Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool -> Celtic -> Leicester)

I'm not saying I am entirely at that point yet but should we fail to win our next couple of games then I think he will have sealed his fate.

We also have to ask ourselves, none of us were happy with Woy, far from it and couldn't believe he even got the job. From the off he was making terrible signings and having us play an abysmal standard of football and it wasn't long at all that we wanted him out.

In all honesty there is no difference between the Woys time with us and this season under Rodgers. Before when there were a few doubts about Rodgers he had the fact that he had a good philosophy in mind for us to play and we were showing signs of playing some good football and we had made good signings in Coutinho and Sturridge. We obviously then went on to have a very good season results wise, some of our play was still pretty poor and our defending was shoddy but we were getting the wins which mattered and made some of the bad play and just how bad our defending go abit in-noticed.

Another season in and now we have lost the main reason for our good season last time round, our defending has gotten so much worse and our signings bar the odd one have been shocking since the day Rodgers was handed his first penny. We may have had so miserable signings in Poulsen and Konchesky but given the money paid and their roles within the team are The signings of Migs and Lovren for example any better when you consider we basically got rid of Pepe and Agger to make space for them. Or maybe the signings of Aspas and Luis Alberto....shocking from the off!

The only difference this season and Woys time is that this is our worst start to the league for 22 years and we are letting in even more goals than under Woy.

I know not everyone is going to agree with me and I may get slated for it but does Rosgers really deserve "time" when he is having a worse season that Woy did? When his signings have been worse, a lot worse when you consider the money he has spent on the rubbish and when his interviews are now very similar to Woys...

I think that regardless of how well you done the season before you have to completely forget that when you consider the amount a manager has spent and just how shocking the current season is going.

When it gets to the point that when you go into games like Palace and Ludogorets thinking there is more chance of a defeat than a win, that is when things need to change and anybody thinking other wise are burying their heads in the sand.

It's a results business and he isn't getting the results and it's not even like we are just unlucky, we are playing horrific football, we are getting played off the park with ease and it's painful to watch.

Obviously going to continue to give my full support to the team but if things don't change then I won't have any disappointment seeing Rodgers given the boot.

He needs to cut the bullshit in the interviews, give the team the bollocking they need, expect responsibility for getting the playing style wrong and start us building from the back and hopefully results will follow.

I know you disliked Rafa from a very early stage mate... do you think Brendan is worse?  I tend to think our inability to defend set pieces has more to do with our present predicament than who Brendan's landlord is.

I think we have conceded 13 goals from set pieces already this season. (not sure if that's just league or all competitions)

I don't believe anyone is happy at the way things are at the moment but without Sturridge I think we have to accept we won't be knocking goals in for fun no matter who the manager is.

You are right I was at the time very vociferous in wanting Rafa out but I think with hindsight that was because by that point he had kind of given up as well and was so frustrated with the owners. Also in hindsight its clear that at that time the bigger problem was the owners, that is not thet case today.
I would be more than happy to give Rafa another chance but my preference would probably be for Kenny to take charge again until the end of the season maybe with help from Carra/Stevie and then go al out and try to get Klopp or Koeman (who is extremely impressive) in the summer.

I know not everyone is going to agree with me and I may get slated for it but does Rosgers really deserve "time" when he is having a worse season that Woy did? When his signings have been worse, a lot worse when you consider the money he has spent on the rubbish and when his interviews are now very similar to Woys...

I think that regardless of how well you done the season before you have to completely forget that when you consider the amount a manager has spent and just how shocking the current season is going.

I think in general all managers do deserve time.  And the reason I still think Brendan Rodgers deserves time is not to do with last season but to do with the fact that his first season started poorly and he turned it around.

He definitely deserves our backing but if it's getting to the end of December and we're a handful of points off the relegation zone I think people might be entitled to think differently.

I think in general all managers do deserve time.  And the reason I still think Brendan Rodgers deserves time is not to do with last season but to do with the fact that his first season started poorly and he turned it around.

He definitely deserves our backing but if it's getting to the end of December and we're a handful of points off the relegation zone I think people might be entitled to think differently.

Could argue that the main reasons he turned it around was because of the signings of Sturridge and Coutinho, there seemed to be a huge boost when those two arrived so he needs to pull off another couple of signings this winter who have the same impact and that will be key to whether or not this season is turned around IMO. One of them signings has to be a new keeper too I think, if we carry on with Migs I can see us continuing to drop points regardless of whether we turn our fortunes around up the other end of the pitch.

