Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 - Mod Note in OP, 1/09

Agent Coulson

MD1990 wrote: »

I think Rodgers will turn it around he is a very good managaer but his weakness is his signings. Not getting Sanchez was such a huge blow imo.

Add coaching defenders to that list.

Add not knowing how to deal with Gerrard to that list.

I am pie

Here we go, finish 2nd, achieve champs league qualification (both of which most thought were beyond us last year) and before we even get to halloween, never mind Xmas, the knives are out.

Personally, I think that's pathetically short sighted.

I do think we would benefit from a fresh look at how we are defending, if you are 0-0 down after an hour it gives you a chance. BR showed last year, after a stuttering start when the boo boys were out in force, that he was able to make changes. I have confidence that he will make the same changes this year.

Balotelli and Markovic look to be money spent naively or hastily, I do agree with that criticism although players deserve more patience than a few months worth of football before being tossed onto the scrapheap. I don't hold out hope for Balotelli as he has been consistently problematic at other clubs.

Some of the hysterical carry on makes me wonder whether supporting Liverpool robs some of us of any type of memory, perspective and patience.

MR NINE

A poster touched on it earlier, last season, first three games, three clean sheets. Whats happened? Is it all down to gerrards new position? I havent turned on rodgers but im very concerned at our inability to defend. Id like to think if we signed a new keeper and a holding midfielder things might change but i dont think thats gonna happen, and even if it did im really not sure if itd make much of a difference.

googled eyes

Looks like the Ballotelli story may not last long going by Twitter.

David Wooding - S*n on sunday editor is rumoured to have been in the directors box last night

The man claims to be an LFC fan. WTF.

K-9

MD1990 wrote: »

I think Rodgers will turn it around he is a very good managaer but his weakness is his signings. Not getting Sanchez was such a huge blow imo.

For all the money we spent that £20 Million in January last year was crucial. We're very ordinary without Sturridge and an on form Coutino. He played some delightful through balls last night that Sturridge would have thrived on. Ifs and maybes.

I thought Llanana was disappointing last night, though he has been good in recent games. Looked a little ordinary for the money spent last night.

Can and Markovic came in to a training session basically.

K-9

MR NINE wrote: »

A poster touched on it earlier, last season, first three games, three clean sheets. Whats happened? Is it all down to gerrards new position? I havent turned on rodgers but im very concerned at our inability to defend. Id like to think if we signed a new keeper and a holding midfielder things might change but i dont think thats gonna happen, and even if it did im really not sure if itd make much of a difference.

5 at the back and Sturridge, simples!

rob316

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

You want to make out we are a lower division side or something. We ARE in the same league as Real. They narrowly missed out on La Liga last year, us the EPL.

Sometimes it isn't a matter of complication or nuance. People trying to look at positives aren't bring rational here. We turned in another hapless performance, and it is concerning and frustrating. End of.

We absolutely aren't Lloyd. They can attract and buy whoever they want, they are UCL champions and most importantly have been consistently in the CL while we haven't for 5 years.
So many inexperienced players at this level out there last night.
We went from 7th to 2nd in a season, that was a monumental jump in results and we have sold the main contributor to that.

Miles and miles behind a team like Real Madrid we are, you are utterly delusional if you believe any different.

MD1990

K-9 wrote: »

For all the money we spent that £20 Million in January last year was crucial. We're very ordinary without Sturridge and an on form Coutino. He played some delightful through balls last night that Sturridge would have thrived on. Ifs and maybes.

I thought Llanana was disappointing last night, though he has been good in recent games. Looked a little ordinary for the money spent last night.

Can and Markovic came in to a training session basically.

Can has looked pretty good imo. But Markovic is a huge disapointment. He seems to lack any sort of courage to do anything.

Utopia Parkway

hangballlouie wrote: »

£212 mill on 25 players in two years. How many of them have made an impact?

Yes and we finished 2nd last season and despite not playing well are currently 5th this season. In a league where there are a number of teams that can outspend us. Especially on wages.

You'd swear we were batting relegation the way some are talking. Not that we are playing well currently and we all find that incredibly frustrating but some perspective is required.

Ultimately Madrid would have done the same to every other English team last night bar maybe Chelsea. Even Man City.

MD1990

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Add coaching defenders to that list.

Add not knowing how to deal with Gerrard to that list.

Rodgers needs to get in a defensive coach.

Charlie19

MD1990 wrote: »

I think Rodgers will turn it around he is a very good managaer but his weakness is his signings. Not getting Sanchez was such a huge blow imo.

Add not being Benitez to that list.

MR NINE

MD1990 wrote: »

Can has looked pretty good imo. But Markovic is a huge disapointment. He seems to lack any sort of courage to do anything.

Ill reserve judgement on markovic for a long time. It must be difficult to come into a disjointed side in poor form. Hes barely played, hell need time imo. He looks low on confidence and scared to try anything, it could take him a while to settle. I havent seen much of him but i get the impression hed be better on the left, cutting inside onto his right foot. He keeps playing on the right and all he does is cut back and play it backwards. Id like to see him on the left against swansea next week, where he can be more direct and cut inside onto his favoured foot

Agent Coulson

MD1990 wrote: »

Rodgers needs to get in a defensive coach.

He won't though that is the problem.

It has been plain to see last season and this season so far that he can't coach defenders.

Everyone can see it except him by the looks of it.

Harry Palmr

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

You want to make out we are a lower division side or something. We ARE in the same league as Real. They narrowly missed out on La Liga last year, us the EPL.

This is delusional.

Here is the difference and its got sod all to do with places on a league table.

