The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Arne to Slot right in?

[seafoid]

In fairness Gary Mc is always going to sing off that hymnsheet. He'll be gone as soon as Rodgers is.

He made a good point during the week. He said if you are at a club like Liverpool, and things are not going well, you have to have the sort of balls to stand up and relish that, and drive it on.

The only thing I would say to that, is the same applies to the management team, and if anything it looks like they are retreating more and more into their shells instead of grabbing it by the scruff of the neck.

They are, somehow, only 2 points behind 5th place Arsenal. It's not too late to save the season. There are no major injuries apart from Henderson. This is his team, and if he believes in them, he needs to get them playing now. A good run, and he might save himself, but I doubt it at this stage.

I foresee no better than 2 points in the next two league games, (Everton would love to get him the sack), and if that happens, he has to go immediately.

I thought this article was excellent and it'll be valid for a long time yet

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/12/manchester-united-liverpool-rivalry-titles-premier-league

"But Brendan Rodgers, or a version of something like Brendan Rodgers, still looks the right idea, the kind of manager whose plan is to recruit ambitiously (although with more guile than currently), work innovatively (just please not too innovatively) and attempt to outflank the wealthier members of that cramped elite tier. For now the Champions League has gone while a return next season looks an outside bet. In the meantime they will always have United and a rivalry that with each passing year has a sense of rather pointed nostalgia about it."

Same goes for Spurs, the Arse, Everton, Newcastle  etc . Very hard to stick it to the big boys now.

Liverpool the city is too poor for a reliably annual CL team . That is the reality of modern soccer. Chelski are West London. Manchester has more jobs and a better GDP per head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0

Most Liverpool fans adopted the team when the game was very different. And the romance..

[Bingo]

Going from the soundbites at the press conference for the Villa match, Rodgers didn't seem overly confident of a prolonged stay or how he could turn it round.

Benteke out for an unspecified period (sturridge mark 2?), Firmino may have a chipped bone in his back and Lovern out for a few weeks.

Sturridge back in the squad for Villa but can't be relying on him to start banging them in or last 90mins.

[Geoff Tipps]

Going from the soundbites at the press conference for the Villa match, Rodgers didn't seem overly confident of a prolonged stay or how he could turn it round.

Benteke out for an unspecified period (sturridge mark 2?), Firmino may have a chipped bone in his back and Lovern out for a few weeks.

Sturridge back in the squad for Villa but can't be relying on him to start banging them in or last 90mins.

Yes, seemed like he's resigned to being sacked.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

a lot better up front today - still shite at the back

Sturridge should have had a hatful today

[gawa316]

Back in a familiar place. 

[JoG2]

a lot better up front today - still shite at the back

Sturridge should have had a hatful today

Agreed.  I think Villa had maybe 3 meaningful attacks in the 2nd half producing 2 goals.  The header was a bullet

Lucas was excellent

[Minus15]

Yes Lucas was very good. After Sturridge's first, he was much more dangerous and with that the team looked more creative.

[laoislad]

Didn't see it lads,was in no mans land all day (aka Aughnacloy)with no reception even on my phone today to check scores.
How did they play? Improved in anyway? Good to have DS15 back scoring again.
Looking forward to Match of the Day,it will be first I've watched in a few weeks 

[gawa316]

Didn't see it lads,was in no mans land all day (aka Aughnacloy)with no reception even on my phone today to check scores.
How did they play? Improved in anyway? Good to have DS15 back scoring again.
Looking forward to Match of the Day,it will be first I've watched in a few weeks 

Definite improvement, looked lively throughout, pressed the ball with energy. Having DS makes such a difference, they didn't create much but still mange to score 2 so defence is still dodge!

[Milltown Row2]

Was heading out earlier today and had talk sport on the radio... Not sure who was on but by feck the abuse he gave BR was unreal! While Liverpool haven't set the world alight they are only five points off the top and starting to get all their main players back and possible of going on a run of wins... If someone went on the radio and give me the abuse BR got I'd be looking to have a one to one chat with him!!

