I'm wondering what the motivation is behind some of Brendan's signings over the last few years. The only fully successful transfer window Liverpool have had under BR was the January we signed Sturridge and Coutinho.
Other than that window there have been a hell of a lot of players coming in that are not up to scratch/weren't played enough/have moved on.
In the beginning Rodgers had an aim, a philosophy, to play possession based Spanish coaching inspired football. He signed Allen who was a player very familiar with Brendan's style. Quickly though, Allen has become an ever increasing bit part player. Borini turned out to not be good enough. I'm assuming the motive for that signing was that Brendan knew him and believed in his ability, poor judgement in this case. Assaidi and Sahin - both had talent. I wonder what Assaidi was doing so wrong on the training ground for him to be shipped off and never played. Suso and Sterling who at the time were unproven 17/18 years olds were preferred by BR than his new tricky Moroccan acquisition. Sahin is a class player but Brendan wasn't able to use him in a way that Sahin felt was his best.
I can see how Borini and Assaidi were most likely brought in to play in a front 3 in Brendan's Barcelona-esque 4-3-3 formation. Sahin and Allen were, I imagine supposed to encourage the passing game and dominate the centre with their tactical awareness?
The following summer, for me, saw the worst signings made as of yet. Aspas and Alberto. I don't understand to this day why Suso was loaned out and Alberto bought. Neither of them played a big enough role in the team for their transfer to be worth any merit. However, we did finish 2nd (no thanks to them). Mignolet wasn't an upgrade on Reina though I understand there were some shenanigans going on involving Barcelona. Cissokho was there to fill a void that ended up being better filled by young Jon Flanagan. Moses wasted his season. Sakho is a good player but hasn't been used enough for me to think £17m was a decent investment. Maybe this season will be his year. Toure was a good bit of business. Ilori???
I wonder if Brendan sees players like Aspas and Borini on the training ground and things oohhh crap, what have I done.
Then came the Tottenham style summer window after their sale of Bale. Rodgers slated Tottenham for their transfers that window and then went and did the same thing. Manquillo in on loan and Wisdom out on loan and then loan terminated? I don't understand. Lovren for £20m was a bit steep. One good season in the premier league and £20m.. still not as good as the £17m centre back the season before. Lallana is a good player but he isn't as important to Brendan as I'd like him to be. And now even more so as we have another player [Firmino] in his position on top of Coutinho. Was Lallana purchased as a Suarez replacement? Emre Can has been very useful though I'd like to find out what Rodgers really bought him for because it wasn't a makeshift centre back. Markovic was disappointing - again £20m was a bit steep when Ibe was chilling in the reserves ready to go. Apparently Assaidi's £3m was okay to step over with Sterling but the £20m of Markovic is too much for Ibe until the end of the season rolled in. Moreno is a good player, what the heck is going on with Enrique though? Balotelli, I'm disappointed we even went there to be honest.
If Rodgers was to be sacked I'd like an explanation for each signing and why specifically they were brought in.
This is a heaving article - apologies.
Lastly we had the recent window. Benteke for me is a slightly better Carroll. Waste of money wish we hadn't bothered. He has the ability to become good, I'm not sure he will though. Gomez is a class act, I hope to see him become a regular - but at the expense of who? Clyne is the perfect replacement for Johnson - this transfer makes absolute sense to me - sorry Southampton, again. Bogdan - yes Jones was crap so I don't really have any complaints. Be nice to see a homegrown keeper be a regular bench warmer than a purchased one though. Milner was like Toure a good but of business. Free and has experienced titles and without Gerrard he can help fill the void a little. Ings is an odd one. We can't play with 4 strikers and quite often we only play with one. So seeing as Ings wasn't £32.5m I guess he gets to sit on the bench or play out of position even though he is probably the hardest worker in the front line. Why did you get him Rodgers? If he is bought use him respectfully please. Firmino is a good player, important to Brazil, fricken BRAZIL. Used out of position is second fiddle to Coutinho, sacrificed when we play two strikers. £29m. It's a shame.
So I needed to have a little rant and blow off some steam with my transfers under Rodgers thoughts. If you made it this far I'd love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts or some fresh ones of your own regarding the Rodgers regime.
Many thanks, gentlemen.
Direction
posted on 25/9/15
Yep that's what I was referring to.
You were far more direct and blitzing teams with fast attacks. Hardly death by football.
posted on 25/9/15
comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 2 minutes ago
Yep that's what I was referring to.
You were far more direct and blitzing teams with fast attacks. Hardly death by football.
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That was with suarez & we haven't looked remotely close to that since hes left, which makes me think its time for rodgers to leave
posted on 25/9/15
it's his achilles heel, in his ideal world we'd play 4-3-3 and keep 65% possession. When he tries it the results go south.
He does it every year, then realises it doesn't work, then finds some other system that does.
Credit to him he's always found that other way, but it's maddening having to go through that process of his favourite failing first.
v Norwich he gave it up and went to 2 up top. hopefully this is when the change happens. If not, can't see him having any chance at keeping his job.
posted on 25/9/15
Yes but you weren't playing like that the season prior with Suarez. There was obviously a shift in approach in Rodgers' second season and it all clicked.
You are probably right about Rodgers having to leave. But my point was more about how Rodgers moved away from the approach GB described and it worked better.
posted on 25/9/15
I remember an interesting article by Paul Tomkins (LFC blogger and stat monkey) who reckons that a club should expect 40 percent of the signings to be categorised as a success and only 10% becoming ultra succesful. Above this figure you are doing well, bellow it and you're not.
Under FSG my guess is that we are below this figure.
posted on 25/9/15
I'm tempted to test that theory PPD
excluding players we brought in this year we've signed about 20 players.
Cout and Studge are ultras. Tick.
we'd need 6 more successes to hit the 40% mark
I think we'd come up one light probably and considering our current form you'd probably have people disagree any are successes, but I think if we hit 'average' form we'd probably just come up a player short. There are a lot of young ones in there and they've had some very good spells but also some bad.
We've definitely underperformed in the market but we're just a hair under the Tomkins benchmark IMO
posted on 25/9/15
ah sorry, that's a Rodgers review, not FSG
posted on 26/9/15
The answer is to bring Suarez back then?
posted on 26/9/15
The difference since Suarez leaving is not the pressure we put on or possession although those have lessened over the years. It is the sheer pace of ball movement from defence to attack. We used to move it so much quicker before the other team could setup up their defensive shape. Now we are so laboured and predictable moving the ball from side to side.
posted on 26/9/15
Chandler...agree on that, so slow its killing us.