WALKED in. Told emphatically how I stink of booze. That said the Reggie Watts number from 45:33 reimagined for LCD Soundsystem’s last ever gig was playing. Swings and roundabouts therefore. If that could soundtrack almost everything I ever do that would be practically perfect. I’m that guy, like it or not.
Probably do stink of booze; been out all day drinking about Liverpool’s emphatic win at Goodison Park. The day had everything but the actual emphatic win. All the other football stuff was in our favour, bar the emphasism. Both credit and debit has to go to Roberto Martinez and him setting his Evertonians up. First half their 4-3-3-0 system stopped Liverpool from getting going brilliantly. That’s to his credit. It is also to his debit. Everton went into a home derby with no interest in being ahead at full time.
Oh. The Ship Song now by Nick Cave. Splendid.
In our book about last season I wrote at length about Martinez and Rodgers being the sort of managers who locked horns in a 3-3 and both were looking to make it four. By the time today’s football match had 80 minutes on the clock, neither wanted to see it go 0-1 or 1-0. Neither wanted to see that happen. If you stake your game on getting through it, as Martinez had, then seeing a late goal kills you. If you are suddenly a man whose priorities are fourth place, as Rodgers is, then you take the tough away point and look at Tuesday’s six pointer against Spurs.
This is the reality these idealistic men have been left with. Quite the contrast from the autumn of 2013. Football, a constantly fluid thing. Sometimes it flows against you. Rodgers and Martinez can commune on that. This is what football can do to these men. This is what we do to these men.
It’s what we do to these players too. Scare them away from failure. Intimidate around gambling for success. It’s fascinating Liverpool’s best player was arguably Jordon Ibe, their most inexperienced and naive. Every time he got the ball he was bright as a button, unburdened by reality, determined to impress.
Other than Ibe too many Liverpool players looked battle weary. A ton of games that just won’t relent. The exacting rhythm I expect Liverpool to inflict upon Everton just didn’t come. In part because of Everton, but Liverpool also need to look inward.
The entire atmosphere was strangely subdued. The Old Lady threatened to rock but she barely rolled. In the away end it was a disappointment. I want to be intimidated by Everton. They growled but never barked. Also battle weary.
FALLINLOVE2NITE. Prince and Zooey Deschanel.
Lucas going off hurt Liverpool, though Allen did OK. Henderson and Gerrard both under performed. The former too desperate for battle, the latter watching a football match pass him by. It was painful to see. Increasingly the feeling persists that LA Galaxy’s gain may be no bad thing. Because Brendan Rodgers almost certainly did the right thing keeping him on. We can try and speak about football scientifically, but the game remains one of the blood and the bone. Gerrard is an influence in the dressing room, on the training ground. To take him off at Goodison chasing one goal and protecting a 0-0 may be empirically right, but the manager needs to be able to front that decision on Monday morning. He also needs to be to front it when Gerrard is Liverpool’s top scorer this season. We don’t like this. I don’t like this. but it isn’t my job. I don’t see these lads on Monday morning. Nor do you. Remember that before ranting and raving. Remember the story about Liverpool players all sticking up for Pelligrino in 05. He stank the place out. He was directly responsible for goals being conceded. Lads stuck up for him. Now imagine Ste Gerrard who isn’t responsible for a thing, is top scorer and nearly opened the scoring twice. We want a grown up conversation? Imagine a grown up world. It’s a workplace.
Werk Pt 2. Lizzo. Oh yes. Big girl, small world.
Liverpool’s back three appeared to acquit themselves well. Moreno feels a little too blunt for this side. Coutinho looked injured. Sterling looked shattered. Liverpool banged on the door, Everton worked themselves into the ground. Barry got a ninety which is far madder than Gerrard’s. Still. Workplace.
In the end there wasn’t enough of anything in the football match. A damp squib at 1730, not the riot the police warned of. Everyone walked out. Neither happy nor sad. No one devastated. A season in front of everyone. Heartbreaking that in a sense. I expected goals. I expected drama. Steve Gerrard late winners. Liverpool dominance. I expected red wave after red wave. Instead we got the run of the mill. And I’m now home, on a Saturday night when I should be in excelsis deo. Tops off about how much better Liverpool are than Everton.
When the Reds draw we all draw. Tops resolutely on. Someone’s won somewhere. Any ideas?
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
The Old Lady??? Behave yourself….
In the workplace the manager is paid to manage. Not to be liked.
Each substitution made us worse. Lucas was not tactical but even at that point the pattern was clear. The game was passing Stevie by and Everton were not interested in progressing matters. Lucas off and Markovic on. Stevie drops back and either Ibe or Markovic move forward.
This didnt happen.
Next we have Sturridge on. At this point Stevie should have made way. The conversation on Monday isnt difficult: you werent impacting the game, save your legs for Tue. Our most creative player goes off. The one who would thrive on movement upfront that Sturridge is hoping to bring.
This did not happen.
Sterling off for Lambert. Just no.
Poor game. Poor result. Now a draw on Tue looks like an excellent result for Spurs. Must win here we come.