[PW Nally]

Was heading out earlier today and had talk sport on the radio... Not sure who was on but by feck the abuse he gave BR was unreal! While Liverpool haven't set the world alight they are only five points off the top and starting to get all their main players back and possible of going on a run of wins... If someone went on the radio and give me the abuse BR got I'd be looking to have a one to one chat with him!!

You must be very tough. I'm impressed. Do you wear a wifebeater?

[StGallsGAA]

Was heading out earlier today and had talk sport on the radio... Not sure who was on but by feck the abuse he gave BR was unreal! While Liverpool haven't set the world alight they are only five points off the top and starting to get all their main players back and possible of going on a run of wins... If someone went on the radio and give me the abuse BR got I'd be looking to have a one to one chat with him!!

I'd say you are describing 9 out of 10 Liverpool fans who've bothered making a radio phone-in in the past few weeks.  All those one to ones would eat up too much of Brendan's sunbed and tooth-whitening time.

[CD]

Was heading out earlier today and had talk sport on the radio... Not sure who was on but by feck the abuse he gave BR was unreal! While Liverpool haven't set the world alight they are only five points off the top and starting to get all their main players back and possible of going on a run of wins... If someone went on the radio and give me the abuse BR got I'd be looking to have a one to one chat with him!!

As a result of Liverpool's success in The 80s there are just so many pundits who are ex-Liverpool players. I remember a few years back someone telling me there were 16 Liverpool title winners on TV and Radio on a weekly basis talking about football. (None of whom had the ability or bravery required to go into management aside from a couple of disasters) To those players, for whom Liverpool was synonymous with winning and trophies, everything that has happened in the past 2 decades (Istanbul aside) must smack of failure. The more modern ex-Liverpool players - Danny Murphy for example, give a much more balanced and fair assessment of Rodgers tenure in my opinion.

He (BR) talks a lot of rubbish at times and makes me cringe on occasion, but he has had misfortune with injuries- Sturridge, Henderson, Benteke; the Balotelli risk didn't come off (it could have!!), he dealt with some difficult issues pretty well (the demise of Gerard, Sterling saga, Suarez affair, other Saurez affair, other other Saurez affair) and a few of his buys just haven't come off. Half of Europe wanted Moreno and Markovic and neither settled, Lallana has been poor by his own admission, a lot of clubs wanted Lovren and I expected him to be a hit, signings this summer have been a big improvement - Gomez, Clyne, Milner and Benteke are starters so a better sign of things to come??

[Carmen Stateside]

I honestly believe a lot of those callers on post match phone ins are actually opposition fans phoning in taking the piss.
Sturridge looks like he will buy some time for BR to get things sorted.  His first yesterday was top class and overall it was a much better performance team wise. Villas first goal could have been defended better but the second was unstoppable, perfect cross and cracking header.  Bitters next week will be the decider for Rodgers in my opinion, a win there and things may not look so bad with other top 4 teams having tough matches.  Liverpool actually have a better points tally this season compared to same time last season and only 5 off top spot. (spotted on twitter)
15/16 = 7th, 11pts, 5 off 1st
14/15 = 9th, 10pts, 9 off 1st
13/14 = 2nd, 16pts, 0 off 1st
12/13 = 14th, 6pts, 13 off 1st
11/12 = 5th, 13pts, 6 off 1st
10/11 = 18th, 6pts, 12 off 1st

[Milltown Row2]

Was heading out earlier today and had talk sport on the radio... Not sure who was on but by feck the abuse he gave BR was unreal! While Liverpool haven't set the world alight they are only five points off the top and starting to get all their main players back and possible of going on a run of wins... If someone went on the radio and give me the abuse BR got I'd be looking to have a one to one chat with him!!

You must be very tough. I'm impressed. Do you wear a wifebeater?

No actually have a proper one to one chat and have him explain his ramblings!! Whether Liverpool fans have got tired of BR or not is irrelevant having a Journo have an easy pop at a manager without giving the man a chance to defend himself is gutter press