Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 12/13

opr wrote: »

Opr

For a second, I read Angela Merkel

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Or let's appoint a proven manager rather than a chancer flavour of the month like Rodgers?

Well that would be a big one.

The longer mid-table mediocratity hangs over the club, the less the chance of getting a proven manager.

To talk about football for a second, why aren't we pressing more effectively? I had been told that this was one of the hallmarks of his sides and believed it was something he had mentioned himself. We're not doing it at all well thus far. Defensively, we've been very poorly coached the entire season. I don't like the style being employed with the football, but at least you can see that is being worked on. But surely pressing high as a team is something that could be coached? Is it a case of a poor coach being unable to impart his ideas; the wrong players to do it; or that he isn't even trying to do it?

I don't think I'll ever forget the first half against Juve in 2005 or Madrid in 2009 at Anfield where they never knew what hit them. If Rodgers could at least get some of that stuff going it would help me warm to him some.

Thoughts?

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

To talk about football for a second, why aren't we pressing more effectively? I had been told that this was one of the hallmarks of his sides and believed it was something he had mentioned himself. We're not doing it at all well thus far. Defensively, we've been very poorly coached the entire season. I don't like the style being employed with the football, but at least you can see that is being worked on. But surely pressing high as a team is something that could be coached? Is it a case of a poor coach being unable to impart his ideas; the wrong players to do it; or that he isn't even trying to do it?

I don't think I'll ever forget the first half against Juve in 2005 or Madrid in 2009 at Anfield where they never knew what hit them. If Rodgers could at least get some of that stuff going it would help me warm to him some.

Thoughts?

I totally agree with you on this point Lloyd. We have not pressed effectively enough and it's something I have been surprised by. I notice some players doing it, Henderson, Suarez, and even Sterling actually. But as a team, we don't pester the opposition enough.

In regards to our passing, it's obvious that we are trying to play posession football and keep hold of the ball. However, I would argue that it has lead to losing posession and conceeding a chance, more often than actually creating a clear cut chance for our team.

These are obviously two major flaws with the team at present, with the others main one being that we don't have enough goalscorers.

As I said, everything is far from rosey, but let's not start sacking managers before they have had a chance to settle into the club. People complaing about the club losing sight of 'The Liverpool way,' well surely that kind of behaviour will only cement that loss of identity.

billybudd wrote: »

Yeah!

But Liverpool didn't want Ramirez so I don't see your point

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

To talk about football for a second, why aren't we pressing more effectively? I had been told that this was one of the hallmarks of his sides and believed it was something he had mentioned himself. We're not doing it at all well thus far. Defensively, we've been very poorly coached the entire season. I don't like the style being employed with the football, but at least you can see that is being worked on. But surely pressing high as a team is something that could be coached? Is it a case of a poor coach being unable to impart his ideas; the wrong players to do it; or that he isn't even trying to do it?

I don't think I'll ever forget the first half against Juve in 2005 or Madrid in 2009 at Anfield where they never knew what hit them. If Rodgers could at least get some of that stuff going it would help me warm to him some.

Thoughts?

Agree with you here. In our first Europa League matches it looked like we would be pressing all over the pitch for the season but haven't seen it like I hoped. Suarez is very good at it and Borini before he was injured.

Defensively, I think Steve Clarke is a big reason why we were so solid last year at the back.

Yeah I think sometimes this thread gets bogged down in warfare of the differing fractions without actually have a decent discussion on Rodgers. It's tangible stuff like the pressing that Lloyd mentions which has really disappointed me with regards to the team.

Even the back line don't seem to have a clue what they're doing at times in terms of sitting deep or condensing the space. It's something even Rodgers has mentioned himself in interviews that the team are still learning but how long does it take to teach international players like Skrtel/Agger/Johnson when to move and when to stay?

I've also lost count of the number of times we've finished a game with a certain line-up which has done well and Rodgers starts the next game with the exact same line-up kinda like he thinks he may have stumbled on the solution.

Opr

Vicxas wrote: »

Ugh will people stop with the BR must go... Its getting pathetic at this stage.

What's pathetic is that we have to struggle on for another year or so before he gets dumped out on his ass out of obligation or concerns like 'you have to give the manager time', etc.

On a general level, people are obsessed about what teams do with the ball and it short circuits their ability to assess other aspects of a team's fortunes or performance.

People like this pass, pass, pass, pass it back and start again rubbish. I get that - it's popular these days. But it shouldn't be distracting from how porous we are defensively; our inability to apply pressure high up the pitch as a unit; what we're doing / not doing from set pieces. Basically all the little details that made us a nightmare opponent for years under Benitez and stretches under Houllier.

Leaving aside all the club stuff, people are really codding themselves if they say we look well coached with a straight face on.

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

What's pathetic is that we have to struggle on for another year or so before he gets dumped out on his ass out of obligation or concerns like 'you have to give the manager time', etc.

On a general level, people are obsessed about what teams do with the ball and it short circuits their ability to assess other aspects of a team's fortunes or performance.

People like this pass, pass, pass, pass it back and start again rubbish. I get that - it's popular these days. But it shouldn't be distracting from how porous we are defensively; our inability to apply pressure high up the pitch as a unit; what we're doing / not doing from set pieces. Basically all the little details that made us a nightmare opponent for years under Benitez and stretches under Houllier.

Leaving aside all the club stuff, people are really codding themselves if they say we look well coached with a straight face on.

The first words from every manager is time... you bring someone in they start talking about their plan and that they need time to implement.

Sacking BR now would be the dumbest move in football. Ever

Just on those transfer targets posted above.

All of them are pretty young midfielders but Holtby is the only one I'd have much knowledge on. As for Merkel, has anyone even seen him play a game yet? He hardly ever gets a look in with Genoa as far as I can tell, perhaps I'm wrong.

Clasie I've seen play once this season with Feyenoord so I've virtually no idea on what type of player he is. Some references to him being the "Dutch Xavi", which if is the case then its seems Rodgers wants to make LFC into a tribute Xavi band having already signed the Welsh imitation.

Maybe Ade (still weird seeing him as Sahin ) or Kess could give a quick synopsis of what he's like?

Lucky Holtby is an interesting one. Wasn't it said on here that his father is a die hard Evertonian? Wonder would that have any effect on him joining.

He has stated, or at least his agent did I think, that he has received offers from England recently, and as far as I know I think his contract is out in the next 6 months or so. Doubt he'd be on a lot at Schalke either as it was his first real professional contract.

He's primarily an AM, don't think I've ever seen him play anywhere else, so not really a replacement for Henderson in that regard I would think. A better player right now, probably in all honesty, but I'd have my reservations over how good he could be for Liverpool if he did join. I would think the low fee and wages is why we would be in for him as there is definitely better AMs out there.

Huntelaar, Draxler and Farfan are the players I really would love to get off Schalke.

The 08/09 season was simply amazing in terms of pressing. It was from the get go, we bullied teams and just took the ball from them. Best football we've ever played imo.

I miss the days of feeling confident we would go out and smash teams. More often than not we did.

Out of curiosity, to those who think Rodgers shouldnt be given time/sacked etc....If you were a Dortmund fan and you saw this inexperienced manager finishing 11th with the Dortmund side. Would you have wanted him sacked too?