Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 - Mod Warning in OP, 10/12

Augmerson

dogbert27 wrote: »

Why not?

Balotelli shouldn't need Gerrard's charity. He has enough talent to be scoring. And he will, hopefully soon.

LuckyLloyd

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Just on wages issue, this is the wages spend in 2012/13

City - £233m
United - £183m
Chelsea - £179m
Arsenal - £154m
Liverpool £133m


Those differences are crazy. The difference between us an chelsea is roughly 6 extra Di Marias. People go on about us spending £100m+ in transfer this summer while City spend that amount extra on wages every year compared to us. Asking us to compete with these 5 other teams is a huge ask.

BenEadir wrote: »

Spot on PLUS the reality is if we're offering the same wages to a player as any of the others on that list the player (Willian, Sanchez etc etc) will 9 times out of 10 prefer the other clubs for two reasons 1. They have huge financial clout and are likely to be able to buy success (City, United and Chelsea) and 2. They are in London which is quite simply where modern footballers (and their wives/girlfriends) want to be. With that reality we would actually need to be paying 15% to 20% MORE than the others in wages in order to attract the very best players and we simply don't have that financial clout and under FSG we never will unless FFP is actually implemented and we can organically grow the commercial side of the club which in fairness to them they are doing pretty well i.e. increased sponsorship deals, bigger stadium on the way etc.

So that's it then? There you are now - wage bill says we can't achieve top four so shut up and accept our return to irrelevance within a season? Okay.

It's the same as people constantly noting to a poor transfer record that 'it's our policy'.

If your policies and structures won't deliver success then they aren't acceptable.

tok9

No, we are just stating what we are competing against.

Have you forgotten where we finished last season? 2nd place. Surely that would be deemed as a success.

Right now we're playing poorly but we're still in every competition and still have a good chance in progressing well in all of them.

LuckyLloyd

tok9 wrote: »

No, we are just stating what we are competing against.

Have you forgotten where we finished last season? 2nd place. Surely that would be deemed as a success.

Right now we're playing poorly but we're still in every competition and still have a good chance in progressing well in all of them.

Last season was a great success. As such, while I can accept the lack of a title challenge to follow on from it I do expect us to finish top four.

tok9

I do too. We absolutely have to be challenging for top 4. And surprisingly we're still in a great position to get top 4.

I just think it's a little early to get the knifes out when we are still in a good position overall.

dogbert27

Augmerson wrote: »

Balotelli shouldn't need Gerrard's charity. He has enough talent to be scoring. And he will, hopefully soon.

Gerrard gave Sturridge the penalty against Everton last season to get his hat-trick.

I suppose my point was that if he hit the ground running on day one would we be seeing a different Balotelli now?

Bandana boy

The fact we are still in the hunt for top 4 is a mixture of our competitors failings and some lucky results for us.
Performances this season have been terrbile.
The team is set up incorrectly to win games ,when we have won it has been pretty much against the run of play.

I cannot fathom why the Mario on his own up front experiment continues ,it has been a resounding flop.
One of Brod strengths last season was being able to change things when they were not working. Why he is refusing to change this year I am struggling to understand.

We were muck against Swansea until we went two up front Boroni and Mario and then we looked good ,the team looked dynamic again. How do we not then start with that line up against Newcastle ? How do we not change that up at half time when we looked bereft of ideas in the first half.

Talk of Sacking Rodgers is a bit premature but he needs to react to how his team is playing. Results have gone our way around us ,we are not taking advantage of this. It is not a big stretch to see us with a season essentially over by Xmas again.

rob316

Talk of sacking Rodgers isn't premature its ridiculous IMO. The same man who gave us our best league season in over 20 years. Yes Suarez was a big factor last season but if he takes the flak for poor results he should take the plaudits for last season.

It is short sighted to say he has been "found out" or "tactically inept", his tactics destroyed the likes of Everton, Spurs and Arsenal last year on more than one occasion. What he is struggling with IMO is having a big squad, trying to keep everyone happy with sufficient playing time. Last year was so much easier, the team picked itself and played week in week out.

He is without his 2 strikers from last season, wether it his fault or boards for been in this situation is irrelevant, this is what he has and its not sufficient right now. Sturridge is a huge player for us, if we can get him fit and firing the difference he will make to this team will be night and day.

