Natalie Portman wrote:

boyzis wrote:he is still learning as a manager. Definately not a top eurpoean material. The way liverpool play is soley because they have only domestic matches if they start playing eurpoean football their style will become more clear. After that they will no longer input the same level of energy like they do in every match it will be more justiifed to compare after that. As a tactician there is nothing in him. His team is based soley on work levels nothing else. tactically inept he is.

Love a tactically inept manager who puts 14 !!! FORTEEN goals past Spurs, Everton and Arsenal in 3 games.

Long may his ineptness continue

To be fair... who's he up against in those? Only Wenger was the superior manager. Spurs and Everton aren't "European" teams anyway. And Arsenal aren't taken seriously in Europe...

There's only one tactician in the league, and that's Mourinho.

Red Alert wrote:Never thought I'd be saying this, but I think I actually agree with HB here.

You just have to look at our away form / performances...

If we are in knock out our of CL, as long as we beat our opponent by 4 goals at home, I think we'll progress to next round, irrespective of away result. We haven't lost by more than 2 goals under BR since his very first game vs. WBA.

As for the other post you made...seriously ? So i guess Mark Hughes, Alan Pardew, and Bobby Martinez are the best tacticians since they are the only ones to beat Mourinho. so any other win in this league is apparently useless. Don't you also rate AVB very highly and BR lubed him ? How many tacticians are in Italy ? or in La Liga? What is your description of a tactician?

I hate that anyways. I don't care if he is or not. This is the most entertaining Liverpool side I've seen since supporting the team. We are boss to watch, and I'll cherish that. Not to mention BR's management of young players and improvement of others. Hell, this guy even made Downing look half decent !!

Also Sir Alex Ferguson WON the premier league and got into CL final in 2010-11 season, with 5 , yes FIVE away league wins all season

I said it long before Brendan is in right direction.

He needs time and space from above and fans but should improve in some areas and of course winning a trophy would stamp his reputation as an elite manager.

Europe is different from league.

You need to have consistency and discipline to pull out positive results.

One of the main reasons why Wenger cannot win the CL is lack of consistency (tactically).

Let Brendan reach the top four first and then see how he keeps that momentum.

It's best to wait until the end of the season to judge him. If he gets top 4, then he'll have done an impressive job. If not then he's nothing special really. But the rate at which he's going now, I think Liverpool will at least finish 4th.

Let me just put this out there for those that don't know. No ONE, not our board, not Brendan, not his staff, not even majority of the fans realistically expected top 4 this season. All we wanted at the beginning of the season was being in competition for 4th.

The unexpected fall of United and Spurs 100m transfer business not working out as planned has opened a very wide door to the top 4.

Brendan the other day came out and said that all of this is happening a year too early for this team. In fact, we know, as does the board and Brendan that our squad is too thin to be able to do well in CL and league at the same time.

But it's a testament to Brendan's ability that he's gotten this team playing in this way after a disastrous last 3/4 seasons.

Just good timing, if SAF and Bale were still around Liverpool wouldn't be favourites for top 4.

I am utterly confused by the talk of Rodgers lacking tactical nous, to be honest.

At the start of the season, when Suarez was suspended and we looked light in attack, he made the side one that was winning 1-0 and very difficult to beat. Once our forward line returned to near-full strength, and we faced a defensive injury crisis, he's transformed the side into one that can generally outscore opponents. And bar a few individual errors he's got the side looking as though it can grind out results as well (shouldn't really blame the manager for a CB making a mistake late on). He's orchestrated several absolute demolitions of key opponents (Spurs, Arsenal, Everton) with well-respected managers and he's put Liverpool close to getting results against others (Chelsea, City this season).

Absolutely, he makes mistakes. But so does every manager, especially those only in their early 40s. However, Rodgers has already shown he has the ability to learn from his mistakes, a key attribute for a successful manager (or successful anyone, for that matter) and one of his best traits shown during his time at Anfield has been his ability to alter tactics effectively in-game, though sometimes it's frustrating that he didn't do so sooner. He's not at the level of Mourinho, Rafa, Heynckes, etc yet and perhaps never will be (only time will tell) but he's proven himself more than capable tactically, and undeniably not "tactically inept."

