AMID the prevailing, inexhaustible rage surrounding Liverpool’s patchy start to the season, I’ve seen the current crop of players described as the “worst Liverpool team in 50 years”. We’re all aware of how Twitter condenses the fume, but the same disparaging comments can be heard in the ground and in the pub afterwards.
Steven Gerrard’s farewell and the exit of Raheem Sterling undoubtedly leave the squad short of “star” players. Philippe Coutinho apart, not many of the class of 2015-16 are obvious candidates for the back of children’s Liverpool shirts.
The hangover from last season — the Villa semi-final debacle, the limp surrender in pursuit of a Champions League place; in particular the famed defeats to Crystal Palace and Stoke — and the more recent capitulation at the hands of West Ham and last week’s loss at Old Trafford, give plenty of credence to the claim that is a distinctly average Liverpool team.
In last night’s draw at Bordeaux, Adam Lallana’s fine goal was a beacon of light in a performance that seldom promised to rise above the mediocre.
But is it as bad as all that? Are we allowing the growing furore surrounding the manager, a receding faith in the owners’ desire to compete and the mounting apathy towards the club as a whole to colour our opinion of the quality of the playing staff? Is this Liverpool team (and squad) as bad as it is being portrayed?
Well, we’ve been here before and we don’t need to go back half a century.
Not many can claim to have watched Liverpool teams for 50 years but that won’t stop followers of the club (the word “supporters” is fast becoming a misnomer) using a succession of bad results to label those wearing the red shirts as “the worst I’ve ever seen”.
To me, it’s seems all a bit emotional. And amid the emotion, memories are short if not erased altogether.
We needn’t go into detail but Roy Hodgson’s team were four points clear of the relegation zone when he was finally removed from office 20 games into the 2010-11 season.
Though Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard featured in his final game at Blackburn, the side also listed Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Paul Konchesky, Joe Cole and David Ngog. Kenny Dalglish managed that team to an eventual sixth-placed finish, but the results, the style of football and some of the duds we watched in the pre-Christmas period must represent at least a benchmark when discussing the poorest Liverpool teams.
Further back, I remember Match of the Day’s Alan Hansen saying after a 2-0 defeat at Southampton in January that it was the worst Liverpool team he had seen in all his time in football. Four months later eight of the St Mary’s line-up were crowned European Champions.
Rafa Benitez was still coming to terms with the English League, but the dearth of real quality at his disposal that day was underlined by starting berths for Mauricio Pellegrino, Stephen Warnock and the appearance of David Raven off the bench.
Statistics backed up the claims of those describing Gerard Houllier’s team as the worst Reds’ side in half a century when a run of 11 League games without a win either side of New Year during 2003 saw Liverpool plummet from the Premier League summit in November to seventh place by the end of January.
This was a Reds team that regularly featured the costly trio of transfer flops Salif Diao, Bruno Cheyrou and El Hadji Diouf. With performances as turgid as the results were catastrophic, despite the presence of Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen all at their peak, Houllier survived calls for his head and delivered his final trophy — the League Cup a couple of months later.
Under Graeme Souness, it is hard to pinpoint a specific period, or indeed a particular line-up that fully embodies the abyss of his tenure between 1991 and 1994. For the most part, his remarkable mismanagement is illustrated by the celebrated names on his team sheet — the old guard of Ian Rush, John Barnes, Bruce Grobbelaar and Steve Nicol; the expensive signings Dean Saunders, Nigel Clough and Mark Wright (the latter a World Cup semi-finalist) and the young talents Rob Jones, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman — being incapable of getting results.
And, if you want hammerings to rival Brendan Rodgers’ recent dog-days, then try these for size:
March 1992: Arsenal 4-0 Liverpool
December 1992 : Coventry 5-1 Liverpool
March 1993: Blackburn 4-1 Liverpool
If we have to settle on a worst Liverpool team in the Premier League era, let’s plump for Souness’s wasters, drunkards and fatties who sat in 15th place, just three points clear of the relegation zone in March 1993 after 30 matches in the league. Somehow, that shower recovered to finish sixth with a colossal 59 points from 42 games; enough to save Souness his job and offer him another season.
With reference to the past, the only conclusion one can draw is that big names and star players don’t necessarily go hand in hand with successful teams. It is, after all, a team game.
If the current Reds harvest looks light on legend, then perhaps the reason is that almost an entire team of recruits has spent just one season or less at Anfield. The result is that it doesn’t feel like a Liverpool team. All fans identify more readily with the stellar names synonymous with Anfield and and we rightly lament the passing through of Gerrard, Suarez, Torres, Alonso et al.
