BRENDAN Rodgers was blamed for a lot last season. However, a new season is here with new hope, new players, new kit, new grass, new truss, new criticisms and…. the same old blame game. We’ve played two, won two, scored two, conceded not a sausage, but we’re not happy — and it’s *all* Brendan’s fault.
By now, I’m sure you will have read Andy Heaton’s cracking article on Rodgers and his ability to conduct criticism for a phenomenally wide-range of reasons, including winning. Well I’d like to build on it if I may.
Many of you reading this may already be fuming and assuming: “He’s a Rodgers sympathiser. Get him!” Well, not quite.
Those who remember my post-season articles on here will recall that I was one of you many, calling for the manager to go. Not with a simple ‘he needs to be sacked and have his whitened teeth removed by a one armed dentist with outstanding character!’ but more a ‘I wouldn’t mind him staying, but him staying means Jurgen Klopp not arriving, so sorry Brendan. Ta for everything.’
However, stay he did. I wasn’t enthralled with the news, but it was the decision taken and Rodgers was to remain as Liverpool manager for the time being.
One big thing I feared about the result of keeping Rodgers in his job at Anfield was that, well, this would happen. That he would struggle to win the fan base back, or at least a large section of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz4jiTi8kuU
I can relate. Recently, Rodgers has been doing his absolute level best to goad me into not only disliking him, but perhaps something that would lead to me putting together some sort of mob.
Let’s see, for one he’s not Jurgen Klopp (the swine!) but he’s also not signed the players I wanted (barring Roberto Firmino), he’s benched Mamadou Sakho for Dejan Lovren, dropped Lucas Leiva for a youngster who isn’t a defensive midfielder, dropped Alberto Moreno for an even younger youngster who isn’t a left back and — on top of all that — all of these wrong decisions that I know are wrong and so does he but he’s just trying to wind me up because he’s a bastard like that… are working perfectly well! Now Liverpool have six points from two games, two clean sheets, five points ahead of Chelsea and… hmm.
Yes, sorry, I was being facetious, and in all seriousness, Rodgers remains in my bad books. His performance as manager last season, for me, was unacceptable. However, for the owners (who, as of writing, have a tad more power at Liverpool FC than I) decided it was acceptable and have backed him fully to turn it all around. That is happening, and we can’t change it, so let’s just hope that he does actually turn it around instead of hoping he doesn’t so we get our way. Him failing to turn it around might lead to his dismissal, it might not, but either way in that scenario Liverpool are losing games, which would be shit.
Football fans are unreasonable, all over the place. I regularly listen the the 606 phone-in to hear what the general football public thinks about their various teams (and to listen to the delightful Kelly Cates) and it’s often just flabbergasting. We’re not alone. A handful of Manchester United fans rang in after their own back-to-back 1-0 wins to complain. It’s not good enough apparently. Sound familiar? An Evertonian rang up after the 2-2 draw with Watford on the opening day to condemn his team and state that relegation was on the cards. Yes, these people really exist it seems.
Listening to the fantastic What We Call History shows on TAW Player about the 08-09 season has brought me right back to the centre of the insane levels of Rafa Benitez hatred from an alarming number of Reds fans, including during times when his side were top of the league and beating Real Madrid. It was weird, and highlighted how erratic and incomprehensible some footy fans can be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5xi2_FIkI
This situation now with Rodgers is less weird admittedly. Benitez was largely criticised for not winning the league, while the ill-feeling about Rodgers stems mostly from an inability to even slightly worry the top four last season — though there are some odd folk out there who do blame him for not winning it in 13-14. How’s that half empty glass, lads?
It’s understandable to critique what he’s doing. If you disagree with his team selection, fine. If you think he’s misusing players, fine. If you think he’s playing the wrong tactics, also fine. I do it too (see above). It’s a good thing to look with a certain critical eye over the first two games. It comes from the mindset of not wanting to rest on one’s laurels and to ensure that this winning continues.
It’s not okay to say both wins were flukes and the manager is still a bellend.
In my end-of-season analysis of Rodgers and whether he should stay or go, I said this in my conclusion:
“If Rodgers is to stay, and as things stand it appears that he will, then he needs to be backed. He needs to be given players he can work with, and not some he has to put up with. The club must give him the best opportunity to succeed.”
