10 Aug 2015 12:33:05
Perhaps I'm being too optimistic, but I was actually quite encouraged by our performance yesterday. I have said to anyone who'll listen, To challenge for the title you have to be able to set a team up to stop the opposition to some degree, You can't just go gung ho every game because you will come unstuck, change your game plan to suit your opponent.
If a boxer goes for the KO all the time and leaves his chin out to dry, sooner or later he's getting knocked out.
Did we just see a plan B from BR?, I hope so. Pretty sure we'll go into the Bournemouth game differently.
Also I find it hard to understand people saying Coutinho was playing badly before the goal? He looked the most likely all day, At least he was trying to create that spark we lacked going forward,
His game is very much risk or reward as he is so attack minded, so stands out a bit more when a few forward passes don't come off.
Would we prefer he trotted around playing safe little 5 yard passes side and back?
10 Aug 2015 12:42:16
He was nearly subbed for Ings had the gaol did not come. It should have been one of Henderson / Milner instead.
10 Aug 2015 13:32:22
There were a few encouraging signs, the defense at least looked organized at some points during the game, we still cannot defend crosses very well though. We didn't create many chances but for me that is a testament to Stoke who played well. But yes the defense at least kept a decent shape which I am very pleased with.
10 Aug 2015 13:50:14
Dave we won't be challenging for the title.
HowEver with the money spent again you would expect to. Rodgers says we are fighting for champions league place. Seems like the only manager to spend huge amounts and be acceptable to scrap for fourth
10 Aug 2015 14:40:26
Thats not the point.
We all know we have bad days but it seems as though half of our games now are 'bad days'.
What was it, like two shots on target? what's that about? In fact that's not even shocking bwcause we did it a lot last season.
Point is it wasnt just one of those 'bad days'. Those days where you try things and it just doesn't come off.
All it was was just really, really, really bad, and another sign that we still don't know what the hell we're doing. We didn't grind out a win, we got very bloody lucky and deserved nothing more than a draw.
10 Aug 2015 14:49:13
EG, Coutinho missed most of the pre-season. That's why he was the one who would make way.
10 Aug 2015 15:02:07
Big Al, That is ridiculous. You can't say we should be challenging for the title because we spend so much when everyone else has spent more, it's nonsensical.
10 Aug 2015 15:31:37
Who has spent more than us in the last two years. Don't talk about net spend either. We sold two players for big bucks and then let Rodgers buy a full team of players he wanted for a crazy amount of money. You give me 200 million and I will fight for the league.
10 Aug 2015 15:34:00
muscatred - Who spend more than us this summer? Only Man Utd. Also, who has spend more money over the past three years, since Rodgers has been in charge?
It is ridiculous to suggest that having spend over £300 million pounds, you still don't think it is fair to ask him to challenge for the title.
10 Aug 2015 15:36:17
Muscatred not many have spent more than Brendan has.
10 Aug 2015 16:11:29
I don't think they have spent more tho. Maybe on wages?
10 Aug 2015 16:11:42
Kizz
Well I agree but Countinho is the only one who could score a goal or produce a moment of magic.
10 Aug 2015 16:17:06
Woolback- we won when we didn't play our best. Therefore we did 'grind out a win'. If anything there was no luck at all because we've seen coutiniho do that several times and so definitely no fluke!!
10 Aug 2015 16:31:15
Whingers going to whinge
10 Aug 2015 17:03:07
Muscat
I am sorry but spurs spend next to nothing and played some good football against UTD.
10 Aug 2015 18:28:29
How many points have Spurs got?
How many goals have they scored?
I know what I'd rather have, a 1-0 win always beats a 1-0 defeat
10 Aug 2015 19:00:04
From Rodgers appointment (summer 2012) Liverpool have spent a lot, £292m in fact. That is outstripped by Utd (£344.6m) and Chelsea (£318.6m). City, surprisingly, have only spent £259m but they will overtake Rodgers before the end of the transfer window. Only Arsenal will go into into September with a lower spend than us £202m.
Right now you're all thinking 'But Muscatred, we've spent almost as much as them, we should be about as good as them by now!'. That's only correct when you forget the state of the teams three years ago. While those teams mentioned were all title challengers full of world class talent Rodgers inherited the worst Liverpool team in 50 years, if you don't believe me, fact check it.
10 Aug 2015 20:47:01
Big Al, I think you'll find that the majority of managers and owners would be perfectly happy with a top four finish given the financial rewards that are at stake. Look at Arsenal, no league title for a long time but they consistently get a top four spot and AWs job is never seriously questioned. I'd love to see Liverpool winning the title again but in the modern game, top four is considered an excellent second best.