Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2015/16 (*EVERYONE READ MOD POST in OP)

Kerrigooney

MightyMandarin wrote: »

But you'll concede that Rafa has a far better transfer record than Rodgers, yes?

Good luck with that.

Luckycharms_74

Really need to be beating the bottom teams.
I heard a stat on Arsenal last year vs the bottom 10 teams.
They got 54 or 55 points out of 60.
That's the marker we need to follow.

Listening to TAW now and they said still suppport for BR at anfield.

I'm going to the villa game next week so be interesting to see what the noises are like in the kop

Tipsy McSwagger

Half of Fergies signings were duds but who cares when you look at what he achieved.

Caovyn Lineah

SlickRic wrote: »

Whether he moved the goalposts or not, put that aside for a second.

Under Rafa we bought the likes of Torres, Masch, Alonso and Reina.

They're not in the same ballpark, and it's silly to even attempt to compare their transfer successes. It's embarrassing actually.

We signed some of the best in the world under Rafa.

Again.

I wasn't comparing the records and had no intention of doing so.

54and56

ricero wrote: »

The fact he's still managing the club says it all about the owners. They don't give a ****

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

Caovyn Lineah

MightyMandarin wrote: »

But you'll concede that Rafa has a far better transfer record than Rodgers, yes?

Obviously.

Tipsy McSwagger

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

I had a lovely bit of toast this morning.

brevity

ricero wrote: »

The fact he's still managing the club says it all about the owners. They don't give a ****

Yup, I said a while back they had an opportunity to change it up in the summer but they didn't. They have a real problem now as Rodgers has ****ed up and they have to get rid of him - I think they would have hoped he did well enough to escape pissing everyone off and let the new owners make the decision of keeping him.

brevity

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

This post makes no sense. People want the club to do well. Just because we don't fork out for sky or dress head to toe full kit wanker style doesn't mean we are lesser fans.

Yes FSG bought the club at a good time but it's fair to say their "investments" have mostly come from selling players at >50 million quid.

jesus_thats_gre

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

I think the point may have been that they just care about their investment, i.e. specifically that it is performing financially. They bought it low, increased the revenues and are expanding the capacity of Anfield. Once the value of the investment is increasing within their expected boundaries, they will be less likely to take action for issues on the pitch.

Luckycharms_74

Liverpool fail to spark despite return of Daniel Sturridge

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/premierleague/article4562481.ece

Bad News Barrett wrote:

It says everything about the increasingly precarious position in which Brendan Rodgers finds himself that even his best hope of relieving the pressure that he is under failed to spark a revival. The Liverpool manager argued that Daniel Sturridge’s return would add a new dimension to his side before Norwich City’s visit to Anfield but his prediction went unrewarded. A draw leaves Liverpool without a win in their last five matches and Rodgers in danger of being sucked further into a tailspin that could ultimately cost him his job.

This was not a bad Liverpool performance, certainly not by recent standards anyway, but nor was it a wholly convincing one. It was the kind of scratchy game that teams have to win if they want to emerge from a slump and the concern for Rodgers must be that Liverpool were unable to achieve even that limited objective as Danny Ings and Russell Martin traded second half goals in a tense 1-1 draw. It was the 18th time in their last 20 matches that Liverpool have scored no more than once.

Having pleaded with the Liverpool fans to stick with his team beforehand, Rodgers could have no complaints on that score, although by the final whistle patience had worn thin and Anfield played host to the kind of booing that invariably puts managers in the firing line. The signs that patience with Rodgers is running out had not previously been evident but now the genie is out of the bottle it will be a major challenge for the Northern Irishman to regain the supporters’ trust.

Norwich went into the game ahead of Liverpool on goal difference, an advantage that will have given them heart having conceded 21 goals against their opponents in the five previous fixtures between them. For Liverpool, Sturridge’s return to the first team offered them cause for optimism as the forward made his first start since April 8.
It did not take long for Norwich to discover that this incarnation of Liverpool is a much more limited one to the team that regularly tormented them in previous seasons. Luis Suarez, their tormentor in chief with 12 goals in just six matches, is no longer of the Anfield parish but there is a great deal more to Liverpool’s decline than the Uruguayan’s departure.
Recalibrating an attack that had scored just three goals in six league games so far this season was, by Rodgers’s own admission, the biggest challenge facing the Liverpool manager. With half an hour gone in this fixture, though, Liverpool had failed to force John Ruddy, the Norwich goalkeeper, into a meaningful stop, although Simon Mignolet, his Liverpool counterpart, had also been totally untroubled save for the problems he was causing himself with his poor kicking.

