NEIL ATKINSON was joined by Steve Graves, Paul Cope and Ben Johnson for this week’s podcast in the aftermath of a 3-0 tanking at Old Trafford.
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Crazy pod this time lads, but I still enjoyed – there is no such thing as real cider. I am troubled by this!
I was trying to get to sleep last night and I was going through the starting eleven and *subs to see which level
EPL team they really belong to.
So:
Jones (Championship at best; I don’t think there’ll be too many arguing with this)
Moreno (at the moment between 6th and 10th EPL, may develop to top four)
Lovren (at this confidence level 10th-15th EPL, normally maybe up to a side challenging for Europa)
Skrtel (decent player, but never top 4 (last years miracle aside) , probably 5th-8th)
Glenson (was a top 4 player 5 years ago, now mid-table, 8th-12th EPL)
Gerrard (could be a cameo top four player like Lampard, but now the legs are failing)
Allen (looked out of his depth physically against “Screech”, probably due to Bel-Wal international, he is a tidy player at the level of well,,….Swansea actually!)
Henderson (decent player, but never a top3 player, so lets say somewhere between 4th and 8th)
Coutinho (very talented, can goes as far as he wants, would be a top 5 player or higher if he could shoot)
Lallana (atypical player, great feet, slow though, and not too strong, which eliminates him from top 4)
Sterling (our best player by a mile, will be amazing, definitely top4 player or higher, will he stay with us?)
*Toure (was an excellent player, but now he’d be a cameo in a better team, full time he’d be 8th-12th)
*Markovic (loads of promise too early to tell, but playing like a top 8 player now)
*Balotelli (conundrum, enigma, there is huge talent there, but in our system he doesn’t look like the title challenging player we know he is)
So I guess these admittedly subjective ratings leave us as a team finishing about 6th-8th. Which is dismal really.
The bottom line I guess is that , aside from organisational issues at all levels of the club, we would need to
invest HEAVILY over the next 4-6 windows to get close to top 3 again. Which it looks like we won’t really do under FSG. So while they’re here (and they have got a lot right), I feel like we have to manage our expectations.
It galls me to say but our friend G.Neville is correct in saying that we aren’t going for it, and that our spend barely touches the sides.
What does the TAW community think?
Usually love the Podcast but had to sling this one about half way through. It sounded like what it was: a bunch of half-cut scousers talking vaguely-coherently about the game. Fine, but to that end, thought the level of analysis was nowhere near your usual level.
The bit on 44 minutes finished it for me.
Yep, talking about Rafa was nonsense.”Two men that believe they’re great”
Yea, the fucking difference is Rafa has the trophies to back it up. What makes Rodgers think he’s great?
The level of analysis was perhaps not near the usual level but I thought the intensity of their slaughtering Brad Jones game was exceptional. Ben Johnson was really aggressive in his way of working: “What’s up with Mignolet? … Apart from the fact he’s shite!” What can you do in the face of us going back to not being any good/not playing in the Champions League/not looking like challenging for the title again till like, 2019…probably, but get rat-arsed and have a laugh with your mates?
Anyway, I’ve taken this result really, really badly. The enormity of what was so nearly achieved last season and how difficult it’s going to be to get into that position again hit me like a train after the game more so than at any other time this season. Think it might have been the United away factor that got me to thinking all about league titles and that.
Also, these creatures are a bit strange… Didn’t Gervais sell loads of picture books based on this kind of stuff?
Just back in from walking the dog and listening to the podcast, great job lads.
A few things, I’m not necessarily against playing 3 at the back but if you’re gonna play 3 then why not play 3 actual centrebacks, even better why not play your 3 BEST centrebacks!!! I know it’s a crazy idea but hear me out.
