Liverpool Banter Archive April 20 2015

20 Apr 2015 22:55:33
Great news on hendo much needed good news for awhile now

20 Apr 2015 22:37:53
Well a certain ben smith from the bbc has said that Rodgers will be in charge next season! Also a certain tabloid back page sais " Rodgers more" kop boss has full backing and can splash the cash.

All a load of crap of course. His days are numbered. He will be gone in the summer.

20 Apr 2015 22:46:13
So you know better than the journalists because?

21 Apr 2015 06:50:03
Well if you scroll down and read tge posts its not judt my view its Ed001 also. The Journo's don't no they are guessing.

21 Apr 2015 06:55:42
Dezmondo14 could be the dinner lady though

21 Apr 2015 06:57:05
I have a horrible feeling he will be in charge. Why il never know, even when we were on the good run of form we were mostly playing awful. Scored a few screamers which papered over the cracks.

21 Apr 2015 07:30:36
Brendan seems to be good pals with James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo which is pretty reliable. He is obviously using this to his advantage to build back his credibility and leak stories to the rest of the media. FSG will not fall for Brendan's stupid games however and hopefully he will be gone and the club can move forward withe the right man in charge.

21 Apr 2015 09:40:34
He's also been spinning to Chris Bascombe at the Telegraph, basically blaming the players like Moreno and Marko (he signed them remember). I'm sure he knows his days are numbered so he wants it to be a 'shock' when he's booted.

21 Apr 2015 14:50:31
The media know NOTHING and yes we do know more than the media because any of us expected KK to be gone DESPITE the media saying he would be kept. as for BR spinning in the media and trashing the very same players he bought, is anyone really suprised? he`s been doing this for three years and it has clearly run it`s course and hopefully FSG will put us all out of our misery and rid us of this politician

20 Apr 2015 21:48:16
Perhaps the worst thing that could have happened to our club was second place finish last year. We over-reached and set a standard we cannot possibly maintain (IMO). If you look at top 4, they simply have the most financial clout. If you look across the leagues in Europe, it is almost always the richest teams that are in top 4. Yes, there are exceptions on off occasions, but in general, to be a top four team you need the finacial backing. We are in 5th, which is more or less where we should be on paper. This isn't an excuse and someone will soon point out Atletico or a similar example of trend bucking, but it is a simple and unfortunate truth. The outlay last summer was largely money recouped from a sale. sure we have made some bad decisions (all clubs do) but we are not in a finacial position to make mistakes on players (or manager).

Here's hoping that Origi steps in next year and becomes a Suarez.

20 Apr 2015 22:28:58
Wrong. The worst thing was throwing the title away. We lost the 3rd best player in the world, that's going to hurt any team but we had funds and the lure of CL football to replace him in some way, plus better the squad. So if that's the case who is to blame?

21 Apr 2015 00:32:12
I'd agree if Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal had all been playing well this year, but they haven't, they've been really inconsistent. Despite this, and despite our terrible start, we still aren't too far off top 4 so we should be somewhere in the CL places by now even with the budget and Suarez departure taken into account.

Also there is no way the events of the last season should have seen us capitulate as badly as we did recently against Man Utd, Arsenal and now Villa. We clearly lack an enforcer in midfield, a good RB, a backup striker, all problems we clearly knew about at the end of last season. GJ was obviously poor, Allen too lightweight for CDM and Suarez was leaving yet none of these seemed to be planned for adequately. Instead we make Markovic and Llalana our most expensive purchases (who I both think are good players but unnecessary) to reinforce attacking midfield where we already have Sterling and Coutinho? Then when we have obvious problems he doesn't give Borini a real chance and freezes him out?

Also why the tinkering with the rotation and formations? I think Rogers is too full of his mental gymnastics and hubris, when instead he should have hired a quick forward (Remy anyone?), reinforced midfield and RB, and built on last season rather than trying to reinvent the wheel every week.

21 Apr 2015 09:02:20
coop. you say the top 4 are "richer clubs" and it is almost always the richest teams that are in top 4,fair enough,but how can you explain arsenal over the last 15 years finishing above spurs every year and above lfc most years and they have spent a a lot less than the spuds and lfc

21 Apr 2015 14:56:29
Zimbo took the words right of my keyboard.

20 Apr 2015 19:38:53
Ed's,

I'm sure I heard Klopp say that as the only other language he can speak is English, if he left Germany it would be for England.