Liverpool were not devoid of threat but there was little polish to their attempts to break Norwich down and at times they looked desperate to force the issue. As early as the second minute James Milner went down in the penalty area but contact from Robbie Brady had been minimal at best and Anthony Taylor, the referee, waved play on despite the Liverpool captain’s protests.
Milner had one shot blocked, while Nathaniel Clyne dragged another wide, leaving Norwich satisfied that the challenge they had set Liverpool, to break them down, had not been met. Sturridge could have marked is return with a goal after 34 minutes but after being put clear by Lucas, the forward made his intentions clear by opening up his body in an attempt to curl a shot into the far corner and Ruddy read his intentions.
Norwich were creating little, although their gameplan was clearly to frustrate Liverpool rather than take the game to them, and Cameron Jerome was often left too isolated in attack. On the one occasion the forward was able to launch a raid, he managed to make ground into the Liverpool penalty area only to see his cross-shot parried by Mignolet.

Rodgers was forced into a change at the interval when Christian Benteke reported a hamstring strain and his decision to introduce Ings as a direct replacement for the Belgium international reaped instant reward. Within three minutes of his introduction, Ings raced away from the Norwich defence to latch on to Moreno’s lofted pass before drawing Ruddy and beating the goalkeeper with a precise, low finish.
Ings’s first goal for his new club gave Liverpool something to build on but they remained fitful in their play, allowing Norwich to grow into the game as an attacking force. The sense that the visitors could take a point, at least, from their latest visit to Anfield grew and intensified still further when Russell Martin equalised just past the hour mark. It was not a goal that Mignolet will look back on with any pride as his flap at Robbie Brady’s corner presented Martin with the chance but the Norwich captain took it well, lofting his shot over Mignolet and into the unguarded goal.

Mignolet made amends, up to a point, shortly after with a sharp save to deny Matt Jarvis from close range. Sturridge’s first run-out for five months then came to an end as the England international was replaced by Adam Lallana after a gentle reintroduction to the first team. The combination of Martin’s equaliser and Sturridge’s departure served to further embolden Norwich who sensed the opportunity to pile more pressure on Rodgers.
Coutinho could have alleviated it having been put through on goal by Emre Can but presented with the opportunity of teeing up Ings, the midfield player was hit by indecision and his belated decision to shoot proved costly with his effort being saved by Ruddy. It was Ings who remained Liverpool’s effective attacker and the substitute was unfortunate when he ran out of pitch after rounding Ruddy, but the threat he posed to Norwich’s hopes of taking a point was clear.

Despite Ings’s efforts, Norwich held on and in doing so ensured that they remain above Liverpool in the table. The promising start they have made to life in the Premier League under Alex Neil is yet to be dented and the positivity surrounding his team is allowing them to go to places with confidence and get results. It is all very different to the position that Rodgers finds himself in.

ricero

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

They have done a great job with the stadium and bringing in money to the club and I appreciate that. But on the pitch has been mediocre and I'm beginning to think they are fine with this until they find a buyer for the club. If they had ambition they would of went for a top manager in the summer to replace Rodgers.

5starpool

On Mignolet, I'm as unhappy with him now as I was in December last season. He is not good enough, and every window we don't upgrade the keeper position is a wasted one imo.

Harry Palmr

The game in the English top flight has entered a new phase, the old joke about how to become a millionaire (be a multi-millionaire and buy a football club) no longer applies. Just staying in the top flight now pretty much guarantees a handsome return as the money pours in from Sky, BT, commercial deals and other tie-ins around the world. FSG therefore might cash in soon but they could just let the investment return a handy dividend for several years and not be that bothered about whether Liverpool fc are anywhere other than relegation. all they need to do is not go mad on transfers from here on and given the squads age I think that's what they'll do.

Luckycharms_74

Liverpool as far from the top as they’ve ever been

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1609050.ece

Jonathan Northcroft wrote:

by Jonathan Northcroft

Some cry ‘crisis’ at Anfield but it could be far worse than that for a club still seeking stability

AN ANNIVERSARY is approaching, with Tuesday marking five years since Liverpool lost at Anfield, in a League Cup tie, to Northampton Town. Milan Jovanovic and David Ngog were in their forward line, Roy Hodgson their dugout, Tom Hicks and George Gillett (or rather their ghosts, because they had long grown afraid of showing face) their directors’ box.

Trudging away from Old Trafford last weekend, after meek defeat by Manchester United, having lost the previous game at home to West Ham, a sanguine Liverpool fan could laugh off 2015’s woes. September 2010: now that was a crisis, they could say.

