Brendan Rodgers

The full-time whistle rings around Anfield in early November 2012. Your stomach churns; your hair becomes a makeshift stress ball; your faith in your unsavory superstition to repeatedly wear those lucky socks you've had since May 2005 – all accumulates to experiencing the feeling of frustration that has engulfed every Liverpool supporter this calendar year.

It really is hard to take these “let-downs” when they keep coming week after week in all different shapes and sizes. There have been times over the past 10 months that Liverpool have pulverized their opponents yet end up getting hit with a sucker punch (e.g. West Brom last season). There have been times where a refereeing call or an unfortunate mistake has led to Liverpool coming away from Anfield extremely infuriated (e.g. Manchester United this season). And there have also been those “lowest-of-the-low” matches where Liverpool just plainly did not show up (e.g. Wigan last season).

Yes indeed, you name it, whatever form of frustration you believe possible for a football fan to be tortured with, I guarantee you that us Reds have donned the hat and sent out the associating postcards to all our relatives twice over.

The sad fact of all this is that it has been happening for the best part of 3 years now. I remember the week after the 4-1 win at Old Trafford in 2009, Liverpool were set to play Aston Villa at Anfield in a game that was crucial for our title push. That day,Liverpool were a well-oiled machine, and very impressive. We team cut Aston Villa apart with ease and grace worthy of our talent, with ferocity worthy of our desire for ultimate success.

That day seems so long ago now.

During that fabulous season of 2008/09,Liverpool were unbeaten at Anfield. Since May of that season, Liverpool has lost 12 league games out of 63 at Anfield. For a team languishing in mid-table with vague ambitions of Champions League football, that tally doesn't seem too abnormal. But for a team of Liverpool Football Club’s stature, a club that only lost 11 games in the entire 1970’s decade, this home record is a major crisis.

10 games into this EPL season and the shadow surrounding Anfield has not quite lifted for Brendan Rodgers. However there is a golden sky in the far distance, and all of us as apart of this Liverbird-led family must stick together and ride the storm out.

12th place.....It’s not a pretty sight is it?

Stats are fantastic for showing how a team is progressing but I won't go into them in detail, stats are like the drunken man leaning on a lamppost, more for support than illumination.........

It would be foolish for anyone to be so blinded to believe that Rodgers will undoubtedly provide us an exit route from this storm. Yet after 3 years of mass upheaval – highly unlike Liverpool– it is now time to stick together and move forward in the same direction. FSG put faith in Rodgers as have the players, as have the fans.

FSG need to back Rodgers completely in the next two transfer markets. The summer of 2011 was a harsh lesson for Henry and co. (and the idiot Ayre,) when it came to summer 2012, they got another tough lesson. At the end of the day, our American owners are new to all this too. Now that lessons have been learned and the wage bill leeches nearly all peeled off, the owners need to communicate with Rodgers and trust him and his scouts to get the players the team needs.

In these first games of the season, Liverpool have had a minuscule-sized squad, subtlety symbolizing a nursery thanks to the injuries to experienced players like Lucas, Johnson, Reina, Kelly and Borini. Youngsters such as Sterling, Suso and Wisdom have now all of a sudden become regulars in the Starting XI. This has been fantastic to witness, but these lads need to be managed and taken out of the firing line at some point. Their experiences so far will stand them in good stead but Liverpool cannot rely on sub 20 year olds to win Derby games, critical league games (Chelsea coming up) and mostly Man United games. Unfortunately at the moment, Rodgers has no other choice but to rely completely on the developing talents of Sterling, Suso and Wisdom. These lads need more guidance than just Gerrard and Suarez, hence why FSG need to dig a bit deeper in their pockets this January. Its like taking your car to a mechanic and expecting him to fix it without all the correct tools, no chance...

I firmly believe, Rodgers is still adapting to life as a big club manager. His philosophy is commendable but we as fans need to remember he’s learning his trade while on the job too. For example, I doubt very much you will see Rodgers play such a small, solely technical-orientated team away at Goodison Park next year? However for every wake up calls like this, Rodgers has showed he has the ability to make the big calls when needed, such as his somewhat poor call (in hindsight) on the handling of Andy Carroll and his drastic half time changes in the Derby. Rodgers has shown great heart for the job and he has defended the team – in particular the media and press pantomime villain of Luis Suarez – like a true guardian of the club.

I truly believe when every Liverpool fans looks at our man in the dugout, they see a man who believes in what he’s doing and is doing it for the well-being of our club. What more can we ask for?

Well, WINNING GAMES AT ANFIELD would be a nice start perhaps? I don’t believe Rodgers can be blamed for our poor form at home because lets face it; we haven’t been actually that bad! We've had moments where we have dominated games (against the Manchester clubs and Newcastle today) by playing exactly how Rodgers wants us to play. Yet still somehow, results did not fall our way. The players have to take their fair share of the responsibility for this rut. We have seen individual mistakes (e.g. Skrtel vs Man City) that have stemmed from adapting to a new system and the injuries as previously mentioned, all accumulate also to this Anfield curse of 2012.

We have cogs in every hole at the moment, but only Suarez’s is keeping the goal scoring car going forward. In saying that, there have been other fantastic performers this year like Allen, Johnson and Shelvey but there has been a need for improvement from others like Gerrard, Reina, Borini and Sahin. For varying reasons, players are performing at different levels in the Liverpool team at the moment. If the team could find their niche in unison – something which hasn't yet happened yet this season – we might not look so frail after all.