Johnson is gone. Likely to sign a pre contract with someone in Jan and gone in the summer so why are we not playing the guys with something to prove for their future? Its not like Johnson is some kind of defensive beast anyhow, just doesn’t make sense to me and not only that alienates the other players. That back 3 should have been Sakho, Kolo, Skrtel. Yous seemed to gleam over the fact Sakho wasn’t in the side nevermind the squad??? Surely that’s a major talking point with regards team selection especially considering the abysmal Lovren was included in his stead???
Gotta agree with the “be better in both boxes” mantra, it would greatly improve us if we had better keeper/centreback options and better strike options. Today with a better striker we could/should have had 2/3/4 goals and with a better keeper/centreback at least one less goal. Read a stat yesterday about our time under Rodgers that says everything about us at the min. We’ve conceded 115 goals in Rodgers 92 PL games which means conceding 1.25 goals a game. We have to then score 2 goals a game to make sure we win. Think that just illustrates that the mantra needs to implemented ASAP, problem is who do you trust at the club to bring in adequate strikers, defenders and keeper considering their recruitment record so far??? It’s a massive problem for us!!!
Can’t agree we were good in the middle of the pitch. Gerrard and Allen were poor while Rooney and Feliani did their jobs effectively. We don’t have any dominant players down the spine of the team. Keeper? Nope. Centreback? Nope although could Sakho be that guy? Midfield?? Nope, Gerrard used to be, not any more. Striker?? Sturridge when fit but that’s it!! There’s not one person, apart from Sturridge who’s injured, who I would be confident going out on the pitch for us and winning their battle most weeks. I don’t know what Allen does. Yous say in a good team he’d be really good. Would that not be the case for most players?? Is that the best thing we can say about him?? If we are serious about consistently challenging for top honours a player like Allen doesn’t exist in our squad. He doesn’t have any consistency with his passing, frequently bullied off the ball, doesn’t score/assist, doesn’t give much protection for the back……he doesn’t have a role in our team…..and for £15mil???!!!! I’d sell him in the summer.
Gotta agree with yous about the club structure. It’s fucked up from top to bottom. We’ve got our owners and money men FSG who know very little about football and even less about the business of football. Granted they may be great about commercialising on our brand blah blah blah but in the real FOOTBALL business of transfers, managerial appointments and other football related staff they fail. Below the inexperienced FSG we have the inexperienced Rodgers in his 4th season in the Prem and then with him we have the inexperienced coaching staff offering advice to Rodgers. I’m not even gonna go into the madness that is the transfer committee. We lack experience, leadership and winners in football from top to bottom in the club and the transfer policy seems to be buying young, inexperienced players. You just can run a football club like that and expect to all of a sudden be winners. Muelensteen is out there, unattached who has loads of experience in the football world to help the manager out and I’m sure there are other available.
Gotta admit, my hope for the future of the club is extremely low at the min and it’s not because of this result, it’s been slippy slope downwards since the summer transfer debacle.
[Hey Michael. I couldn’t seem to add a new comment mate so I’ve replied to yours, hope its okay.]
Crazy pod this time lads, but I still enjoyed – there is no such thing as real cider. I am troubled by this!
I was trying to get to sleep last night and I was going through the starting eleven and *subs to see which level
EPL team they really belong to.
So:
Jones (Championship at best; I don’t think there’ll be too many arguing with this)
Moreno (at the moment between 6th and 10th EPL, may develop to top four)
Lovren (at this confidence level 10th-15th EPL, normally maybe up to a side challenging for Europa)
Skrtel (decent player, but never top 4 (last years miracle aside) , probably 5th-8th)
Glenson (was a top 4 player 5 years ago, now mid-table, 8th-12th EPL)
Gerrard (could be a cameo top four player like Lampard, but now the legs are failing)
Allen (looked out of his depth physically against “Screech”, probably due to Bel-Wal international, he is a tidy player at the level of well,,….Swansea actually!)
