NEIL, Rob and Mike welcome Paul Cope, Mike Nevin, Daniel Fitzsimmons, Nick O’Prey and Sean Rogers into the studio as they pore over another god-awful weekend for the football club.
Did anyone really see this coming? How exactly has it gotten this bad? What can we do to rectify it? Is all hope lost? And just what, if anything, goes on in the minds of our players as yet another game is meekly surrendered without so much as a whimper, again?
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Direct link to Episode Thirty-Six podcast download
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the direct link isnt working for me right now, might be my end, but just giving a heads up…love the show anyway guys!
This pod cast is totally in denial. They are trying too hard to cover up for Kenny. Its his buys that are not playing well. Possibly the worst summer buys ever. This podcast needs to take a look at themselves. Don’t blame Comolli, the anfield cat etc.. Its all Kenny’s responsibility.
Something is wrong with the team. I’m talking about talent or quality. I’m talking about the teams attitude. No effort. Something has gone wrong in the dressing room and they need to address it.
Something needs to be done, to salvage some pride.
*I”m NOT talking about talent or quality. (correction)
Great pod guys, as usual.
I think from a fan’s perspective the most frustrating thing about this situation is that it feels a little bit like we have come full circle. We played awful under Hodgson. Just really bad. He rightly got the sack and Kenny came in with some pretty good results. On the back of that I think most LFC fans were really looking forward to season 2011-12 with a sense of optimism. Unfortunately, in light of current results, it feels as if we are back to the days under Hodgson where mediocrity was applauded.
Now, I don’t suggest for a minute that Kenny would deem the current form as anywhere near acceptable. Not by a long shot. Nor do I think Hodgson and Kenny are anywhere near equal in terms of managerial quality but in terms of where we are in the league you do get a sense of déjà vu at a time everyone had hoped we were past that. There is a growing sense of “are we really back here again?” We have played some good football under Kenny this year but we still don’t have the results to show for it. I’m not sure what’s worse; playing poorly under Hodgson and not getting results, or playing well (at times) under Kenny and not getting results.
It also seems as if our transfers were counterproductive to the style of football we are trying to adopt. “Pass and move” has its merits with the right players. But I would argue we have bought players that do not suit this style of play. Andy Carroll is a big lad who can work hard and has a killer left foot. Put him in the box and keep him there. Clutter the lad’s mind with pass and move and he just looks lost. Downing has never played pass and move in his life. At Villa he was asked to get down the wing and either put in a cross or cut inside. Jordan Henderson I believe could work out as he is young and obviously has talent but lacks confidence. Charlie Adam….well I think it’s fair to say there is no known universe where Charlie Adam could ever play pass and move football. So why ask these guys to do something they are not comfortable with or capable of doing? I would go so far as to say Kenny would have had a better chance of playing pass and move football with Joe Cole, Ryan Babel and Raul Meireles in the squad. Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I want those players in the team, I’m just highlighting the deficiencies of our current team in a pass and move environment.
Now I don’t know if Commolli made the signings and Kenny has to work with them or how the set up works but it does seem as if we’re trying to put a square peg in a round hole and our results won’t get better until this is rectified.
No LFC fan with a brain wants Kenny to do anything other than succeed. I would love him to turn this around and produce the team every Reds fan knows we can be but if we continue doing what we are doing we will keep getting what we’re getting.
Well said and I agree. If Kenny has to write a report to the owners on what has gone wrong, as is being reported today, then if he hasnt identified the players bought then hopefully he says what needs to be said.
Maybe next season we will find out the siuation with transfer dealings
Hi guys, Kal here, an LFC fan from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Excellent podcast, as always. While it is true that our performance of late has been awful, I agree that Kenny should be given the benefit of the doubt. After all, it was our unified voice that brought about the sacking of Woy Hodgson and Kenny’s second coming. Also, Kenny ended our 6 year trophy drought and we are on the brink of yet another cup final (assuming of course we beat the Bitters at Wembley, which, based on our current performance will be no easy task). I’m sure with Kenny at the helm, although we are still walking through the wind and the rain, the end of the storm is near, and with the right signings in the summer and a better grasp of our tactics and team philosophy, we’ll be seeing that golden sky soon.
Great podcast as always, you guys bring up some interesting points.
As much as I’ve wanted Kenny to succeed he has to take some of the blame for our current squad.
How often do our strikers go one on one or we beat the offside trap??? We just don’t create many CLEAR chances as a team and our current midfield just isn’t good enough. Pace, creativity, technically gifted players and goal threat is what was required last summer/Jan. We needed to add this to the Maxi, Suarez, Kuyt and Miereles show that our team had become yet the current regime didn’t see it.
