Practically 1/4 of the way through the season....

[peterhague]

We're fucked because going back to 2008 3 managers have wasted about £150m on useless players. Rafa I make allowances for because of his other excellent contributions to the squad; the real lasting damage was done by Dalglish and Comolli.

No club with normal means could stand that sort of waste without seeing a major effect. I think FSG are useless but I don't think they've got too much to do with where the squad is right now.

 

[RedStar]

There was only a perceived fuck up because Rodgers told the media

Thats why we are aware of it, it would have been a fuck up regardless of our knowing it. I think hes entitled to be a bit pissed off, if he wasnt people would be slagging him off as a yes man who was brought here to do a hatchet job and keep his mouth shut. Cant please everybody I guess

 

[gkmacca]

He was promised two more players so why shouldnt he moan about it.
Tbh I think he has handled the whole transfer fuck up in a very calm and respectful manner.

Meek manner is more like it. If people are going to compare him with Shanks, that's a more relevant comparison - Shanks wouldn't be acting as a supine apologist for two American owners who don't know what they're doing. As for giving him more time, great - keep staring at the clock while the club slides down into oblivion.

 

[Red Astaire]

I think this season is one of massive transistion. I suppose we say that every season though. The owners are becoming a worry. We have been stitched in the transfer window which has pretty much fucked up the 1st half of the season. We have also been unlucky with injuries etc. The positives though is how good the kids are looking. Allen looks a class act and a great signing. I would say it all comes down to January and who if anyone we will sign.

 

[Rosco]

Thats why we are aware of it, it would have been a fuck up regardless of our knowing it. I think hes entitled to be a bit pissed off, if he wasnt people would be slagging him off as a yes man who was brought here to do a hatchet job and keep his mouth shut. Cant please everybody I guess

If that's the alternative then people are stupid.

The reality is there was a plan agreed, Dempsey never fitted it so we didn't sign him. The only fuck up was Rodgers pursuing the deal.

 

[gkmacca]

I'd take Benitez back in a shot, and I never thought I'd say that. Maybe even Dave Kirby.

 

[hmmmmm1]

If that's the alternative then people are stupid.

The reality is there was a plan agreed, Dempsey never fitted it so we didn't sign him. The only fuck up was Rodgers pursuing the deal.

So why did the club even bother entering in negotiations with Fulham if Dempsey was never part of the **plan**?

 

[RedStar]

Meek manner is more like it. If people are going to compare him with Shanks, that's a more relevant comparison - Shanks wouldn't be acting as a supine apologist for two American owners who don't know what they're doing. As for giving him more time, great - keep staring at the clock while the club slides down into oblivion.

This club has been in slow decline for 2 decades now, death by a thousand cuts, the decline has accelerated rapidly in the last 5 years to the point where drastic risky action needed to be taken. Rodgers is not a proven manager, not even close, hes a massive gamble but what was the alternative? Keep going down the same path, let Kenny throw away another $100m for no return, what then?

I dont buy the Shanks=Rodgers line, its too convenient, but the truth is when we discuss top transfer targets people will inevitably say 'we cant afford him' 'why would he join us' 'he wants champions league football', theyre right, but the same is true of managers. Restoring this club will take years, we needed a manager prepared to work on a tight budget without much chance of glory in the short term, and not earn anything like the top guys in the industry. That narrows the field dramatically, Rodgers is what we got, in the situation I think hes about as good as it gets.

I guess replacing Kenny will always tarnish him in some peoples minds but thats sentiment talking, the sort of thing thats hung like an albatross around the neck of this club for too long, dragging it inexorably towards 'oblivion' as you put it

 

[mark1975]

So Hodgson did his job then?

He lowered expectations so much you're happy with midtable mediocrity?

You're being a bit ridiculous here Ross, and yours and Ryan's 'told yer so' shite is wearing thin.

No one is 'happy' where we are. Personally I was realistic at the beginning of the season and said this is going to have to be a transition, bedding in young players and giving them the experience to push on, with a few additions. We were never going to make it in all competitions because we don't have the squad to, and the 'team' isn't good enough for the top four. That's the reality. No one is 'accepting' anything, people have just adopted a different perspective and a bigger level of patience given the shit we've been through for a few seasons pre-Rodgers.