Henderson (decent player, but never a top3 player, so lets say somewhere between 4th and 8th)
Coutinho (very talented, can goes as far as he wants, would be a top 5 player or higher if he could shoot)
Lallana (atypical player, great feet, slow though, and not too strong, which eliminates him from top 4)
Sterling (our best player by a mile, will be amazing, definitely top4 player or higher, will he stay with us?)
*Toure (was an excellent player, but now he’d be a cameo in a better team, full time he’d be 8th-12th)
*Markovic (loads of promise too early to tell, but playing like a top 8 player now)
*Balotelli (conundrum, enigma, there is huge talent there, but in our system he doesn’t look like the title challenging player we know he is)
So I guess these admittedly subjective ratings leave us as a team finishing about 6th-8th. Which is dismal really.
The bottom line I guess is that , aside from organisational issues at all levels of the club, we would need to
invest HEAVILY over the next 4-6 windows to get close to top 3 again. Which it looks like we won’t really do under FSG. So while they’re here (and they have got a lot right), I feel like we have to manage our expectations.
It galls me to say but our friend G.Neville is correct in saying that we aren’t going for it, and that our spend barely touches the sides.
What does the TAW community think?
Crazy pod this time lads, but I still enjoyed – there is no such thing as real cider. I am troubled by this!
I was trying to get to sleep last night and I was going through the starting eleven and *subs to see which level
EPL team they really belong to.
So:
Jones (Championship at best; I don’t think there’ll be too many arguing with this)
Moreno (at the moment between 6th and 10th EPL, may develop to top four)
Lovren (at this confidence level 10th-15th EPL, normally maybe up to a side challenging for Europa)
Skrtel (decent player, but never top 4 (last years miracle aside) , probably 5th-8th)
Glenson (was a top 4 player 5 years ago, now mid-table, 8th-12th EPL)
Gerrard (could be a cameo top four player like Lampard, but now the legs are failing)
Allen (looked out of his depth physically against “Screech”, probably due to Bel-Wal international, he is a tidy player at the level of well,,….Swansea actually!)
Henderson (decent player, but never a top3 player, so lets say somewhere between 4th and 8th)
Coutinho (very talented, can goes as far as he wants, would be a top 5 player or higher if he could shoot)
Lallana (atypical player, great feet, slow though, and not too strong, which eliminates him from top 4)
Sterling (our best player by a mile, will be amazing, definitely top4 player or higher, will he stay with us?)
*Toure (was an excellent player, but now he’d be a cameo in a better team, full time he’d be 8th-12th)
*Markovic (loads of promise too early to tell, but playing like a top 8 player now)
*Balotelli (conundrum, enigma, there is huge talent there, but in our system he doesn’t look like the title challenging player we know he is)
So I guess these admittedly subjective ratings leave us as a team finishing about 6th-8th. Which is dismal really.
The bottom line I guess is that , aside from organisational issues at all levels of the club, we would need to
invest HEAVILY over the next 4-6 windows to get close to top 3 again. Which it looks like we won’t really do under FSG. So while they’re here (and they have got a lot right), I feel like we have to manage our expectations.
It galls me to say but our friend G.Neville is correct in saying that we aren’t going for it, and that our spend barely touches the sides.
What does the TAW community think?
Cheers
Love the show lads, as I’ve said before it’s a lifeline to a Scouser in Finland, but it is a lot better when you’re not quite so pissed :-) Still, some good points amidst the banter and general chaos….
1. That Brad Jones is our no 2 goalkeeper is criminal. I don’t think I’ve called for Mignolet to be dropped for that very reason. I was, however, impressed by just how poor he was yesterday. He reminds me of an old Kenny Everett character, Brother Lee Love: all outsize hands flapping about incoherently. Still, could be worse, imagine if he was a traffic cop or one of those guys ferrying planes in…..
2. Gerrard in a two. Already been done to death so I won’t labour it.
3. Coutinho’s worrying lack of an end product is a worry and you’re right to emphasise that Sterling isn’t a striker. He’s a 20 year old (barely) doing the work of 2-3 players at the moment. I think he’s a safer long-term bet than Coutinho for the no 10 role.