Appreciate he is a clever man and could do a crash course in Spanish between now and the start of the new season, but surely this must put us and City in the box seat for his services, albeit City would be strong favourites if they wanted him.

20 Apr 2015 22:42:46
We were 33/1 last night and now after all the press talk we are 3rd favourite behind city and Madrid at 9/1. Let's hope the odds drop more because the bookies usually have an inside man

20 Apr 2015 22:49:00
Bookies don't need an inside man. It's pretty simple math based on betting patterns and being able to cover the spread.

20 Apr 2015 15:53:49
Now that our season is practically over, there is every chance that players will fail to turn up and the manager will fail to inspire his players. It really is a difficult situation. KD's first full season 3 years ago comes to mind where we lost at home to Arsenal and we knew we couldn't catch them. We at least won the League Cup that season.

I am interested in seeing the response of these players on Tuesday.

20 Apr 2015 16:15:29
It´s hard to say, depends whether BR has lost the dressing room. Too many players are being played out of position, and some of the tactical changes he does will leave them more confused.
We are in a position where we rely on top4 teams to do worse than us, so that is another factor that would affect the players mentallity.

20 Apr 2015 18:41:47
His inability to prepare the players mentally,tactically and emtionally to play the biggest game(s) of our season ths far shows he is a crap motivator who is on ly interested in self-angradizement than anything else. We will go thru the motions and the season will end like a whimper, just like the CL and the Europa league, I`m afraid.

20 Apr 2015 13:49:47
Hey ed01, just out of curiosity, has Christophe Galtier been mentioned by someone at the club? I ask in regards to his recent interview about Liverpool being his dream job. Seems to be doing a fine job with Saint Etienne.
Also, could you by any chance mention of the names "being favored"? I seem to recall only Klopp and De Boer being mentioned?
In regards with yesterday's fiasco - I feel strangely numb on the whole topic. Rodgers time has run out. He has done a terrific job in certain areas, but he has proven he is a limited manager in regards of important matches, european football - and winning things, sadly. What is worse is that he does not seem to be learning, and is showing the wrong mentality. So thank you for everything - and goodbye.

{Ed001's Note - there have been a number suggested to me, though a number of them were also ruled out as being out of reach, such as Ancelotti and Simeone. Klopp is who I would want, who I think we should go all out for, but he was never mentioned to me as a possibility, however that was prior to the recent developments of him leaving Dortmund at the end of the season. Like I said though, while I think we should go all in for him, I think he is more likely to take on a project like Man City.

Galtier is an interesting one, his name has come up a few times, but his name was not brought up by anyone within the club. I should be back online properly at the weekend, rather than relying on internet cafes for a connection, so I will chase up some names, if there are any yet, that may be under consideration.

The only thing that is sure is that Rodgers has ended any chance of him being given the benefit of the doubt to try again next season. His failings have become more and more plain as the season has gone on. I disagree that he does not seem to be learning, the problem is that he is learning all the wrong things, in my opinion.}

20 Apr 2015 14:31:20
Edd001 didn't city originally (some above) decline klopp before to take over?

{Ed001's Note - I am not aware of that, I do remember them being rejected by Wenger and Klopp in the past, but not that they declined either.}

20 Apr 2015 14:55:19
Ed 1,

That sounds very promising re a new manager coming in.

Rogers has had the best circumstances to work under if the last 3 managers and if he wasn't fortunate enough to have one of the best 3 players in the world playing for a move last season his record would have been appalling, given the support received from FSG.

We have a decent squad, and with the right manager and a couple of correct additions in the first team, and exits out I am more than confident we will be back in top 4 next season.

Am suddenly feeling a lot more positive.

Cheers for your insight

{Ed001's Note - the problem is finding the right man. We need to find someone who fits the club. Even the best manager can fail miserably at the wrong club.}

20 Apr 2015 15:19:46
To success we just need to give Klopp whatever he wants! as easy as that.

20 Apr 2015 15:35:18
Ed01, while I understand me posting will prob bring abuse atm, I have heard it mentioned about klinsman. Is that right? And how would u feel if it was true?