I don't think, I know he will turn this around.

Gbear

I think it's fair to say that the backlash against the "Rodgers out" people has run it's course.

There really hasn't been many of them and I think they've been jumped up and down on sufficiently.:P

benny79

I can't believe he is continuing with the lone striker especially since its clearly not working & how well Mario any Boroni looked during the week!

As I said before one of the main reasons of playing CL football is it also attracts the top players and we should of signed at least 2 world class players! We mighten be in it next year at this rate! correct me if Im wrong but I think Rogers even pointed this out last year yet when we get Cl football theres still no big signings!! and the fact are defence is not been addressed or worked on is a major concern for me and my confidence in Rogers especially since it cost us the title last year and its worse now ffs...

And this **** they will only go to London clubs is bull, never stops united signing them even without CL football as this year proved. yes wages is a factor but were Liverpool FC is one of the biggest clubs in the world so that shouldn't be that big a factor!
At the end of the day buck stops with the Manager! but I agree its way to early to call for his head, but its not looking good for the future.

Francie Barrett

rob316 wrote: »

Check out @RodgersOutClub's Tweet: https://twitter.com/RodgersOutClub/status/529007565863411712

Disgusting. To slam the players as rubbish is unacceptable.

Bet that's a rival fan just sh!t stirring.

rob316

benny79 wrote: »

I can't believe he is continuing with the lone striker especially since its clearly not working & how well Mario any Boroni looked during the week!

As I said before one of the main reasons of playing CL football is it also attracts the top players and we should of signed at least 2 world class players! We mighten be in it next year at this rate! correct me if Im wrong but I think Rogers even pointed this out last year yet when we get Cl football theres still no big signings!! and the fact are defence is not been addressed or worked on is a major concern for me and my confidence in Rogers especially since it cost us the title last year and its worse now ffs...

And this **** they will only go to London clubs is bull, never stops united signing them even without CL football as this year proved. yes wages is a factor but were Liverpool FC is one of the biggest clubs in the world so that shouldn't be that big a factor!
At the end of the day buck stops with the Manager! but I agree its way to early to call for his head, but its not looking good for the future.

People just don't get it, Man United have just came through 20 years of winning trophy after trophy, what they are in is a blip, we have been in decline for a long time and have returned to the champions league after 5 years out. To show our ambition we also sold one of the best players who has ever played for this club not that we had an option but you have to look at it from a players point of view. We are not as attractive as some fans think. One of the biggest clubs in the world yes, but that counts for nothing today.

Man United spent something like £150m net in the last window, we just don't have that sort of money. Their gate receipts alone are twice what we bring in.

Francie Barrett

I see Dortmund have lost 4 games in a row and sit 2nd from bottom in the Bundesliga. Just like it's premature to talk about sacking Klopp, the same is true of Rodgers.

Shanotheslayer

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I see Dortmund have lost 4 games in a row and sit 2nd from bottom in the Bundesliga. Just like it's premature to talk about sacking Klopp, the same is true of Rodgers.

They've lost 5 in a row. Lost 7 all season from 10 games.

Difference between them is Klopp is a good manager :pac:

Seamu$

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I see Dortmund have lost 4 games in a row and sit 2nd from bottom in the Bundesliga. Just like it's premature to talk about sacking Klopp, the same is true of Rodgers.

Interesting. I wonder if any of their players would be...er...interested in getting away from there in January?!!

Hangballlouie

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I see Dortmund have lost 4 games in a row and sit 2nd from bottom in the Bundesliga. Just like it's premature to talk about sacking Klopp, the same is true of Rodgers.

They really aren't comparable tbh. 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd in the last four league seasons. Also 6 cup finals and 3 wins put him on a different level to Rodgers.

Bandana boy

rob316 wrote: »

Sturridge is a huge player for us, if we can get him fit and firing the difference he will make to this team will be night and day.

I don't think, I know he will turn this around.

having Sturridge back will help the results a little as in the close games he may be the difference. But the reality is we are not creating loads of chances but missing the firepower to convert ,Sturridge playing in this team set up this way and playing with this energy will struggle to score.

the kelt

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

They've lost 5 in a row. Lost 7 all season from 10 games.

Difference between them is Klopp is a good manager :pac:

No the difference is Klopp was given time to build.