This appears to have happened, and to a far greater extent than I expected. Not only has Rodgers had the chance to bring in his own players, he’s also been allowed to freeze out his unfavoured ones, bring in a new coaching team, spend a LOT of money (again) and as things stand the initial favourite in the ‘Which Premier League manager will be sacked first?’ betting market seems to be as solid in his job as anyone.
He’s staying, like it or not.
If he can put together a longer run of results that, say, has us in the top four at Christmas, and ideally, at the end of the season with some fantastic performances and results along the way, then step forward my redeemed son. I want that to happen. We should all want that to happen. We can all think it’s not likely to happen, I still think we’re bound for fifth and that won’t be enough, but I want us to do better, a lot.
Remember 13-14? Those unbelievable welcomes as the players arrived at the ground? We were all in. We were ALL all in. That, to me, is what Liverpool Football Club, and for that matter any self-respecting football club, should be about. Understandably it’ll take Rodgers winning a lot of football matches to get to that stage of fan euphoria, but until then, as the old saying goes, can’t we all just get along?
What’s that? He’s loaning out Lucas? *Rounds up mob* Burn him!
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Get rid of him
Fantastic insight, and very constructive.
Will never stop the fume. We all make knee-jerk reactions based on little knowledge of what is really going on behind the scenes.
Us as fans only find out much after the event the inns and outs of what was happening at the time behind the scenes.
Possibly sakho and his agent were pushing for a pay rise or move and this is why he was left out of the squad because sakho’s head wasn’t right. Not because rodgers doesn’t rate him!
Nobody knew til recently just how bad mario had been in training and around mellwood etc. I myself was puzzled on how he was getting frozen out at times last season but now it is obvious.
I suppose my point is that although the buck stops with rodgers sometimes some of his decisions might look strange to fans at the time but if we knew what he did we would make exactly the same decisons.
Couldn’t agree more. The trouble with modern fans is because of social media ect, they think they know everything. What they’re seeing is the tip of the iceberg – Probably about 5% of what’s really going on.
It’s a crazy world when people are calling for the manager’s head after back to back victories. I used to laugh at Chelsea fans demanding a new manager after a loss (pre-José) and Arsenal fans loosing their head with Wenger every single season. Not so funny when it’s my own club.
The only reason we kept 6 points and clean sheets is because of a luckily disallowed goal propitiated by Lovren at Anfield. Hardly a breakthrough of Rodgers’ defence, which three years in, still seems an afterthought.
Benteke’s goal was also off-side but that’s more debatable.
I’ll take the wins, of course I’m glad when we win, and I’m glad when Rodgers wins, as the joys of our happiness are inextricably linked. But there’s a big difference between loyalty to the club, and uncritical, willful blindness.
The mistakes are at this point unconcealable, unacceptable, and in cases like of our hard-earned 6-1 at Stoke, unforgivable.
It was the wrong decision to keep Rodgers on that day, and we only have FSG to blame for that.
The only reason utd have 6 points is a sloppy lucky OG and a lucky deflection.
These things happen over the course of a season.
Rodgers is an idiot because he keeps buying midfield players – two a day, seemingly, for the last fortnight – even though everybody knows most of them will not accept playing once every three games and he just will not address the weakness in the centre of the back four and just in front of them with us not having a defensive midfielder anything other than crap. Why can he not accept that Sakho, Toure and Lovren are ALL useless and replace them instead of giving them increased contracts and rotating them after yet more failures from the incumbent one? Sakho is a heart attack waiting to happen every time the ball goes near him, Lovren is no better and Toure has the turning circle of an industrial sized skip . . . and a full one at that!
Sorry, I’ve no confidence in Rodgers as he goes overboard on fixing some problems, with most of our money, and fails to address equally big problems in the centre of the back four! If he can’t see the weaknesses there he is blind, or stupid!
Rumours now of us signing that Mkhilitarian (No, I can’t spell it!) as well as Cheryshev and Illaramendi who would be the only midfielder I’d go for now. Bloody Hell, how can we fit them and Ibe, Coutinho, Firmino, Can, Markovic, Lucas, Allen, Milner, Henderson and several others into just four starting places without most of them demanding to move as they didn’t sign on to keep a bench warm?
If they became available Rodgers would sign Ramires and Oscar of Chelsea, half of Arsenal’s midfield and a couple from City and United. He IS that daft in that he cannot resist buying midfield players . . .