I don't know what you're trying to gain from this. You adopt your own take on it and you and Ryan sit there like you're the only posters on here who knew we were on the wain. As Ryan said in his post, "no striker will solve this shit" - well actually, a striker would go a long way to curing some of our issues on the pitch. Whatevers going on off it is a seperate issue and it's not reflecting in the performances. The quality of what we've got is being proven in the performances. We're going to have to be patient, it's not defeatist, it's not accepting mediocrity, it's reviewing everything and having the head to be able to acknowledge that it's gonna be a long road to recovery.

We all knew that. Difference is though, we're not sat here with a smug grin scoring points over it.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

We're fucked because going back to 2008 3 managers have wasted about £150m on useless players. Rafa I make allowances for because of his other excellent contributions to the squad; the real lasting damage was done by Dalglish and Comolli.

No club with normal means could stand that sort of waste without seeing a major effect. I think FSG are useless but I don't think they've got too much to do with where the squad is right now.

Nice to know you make allowance for the damage of replacing Alonso - a world class midfielder - with Aquliani ... Or for buying, not playing and then selling Keane leaving us with only one good striker (as Kuyt was playing RW so well) - that sounds familiar! The shit started then, and was made even worse by our last two managers. They're all to blame for poor purchasing (though Roy had the least $ to fuck up with I think ... can't really remember his dark days).

 

[gkmacca]

David Cameron will start taking the blame before this garrulous pipsqueak does.

 

[mark1975]

There was only a perceived fuck up because Rodgers told the media

Ha... whatever. Have you forgotten that those clowns in the US reported that he had a squad number with us?

As for Rodgers pursuing the deal and going against the hierarchy's policy, well that helps dispel the myth that he's being an apologist for them (as Macca alluded to), as does him standing up to Ian Ayre's misjudged point about a DoF, as does him having a swipe at them in the media for a communication issue on the last day over Sturridge/Dempsey.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Sheesh Macca - let it go. Everyone now knows you hate the manager with a passion that rivals the hatred some people showed Daglish last year. Let's hope we don't all tell you you're right in the coming years, eh?

 

[gkmacca]

I am right, but I demand many years before I have to prove I'm right. Okay? Okay? Okay?

 

[mark1975]

I am right, but I demand many years before I have to prove I'm right. Okay? Okay? Okay?

Ha... seriously though Macca, your stance over Rodgers is what you and I (and others) got the goat over last season with Kenny. He does need time. If it goes seriously wrong then it needs reviewing, but it was always going to be difficult. The signs of promise are there, yes he's got to push on and start getting results, but we knew we fucked up on the 31st August, our hands are tied for now.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I am right, but I demand many years before I have to prove I'm right. Okay? Okay? Okay?

OY - only I can use the Glock persona, not you. If you do it again, I'm talking to my lawyers, OK? OK.

 

[peterhague]

Nice to know you make allowance for the damage of replacing Alonso - a world class midfielder - with Aquliani ... Or for buying, not playing and then selling Keane leaving us with only one good striker (as Kuyt was playing RW so well) - that sounds familiar! The shit started then, and was made even worse by our last two managers. They're all to blame for poor purchasing (though Roy had the least $ to fuck up with I think ... can't really remember his dark days).

As I said, I make allowances because his general contribution was overwhelmingly positive. And Alonso wanted a return to Spain so there wasn't much he could have done about that - I don't defend the decision to buy Aquilani, obviously.

Since he left we sold Mascherano and Torres for £70m, which should've been more than enough to re-fit the squad, along with the £40m or so net spend. Instead it's gone on such calamaties as

Konchesky
Poulsen
Cole
Carra's £100k+ a week
Carroll
Downing
Adam
Henderson

 

[gkmacca]

Ha... seriously though Macca, your stance over Rodgers is what you and I (and others) got the goat over last season with Kenny. He does need time. If it goes seriously wrong then it needs reviewing, but it was always going to be difficult. The signs of promise are there, yes he's got to push on and start getting results, but we knew we fucked up on the 31st August, our hands are tied for now.