6th in his first season, 5th the next before he made a breakthrough the following season.

We are 10 games into a season where we are 3 points of 4th, in the quarter finals of the carling cup, in with a good chance of progression in the champions league and some want the manager replaced.

With patience and support like that it doesnt matter what manager we get in because as soon as things get tough fans wont rally around to support they will call for his head and the whole cycle starts again

Bandana boy

the kelt wrote: »

We are 10 games into a season where we are 3 points of 4th, in the quarter finals of the carling cup, in with a good chance of progression in the champions league and some want the manager replaced.

With patience and support like that it doesnt matter what manager we get in because as soon as things get tough fans wont rally around to support they will call for his head and the whole cycle starts again

or
We are playing as bad as we have seen a Liverpool team play since the Days of Roy H. it has been ongoing 3 months and the Manager seems unable or unwilling to address it.

The fact we are still in contention for all comps is more to do with the teams around us than anything LFC has delivered.

Things are not rosy ,far from it and I like many others want to address this now not wait 6 weeks and have our season essentially over.

I want Brendan to address this ,not sack him.

brevity

For me, and I'd imagine quite a few others, is why does he persist playing Balotelli up on his own?
Is it because he wants to pack the midfield in an effort to protect the defense?
Is he trying to make a point to this transfer committee that Balotelli shouldn't have been bought because he doesn't fit our style of play?

The whole squad stinks of fear and indecision to me.

Agent Coulson

brevity wrote: »

For me, and I'd imagine quite a few others, is why does he persist playing Balotelli up on his own?
Is it because he wants to pack the midfield in an effort to protect the defense?
Is he trying to make a point to this transfer committee that Balotelli shouldn't have been bought because he doesn't fit our style of play?

The whole squad stinks of fear and indecision to me.

If that is it he should be sacked straight away!!

LuckyLloyd

Why don't we press effectively anymore
Why don't we create more chances
Why don't we defend better generally
Why don't we defend better specifically at set pieces
Why do we look deflated and lacking in urgency at times?


No one is saying Rodgers should be sacked yet. But all of the above needs to be addressed by him very, very soon.

K-9

Bandana boy wrote: »

or
We are playing as bad as we have seen a Liverpool team play since the Days of Roy H. it has been ongoing 3 months and the Manager seems unable or unwilling to address it.

The fact we are still in contention for all comps is more to do with the teams around us than anything LFC has delivered.

Things are not rosy ,far from it and I like many others want to address this now not wait 6 weeks and have our season essentially over.

I want Brendan to address this ,not sack him.

All the more reason to have patience.

FFS the league is mad so far this season. United fans must be going mad, spent £150 Million and worse start than Moyes, with no CL or LC to worry about!

Rodgers needs to be given time. The same ones that gave him no time when he came to the club are sharpening the knives now, which is plainly ridiculous. Obvious agenda is obvious.

This is first poor spell after his first few months. He's proven the doubters wrong so far, a little bit of Rafa type faith wouldn't go amiss here.

the kelt

Bandana boy wrote: »

or
We are playing as bad as we have seen a Liverpool team play since the Days of Roy H. it has been ongoing 3 months and the Manager seems unable or unwilling to address it.

The fact we are still in contention for all comps is more to do with the teams around us than anything LFC has delivered.

Things are not rosy ,far from it and I like many others want to address this now not wait 6 weeks and have our season essentially over.

I want Brendan to address this ,not sack him.

And do you think he doesnt want to address them? No one said all was rosy.

For example ive read about how he should play Borini and Balo up front and that will solve everything despite the fact we have tried that and it was a disaster. People said look at how well Borini played there against Swansea when in fact he played the entire game on the right wing.

The manager is trying, its not working at the moment. We have had a perfect storm of injuries, new players not settling and the form of existing first team players dropping off a cliff.

Football is a results game, you get what you deserve in football, the fact we are 3 points of 4th and in contention in all comps is because we have won and dawn the required games to be there despite playing pretty crap.

There is no one panacea, no one easy fix, its a long slog for team, manager and fans and no amount of jumping up and down demanding this and that now straight away is going to change that fact.

Turtyturd

brevity wrote: »

For me, and I'd imagine quite a few others, is why does he persist playing Balotelli up on his own?
Is it because he wants to pack the midfield in an effort to protect the defense?
Is he trying to make a point to this transfer committee that Balotelli shouldn't have been bought because he doesn't fit our style of play?