I’d resolved to stay off the ‘Rodgers as a manager’ issue, but in the face of howls from hid strongest supporters I challenged ANYONE to nominate a game in which his substitutions turned our fortunes for the better or even steadied a wavering team. We lost handsome leads several times and he seemed unable to work out why, including a 3 goal lead at the fag-end of last season. There were no takers.
I freely admit that I do not like Rodgers because I think he lacks the dignity and gravitas that I expect of an LFC manager. I care nothing about his personality or orivate life: just his management.
Heaven help us what you must of thought of Roy or Souey as our managers then…..
A tad OTT on rogers
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying but disagree somewhat with the general sentiment on Gerrard and Rodgers. I think Gerrard stays on in big, pressure games just for simple things like who the fuck takes a late penalty if we end up getting one. We’ve got excellent, young players but there isn’t a Dirk at Goodison ’07 amongst them yet in that sense. He’ll still always have his set piece delivery. He nearly scored from a free kick; if he gets another go at one late on and puts it in like Basel or Wimbledon no one gives Rodgers credit for risking legs by taking others off but then he’s slated for keeping his living legend of a skipper on. He can’t win.
With you on Coutinho coming off though. It was so frustrating because Sterling got slipped in twice on his left in the five minutes before Sturridge came on and like a lot of this season it was “if only that was Sturridge”. Not a single clear cut chance was created for him in half an hour. One shot in the box fell for him which was always getting blocked. That’s it.
Not nearly as pissed off about the result as I was last night mind, because I’ve thought on and Coleman didn’t end up snatching it for them at the end. That would have been properly shit.
Just a question. Are we going to throw away every chance of making this season fairly successful because of the Stevie G Farewell Tour?
Perhaps when Old Gerrard goes, BR will not have to face making decisions based on anything but focussing on winning outcomes
No player bigger than the club? The club needed to win, Gerrard did hardly anything to get a win yet is hailed as “terrific” by the manager. Monday morning? Do me a favour, everyone will be thinking Gerrard is finished, everyone except the tenant and his landlord.
This season appears to be becoming one large farewell for Gerrard, and I’m getting sick of it. He’s an impact sub at best now, but Rodgers lives in his house and Gerrard is the face of the club in the media judging by how much coverage he gets all ignoring how poorly he plays and is a passenger most of the time. The side plays better without him in general. Rodgers must be watching videos of Gerrard from 8 years ago thinking he’s got the same player, either that, or there’s something in the rental agreement unrelated to renting a mansion.
Still, next season he’ll be gone, the squad will be happier and we’ll return to a dynamic side again unless the summer transfers stink. With no Europe to worry about next season in all honesty, Rodgers will find it easier to concentrate on one game a week, assuming he’s still here.
The only thing I like about this is the mention of Zoe Deschanel. Brenda needs to grow a pair. I expect Sky told them that Gerrard had to start and stay on, he certainly watched the game pass us by, and forget Monday morning if we miss champions league by 2 points. Gerrard and Allen on the pitch is a nonsense. We should have won and could have won but cowardice won.
agreed with the above . Rodgers bottled it with stevie G.
Having just seen the highlights it appears we hammered them 0-0.
“Because Brendan Rodgers almost certainly did the right thing keeping him on”
Mind boggling.
Close to shameful how TAW didnt want to talk about how bad Gerrard was earlier in the season. Then had to because everyone else was. Then when performances have plummeted to greater depths both against Bolton and today at Everton he’s being glossed over. Grouping him in with Allen and Lallana on the last pod so his level of play could be whitewashed with others was a joke. Imagine if Lucas had performed like Ste has these last 2 games. Imagine it was Balotelli! The outrage! There would be no glossing over it then. No grouping them in with other players who are playing below par.
When Gerrard plays our tempo automatically drops. Our pressing in the final third instantly becomes extinct. We limit the heights of any potential team performance. To argue that Rodgers was right to keep him on so he could have an easier Monday morning is laughable. Im sure Brendan was thinking the same. A manager managing himself rather than what’s best for LFC. To agree with this is flabbergasting. Its like state run media here.
I now await Brownie to defend Gerrard’s performances and tell us he should still be in the first 11. You know, cuz he’s Steve Gerrard.
We were crap. Everton are crap. 0-0 was the right result.
Rodgers substitutions were once again abhorrent. His decisions during 90 minutes concerning personnel are astounding on more occasions than not. He also has no clue how to rotate and many of the lads are already looking leggy. And if we get the likes of Napoli in the Europa League we will once again see out of depth he is tactically in Europe. But then he’ll tell us we were “outstanding” again “and showed a lot of character.” Super.
People keep saying we’re on a great run. I keep saying it’s because the bar was set so low in the first 5 months of the season. Hodgson was good at managing expectation as well. Southampton and Spurs have picked up more points than us out of the last 24 available. And we’ve been playing shite teams. We’ve beat some but drawn too many as well.
It’s February. We’re in 7th. Come tomorrow we’ll be 6 points off 4th. In the worst EPL ever.
