Liverpool 1:1 FC Basel. In game & post match discussion.

fresh blood we need, managers who have the hunger for trophies, managers like de boer, klopp, simeone

I said it over the summer in regards to player transfers and it applies to managers as well: we need winners.  Players who have won league titles and know what it takes to win.  Look at Suarez; he won the league before coming to us, several times, and knew what it took to win.  He gave 110% every time on the pitch, no matter what.  Compare/contrast to players like Henderson, Allen, Mignolet etc.  Even going back a few years to players like Adam, Downing, Carroll and so on---these are all players who spent their entire careers before us at mid-table clubs, where there was never any pressure to win.  They were happy to finish mid-table.  And what, suddenly they come to Liverpool and they have the winning mentality?  give me a break.

The same goes for managers.  I don't think Rodgers is all he is cracked up to be but I wouldn't go so far as to say he doesn't have a winning mentality.  I'm sure last season when were up 7 points on City, he wanted to win the league.  The problem is he doesn't know how.  Because he has NEVER won the league.  Anywhere.  The closest he has ever come was being promoted with Swansea from the Championship, and that he got through the playoff. 

We need to win the league.  We have to.  We're not going to be consistently up there with the heavy hitters until we are back winning the league.  And we need to have a manager who knows what it takes to win a league over the course of an entire season.  Who knows how to pace the players, who knows who he can trust and who he can't, who can keep them motivated each and every game etc no matter if they are the top rivals or the minnows.  I mean look at the last 20 minutes of the match against Basel.  We were well up for it and gave it a right go.  That was the most passion and intensity I've seen from us all season. 

So that proves that the players CAN play like that.  So why can't Rodgers get them to play like that every game?  isn't that the job of the manager?  to make sure the players are up for it?  that's how you win the league, by going out to win every game.  But he's not instilling them with the right attitude.  I don't know to what extent it is his fault but surely a manager who has the experience of winning the league would know how to get stuck into his players to make them have fire no matter how important the game is.

I said it over the summer in regards to player transfers and it applies to managers as well: we need winners.  Players who have won league titles and know what it takes to win. Look at Suarez; he won the league before coming to us, several times, and knew what it took to win.  He gave 110% every time on the pitch, no matter what.  Compare/contrast to players like Henderson, Allen, Mignolet etc.  Even going back a few years to players like Adam, Downing, Carroll and so on---these are all players who spent their entire careers before us at mid-table clubs, where there was never any pressure to win.  They were happy to finish mid-table.  And what, suddenly they come to Liverpool and they have the winning mentality?  give me a break.

The same goes for managers.  I don't think Rodgers is all he is cracked up to be but I wouldn't go so far as to say he doesn't have a winning mentality.  I'm sure last season when were up 7 points on City, he wanted to win the league.  The problem is he doesn't know how.  Because he has NEVER won the league.  Anywhere.  The closest he has ever come was being promoted with Swansea from the Championship, and that he got through the playoff. 

We need to win the league.  We have to.  We're not going to be consistently up there with the heavy hitters until we are back winning the league.  And we need to have a manager who knows what it takes to win a league over the course of an entire season.  Who knows how to pace the players, who knows who he can trust and who he can't, who can keep them motivated each and every game etc no matter if they are the top rivals or the minnows.  I mean look at the last 20 minutes of the match against Basel.  We were well up for it and gave it a right go.  That was the most passion and intensity I've seen from us all season. 

So that proves that the players CAN play like that.  So why can't Rodgers get them to play like that every game?  isn't that the job of the manager?  to make sure the players are up for it?  that's how you win the league, by going out to win every game.  But he's not instilling them with the right attitude.  I don't know to what extent it is his fault but surely a manager who has the experience of winning the league would know how to get stuck into his players to make them have fire no matter how important the game is.