I think if people look at my posts over the past few months they'll see I've tried very hard to see positive things about Rodgers, and I've said plenty of positive things about him. Now I'm far too tired to try any more. If I ever hear his stupid, platitude spewing voice again it'll be too soon. I hope he cuddles himself into oblivion and a proper manager rather than a glorified youth coach and cone carrier comes in to clear up the mess.

 

[Fabio]

Who would you like then macca?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

As I said, I make allowances because his general contribution was overwhelmingly positive. And Alonso wanted a return to Spain so there wasn't much he could have done about that - I don't defend the decision to buy Aquilani, obviously.

Since he left we sold Mascherano and Torres for £70m, which should've been more than enough to re-fit the squad, along with the £40m or so net spend. Instead it's gone on such calamaties as

Konchesky
Poulsen
Cole
Carra's £100k+ a week
Carroll
Downing
Adam
Henderson

It's very debatable if Alonso would have left had he not dealt with the various dramas (Inter + being shopped while we were lining up Barry). It was a colossal error on the part of Rafa and the club.

The 1st 3 were terrible - but we didn't lose much overall, bar Cole's contract. Roy didn't have a chance to fuck us too hard thankfully.

Carra contract was really poor business -

Read the last four names is tragic, though spending 6 million on Adam wasn't a 'bad' investment. Just didn't work out.

 

[gkmacca]

Steve Clarke's doing a better job at West Brom, without any of the stupid stunts, silly claptrap or whining about his squad. He's just quietly getting the team playing well (without claiming some god-like authority about the style), getting far more players into the box, scoring goals, and there's not an envelope in sight. Just a modest man who knows what he's doing and is more interested in the team than in the cultivation of some specious cult of charisma.

 

[gkmacca]

Who would you like then macca?

Clarke, Rafa, Redknapp, anyone. Someone who'll serve the team and not expect it to be the other way round.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Steve Clarke's doing a better job at West Brom, without any of the stupid stunts, silly claptrap or whining about his squad. He's just quietly getting the team playing well (without claiming some god-like authority about the style), getting far more players into the box, scoring goals, and there's not an envelope in sight. Just a modest man who knows what he's doing and is more interested in the team than in the cultivation of some specious cult of charisma.

The expectations of Liverpool & West Brom are a wee bit different ... That's why Roy did well there too, and when he go to Liverpool (or England), he was distinctly average.

 

[peterhague]

The expectations of Liverpool & West Brom are a wee bit different ... That's why Roy did well there too, and when he go to Liverpool (or England), he was distinctly average.

I reckon the expectations at West Brom are probably higher than they are at Swansea, though...

 

[Fallon]

I think people are transferring their personal feelings about the manager onto every little issue at the club. I can't help but feel there wouldn't be 1/4 of the hyperbole flying around, if Being Liverpool hadn't just been on the telly.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I reckon the expectations at West Brom are probably higher than they are at Swansea, though...

Good point - we're fucked!!! **jumps off the ship** Come Peter, join me? 🙂

 

[gene hughes]

We're letting in loads of goals. Loads and loads of goals.

 

[gkmacca]

The expectations of Liverpool & West Brom are a wee bit different ... That's why Roy did well there too, and when he go to Liverpool (or England), he was distinctly average.

The expectations of Liverpool and Swansea are a wee bit different, too.

 

[Fabio]

I'm at least willing to let rodgers get some more players before I condemn him.

Kenny spent 100m and we went backwards.

 

[gkmacca]

This forum will soon sound like the Coalition Government talking incessantly about what Gordon Brown did or didn't do. Someone like Redknapp would at least get the team playing good football without claiming he'd reinvented the wheel and he'd make shrewd enough signings to get the club back near the top four without insisting it will take years of mediocrity before doing so. Rodgers is there to serve the club. The club isn't there to serve him during his indefinite apprenticeship. All of this endless waffle about how the club can't possibly start challenging again for things until a long period in the wilderness is just crap.