Brendan Rodgers and the Americans upstairs now hope this longer view of history is right. Reimagine the glass half-full. Rodgers’ team began this weekend just one win off the top four and Chelsea had started worse.

On Thursday, a Europa League draw in Bordeaux, featuring a lovely Adam Lallana goal and encouraging shows from youngsters, felt steadying. At Melwood on Friday, Rodgers was less embattled. Mamadou Sakho signed a fancy new contract. There were even smiles.

They hope a run of four consecutive home games against opponents they expect to beat will reboot everything; that Daniel Sturridge will return from injury to prove transformative; that Roberto Firmino will settle; that captain Jordan Henderson, out for up to eight weeks after breaking a bone in his right foot, will come back to restore character on the pitch.

“We’re only five games in. I don’t see any panic. I can only say what I see on the training ground: people bursting to get a game, a big, healthy squad who want to impress. We can’t let a couple of poor results affect us,” said Gary McAllister.

McAllister was recruited as first-team coach when Rodgers overhauled his staff in summer, precisely for moments like these. “I’m here to try and bring years of playing at this level. I have the experience of winning at this club: it’s what I associate with Liverpool, winning,” he said.

The scrutiny is so fierce, being on Rodgers’ bench feels almost like being on the pitch. “When you get here, you find Liverpool is actually bigger than you think. What I’ve felt in the past two or three weeks was what I felt when I played here,” said McAllister. “The expectation level is high, which is great — but a couple of poor results and the pressure comes on. This is what top players must thrive on. It’s something that must drive you.”

McAllister missed the trip to Bordeaux and spent Friday in a hospital bed, having chipped a disc in his back. After an epidural and treatment he was on the mend and expecting to return alongside Rodgers’ for today’s game against Norwich. Can their team find the road to recovery?

Winning has not been associated with Liverpool for some time: their past 17 matches featured just five victories. They have scored three goals in five league games, their most toothless start in 10 years, and one was offside. The other two were wonder-strikes. Scoring and earning points must become run-of-the-mill again.

That Sakho did not play a single second of the campaign, then was suddenly captain against Bordeaux, and clutching a bumper new deal the following day, epitomises Liverpool’s recent changeability. Rodgers arrived with clear devotion to possession, shifted towards the high-press-and-counterattack to get the most from Luis Suarez in the forward line, alighted on 3-4-3 last season and this season has gone defensive, sitting low, playing direct.

McAllister rejects the idea that playing identity has been lost. “All I see are coaches trying to put on the players to get the ball down and be brave. That is the entire encouragement every single day. We want to play a quick passing game that is attractive to the eye and a winning game,” he said.

Rodgers, he revealed, has needed “lifting” but “he knows what is expected, he knows the job. He knows what it takes to get results in this league”. Rodgers surely also knew, from last year, that when you churn playing staff in the summer it is hard to find consistency. His latest spree, featuring eight arrivals, was lauded by supporters seeking change — but after 33 signings, for £292m, in three years, is it not stability that Liverpool need?

Recruitment defines most reigns. It is likely to do so with Rodgers. The 33 have been an unbalanced crew, including five No 10s, 10 strikers and only two wingers. Recruiting McAllister seems such a sound decision the transfer committee must have been off that day.

Rodgers needs the one unqualified success among the 33 (Sturridge is excepted because of his injuries) to set an example. “Clattering into people, clenching fists and being vocal — that’s seen as trying really hard, but getting on the ball is the hardest thing when things aren’t going well and there’s criticism flying around. That’s when I see the brave people,” said McAllister.

“That’s what we’re looking to see in training, guys who have that mental toughness to go and play football when the going is tough. As soon as you mention those things, Coutinho is the first name that springs to mind. He was missed [at Old Trafford]. He brings something a bit different. He would bring something a bit different to anybody. He is that good.”

Coutinho can help Firmino out of the shell in which he has dwelt since his £29m move. Having excelled for Hoffenheim as a second striker or No10, Firmino was pinned to the flank and deep enough to be a wing-back against United. If Rodgers is to persist with him wide it must be up the field and close enough to the incumbent No10 (Coutinho) to swap positions. Firmino looks like a player who thrives on playing a quick pass and then running into space, a game at which Coutinho also excels.

“He has to adapt,” said McAllister. “It’s a big, big flip from the Bundesliga. The expectation level from Hoffenheim to here is different. He’s changed countries, is learning a different language. He’s going through the little things that I am at the moment [McAllister is in the throes of moving to Liverpool from Leeds], organising all sorts of stuff. He must be given time. He’s got loads of ability. He’s going to be a very good Liverpool player.”