Could argue that the main reasons he turned it around was because of the signings of Sturridge and Coutinho, there seemed to be a huge boost when those two arrived so he needs to pull off another couple of signings this winter who have the same impact and that will be key to whether or not this season is turned around IMO. One of them signings has to be a new keeper too I think, if we carry on with Migs I can see us continuing to drop points regardless of whether we turn our fortunes around up the other end of the pitch.

I agree mate, I think Brendan's future will probably lie more on if and who he brings in at Christmas and the return of Sturridge than any brilliant managerial decisions on tactics and style.

Maybe we could have a word with Stoke about a goalkeeper after the game, if not Cech would be nice too.

You are right I was at the time very vociferous in wanting Rafa out but I think with hindsight that was because by that point he had kind of given up as well and was so frustrated with the owners. Also in hindsight its clear that at that time the bigger problem was the owners, that is not thet case today.
I would be more than happy to give Rafa another chance but my preference would probably be for Kenny to take charge again until the end of the season maybe with help from Carra/Stevie and then go al out and try to get Klopp or Koeman (who is extremely impressive) in the summer.

I think most are only hanging on with their fingernails supporting Brendan now, if these poor results continue I think most will be joining you sooner rather than later. I am frustrated with him at the moment and think he has made a lot of bad mistakes but for the moment he has my support (halfhearted support some may think from my comments).   

I can't really see him going before the end of the season, nor can I see us spending much in January.

The team selections don't bother me too much, mostly because BR has more information and sees the players in training every day.

I do wonder what has happened to our pressing game though, not to mention our confidence.
I'm also old school in that I think teams should be built from the back, and for me that should be the first priority of any manager coming in, but BR failed to do this.
He tinkered around the edges a bit, and bought some players in, but to me it was always with an eye on what they offered in an attacking sense rather than defensive stability.
There's a reason why so many managers take Rinus Michels as their blueprint, along with Arrigo Sacchi who was also a "disciple" of the Michels method.
I know one man who could improve us, I know he's not everyones cup of tea, and I still want BR to at least see out the season and see if he can turn things around, but I'm sure you all know who I mean.

Could argue that the main reasons he turned it around was because of the signings of Sturridge and Coutinho, there seemed to be a huge boost when those two arrived so he needs to pull off another couple of signings this winter who have the same impact

I don't think it needs arguing.  It's probably bang on. 

The million dollar question is whether he can improve results enough by January that the board would give him more money.  On reflection he appeared to treat the £16M on Balotelli as a big laugh and a gamble.

I do wonder what has happened to our pressing game though, not to mention our confidence.

What is there to wonder about? We sold Luis, replaced him with players that have none of Luis's attributes and don't fit a high intensity pressing game and our only goal scorer is a crock. The confidence loss is a direct result of not scoring goals while conceding at an even higher rate than last season.

but my preference would probably be for Kenny to take charge again until the end of the season

Kenny was out of his depth and sacking him was the right decision by FSG. They handled it poorly but KD should never have been appointed in the first place.

His dream team was:

              Carroll     Suarez

Downing  Adam   Gerrard    Henderson


Says it all.

We cant sack him just yet i would like to think we would give him the rest of the season,but i think his backroom and coaching staff need a overhaul as its proved that we mostly only got to finish 2nd last season because we had less game so could train and recover better meaning his team didnt need to change that much and they clicked.

now we have more games BR cant find the balance due to lack of experiance at this level. next season we will be stronger as the team would have clicked and BR would of learnt from these massive mistakes in tactics

We cant afford to sack Rodgers.
Why should we?
If you total up the Kenny compensation , the Swansea compensation, £3.5 million pounds a year salary over the first two years until end of season this year.......
a new contract courtesy of Luis' brilliance  ( Rodgers should send him a cut of it ) at £5 million a year .......
then whatever hopefully smooth move FSG contract conditions imposed ,  it may be that the earliest Rodgers could go economically .....    is end of season.

If FSG and their lawyers have their heads screwed on then there will certainly be break clauses. 
Eg.  Failure to hold a certain league position at 31/12/14  or failure to progress into the knockout second CL phase or at the worse ..... failure to qualify 4th or above next May.

Moyes may have had a 6 year contract but we all know now that the Scum were screwed over till  end of the season before they could let him go as he didnt get them the CL or probably 3rd as that is what their business model is based on.
So.
We might be CL screwed anyway for the 2015-16 season as Rodgers may HAVE to stay until end of season.

I want him to.

In the nicest possible way miracles might happen and pigs might fly, although I dont think so in his case.
I cant see him learning the art of tactics in six months, if he hasnt in two and a half years to prove it.