Me personally, I would love u to get him but that should tell u exactly what I really think of him as a manager or coach.

Liverpool should be aiming higher than him. If it is true mate.

{Ed001's Note - he has already ruled out the possibility of him leaving LA, so it is not true, thankfully. The guy is awful, he has the best USA team ever and he is too busy trying to pick fights with the federation to achieve what he should.}

20 Apr 2015 15:46:47
Ed, you've said Rodgers has ended any chance of being given the benefit of the doubt. A large proportion of the media still think Rodgers will be in the job come summer.

Could you say with any degree of confidence that he will no longer be at the club come summer? Or would the owners try to find a replacement before sacking Rodgers. Most of us expect him to leave and that it would be best for the club, but I am not certain because so many pundits and 'journalists' are adamant he will stay at the club next season even if the owners are disappointed with this season.

Usually it is quite obvious when a managers time is up that it is all over the media for weeks before it happens. In this case there is much less of it.

{Ed001's Note - the journos are not working with FSG, they are working with Brendan, so why would they have a clue what his future is? His position has been under threat since the start of the season, he made promises and has broken them, now he has lost the faith of the players, it is only going to end one way.}

20 Apr 2015 15:47:00
Ed1
Your thoughts on galtier mate

{Ed001's Note - I don't know much about him, Ed002 is the one who knows French football well.}

20 Apr 2015 16:00:36
I understand ed, its just typically you see it everywhere before the inevitable sacking. There has been less of it this time, I was worried that perhaps FSG were still evaluating him rather than looking elsewhere.

{Ed002's Note - To answer Reet's question, Christophe Galtier is a really great guy and having worked at Marseille under Alain Perrin, he is one of their two options (but their preferred solution) to replace Marcelo Bielsa in the summer if he does not sign an extension. Newcastle have previously looked to him and Arsenal kept a watching brief for a while.}

20 Apr 2015 16:26:03
Wow Ed001. There we go. Never doubted your knowledge and suggestions mate and your words " Rodgers has ended any chance of him being given the benefit of doubt to try again next season", is pretty final for me mate. I did worry that the owners were still evaluating his post.

20 Apr 2015 16:30:45
Thanks ed2.shame we have no interest.has done a grt job with st etienne

20 Apr 2015 16:30:45
Interesting Ed, thanks!

20 Apr 2015 17:06:29
Most journalists are clueless; for an example see the 'analysis' in the Liverpool Echo website of the 'tactical battle'. Not one mention of the utter idiocy of playing Gerrard, particularly in the DM role in the second half. The same decision making from Rodgers that left us 10th at Christmas. Meanwhile we play a strong, quick powerful DM at right back. There's your tactical analysis right there.

20 Apr 2015 17:33:25
Eds. surely it's the manager FSG thinks fits our club? They appoint the managers or is it Ayre?

My opinion is still clear and I rate BR to keep improving us. Maybe that's my age and I'm more calm than others not needing to have a knee jerk reaction. Most from the outside see BR as a very good manger yet many LFC fans think different as we haven't won the league.

I was gutted yesterday like the rest but AV played well and our players froze in the headlights. I'm not sure BR can be fully blamed for that.

Until we sign quality players it doesn't matter who manges us IMO, we won't compete with the teams above under FFP as we are financially far behind them all.

IMO we shouldn't waste money on buying loads of players and should promote from the youth ranks, we do need another forward once the current 3 (not DS) leave and we need a quality goal keeper to push Migs. Emre can go into MF to replace Gerard.

I know many will disagree with me and think changing the manager will change everything but look at recent history and this is not the case.

Football is a competitive arena these days.

20 Apr 2015 18:05:42
@ No101. At the risk of seeming patronising, loyalty and patience from fans is a rare commodity and it's good to see.

But, I have to disagree with you. I look at Rodgers and see a man who, whilst he has the potential to be excellent, just has too many blind spots. In particular, I question his ability to correctly assess what he has at his disposal, and plan medium to long term around it. A good example is all of his loan signings being displaced from the first team within months of arriving by players that were already at the club. Why not have just trusted the players he already had?

There are other examples (I rattled off a few after the game yesterday), but tl;dr, I think he's always going to undo any good he does himself because he can't make a plan and stick to it. Furthermore, I think he's always going to be liable ship in and out 8-10 players a season, which I think we'd all agree is far from idea.