He should be getting central defenders or at least giving Illori and/or Gomez a go in that position and we must get Illaramendi to fill the vital defensive midfield role. It is said he’s contractually guaranteed Milner a starting place in the vast majority of games and he’s not going to leave Henderson out even though he isn’t that good so how do the others fit into his plans? No, maybe he still needs another couple of midfielders such as Ericksen of Spurs? Then nobody would need to play more than ten games per year!
We don’t need ten class midfielders and one decent central defender! Yet again, his balance is all wrong!
AFC Wimbledon bombarded our defence last year and made us look inept and Bournemouth put undue pressure on our weak-looking central defence, at home, last week so what on Earth will the big four do to us this year???????
Nothing like a severe case of hyperbole.
You exaggerate surely? Anyway, I agree with Phil.
Champions League or he’s busted. There are no more fall guys left to sack
Nice try but this article feels half-hearted and will probably only attract responses from the Rodgers Out crowd. It doesn’t matter though because Brendan wisely pays them no mind. He knows nothing can change that group of disaffected people who it appears are angry about something other than the actual football and perpetually use anything they can find or think about the manager to make him their scapegoat.
“The third group are the critics and you never change them ever. Ever. If you win 4-0 it should have been five, if you win the league you should have won three. But I will never worry about that group, because you can never affect them.”
The best response to blind biased criticism is ignoring it, attaching no importance to it, letting the bitter critics slowly stew in their own rancid juice.
So stop responding then!
How many more articles is TAW going to post on the exact same subject?
You seem to be trying to convince what you believe are fans who hate BR regardless or any argument, of getting behind him, and you’re probably achieving the exact opposite.
And can’t some of us find flaws with the team’s performance, and demand more, without calling for the manager’s head? I just want Brendan to set his team up to play the way his teams have played in his first two seasons at the club (or three in the PL, including Swansea). I like attacking football, and I wouldn’t mind a high scoring defeat once in a while, if it would mean we’re capable of beating the bottom 10 of the league without relying on Lovren to have an adequate game in defense and Coutinho to score a goal of the season contender.
Admittedly I’ve just made a similar point on Mike’s article but you’re right to criticise Rodgers. Anyone who thinks he’s beyond criticism is part of the same problem as the maniacs. I understand why they do it though. I do it too. It’s because one doesn’t feel they can criticise him because of how vitriolic the nay sayers have become. Like in this article, you’ve made some valid points but each is countered with some kind of apology or embarrassed explanation that although you don’t like xy or z you do like ab and c. Perfectly understandable in this climate. We’re all doing it in some form. We’re losing the ability to just say what we think and discuss it on it’s merits. We have to pin our colours to the mast and if we want to deviate then we have to apologise or try and justify why we’re not towing the party line.
What i think is happening is we’re near the bottom of the abyss. I love it when this happens. Always have. I hate mediocrity and just plodding along. I prefer a gamble. I was secretly glad after the Stoke result. I’ve seen the criticisms of this view but the season was over and I’d rather 6-1 to a 1-0 defeat. With 1-0 the season peters out and we know it wasn’t good enough but it’s one of them. With 6-1 we reached the bottom of the abyss. We have to have a clear out. Wipe the slate clean. Start again. I like the new signings and the backroom staff.
It’s like the Labour Party. I know one of the presenters (hosts) on TAW liked Miliband but the Labour offering at the last election is not something I’ll throw my weight behind. Why would I? It doesn’t speak for me. Again, like Stoke, once the result is in and beyond my control I can see the positives in humiliation. In reaching the abyss. Have a clear out. Wipe the slate clean. Start again. I like Corbyn. He speaks for me (unelectable or not). He’s the backlash to absolute mediocrity and just plodding along.
As Liverpool fans we’ve reached the abyss. It’s a ridiculous position we’ve found ourselves in where wins are slaughtered by our own fans. Where an article about any aspect of Lfc becomes a battle ground between people who hate every aspect of the club at present (whether they know it or not) and people who feel the need to defend the club from these weirdo’s. No further debate can emerge and it appears every article I read touches on it.
