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18 Aug 2015 10:54:23
Thoughts from a Rodgers Fan:

Looking at the early fixture list the first two games of the season had to be considered must win and Rodgers' team have delivered on that, albeit in far from impressive manner. In a perfect world Liverpool would have dominated both games, blitz the opposition and lay siege to our opponents goal but that hasn't happened, why is that?

One argument is that we're poor, we're set up wrong and Rodgers is using the wrong players but through my pearl and orange tinted glasses I see it slightly differently. Liverpool are currently playing within themselves. The first two games have been far more about shape and discipline than flair and invention. There is no doubt that Rodgers is under pressure and that is showing in our play.

We've sacrificed possession and that's invited a lot of pressure in our own third. The great news is that our much maligned defence has dealt with that pressure, Migs has barely had to make a save of note and has been winning balls in the 6 yard box. The centre backs have question marks over them but they've kept clean sheets and have earned the right to be first choice. The biggest positive in defence is our new full backs who have been excellent.

Our midfield is the biggest disappointment but are perhaps the most affected by Rodgers' current conservatism. Henderson, who I understand was very tidy in the first half against Bournmouth (I only watched the second half) is reigning in his adventurous instincts. Coutinho has been as good as ever but with the rest of the midfield playing flat (keeping that shape) his options ahead of him are very limited. Jordan Ibe has barely troubled the full-backs, most of his possession has been closer to the half way line than the opposition goal. The stats show Lallana has been far more effective doing his defensive duties than attacking and I argue he needs to receive possession far closer to the goal to show his worth.

In attack Benteke has calmly demonstrated just what he can offer. His attacking threat has been limited because Liverpool are playing so little in the opponents third but he's winning everything in the air and his hold up play is top rate. If Liverpool play to his strengths he's going to be a monster.

So what does this mean going forward? I think playing like this will easily give us 5th place but frankly we need more than that. I'm hoping that as confidence grows Rodgers will ease the breaks a little and allow the team to transition from organised defence to rapid attack . Coutinho needs to receive the ball and have multiple options other than dribble or pass sideways, he needs team-mates in front of him.

Rodgers has struggled to balance defence and attack for the last three years and is currently over compensating for his defence. Get the balance more even and I think we have a really good shot at the top four.

Agree8 Disagree7

18 Aug 2015 11:27:33
A good review and some excellent points.

Coutinho is the main man. He is clever and creative and will not be shackled by opponents and systems so easily, as Lallana and Ibe have been. He had 4 shots at the goal yesterday, 2 were blocked brilliantly by Bournemouth defenders, one was over the bar, and he missed the best among those chances, shooting wide with his left foot. I am not trying to be over critical of the little magician here, but he will create chances and depending on how many he scores and setups will likely be a major factor in deciding where we finish and the difference between a draw and win.

Three issues I would like to highlight, that will need to be looked into for us to improve IMO:

1. While the full backs have been impressive and the two center backs have had better second half in both the games, Skrtel has looked sluggish and Lovren not composed, but two clean sheets would have helped them immensely. Important now that the coaching staff work with them to be ready from the off at Arsenal and beyond.

2. Lallan and Ibe have struggled greatly to get into the games. Ibe is young, but needs to be told by the coaching team to play 15 yards deeper when we don't have possession and come a little more central, giving him more space to run into forward and out wide when we win possession. Right now, he is a spectator. Lallana needs a way to link up with Benteke and Coutinho more; he has been average and will loose his position soon if he doesn't.

3. Henderson has played the deepest, ahead of Milner, giving Milner the responsibility to press in midfield, and his strengths are wasted playing within himself as the play-making defensive midfielder. Emre Can will have need to be disciplined and needs to cut out giving away cheap-ish possession at times, but bringing him to play the deeper role will obviously push Henderson further forward to work in tandem with Milner and this is where he will thrive.

18 Aug 2015 11:38:49
Stopped reading at " thoughts from a Rodgers fan ", how the hell can anyone be a fan? Defend him OK but a fan, good god, some people really are clueless.

18 Aug 2015 11:41:05
Everything is going through Countinho and he keeps dropping deeper and deeper. The opposition once mark him out and we goes back ground zero.

Kovacic anyone? There comes the importance of a world class passing midfielder.

Milner played out left for nearly 5 years city and was highly successful, Y shorn him to CM role which he cannot?

{Ed001's Note - can we move on from Kovacic?? We couldn't (or wouldn't) pay the money so he is not coming.

Milner did play a few games central for City, but was not considered effective there. He also played fairly regularly for Villa there before. As for out left, he mainly plays on the right, not left, he is much more successful there.}

18 Aug 2015 11:43:10
I am sorry AG, If Milner were to work in a three men midfield he would have stayed at city where he was playing right / left in the middle. He clearly has been assured a role in the center alongside a player.

18 Aug 2015 11:53:31
You sound like a bitter ex girlfriend harry in regards to Kovacic 😂

18 Aug 2015 12:07:50
Flanks in general would do it for me ED01. But that would mean Ibe goes to the bench isn't it?

{Ed001's Note - or Milner or Hendo or Couts or someone else. He spent a fair amount of time on the right last night and Ibe was still on the pitch.}

18 Aug 2015 12:24:11
Oh Waro, you scamp. If you're unable to engage in debate then your views can have no validity.

Come back when you have an argument.