Hodgers has 14 games to save his job.
Could be down to 8th if Hammers win a little later, but the mancs will probably win leaving us 7 points off 4th with a pathetic goal difference, meaning we need to reign in 8 points extra over those above us for top 4 in the remaining 14 games. That’s not really going to happen.
Funny that your mind is boggled because I’m always going to find Hogson comparisons mind bogglingly off the mark. “You don’t think the manager’s good enough? Well I’m gonna compare him to Hodgson to show how I rate him even less!” Hyperbolic rubbish.
There’s definitely an argument to be had over the quality of Rodgers’ substitutions and rotation but I don’t see why it has to take a turn to nasty, personal barbs. It makes me want to take a 45 minute shower just reading some of this stuff. ‘Blah blah landlord blah blah teeth whitening blah!’ I sometimes wonder if we’d have just gotten over the line last May and he was the manager who’d won the first title for a generation after only two seasons whether his fucking flat or him losing a bit of timber would seem at all relevant.
And how is it ‘shameful’ to feel reticent in slaughtering our greatest ever player? It’s difficult to watch when he’s going through a bad period in a game and can’t run to where he needs to be but what do you want from people? A banner on the Kop for his last game saying ‘Been Shite This Season Compared To When You Were 26 Mate’?
Thank fuck for people like you, Tom. I’m convinced wankspangles like Chris couldn’t give a rat’s ass if we ever won another game so long as their opinions were vindicated.
The whole of the midfield underperformed yesterday yet only Gerrard is under the microscope. The other 7 midfielders on our books this season have contributed 14 goals in 110 collective EPL games between them. I don’t give a flying fuck how well they’ve played in other respects, that is shite, and that stat alone explains why most top flight managers would have Gerrard starting in a big EPL game for Liverpool regardless of whether his all-round game has been up to scratch recently.
Christ your a tedious twat
Arguing ad hominem does two things:
(A) lose you the argument
(B) show yourself up to a coward afraid of a different point of view, especially one backed up with tonnes of evidence
I have no problem with Gerrard playing the full 90 but I’m a sentimental optimist. Sterling pulls it back to him when he was unmarked on the edge of the 6 and he scores , the game opens up and who knows. Anyway, a lot of our lads looked leggy alright. The Ev played for a point and got it . Hard when only one team tries to win. Win on Tuesday and all is right once more.
I like this site, hardly ever comment but do visit it daily. Usually more than once a day. Barring a few caveats the podcasts are invariably of a high quality. But where it lets itself down is this, this frequent refusal to call a spade a spade. You always know when Rodgers does a balls up there will be some excuse at the ready and hey presto, today we get this workplace one. It’s pretty cringey; scraping the bottom of the barrel stuff.
I don’t get this inexplicable compulsion by some of the main contributors to try and justify what pretty much everyone else can see is a cock up. When its that obvious and you still try and absolve it not only is it insulting people’s intelligence it starts veering into the craven/apologetic territory. You want a grown up conversation? Gerrard was shit (as you acknowledge although not in so many words) and in deciding who to sub, that is all that should have mattered. He should have gone off. End of. All this other stuff about fronting up on a Monday morning is utter drivel. What about now having to front up to Coutinho, his most creative force who he takes off instead. I know Coutinho didn’t have his best game but would you deny he was still always more likely than Gerrard, either by linking up with Sturridge or otherwise, to break the deadlock? Would Fergie have kept a 34 year old Robson on in similar circumstances? Would Mourinho have done that with Lampard? Those are rhetorical questions only because the answers are so obvious, as they should be for any manager worth his salt.
Wow, I get that we are all frustrated, but gunning the author for stating his opinion is crazy. By half time, I was thinking, get Gerrard off the field. So, agree, he was rubbish.
But … Couthino and Sterling looked exhausted, the midweek exertion (and the brutal tackling then and in this game) taking its toll. By the time they were both hooked, I thought, “not happy, but get it. Spurs around the corner and it doesn’t look like they’re going to affect this game.”
With two strikers ahead of him, Stevie could make a difference, and if BR wasn’t a little sentimental in hoping for a fairytale finish, then he’s not human.
I personally didn’t have any great hope, the one move Studge to Stevie to Lambert was an indication of what was possible, but to be honest, it was too little.
But I understand why BR did what he did, and think the “workplace thing” makes sense, too.
Am I happy, no. We looked jaded, and our depth looked thin (injuries and half-fit players aside).
Three points vs. Spurs is a must, and will give better perspective to this result.
“Fourteen games to save his job” … Bahahahaha!
If he doesn’t get Champions League football after spending £120,000,000 in the summer he will be sacked. That’s reality champ.
If one trophy, another cup final and an 8th place finish wasn’t enough to keep the greatest legend of the club in a job, why do you think no trophies, no cup finals and 7th place will be enough for a manager who has no name connected to the club, no name recognition outside of Britain and no track record of winning trophies?
If we don’t finish in the top four, and BR gets sacked, I’ll understand it, precedent and all that.