The whole squad stinks of fear and indecision to me.

That's my take on it, and it's not just with Balotelli.

He obviously feels confident enough in his position that he can play these games, but I think it will cost him.

super_furry

Tomorrow is going to be a massacre. Can easily see a 5-0 scoreline if we play the way we've been playing the last couple of months.

The Mig

Sturridge travelled with the squad to Madrid

the kelt

super_furry wrote: »

Tomorrow is going to be a massacre. Can easily see a 5-0 scoreline if we play the way we've been playing the last couple of months.

Or a destiny defining victory in the Bernabeau followed by a crushing victory at home against Chelsea inspired by a combination of Balotelli and the returning Sturridge transforming the team and season!

Hey, we can hope anyway!

Daemonic

I think you've strayed from hope into delusion

I'm not expecting anything Wednesday which is quite deflating. Not many games where you expect a comprehensive defeat. At least with the home game there was they slightest bit of hope until 20 mins or so!

Luckily for us, 2nd spot is wide open atm

Agent Coulson

rarnes1 wrote: »

I'm not expecting anything Wednesday which is quite deflating. Not many games where you expect a comprehensive defeat. At least with the home game there was they slightest bit of hope until 20 mins or so!

Luckily for us, 2nd spot is wide open atm

Just as well the match is on Tuesday then

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Just as well the match is on Tuesday then

Ha, cheers. Was sure it was Wednesday. Extra days rest for Chelsea I guess!

brevity

My attempt at answering...

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Why don't we press effectively anymore
We've stopped defending from the front (Suarez is gone and it's not Balotelli's game) and as a result we sit deeper up front and in midfield. Henderson doesn't appear to get forward as much more (perhaps because of our defensive woes) and his urgency is also missed.

Why don't we create more chances
A combination of Sterling playing in a position where he is not as effective and we only play with one up front now and that player is being marked out of the game. Not pressing the opposition defenders and forcing mistakes.

Why don't we defend better generally
New defenders in and our goalkeeper doesn't tell people to get out of the ****ing box. Lack of communication! Because we don't defend from the front.

Why don't we defend better specifically at set pieces
No one is communicating with each other. Not enough examination of the opposition, spotting the trends etc.

Why do we look deflated and lacking in urgency at times?
Fear of making mistakes and lack of confidence. See also first point.

No one is saying Rodgers should be sacked yet. But all of the above needs to be addressed by him very, very soon.

Turtyturd

The Mig wrote: »

Sturridge travelled with the squad to Madrid

Will probably be struck down with DVT.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Turtyturd wrote: »

Will probably be struck down with DVT.

Failing that a peanut allergy that he did not know he had flares up after ballotelli lobs a packet of kp at him across the plane and he goes in anaphylactic shock!

Kirby

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote: »

Failing that a peanut allergy that he did not know he had flares up after ballotelli lobs a packet of kp at him across the plane and he goes in anaphylactic shock!

That could never happen.











Balotelli would miss.

brevity

Turtyturd wrote: »

Will probably be struck down with DVT.

Turtyturd

brevity wrote: »

A very underrated film.

SlickRic

i need to vent.

and to be honest, the need to vent comes more from a place of complete and utter confusion than it does outright anger.

i know Sturridge is important. when he comes back, i think it's safe to say we will improve; it's just a question of whether it will be enough to get top 4.

i know Suarez was absolutely vital last year. his appetite (pun intended) rubbed off on everyone. there is no doubt that his presence elevated the performances of other players. there is no doubt that his leading from the frontline in terms of energy and pressing, set off the rest of the team to do the exact same thing.

but what I just can't understand is quite how far the level of performance has dropped. i cannot fathom how a team, whose title challenge last season was based on flying out of the traps early, all about intensity, winning the ball back high up the pitch and punishing teams mercilessly, is now a passive, lethargic imitation of what we saw. they're not all dumb. they know what they did last season. they know it worked. why the fúck are they playing like they are then? it hurts my head to try and make sense of it.

