ECHO Comment: "Fears of Witch-hunt Against Liverpool FC"

[catcherintherye]

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport...season-is-on-par-insists-brendan-rodgers.html
Brendan Rodgers claims that Liverpool's trophy-less season is currently 'on par'.

"That same team had a world-class striker [in Luis Suarez] and it had someone who was on fire in terms of Daniel Sturridge, who has the potential to be that when fit and playing. "That team last year weren't deemed good enough for the top four but went on a great run and nearly won the title. With all due respect, we've lost those players. We've brought in some players because we needed to improve the squad.

"Where we sit now, at this moment in time, in fifth place and reached two cup semi-finals - that's probably really on par with where we're at. For us, the ambition is to be much greater than that so we have to be planning forward. "For that [to happen], that means bringing in players in the summer. That's something that's well underway and we look forward to that. This year was an opportunity. I think next year will be an even greater opportunity for us again."

He added: "I don't think there's anyone better - that's the reality of how I see it. "Three months ago, I was a tactical genius and performing to a good level. We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good. "But that is football; people will speculate. I feel the same now as I did then so I never get too carried away when we win and never overly disappointed when we lose because you have to look forward."

So lets decode this.

1) No he's not. He has only scored more than 12 goals in a season once.

2) In all likelihood outside of the top 4 again could be as low as 7th. Lets be honest 5th to 15th is irrelevant, it is nowhere. It's top 4 or nothing. Being close means didley squad.
Two Semi finals? You mean in one competition you lost to the first premier league side you faced. In the other you lost to the first top 8 premier league side you faced? Had we have had his fixtures in both competitions we'd have been in the FA Cup Final now, and got to the semi final. You bottled in both competitions at the first sign of a challenge, fortunately for you because of lucky draws that was the quarter finals.

3) Opportunity missed. Damage done, opportunity relinquished.

4) How about someone who's actually won a trophy, like Martinez? Not that he'd go though, he's already jibbed them once and they had to make do with sloppy seconds.

5) You really weren't. You were lying outside of the top 6, having been dumped out of the Champions league at the first hurdle, ready to be dumped out of the Europa league at the first hurdle. Is winning a few games really cause to be a tactical genius now?

6) You have bottled the 3 biggest games of your season so far in the last 3 weeks. The other 3 biggest games (Beskitas, Basel and Chelsea) you also bottled. You have lost several games and whenever the key game comes you bottle it.

 

[catcherintherye]

He will go on to be at a better team than them IMO, would fit in well at Arsenal or maybe City as a back up to silva

I'm really not convinced about that mate. Ozil, Sancnez and Cazorla are a different league to him. I also doubt he's any better than Walcott, Oxlade Chamberlain either. He'd do well to be a bench player. Likewise with City. He is Liverpool's best player though, and probably unable to make the bench of a big club.

 

[davek]

I think Sterling will be a very good player if he continues to develop though

He'll probably never be Barca, Madrid or Bayern good, but he'll still be a valuable player to a decent side

The more I see of him, the less impressed I am by him.

I think he's great carrying the ball at speed but I dont see consistently great work on the ball. I wouldn't say he's any better class than Mirallas who he has a similar type goals/assists record. Can he grow into something better? I dont really see how he can.

 

[davek]

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport...season-is-on-par-insists-brendan-rodgers.html
Brendan Rodgers claims that Liverpool's trophy-less season is currently 'on par'.

Last weekend's FA Cup semi-final exit to Aston Villa awarded Rodgers the dubious honouir of being the first Reds manager since 1959 to fail to lift any silverware during his first three years in charge at Anfield. Hopes of reaching the Champions League for a second successive season looks set to be an audacious task with a seven-point gap to bridge on fourth-placed Manchester City and crashed out of Europe's elite club competition at the group stage before bowing out in the first knock-out round of the Europa League.

But as the Kop boss eyes a summer rebuilding task, he insists that Liverpool are performing at an expected level and claims his side 'over-achieved' during last year's Premier League title race, when they lost out to eventual champions City by two points. He said: "There was a lot of money spent last summer and a lot of players coming in. I think if you take the emotion out of last weekend, this was a team that probably over-achieved last year. We weren't expected to get into the top four.

"That same team had a world-class striker [in Luis Suarez] and it had someone who was on fire in terms of Daniel Sturridge, who has the potential to be that when fit and playing. "That team last year weren't deemed good enough for the top four but went on a great run and nearly won the title. With all due respect, we've lost those players. We've brought in some players because we needed to improve the squad.