Theres another thing.
I have never taken to the man , his ego or his sound bites from day one.
If he was doing a Mourinho for us then I could handle it based on his success.

There has been no success.

He has won nothing before ..... he has won nothing to date ..... and may I eat my words ......he is not likely to.
Facts dont lie .  Win ratios against Moyes and others just dont lie.
Second choice after Martinez.

So. 
It looks like 4th place is a million miles away 
2014-15  no CL  ... and back again to the wastelands.

We will have fu**ed up big time and it could take years to recover.

Providing relegation doesnt threaten I want him to stay .
I want him to stay until the end of the season.
He will then have his chance.

Something makes me feel we will end up in the same position or worse than than the season before.
That Rodgers wont get us where we want to be or where we should have progressed to.

I really dont want him sacked yet.
I dont want him to have the easy way out.
To pick up a seven figure cheque and gallop off into  the sun.  To buy his villa on a Caribbean island with his new bit of stuff whilst writing his memoirs also for a big fat cheque

"    Being Brendan"
         aka
"    My Story .What I Could Have Achieved At Liverpool Given Time".


No Mr Rodgers.
You keep f**king it up and earn your money. You keep squirming as your ridiculous selections and substitutions blow up in your face.
You keep watching as your new 25 players under perform and you lose the dressing room.
Even your mates Pascoe and Marsh might see the truth if they dont already. 
Ah but they are your Yes men you brought in to replace good talented people.
Squirm away till season end and keep kicking the water bottles down the tunnel at the end of the game


FSG.
You are also right in the frame
You had no f**king idea.
You downvalued this club and all its history and traditions buy sacking Kenny and trying to get a cheap , rookie ,bargain basement manager ... same as you have with the cut price  injured or "with potential" players.


What a f**k up. 

Go On .  Make me eat my words Rodgers.
It will at least bring this club success and that would be worth the price.
It might make some posters on here very happy too....but I'll deal with them if we have a trophy and or the CL again.

I'm at the point now where I believe it's matter of time more than anything else. We don't get enough transfers right to think we can change this in Jan. Sturridge wont come back and miraculously change everything.

So yes Brendan has my support, but no he doesn't have my belief anymore. The decisions he's made have been wrong in terms of Reina/Agger. His signings haven't worked out for now, maybe in the future some might come good but I don't think it will happen quick enough. His substitutions have become baffling, seemingly taking off our best performing players.

Too many noises coming out of the camp that "we support Brendan", think when a manager needs those messages that the writing is pretty much on the wall.

What is there to wonder about? We sold Luis, replaced him with players that have none of Luis's attributes and don't fit a high intensity pressing game and our only goal scorer is a crock. The confidence loss is a direct result of not scoring goals while conceding at an even higher rate than last season.

As I said, I wonder where it has gone.
The midfield is not pressing at all, never mind with the intensity we saw last season where Henderson, Coutinho and Sterling were like rabid terriers. Our subs did it as well.
Losing one player who often drifted wide when we were pressing should not stop the midfield from doing exactly the same pressing they did last season.
They did it so well, that they often bypassed the opposition midfield and pressed opposition defenses, especially Henderson and Sterling.

Interesting that Peter Beardsley's appointment as head of youth at Newcastle has seen vast leaps in their youth program which has helped ease the pressure on Alan Pardew contributing to a turn around in form - with a few just a call away from an international cap.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/nov/28/alan-pardew-newcastle-manager-miracle-worker

"Significantly his hour of desperate need coincided with the emergence of a crop of gifted, hungry and, largely pacy youngsters from a development squad which has gone from strength to strength since being taken over by Peter Beardsley earlier this year."

It's sad that we can't do this - likewise with Pardew, a successful youth system would perhaps help ease the pressure on Brendan, and even sadder to see ex-Liverpool legends helping boost the fortunes of other clubs (I know its arrogant to think - but they BELONG here).

The entire Liverpool FC - along with the majority of fans - don't give a damn about the youth setup. But that's where the seeds of success are sown. Just a shame many don't realise it.

Interesting that Peter Beardsley's appointment as head of youth at Newcastle has seen vast leaps in their youth program which has helped ease the pressure on Alan Pardew contributing to a turn around in form - with a few just a call away from an international cap.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/nov/28/alan-pardew-newcastle-manager-miracle-worker

"Significantly his hour of desperate need coincided with the emergence of a crop of gifted, hungry and, largely pacy youngsters from a development squad which has gone from strength to strength since being taken over by Peter Beardsley earlier this year."