4. Lovren. What is he for?
5. Formation. No problem with the formation, lots of problems with the players chosen to execute it. Put Lucas, Toure and Lambert/Balotelli in from the start and it works. How many creative players do we need on the pitch? Not playing a striker against that defence shows how muddled Brendan’s thinking is right now.
6. Balance. Whilst your right to emphasise the creativity (it was refreshing) is it so hard to set up a balanced team? Solidity and flair are not mutually exclusive.
I want Brendan Rodgers to succeed, I don’t pine for Rafa or Kenny and have backed him from the start. Last season was the most fun I’ve had as a Liverpool supporter since the late 70s, but boy is he making it hard to like him at the moment. Still he’s potentially carving out an alternative career for himself he could become a lifestyle guru specialising in spin and ineptitude.
I don’t normally write such football bollocks like this but after yesterday’s game there’s some points I feel need making. Under Rodgers reign he has signed 25 players totalling an estimated total of £212,000,000. For anyone saying FSG is the issue by not stumping up the cash, this is not the issue. Liverpool has spent an estimated £63mil on defenders and a goalkeeper. You would think this sort of investment, training facilities, scouting network and transfer committee we’d find a way to stop shipping 50+ goals a season, nope. Liverpool has spent £60mil on out and out strikers (not including your fancy CAMs like Coutinho and Lallana). This season we’re struggling to score goals or even muster up half-chances for that matter. Granted Sturridge is injured and Suarez is gone, but are these two things scenarios that have surprised us?
SPOT THE MONEYBALL
Liverpool has spent £98mil on midfielders, now when I say midfielders; we’re talking about players ranging from Emre Can to Lallana. I take the point these are completely different players with different skills, but for the sake of keeping this ‘article-rant-thing’ shorter let’s put them in the midfield bracket. £98mil pounds, £98 MILLION, half a Rickie Lambert short of £100 million. This is by no means a dig at the players, they don’t set their transfer fees. What worries me is this ‘moneyball’ philosophy we have, yet spending over £200 million. Where’s the moneyball? Where’s the £1mil signing for Bojan? Where’s the £2mil Michu? That’s where your moneyball is. Instead this moneyball philosophy has given us an excuse to sign average to good players at inflated prices. We’re trying to look clever in a free market of variables. It’s like saying you have a strategy to gambling on roulette…
WHERE HAS IT GONE WRONG?
Now the manager, oh B-Rod, where did it all go wrong? I’ll be honest, when Rodgers first came, I was in the Martinez camp, and worried Brendan only had a Plan A. But he turned me with his ‘Brendanisms’ and footballing philosophy. He turned me with his magical reds pumping out 6-3 wins every other weekend and nearly bringing that awfully tacky looking Premier League trophy to Anfield. It wasn’t to be, but boy were we close.
Now post-Suarez, Brodgers had a chance to step up and make his mark with his team and his signings with his philosophy. At his most vital moment as Liverpool Manager, he’s ultimately failed. This team lacks confidence and worst of all, it lacks an identity. What does a Liverpool goal look like now? A Glen Johnson torpedo through a crowd of Stoke players?
I don’t know the solutions to these problems, I don’t get paid to know. But some (lucky) people at the club do and it’s their time to act. Is it time to scrap the Transfer Committee? Yes, most probably. Is it time to show some players the door? Maybe too soon to tell. Should Brendan Rodgers get the sack? Maybe that was his Plan B all along.
where did it all go wrong?
We bought Aspas, Lambert and Balotelli for strikers in the last 3 windows. and in the one before that we bought an injury prone striker.
That’s where it all went wrong.
Buying Lovren didn’t help of course. But the scouts either didn’t do their job or they had too many constraints put on them.
Bojan and Alex Song. Both would have been excellent moneyball signings.
Entertaining show, thanks for that.