"Where we sit now, at this moment in time, in fifth place and reached two cup semi-finals - that's probably really on par with where we're at. For us, the ambition is to be much greater than that so we have to be planning forward. "For that [to happen], that means bringing in players in the summer. That's something that's well underway and we look forward to that. This year was an opportunity. I think next year will be an even greater opportunity for us again."

Speculation continues to mount over Rodgers' future, with outgoing Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp touted as one of his potential successors. The 42-year-old, however, believes that he remains the best candidate to lead Liverpool forward and retains the backing of club owners Fenway Sports Group.

He added: "I don't think there's anyone better - that's the reality of how I see it. "Three months ago, I was a tactical genius and performing to a good level. We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good. "But that is football; people will speculate. I feel the same now as I did then so I never get too carried away when we win and never overly disappointed when we lose because you have to look forward."

Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Sweating like a glass blower's arse to keep his job now.

This was immense:

The 42-year-old, however, believes that he remains the best candidate to lead Liverpool forward and retains the backing of club owners Fenway Sports Group. He added: "I don't think there's anyone better - that's the reality of how I see it. Three months ago, I was a tactical genius and performing to a good level. We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good."

Ha Ha Ha.

Yeah, that's right no mark, everyone thought you were a tactical genius.

FFS. This feller has to stay. He's an utter buffoon.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Sweating like a glass blower's arse to keep his job now.

This was immense:

The 42-year-old, however, believes that he remains the best candidate to lead Liverpool forward and retains the backing of club owners Fenway Sports Group. He added: "I don't think there's anyone better - that's the reality of how I see it. Three months ago, I was a tactical genius and performing to a good level. We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good."

Ha Ha Ha.

Yeah, that's right no mark, everyone thought you were a tactical genius.

FFS. This feller has to stay. He's an utter buffoon.

My personal favourite is that Rodgers doesn't mention Europe once, as if they weren't expected to go through from their group or at least go further in the Europa. It is all just airbrushed out of existence.

 

[Minimeister]

I watched the Redmen TV’s broadcast on Rodgers yesterday. What hits me is 1) the utter delusional faith they have in their club and 2) how the view on Rodgers is going to become a wider outlook for how they view FSG. At times I am flabbergasted by the nonsense they come out with. They stated they can’t afford to sign players for 60 million pounds so can’t be expected to be challenging. There have only ever been 2 players signed by British clubs for this sum of money in the history of the game.

So how anyone other than United or Chelsea compete I’ll never know! They then cited Ozil and Sanchez as examples of players they can’t sign who are “in that bracket”. Yet both players were bought for less than what they paid for Andy Carroll! Sanchez cost about 6-7 million more than Adam Lallana/Lovren did. It’s absolutely nuts to suggest they can’t compete.

The second bit that made me choke was “we don’t choke big matches”. Some moustached old tramp then reeled off every excuse under the sun for them not winning big matches. Gerrards slip at Chelsea. Palace away wasn’t bottling it is was a heroic attempt to defy football law. Should have played extra time V Chelsea at Anfield and they’d have won (despite not beating Chelsea at Anfield in several attempts). Real Madrid away they played well (winning without winning anyone?). No mention of Villa, Beskitas, Basel at home, Manchester United at home (and away) the two derby games this season, Arsenal away in the cup last season etc.

Their obsession with the “4 month unbeaten run” they had is laughable. In that time they lost to, Chelsea away, Chelsea in the mickey mouse cup, Beskitas away, the Europa league 1st round, Arsenal away, Manchester United at home. I make that 6 defeats in about two and a half months! Not to mention draws against a completely out of form Everton, and relegation strugglers in the championship like Bolton and Blackburn. But yes what hits me is there is a layer of their fanbase who really think Rodgers is going to succeed. It is like a religious mantra.

They genuinely think he’s going to lead them to the title. Rodgers is now seen as a bit of a totem for “the plan” as they refer to it. They have bought the American FSG moneyball propaganda hook line and sinker. That they are “doing it a different way” by buying young players. (Quite where Kolo Toure, Lovren, Lallana, Balotelli, Lambert etc fit into this model I’ll never know). Rodgers is seen as a young coach who fits that, Increasingly feelings towards Rodgers I do think are going to start to be seen as criticisms of FSG. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

But overall, listening to their long list of nonsense is utterly laughable. My ultimate favourite from the bronzed tramp was when he said “people are only laughing at us because they are scared of us and envious”. This is the outlook of a sociopath who can’t see that insanity of their behaviour and thinks people only hate them because they are brilliant. Nobody fears Liverpool. They are a no mark small time club that haven’t won anything in years and very rarely finish in the top 4. What everyone laughs at is their assumption they are a big club, that they matter and that they are in any way impressive. I don’t fear Liverpool one iota. It’s my big regret we didn’t get to play them in the Europa league, as we’d have hammered them out of the competition in a crushing and humiliating way for them. Not because we’ve been brilliant this season but because I know they bottle big games.

