Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14 Mod warning post#7005

Ganymede Glow · 20-02-2014 11:29PM

super_furry · 20-02-2014 11:35PM

I'm looking forward to getting into the Champions League next season if only to bring an end to the daft midweek discussions when there's nothing else to talk about.

mike65 · 20-02-2014 11:39PM

mike65 wrote: »

Cisse, Baros, Pongolle then Crouch were his strikers in the first 18 months.

Charlie19 wrote: »

Crouch the only striker he bought in that period?

Rodgers has bought Borini, Sturridge and Aspas.

I was referring to the strikers in the squad, not who bought who. Suarez and Sturridge are clearly better players but the way Rodgers sets the team up as compared to Benitez is the main difference. He now wants to attack and is less obsessed with traditional controlling of the game by pitch area whereas Rafa was fairly big into that aspect of the game.

Charlie19 · 20-02-2014 11:41PM

Gbear wrote: »

I'm surprised Rodgers has had more pts in that time. We must've finished the end of Rafa's second season very strongly because we ended up on 82 pts.

It is interesting that despite Rafa getting painted with the "defensive" brush, and Rodgers with the "attacking" one, Rodgers has drawn more games and lost fewer.

Was it not Rafa's third season we hit the 82 points?

Thats a good point about defensive'and attacking, I would of thought benitez be well out in front regarding wins and had fewer defeats, its really showing up my knowledge of the club I support. Credit to Rodgers he really is starting make good progress.

Mike listed the strikes Benitez had for his first 18 months, Think Keane signed before Bellamy.

Charlie19 · 20-02-2014 11:43PM

mike65 wrote: »

I was referring to the strikers in the squad, not who bought who.

I was just adding to that by saying the first striker bought by Benitez was Crouch and I never would guessed it, If asked.

mike65 · 20-02-2014 11:46PM

True that!

Charlie19 · 20-02-2014 11:50PM

Who could forget Morientes;)

Vinz Mesrine · 20-02-2014 11:52PM

Pretty sure Morientes was the first striker Rafa signed in January 05.

Agent Coulson · 20-02-2014 11:55PM

Morientes and Litmanen before him were players I really really wished could have played for us at their peak.

MD1990 · 20-02-2014 11:56PM

Ganymede Glow wrote: »

goals for shows that Rodgers is a much more attacking manager than Rafa

mike65 · 20-02-2014 11:59PM

Yikes! :eek:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-jordon-ibe-poised-3167469?

Birmingham City? The dullest team in the league?

jcsoulinger · 21-02-2014 12:04AM

mike65 wrote: »

Yikes! :eek:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-jordon-ibe-poised-3167469?

Birmingham City? The dullest team in the league?

Great, he needs games. pity it didn't happen sooner.

Gbear · 21-02-2014 12:06AM

Charlie19 wrote: »

Was it not Rafa's third season we hit the 82 points?

Nope. 2nd.

Charlie19 wrote: »

Mike listed the strikes Benitez had for his first 18 months, Think Keane signed before Bellamy.

Keane didn't sign till after Torres - Rafa's 4th season. He was promptly sold a few months later, despite doing pretty well on the face of it.
Bellamy and Kuyt signed in 2006, so Rafa's 3rd season.

MD1990 wrote: »

goals for shows that Rodgers is a much more attacking manager than Rafa

As has been pointed out, Rafa had nobody of the calibre of either Sturridge or Suarez until Torres arrived in his 3rd season.

Not arguing with you in general but our quality is a huge reason why we're scoring so many goals this season.
Suarez is the best striker that's played for Liverpool in a very long time and Sturridge is showing himself to be not far off Torres (their goalscoring is fairly similar but Torres scored a few more spectacular goals, I think).

MD1990 · 21-02-2014 12:08AM

Gbear wrote: »

Nope. 2nd.

Keane didn't sign till after Torres - Rafa's 4th season. He was promptly sold a few months later, despite doing pretty well on the face of it.
Bellamy and Kuyt signed in 2006, so Rafa's 3rd season.

As has been pointed out, Rafa had nobody of the calibre of either Sturridge or Suarez until Torres arrived in his 3rd season.

Not arguing with you in general but our quality is a huge reason why we're scoring so many goals this season.
Suarez is the best striker that's played for Liverpool in a very long time and Sturridge is showing himself to be not far off Torres (their goalscoring is fairly similar but Torres scored a few more spectacular goals, I think).

Suarez & Sturridge were scoring about half as much before Rodgers worked with them though

Gbear · 21-02-2014 12:12AM

As a general point on Rafa I think he was too much of a perfectionist, at least as far as the league went (his attention to detail clearly paid massive dividends in cup competitions).
If he hadn't bothered his arse trying to fill the squad and improve every little bit with some hidden gem out of nowhere and spent 15m quid on fast, skillful attacking players every window until there wasn't any room left we might've been better off.
But you take the bad with the good, as with any manager.