20 Apr 2015 18:54:41
BR`s blunders are so many that any percieved "potential will NEVER overcome atm. He has worked with geat owners who have given him all he has asked for and he has been unable to repay them so why should thay keep him? He is a goner and after I saw such a shambolic and embarassing perf that left me almost puking with disgust at the players` attitde and the manager`s incompetence vs a very average YET well-prepared Villa side, he needs to go ASAP. As for the media, they are useless because their pundits support the manager and not bash him in a bid to not seem bitter or a BR basher while I`m sure they all know he is aweful BUT have no prob taking down Pello at City who is just as aweful atm. I follow French footie and have known Galtier since he was assistant to Rolland Courbis at Marseille in the late 90`s. He has carved a niche for himself after building that Saint Etienne team who play very attractive footie and bring thru youth like Guilavogui (Wolfsburg), Ghoulam (Napoli), Matuidi (PSG) and Dabo (Lyon) among others. Will he do a good job here? Only time will tell. He is not a proven manager and has NOTHING to his name in terms of silverware so don`t know if he is the right man if we are looking for an experienced manager.

20 Apr 2015 20:00:32
Loaning out ibe and buying markovic for 20mil is a prime example.

20 Apr 2015 18:36:32
dont get the keep improving us bit?? how has he?

20 Apr 2015 20:56:29
I also partly agree with you NO101 that in order to improve we first have to bring quality players. But this was one of BR main weaknesses. We signed up no less than 8 players last summer - Manquillo, Baloteli, Lovern, Lambert, Markovich, Moreno, Lallana, and Can. The first four were really poor whenever they got a chance to play. Moreno and Lallana were OKish at best. Can Was ok in the back 3, didn't impress as a DM.

And of what I hear and the little I saw of the 9th signing which is Origi, he will not be our saviour either, not in the coming year anyway. That is an exceptionally poor return for so much money invested even if one or two of them will come good eventually. A lot of them have to go to make room for quality players and I am not sure that BR as the one who brought them will have the courage to do it.

Another problem with BR is that consistently under him the team didn't show up for big games. And not only against the big 4 but also yesterday against Villa and earlier this season against Basiktas. And this is eventually what makes the difference to a season, both in terms of trophies and the matches against the top 4 that bring you to the CL.

Don't get me wrong I think we could have done worst than BR this year and there are worse options than him for next one. I am full of appriciation of what he has done between the two United games and I think he was very unlucky with Sturridge injury and with how poor Baloteli turned out to be. But if there is a top manager available and we know there is one, at least in theory, then it does seem as the sensible thing to do. This is definitley what Chelsea or City would have done in this case.

20 Apr 2015 20:10:08
Big mistake getting rid of BR he couldn't help injuries this season or big name players not performing. Until stevie g goes any manager will be under his shadow.
I hope we keep faith instead of hanging him out to dry . Fickle or what ?

20 Apr 2015 20:58:07
You will not hear any criticizing of BR on the Liverpool Echo as long as James Pearce is there. Pearce is also adamant that BR will not be replaced any time soon, and needless to say, BR uses Pearce to get out information that he wants.

20 Apr 2015 22:01:33
Exactly, Fano and LAVERS! He has NOT improved us at all after three years and 200m spent. Where we are after such an investment is outright failure and the head man who oversaw that investment should be held accountable and fired if he has not met expectations and clearly he has not. I don't care who coaches the team because I support my club and not the employee. If that employee has failed after getting the full backing of the board then, he should go. Balo, Marko, failure to buy Remy and Bony when aavailable, poor tactics, player mismanagement, I can go on and on, all happened under his watch and he should answer for these blunders. FSG have shown themselves to b ruthless and I call for them to show that mean streak and rid us of a manager who has done his best and his best is no longer good enuff

20 Apr 2015 22:47:35
Do the can can- I really don't see how forming an opinion after 3 years is 'fickle'?

20 Apr 2015 13:49:04
First of all, I would like to congratulate Villa, the players and the fans on a perf that deserves great praise and filled with energy, guile, skill, discipline and respect for the occasion.