However, this is a young Liverpool team and who is to say that even in six months’ time, we aren’y talking in glowing terms about Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino. Christian Benteke, as soon as he gets a regular strike partner, could quickly become a new hero. We’re all forgetting Daniel Sturridge too, who has scored 40 goals in 67 appearances for the Reds.
If — and I know it’s a big if — Sturridge can stay fit, he and Benteke could make a mockery of claims this Liverpool side is anywhere near as bad as some we’ve seen in the Premier League era.
Liverpool fans are a paradox. Firmino, underwhelming so far but with just three starts to his name, is already being written off in some quarters. Then there is Joe Gomez, impeccable at first, but suddenly not quite as impressive on account of one rash challenge at Old Trafford.
Finally, if anything sums up the readiness to jump to unfounded conclusion and assess a player purely on merit and a decent sample of evidence, consider the case of Jordon Ibe.
The ridiculous notion that with 12 Premier League games behind him (with no assists and no goals) that he was somehow “better than” the outcast, Raheem Sterling. A judgement that now looks unfair, unfounded and unhelpful as equal numbers begin to write him off — at the age of 19.
Summing up, I’ve seen several Liverpool teams far worse than this lot. And I’ll stick my neck out and say that if Brendan Rodgers can see past a few of his blind spots, and get this XI on the pitch soon, they may prove the eager doubters wrong.
Mignolet, Clyne, Gomez, Sakho, Moreno, Milner, Henderson, Coutinho, Firmino, Sturridge, Benteke.
Over to you, Bren. Over to you, lads.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda-Photo
Whether or not it’s the worst team in 50 years is debatable, but that we are having the debate into Rodgers’ 4th year is the worry. What makes this team a concern is that it is lowering expectations to such a level that a dire game against a weak French side is seen by some as a good away performance. In the current context it’s only good because we didn’t lose. Under Souness et al we had some poor games, poor players and poor management, but we expected so much more, under Rodgers we have now reached almost apathy where a defeat to the Mancs is simply another defeat.
I used to play football with Brian Borrows on Springfield Park, L19 only we called him ‘Bugsy’. Always first to be picked, he literally ran rings ’round us.
It’s to be noted that the article, with its fact and figures, also functions as a handy illustration of why Liverpool have yet to win the Premiership.
The longer people go on about the return Sturridge the more of an ominous feeling I get. Talk about the weight of expectation….
I’m trying to imagine the conciliatory remarks regarding Rodgers departure – Always nicely turned out? Nice set of teeth? Could have been a contender?
I firmly believe that this squad of players are good enough to get top 4 this season with the massive caviat IF THEYRE USED PROPERLY.
Chelsea are somehow stuttering with all the talent at their disposal and Utd are grinding out results despite being pretty shit. We, on the other hand, are too busy playing strikers at left wingback etc etc. Square pegs and round holes.
There is plenty of talent in this squad but it isn’t being used properly.
What’s wrong with playing the best players available in their best positions in a formation that gets the most out of them????
For example…at Anfield against newly promoted Norwich what is wrong with playing the diamond consisting off Migs, Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno, Lucas, Milner, Coutinho, Firmino, Ings, Benteke???
Everyone playing in their preferred positions in a formation that suits them. I’d even accept Gomez at left full.
Firmino and Coutinho are not wide attackers in a 4-3-3. Ings is not a left wingback. In fact we don’t have the players available to us to effectively play 4-3-3 so why persist with it.
I was very frustrated at the end of the 2014 summer when we had came nowhere near to replacing Suarez because I knew we had an opportunity to stem Utds revival while cementing ourselves in the top 4. I still believe now if we’d had a decent striker (Bony?) we’d have finished top 4. That frustration continued throughout last season but subsided during the summer past because I believed we bought well. That’s frustration is coming back in a big way because we now refuse to utilise these players to get the best out of them. We have another good opportunity to get back into the top 4 due to others failings but only if we use the players at our disposal to full affect. I’m getting frustrated just typing this. Why make our players jobs harder by playing them outta position, or at least so many of them out of position?? Especially the new players! Give them the best possible opportunity to succeed by playing them in the position they feel most comfortable. If they succeed chances are we win, and if they win we all win.
This is far from the worst team we’ve had at Liverpool, the talent is there, they just need to be given the best opportunity to show it.
Agreed.
I think this “youth development “currently in our club reflects a profound failure in Rodgers and the Liverpool Academy system.
