

Now I've assumed some things to simplify my scenario, but I'm really starting to come around to the idea that Rodgers is working handcuffed with regards to who he is allowed to sign. I just can't reconcile that he went from Sanchez to Balotelli because it was the logical progression.

I'm starting to worry that the supposed interest in players like Falcao, Costa, Sanchez, etc.... is really only paying lip service to the idea that we could/would sign an established star.

so you're sayin fsg prefered to splash the same ammount of money, or even greater, on 4-5 midtable players instead of spending the money on 1 quality player, this while risking the place in ucl which generates alot of money ?

Okay here is how i see it. BR is getting it all wrong so far this season. Our signings, our form is all down to BR. I gave the credit to BR for last season, and he is to blame for this season in my book.

That said, firing him now is not the answer. He is trying to build something here and lets just wait for little bit more to see how things pan out. If a new manager comes in now, then he will try to build the team from scratch. Is that really wise when we are in mid season.

Although some post against BR makes some sense, even tho i voted for BR in the other thread to stay. I got to admit that im not so sure as i was.

For those of you who think we should fire BR, have a listen to the latest Anfield Index podcast, the Nina Kauser one. Paul Dalglish is on it. From tactics that are wrong to the negatives of sacking the manager.

He talks common sense.

Then owners and manager both lack enough ambition to make this club a regular top 4 side. If we had put £80 million of our summer budget towards signing Reus and Sanchez I firmly believe we would have landed them. These two players would have been enough to replace Luis. The remaining £40 million could then have been spent on Moreno, Can, Manquillo, Origi and Lambert. There was absolutely no need to spend £80 million on Lovren, Lallana, Markovic and Balotelli when we already had adequate cover for these positions in Agger, Coutinho, Suso, Ibe and Borini. We signed squad players for the future instead of addressing the now and we are a F***ing mess as a result.

For those of you who think we should fire BR, have a listen to the latest Anfield Index podcast, the Nina Kauser one. Paul Dalglish is on it. From tactics that are wrong to the negatives of sacking the manager.

He talks common sense.

A lot of us are only suggesting we should sack Rodgers IF he doesn't change his tactics and team selection which he has got totally wrong for most of this season.

I see we're back to blaming the owners and committee for forcing players on BR.

It doesn't wash with me.
His choice, his signings, his blame if it must be apportioned out.

We could start with BR seemingly being starstruck when it comes to Gerrard and work from there I suppose, but no, much easier to blame others for the managers shortcomings.
It was ever thus.

Reconcile that with his statements. They're contradictory at best. Or are you suggesting he was being purposefully and wilfully misleading? If so, to what purpose? The fact is that so long as the committee operates in the shadows people will continue to ask questions and no one can be definitively blamed.