It's sad that we can't do this - likewise with Pardew, a successful youth system would perhaps help ease the pressure on Brendan, and even sadder to see ex-Liverpool legends helping boost the fortunes of other clubs (I know its arrogant to think - but they BELONG here).

The entire Liverpool FC - along with the majority of fans - don't give a damn about the youth setup. But that's where the seeds of success are sown. Just a shame many don't realise it.

Too be fair we do have some decent youngsters coming through but most are probably still a couple of years away from challenging for a 1st team spot.
Even then look at all the players we bought over the summer and Rodgers does not seem to have much faith in them so not sure what the point is if they are unlikely to get a chance.

As I said, I wonder where it has gone.
The midfield is not pressing at all, never mind with the intensity we saw last season where Henderson, Coutinho and Sterling were like rabid terriers. Our subs did it as well.
Losing one player who often drifted wide when we were pressing should not stop the midfield from doing exactly the same pressing they did last season.
They did it so well, that they often bypassed the opposition midfield and pressed opposition defenses, especially Henderson and Sterling.

You hunt in packs though and defending starts from the front. We played with two forwards last season who both work hard for their team and who have pace too. It rubs off on other players doesn't it? If Luis is chasing a defender down and it looks likely he could make a mistake or pass it back to his goalie, Danny would charge down too, then maybe Sterling/Coutinho/Henderson like you said.

The difference now is we've had Balotelli playing as a lone striker for us in the majority of our games and he is simply too lazy to close down defences and Lambert is too slow to close down defences. Sterling/Coutinho/Henderson can't close down on their own - they need the forwards to make the first move, otherwise it's too much of a gamble, the ball can be played around them and then they are out of position.

Other teams can afford to play a higher line against us now too because we play with 1 up front and it's either Balo or Lambert - neither are a serious threat. Last season everybody we faced sh*t themselves against us - You can't play a high line against SAS. So we had a lot more space to attack/press and basically bully the other team back.

I've said it in other threads but I truly believe if we play with Sterling and Borini upfront then we would see us pressing a lot more and the likes of Henderson, Lallana and Coutinho joining in. I'd love to see a team play a high line against Sterling too....once he's in you aren't catching him.

As I said, I wonder where it has gone.
The midfield is not pressing at all, never mind with the intensity we saw last season where Henderson, Coutinho and Sterling were like rabid terriers. Our subs did it as well.
Losing one player who often drifted wide when we were pressing should not stop the midfield from doing exactly the same pressing they did last season.
They did it so well, that they often bypassed the opposition midfield and pressed opposition defenses, especially Henderson and Sterling.

The simple answer for me is the ball doesn't stick when we play it up to our forwards anymore. More often than not it just comes straight back, while lack of confidence means that we don't move forward as a group in support relying more on individual runs from midfield. 

Go On .  Make me eat my words Rodgers.
It will at least bring this club success and that would be worth the price.
It might make some posters on here very happy too....

It should make everyone on here happy.  Club comes first. 

Don't let your opinion of Rodgers get in the way of your support for the club, and that includes the manager turning it around.

It should make everyone on here happy.  Club comes first. 

Don't let your opinion of Rodgers get in the way of your support for the club, and that includes the manager turning it around.

Exactly JD. 
It is my very love and support for this club that I say what I say and believe in it .
He is in the driving seat. Sort it out Rodgers.

Open Letter to Brendan Rodgers from a Liverpool fan
 
Dear Brendan,

I know it has been a tough time for you and the lads. Things are going from bad to worse. First of all, let me state that I have absolute and total faith in you, and would be deeply saddened if John W Henry falls prey to a knee-jerk reaction and gives you the sack. But, waking up today morning to the news that you have the full and absolute backing of the Fenway Sports Group has allayed my fears.
 
This being said, I would also like to tell you that the team has been a victim of some questionable tactics on your part. While it is commendable that you took the brunt and blame upon yourself after the weekend capitulation at the Selhurst Park, it was disappointing to see you and the team repeat the same follies in Bulgaria. Right from your line-up to the way the team went about things upon gaining the lead, everything was reminiscent about Sunday’s performance, except the final score, thankfully.

What has happened to you, Brendan? I remember you saying that buying seven players of medium-to-good calibre can’t replace a world class player, on the eve of last season’s memorable trip to the White Hart Lane. It surprised me to see you doing the same this pre-season on the wake of Luis Suarez’s unfortunate yet necessary departure. Granted, we nearly signed the indomitable Chilean, Alexis Sanchez, before his personal preferences took sway over things.