They played the game the way it should be played and good luck in the final. Now as for us, I don't know about anybody else, BUT I have had it up to my throat with BR, his ineptitude, tactical naivety, inability to learn from past mistakes as well as his inflated ego and overall incompetence.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! What I saw at Wembley was not a bad perf. It was an utter embarrassment from a big club managed by a completely inept manager whose players reflected his cluelessness on the pitch. If you as a manager, got tactically schooled, outclassed, out-thought and out-coached by an average manager like Sherwood then you need to get the sack for that alone. Where do I begin with the shambles I watched?

Dreadful team selection, playing a system that is VERY easy to nullify, placing square pegs in round holes (a DM is playing CB/FB while a non-DM is playing DM. Go figure!), selecting his favs like Skrtel (the worst CB at the club and hopefully this perf confirmed it to all even to his apologists), SG, Allen and changing systems three times mid game which left players confused hence, playing like headless chickens with no idea of what to do next.

BR has been found out and FSG needs to act NOW for the sake of our club. I don`t hate the guy BUT after 3 years and over 200m spent, where is the progress? If people are satisfied with this type of progress then they should go support BR when he gets his next job because this right here, is FAILURE of the highest order.

And if wanting more success from my club and pointing out that the head man is out of his depth with facts to back up my argument makes me sound bitter, negative and a BR hater then SO EFFING BE IT. He changed systems three times midgame to the point that I was even confused. If you are reacting continuously to what the other coach is doing tactically without success then you are losing the tactical battle and BR got tactically whipped today.

I can accept we lost BUT will NEVER accept being embarrassed and showing no desire, determination, passion will to win etc in such a big game w/ our season on the line. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

FSG need to act now and stop the bleeding and refuse to allow an individuals incompetence, mismanagement and over-inflated ego come between us and the progress of our great club. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

20 Apr 2015 14:53:43
Great use of capitals there mate. Lol

20 Apr 2015 18:13:01
Not saying we should have won or anything. But how can you praise villa for beating such an inept team. what about the lines man's call? Or does that not matter.

20 Apr 2015 19:45:17
No, it doses not matter, IMO because that would be a cop out and a poor excuse for a reason we lost a game we were clearly unprepared for and where a manager's incompetence and ineptitude was shown to the world to behold. Your argument would be valid if we actually competed in the game and got beaten by a roll of dice just like Reading got beaten by Arsenal via an unlucky GK mistake. That was not the case and had we even won, I would still be fuming because that would not do near enuff to gloss over a complete embarrassment of a performance. BR messed up for the last time and IMO, needs to be let go in the summer and get someone in here with a system, a clear direction and will to win instead of a tactical liability and media politician

20 Apr 2015 13:25:25
Hi fellow reds . This post might make me unpopular with a few . I am not one to run round calling for a managers head after one defeat or a poor run however if Rogers was sacked today what would be the shortlist of clubs clambering to get him in to their clubs? I doubt any of the top 6 in England would be pursuing him. In the times of hicks and gillet I didn't want Rafa to go and was hoping then how we would fair under him under a better run club with careful owners.

In short I wanted Rafa back for a while in truth never wanted him to go. I remember the taking Torres off against west brim when we were drawing etc some strange decisions and signings along the way but if you do actually look at the players that went on to become very good players he's record isn't as bad as some. I think tactically he is a very smart manager in particular he's knowledge and tactics in Europe, champions league etc. he does know how to win a trophy . He won the league in Spain prior to becoming our manager. I feel that he will recognise that he made some mistakes at Liverpool but since then spells at inter Chelsea and Napoli at all 3 of them clubs he would have learnt a few things which will enhance him as a coach. It also is a great thing in my mind that he loves the north west and still has his home and he and his wife would be happy to stay so there would be no danger of worrying about a club snapping him up if he brought success back to anfield.

I may not get great responses for this but I have been a fan for 30 years and seen some amazing highs and devestaing lows in that time and Rafa was very much responsible for some of the highs and I personally believe under a new club structure Rafa can come back and take a season to ship some out and get some in hopefully at not to bigger cost and start to build a squad that knows how to be victorious in the big semis and finals etc . He got under mourinihos skin and mourinho is a very good manager love him or hate him . I would like to get in the car and go pick Rafa up . What do you guys think ?

