Brentan Rodgers

[PickledRed]

in the last 3 years?

In the 18 months that followed the sale of Carroll Liverpool were quite excellent going forward. Anyone disagree?

The sale of Suarez and injury to Sturridge meant that particular side doesn't exist right now and the rebuild has been clumsy. Although I expect Liverpool to out score most sides for the rest of the season now that the dysfunction of the autumn appears to have been sorted.

 

[Deleted 20801]

I couldn't care less about the Carroll stuff. At the end of the day Carroll actively wasted the opportunity he got at a big club. Rodgers came in, had a vision for the team and got rid asap. That's football - plenty of ex-players do this about managers.

Rodgers was proved right in that he created one of the best attacking sides this country had produced in recent years. He was too valuable to keep on the bench so cashing in was sensible.

I'm pretty sure there is a better way of handling the fact you don't want to play someone, or have no vision for them in your team, than saying any of the things Brenadan did in those quotes - he comes across as completely mental.

 

[milemuncher777]

I couldn't care less about the Carroll stuff. At the end of the day Carroll actively wasted the opportunity he got at a big club. Rodgers came in, had a vision for the team and got rid asap. That's football - plenty of ex-players do this about managers.

He was too valuable to keep on the bench so cashing in was sensible.

No one is disputing all that. Its just the way he's been treated is actually insane and funny. If he didn't want Carroll he should've stuck to one thing and made it clear to the player, instead of saying one thing in person and another on phone. That quote effectively makes Rodgers look like a ball-less coward.

 

[PickledRed]

I'm pretty sure there is a better way of handling the fact you don't want to play someone, or have no vision for them in your team, than saying any of the things Brenadan did in those quotes - he comes across as completely mental.

I'm pretty sure you're right. I'm also pretty sure that Andy Carroll has presented a particular version of events designed to cast Rodgers in the most negative of lights.

If you reflect on that period the world and his dog were saying that Carroll wouldn't suit Rodgers' style. Constant rumours about him leaving. Was Carroll the only man in England who thought his position at Liverpool was secure?

 

[PickledRed]

No one is disputing all that. Its just the way he's been treated is actually insane and funny. If he didn't want Carroll he should've stuck to one thing and made it clear to the player, instead of saying one thing in person and another on phone. That quote effectively makes Rodgers look like a ball-less coward.

Fergie was pretty much the hardest manager there was with players leaving and feeling unfairly treated. Plenty of managers operate in ways that wouldn't warm the heart. It's football. Moralising sounds hollow in this context.

 

[Deleted 20801]

I'm pretty sure you're right. I'm also pretty sure that Andy Carroll has presented a particular version of events designed to cast Rodgers in the most negative of lights.

If you reflect on that period the world and his dog were saying that Carroll wouldn't suit Rodgers' style. Constant rumours about him leaving. Was Carroll the only man in England who thought his position at Liverpool was secure?

I don't disagree with Rodgers decision, I thoght Caroll was a terrible fit for them and gave credit to him for acting on it and going with the team he felt was strongest - which definitely paid off given the attack that followed anyway.

That said, there is a way to go about freezing players out and not for the first time his way of handling players who aren't featuring comes across as very questionable.

 

[ZDwyr]

Odd if true. But obviously there are two sides to every story.

 

[Pexbo]

In the 18 months that followed the sale of Carroll Liverpool were quite excellent going forward. Anyone disagree?

The sale of Suarez and injury to Sturridge meant that particular side doesn't exist right now and the rebuild has been clumsy. Although I expect Liverpool to out score most sides for the rest of the season now that the dysfunction of the autumn appears to have been sorted.

"Created one of the best attacking sides this country has seen in recent years"

He had a great strike force, I'll grant you that but best attacking side? Remind me what they won? There's more to being a great attacking side than gung-ho tactics. A great attacking side would have had a plan B against Chelsea and not capitulated against Palace. Great attack, sure, one of the best attacking sides the Premier League has seen in recent years?" Nah. 2nd in the League, 3rd round of the League Cup and 5th round of the FA Cup. What a season indeed.

 

[PickledRed]

I don't disagree with Rodgers decision, I thoght Caroll was a terrible fit for them and gave credit to him for acting on it and going with the team he felt was strongest - which definitely paid off given the attack that followed anyway.

That said, there is a way to go about freezing players out and not for the first time his way of handling players who aren't featuring comes across as very questionable.

Name me a player who feels well treated when out the squad. Freezing players out happens, they leave and then they give their side.

 

[Feed Me]

Problem is we won't ever know the real truth. One man's word against an another and all that jazz...

 

[milemuncher777]

Fergie was pretty much the hardest manager there was with players leaving and feeling unfairly treated. Plenty of managers operate in ways that wouldn't warm the heart. It's football. Moralising sounds hollow in this context.