There is another five-year anniversary approaching, of John W Henry’s takeover in 2010. The pledge was “to first focus on stability rather than change”. Can Rodgers weather trouble and finally get a restless club to settle?

Another noble Henry 2010 objective was to “return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies”. But look through the squad. How many would get in the first teams of Liverpool’s rivals in England — let alone Europe?

Look at the economics: in 2010, Liverpool’s wage bill topped Arsenal’s and was just £10m behind United’s and £12m behind Manchester City’s. Now it’s £71.5m behind United’s, £62.5m behind City’s, £23m behind Arsenal’s. Liverpool have never seemed further from Henry’s goal and for reasons neither he nor Rodgers fully control.

Look at Liverpool’s past six seasons: two sixth-place finishes, two seventh, one eighth and one Suarez-inspired, anomalous, second. Seven points from five games, their start to 2015-16, is only slightly below recent par.

The thing about crises is they are temporary. In football, you change the manager, players, even owners, and a crisis can pass. But are any of those changes appropriate now? “Rodgers out” may trend on social media, but what would be the logic of keeping him on then firing him a few games into the season?

In the 2010 crisis, the changes Liverpool needed were obvious and were not long in coming. Players such as Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger were still at the club.

And now? 2015 is not a crisis. Maybe it is something worse: a long, deep, dispiriting, reality-bitten trough.

5starpool

5starpool wrote: »

On Mignolet, I'm as unhappy with him now as I was in December last season. He is not good enough, and every window we don't upgrade the keeper position is a wasted one imo.

Agreed.

Distribution and crosses are still suspect.

He's good at shot stopping.


Nothing has changed and at this stage nothing will.

5starpool

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

I go to games regularly enough, have both Sky and BT (although I admit to watching an illegal stream today shockingly), and have some official merchandise.

Can I be critical of the manager and/or owners? If not, then is there any set of circumstances that I can?

Caovyn Lineah

5starpool wrote: »

I go to games regularly enough, have both Sky and BT (although I admit to watching an illegal stream today shockingly), and have some official merchandise.

Can I be critical of the manager and/or owners? If not, then is there any set of circumstances that I can?

There's a difference between being critical and being downright disrespectful.

SlickRic

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

There's a difference between being critical and being downright disrespectful.

And you think wanting him gone is disrespectful?

jesus_thats_gre

5starpool wrote: »

I go to games regularly enough, have both Sky and BT (although I admit to watching an illegal stream today shockingly), and have some official merchandise.

This drives me crazy. I pay a **** load for media services per month but still had to resort to an illegal stream today. Really ****s me off.

Caovyn Lineah

SlickRic wrote: »

And you think wanting him gone is disrespectful?

Nope, absolutely not.

But some of the things I've seen said about him are very disrespectful. Bringing his private life into things is pathetic.

5starpool

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

This drives me crazy. I pay a **** load for media services per month but still had to resort to an illegal stream today. Really ****s me off.

It's really irritating. Thankfully most of our games are televised so it's not as big a problem as it is for some clubs.

No matter how good my internet connection is though it's hard to get a stream that doesn't buffer like a dog at times that isn't poor quality.

mosstin

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Nope, absolutely not.

But some of the things I've seen said about him are very disrespectful. Bringing his private life into things is pathetic.

You're shifting the goalposts ever so slightly here.

Caovyn Lineah

mosstin wrote: »

You're shifting the goalposts ever so slightly here.

You can be critical without being disrespectful. No goalpost shifting from me I'm afraid.

El Inho

brevity wrote: »

How I think we should Line up against Norwich.

it did nothing

Great call though.

Agent Coulson

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Really need to be beating the bottom teams.
I heard a stat on Arsenal last year vs the bottom 10 teams.
They got 54 or 55 points out of 60.
That's the marker we need to follow.

In 26 league games against the top 4 teams City, Utd, Arsenal & Chelsea since Rodgers became manager we have only won 5 games.

So if we can't get points from the bottom 10 teams we are going to struggle to even get EL.

Agent Coulson

El Inho wrote: »

it did nothing

Great call though.

Right players but wrong System.

5starpool

We played about 3 systems again today.From the start it was 352, after Sturridge went off until Firmino came off I think was some kind of odd 3421 system, then after Firmino came on I think it went to 442 diamond for a few minutes.

It's all a bit chaotic.

mosstin

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

You can be critical without being disrespectful. No goalpost shifting from me I'm afraid.