I believe Kenny had a great deal of input into the summer signings because all summer Commolli was talking up other players form around Europe such as Dimitri Payet, Blase Matudi etc. and I assumed Commolli was looking specifically at these type of player.
Regardless of if we had to keep the wage bill low, or net spend, the players we did buy with the money we had were completely wrong and smart fans could see it. A lot of fans I spoke to at the time (that didn’t get caught up in the, “we’ll win the league” hype) knew that Adam wasn’t a patch on Alonso and didn’t have the technique/mobility and discipline to play in a LFC central midfield.
Downing was a player I prayed we didn’t sign, ESPECIALLY for that price and I must admit even I tried to convince myself he’d be good after that first half against Sunderland first day of the season. But for an England international in his prime he’s not what’s required, just Joe average.
To sell Miereles and replace him with Henderson was tragic. Miereles if played correctly can provide goals and a goal threat from midfield, something we’ve lacked all season. I don’t care if fans think he’s a shithouse in the tackle; he’s an all-round better player than Adam and Henderson. With the form of Chelsea and Arsenal, top four was there for the taking this year and we fucked it up.
I know it probably will never happen but:
2X La Ligas, a UEFA Cup, 1X Champions League and 2nd final app, 1X FA Cup, Carling Cup final app Community Shield and a FIFA Club World Cup, 2nd highest LFC league finish… and a passion for the club/city and culture…
Who else is a better, REALSITIC candidate than Rafa Benitez…
Yeah he’s bought duds, like every manager but given the circumstances and the quickness that he shipped them out you can’t hold that against him. And we all know what Rafa would’ve done if he had the funds and his hands weren’t tied with the shite he had to deal with from Parry and the cowboys.
Eto, Alves, Stefan Jovatic, Simao, Villa, David Silva, all these players were players he wanted to sign before most of Europe were aware of them. And they could’ve easily graced the club as we were THE best team in Europe at the time. Even if we got into the Champions league this season under Kenny, does anyone honestly think we’d have a chance to progress like we did under Rafa?
For me and many others, any potential (realistic) candidate CV would pale in comparison and he should never have left in the first place.
I’m a little bit mystified by the comments made on the podcast regarding the owners. I know we’re all getting a bit hysterical and rightly so, but surely the owners shouldn’t be brought into this. They’re not responsible for what’s happening on the pitch. Also, the talk of wanting more transparency is also a little unfair.
The way i see it is, they more or less cleared the debt (except for a manageable 2 or 3m a year). They made it clear they didn’t understand football but allowed the 74m from player sales plus 40m to be reinvested in players (unlike Utd with Ronaldo’s money). So, they put up but they can’t be blamed for the players we bought. Yes, they insisted we keep the wage bill down but as was mentioned, it then passes to Comolli’s responsibility to find better players.
They’ve obviously let the coaching staff look after the football matters (as was evident during the Suarez case when they noticeably kept out of it until the handshake incident). They don’t crave the limelight (until there’s a photo opportunity with silverware).
So they’ve put up cash. Stayed out of on the field issues. Started to get the club run in a more sustainable manner. They’ve increased our revenue in the business world. They don’t seem to suffer from knee jerk reactions (the delay in sacking Roy ). Some Lfc fans were screaming for Taxeira and Bent in January. They clearly thought we need a striker for 5 years not 5 months. No one is available in January. The arrival of Suarez and Carroll and the departure of Torres was a one off January window,
The lack of movement on the stadium has been a disappointment but then you can look at reasons why you wouldn’t want to rush into such an important project.
What exactly are they doing wrong?
The thing I would fault the owners for is allowing the Carroll transaction. They should have prevented it on the basis that that the management team was too inexperienced as a group, the player too inexperienced and injured, and above all because there was insufficient time to evaluate the transfer.
Liverpool has spend a lot of money on young new players who can not last until the end of the season. They usually fade away fast and not like the older and experience player. We should have a good mixer of young and old player like MU. If we have all young players in our team like Arsenal, we do mot have a leader to lead the team. We are lucky to have Gerald in midfield and Skrtle in defend. If we want to buy new players, we can buy Walcott or Tevez for up front position. For defend, we must do our best to keep Martin Skrtle.
For now, Liverpool have the best team around.We have enough strike force and this strike force can become solid defenders when being attack. We do not go out and buy new players for nothing. It could be a waste of money. We are now beginning to win our game with the correct strategy and attitude toward every game. Any player playing under per should be replace immediately in any game. Do not let this kind of players to make us lose the game. Let our game progress smoothly. I recommend we keep our players who are really working hard to win games and sell those who do not perform. Good luck Liverpool and I have been a loyal fan of the club for years.