Yeah but can you imagine Fergie telling a player regularly before every matchday that he's starting then randomly calls in half an hour every time when player reaches home to tell teams are interested in him ? Thats just mental.

 

[Alex99]

"Created one of the best attacking sides this country has seen in recent years"

He had a great strike force, I'll grant you that but best attacking side? Remind me what they won? There's more to being a great attacking side than gung-ho tactics. A great attacking side would have had a plan B against Chelsea and not capitulated against Palace. Great attack, sure, one of the best attacking sides the Premier League has seen in recent years?" Nah. 2nd in the League, 3rd round of the League Cup and 5th round of the FA Cup. What a season indeed.

Liverpool fans are going to continue to pretend that their tactics last season weren't simply shit-or-bust for the first hour, hoping that they don't concede more than they scored in the last half hour. It's no surprise that the vast majority of their goals were scored in the first half, or very early in the second, and the vast majority of the goals they conceded were in the second half. It's also no surprise that they basically failed to do anything if they went in at half time behind.

Liverpool played some nice stuff last year, but all it really amounted to was rushing the box from the kick off and hoping the opponents didn't get in behind the defence during that time. It was quick, it was direct, and it was effective, but it was by no means the mark of a great attacking side.

 

[Deleted 20801]

Name me a player who feels well treated when out the squad. Freezing players out happens, they leave and then they give their side.

Again, it's not the fact he was freezed out, or that a player might be salty afterwards - which happens all the time in football - it's what Rodgers was saying to him that comes across as mental.

Why not just say he can't see him working in his system and let him know outright he obviously wasn't wanted, rather than telling him he would be playing, then calling him up moments later to tell him he's not, then reversing that again later when?

Telling a player they have a hamstring injury and can't play - when they don't, the day after you said you would start them - sounds hilarious.

 

[PickledRed]

"Created one of the best attacking sides this country has seen in recent years"

He had a great strike force, I'll grant you that but best attacking side? Remind me what they won? There's more to being a great attacking side than gung-ho tactics. A great attacking side would have had a plan B against Chelsea and not capitulated against Palace. Great attack, sure, one of the best attacking sides the Premier League has seen in recent years?" Nah. 2nd in the League, 3rd round of the League Cup and 5th round of the FA Cup. What a season indeed.

They scored 101 goals. They tore sides apart. The Palace game has nothing to do with my statement - recalling a poor result doesn't prove me wrong in relation to attacking football. I never claimed the side was flawless.

As for Chelsea, you use one game to demonstrate a lack of flexibility in winning. Whereas there are countless examples of Liverpool playing against physical sides, fast sides, defensive sides which meant finding different ways to win.

The consensus across the footballing world was that last season's Liverpool side destroyed sides with fast attacking, pressing football that saw Liverpool hurt teams with and without the ball. High assist counts from Sterling, Coutinho, Henderson and Gerrard led to bringing the best out of two high class strikers.

My statement is correct.

 

[PickledRed]

Again, it's not the fact he was freezed out, or that a player might be salty afterwards - which happens all the time in football - it's what Rodgers was saying to him that comes across as mental.

Why not just say he can't see him working in his system and let him know outright he obviously wasn't wanted, rather than telling him he would be playing, then calling him up moments later to tell him he's not, then reversing that again later when?

Telling a player they have a hamstring injury and can't play - when they don't, the day after you said you would start them - sounds hilarious.

Fair enough.

 

[PickledRed]

Yeah but can you imagine Fergie telling a player regularly before every matchday that he's starting then randomly calls in half an hour every time when player reaches home to tell teams are interested in him ? Thats just mental.

And Rodgers says it's an exaggeration?

 

[Tarrou]

As much as I love making fun of Brenton, I'm sure Carroll isn't telling the whole truth to the story. The problem for Brenton is, if he comes out and tells his side, it will come across quite petty. If he says nothing, people will say it must be true then.

 

[PickledRed]

Liverpool fans are going to continue to pretend that their tactics last season weren't simply shit-or-bust for the first hour, hoping that they don't concede more than they scored in the last half hour.

It's the pretence from some on here that you can sustain a title tilt to the last day with such prehistoric tactics outlined above - what does that say for all the teams that were beaten and their tactics? Incredibly reductive analysis of how Liverpool played and won games.

I love the way a single game (Palace) is used to define the team rather than the preceding 36 games. Talk about agenda bias.

 

[djembatheking]

Liverpool last year reminded me of Arsenal and Spurs teams that get all the plaudits for playing wonderful attacking football but winning feck all . Chelsea , City and United have become champions by having spells doing this but mostly having the ability to play in different ways ( bus parking , grinding out one nils ) to win many many titles . Brendan had his chance last year when United , city and Chelsea were in transition and he blew it in such fantastic style .