I thought you were a bit harsh on Coutinho though. He started poorly and certainly played his part in United’s first, but I thought he got past the bad start to look–again–like the only player other than Sterling who could make something happen. A lot of apologies were made for Allen, who tag-teams with Lallana to get skinned 2v1 on the first and whose offensive contribution was what, keeping things “ticking over?” Meanwhile, Coutinho has the thankless task of being a creative attacking mid in a side evidently without a player who can finish chances. We ought to be sending him sympathy cards.
I made the point after the Madrid game that I’d been watching Coutinho closely and I thought despite all his brilliance he was fairly lazy. Ok, one could argue he’s not the type of player to press but we can’t be a pressing team if one or two in midfield are not going to do it. Defeats the object.
fucking awful show that. Like a really shit pub conversation between a bunch of pricks that would force you to move onto the next pub.
Yep, not edifying particularly the very drunk shaven headed guy. I know it’s for free and I don’t have to listed to it, but it’s usually a quality listen and worth investing an hour of your life – this wasn’t.
Bet you to listen to Elbow you.
Its amazing how when coutinho makes the mistake everyones jumping on him. this season alone, henderson has made so many cowardly mistsakes, ie, in one of the matches by not challenging the man he is supposed to mark in the near post that contributed to an easy goal. everton late goal, shying away from the shot by stopping in his tracks midway. I can go on and this is just the top of my head.
Not only is henderson a first starter after all this mistakes, he is made vice captain. I tell you coutinho is the least of our problems. favortism and rewarding players not based on merit on the field is a dangerous game and thats is why we are where we are.
I’ve found the secret to watching Liverpool.
I didn’t watch the game.
I was only mildly pissed cos I knew we would lose. That’s what happens when you don’t have proper mobile strikers.
then since, cos you can’t avoid the result, I hear there were positives and we actually played well and created tonnes. So now I look forward to watching the game.
Result.
Try and keep off the ale lads. There was not much constructive stuff to today and some of the comments were laughable. Reina “hands of smoke for two years”? Allen would be great at Bayern Munich! Henderson was “all right”.
Next time you just want to find a bunch of dickheads to yell at each other for an hour, give me a call. Hilariously awful.
That BBC money is going to your head I see Neil.
Bitter blue nose cunt. Probably got every Keane album on ya iPod.
EPIC POD
Brilliant! Can he jump? Dunno, does he fall on his arse when someone feints to shoot? Haha, says it all, case closed. I wanted to see Jones given a go, not necessarily against Utd but Jesus! I think I’d rather have Jimmy Krankie in goal than him now, so Valdes? Err yeah. I know nothing about him but I don’t need to. He’s a goalkeeper at least.
My lad had a big game yesterday which clashed with Liverpools, 2pm kick off so I thought I’d watch the first half then make a decision, needless to say I haven’t even seen the 2nd half but I watched the highlights. Anyway, I got in and asked someone how we played 2nd half. I think he misunderstood and said ‘don’t you fuckin dare try and paper over the cracks??? So, I played it diplomatically and got on the slaughter Rodgers buzz with them. My mate said get Rafa in. I’ve always been against it because I don’t like going backwards in life. The way it’s all going for Liverpool at the minute it suddenly dawned on me there’s no better option. Got us to the number one in Europe plus it’s not difficult to see what went wrong at the end. Up and down but overall I was into the idea. Others spoke about the other ones they’d go for.
I woke up this morning with a completely different perspective though. I thought yesterday showed why we’ll be completely different with Sturridge. With him and Balotelli 20% sharper (rather than coming back from injury) then we win that match. Also, If that second goals not given then everything thereafter changes. We may well have got something from it, or we may not have. At 2-0 though it felt like time to get dejected. Then there’s the keepers. I’m aware we lost the game but I keep saying you can’t win at this level with no goals in the team, add to that no keeper and it’s not looking good.