18 Aug 2015 12:39:22
Ed01, I don't want to loose Hendo as he is the only player trying make things happening apart from Countinho.

18 Aug 2015 12:40:29
Don't see it happening but if lucas stays and when squad is up and running think having him sit deep would benefit the team massively.

Some of the players in front may benefit in certain positions lallana/couts more centrally or milner or ibe out wide, but can all play central or wide. Eds always mention that a starting formation is just that and that it is far more fluid in play.

With the players we have think we could create space and chances by utilising how versatile our players are. Milner could go wide and put crosses in (is actually a very goodd crosser) whilst coutino/firmino could move central, then they could constantly swap. Players who probably would have a more defined role would be benteke and lucas.

Provided everyone did their defensive duties pressing and when out of possession got back into their defensive shape think it would work great.

18 Aug 2015 12:44:07
Muscatred, did you seriously say come back when I have an argument? To say I have no argument as to why someone should be a Rodgers fan is laughable,, let me hear your argument for being a fan of his, what has he done in the 3 years he's been here that would make anyone a fan? A straight question and I'm asking for a straight answer, and if you can show me a valid reason to be a fan of his then I will admit I have no argument, I genuinely will because to my eyes there are none.

18 Aug 2015 12:53:28
OP Migs didn't command his box entirely the opposite.

18 Aug 2015 13:36:10
Are you joking Harry? Let's sanction Milner to only move around the centre circle then. The right of 3 man central midfield is where he will play when Can and Henderson are there, and this is NOT a position he played at City, where he played as a right or left midfielder.

18 Aug 2015 13:53:02
Waezone is back 😂

18 Aug 2015 14:08:51
Waro, I'm a Rodgers fan so clearly there is reason to be one, I'm self-proving.

But that wasn't my point. My point is that when you dismiss people's opinions out of hand without justifying your opinion you view has no legitimacy. I will happily debate with you, but I'll ignore your position till you have something worthwhile to say.

18 Aug 2015 14:26:00
AG

That would be Ideal IMO, But why exactly he moved out from city?. He was playing wide there. He has expressed his desire to play centrally in 2-3 interviews. If he was ready to play anywhere, He would have been an Arsenal player.

18 Aug 2015 14:53:23
He does have a great set of chompers waro you've got to at least give him that? ;)

18 Aug 2015 15:06:22
So totally avoid the question then muscatred? You may aswell have said i'm a fan because of his new teeth! Hold together a cogent argument at least. Do you want me to list the many many reason why know body could possibly be a fan? I would but I would be totally wasting my time, because as you have so eloquently argued " your a fan because your self serving ", so what's the point, your a fan of a man who is a failure so there's nothing I can say to make you realise how stupid your looking at the minute.

18 Aug 2015 15:21:04
Waro, I've explained myself many times and don't see any need to do it again. You're the one who started by saying you didn't read my post. Perhaps you should start there.

18 Aug 2015 18:51:18
Muscat, I read your post as I have done on many occasions and frankly, i don`t get it. You are free to be the fan of whoever you want and to me, that is your prob not anyone else`. now, all i read from your post is suppositions and personal conceptions on BR is doing now which to me, has no basis in reality. You say he`s unable to balance defence and attack for the past 3 yrs yet you say the way we are playing will get us 5th which will be a failuer (AGAIN) and your boy will be sacked. You say you are a fan of his YET predict his failure. How does that make sense? i`m not a fan of his YET I don`t want him to fail because if he does, we all at the club fail. Except of course, you think 5th and playing terribly after 80m spent is success which will be mind-blowing for his other acolytes. All in all, you spent the whole post making excuses for our bad play by spinning the scenarios that have no basis in reality. if you wanna live on an island where real, hard reality of us playing poorly and BR still being a tactical mistake waiting to happen, be my guest. Waro and the rest of us will stay in reality and not ignore what our eys are seeing.

P/S: Waro was right not to read your post because it was 5 mins, i will never get back because it had nothing of substance in it.

18 Aug 2015 22:36:25
Hey Redohio, been out for a few hours and this conversation has probably died but I thought it was worth a responding to your post. What I want to make clear is that I am not trying to change your mind or anyone else's. I have my views and I'm pretty confident in them but I'm not arrogant enough to assume i know better than anyone else.

I'm also not a blind supporter of Rodgers, I can't understand why Sakho is not in the squad I think he's setting up the team too negatively. I also do state that 5th isn't enough.

My problem with Waro is not him disagreeing with me but the fact that he dismisses peoples views without actually reading them, it makes him a bit of a tool.

Finally I have no problem with you finding nothing of substance in my analysis, we're all entitled to our own opinions. Thankfully enough people do think my posts have substance and as long as they do I'll post how I please.

P.S. Glad you agree with me that how we're playing now won't get us into the top four but don't worry, I'm pretty confidant our boy Rodgers will get it right and we'll have a great season.







 

 

 
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