If LFC had a proper academy system the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or any other Bundesliga club…we wouldn’t need to buy some 17 year old kid and then ship him off on loan.
LFC and FSG need to read “Bundesliga Blueprint ” on Amazon.com
Any failings of the academy would likely be down to FSG more than Rodgers. They changed the set up when it seemed to be going well.
I’d say there’s shared failings there. If a young player doesn’t hit the ground running when he gets a chance in our first team usually he’s binned off. Markovic the perfect example. Where’s the coaching, the development, the stability?!
I remember us all saying Sterling wouldn’t make it, not long after he got his chance. Ibe will be around the team for the foreseeable. It’s a fine balance between blooding them in and them not being good enough to start during that time. The problem with Markovic was he showed nothing. I was disappointed for him to go on loan and still don’t fully understand it but for a 21 year old he should be showing something by now. In the top 5 not many academy players come through. We’ve probably seen more than all of them under Rodgers.
Agreed Michael and I thought Thursday evening would have been a perfect opportunity for Marko to get game with his club and get more used to the expectancy playing for Liverpool brings,
Harsh from Robin to say he showed nothing,
I thought he was excellent away to Sunderland in tough conditions and at home to Spurs + he has a ninja like ability to blind people with the smallest flick of his nail (one of the worst sending off I’ve seen),
We cannot keep on spending millions just to then loan them out,
Kids coming through the ranks = fine.
Disagree with you that he showed nothing. He had more than a few good performances and was mostly played outta position. There’s no guarantee that Ibe will be here next season. I’d like to think he would be but recent evidence points to him being loaned out if he doesn’t improve. We market ourselves as this club where young players can come and get a chance and we will develop them. I don’t see it that way. Sure they may get a chance but if they don’t impress straight away they will be sold or loaned. As I said previously, why are we not coaching, educating, developing these 18/19/20/21 yr olds at OUR club?
I like your article. It is well written and made me feel positive about the club. The team you have suggested sounds, on paper, to be good. We have had several teams over the years that may have not lived up to expectations but generally the fans have stuck by them because they have seen the effort and recognized that they have some character and ability. I don’t want to go on about how long I have been watching Liverpool but I can say that I don’t think we have bad players at the moment. What has happened is that we have all been numbed into apathy. At 5 0 down at Stoke last season the owners should have phoned Brendan thanked him for his efforts and told him to leave. He is like one of those blokes in work who keeps getting promoted because he does what the people above him tell him but everyone else knows that he’s a cock. We need someone who is more worried about winning than spreading his football philosophy. Go and spread your bs at Norwich or Blackpool Brendan, better stil go to America , they will love the shite you talk there.
It’s often forgotten how poor we were in the league under Kenny for the second half of his final season in charge before Rodgers took over – a side that included Suarez.
It’s often forgotten Kenny signed Suarez and actually won a cup.
Not forgotten here – but we were abysmal in the league. Last three managers have all had long spells >15 games with about 1 point per game which is relegation form.
I think Social Media is the death of patience but I think given that Rodgers is now the 2nd longest serving manager in the league then the fans have shown enough patience with him.
What’s the average turnaround for a manager these days, 18 months, 2 years. There’s an interesting debate with Mourinho of whether or not he can do it in a 3rd year. Maybe his magic has been to come in, turn it around and do one before it all goes tits up again, maybe there’s an argument for that.
I’m not sure if Utd are priming Giggs for a long term role but maybe they are going to have to get used to a new guy coming in every few years, adapting to different styles of play.
But on the whole I think 4-5 years allows for a decent strategy to be put in place for building a team…. unless it’s catastrophic after year 1.
For me with Rodgers in his 4th year I still don’t see where we’re going, overall I get the impression there’s no long term plan, more making it up on the hoof. I don’t see how after 4 years you can be signing 14 players in the last 2 summer windows as some part of your long term strategy. The core of the team should of been built and you’re just tinkering around the edges to bring in a few players to supplement and improve the squad. This is major surgery all round back to square one and that’s not working for me. This isn’t the cumulation of 3 – 4 years work this is reinventing a side almost every year.
Despite being backed by the board with new staff and players I honestly think he’s walking a knife edge because he knows it’s the fans who he can’t do anything about can get him the sack sooner than later if we see anything like the malaise from the end of last season.
The last 6 – 8 games form guide from last year had us on par with Newcastle and Utd who literally crawled over the line into 4th. It was like watching a slow painful on screen death.