I think Rodgers greatest strength has been his flexibility. He had a bit of fortune in inheriting Suarez and nobody but Sturridge's mum thought he's been as good as he has. But how he's managed the hand that was dealt him has been exceptional. Instead of imposing his philosophy rigidly he's mostly incorporated our strengths into our game and we're a two pronged nightmare in the final third.

Hangballlouie · 21-02-2014 12:18AM

The time to start comparing is when Rodgers puts trophies in the cabinet.
Rodgers has done nothing yet, but he is showing great potential and he looks the real deal.
Rafa wins trophies wherever he goes and is the real deal.

K-9 · 21-02-2014 12:20AM

I look at Kono and think Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho, yes please!

Then I get out of FIFA/CM mode and wonder why the manager doesn't see DM as a priority.

Suppose it's similar to why we had N'Gog as back up to Torres. Benitez had his priotities, Rodgers his. It's philosophies, football managers can have such high flaluting terms!

mike65 · 21-02-2014 12:27AM

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-glen-johnson-trained-week-3167465?

Glen Johnson is set to return for Liverpool

Johnson has trained all week at Melwood and Brendan Rodgers is expected to include him in the Reds' squad for Sunday's home game against Swansea.

Liverpool feared Johnson might have needed surgery to correct the problems, but he has responded well to treatment.

klose · 21-02-2014 12:29AM

mike65 wrote: »

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-glen-johnson-trained-week-3167465?

Probably the last we'll see of kelly so

billy2012 · 21-02-2014 12:30AM

Is the match on TV?

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/exclusive-suarez-debt-gratitude-liverpool-6729708

jcsoulinger · 21-02-2014 12:32AM

klose wrote: »

Probably the last we'll see of kelly so

with a bit of luck

Thanx 4 The Fish · 21-02-2014 12:32AM

mike65 wrote: »

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpools-glen-johnson-trained-week-3167465?

Best news all week for me. Flanno looks out of his depth.

jamaamaj · 21-02-2014 12:33AM

For all this debate about Rodgers and Rafa.

I'm really looking forward to meeting Napoli in the champions league next season

.

But it will be the only time i'll be happy to see Rafa lose.

Hangballlouie · 21-02-2014 12:34AM

jamaamaj wrote: »

For all this debate about Rodgers and Rafa.

I'm really looking forward to meeting Napoli in the champions league next season .

But it will be the only time i'll be happy to see Rafa lose.

Really? I wanted him to lose every week at Chelsea.

internelligent · 21-02-2014 12:36AM

Slattsy wrote: »

Rafa didnt have to contend with money bags City and to an extent Chelsea, and also Spurs were useless back then.

Makes what Rodgers is doing serious form.

Rodgers doesn't have to compete with Man Utd. Rafa did. :pac::pac:

Devilman40k · 21-02-2014 12:46AM

hangballlouie wrote: »

Really? I wanted him to lose every week at Chelsea.

Actually wanted him to win every game as Chelsea boss (only time ever) so he could ram it down the throats of the fans who wanted him out

Kerrigooney · 21-02-2014 12:49AM

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote: »

Best news all week for me. Flanno looks out of his depth.

Really? I think Flanno's been grand. Improving all the time.

Is this going to be another case of a player getting better the longer he's out injured cos Johnson has been absolutely shite all season and probably the second half of last season too...

Not sure I believe the 'injured all season' line either.

klose · 21-02-2014 12:50AM

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote: »

Best news all week for me. Flanno looks out of his depth.

Johnson's been awful for around a year now, flanno isn't a world beater but he's been doing a better job then Johnson since hes came in imo.

mike65 · 21-02-2014 12:50AM

K-9 wrote: »

I look at Kono and think Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho, yes please!

Then I get out of FIFA/CM mode and wonder why the manager doesn't see DM as a priority.

Suppose it's similar to why we had N'Gog as back up to Torres. Benitez had his priotities, Rodgers his. It's philosophies, football managers can have such high flaluting terms!

Mignolet
---Skrtel---Agger---Sakho

Gerrard-Lucas

Coutinho
Sterling---Suarez--Konoplyanka

Sturridge

Looks fine to me! :pac:

billymitchell · 21-02-2014 12:52AM

mike65 wrote: »

Mignolet
---Skrtel---Agger---Sakho
Gerrard-Lucas
Coutinho
Sterling---Suarez--Konoplyanka
Sturridge

Looks fine to me! :pac:

Too defensive for my liking

Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14 Mod warning post#7005

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