So, I’ve been a bit down on Rodgers recently because of this and that but today I read those extracts from James Pearce’s interview. I’ve only read the summary and not heard him speak but I presume it’s correct. It sounds to me the transfer committee are to blame for the transfers as opposed to Rodgers, member or not. He reckons Rodgers wanted Bony and Vorm. I don’t know what I think of those 2 but what I do know is what I think about Jones and a Borini that’s nowhere to be seen. Who’s behind him not playing? I’m more convinced than ever Rodgers is taking the rap for an incompetent committee. I think enough clues are there. Now we’re hearing his back room staff are crap. I think there’s evidence of that too. Its too easy to have a bad spell and say sack the manager. We’re all guilty of it in the hours after another defeat but today has left me thinking things can’t carry on as they are so sack the committee and the backroom staff. Give Rodgers a chance to learn from this experience. I’m yet to hear a realistic candidate mentioned to replace him plus he’s contracted till 2018. FSG won’t go for Rafa so it’s pointless even debating whether he could do it.
Carragher is saying Rodgers has neglected the defenders. I definitely agree that’s the case but the bottom line for me is things were done badly in the summer. Rodgers needs someone to identify players. He’s complaining he doesn’t have enough time to train the players so he certainly doesn’t have time to drive round Europe watching them. My view, based on what I’ve seen for the past 30 years is very few people actually know what they’re doing in football. I would honestly appoint Neil Atkinson as Rodgers head of back room staff.
Sorry Robin I cannot believe that a manager that vehemently said NO to have a Director of Football working with him would then meekly accept this ‘transfer committee’ that he is a part of, just dumping players into the squad without a by your leave to the manager. That is fanciful and to be honest sounds like the type of thing a journalist gets briefed on the side by a manager who is trying to deflect.
At this point its never Brendan’s fault – even this pod again papers over Brendan. The selection wasnt THAT bad ( no mention of the dropping of Lucas I notice), they then spend 10 minutes drunkenly slaughtering anyone that has had enough of Rodgers (again this is a feature of the pods, we wont discuss Brendan but we’ll discuss those that don’t like him and want to be proven right). Again we get structure of club but not Brendan & staff shortcomings. There is always a way out for Brendan it seems.
These results, these formations, these selections are what saw people go bonkers over Hodgson but we are told it was alright to want The Hodge out that quick but with Brendan your not allowed to even entertain the fact that maybe something is horribly horribly wrong.
Again 75 minutes long and I don’t think anyone touched on the Borini thing – is nobody wanting to ask that question? I see nobody really wants to entertain the Sakho question either. I understand to a degree, your not all journalists, this isnt a big media entity, a magazine is produced, it needs interviews, nobody wants to be the outlet that’s slaughtering the manager or the big names and then going ‘well we need an interview next week’. I totally get that outlook, I think the gloss does go on a bit thick though again nobody wants to be the one on a pod to be the first to say ‘I’ve had enough of this manager’ unless he looks and talks like The Hodge of course.
Also, you may want to stay off the gassy lager chaps, hearing grown men have the Fosters coming back at regular intervals was somewhat unpleasant.
I think, one of the reasons I like TAW is they don’t react to losing with ‘sack the manager’.
Also, it’s clear Borini is being frozen out. That decision hasn’t been made by Rodgers. Don’t forget, he’s not that good.
But is he better than Balo and Lambo??
Debatable.
Sorry Robin but explain to me how Borini being frozen out is not Rogers decision. Are you saying that basically there is a dark hand working above Rodgers nefariously making decisions on who plays and who doesnt?.
Also I’m not asking any of them to get on a Rodgers Out campaign but we are, at this point, woeful and in a terrible state. To not devote at least most of a pod on the manager and his reign so far does look like nobody wants to touch it.( to me in my conspiracy bunker!!) :)
That’s exactly what I’m saying in this instance. I agree with it too. He’s not good enough for LFC. If finances mean we can’t get another striker unless he goes then I’d take the gamble and freeze him out. Unlikely to be Rodgers decision though.