 

[Laphroaig]

Fergie was pretty much the hardest manager there was with players leaving and feeling unfairly treated. Plenty of managers operate in ways that wouldn't warm the heart. It's football. Moralising sounds hollow in this context.

That's not actually very accurate though, is it? If anything an unusual amount of players who have left speak very highly of him, even many of those he forced out.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Rodgers probably does have a weird way of dealing with players, he's a pretty weird guy. Couldn't care less what he said to Carroll though, just happy he's gone.

Good team selection by him today though, happy with it for a change.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Fergie was pretty much the hardest manager there was with players leaving and feeling unfairly treated. Plenty of managers operate in ways that wouldn't warm the heart. It's football. Moralising sounds hollow in this context.

Absolute nonsense. Most players loved playing for Fergie and he had a way of keeping the fringe players happy. Someone like Hernandez for example was happy to sit on the bench and make and impact for SAF but lost it when he was asked to do the same under Moyes. Listen to Solskjaer talk about how SAF handled him and you'll realize that he was an absolute genius at keeping everyone happy.

There is no comparison.

 

[PickledRed]

Absolute nonsense. Most players loved playing for Fergie and he had a way of keeping the fringe players happy. Someone like Hernandez for example was happy to sit on the bench and make and impact for SAF but lost it when he was asked to do the same under Moyes. Listen to Solskjaer talk about how SAF handled him and you'll realize that he was an absolute genius at keeping everyone happy.

There is no comparison.

Roy Keane says "hi".

 

[Varun]

Roy Keane says "hi".

Weird person to use as an example. Roy Keane is Roy Keane.

 

[Alex99]

It's the pretence from some on here that you can sustain a title tilt to the last day with such prehistoric tactics outlined above - what does that say for all the teams that were beaten and their tactics? Incredibly reductive analysis of how Liverpool played and won games.

I love the way a single game (Palace) is used to define the team rather than the preceding 36 games. Talk about agenda bias.

It wasn't one game, it was the majority of your matches. The Palace game merely emphasised the point on the penultimate game of the season.

Me saying Liverpool were a shit-or-bust team last season isn't based on some biased notion that Liverpool weren't all that, it's based on facts:

• 60% of Liverpool's goals scored came inside the first hour.
• 60% of Liverpool's conceded goals came in the second half.
• Liverpool "won" 25 first halves, but only 16 second halves.
• Additionally, they "lost" 6 first halves, but 12 second halves.
  
• Liverpool won points in just two games that they were behind in at half-time in (1 draw and 1 win).
• Of these two games, Liverpool were level or winning inside 65 minutes.
• Liverpool lost all but one of the games in which they failed to score in the first half (the one they won was the final day).
• Liverpool conceded second half goals in 23 matches, conceding first half goals in 15 matches.
• Liverpool went in at half-time level on 7 occasions, eventually losing 2, drawing 1, and winning the other 4.
• Of those 4, Liverpool were winning inside the hour in 2, and won the other 2 via penalties.
• Additionally, 2 were against teams that were eventually relegated, with the other 2 being against Stoke and West Ham.

Liverpool didn't record a single goal-less draw last season. If they didn't score, they lost.

 

[Varun]

It wasn't one game, it was the majority of your matches. The Palace game merely emphasised the point on the penultimate game of the season.

Me saying Liverpool were a shit-or-bust team last season isn't based on some biased notion that Liverpool weren't all that, it's based on facts:

• 60% of Liverpool's goals scored came inside the first hour.
• 60% of Liverpool's conceded goals came in the second half.
• Liverpool "won" 25 first halves, but only 16 second halves.
• Additionally, they "lost" 6 first halves, but 12 second halves.
  
• Liverpool won points in just two games that they were behind in at half-time in (1 draw and 1 win).
• Of these two games, Liverpool were level or winning inside 65 minutes.
• Liverpool lost all but one of the games in which they failed to score in the first half (the one they won was the final day).
• Liverpool conceded second half goals in 23 matches, conceding first half goals in 15 matches.
• Liverpool went in at half-time level on 7 occasions, eventually losing 2, drawing 1, and winning the other 4.
• Of those 4, Liverpool were winning inside the hour in 2, and won the other 2 via penalties.
• Additionally, 2 were against teams that were eventually relegated, with the other 2 being against Stoke and West Ham.

Liverpool didn't record a single goal-less draw last season. If they didn't score, they lost.

Those are some very interesting stats.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

“He would say: ‘You’re going to play every week, you’re going to play every game up front with [Luis] Suárez’. I’d leave and get home and he would ring me and say: ‘Fulham and West Ham want you and I think it’s best you should go.’ I had just had a conversation with him 10 minutes ago. So I would go back and see him and he would say the opposite again.

“Another example: I went to Hearts for the [Europa League qualifier]. I got up there. He said I was starting. I woke up in the morning and he came in and said: ‘I think you’ve got a hamstring problem, you’re not going to start.’ I said my hamstring was fine. He said I’d be on the bench. I got to the ground and I wasn’t even on the bench. I was the only one missing out.