Suarez didn't win the title in Holland

mate, napoli spent almost 100 mil on players in the last 2 years and look how poor results they get in a mediocre league that serie a is currently, even without powerhouses like inter and milan he struggles to get to 3rd place, and when he gets (last season) he's knocked out in playoffs, it's a wonder he's not been sacked already, despite the numerous roumors

Did they though. Didn't they sell Cavani and Lavezzi for quite a lot of money. Weren't those two rather good in attack?
Now he finished third with a cup win. And he will finish 2nd or 3rd behind two richer teams. All the while he will get the money into Napoli. De Laurentis will not sanction unbalanced spending. He is one of footballs more conservative and fiscally repsonsible owners. Rafa is a great manager.

mate, napoli spent almost 100 mil on players in the last 2 years and look how poor results they get in a mediocre league that serie a is currently, even without powerhouses like inter and milan he struggles to get to 3rd place, and when he gets (last season) he's knocked out in playoffs, it's a wonder he's not been sacked already, despite the numerous roumors

If you don't like the answer, then you should not have asked the question.

Q. don't want rafa back at all, what has he done since leaving us ?
A. Four trophies.

Now, back on topic, Tonight's Game

Suarez didn't win the title in Holland

edited that already!  meant to say in Uruguay with Nacional.

although technically Suarez was part of the side that won the 10/11 league.  do you know if they ended up giving him a medal?

Joke performance, we bigged it up all week and only Stevie stepped up when the moment called for it.

F***ing sick of this, take a long walk Brendan I've had enough.

edited that already!  meant to say in Uruguay with Nacional.

although technically Suarez was part of the side that won the 10/11 league.  do you know if they ended up giving him a medal?

He didn't get a medal.

I only caught the first 5 minutes of the second half, can anybody tell me briefly how we did using the false 9? Did we create more chances and look more positive than with somebody like Lambert up front. Thanks

If you don't like the answer, then you should not have asked the question.

Q. don't want rafa back at all, what has he done since leaving us ?
A. Four trophies.

Now, back on topic, Tonight's Game

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

Better than no F***ing trophies is it not?.

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

Stop being a dick.

Question asked, question answered.
If you wanted to be more pedantic you should have asked a different question, but you didn't.

You asked what has Rafa won since he left LFC, and it was answered by a number of members.
He has won 4 trophies.

Move on.

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

Can you two not distinguish bold text?

all second and third tier trophies, supercoppa italiana, and club world champ, having a laugh ?

Apparently Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man City, Chelsea and Juve have all the trophies sewn up mate. It's called being considerably more resourced than the others. And yes he was at Chelsea for 6 months and won the EL buying one player Ba. Mourinho was there all last year and bought many players and one fa. Same at Madrid there for 3 years 1 league 1 billion well done.

I can't pick a man of the match. Sorry.

Gerrard look lethargic in large parts of the game.
Free kick aside you can see he's lost a yard of pace.

Markovic looked like he was going to be boss,
until he took out his brain.

Skrtel for his strker cameo?

Allen for somehow getting 90 minutes?

Sterling for hitting it straight at the keeper?

Lucas and Hendo for keeping Can and Lallana out of the team?

Enrique for starting ahead of Moreno?

F***ing bizarre game, lads.

I said it over the summer in regards to player transfers and it applies to managers as well: we need winners.  Players who have won league titles and know what it takes to win.  Look at Suarez; he won the league before coming to us, several times, and knew what it took to win.  He gave 110% every time on the pitch, no matter what.  Compare/contrast to players like Henderson, Allen, Mignolet etc.  Even going back a few years to players like Adam, Downing, Carroll and so on---these are all players who spent their entire careers before us at mid-table clubs, where there was never any pressure to win.  They were happy to finish mid-table.  And what, suddenly they come to Liverpool and they have the winning mentality?  give me a break.

The same goes for managers.  I don't think Rodgers is all he is cracked up to be but I wouldn't go so far as to say he doesn't have a winning mentality.  I'm sure last season when were up 7 points on City, he wanted to win the league.  The problem is he doesn't know how.  Because he has NEVER won the league.  Anywhere.  The closest he has ever come was being promoted with Swansea from the Championship, and that he got through the playoff. 