TAW are in a position of responsibility. It’s bad enough that Liverpool have so many knee jerk reaction fans without them getting involved in it. My question for you is who would you replace him with this month?
On the DoF/committee thing, my understanding of the situation was that the committee was the compromise. FSG wanted a DoF, Rodgers didn’t so they found some middle ground.
Looking at Rodgers choices (Borini, Allen, Lallana, Lovren) I don’t know who to trust at the club to buy a player.
Couldn’t agree more about the Borini/Sakho thing and the lack of questioning over it. Ok Borini has been mentioned a few times but Sakho has been completely glossed over time and time again. Really weird especially considering the current left sided CB is abysmal and even weirder that we played 3 at the back on Sunday that didn’t include him but did include an out of form rightback who’s leaving (I hope) the club in a matter of months.
Neil how did you let this load of shite through.
The lads sound like the same Dickheads they complain about every week.
Maybe they get pissed, talk a load of crap, wake up the next day and think they herd someone else talk a load of bollocks.
Bellend. Probably a wool aswell.
Fairly incomprehensible this week.
Robin, there was no reply box so I’ll have to put it here.
Your question, I wouldnt, i’d wait until the end of the season, make sure I had a good one lined up and see where we were – I suspect we are going to be around 6th to 8th. And yes its another 5 months of uncertainty but there is always the possibility that itll get turned around or enough prayers have been said on enough knees that Sturridge really does herald the return of THAT team! ( I suspect not).
regards Borini, just to clarify because I am thick, your saying that Rodgers would pick him but is being told NOT to pick him by someone upstairs so that Borini will REALLY get the message we hate him and slink off in January to whatever club we deign to sell him to – yes?
Yes, that’s what I’m saying mate.
OK, I respect that is your view, I obviously don’t share that but debate makes the world go round!
Andrew, what I’ve been hearing is that the transfer committee is much more powerful that we first thought. There’s a suggestion that they are frustrated at Borini that he didn’t go in the summer when £13/14mil was offered, disrupting their plans and are now trying to force him out by showing that he has no future at the club.
That’s bonkers, so this board is basically blocking Borini? I’ve never heard anything like it and surely this would have come out by now from the player.
I can’t accept that I’m sorry and I find it a hugely convenient out for Rodgers and his freezing out of players, as we’ve seen, Borini is hardly the first to have gotten this treatment.
As with Robin, I respect your view on it, but I don’t share it.
Andrew I don’t know its 100% true, I’m just sharing what I’ve heard recently and obviously from a different source than robin. Its also starting to come out that the committee have been vetoing Rodgers choices and buying other players he not that interested in. That is also bonkers and is looking increasingly more likely to be true. It is then not a huge jump to believe they ARE withholding players from the manager in order to force their sale in Jan. The major problem is the lack of transparency of it all.
Well if that is true and to be honest I am having a hard time believing it is as it’s very convenient for a certain manager, if that is happening then maybe he really should have taken the offer of the DOF.
Still I am very very skeptical that it’s true but I appreciate you hear it and wonder. Just a bit too convenient for me in my conspiracy bunker!! ;)
The first thing to say is he’s definitely being frozen out. We all know that. He’s not injured, he’s not on the bench and we’ve got no strikers. I’m sorry but anyone who can’t see that is clearly naive. He refused a £14m offer from QPR. That only leaves one question and that’s who’s freezing him out. What’s become clear recently is that Rodgers doesn’t have all the power. He’s being frustrated by people above him (or to the side of him depending on how you see the power base).
Just brilliant! LOL
Ps keep eating the choc cremes
Loved this podcast. Me and my brother sat in the car after the match not saying a word to each other…feeling the hurt.
This drunken self-indulgence was the antidote to our misery and we could have done with it live after the game.
There have been plenty of insightful and inspired (and some less so) podcasts these lot have done and more to come.