But I don’t think he’ll get sacked, and you’re just speculating, champ.
BR is by no means perfect, but he’s still showing the ‘qualities’ the owners claimed they were looking for, and I think they’ll back him for another season.
BR has somehow found an answer to our chronic defensive problems, and with a fit Studge, the offence should improve, too.
Managing the departure of Gerrard is another factor which will give him sympathy with the owners (even if you or I don’t agree with how he’s managed it.) The ‘impossible job’ has taken its toll, but it would have with any manager.
Plus, a number of the so-called flops are now proving their worth. Imagine that. Players may need more than three months before they find their feet.
Personally, I don’t think another manager and another Year Zero would be a drastic back step. There are other reasons for this year’s struggles, aside from BR’s weaknesses, and it’s laughable to categorically imply the owners will just dump a project they’ve so heavily invested in.
Edit:
Personally, I DO think another manager and…
On what basis do you not think he’ll not be sacked?
On the basis that we’ll finish top 4? On the basis FSG are not ruthless businessmen who will not be fucked off with spending an absolute fortune and watching the team regress badly with no trophies, no CL income and no ability to attract quality players? On the basis of fingers crossed?
We both may be speculating, but only one of us have the odds on their side. It isnt you. We aren’t finishing top 4 and FSG won’t stand for it.
Yes, we’re both speculating. Now you’re underlining my point.
I’ve already mentioned why he might not be sacked. If you’ve got such amazing odds, you should have a dobble.
We may still finish top four, but if we don’t, neither you or I know what FSG will or won’t stand for. Whoops! We’re back at the beginning. Speculating.
I guess I just tire of barbed, categorical statements based on “the facts,” “reality,” “odds,” when let’s face it, we’re … *sigh* … speculating.
You’ve been awful quiet of late Chris, but one poor-ish result and you are back in full voice calling for Rodgers to be sacked. The owners seem to be pretty smart guys to me. Although not getting top 4 was the ostensible reason Kenny got moved on, I think it was really just that they didn’t see things improving. “The players were not responding to his methods” was their wording or something like that. Although this season has been a rocky road, we have been on a pretty good run of late and an away draw in the derby doesn’t signal the end of that. I reckon the owners would have seen enough be confident about next season and realised that despite spending £120,000,000 (was putting in all the zeros meant to make it seem bigger) much of that was invested in young talent that will not really pay off for another couple of seasons, we missed out on our primary striking targets and we sold the world’s third best player. As I said before the start of the season, this year was always about taking a step back to go two forward.
The big worry is Lucas’ injury, as that could really dint our momentum. He has just been amazing of late, the way he and Henderson work the spaces in the midfield is really beautiful to watch. I felt the control we were just starting to demonstrate in the middle evaporated when he came off and from then on we had to be careful in the way we built up our play. I am usually a fan of Allen but he looked pretty timid and low on confidence, and he really can’t afford to be given his stature. Looks like he might get a bit of a run in the side so hopefully he picks up his form again but we will still miss Lucas. Sturridge looked a long, long way off the pace still as well. I get that he is trying to ease himself in slowly but I think he really needs to start trying to express himself a bit more and play himself back into form, as he barely touched the ball in the box.
Still, we could have easily nicked a goal and won that game 1-0 and aside from Mingolet’s excellent save of Coleman’s strike they didn’t really look threatening. Very tough run this one we are on and the Bolton replay definitely didn’t help. Will be interesting to see how we line up against Spurs.
Will pass on the Gerrard comments, except to say that even though I have been saying he has been holding us back for a while, it was his last derby (have a little heart) and he had a few moments when he almost produced the magic we all know and love. Was surprised that no one has mentioned his scissor kick effort yet.
Since the start of this supposed good run (26th of November onwards) we’ve played:
Ludogorets draw
Stoke at home win
Leicester win
Sunderland at home draw
Basle at home draw
Manchester Utd lose
Bournemouth win
Arsenal at home draw
Burnley win
Swansea at home win
Leicester at home draw
AFC Wimbledon win
Sunderland win
Aston Villa win
Chelsea at home draw
Bolton at home draw
Chelsea lose
West Ham at home win
Bolton win
Everton draw
20 games. Against mostly teams that we should be treating with contempt. Bolton, near the bottom of the championship. Ludogorets, a squad that cost £19.99 to put together. AFC Wimbledon, a club so young its just broke out in spots & wants to go see Justin Bieber in concert. Aston Villa and Sunderland, who think the best possible result available is a 0-0 draw. Leicester, bottom of the league when we played them and relegation fodder.
Now given how most people have been talking, we obviously won more than 10 games, right? Obviously. Wait. What? We only have a 50% strike rate in our last 20 games against mostly a bunch of shite teams? That cannot possibly be true. Not the way a lot of people have been talking and writing on here.
But it is. 10 wins. 8 draws. 2 defeats. And we’ve had 4 difficult matches. And we haven’t even rotated! Should a record of 10 wins from those 20 games not be the least we expect? Someone answer me that question please. But no one will. What will be the excuse when we fall in a heap at the end of the season again? It can’t be that we had a small squad again.
