Do we refresh under Rodgers?

Below Forest now, already feels like we’re in a Relegation Fight.

Too early to decide on Danny Ward. Yes he made a mistake yesterday which Kasper wouldn't have - he'd have been rooted to the goal line - but he also made some good saves. It will probably take some time for the defence to get used to a new goalkeeper - they haven't had much chance to play together yet.

To a degree whether Brendan gets a chance to acquire players depends on how late in the window any sales are made. I can't see him being fired just yet.

It was quite disappointing to see Forest go above us. Hopefully that will not become an ongoing issue.

Good question and analysis Mersey.

Ward or Iversen should settle in ok but time will tell. The defence in front needs most work and clearly currently dysfunctional. Amartey must be doing something special in training to be selected above Soyuncu. Ndidi does look a different player to what we have come to expect. Perhaps Mendy should get a run out.

As respects departures, I suspect Fofana is definitely off during this window; doubtful Maddison will leave. Tielemans’ display yesterday won’t have encouraged a bid from Arsenal. I’d prefer to see him playing further upfield anyway. We could really do with a decent right winger though.

Southampton, Man Utd and Villa will be key to what happens next.

Most of us probably saw that the BBC were reporting the Chelsea had agreed personal terms with Forfana.
Can the negotiate terms with a player that is supposedly not for sale.
Come Chelsea , where’s the respect ! Maybe not true, just lazy journalists ?

Absolutely not.

Last summer was a timely reminder about what many Liverpool and Celtic fans warned us about with Rodgers - his recruitment is terrible. Of the four signings he made last summer, only Daka has showed any promise and even he seems well off the required level. Soumare was poor last season and, despite looking decent in pre-season, is now on his way for less than we paid. And the Southampton Chuckle Brothers have been an unmitigated disaster, leaving us with two liabilities on the wage books, neither of whom look remotely capable of breaking into the first team and one who is now permanently injured. I have said it previously, but why would anyone trust Rodgers to spend any funds when his last window was so poor?

IMO, if Fofana is to go (and I think he will - his head has been turned, his performances are sub-par and his erratic behaviour is becoming a distraction), we should hold on to that money and invest it next summer. That is the big summer for us and will decide where we ultimately go as a football club. With several players out of contract, we will need a refresh and hopefully we can do so under a new manager.

In the meantime, plug the gaps with loan signings. Nat Phillips at Liverpool would be a decent option and would be relatively low-risk. Let's face it, we are nowhere near good enough to challenge the top 6 and I suspect top half might be too ambitious. I am fairly confident that we won't be dragged into a relegation battle (subject to change, should we lose to Southampton...) The season is already looking like a right-off so let's just accept that we are going to finish around 12th-14th and prepare for next summer.

Of course, this strategy could also lead to Rodgers walking away in order to save his own PR brand, saving the club millions of pounds in compensation. If that's the 'down side', I think I can live with it...

Interesting Foxello.

In respect of this bit;

“Last summer was a timely reminder about what many Liverpool and Celtic fans warned us about with Rodgers - his recruitment is terrible. Of the four signings he made last summer, only Daka has showed any promise and even he seems well off the required level. Soumare was poor last season and, despite looking decent in pre-season, is now on his way for less than we paid. And the Southampton Chuckle Brothers have been an unmitigated disaster, leaving us with two liabilities on the wage books, neither of whom look remotely capable of breaking into the first team and one who is now permanently injured. I have said it previously, but why would anyone trust Rodgers to spend any funds when his last window was so poor?”

I’m not sure just how much blame can attach to Rodgers in respect of recruitment. If we’re talking lower end Championship and below, I would not expect to find highly paid directors of football and recruitment managers a la Rudkin and Congerton and I would have thought that fell into the remit of the manager, as it always used to in ‘the good old days’ of Clough, Busby, Shankly et al.

Just how much influence Rodgers has is open to question. If those mentioned were ‘his’ players one might have expected him to persist with them. The only one he appears to have a little faith in us Daka.

I don’t suppose we’ll ever really know.

comment by old warwick fox (U11640)
posted 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
Interesting Foxello.

In respect of this bit;

“Last summer was a timely reminder about what many Liverpool and Celtic fans warned us about with Rodgers - his recruitment is terrible. Of the four signings he made last summer, only Daka has showed any promise and even he seems well off the required level. Soumare was poor last season and, despite looking decent in pre-season, is now on his way for less than we paid. And the Southampton Chuckle Brothers have been an unmitigated disaster, leaving us with two liabilities on the wage books, neither of whom look remotely capable of breaking into the first team and one who is now permanently injured. I have said it previously, but why would anyone trust Rodgers to spend any funds when his last window was so poor?”

I’m not sure just how much blame can attach to Rodgers in respect of recruitment. If we’re talking lower end Championship and below, I would not expect to find highly paid directors of football and recruitment managers a la Rudkin and Congerton and I would have thought that fell into the remit of the manager, as it always used to in ‘the good old days’ of Clough, Busby, Shankly et al.

Just how much influence Rodgers has is open to question. If those mentioned were ‘his’ players one might have expected him to persist with them. The only one he appears to have a little faith in us Daka.

I don’t suppose we’ll ever really know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Converting was his man though, other fans had warned us about the pair, more misfires than success.

Rodgers also has a strong history of buying duds from Southampton, is he paying back a debt now
Bringing the Saints Recruitment guy ( oh yes, didn’t we F&CK that up As well 😂 ) in?

Nothing to look forward to in our short term
History apart from Rodgers walking the plank.

Congerton

OWF;

You might be right, but the fact that Rodgers has had a history of being poor with recruitment, and that Congerton was someone he supposedly requested to the club having worked with him previously, makes me feel that he was at least on board with the signings and they weren't imposed on him.

Would a manager of his standing, who had just won the FA Cup with us, really stand for having signings imposed on him against his will?

If I was Top, I think I would be asking why the signings from last season haven't worked out before I agreed to provide more funds for more new signings.

It's a risk, though - if we did end up in a relegation battle we either spend over the odds to sign in January, or dip into the loan market and hope we end up with better options that Ryan Bennett.

Good points Foxello.