Balotelli is an easy scapegoat. Sturridge isn't exactly a workaholic all the time, so for anyone to get on Mario's back, claiming he's the reason for our woes is just guilty of lazy analysis. he is working hard. the problem he's having is that he just can't get scoring. the lack of intensity in the team is not all down to him.

also, Brendan Rodgers is not stupid, surely. he can see the lack of intensity for himself. yes, there's not so much quality in the final third at the moment, but it's not the only reason for our woes, as he kind of suggested at the weekend. his own decisions are just baffling.

surely he has fúcking two eyes and can see Balotelli doesn't work well on his own, and when he has a partner, we look far more potent. a 9 year old could see it. so why does he keep doing shít that doesn't work? surely he has two fúcking eyes to see that the defence has no idea what it is doing. maybe try something different? get a new coach? tweak the way we're defending? do something. doing the same shít repeatedly and expecting different results is the hallmark of a low IQ, and he doesn't have that. surely he has two fúcking eyes to see that Lallana has played well pretty much every time he has played. we improve markedly when he's in the team. why is he not starting? is it stupidity? it can't be. so the answer to all of this has to be something else.

is the guy stubborn? there seems to be a case for this, but then, he changed our way of play for last season when his Swansea style wasn't working. so he can adapt. in fact, it's one of the reasons I was so impressed with him. so why the fúck does he keep doing the same thing with regards to the team at the moment? why is is peristing with shít that doesn't work. it's infuriatingly confusing.

does he want to prove that the team doesn't need Suarez and Sturridge for his system to work? again, why was he flexible last season and not this?

does he refuse to address our defensive woes because he just assumes we're going to start scoring again like last season, in which case he's putting all his eggs in the Danny basket? that just seems incredibly stupid if that's the case.

or, does he ACTUALLY think we're playing well? again, if he genuinely does, that's just moronic.

it's all so highly confusing. he needs to adapt again. he needs to realise the team isn't pressing like they should be. he needs to realise the defence can't defend right now. he needs to realise that he bought Lallana for a fúcking reason. he needs to realise thatBalotelli is not a lone striker.

Brendan, you need to fúcking shake yourself out of whatever the fúck you're trapped in right now.

i've a sore head now.

Kirby

SlickRic wrote: »

i need to vent.

does he ACTUALLY think we're playing well? again, if he genuinely does, that's just moronic.

it's all so highly confusing. he needs to adapt again. he needs to realise the team isn't pressing like they should be. he needs to realise the defence can't defend right now. he needs to realise that he bought Lallana for a fúcking reason. he needs to realise thatBalotelli is not a lone striker.

Brendan, you need to fúcking shake yourself out of whatever the fúck you're trapped in right now.

i've a sore head now.

Managers have blind spots. They all do. Sometimes it takes somebody else with a different perspective, a new set of eyes to highlight something obvious you have missed.

You have to have a strong staff or a manager that's willing to listen. Not always the case.

I'm sure Rodgers will work it out. If Liverpool are still playing this poorly throughout the whole season I'd be surprised.

Personally, I'd drop Balotelli and Gerrard. I think he needs to do both but I don't think he will. I'd wager Balotelli will be sold within a year and Gerrard wont be offered a new contract. Or rather he will, just on a lot less wages and he will turn it down.

delw

Kirby wrote: »

Managers have blind spots. They all do. Sometimes it takes somebody else with a different perspective, a new set of eyes to highlight something obvious you have missed.

You have to have a strong staff or a manager that's willing to listen. Not always the case.

I'm sure Rodgers will work it out. If Liverpool are still playing this poorly throughout the whole season I'd be surprised.

Personally, I'd drop Balotelli and Gerrard. I think he needs to do both but I don't think he will. I'd wager Balotelli will be sold within a year and Gerrard wont be offered a new contract. Or rather he will, just on a lot less wages and he will turn it down.

Let's hope so & we haven't lost a chance of top 4 by the time he does

Harry Palmr

If Tony Pulis could fix an utterly hapeless Crystal Palace....

Gbear

SlickRic wrote: »

also, Brendan Rodgers is not stupid, surely. he can see the lack of intensity for himself. yes, there's not so much quality in the final third at the moment, but it's not the only reason for our woes, as he kind of suggested at the weekend. his own decisions are just baffling.

surely he has fúcking two eyes and can see Balotelli doesn't work well on his own, and when he has a partner, we look far more potent. a 9 year old could see it. so why does he keep doing shít that doesn't work? surely he has two fúcking eyes to see that the defence has no idea what it is doing. maybe try something different? get a new coach? tweak the way we're defending? do something. doing the same shít repeatedly and expecting different results is the hallmark of a low IQ, and he doesn't have that. surely he has two fúcking eyes to see that Lallana has played well pretty much every time he has played. we improve markedly when he's in the team. why is he not starting? is it stupidity? it can't be. so the answer to all of this has to be something else.

