THIS week Rob Gutmann is joined by Gareth Roberts, John Gibbons and Ian Salmon to consider the all new steely and silent Brendan Rodgers.
UNWRAPPED: BUT MY EYES STILL SEE
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THIS week Rob Gutmann is joined by Gareth Roberts, John Gibbons and Ian Salmon to consider the all new steely and silent Brendan Rodgers.
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Lot of sense being talked here. Really enjoying the Unwrapped shows
Barry Glendinning n. def. Smug self-satisfied no mark Blert. Face of a baby when shitting its nappy.
Glib is the word i’d use to describe Barry Glendenning. He loves having a go but seldom contributes anything positive.
And our big rivals, Unt. Have the same start. Except they have scored via two own goals (IMO) both courtesy of the inside of a post and having had only three shots on target.
I’ve always tried hard not to be sensitive to BR’s public comments and the David Brent comparisons but I admit that I was astonished when he was asked who had inspired him in football and he said he had always been his own inspiration. Yikes.
Really enjoyed the show this week and agree with the general thrust. He has a year, let’s get behind him. He’s clearly been watching videos of Kenny’s interviews; he’s got the face, the posture and the body language off pat.
I would query one point you rather glossed over though: man management. From the outside it looks as though he’s fallen out with Agger, Reina, Gerrard (I’m basing this on your shows), Lucas, Sakho, Borini, Balotelli, Enrique and Sterling. That’s quite the roll call and you can’t tell me they’re all bad pros. Let’s just hope he doesn’t piss Coutinho off this season.
To be honest I wouldn’t be too fussed of the perceived falling outs. It’s about context for me.
Agger supposedly couldn’t cut it in the Premier League any more, he admitted it himself. I believe he begged for a move to Brondby.
Reina was passed his sell by date and was on too much wages. Even touted himself to Barcelona. Had to go.
Gerrard was/is just getting on a bit and the manager was trying juggle his playing time and he wouldn’t have been happy about it.
Lucas/Sakho are currently not in the first XI.
Borini, Balotelli and Enrique are surplus to requirements and know a good thing when they see. Ie, it’s downwards from Liverpool.
And Sterling (with Ward) would say absolutely anything to force a move.
Point is, any grievances was due playing time, being forced out or wanting out themselves. Nothing personal and it’s been going on for years at every club.
I wish I could believe you. But Agger was playing well and Reina improved as soon as Carra came back into the team. Players will always be dropped, it’s part and parcel of the game. They don’t all fall out with the manager, nor are they all frozen out. It’s not such a big deal, and I’m not one of the Rodgers out brigade, but it is a pattern and something he needs to learn from.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s not always down to just ability.
Reina did tout himself to Barcelona. He would have jumped ship at the drop of a hat. So the club had to look after themselves and sign a keeper. FSG would never allow a player on wages like Reina to stay and sit on the bench. So our hands was tied.
Also, Rodgers made Agger his vice captain for the 13/14 season, so he clearly thought something of him. The following season we sold the 29 year old Danish international captain to Brondby for an under valued £3m, on a reportedly massive pay cut.
This is what Agger had to say in August 2014.
“More recently I have started to feel the effects of playing regularly in a league that is physically demanding as the premier league is, and I would not want to stay if I did not think I was able to meet that challenge week in week out”
The following September he did say he felt tired, but not “retirement” tired. That’s why, even though LFC was reluctant to let him go he left as he wasn’t upto the the Premier League. But, he also felt under appreciated by Rogers in the title run in.
Now by my reckoning, as Agger himself didn’t feel up to it anymore, the manager may have seen this and picked Skrtel/Sahko ahead of him (He still played 20 Premier League games mind). So there’s no man management issues here in my eyes. A self diagnosed below par player just wasn’t selected.
Point is, we have no idea what the reasons are when a manager doesn’t pick a player. There are so many behind the scenes things going on that we’re not privvy too, and rightly so.
Obviously some players will seriously be frozen out, and they’re the obvious ones.
But generally, his so called favourites are the current first team XI and the frozen out players are just not in that XI. Simple really.
I don’t think it’s as simple as: “Lovren is rubbish, pick Sahko now!!!” whilst shaking their fist at the moon.
Agreed.
Spot on Ian,
F*c getting pally with the press,
Straight bat the questions (loved Kenny & Rafa for this),
Better manager for doing this John, if he drops in a Dougie doins I’m off to the bookies!!