Outstanding by Rodgers if true

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Roy Keane says "hi".

SAF fell out with plenty of players and ended up selling them.

It's not the same as allegedly being two faced about a players role in the first team and lying about weather you want him or not. SAF was pretty good about keeping everyone in the squad happy and making sure everyone was clear on what their role was. Once he decided that he didn't want a player he'd tell him as such and the player would be gone.

Not that Andy Carroll is worth all of this ho-ha anyway.

 

[Empire]

at the notion you can be 'one of the best attacking sides this country has seen in recent years' and the extent of this excellence is a failed attempt at the title for one season.

I would consider a great attacking side capable of performing for more than one season and also to be able to continue performing (perhaps at a lesser level but still comfortable top four) even if one of its players have been transferred.

That attacking side then had to play midweek games, it's not so easy anymore.

 

[naturalized]

As much as I love making fun of Brenton, I'm sure Carroll isn't telling the whole truth to the story. The problem for Brenton is, if he comes out and tells his side, it will come across quite petty. If he says nothing, people will say it must be true then.

Basically this.

It's funny how wherever Andy Carroll goes, his last manager was a snake and a liar and he's a saint. Newcastle fans have heard this all before.

 

[fishfingers15]

I couldn't care less about the Carroll stuff. At the end of the day Carroll actively wasted the opportunity he got at a big club. Rodgers came in, had a vision for the team and got rid asap. That's football - plenty of ex-players do this about managers.

Rodgers was proved right in that he created one of the best attacking sides this country had produced in recent years. He was too valuable to keep on the bench so cashing in was sensible.

Exactly the attitude you lot showed to Suarez. Oh, we don't care about that stuff, he is playing well for us.

 

[PickledRed]

It wasn't one game, it was the majority of your matches. The Palace game merely emphasised the point on the penultimate game of the season.

Me saying Liverpool were a shit-or-bust team last season isn't based on some biased notion that Liverpool weren't all that, it's based on facts:

• 60% of Liverpool's goals scored came inside the first hour.
• 60% of Liverpool's conceded goals came in the second half.
• Liverpool "won" 25 first halves, but only 16 second halves.
• Additionally, they "lost" 6 first halves, but 12 second halves.
  
• Liverpool won points in just two games that they were behind in at half-time in (1 draw and 1 win).
• Of these two games, Liverpool were level or winning inside 65 minutes.
• Liverpool lost all but one of the games in which they failed to score in the first half (the one they won was the final day).
• Liverpool conceded second half goals in 23 matches, conceding first half goals in 15 matches.
• Liverpool went in at half-time level on 7 occasions, eventually losing 2, drawing 1, and winning the other 4.
• Of those 4, Liverpool were winning inside the hour in 2, and won the other 2 via penalties.
• Additionally, 2 were against teams that were eventually relegated, with the other 2 being against Stoke and West Ham.

Liverpool didn't record a single goal-less draw last season. If they didn't score, they lost.

I'm not sure those stats back up a notion of 'shit or bust'.

Furthermore, my initial statement was that side was one of the best attacking sides in years. Still haven't had a stat or opinion that refutes that. Probably because I'm correct.

 

[PickledRed]

Exactly the attitude you lot showed to Suarez. Oh, we don't care about that stuff, he is playing well for us.

Insert any fan anywhere. The idea that Liverpool fans singularly behave in this way is laughable. Great players get more leeway. That's true whoever you support.

 

[Barney]

He can't coach a defence they said...

 

[.Rossi]

 

[vibe]

He can't coach a defence they said...

Mate it's West Ham. We held those off with 10 men and our captain sent off. I could coach a defence to hold off fat Sam's dinosaur tactics.

Though in all fairness, with Sturridge back, you guys have the potential to slowly climb up the table and put pressure on those in the top 5.

 

[Barney]

Mate it's West Ham. We held those off with 10 men and our captain sent off. I could coach a defence to hold off fat Sam's dinosaur tactics.

Though in all fairness, with Sturridge back, you guys have the potential to slowly climb up the table and put pressure on those in the top 5.

I'm not saying that based on one game.

 

[vibe]

I'm not saying that based on one game.

It is too early to say yet, but you'll definitely be much more of a presence in the league compared to the last few months.

 

[Cheech Wizard]

The last quote is nothing new. Anyone who saw the Liverpool documentary few years ago where they travelled to Hearts, him & Rodgers were filmed having this exact conversation before the game. I seem to remember him advising not to play and he was right because he went off to West Ham and got injured straight into his debut. The only thing he handled wrongly was not getting a replacement before offloading him in that summer.

 

[marjen]

Obviously this is Carroll's version of events, but anyway... if true.