I think the actual level of the player at the club can be measured by Henderson. I think he’s done an incredible to get to where he is considering he was out the door not 2 seasons ago. But where would Henderson sit in the table of players who shook the Kop, where would he sit in CM’s who shook the Kop. Yes he’s a great lad, done brilliant to get to where he is, great attitude, great work rate but is he a great player, for me no, he’s a solid decent player. Don’t get me wrong you need those players but you also need the sparkling of dust, he’s no Alonso or Mascherano.
I think that’s the level of the squad as a whole, we’ve got some decent solid pros with a bit of dust with Phil and Sturridge, the new lads being unproven. Which leaves me going back to the manager and could someone new get more out of the squad than he can. At the end of the day with no Gerrard or Suarez at the club, no big stars you’re relying on the name to draw big name players in I don’t think anyones coming because Rodgers is the manager I don’t think he has that draw. I think players would come for Klopp and I think they’d come for Simeone.
For me he’s already in self preservation mode. Considering he’s spent some £300M, in his 4th year and we’re having to field an Under 21 side in the 2 tier of European Football, happy with a point to a mid table french side. Shows me exactly where we are as a club and the level of the overall squad.
It worries me too the lack of stability in the playing staff. Next summer I can see the need for at least another fullback, probably 2 centrebacks, a defensive midfielder and possibly a new keeper. How can that be so after 3 seasons and lots of money spent?? Surely as you say we should just be adding 3/4 players each summer.
The turnover rate of players is simply non sustainable. We market ourselves as this club where we nurture young players and give them a chance. We may give them a chance but if they don’t hit the ground running we bin them off. Think Markovic. Everyone behind the scenes at the club was very happy we bagged him. He comes to a new country, new league, new team mates, new language and we play him mostly outta position. He still puts in some good performances, inexplicably subbed at/near halftime most matches and then we send him out on loan after 1 season. Not to another English team where he might get used to the league etc but to Turkey. Another new league, new country, new team mates, new language, new culture. How is that meant to help this young man become a better player in the Prem for Liverpool FC??? We’ve actually been playing 4-5-1/4-1-4-1 formation which would have actually suited/helped him too. Simply bizarre! If a young player doesn’t do it straight away in his first season for us we bin him off. Why don’t we stick with them, coach them to be better players, get them used to the league/team mates etc.
I think your assessment of Henderson is spot on, sums up pretty much how I feel about him.
I’m the opposite. Was just watching my sons game when I got a text saying he was out for 2 months. I physically felt sick. The one player in the squad I would have preferred it not to have happened to. I was anticipating a good month. I think we may be flat now. I think he’s that important to us.
Spot on in every point, mate.
Rodgers is not , nor ever will be,the manager to inspire class players to sign for us.
I’ve heard Neil mention this Sturridge being the fastest Liverpool player to 50 goals too. There may well be something I’m missing here, friendlies perhaps but for Liverpool in league and cup he has 40 goals from 66. He may well beat the record. To take it outright from Torres he’d need 10 goals in his next 17 matches.
Good spot, mate. Have changed that.
It doesnt matter whether they are good or bad players the problem lies with rodgers and the big problem for him is simple. The fans dont want him and it has got to the stage where even if he turns things around he will still be unwanted. He has wasted 3.5 seasons and 300+ million on over 25 average players and the core of the team hendo lucas skrtel who arent his buys are playing week in week out when fit so he really only needed to add to the team he inherited with quality but did a “spurs ” and threw money away. Suarez MAY have stayed IF he had got reus or benzema or sanchez to add to the squad but he bought young players with no experience and fell on his ass with it. He has no one to blame but himself for not buying top players which may have cost less or even the same over 3 years and would have been able to push for the title instead we arent even pushing for top 4. For me he has had his chance at a top club and blown it and many fans think the same. He has to go and let someone who knows how to get the best out of what we have try and rsscue this debacle. LFC are not a club you learn to be a manager it is a club you showcase your skills and win things. I had high hopes for him but he just cant cut it. Go now for the sake of OUR club and not your toy.
YNWA
A shoddy condescending piece in my book. I used to like the TAW pieces and some are occasionally decent but this whole, “oh I’ve seen worse Liverpool teams” so we should be happy with our lot is nonsense. If it was still that clown Hodgson serving up this tripe for 18 months I very much doubt the same articles would be written. TAW has turned into a bunch of wannabe hipsters, trying to sound important but hey its not the worst piece I’ve seen in 50 years, over to you TAW.
