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

Alli is much more of a striker/finisher, whereas Ojo wants to be in midfield creating things. But Ojo doesn't yet have the mindset of a midfielder, only wants to do the attacking stuff.

Alli is another guy who is unlikely to be a poor acquisition, given is English and young so his value will hold, but not what we need right now...

https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/517953047629398016

8-10 wrote: »

I think there's more to the story between Mario and Brendan. The comments just seem odd

Starting to wonder if Rodgers wanted him at all or whether he was signed on the recommendation of the transfer committee.

Either way we didn't seem to have any clear plan on who to replace Suarez with. The Sanchez thing only cropped up once Barcelona wanted to get rid of him. You would imagine replacing Suarez should have been number one priority from early in the Summer. Especially given Sturridge's propensity to pick up knocks.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Starting to wonder if Rodgers wanted him at all or whether he was signed on the recommendation of the transfer committee.

First of all as I said in the match thread, not clapping the travelling fans is a non-story. I left shortly after the final whistle as did most of the supporters and remember seeing Henderson, Gerrard etc clapping but was certainly not the whole team.

So first off, for Brendan to publicly state that he didn't was odd, kind of like setting the seed in the media that he is not happy with Mario for something, strange thing to target but maybe to get the fans on his side saying that they deserve this and that, and Mario is not giving them respect. Odd.

Then to further air his dirty laundry in public, he says the next day that he was the best available, it was a gamble and it's not paying off. I'm all for giving a player a rollicking if he's not performing, but an odd way to do it. If he's not performing then drop him. You spend the same money on Sakho and have no issue dropping him so do the same. Make him do extra shooting training or whatever, I don't care but don't run to the media to slate the player. Especially if it's Mario, is that really going to be a constructive way to criticise him?

I really think there's something else to this story, perhaps something from after the match on Wednesday. If he was unhappy beforehand he wouldn't have played him, if he was unhappy during the game he still had Borini on the bench and only made 2 subs so could easily have dragged him off. But after he leaves him on the field for 90mins (where admittedly he spent most of the time strolling around in an offside position), he's reacted in a very unusual way in firstly making comments about his respect to travelling fans and secondly making indirect comments about his performances by talking about his availability during the summer. I might be wrong but something in this story is not sitting right for me. Let's see if he starts this weekend.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Starting to wonder if Rodgers wanted him at all or whether he was signed on the recommendation of the transfer committee.

So is this another signing that doesn't work out has to be the committees fault not Rodgers?

We have seen players that have allegedly been bought by the transfer committe frozen out by Rodgers. Balotelli hasn't been frozen out.

Brendan has stated many times that he has the final say on what players come in.

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Which sap is going to start a match thread, or shall we just avoid the ignominy?

Doesn't matter. I'm taking it upon myself to never follow a match thread again.

Only two threads I didn't follow this season were Southampton and Spurs. I am the jinx.

5starpool wrote: »

Wasn't Suarez meant to be releasing an auto biography about now? Anyone know the release date?

23rd of October is the pre order date on Amazon!

It was reported earlier the summer that Rodgers wanted more of a say over transfers for the summer just gone. I think all the signings this summer are his.

gafferino wrote: »

I have gone ahead and started the match thread. My first one.
Tread softly for you tread on my dreams.

Here is the problem I see with what Rodgers said about Ballotelli every single fan and pundit and footballer and manager on the planet new what type of player Ballotelli was when we signed him.

Then the manager goes and plays him up front on his own which isn't his game he needs someone to play off. So the manager then goes in the press and slates the player for playing in a system that everyone can see doesn't work so instead of changing the system to suit the players the manager blames the players for not working hard enough and scoring goals.

Rodgers as been caught out each season so far as Liverpool manager with his tactics and not being able to see the changes that need to be done mid game and his lack of defensive coaching.

Now Rodgers seems to be a top man manager who can and seems to get the best from young players and has a great attacking philosophy which makes for excting football to watch when it is played right.

Maybe he needs to deflate his ego a small bit and bring in some world class coaches beside him.

Ego is good in this world for sure but but being able to se your own weakness will make him a world class manager.

I dont either. If it was said about me i'd take zero offence to it.

SlickRic wrote: »

i honestly don't see what's wrong with what Rodgers said.

like, at all.

It was the way he said it :pac:

Boom_Bap wrote: »

On the RTE post match interview, he praised Gerrard. It came on after the first or second batch of highlights from the other games.

Cant stand the RTE panel. Another reason to be glad I missed it.