I think everyone needs to wait until the end of the season to make any kind of true assessment... things happen quickly in football and especially in the EPL. Good so far by Rogers. But anything less than top 4 for Liverpool is a failure for me at least...

This is akin to one of those 'Lionel Messi is overrated because he has Xavi and Iniseta giving him the goals whilst Ronaldo has done it in 2 leagues' threads.

If Rodgers is tactically incompetent then why did his side achieve what only Bayern and Chelsea have done this season - played City off the park at the Etihad? Coupled with his results and/or performances against the likes of Arsenal, Utd, Everton, Spurs, Chelsea this season then it makes the claims look even more foolish.

Liverpool haven't been as tactically astute as they have this season since Benitez guided them to 2nd a few years back.

Yes he is not as astute as Guardiola, Mourinho etc but he is on the right track as performances this season have shown.

McAgger wrote:Let me just put this out there for those that don't know. No ONE, not our board, not Brendan, not his staff, not even majority of the fans realistically expected top 4 this season. All we wanted at the beginning of the season was being in competition for 4th.

I did. Sure I knew it wouldn't be easy, but getting back into the CL is pretty much why Rodgers was hired (and Dalglish sacked) and this season was / is the time. We've got a prime Suarez, a few other players reaching or closing in on their peaks, too, and there's been money available for transfers. There could've been no other aim this season but to reach the CL places and I will be disappointed and see it more as a failure rather than an acceptable baby step of progress if we fail to finish in the top-4. Every time you miss out on it, it becomes harder to achieve and this season has been the golden opportunity to grasp it and we should - and I believe we will.

The aim for this season, back in August, was a push for a CL spot and tangible progress, particularly in home form. No matter what happens in the rest of the season, the latter goal has been reached and the former can be argued as well. At the start of the season, the prediction by most non-LFC fans was that Liverpool would finish somewhere between 5th and 7th, with more leaning toward the latter than the former. That it is now considered a failure by the majority if Liverpool do not finish at least 4th is further tangible evidence of Liverpool's progress and Rodgers' relative success. Within less than 2/3rds of a season he's raised the standards and expectations around the club to such a degree that being only 6 points off of first place in February is considered by some to be underachieving/disappointing, despite previously considering being within touching distance of 4th place the aim.

McAgger wrote:Really, because he told the kid he'd send him back on the next plane if he disrespected him again. Don't see how that can be ridiculous no matter how much like Ricky Gervias he sounded. Which I don't even know if he even did since I never saw the British version of the show.

But seriously the smallest thing 18 months ago makes you not take him seriously? wtf is this?

I never understand people who hate on someone for such small details. Makes zero sense. Oh yes he sounds like Ricky Gervais thus he's a shit manager and ridiculous person.

You're a good poster man, I don't know why would say something so idiotic.

I didn't say he is a bad manager, just that it's difficult to take him seriously when he acts like David Brent, ie a fraud. it was Liverpool players that first compared him with David Brent and they struggle to not laugh at him when he starts lecturing. Doesn't sound like they take his speeches that seriously either

So you're basing your judgement of the man's gravitas (or lack thereof) off of a second hand set of quotes from an anonymous source featured in the daily rags of England? Alright then.


Since you seem so set on letting the media make your decisions for you, may I suggest giving this a read? It's as over the top in one direction as the previous reports were in the other... the two extremes may balance out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10536272/Liverpool-manager-Brendan-Rodgers-deserves-our-praise.html

Anyone who watched the "Being: Liverpool" TV series can judge for themselves. Although, I suspect some would still like to believe opinions of his personality are due to the print press.   

Except he specifically stated that he believes that comparison because "Liverpool players made it" which, as I stated, is from an anonymous source in the press... which is what I was directly responding to.

I think you need you probably need to realise that criticism of Liverpool, or Brenton isn't a personal insult directed at you.

People dislike Mourinho, people hated Ferguson. Fat Sam gets the dog's abuse almost every time he stands at the sidelines. It happens don't get upset by it. I'm sure Brenton is big enough to take flak he gets off a forum he probably never reads without people taking offence and getting upset on his behalf.

Which is why I addressed his criticism and after he rather ignored/brushed aside another's reasoned response provided a counterpoint to his own, rather than simply attempting to make the discussion about him personally as you have become so very fond of doing.

But you take it so personally. Why?