It's hard to know what line to take with criticising a manager. These guys have decades of experience whereas we know **** all. To add to that, they have intimate knowledge of the working of the club when even other professionals don't.

There's that certainty that they must know what they're doing but it's weighed against just how terrible we are on the pitch.

I don't think Lallana impressed hugely last time he played. But it's possible he was being saved for Real - Rodgers might think he's more suitable to that sort of game, maybe over Coutinho (who does seem to perform very differently away from Anfield).

Generally speaking, it feels like Rodgers is looking for something completely different on the pitch and he seems happy to be sacrificing our fluency up front for the time being.

****ed if I know what it is though. Maybe Sturridge will get back, we'll start defending properly and winning lots of games 2-0 and we'll go "gee whiz.. I guess that's what we were going for". Doesn't feel like we can just flip a switch though.

Mumha

Kirby wrote: »

Managers have blind spots. They all do. Sometimes it takes somebody else with a different perspective, a new set of eyes to highlight something obvious you have missed.

You have to have a strong staff or a manager that's willing to listen. Not always the case.

I'm sure Rodgers will work it out. If Liverpool are still playing this poorly throughout the whole season I'd be surprised.

Personally, I'd drop Balotelli and Gerrard. I think he needs to do both but I don't think he will. I'd wager Balotelli will be sold within a year and Gerrard wont be offered a new contract. Or rather he will, just on a lot less wages and he will turn it down.

I'd drop them both too, Balotelli until Sturridge comes back, and Gerrard because he can't do what we need him to do any longer.

I would then give Sturridge and Balotelli (as a combo) until the January window to click. However, while it is difficult to buy mid season, I think Liverpool need to invest regardless. The key to Liverpool doing so well last season was the workrate of Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling up front. I don't see Balotelli ever providing that workrate, and if the opposition know that, it changes their expectation of the Liverpool threat.

dogbert27

The missing ingredient from last season is not Suarez, it's the Red Cafu.

We could do with a few of his crunching tackles this season.

Augmerson

dogbert27 wrote: »

Gerrard gave Sturridge the penalty against Everton last season to get his hat-trick.

I suppose my point was that if he hit the ground running on day one would we be seeing a different Balotelli now?

I see what your saying. I think some more astute posters might make the case better than I, but I'll say it wouldn't matter. Balotelli can't play on his own. He needs another strike up front alongside him. Unless Rodgers starts Borini or Lambert alongside him or Sturridge comes back, we won't see the best of him in my opinion.

martyos121

dogbert27 wrote: »

The missing ingredient from last season is not Suarez, it's the Red Cafu.

We could do with a few of his crunching tackles this season.

I agree to an extent.
Absolutely no intensity in our defence at all, Flanagan adds so much energy to the side, and it's always great to see him send an opposition winger flying into the air.

Urgency in the final 3rd and pressing the opposition. It's nearly non existant bar spells here and there

Lord Trollington

I'd drop Gerrard for Lucas.

I'd play Borini up front along with Balotelli. Henderson has not played well the last few gams, a spell on the line might do him good for Borini. I'd drop Lovren for Sakho, and Johnson for Manquillo.

Continuing to pick the same players and getting the same lethargic performances and results is the definition of madness.

awec

1. Mario isn't the source of all problems but he doesn't fit into the system we try to play. We must sign someone in January. Someone who will run all day but more importantly get themselves in to the box constantly. I'd keep Balotelli too.

2. This Gerrard saga is more nonsense to squeeze as much money as he can in to his new contract. Needs to be told a figure and told to take it or leave it, he is not as important to the team as he was. If he goes, we'll need to buy another covering midfielder because I wouldn't want to be playing Lucas too often.

3. Even hinting at sacking Rodgers is beyond stupid. That includes things like "I know it's too early to talk about sacking BR, but..." . It's November, settle down. People forget that it was our form after Christmas last year that sorted our season out.