What does this even mean? A bunch of wannabe hipsters? Who is? Which contributor? Do you know any of us? No mate, we’re people who go the match and write and talk about it. That’s it. Nothing else. Over to us? We’ll keep on doing this, mate. If you disagree, sound. If you like it, great.
As usual TAW comes up with a refreshingly knowledgeable balanced assessment among so much inaccurate rubbish published elsewhere. No true LFC fan is happy with how we’ve been performing over the past year or so but I would say that if this poisonous atmosphere had existed when I started going to Anfield in 1967 I would have gone elsewhere (God knows what these “supporters” would have made of Shankly winning nothing for 7 years). It’s good to know that some true supporters still remain. Thanks and keep it up.
Remember that Gareth bale fella was the laughing stock of football! Whenever he started for Spurs the would lose. Where is he now eh ? Oh year! Amazing what a little patience and development can do.
I am not happy about being right on this but I said to a mate emre will be a world beater or biscan. An he is looking more in the mould of biscan at the moment. Good in straight lines
Look Rob if you’re going to hound Rogers then at least be fair to the fella when you’re quoting history. He’s been here 3 seasons and 5 games which is 14 games short of the ‘3.5 years’ you’re quoting. It’s highly debatable if not unlikely his 1st season can be called an abject failure if we consider the teams performance improvement post January 13 to May 14 when we already know the great stats for the said period. Therefore contrary to the selective fiction people like you choose to use as truth, the REAL truth gives Rogers an A- for his efforts in his 1st 2 seasons. The – is for the 3-3 at Crystal Palace when he should have shut up shop and pulled down the shutters at half time.
Maybe the way he’s been setting up shop now is a result of post trauma from that game, who knows the reality? 3 points at Palace and we were champions. Fact.
As for last season + 5 games this term and the loss of our 3 Star players is why there’s a dire need to find replacements as the last time I checked they don’t grow on trees. You lot and admittedly I don’t know how many 000 I’m addressing here when I would have no bother telling all to go get fucked and leave our Club to those who support it in the Wind & The Rain. As they say, put up or shut up! If the situation is no better by New Year then there’s a need for a conversation. YNWA Stay Strong & Keep The Faith
Pulled down the shutters at half-time versus Palace?
We were 1-0 up at half-time, no matter how good a side you are sitting on a 1-0 lead is asking for trouble. Especially as were (still are) a side who don’t defend great.
We would be champions if we’d have got 3 points then? No we wouldn’t because after losing to Chelsea the pendulum swung City’s way. If we’d have won it would’ve meant City would have to win their last game to make sure of the league, as it happened they only had to avoid defeat.
I’d give Rodgers a C so far. One ok first season, a great season afterwards, a disaster after that. So pretty much average, hence the C. Definitely room for improvement, if he wants to make it happen.
Think you make some good points about how Rodger’s time at the club is viewed by so many, JC. In that first season we got a taste of what was to follow with some of the most eye-catching football the team had played in a long while.
One of the commenters above made a point about Henderson being a good gauge of the standards currently at the club. I think that’s a fair enough point myself. However, I think Mike’s article addresses the huge over-simplification that is made in concluding that the current run of poor results and performances means we have bad/average players. We have lots of young players. In terms of individuals i think we actually have plenty of sparkle. Coutinho, Benteke, Sturridge, Lallana, Firmino, Ibe all have their inconsistencies, injury troubles and/or rough edges, but in terms technique and flair, there’s plenty to work with.
Personally, I really like the look of Ings as well. If he was our main-man in attack there’d be questions, but as a third-choice forward, that’s strength-in-depth. In defence we have Sakho, Clyne and Gomez. All three have a lot of class. Emre Can and Moreno are two more who swing from eye-catching to head-scratching, but there’s no doubt, in my opinion, that they have the talent.
So of course it all comes back to Brendan and I really would like to see him have the season to work with these players to try to mould them into a fluid, expressive attacking outfit. There are lots of questions and frustrations for all of us, but his record at the club suggests he isn’t completely clueless. Far from it. He knows how to get teams playing the good stuff, and he knows how to win games as every season he’s been here we’ve had extended unbeaten (mostly winning) runs. It’s been mentioned plenty on TAW about his fear creeping into his tactics, and not going with his instincts. Some don’t believe there are any such attacking instincts and it’s all been a blag. Maybe they are right, but I don’t think so. You only have to see Stevie Gerrard’s words about his own frame-of-mind after the 13/14 disappointment to sense how much it knocked the momentum for six.