20 Apr 2015 14:53:11
Step backwards, his transfer policy was equally dubious. More tactically astute that Rodgers but also too defensive at times, didn't make for great football all the time.

Have a feeling he would want a similar amount of control as Rodgers did at the start over transfers etc. no evidence to back this up just a feeling. I think it would be a huge, huge mistake looking backwards to Rafa. Part of our history.

Klopp, Bielsa, De Boer would be my picks in that order but unlikely to happen.

20 Apr 2015 16:26:11
Rafa is as bad as rodgers in every department, he got away with more because he was fancy and foreign and gerrard and the rest of houlliers team dragged him to the champions league final.

20 Apr 2015 17:34:02
Rafa would be a good stabiliser - a temporary coach for maybe a half or a full season, just long enough to allow FSG to find a suitable replacement. Of course because of him being short term, no players should be bought and part of his remit should be to recall the loan players, move on the dross (such as Balotelli, Lambert, Borini etc etc etc) for whatever he can get and generally weed out the squad - which by any measure is over-stuffed with mediocre players.

Sort of steady the ship and prepare the ground for a new manager.

20 Apr 2015 17:42:21
That's crazy talk! After 5 years under Rafa we were ranked No1 team in Europe! At his peak we had a world class team that no one in Europe wanted to play! Winning in the Nou Camp, The Bernabau and the San Siro. Not to mention getting the best of Mourinho 3 years in a row in the big games. Can you see Rogers doing that??? No chance!!! Yes he bought far too many players, but would never be allowed to do that under this ownership.

Sadly it's a moot point anyway, as him coming back is clearly not going to happen. It's a shame, as we certainly wouldn't have had the shambles we had yesterday!!!

20 Apr 2015 20:05:49
Rafa is not the answer and never will be because he is just as woeful in the TW and as much as a control freak as BR. He did great things in a time where we had good players who were in their prime but that was near a decade ago and the PL and the CL has changed drastically since then. But like BR, he failed to win the PL by playing negative footie and amassing ELEVEN draws during that span which along with allowing Fergie's to get into his head via that dreadful rant, cost us the league. He and BR are also politicians who air our dirty laundry in the media just to cover their blunders and failure on the field. And like BR, Rafa has failed at Napoli after spending a small fortune and will be let go in the summer and hopefully, Rodgers will imitate him. All in all, no thanks.

20 Apr 2015 13:13:28
hey lfc fans.
what a day yesterday hmm

i think we all knew it was going to be a tough game because liverpool have still performed for a long long time.
i am more angry at the lack of hunger and fight. its a semi final. !! despite the opposition. go all out and bust a gut.
but nothing.and that's the big problem.

im not going to jump on the sack rodgers. but he should be sacked based on playing players out of position A LOT. i'd rather have manquillo or a reserve right back playing instead of can .

playing players out of position
tactics
very poor signings
not much happening after three years

so i believe that finding someone else is no worse than continuing with someone who makes the same mistakes, hides it by saying what a great club lfc is. and then continue to play underperforming players.

be real. is he really going to make a difference in the summer? hell no
so everyone. enjoy another fruitless year before fans start holding banners saying rodgers out

lfc should not waste another season. simply based on rodgers statistics.

20 Apr 2015 20:07:43
Posted the very same thing yesterday. No need for banners because we all saw what we saw and the conclusions are all there to be drawn.

20 Apr 2015 11:19:13
Will rodgers still be manager next season if he doesn't get top 4?

{Ed002's Note - Read the posts - all we are getting is a stream of identical questions - from now on we will just be deleting them.}

20 Apr 2015 11:17:26
Eds have the club now finished the overhaul of the club and decsions made? In particular the managers posistion and how much, large or small, the transfer budget will be? Thanks

{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of any decision about the manager and yesterday would have made no difference. I have no idea what you are talking about in terms of "transfer budgets". Liverpool has to work within FFP and has to resolve an existing issue for this season first. This has all been done to death.}

20 Apr 2015 10:39:34
Who are the Managers Liverpool are looking at to possibly replace Rodgers?I personally think he is doing a good job and the fact that there isn't a plethora of top managers available I wouldn't change things.
De Boer has said he's interested, Klopp is available but possibly out of our reach, Benitez would jump at the chance but surely that's a backwards step, Rudi Garcia is doing a good job at Roma but would he come?out of those I think only Klopp would be worth rocking the boat for but I don't think he will come on the wages we would offer and transfer kitty available to him.