But everything is rosy in the garden, yeah? £120,000,000 spent and the same mistakes over and over again. Hodgers – managing expectations better than the current England manager ever did.
Aside from the fact that most people would agree that our form only started to really pick up once we switched to 3-4-3 against arsenal (although if we had a decent keeper against the mancs, and de Gea was out for some reason then outcome would have been very different), are you going to sit here and tell me we didn’t play well against a very good chelsea side over two legs? We absolutely schooled them at home, they were very lucky to get away with a draw.
You can use your stats to build a case that we haven’t been playing well, but what does it matter if we can see the side is playing well? None of those cup games are easy wins either as evidenced by the fact that there only four premier league teams left in the cup. West ham is also not a an easy game this season, nor beating any opposition who are sitting deep when you are playing without a recognized striker.
But what is the point? You have your agenda and are not going to let anything get in the way of it. After all, Rodgers spent 12,000,000,000p on new players last summer and none of them are any good, oh wait…
Oh and you can’t be serious about the Hodgson comparison. Absolutely absurd.
Whiskey-nose was the boss and took no crap from anyone, Gerrard would have be benched or sold ages ago. Sentiment has no place in business or success. But within the walls of LFC, Gerrard appears to be untouchable. The press knew he was playing all week, strange that.
Whisky nose was/is also a terrible cunt who I wouldn’t want managing Liverpool even if he was very successful. I know Neil likes to reference him from time to time but still don’t think his behaviour should be put up on a pedestal (we have plenty of good role models for that).
Football is not a business, it is not all about success, as Neil says, Tesco is a business. Are we not all grown men (and women) who should know better? It is about stories for me, and sure success helps in that respect. I get there was a beauty to how ruthlessly successful we were in the 80’s but I don’t think any other group of supporters has enjoyed a season like we did last season for a very, very long time. Every time I see the highlights in one of those ridiculous away shirts I get that warm fuzzy feeling. The ride we went on together as a club was incredible, on par with the road to Istanbul. That is what Football it is about.
So, sure if we don’t win anything for the next 20 years, the memory of how that year ended is going to get pretty painful. But if you can’t have a bit of sentimentality for Stevie (who played crap and has for most of the season, I won’t argue), who has to live with the fact that he had one hand around the league cup and fucked up (I am devastated about this, I literally can’t imagine what it is doing to him), and who has been at the centre of the most thrilling moments this club has had for the last decade then what is the point?
*league trophy, but I guess you knew what I meant
Nice post Tom, I share your sentiments. Liverpool may have been ruthless in the 80s but we had a little bit of class. I’m sick of fellow supporters telling me that if we’re honest we’d love Mournho or Ferguson at our club because they guarantee trophies: I wouldn’t – they’re a pair of cunts . We won trophies without that kind of shite and we will do again, one day. Carlo and Pep and a hundred and one managers the world over have proved that you can win trophies without bringing the game into disrepute. You’d never find Clough, for all his faults, blaming referees for defeats, his teams were told to treat refs with respect in no uncertain terms, neither would you find Bob bleating about ‘campaign’ or ballboys, or waving his watch in front of the fourth official as his face turned 50 shades of purple.
Well said, both of you.
The only reasonable comments in an absolute disgrace of a thread.
Taking Coutinho off to get Sturridge on was just baffling, Sturridge needs the supplier and he gets taken off? Ridiculous
Should’ve had the balls to sub Gerrard
Couthino looking knackered and having shipped quite a few heavy knocks may have had something to do with that decision.
I thought the same at the time, but he was knackered and carrying a knock from the first half. He was just protecting the player: hate to say it blues, but Spurs is a bigger game. Same with Sterling.
Is that really going to be your moniker from now on? I mean, he is not even getting on the bench these days, seems a bit hard on the guy.
My absolute favorite thing about this Liverpool team is that we REFUSE to play the ball out when someone is down. No matter what team. Oh you’re on the ground, eh? Well we’ve got things to do so keep laying there until we’re done.
Was watching the game and mid way through the second half thought it is Stevie for the hook (now no way in the world am I his biggest fan) and in a split second I dismissed it. Never mind BR has no kahunas, SG has more than earned the right not to be subbed in his final Derby and anyone who would have subbed him knows feck all about football and even less about life.
Whenever a result doesn’t turn out right, out pours the shite that supposed supporters call opinion. A point at Everton is not crap, we all want more but I will take not losing there any day. It looks like we have given ourselves too much to do to make 4th but given the fixtures yet to play, you just never know and not getting beat today maintains our unbeaten run. If we are still unbeaten after Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Soton and the Scum that point is going to look pretty decent.
Big game Tuesday now and despite the fact Everton parked the bus we did look tired. We are gonna need to recover fast and get the points against another form team. Do we think we will ? Why the fuck not? We have looked really good against them the last few seasons and hopefully Studge will be on from the start. Kane will be a handful but our back three are looking good, another clean sheet seems to have been overlooked today as well. Can Hendo keep Ericksen quiet ? That tussle may go a long way to deciding the outcome.