I feel we’ve reached the tipping point. It’s got so out of control that people are noticing it and questioning it. These creatures will be banished to the sidelines soon. People will start to ignore them. We’ll all go back to discussing Rodgers strengths and weaknesses in context and when the lunatics jump in people will dismiss them and carry on. It has to happen and will. I call it the pressure cooker effect. Living in communities I’ve seen it a thousand times. It builds and builds until it explodes big time and a period of serenity follows for a while before the effect starts again. Rodgers is going nowhere this season. FSG have backed him now. Not for 20 weeks to see what he can do. Another decision will be made in May depending on how the season went. That’s how FSG operate. They won’t even entertain looking for new players mid season anymore let alone managers. Let’s get behind him and Lfc. Let’s ignore the bullshit and be true to ourselves. Let’s talk about what we want without shame but most of all let’s not let the morons bring us all down. They don’t like Rodgers, we get it. What more is there to say to them? Nothing. Just ignore them.
Well said, Robin. “Let’s ignore the bullshit and be true to ourselves.” That’s the essence of where we find ourselves as Liverpool fans right now. The aggressive BSers are driving away people who have more reasonable things to say — people who are willing to let their emotions simmer down a bit before expressing an opinion.
I have always enjoyed TAW because most of its content is reasoned, reasonable. I feel like it tries to maintain a certain standard in what it presents under its banner, that it tries to be a rational force for good within the fan base. I follow Paul Machin’s The RedmenTV for the same reason — Paul always manages to find a laugh and good humour even when the chips are way down.
I hope the BSers, the seething naysayers won’t be allowed to take over and dominate the Comments thread on every TAW article. The recent Echo LFC supporters poll showed that 68% of respondents think Brendan is the right man to lead Liverpool FC forward. In politics a percentage like that would border on a mandate. By any account it is a strong majority. I hope it won’t be a silent majority, goaded into silence by the comparatively tiny rabidly fuming minority of disaffected outliers. If only there was a way to offload them before the transfer window closes. And I’m NOT talking about people who are able to speak critically in a reasonable way. A healthy fan base needs the first 2 groups of supporters — (1) Those who support no matter what, and (2) Those who are willing to support but require proof before they do. But we could manage quite well without the third — the addicted pessimists and defeatists who will never be satisfied. As you said, “Let’s not let the morons bring us down.”
Stoke had one shot on target at home against Liverpool .
Bournemouth had 2 shots on target at Anfield.
That’s 3 shots on target conceded by Liverpool in 180 minutes, or one every hour.
No goals conceded
In the same period –
City have conceded 5 shots on target and 0 goals
Manu 6 shots on target and 0 goals
Arse 8 shots on target and 3 goals
Chelski 18 shots on target and 5 goals
Wow, is that an amazing stat or what? I’ve always said that Swansea can’t hold a candle to the likes of Bournemouth. And going away to the Etihad, I mean, forget about it, try and survive a trip to the Britannia and we can talk. Good luck catching up to us Mourinho, with your piss poor defenders, conceding shots on target every 10 minutes.
Thanks Velimir.I think I counted at least one piece of sarcasm every sentence-a pretty impressive stat too.Well done.
I accept that some of these teams have had harder games on paper than us but would contend that returning to the scene of a 6-1 drubbing 11 weeks earlier isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Stoke also beat Arsenal, Spurs , Swansea ,Everton and Southampton and drew with Manu at The Brittania last season.
Few would have predicted Arsenal losing 2-0 at home to West Ham and a quick look at the odds shows Chelsea were 3/8 favourites to beat Swansea at home.
The point I was attempting to make was that for all the stick that manager and defence have had this season Liverpool have only conceded one shot on target every hour and no goals which is pretty impressive whomever the opposition.
Fair enough.
I’m just a little tired of the glorification of a, to an extent very lucky, 1-0 win over Stoke, with the main argument for it being that we’ve lost 6-1 to them before. I think we all agree (and I’ve heard this point be made on TAW) that that result is something that should never have happened to a club with the size and quality of LFC. Another point that has consistently been banged on about, considering we’re always suppose to be going for the title (and looking for top 4 is a defeatist’s attitude – all points made on TAW shows), is that Liverpool, and any other of the big, top 6 (or whatever it is) clubs, need to able to swat away the bottom 14, both home and away (again, all in that going-to-win-the-league equation). So forgive me for being a bit disheartened by, although it’s an excellent points tally, the poor level of our attacking play demonstrated in games against sides that could very conceivably end up smack in the middle of the bottom ten. Now, yes Stoke may end up punching above their weight if others with similar capabilities (i.e. Palace, West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle) would falter enough, but it doesn’t change the fact that a PL champion should be getting wins against them, both home and away, and without a doubt against the likes of Bournemouth, and may I add in a more convincing fashion. Also, on the topic of Palace, I’ve heard Arsenal fans make the same points to justify their scrape against them, by saying how teams will drop points at Selhurst (and I mention it cause they’re another team who are always winning the league right up until they finish 4th).