It’s not what we want to hear as supporters, but I think there is justification to call this season a fresh start, with new players. Of course he’s made mistakes and got himself a little lost, but that happens to all managers from time-to-time. I still think Rodger’s can do fantastic things with Liverpool personally, but if he doesn’t recover from this malaise and save his job, we still have an exciting crop of players to build on.
@ jcinsecretharb. The 3.5 seasons was just a generalisation but didnt realise i had to be exact in my post. The 13/14 season was fantastic but in no way was it down to rodgers apart from picking the team. The only reason we finshed where we did was down to sasas but it could easily have been much worse. Scoring 100+ goals is wow, but conceding 50+ is terrible for a team aspiring to win a title and as for the almost at palace that is all it was. The facts are we didnt win a title and rodgers didnt do anything most other managers couldnt have done with those players. Again he has spent a fortune and go e nowhere with us and he should go. I didnt want him as manager when he was appointed and dont want him now. He has done nothing in football and nver will because he is too full of his own bs he doesnt know fact from fiction. I had my doubts when i heard about his 180 page dossier and nothing has happened since them to change my mind. Hes a wing it and bope guy and it is being proven with each season.
YNWA
I would take issue with your “no way was it down to rodgers apart from picking the team.” claim, as going to a diamond to fit in Sturridge and Suarez and playing Sterling in the hole was quite the revelation as no one was playing a diamond at the time, and it definitely got the best out of the team, which is all the manager can do. The “it was all down to Suarez” is such an ungenerous rewriting of the history of that season. Sure it required Suarez to play the way we did, but it wasn’t a given that you put him on the pitch and brilliant football would happen. Look at our league form under Dalglish for example.
Even last season, without a proper striker, switching to 3 at the back and playing Sterling as a striker was a bold move, and one which after a slow start dragged us back from the brink to being one game result away (at United) from making the top 4.
What’s frustrating is fans who believe that because this is BR’s 4th season that everything should now be roses. Team’s are constantly in flux! The club has involuntarily lost Carragher, Gerrard, Sterling and Suarez, and the better version of Reina.
Many in our fan base believe that we are entitled to compete for the PL and CL titles every year and that any Manager who fails to do that should go. Financially though 4 teams in the PL and 8 in Europe consistently outspend us and its not reasonable to expect anyone to consistently defeat the odds.
You have to ask how well Rafa would have done if the new Man City had been around then! I suspect a lot more Europa League nights would have been on the cards.
I think the main issue for a lot of fans is they want to be seeing progress. It doesn’t matter how small. If the fans feel we’re going forward it’s always ok. If we hit a period where it suddenly dawns on us we’re starting to go backwards then all hell breaks loose. Year 1 we give them. Year 2 we expect to see improvement and year 3 we have to be among the top 4 or its viewed he’s not taking us forward. It’s a shame because not being able to break into the top 4 is as much down to the vision of the owners as much as the manager. That said, this is year 4 now and fans are questioning where exactly we are going. The 4-4-2 diamond certainly worked. We had a spell where 3 at the back worked but this season we seem to be trying something different again and it’s already been exposed massively. A lot of people want to know what we’ve achieved as a style of play over the last 3 years. What’s our best formation? If Sturridge stays fit then I believe Rodgers will get it right in the same way everyone of us would. The telling point and the worry for me is, when the formation hasn’t been dictated for him by obvious selection choices he seems to fall short.
Forget about defeating the odds, five years out of the last six Spurs have finished above us.
Wow – just wow.
Appreciate the reality check but I guess it was such a good title the real reality check was drawing out and exposing what on earth is going through some peoples heads.
I started cutting and pasting a few choice bits as a sanity check, and realised they were all coming from Rob. Sorry Rob, in a way just needed confirming I wasn’t just making it up/exaggerating. Herewith your walk of shame:
“The 13/14 season was fantastic but in no way was it down to rodgers” Oh dear.
“He has no one to blame but himself for not buying top players which may have cost less” Agreed, but just not in this reality.
“I didnt want him as manager when he was appointed and dont want him now. He has done nothing in football and never will”
Still has a chance but, Rob, go for it ! – ‘fans’ (or ‘followers’) can make an impact and your dreams can come true.
“I had high hopes for him but he just cant cut it”. (LMAO!!)
“The fans dont want him and it has got to the stage where even if he turns things around he will still be unwanted.”
Well, as a sane fan that you’re certainly not speaking for I understand your concerns that he might ‘turn things around’ (perhaps ‘rebuild the 1st 11 again FFS’ is the right phrase). Its just that for me leading Liverpool to success wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.