Come on the Reds, let’s stuff em and keep chipping away at those points.
Can’t even tell whether I’m drunk or hungover at this point but I’m most certainly sleep deprived and I’m basically taking 2 points out of 6 from both of those derbies this season as a personal slight because they are a fucking shite footballing outfit. Like, worse than I thought they’d be.
Also, if anyone’s ma was watching the derby in bierkeller today/tonight/yesterday/whatever for the love of Christ tell her to sit the fuck down next time…
But yeah, anyway, boss as usual Neil.
Bit of politics behind the scenes. Gerrard speaks out sending a clear message to the owners regarding sterling, henderson and ibe contract situation. It was shoe horned into the interview almost. Definitely helping rodgers (and the team) here. Maybe the importance of this relationship is influencing rodgers judgement.
Rather than focus on the negative i look at some of the youngsters we have in the squad and how much potential we have. Next season will be the first season in ages that we don’t have to boost squad numbers. Rodgers is very young and although making mistakes I think he learns from them and has potential to be brilliant coach.
I’m Very much on board the Europa train this season with a place in the champions league for the winners. See you all in Poland.
Right, first off a point’s only good enough if we win Tuesday. Second, Steven should’ve been hooked. Don’t care if it’s his last Derby. He was ineffective and the manager’s paid to make tough decisions. Rafa had no worries a few years ago about doing the same thing.
Third, Rodgers is manager next season whatever happens. That’s a fact. And he deserves the chance. He’s found a way for this team to win games again without a proper striker. He’s found a way for this team to stop leaking goals. He’s bringing through some exciting young players. Bringing in another man would take us back 3 years. It ain’t happening so the haters better get used to it.
So so negative. Unbeaten in 8 in the league. 6 wins and 2 draws. Cheer up lads. Focus on some positives. Here’s some:
We play an exciting brand of attacking football
Defence looks a lot stronger
Coutinho, plucked from obscurity for pennies is starting to look like a worldly
Ibe looks a class act. Rodgers didn’t bottle this decision did he.
Sturridge yet to properly return
We’re still in the FA cup and Europa League
Man U, Spurs and Man City all at home
Cheer up!
A damp squib indeed. Never really got going against an Everton side who weren’t interested in winning. Looks like Dave Downie got his wish: this was far more Moyes than Martinez. Fair enough, they’re on a bad run.
The substitutions really imbalanced us, but I think they were a response to injuries and fatigue. Moreno isn’t offering enough at the moment, he’s so one-footed, but he’s young and he games will do him good. Didn’t get enough bodies in and around Raheem today. I wonder whether we’ll see Markovic and Ibe starting soon: that would be an attacking setup.
I hope the “Gerrard” thing doesn’t hang over us the rest of the season.
He was poor against Bolton but played 90 and again poor yesterday.
There should be no sentimentality, none of this “it was his last Derby” because then that turns into “its his last Utd/Arsenal/Spurs etc match”
If he’s playing well enough then he plays, if he’s not he doesn’t.
I wonder could he play the right sided centreback position at the min and move Can forward if Lucas is out for a while??
We lost Lucas:( the glue that holds the team together and sure enough things started to fall apart, his aggressive pressing, quick vertical passing and outball for defence all missed, and low and behold Hendo and Sahko have their worst games for sometime. Are we gonna see a fit Lucas, Sturridge and Lallana all on the pitch at same time?
Was discussing who Brendan would Hook and both agreed had to be Stevie, but would He? Then 10 comes up and of course shocked, but Coutinho had been injured earlier, so he avoids the Gerrard question. I actually think Brendan for the 1st time I can remember settled for the point and thought about the next game, when before he would go all out for the win and end up with nothing sometimes. I think that shows He is learning.
However he is desperate for a trophy and hence played Phillipe v thuggish Bolton when I would of rested him considering Ev, Spurs, and Soton’ games coming up He must know its top 4 over trophies.
Waiting on download to see how Allen did, Johnson RCB, Can into Midfield v Spurs?
We let a must win game descend into the Steven Gerrard testamonial.
Markovic in for Gerrard against Spurs, and hopefully Sturridge gets a whole 2nd half.
Speaking of which, Ibe looked like a younger Sturridge out there…no bad thing.
Couldn’t agree more. These guys spouting on about Gerrard deserving to stay on and get picked because of his position as a great player are mental. I’ve watched Liverpool greats come and go and all have been told to move on when their best is no longer good enough, and younger players are ready to step up. Watching a brilliant player like Gerrard flounder because the manager is either afraid to hook him or deluded in thinking he’s playing well does the guy no favours. Do you want your abiding memories of him to be soured by the standard of performances he’s put in this season? I’m a older supporter and can remember when my all time hero Sir Rodger departed for Bolton, he did OK there but he left Liverpool on high and not as some faded hero people made excuses for. Shankly learnt his lesson by allowing loyalty to his players cloud his judgement. Rodgers is no Shankly, but he can learn this from the great man.