We need to win the league.  We have to.  We're not going to be consistently up there with the heavy hitters until we are back winning the league.  And we need to have a manager who knows what it takes to win a league over the course of an entire season.  Who knows how to pace the players, who knows who he can trust and who he can't, who can keep them motivated each and every game etc no matter if they are the top rivals or the minnows.  I mean look at the last 20 minutes of the match against Basel.  We were well up for it and gave it a right go.  That was the most passion and intensity I've seen from us all season. 

So that proves that the players CAN play like that.  So why can't Rodgers get them to play like that every game?  isn't that the job of the manager?  to make sure the players are up for it?  that's how you win the league, by going out to win every game.  But he's not instilling them with the right attitude.  I don't know to what extent it is his fault but surely a manager who has the experience of winning the league would know how to get stuck into his players to make them have fire no matter how important the game is.

I agree with your first part, Fed but what happens when we run out of experienced managers because they're all either retired or already in a job? If no manager is ever given the chance to win the league he'll never have the experience of winning the league. Even the most successful managers had to start somewhere. As you rightly point out though, this is why you need players with experience. Most successful managers either got their experience in an easier league or they did it by building or inheriting a team of winners, something we chose not to do.

Well, i am numb.

We didn't deserve this and anyone who thinks we did is deluded. We were at home and we had to win yet we played with 2 holding midfielders who were virtually 2 extra centre backs for the first half.

Got nothing against Lambert but what was the point of playing him up top on his own again? We needed creativity tonight to break down Basel and we left Coutinho on the bench. The minute i saw that teamsheet it just looked like we had set up not to lose, anyone would have thought that it was us that needed a draw to go through.

Brendan has got a lot of questions to answer, namely the pairing of Lucas and Allen at home in a must win Champions League tie. He then takes off Enrique for Moreno and brings on Markovic for Lambert and keeps Lucas and Allen on!

I used to feel some sympathy for Brendan but that is now slowly waning with each tactical mistake he keeps making. He is in big sh*t right now and the staff need changing if he is to salvage something from this Season. Another bad result on Sunday and questions will be asked by those in ownership. It's not like we haven't spent big money this Summer.

I have to say that most of the signings have been shocking. I've read a rumour that we may be in for Cech this January, i hope so, because if we do sign him then Mignolet will be relegated and hopefully it will give him the kick up the arse he really needs.

As for a striker, we need two. No prospects this Window, genuine class players please.

Fowler and Scholes summed it up for me when they said that barring Gerrard they couldn't see where our goals are going to come from. Also when Robbie said that Gerrard was passing to players that were not where they should have been. Says it all really, the 34 year old that is still the best player at this Club.

Get your mean face on Brendan, it's time to get nasty.

Says it all really, the 34 year old that is still the best player at this Club.

Absolutely.
We've just spent €120 million after a season when he wasn't in the top 2.

Absolutely.
We've just spent €120 million after a season when he wasn't in the top 2.

He's even the top scorer of the club. That's a very very scary thought.

He's even the top scorer of the club. That's a very very scary thought.

The thought that he's top scorer?
I'm not having a go at Gerrard, if that's what you think is happening here.
So jog on.

Brendan has a problem managing a large squad, I think.

He is spoilt for choice and therefore tend to get players strength on the pitch mixed up.

It saddens me when the man leading the attack is an almost tired Lambert, and you have a younger and faster Borini cooling his heels at home or somewhere, not being useful.

The thought that he's top scorer?
I'm not having a go at Gerrard, if that's what you think is happening here.
So jog on.

The thought that a 34 old CM is the top scorer of a club who spent 120 mil in the summer is pretty shocking.

As for a striker, we need two. No prospects this Window, genuine class players please.

Agree pretty much.
But on the strikers. Fabio isn't even on the bench. And Mario might be on his way too. They'd bring in a few bob.
Without much outlay we could possibly sign two guys...even if it's just wheel spin ... could we be worse off than we are now?... and one of the two might click.
Maybe it's desperation talking though 

The thought that a 34 old CM is the top scorer of a club who spent 120 mil in the summer is pretty shocking.

Indeed.