You are. You've shifted from defending him as manager to being outraged on his behalf.

Agent Coulson

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Yeah, you're right. FSG don't care about their investment at all and we're far worse off now than we were under H&G.

The fickleness of some "fans", many of whom have little or no real commitment to supporting the club (rarely attend games, don't buy official merchandise, watch pirated match streams etc) never fails to amaze me.

The sayings "Eaten bread is soon forgotten" & "No good deed goes unpunished" spring to mind.

Pretty embarrassing.

Were you at the game today?

Did you wear your full kit today?

Have you paid the nearly €800 a year it takes to get Sky Sports and BT Sports and they still won't let you see every game?


What makes a proper fan in your eyes?

"No good deed goes unpunished"?

Jesus Wept

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Really need to be beating the bottom teams.
I heard a stat on Arsenal last year vs the bottom 10 teams.
They got 54 or 55 points out of 60.
That's the marker we need to follow.

Listening to TAW now and they said still suppport for BR at anfield.

I'm going to the villa game next week so be interesting to see what the noises are like in the kop

If we can beat the bottom teams and the beat the top teams, we can win the league.

5starpool

There is no point in anyone talking about a manager's personal life, but there is equally not point in anyone being outraged about it either. It's not like it is a common thing anyhow, and I can't recall anything like that in the 'quiet' period before Caoyvn came back into our lives to spread joy and cheer.

Caovyn Lineah

mosstin wrote: »

You are. You've shifted from defending him as manager to being outraged on his behalf.

I'm far from outraged.

SlickRic

5starpool wrote: »

It's all a bit chaotic.

Rodgers is desperate for something, anything to work. There isn't a set plan that he thinks will work IMO.

Jesus Wept

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Were you at the game today?

Did you wear your full kit today?

Have you paid the nearly €800 a year it takes to get Sky Sports and BT Sports and they still won't let you see every game?


What makes a proper fan in your eyes?

"No good deed goes unpunished"?

No. Didn't even wathc the cunce.

No.

No.

Cause I say so.

No.

I like answering questions

Agent Coulson

Je suis Mario wrote: »

No. Didn't even wathc the cunce.

No.

No.

Cause I say so.

No.

I like answering questions

What did you have for breakfast?

Talisman

Has the dust settled yet? Is it safe to ask a genuine question?

Why could we not play two strikers when Sturridge was unavailable?

Turtyturd

Agent Coulson wrote: »

What did you have for breakfast?

Risky move, he'll try take you down with him.

Jesus Wept

Agent Coulson wrote: »

What did you have for breakfast?

tea and toast, what else

5starpool

Talisman wrote: »

Has the dust settled yet? Is it safe to ask a genuine question?

Why could we not play two strikers when Sturridge was unavailable?

See page 146 of the dossier for that answer.

Jesus Wept

5starpool wrote: »

See page 146 of the dossier for that answer.

any brekkie?

5starpool

Je suis Mario wrote: »

any brekkie?

Rasher, sausage and egg sandwich at 10am. Pretty good.

Jesus Wept

5starpool wrote: »

Rasher, sausage and egg sandwich at 10am. Pretty good.

Tea and toast, said it a few posts ago. A proper fan would be reading the thread.

Gbear

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Right players but wrong System.

You can want Rodgers gone and acknowledge that he got it right today.

The problem is that it's taken him this long.

GotTheTshirt

Talisman wrote: »

Has the dust settled yet? Is it safe to ask a genuine question?

Why could we not play two strikers when Sturridge was unavailable?

It's clear that two strikers will only be played with Sturridge on the pitch. It was an absolute breath of fresh air with two up top until Sturridge went off.
We conceded a goal and reverterted to a lone striker again, fkin bonkers.
Rodgers bought a couple of strikers like, I thought he might want to make use of them when we need a goal but nope, apparently the whole plan falls apart when Sturridge isn't on the pitch. It's fkin bizarre.

Agent Coulson

Gbear wrote: »

You can want Rodgers gone and acknowledge that he got it right today.

The problem is that it's taken him this long.

He didn't get it right today though.

Agent Coulson

mav79

I thought Rodgers formation at the start was fine, although I still don't know why he does not trust the diamond formation. It started to fall apart when he brought Lallana on, there were too many positional changes to accommodate one player.

mosstin

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Undercover Klopp.

Talisman

https://twitter.com/Marcotti/status/645713961631940608

Gabriele Marcotti - Sometimes I'm made to feel that all you need to score goals is HAVE PLAYERS WHO ARE WILLING TO RUN IN BEHIND THE LAST DEFENDERS