Aye, Bob always knew when to move a player on. Even moved Jimmy Case on too early!
What sort of common sense is this? Im afraid that won’t be tolerated on here by the mob who think 10 wins from 20 games means the good times are back & think deserved defeats over 2 legs in the Micky Mouse Cup (even against the best team in the league) is something to behold. Down with this sort of thing.
The criticism of Brendan was that he could not set up a side defensively, but either by design or accident now has a team that just don’t look like conceding goal’s. Now I admit it was far more fun watching last seasons “you score three. we will score five” mentality, but if the manager and the lads work out a way of getting a goal a game out this system. We would look like a mature, dominate European side. I have doubts that this can be achieved. But if FSG are in this for the long haul they might be convinced that Brendan is developing.
I don’t have a problem with Neil and the rest of the TAW wanting to steer away from reactionary stuff. It strikes me they’re decent people who aren’t in the business of calling the manager names. They have been plenty critical when it’s been warranted — Neil has repeated called into question the effectiveness of BR’s substitutions.
That said, Ste Gerrard staying on for full 90 was nuts. But that didn’t prevent us from winning. If anything’s to blame, it’s Sterling’s decision-making. In a tight game such as this one, when they’re defending with 10 men behind the ball at all times, when you get in behind their defense, you have to make it count. Sterling was too selfish whenever he was released. Something he’s been guilty of for the past 3-4 games. Maybe he’s starting to believe his own publicity.
After Coutinho went off, it was as if we looked around and thought “how do we play without that little bloke?”. It was surprisingly inept to be honest. That said, he wasn’t having a good game and I think the kickings he’s been getting over the past week or so caught up with him. As long as he’s fit for Tuesday.
Finally, I’ve read in the comments above how some don’t think BR should remain as manager because he lacks gravitas or his tactical decision-making isn’t strong. The way I see it, for the first time in a long time, I’ve actually been enjoying watching my team play. Since the Houllier era, we’ve had managers who like driving with the handbrake on. Now we have a manager who will go to Chelsea not with the aim of keeping it 0-0 until the 75th minute and then seeing what’ll happen but instead goes there to play football. Real pistol-at-dawn stuff. It’s not playing the percentages but it’s brave and incredibly fun. And, what cannot be denied is that BR has had to solve a puzzle every season that he’s been here, depending on the playing staff available. He’s done it every time. Yes, his substitutions are not helping but I hope he’ll learn.
Agreed. Tricky business though, could be part of his development as a striker, learning to be more selfish. Everything goes through Coutinho at the moment, others need to step up.
Real Madrid away was real ‘pistols at dawn’ stuff?????
That was the worst example of throwing the white flag in ever by an LFC manager.
Take the blinkers off, mate.
You’re quite right – that was throwing in the towel but that hasn’t been the pattern. In the past two and half years, we’ve gone to City, Chelsea, Utd, Spurs etc with the intention of playing. It still seems to me that in general BR is very attack-minded
If Bob Paisley is still manager – there would be no farewell tour!
With all due respect to Steven Gerrard, this half season long farewell tour may eventually bite us. There’s no room for sentiment when we have games to be won and points to be gained. Same goes for the prodigal son Rickie Lambert (I like Rickie by the way).
Kevin Keegan and Ian Rush did not get a farewell tour. Fair enough they’re not semi-retired when they went to Hamburg and Juventus. But for what they had given to us, we could have given them a farewell tour too for a full season. Keegan rolled up his sleeves and almost gave us the “Treble”. Rush was banging goals for fun – 40+ goals as farewell gift to us. All I want from Stevie as a farewell gift is for him to tell Brendan – “put me in on merit Boss”
Gerrard is our legend. But there have been many before him. When it’s time for them to go, we let them go. Always business like as no one player is bigger than the club.
If Bob Paisley is still manager – there would be no farewell tour!
At the risk of taking pelters, I’m going to defend the manager because I think he got most of the big calls right.
Let’s stat with the first eleven. What were we all moaning about earlier this season? We were moaning about the skipper being played in midfield when Lucas was a better option. The craven option, the cowardly option, given Markovic’s fitness, would have been to shunt Jordan Henderson across to wing-back to accommodate the skipper. He did that type of thing time and time again earlier in the season. If he’d done it again I’d have been both worried and furious. But he didn’t. He stuck to his guns and played Gerrard out of harm’s way. Then, when Lucas pulled up, the conservative/craven option would have been to move Gerrard back and pick Markovic: he was warming up to do just that. But again, he didn’t: he made the right call with the options available to him from the bench. This. Is. Progress.
The skipper is no longer getting preferential treatment; he wasn’t subbed because Coutinho and Sterling are more important players for us now; they are the guys he needs to save for the big game on Tuesday. He might not have even started had Lallana been passed fit and had Markovic not pulled up in the Bolton game. I was very critical of Rodgers’ treatment of Gerrard earlier this season; he wasn’t picking teams on merit, but on favour. Others argued that he still had a role to play albeit not in his favoured position. Well guess what? You can’t have it all ways. It looks like he’s finally being treated like a normal squad player, one who isn’t in our best eleven and behind Lucas and Henderson in the CM pecking order. Long may it continue.