I hold no fear for them whatsoever. Just scant disregard and derision.

hahaha this is a great post. Over the last 5 years they are the 4th highest spenders in the Premier League yet they think finishing 4th will be somehow defying the odds. This is what separates them from the rest. Any other fan would expect a top 4 finish every season and if not they would be asking questions of the management. They always look for a reason or an excuse to be able to blame anyone else bar the people at the club. If their wage bill goes up next season and they're amongst the top 4 wage payers then they'll move onto another reason or excuse for their failure.

 

[No8Bally]

KRAP Keep Rodgers At `Pool

 

[Saint Domingo]

hahaha this is a great post. Over the last 5 years they are the 4th highest spenders in the Premier League yet they think finishing 4th will be somehow defying the odds. This is what separates them from the rest. Any other fan would expect a top 4 finish every season and if not they would be asking questions of the management. They always look for a reason or an excuse to be able to blame anyone else bar the people at the club. If their wage bill goes up next season and they're amongst the top 4 wage payers then they'll move onto another reason or excuse for their failure.

It's another classic case of cache 22 kopite logic. They know they're not where they want to be but who to blame? The obvious targets have all gone, first it was the outsiders within, dem yanks, comolli, Hodgson. Then of course came the more farcical it's all Ferguson/Mourinho/the media's fault. Some of that sentiment still exists but now they're starting to face the truth that these four statements do not logically link: we've got world class players, we've got a world class manager, we've got world class owners, we're trophy less and fifth. It will be great to see where the dirt starts getting thrown. My bet is that the Sterling goose will be fattened, followed by Rodgers, before finally the owners. They were canny getting Dalglish out, the cult would never have questioned him and the heat would go straight to the owners. Rodgers will suffer because he's not one of them and eventually the knives will sharpen.

 

[BlueWool85]

Find it quite amusing that they will be cheering us on for a win at the weekend.

Wonder if #blameEverton will trend again if we lose, some still seem convinced we threw that City match although tbf the way we defend does sometimes give that impression.

They usually do cheer us on when we play against the Mancs

When we did the double over United last season I had texts of my RS mate saying "Well in", and they were hardly a threat to their title challenge.

I however, always want United to batter Liverpool.

 

[meagher94]

Find it quite amusing that they will be cheering us on for a win at the weekend.

Wonder if #blameEverton will trend again if we lose, some still seem convinced we threw that City match although tbf the way we defend does sometimes give that impression.

Ha, I was definitely suspicious of our defending in that game. Not that I was complaining

 

[IllinoisBlue]

They may get lucky with some div spunking 30m on Sterling or so. That'll get them the top striker they need. Bit of a problem with them signing Origi though... too many average strikers... him, Lambert, Balotelli, is Borini still there? lol

I read that QPR will get 25% of any money Liverpool get for Sterling.

 

[IllinoisBlue]

Even Sturridge is starting to look like a shakey deal and is riddled with injuries.

I'm also not convinced on Coutinho, he is a decent player in an awful team.

I agree. Coutinho has moments of brilliance but goes AWOL for large parts of games. I am not sure if that is because of the player, the fact that he is in an average team, or because of the way Brenda asks him to play.

 

[The Esk]

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says there is "nobody better" than him to lead the club.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32437970

 

[Piijt]

"I don't think there's anyone better - that's the reality of how I see it"
More sound bytes from a desperate man trying to cling on to the best job he'll ever have

We've heard this before though;
“I don't want to sound wildly boastful, but not only am I the best man for the job, I'm actually the only man for the job,” Martin O'Neill, Sunderland
"The chairman's not a silly man - he knows I'm the best man for the job." Harry Rednapp, QPR

 

[meagher94]

@DanKennett: Finally some validation from Tony Evans on #LFC recruitment last Summer. The process was bypassed and Rodgers was allowed to name targets.

BUT IT WAS DER TRANSFER COMITTEEEE LARRRRRR