Real booted out Di Maria and they didn't even need to. Liverpool wanted Sanchez and even had a player Barcelona wanted to sign and still no deal could be done. They bought in James Rodriquez and Toni Kroos, Kroos was nearly a freebie but he'd never have signed for Liverpool we're not his level. Balotelli we got....

Like it or not Liverpools name counts for little in the marketplace and that won't change for years yet if at all.

Luckycharms_74

googled eyes wrote: »

Looks like the Ballotelli story may not last long going by Twitter.

What story

K-9

MD1990 wrote: »

Rodgers needs to get in a defensive coach.

We're pretty crap at putting the ball in the back of the net too!

Sorry for being mr. obvious but the whole team isn't functioning properly at the minute.

googled eyes

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

What story

Exactly

Hulk Hands

How likely dya think it is for Ballotelli to start this weekend lads?

Charlie19

Meanwhile in Lille Everton fans are being fired at with rubber bullets after a bit of trouble with the locals.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/9530189/everton-say-two-fans-taken-to-hospital-after-attack-by-lille-locals

googled eyes

Charlie19 wrote: »

Meanwhile in Lille Everton fans are being fired at with rubber bullets after a bit of trouble with the locals.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/9530189/everton-say-two-fans-taken-to-hospital-after-attack-by-lille-locals

I saw last night a bar full of Everton fans was attacked and the French police were less than helpful

Charlie19

googled eyes wrote: »

I saw last night a bar full of Everton fans was attacked and the French police were less than helpful

They look to be getting treated like hooligans.
http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-10-23/police-fire-rubber-bullets-at-everton-fans/
Definitely not a friendly welcome.

monkey9

That seems to happen a lot in France. Weren't Spurs fans attacked there a few years back?

Pilsbury Doughboy

Does it really need a defensive coach to tell Lovern and Skrtel to "stop playing like a pair of b1tches and go out there and fcking attack the ball when it comes in the box and whilst you're at it get stuck into the opposing teams striker you complete pair of bellends"

Kimbot

If I was Rodgers I would bring Carra back to teach the CB's how to defend TBH.

noodler

I am pie wrote: »

Here we go, finish 2nd, achieve champs league qualification (both of which most thought were beyond us last year) and before we even get to halloween, never mind Xmas, the knives are out.

Personally, I think that's pathetically short sighted.

I do think we would benefit from a fresh look at how we are defending, if you are 0-0 down after an hour it gives you a chance. BR showed last year, after a stuttering start when the boo boys were out in force, that he was able to make changes. I have confidence that he will make the same changes this year.

Balotelli and Markovic look to be money spent naively or hastily, I do agree with that criticism although players deserve more patience than a few months worth of football before being tossed onto the scrapheap. I don't hold out hope for Balotelli as he has been consistently problematic at other clubs.

Some of the hysterical carry on makes me wonder whether supporting Liverpool robs some of us of any type of memory, perspective and patience.

Geuinely discussing Rodgers' situtation doesn't really mean the knives are out.

There is no way in hell, CL qualification or not, that he won't be here next season in my opinion.

Its fine to point out his apparent shortcomings though - I would not call it having the knives out.

LuckyLloyd

noodler wrote: »

Geuinely discussing Rodgers' situtation doesn't really mean the knives are out.

There is no way in hell, CL qualification or not, that he won't be here next season in my opinion.

Its fine to point out his apparent shortcomings though - I would not call it having the knives out.

It should also be acceptable to point out that none of us want to do a Spurs, i.e. one and done in the CL and back to where we started a half decade later.

SlickRic

the problem last night was primarily the lack of solidity.

yes, the scoreline was 3-0, and could've been worse, but it should only have been 1-0 at half-time, and any decent team at defending balls into the box would probably have come out of that half at 1-0.

who knows what would've happened from there.

Balotelli is a problem, but he's not our biggest problem. that lies at the back, as the ineptitude there accentuates any good play the opposition has. if the opposition plays well, they'll probably score because we can't defend in even the most basic way.

we are unable to close the space between midfield and defence, and we can't seem to defend balls into the box.

Madrid didn't have to get out of 2nd or 3rd gear because our defence was a shambles; no other reason really. they could have probably gone up gears and beaten us convincingly anyway, but we didn't even give them that challenge.

until we teach them how to follow the flight of a ball into their own box, and to head it away, it's going to continue to be a rocky road.

PropJoe10

My main concern is that Rodgers does not seem to have realised that you cannot keep defending as badly as we have, and hoping for the best. All good sides are based on a solid defence - I am of the belief that whatever about the attacking side, you first of all sort out your defensive shape and then once thats done, focus on the attacking side. Its not often you have two strikers in the kind of form that we did last year (Suarez and Sturridge) and even though they scored over 50 league goals between them, we still didnt win the league. That says to me that, unless you have a properly organised defence, you are never going to win the big trophies.

The sooner Rodgers realises this, the sooner we can start to move forward. And this is not based on last night. Its been on show for most of last season, and in every game this season so far bar maybe the Tottenham game.

gafferino

No new injuries and no timeline update on Sturridge injury at presser.

Utopia Parkway

Pilsbury Doughboy wrote: »

Does it really need a defensive coach to tell Lovern and Skrtel to "stop playing like a pair of b1tches and go out there and fcking attack the ball when it comes in the box and whilst you're at it get stuck into the opposing teams striker you complete pair of bellends"

I think Skrtel is a lost cause at this stage. I'm sure it's been said to him a hundred times by the coaches but his bad habits are too ingrained in him now and he either can't or won't change.