Change of system

Doesn't have the players to play the system he wants. Gerrard Lucas Allen is one of the most unbalanced midfields in the premiership.

Why? Lucas is a natural sitter who breaks up play. Allen has it in his locker to defend and break things up whilst he can also link play and (altho we haven't seen it so much at LFC) he can also run with the ball. and Gerrard is one of the most dynamic attacking midfielders in football the past 10 years. On paper it works just fine only they're doing not doing on the pitch at the moment, not that all of our problems are based on the midfield three.

Why? Lucas is a natural sitter who breaks up play. Allen has it in his locker to defend and break things up whilst he can also link play and (altho we haven't seen it so much at LFC) he can also run with the ball. and Gerrard is one of the most dynamic attacking midfielders in football the past 10 years. On paper it works just fine only they're doing not doing on the pitch at the moment, not that all of our problems are based on the midfield three.

That's right. Problem is: Lucas is coming back from injury, Allen is out of form (but has shown how good he can be) and Gerrard has just been pretty sh*t for the majority of the season.

On the first paragraph I don't think we can take as a given that we should match last season's finish because I think we have a weaker squad than last year.
If we get through the Christmas period and build in January then I think we can improve. Right now though I think we have a good first team and that's about it.
Overly reliant on youth players filling gaps and it shows.

Can't disagree with that. We lost Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy and we brought in Allen, Borini and Assaidi.

We need players plain and simple.

Also, another thing that's been bugging me a little bit. If we'd won our last game everyone would have been going mental with the optimism, 3 game sin a row, we're only 2 points off a Champions place etc. And yet we lose the game and there's mass doom and gloom. I know we're not in the greatest of shape at the minute but I think we'll get better as the season progresses and (hopefully) once we've got some more talent and depth in the squad. I don't think we'll make the top 4 and personally, I'd be happy enough (for this season) to grab 6th place, a spot in Europe and to look as if we're ready to push on and improve (and by this I mean to an extent whereby the players believe we're on the up as well) again next season.

I am personally happy with the system and tactics Rodgers is using, and I think that Ince and Sturridge (assuming that we do sign them) will be good additions to fit his system.  With Lucas in the team, it looks like Rodgers has us set up in a 4-1-4-1 when we do not have the ball, and a 4-3-3 when we do have the ball. 

Thus far he has had Luis playing like a true 9 largely due to the fact that we do not have the personnel to chip in with many goals from out wide.  I think if/when Sturridge signs and Borini returns to full fitness, Rodgers will ask Suarez play more like a false 9 - dropping deep to get on the ball and run at defenders with the ball at his feet.  This will allow Borini and Sturridge to overlap him and move infield to attack the space vacated by the CB that track's Luis.  I think that this will help spread the goals around more, and will also allow us to avoid overplaying Ince, Suso, and Sterling to aid their development. 

I would play morgan, or assaidi, or gerrard ect up there with him, just to cause a threat, generally the oppositions back four dont have to mark anyone, because luis wanders to get the ball, they can generally sit back and watch us do sod all.

Morgan needs more time in the reserve set up before starting for Liverpool in the league, Assaidi is not fully fit and isn't a striker.  I agree that we need another striker in the squad or possibly in the starting 11 but i don't believe that 2 strikers alongside each other is the answer. Suarez could occupy a wider attacking role while another striker plays in the striker role.

I've maintained for while now that our biggest problems this season have been in wide areas. I don't think it's a coincidence that when we get a penetrating performance from one of our wide players (Downing) that everything else seems to work that much better. i'd keep the lads we've got and buy a couple more in as soon as the window opens and thankfully that seems to be the plan with Sturridge and Ince coming in.

I think that it's pretty hard to argue the system. Just look at Swansea and he's made mediocre talent look like world beaters. The stats are pretty clear, once this teams starts taking their chances this club will be back in the CL. Just dare to dream of what Sterling - Sturridge - Suarez will look like in 2-3 seasons, backed by the kind of defense the team already has I seriously predict big things. Especially considering that the team lost three of its first five while they were getting themselves sorted, being in 8th at the midpoint is impressive.

Rodgers is ironing out the kinks. Hes got Enrique playing some stellar football, and now it seems that he's gotten inside of Downing's head too. That is a sign of a quality manager when he can get the best out of underachieving players. That is an invaluable asset, because it means th!at you can pick up out of form players and have faith that your manager can get them back on the right footing and hungry again.

The best is yet to come!

My only concern is the defensive part of our game. We have some great defenders in Johnson, Skrtel, Agger and to a lesser extent(at times) Enrique. But it seems that we get caught on counter attacks easily or from inadmissible spaces behind the midfield. I think that it's due to the position of the DM(Lucas or Allen) who are rarely in good positions to stop these counter attacks. It's my personal analysis, and it might be a bad one but it's something that bothers me often. We used to have such a solid defense. And to add to this the fact that BR had a bad defensive record makes me asking myself if BR has enough knowledge of this part of our game.

I think it may also be due to the departure of Clarke who had considerably improved our defending since his arrival; but he's been replaced!

For me, today and the Mansfield games are examples of the need for us to adapt in certain situations. We were pressed high up today and looked quite like what we got beat by, a lower tier side. Oldham got at us and looked comfortable for too many a long period.

When Rodgers' system works our style of play looks very good but when it doesn't work, it doesn't half look bad.

Against Norwich every player had a good game. I think that is what is required for the system to function properly.

There is no room for any passengers in it, if two players aren't on the ball then it fails in a lot of different areas.

Would like to see us have some variety at least.