20 Apr 2015 12:51:42
I hope you are right because the new manager will have to deal with a complete mess the previous manager would have left.

20 Apr 2015 17:38:47
redohio - That is why Rafa would be ideal as a stop-gap temporary manager for a half or maybe one full season. He can clean up the mess and move on the surplus players, slim down the squad and generally sort things out, allowing FSG more time to bring in a new man.

20 Apr 2015 10:27:07
The 1 positive that we can take out of getting outplayed by villa at Wembley is whoever is manager I'm sure would have watched how the spine of the team is not right. a top class midfielder, striker, defender are needed asap unfortunately the owners r going to have to dig deep if we want to progress, I'm not sure if they can but I'm 100 percent sure if we don't bring in some quality a season as bad as Everton fans had to endure is what we can expect next season.Good luck to villa in the final.

20 Apr 2015 10:58:07
I agree, although we may need top class midfielders in plural, strikers in plural and defenders in plural.

Of the 16 or 17 players on the pitch and bench yesterday, only two in my view could have made it to the starting 11 of Chelsea or Arsenal (or City or United): Sterling and Coutinho (though Coutinho is very similar in his style and product to Oscar who usually comes from the bench in chelsea). Sterling looks as if he indded will be in the starting 11 of one of these clubs next season. Henderson, Can, Skertl and Ming, as much as I like them, would be on chelsea or Arseanl's bench at best. I do rate Sturridge, Sackho, Lallana and Lucas but each of them had at least 3 seperate and lengthy injury spells this year so hard to rely on them.

so a serious and costly overhaul is required. I doubt very much it will happen and even if yes it my take years to have a difference. Tough days are coming, and I personally lowered my expectations consideraly for next season. Less expectations less pain - at least as a fan who cannot do anything about it. I just hope it doesn't get much worse.

20 Apr 2015 09:40:08
Morning eds

I got a couple of question for both eds and fellow Liverpool fans.

1. I think the FA-cup has lost some of its magic, mainly because that some teams seem to prioritize the league instead of the cup.
I have no idea if this is impossible to carry out, but if it was possible to take the CL qualification spot from the epl 4th place and give it to the winner of the FA-cup, would that be a good idea?

2. I for one think that players salaries are bonkers, and I heard that the Russian league is introducing a salary cap. Could such a thing be executed in UK? and what kind of impact would it have for the EPL and LFC?
would it deter foreing players to join the EPL (or british players to leave)?
Could it have any impact on ticket prices?

{Ed002's Note - (1) No. Liverpool did not throw yesterday's match to concentrate on the league. Teams who play in the FA Cup want to win games and get to the final. (2) There are a considerable number of "overpaid" players in Russia (your examples of Hulk and Witsel are good and there are others (e.g. Valbuena, Movsisyan, Kuranyi and Ozbiliz) who are earning significant wages and bonuses).

The Russian Football Union has been trying to negotiate a salary cap (at the behest of the Government) but it is not being well received. The clubs are not in an Anzhi-type situation but would generally welcome a reduction in wages. Three Russian clubs (Zenit St Petersburg, Anzhi Makhachkala and Rubin Kazan) are subject to UEFA sanctions (similar in a way to Manchester City and PSG) and each wants that behind them.

The likely result will be that (a) a salary cap will be gradually introduced over perhaps a three year period, (b) a number of the higher paid players (such as those named above) will be offered a one off payment in exchange for a salary reduction but this may not be attractive to all; (c) a number of the higher paid players (such as those named above) will be sold in the summer.

There are no plans to do it here and quite frankly it would probably hasten the breakaway pan-European League. If that happened right now or in the near future it would have a devastating impact on Liverpool.}

20 Apr 2015 09:50:53
Redfuzz

I don't think the fa cup has lost its magic.

The league cup yeah but not the fa cup.

20 Apr 2015 10:11:45
Thanks Ed002, your answer is much appreciated.

20 Apr 2015 12:18:09
I am a traditionalist, love the F.A. Cup, for me & I'm sure lots of other's it hasn't lost it's magic at all. The one thing I do not like is the semi finals being played at Wembley. Typical that the FA have to make money to pay off the stadium. The dream was to get to the final at Wembley not the semi there. But with today's obscene money being banded about the Champions league is the goal for all teams but the current top 4 have mega rich backers, while we are not too bad not in the same position being bank rolled.