Finally, we fans need to play our role in this mini revolution also. We need to be patient and we need to understand why this frustrating roller-coaster that rumbles on through our lives is still going around in a loop. However this does not mean we should accept inadequacy when it happens (e.g. vs Arsenal and West Brom). Our desire for success must be equaled by every other corner of the club.
Together, we will get through this storm if we believe it possible. 10 games into this season, Liverpool may be able to see the golden sky… but it’s still a long way to go before we start hearing any silver songs from a lark.

Patience and Belief.

We'll get there in the end.

YNWA.
JFT96
Please sign Anne Williams petition to bring Kevin's inquest forward

Nice bit of writing mate (which I know you've posted it elsewhere) but it may have helped if you had spelt Brendan's name correctly in the thread 'title'. 

it may have helped if you had spelt Brendan's name correctly in the thread 'title'.

Corrected.

Corrected.

Nice one.

I seem to recall Rodgers saying no quick fixes and it'll be a painful process, seems like some on here have a low pain threshold.  Epidurals for all?

I seem to recall Rodgers saying no quick fixes and it'll be a painful process, seems like some on here have a low pain threshold.  Epidurals for all?

Iv'e never heard a LFC Manager ever state that before unless you can correct me mate.

I just hate the dampening down of expectations and also if you feel its going to be a painful process why do the job? let someone else do it who will make it less painful.

let someone else do it who will make it less painful.

I have no doubt that, given the players (and time), Brendan will make us successful again. Me and you can't give him the players Shabs but we can give him the time. If others don't... well at least we will have played our part mate and that's all we can offer as fans.

I seem to recall Rodgers saying no quick fixes and it'll be a painful process, seems like some on here have a low pain threshold.  Epidurals for all?

Enemas!

Good post and I echo almost every sentiment +1 Lancashirelad

Iv'e never heard a LFC Manager ever state that before unless you can correct me mate.

I just hate the dampening down of expectations and also if you feel its going to be a painful process why do the job? let someone else do it who will make it less painful.

Is the team of the same level as the teams of the past?  No, so it's pointless harping on about it.  Not dampening expectations, I just don't feel this squad or indeed last seasons is capable of getting us to where we want to be at present and following Liverpool is about the highs and the lows and we have a word for those that only want highs.   So many people think that having a realistic outlook is akin to dampening expectations, it's not, we all want to go forward, but we need some patience at present, because we aren't good enough at present, that's not dampening expectations just, as Rafa would say, a 'Facht' and if I think I will lose patience soon myyself,  I don't think it'll be with Rodgers or the team, the people I don't have any patience left for are the 'I want it now' crowd at all.

It is so wrong to criticise people for wanting success especially when that club is Liverpool.These fans have not just turned up this season and are expecting to be successful many of them have never seen Liverpool win a league title so to keep on saying they are wanting instant success is terribly insulting IMHO. The manager may be new the team may be different but these supporters have been loyal for many years and dont deserve to labelled as glory hunters or wanting instant success give them a break.Why should they be told or accept the message they have to be patient they pay the ticket price and deserve the right to expect this club to be succesfull. instead of criticising them we should be pressurizing the club to get things done and do them right.

It is so wrong to criticise people for wanting success especially when that club is Liverpool.These fans have not just turned up this season and are expecting to be successful many of them have never seen Liverpool win a league title so to keep on saying they are wanting instant success is terribly insulting IMHO. The manager may be new the team may be different but these supporters have been loyal for many years and dont deserve to labelled as glory hunters or wanting instant success give them a break.Why should they be told or accept the message they have to be patient they pay the ticket price and deserve the right to expect this club to be succesfull. instead of criticising them we should be pressurizing the club to get things done and do them right.

I so agree with this , I am lucky enough to have seen us win league titles , I hope to see us win the Premiership , my daughters who are avid Supporters have not seen us win a league title , I want to celebrate a League win with my daughters , is that wrong !
We have waited a long time for a League Title , some of us worry we will not be around , the way things are going.
We have been patient , but for some fans time is running out , it's not instant success we want , we need to feel that we are in with a chance. Is that really too much for loyal fans to ask . I think not.

It is so wrong to criticise people for wanting success especially when that club is Liverpool.These fans have not just turned up this season and are expecting to be successful many of them have never seen Liverpool win a league title so to keep on saying they are wanting instant success is terribly insulting IMHO. The manager may be new the team may be different but these supporters have been loyal for many years and dont deserve to labelled as glory hunters or wanting instant success give them a break.Why should they be told or accept the message they have to be patient they pay the ticket price and deserve the right to expect this club to be succesfull. instead of criticising them we should be pressurizing the club to get things done and do them right.

I haven't said we shouldn't want success, but we're aren't the only team with loyal, life long fans who want their team to be successful too.  I'm saying we need patience, because this team isn't ready and it won't be after January's window.  Nowhere have I said I don't want us to win the league, but is there anything wrong with setting achievable goals, realising the state of our squad, which had been ravaged before FSG got here and whilst they've made mistakes in he market, so have the managers in charge of the team, which has left us with a weakened squad.