The above isn’t a dig at the skipper btw. He remains a useful squad player, one who should be rotated with Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana and Markovic behind Sturridge. His selection yesterday was justified given the options available to us and we wouldn’t be having this debate had his scissor-kick not hit Naysmith’s bonce.
Seems some people just don’t like Brendan and never will. Any excuse is used to trot out the usual litany of lazy cliches about him and personal insults.
An away draw in a derby. Boo hoo, get over it. If you can’t see the progression of a young talented squad under a young talented manager then maybe football isn’t your game.
Didn’t get subbed because he has to face him Monday morning? What kind of piss-poor excuse is that TAW?
If a player is having an anonymous game (no matter who it is) but the manager can’t sub him off due to an awkward Monday morning, then that manager shouldn’t be a Liverpool manager.
A derby draw away from home is a decent result, but Ev were there for the taking if we didn’t do such awful subs. Stop bringing Lambo on for the final 10. ITS DOESNT WORKED.
Are there any stats on Liverpool results with/without Gerrard starting this season?
Ideally Prem League only, but all comps would work too.
The people who post comments here criticising our manager for his inability to make match winning substitutions, making pointless comparisons with previous managers who had no better or worse a record at winning the league in past 20 years, non football issues such as his personal appearance or whose house he lives in, and worst of all disrespectfully calling him Hodgers really need to reappraise their view of themselves as supporters or followers of Liverpool.
Well said, I don’t necessarily agree with everything the manager does or says but I too find it distasteful to call the current Liverpool manager “Brenda” or “Hodgers”, leave that crap to rival supporters.
Here here Gerry,
although a lot of valid points are raised by these posters it’s the personal stuff that irritates me,
I couldn’t give a flying fuck about his teeth/missus or living arrangements tbh but it’s a dead giveaway when posters lump it in to an argument,
Calling him Hodgers?
What’s that all about,
On a diff planet to Roy,
Thankfully.
Just because you don’t like the comparisons doesnt mean they don’t have merit. Like it or not Rodgers has performed dismally for the vast majority of this season, like Hodgson did when he was here.
Rodgers mistakes are too many to mention, but Gerrard as a DM, Gerrard in the 1st team, Lovren’s continual selection, the freezing out of Sakho, the want to sell Lucas, the abysmal substitutions that hinder more than help & the utter lack of ability to successfully rotate are just a few of the things the manager has cocked up in this last 7/8 months. Thats not even discussing overall team performances and results (look at the table on any date from September onwards and tell me you were happy).
But the most sickening thing I find is that just like Hodgson, Rodgers has managed to quell so many peoples expectations. You only have to look on here on this thread or over the last few months. People actually happy with 7th & being ok with having an outside chance of 4th. People happy with competing vs Chelsea over 2 legs. Happy just to compete for fuck sake! As if we werent vastly superior to them less than 10 months ago. Happy with mediocrity. Happy to say they wouldnt want a manager who was a cunt even if it guaranteed success (exactly the type of attitude that will keep us in the doldrums for another quarter of a century) – ignoring of course some evidence that may suggest that actually, yes, our manager may also be a cunt (just not an incredibly successful cunt)
Im not even sure Hodgson made the many mistakes Rodgers has made this season – he’s just not had a crisis of ownership to contend with & fans on the verge of revolt. Hodgson never had hundreds of millions to spend either. And we know that Hodgson has won a trophy or two in his time so perhaps you are right & comparisons are unfair…..
I can’t believe it has gotten to the point that you have chosen to defend Hodgson and imply he is a better man and manager than Rodgers just to support your narrative.
This is Chris Mc’s “jump the shark” moment.
Wow – can’t believe some of the comments on here! Does it really just take a away draw for the moaners to climb back on the their bandwagon?
I don’t think there is much point in me rehashing the arguments to support the manager and the decisions he has made, as others have made that case well. I would just like to say +1 to the comments Tom C has made above.
Bad news: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/09/lucas-leiva-liverpool-thigh-injury
Reporters reckon he could be out for a month and that he wasn’t fully fit for the derby. Not good. This will be a testing time, one for someone to step up.
Oooff. Start for Allen next to Henderson tomorrow it’d look like. Probably too important a game for Rodgers to think about tinkering with this back 3 by moving Can back into midfield an giving Lovren another go. Unless of course Gerrard moves back to make his third start in less than a week. Right everyone? …guys?
Balls,
Just as he was settling into some nice form and we have some really important games coming up,
Allen needs to start getting to the pace of the game quicker,
he’s taking that extra second on the ball and then getting muscled out of it,
I’m screaming “man on” at the TV constantly when he’s playing and it’s worrying my little kids!
Great as always, Atko. Even if many of the comments it has inspired make me yearn for mass sterilization.
How can people always find a way to simplify a match to one narrative, especially in the comments section of an article that so eloquently refutes the notion?
Well at least you’ve come to the right place for a mass debate…….