20 Apr 2015 12:19:19
Any competition we bow out of has lost its magic lol. Had the FA Cup lost its magic when we were 1-0 up? Hahaha just brilliant

20 Apr 2015 12:41:14
What I meant, was that some teams seem to prioritize the league more than the FA cup, and I assume that it might have something to do with playing fewer games to do better in the league, and ofcourse get CHL (and the money that follows).
I am not being bitter about our loss, we lost to a better team.

20 Apr 2015 09:23:44
There's only one manager we should be considering.He's beaten the best in Europe and his own league.Diego Simeone.Buy him out of his contract, no matter if it costs the same as a top class player.Tempt him with the history of the club, bonuses, New owners from the gulf(maybe).Just get him please.This man is the new Jose Mourinho.Only success will follow.

20 Apr 2015 10:08:58
Why would he come to us? The arrogance of our fans is becoming ridiculous. We are no longer considered anything special by anyone other than a few with romantic notions of bringing back the good old days. The direct reason for our current predicament goes back to Hicks and Gillette. They ruined us when they failed to build a new stadium. and thereby Moores and his family should be tarred and feathered out of Liverpool for selling to the wrong men because of their own greed and endangering the Liverpool brand.

20 Apr 2015 10:23:30
Or maybe we could respect Athletico as a club and not rip their manager from them because we're in a pickle?

If, indeed we get a new manager at whatever point in time, let's hope it's because of availability, and without having to ruin another club in the process.

{Ed002's Note - Simeone is not now leaving Atletico this summer - a move to Liverpool won't happen.}

20 Apr 2015 10:53:26
Ed02,

I didn't think he would tbh. We're not exactly the tantalising proposition people seem to think.

My post was aimed at having a bit of respect for other clubs.

{Ed002's Note - I was taking the chance to answer the first post Jimmy.}

20 Apr 2015 11:59:55
Ed02,

Ah, sorry, apologies.

{Ed002's Note - No problem at all Jimmy - no need to apologise.}

20 Apr 2015 13:35:42
im sorry,but i don't think manager of lfc would be high on klopps bucket list,there is no doubting his ability,and he has achieved fantastic success but he has been swimming against the tide at dortmund for various reasons for several years now,he is hardly going to move to a club who have a similar financial ethos/problems,he wants/deserves his chance of glory by having a crack at the big boys while on a fairer/more equal footing whilst also retaining his best players every transfer window,i may be wrong but i also don't expect klopp to move to a club owned by billionaire sheiks/russian oil tycoons either,i think klopp and has become so disenchanted at dortmund he has taken a gamble by coming out openly, i feel he knows where he would like to be next season and is hoping to force the issue with a few chairmen/chief executives,he may actually wait 1 year if he gets a cast iron promise/pre contract sort of thing they have nowadays

20 Apr 2015 07:39:55
Ed001 do you ever get annoyed when ed002 calls us the world's most fickle fans haha

{Ed001's Note - I don't see that it matters to be honest. Life is far too short to get annoyed over things that have some truth in them. Fans are fickle in general and there are more Liverpool fans on here so most fickle fans on these sites are Liverpool fans.}

20 Apr 2015 09:55:05
Ed001 being a fickle fan of Ed002 there.

{Ed002's Note - He is being over protective of you all.}

20 Apr 2015 07:53:37
To the people who want Rafa back are you not worried about the youth of our club under him the youth never came through???

20 Apr 2015 08:18:29
I think I'm right in thinking houlier destroyed the youth set up in his time. Rafa rebuilt it bringing In coaches from the then Barca set up, rafa is responsible for the signings of shelvey, sterling etc and the set up we see today.
He just unfortunately wasn't around to see the fruits of his good work.

Am I right Eds? Sorry if I have got I wrong

{Ed001's Note - to a degree, Rafa rebuilt the academy but it was Kenny who came in and signed Shelvey in his role prior to returning as manager.}

20 Apr 2015 10:06:02
Wasn't houlier the one that pushed Gerrard through??? One our greatest players. ?