But, you had other options too. Mario Mandzukic was available for a rather meagre fee. Alvaro Negredo was up for a loan. The Croatian goal-machine, Andrej Kramaric had just a year left in his contract, and is on the verge of completing a January move to Juventus. Instead, you bought Lazar Markovic and Mario Balotelli to replace the Uruguayan maverick. While the former is a star in the making and may turn out to be a shrewd buy, he doesn’t solve our immediate issues. And, the less said about the latter, the better.

Even then, we had a fairly strong team, possessing a much deeper squad than that of last year. After a now habitual thrashing of Spurs three months ago, things looked rosy again, only to have gone downright awry ever since. And unlike last season, when our irresistible attack overshadowed our shaky defence, every department has looked weak this time around.

That the think-tank didn’t buy a top custodian even after Simon Mignolet’s frequent horror-shows in the last stages of the 2013/14 season, is baffling. The decision has backfired spectacularly, with the Belgian inspiring absolutely no confidence, and letting sitters out of his grasp.
 
On paper, the signings of Javi Manquillo, Alberto Moreno and Dejan Lovren look fantastic; adding much needed depth and steel to our backline. But, Manquillo and Moreno are raw between the ears and cannot play week in, week out, while Lovren seems to be suffering from a crisis of confidence.

Your tactics haven’t helped either. With your philosophy of pressing high up the pitch being restricted solely to the attackers and the midfield, the opposition has acres of space upon breaching them, with our defenders playing very deep. This inability to close down teams doesn’t help, especially when our goalkeeper is no Lev Yashin.

And then, there’s the case of our missing midfield. Agreed, Steven Gerrard is our best midfielder even today. But playing him every three days is neither good for him nor the team. We need our captain to guide us for some more time. Playing him for 270 minutes a week is a recipe for disaster. I shudder to think about Gerrard being stretchered off like Jack Wilshere.

Phase him out a bit, like what Sir Alex Ferguson did with Ryan Giggs or what Juventus is doing with Andrea Pirlo. We can’t afford to lose him. Also, this opens the doors to a Henderson-Can-Allen trio – our midfield of the future. A triumvirate brimming with infinite possibilities.

This brings me to the question that nobody has been able to answer. What has happened to our attack? Yes, the absence of Daniel Sturridge and the sale of Luis Suarez was bound to affect the team. But the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana, who was the lynchpin of Southampton, not showing up is surprising. Why aren’t they going forward with the same verve and vigour?

Right now, we look a team desperately short on belief. To not have scored a single goal from corners in nearly 20 competitive fixtures is unbelievable, especially when they were one of our strongest points last season. There are few better man-managers than you. Rejuvenate them and re-instil their confidence and I’m sure we’ll be up and running before long.

Having said that, no amount of man management is going to help Mario Balotelli, our so called “marquee” signing. The Italian doesn’t look like a player fighting to resurrect his career and has more yellow cards than goals. Don’t indulge him any further. Rickie Lambert may be less talented; but, he gives every ounce of what he has on the pitch. Anything less is unpardonable, and goes against our club ethos.

The scrutiny is firmly on you. Had you been at the helm of one of those myopic clubs in the league, you’d have been ousted by now. You are at a wonderful place, with the backing of the best fans in the world being your support. Prove your detractors wrong. Prove us right. With three relatively easy league fixtures and a cracking night of European football at Anfield on the radar, the time is now. Let’s go.

YNWA.

Regards,

A Liverpool fan.
http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/open-letter-brendan-rodgers-liverpool-fan

The simple answer for me is the ball doesn't stick when we play it up to our forwards anymore. More often than not it just comes straight back, while lack of confidence means that we don't move forward as a group in support relying more on individual runs from midfield.

More to it than that.
Last year, the midfielders were pressing when we didn't have the ball.
This is what I'm talking about.
Not the ball sticking or nothing to hit up front.
Last season we were very effective at playing without the ball.

It took time to build up to that level, but I'm nearly sure we were there by this stage of the season, and had really started to blitz teams.
The midfield and attacking players look knackered after 20 minutes pressing, that's what I'm getting at.

lost me at "Also, this opens the doors to a Henderson-Can-Allen trio – our midfield of the future. A triumvirate brimming with infinite possibilities."

Are you having a laugh ? Only Can and Henderson have proved they could be first team players, Allen is decent for a team like Swansea, at us he deserves nothing more than the bench.

Lev Yashin.

Russian goalie . 1954 - 70.

Thats nearly my era