As I just said, I don't and I didn't. It may shock you to hear this, but responding to someone's view point with a differing one and evidence to back it up does not inherently suggest that it said opposing view is being taken as a personal insult or issue, it is simply the nature of a forum. He said one thing on Rodgers and I (and others) provided a different opinion with evidence. That's not personal. Personal is following someone around and arguing nearly every time they post on a certain subject to attack them and insinuated specific criticisms of the poster and is, I must add, against the rules.


He stated specifically that he finds it difficult to take Rodgers seriously because "players compared him to David Brent." I pointed out that the source for said information was rather unreliable and offered a similarly based but opposite bit of evidence. It's a discussion of the topic and not at all personal. The ONLY one here attempting to make anything personal is YOU... and it falls well into the "Unproductive and Off-topic" categories within the rules of the forum.

You rather arrogantly implied his view of Brenton was being manipulated by the print press. You know that for certain?

No need for hostility.

RedOranje wrote:So you're basing your judgement of the man's gravitas (or lack thereof) off of a second hand set of quotes from an anonymous source featured in the daily rags of England?  Alright then.


Since you seem so set on letting the media make your decisions for you, may I suggest giving this a read?  It's as over the top in one direction as the previous reports were in the other... the two extremes may balance out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10536272/Liverpool-manager-Brendan-Rodgers-deserves-our-praise.html

No I also watched the Liverpool documentary, the similarities were immediately obvious, that as well as his attempts to sound profound when talking to the media are what my opinion is based on. I used the media report about Liverpool players just as an example to show its not just me and others on the internet that have that opinion, but the people he works with also think he's a Brent caricature.

This isn't to say that he's an incompetent manager though

I find it bizarre that anyone would begrudge BR any credit for what he has done at Liverpool this season. He is a young manager with a philosophy of playing football the right way, has Liverpool playing some of the best attacking football I've seen in years and forget about being contention for a top 4, he has them with a chance for being in contention for the title. Also is responsible for bringing the best out of Sturridge.

He's doing a brilliant a job.

Natalie Portman wrote:

Red Alert wrote:Never thought I'd be saying this, but I think I actually agree with HB here.

You just have to look at our away form / performances...

If we are in knock out our of CL, as long as we beat our opponent by 4 goals at home, I think we'll progress to next round, irrespective of away result. We haven't lost by more than 2 goals under BR since his very first game vs. WBA.

As for the other post you made...seriously ? So i guess Mark Hughes, Alan Pardew, and Bobby Martinez are the best tacticians since they are the only ones to beat Mourinho. so any other win in this league is apparently useless. Don't you also rate AVB very highly and BR lubed him ? How many tacticians are in Italy ? or in La Liga? What is your description of a tactician?

I hate that anyways. I don't care if he is or not. This is the most entertaining Liverpool side I've seen since supporting the team. We are boss to watch, and I'll cherish that. Not to mention BR's management of young players and improvement of others. Hell, this guy even made Downing look half decent !!

Which team in the CL is going to cop 4 goals?

I rate AVB as highly as Rodgers. The 5-0 is irrelevant. Would Rodgers have won if FSG bought the likes of Downing, Carroll, Adam to play the philosophy Rodgers wanted? AVB's biggest problem at Spurs was that he had Levy managing 55% of Spurs, AVB just had to turn up for match days/training. AVB didn't even spend half of that 100m spent to replace Bale...

And there's no chance in hell he made Downing look half decent. He has, and will always be average. He's the reason Johnson burnt out towards the end of last season......

All of that is, first of all, very untrue and secondly your opinion.

The 5-0 is irrelevant, do you listen to yourself?

I'd rather win 5 games 1-0 than win 1 game 5-0.

Yes the 5-0 was good and all, but it was against 10 men and up against a team that looked disinterested and AVB knew he was getting the boot before the game started.

To compare AVB and Rodgers 1 on 1, in a 1 off game would be knee jerk and illogical. So yes, the 5-0 is "irrelevant" if you want to compare both managers.

As it stands right now, AVB has won a lot more and then picked 2 stupid managerial decisions which has pretty much killed off his credentials.

Rodgers would of been sacked from Tottenham and Chelsea if he was in the same shoes as AVB. So the difference between the two is really, FSG actually SUPPORTED their manager instead of running the WHOLE club from top to bottom.