So let them/us just have these occasional “free for alls” – God, i needed it.
Nothing wrong with a drunk podcast now and again. Keep up the good work lads! Been listening for a few years now and still love it!
I listened to the podcast before I watched the match and to be honest, I expected a goal keeping display of some horror…..and yet…..I can’t help but feel Brad Jones was given the rough end of the stick by the podcast.
The first goal he goes the wrong way – I have seen many a keeper do this from the penalty spot and Rooney was not far away. The ball had come from the side and with no time to settle he goes the way most people would anticipate a shot with the ball coming across a players body. Not a great piece of keeping but what about the atrocious bit of defending that allowed the play in the first place? Joe Allen gets nutmegged and Coutinho doesn’t bother tracking his marker – this is what has led to the chance.
The second goal was off-side…..poor shutting down of the cross and defenders not close to RVP has not helped with that situation.
The third….Lovren spoons the ball straight to Man Utd – how can Jones have any confidence in the recovery? Furthermore, where was the marking of RVP?
Gents, you are brilliant to listen to….and I am Aussie with no affiliation with Jones beyond that. Yet, I feel that Jones came off his line a number of times, made some good saves and was left all alone by a nonsense defence. If you think of the Mignolet criticisms that have been levelled many times, Jones appeared to address those with his desire to attack the ball. And what a decision by Rodgers – he could have had Jones in weeks ago and yet finally starts him away at Old Trafford. There is always talk about players getting match fit and developing their touch on the first game back, yet somehow this does not apply to a keeper?
We created a ton of chances and yet no one is criticising the team for poor finishing – if Sterling plays up front he should be good enough to finish. Balotelli hit his shot straight at the keeper – anywhere else and it goes in. De Gea has still conceded 17 goals this season…….
Llalana was a handful in the first half and I can not believe he was taken off instead of Allen. No one knows the style that we are trying to play and that is a fault of the manager.
Thanks for the opportunity to have a gripe.
Great stuff.
Give Ben Johnno his own podcast. And let me have a pint with him.
Wish Johnno was on it everyweek. “He’s sittin on his ass like he’s watchin Titanic on the telly or Elf or sutin” hahahhaa
There is a fine line between a kind of steadfast persistence in a strategy, and foolhardy stubbornness. I reckon one ultimately judges this on the basis of results. I have to wonder how bad do things have to get under BR before it’s clear that he’s on the wrong side of the line?
First, he knows we have problems in both attack and defense, and yet he persists with both Allen and Gerrard at the center of the team, neither of whom give anything in either of the two problem areas.
Second, BR plays (until Sunday) a goalkeeper who cannot distribute the ball to save his life, a CB who is slow, poor on the ball, and who consistently makes idiotic decisions in a team that is supposed, somehow, to play the ball out of the back. Lovren, on current form, should be nowhere near the starting lineup of any match we care to win. And now he’s back.
I understand this cluster**** that is the transfer committee (actually, I don’t understand it at all, sufficient fatuous is the entire setup), but BR picks the team, makes the substitutions, and has been found wanting in both areas more often than not this season.
I agree that the lads would have likely have been well ahead had a fit and in-form Sturridge been available. But in my opinion, BR is sticking with his lads not on the basis of performance…and if it is on their performance, then heaven help us. I think he has the players to play winning football–but this team lacks cohesion in a mighty way and that, in my mind, rests solely on the shoulders of the manager. He’s got to do better.
Fuckin ell! Some miserable cunts posting messages on here. Just because they’ve had a pint an had a laugh about the game everyone is kickin off. Go an listen to fuckin talksport ya posh twats. These are the bandwagon cunts that buy the tickets when we’re flyin’ an then slag us off to death when it gets a bit ropey. Thought the podcast was boss, love hearin Brad Jones gettin slated cos he is absolute dogshit. Ben is quality. Keep it up lads it hasn’t always got to be dead serious.