But what annoys me the most in this, is the tirade of articles coming from TAW aimed at anyone who dares to find a flaw in our season so far, just because we haven’t yet been found out by an average PL side (and I’m not saying this will happen, I don’t want it to happen, but last season is hardly ancient history, so it’s understandable to want to see, oh I don’t know, a 3:0 win over a newly promoted side, before joining in with “and now you’re gonna believe us…”). Also, the fans I describe are no different to the ones playing hangman with the manager position because said manager had his teeth whitened and now whenever he mouths the word ‘outstanding’ it reminds them of how much of a fraud he is. At least, that’s been the word coming from the staff of The Anfield Wrap (and their champions in the comments section) this past week.
Just remember a goal in the 80th minute by a midfielder…not convincing
Next game a goal by a player who is offside and the F.A says the player was offside …oh against a newly premoted club
I will tell u straight up Liverpool is not gonna a champions League winner or a premiership winner… Rogers need to go one striker up front does not win u championship
One thing has changed; Radio City with Aldo and Hothers has gone. This leaves only the awful unlistenable BBC radio for those who can’t afford a ticket or pay to view.
Liverpool isn’t a rich city, and the club, and Football is do far away from most ordinary lives, its a fading memory.
Long live the Burger Franchise on Walton Breck.
As I write newly promoted cannon fodder Bournemouth have scored four goals away at West Ham and Man u with Rooney , Mata and Depay up front have had to settle for a nil-nil at home to the usually hapless Newxastle. Early season is the time for shock results , players bedding in and sharpening of rusty attacking instincts.Liverpool have two hard fought 1-0 wins under their belts and a raft of young and exciting players who I am sure will blossom in coming weeks. Criticising them at this stage for lack of fluency is incredibly premature.
My piece above was in no way meant to glorify a lucky win against Stoke or indeed a tirade against people who find a flaw in the season so far. I admit to being fearful before the Stoke game and would have settled for a nil-nil especially with the presence of Lovren in the side. One of Brendan’s biggest problems during his tenure at Liverpool has been his inability to get the balance between attack and defence right..I have been impressed by the tightness of our defence so far. Early days but Clyne and Gomez look good signings The attack will improve.
The polarisation of the fans on this and other websites is indeed dismaying .I’ve even seen grotesque instances of so-called fans actively willing Liverpool to lose to speed the manager’s exit. I think people are forced to go on the defensive for Rodgers because of the mass of negative feeling against him. Almost everything he does is cast in a bad light by some.
I am a fan of Liverpool FC and believe the best thing for the club is to get behind team and manager. Brendan might not be the right man for Liverpool and another season like last will probably and rightly see the owners dispense with his services. But I am a bit of a sucker for an underdog and would love to see him succeed against all the pressure stacked against him and setbacks he has endured.
Yes he has had a lot of money and made some bad buys. He has played players out of position and showed muddled thinking at times. His first season in the Champs League was woeful. A lot of the criticisms against him are valid .
But just over a year ago he was named LMA manager of the year after his team gave us some of the most thrilling football we have ever seen and almost won the league He then lost his best player to Barca , his main goal scorer to injury, was saddled with an Italian loafer he clearly didn’t want and had to preside over the death throes of Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool career as he went on for a season too long and became a black hole in the middle of the pitch.
The bottom line is that the owners have given him another chance whether we like it or not. They will decide his fate as they did with Kenny and Hodge. No amount of “Bodgers out” put-downs and stupid aeroplane banners will change that. They just make us look like twats .
Alex Ferguson was 51 years old and had been at Man U for 7 years when he won his first title there and he didn’t have the limitless wealth of City and Chelsea to fight against. The holy Bill Shankly was fifty with 15 years management experience when he dragged Liverpool to the top of the pile in 1964. Brendan Rodgers is 42 and started his managerial career less than six years ago in November 2008. The efforts of 13/14 convince me that he deserves another season
I think tomorrow”s results and how LFC performs might be the yard stick of future games. BR should select the right players against Arsenal – not Lallana
That’s the stuff! If only Cech would be kind enough to rediscover his early season form.