Brendan Rodgers

[The boy Linacre]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

I think that's harsh.

 

Man I love Brendan, I've never wanted him out nor do I consider myself "anti-Brendan", but his substitutions have always raised a question and some of our performances this season haven't been good enough or at the level even Brendan will expect.

 

This is a forum and people are allowed to, rightly or wrongly, post what they think. I like to think that I post praise and also post criticisim, both of which Rodgers has deserved this season. I get fed up with the whole "haha you're wrong" after a victory.

 

Everything was great last night - Rodgers, the players, the fans - let that continue.

2 5ths & a cup win have earned him some slack.

Had some repeated horrendous injuries starting with Justin & Fofana.

All fair & well saying Brendan out BUT who is better that we can get, not a punt, proven PL Manager, well for me currently none.

I think he is generally cautious & was V annoyed @ the Etihad Sun when he swapped Hamza for Youri when we were back in the game (white flag!).

BUT he got it so right last night protecting the players over the 2 games & bringing the subs on 2nd half.  His best direct manager ship for a good few months, we’ll done BR you deserved the last 10 mins singing.

Onwards & upwards 2nd half of season if we can get some body’s back.

[shiv]

48 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

Maddison going off was actually a blessing, not Madders getting injured, but it meant we'd used all our subs so Brendan couldn't throw Vestergaard on as an extra centre back for the last 10 minutes. Hopefully that shows him we don't need an extra defender to see a game out. 

Whilst I agree I do think Albrighton coming on had almost the same effect. Castagne tucked into RCB when we defended with Albrighton moving to RWB / RB. That’s what I noticed anyway.

[st albans fox]

If anyone thinks that Brendan took advice from shearer or MOTD, they have even less respect for him than they thought they did. 
 

it’s not football manager or fifa! 

[Bourbon Fox]

1 hour ago, sacreblueits442 said:

 From what we have observed from Rodgers he is prone to repeated actions that have failed to work for us, and continues to utilise the same practices on a weekly basis.

  Could it actually be he has agreed to incorporate someone else's ideas in his thinking.

I just worry that it was prompted by the available players, rather than some change of thinking on BR's part.

 

Did he just go 'back to basics' as a concession to a ramshackle back 4 that hasn't trained the zonal system together?

 

When he has players back from injury, will we see a return to the zonal system? Hope not.

[nnfox]

Consistency is key.

 

One of the commentators in a recent game questioned whether Maddison is a great player and he isn't.  Maddison is a good player that is capable of great things, but great players do it week in, week out.

 

I've come to the realisation that Brendan is exactly the same.  He us capable of setting us up brilliantly and getting the best out of the players on the day.  We've had some brilliant days, even runs of 10-15 games.  But he falls short when it comes to delivering over the course of a full season.

 

Delivering 8, 9 and 10 out 10 performances over 19 games of the season and 4's, 5's and 6's for the other 19 doesn't make him a great manager.

 

We (he) has to kick on now if he wants to keep his job in my opinion.  Last night's result probably affords him a bit more time and shows what he is capable of.

[Duquesne Whistle]

31 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

If anyone thinks that Brendan took advice from shearer or MOTD, they have even less respect for him than they thought they did. 
 

Of course not.

 

He gets his advice on here.

[Scotch]

3 hours ago, Steve Earle said:

* he's taken us as far as he can

* tactically inept

* dire substitutions

* no plan B

* stubborn

* ego gets in the way

* can't use injuries as an excuse, they're his fault

* etc etc

 

As I was driving home last night reflecting on an heroic performance, and a top level coach manage superbly the players at his disposal, and change from 442 diamond, to 451 and then to 541 to secure the win, I began to wonder what would kind of collective noun would fit the anti-Brendan FT posters? I give you a shortlist of four:

 

• an embarrassment, or
• an entitlement, or
• a nonsense, or
• a 'pashun'? 

Last night doesn't change the fact that at one point or other this season, most of those points have had some truth in them. 

 

He has been very stubborn in persisting with certain players or not changing some tactical decisions like zonal marking etc which comes across as his ego not allowing him to admit when he is wrong. 

 

His substitutions have bee outright bonkers at times. 

 

When teams have sat in against us, he's appeared at times to not have an answer for it tactically. 

 

Last night he got most of that right. The correct subs at the right time. Changed formation when it was needed. Visible changes made in how we defend corners etc. It's important we acknowledge that he got it spot on last night but that doesn't change the fact that those observations have been correct at one point. You may have stuck by him through the last twelve months of wrong decisions (not to say he hasn't gotten it right in that time too, he obviously has) but that post just reads like you desperately trying to vindicate yourself and that opinion. It's a wee bit sad from a grown man. 

 

Again, he deserves credit for last night but that doesn't discredit the criticism he's earned when he's gotten it wrong. Let's just hope that he continues to build on what he got from his players last night. 

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Duquesne Whistle said:

Of course not.

 

He gets his advice on here.

I do think Top should let all LCFC decisions be made by Foxestalk polls just for a year

[red5]

2 minutes ago, Duquesne Whistle said:

Of course not.

 

He gets his advice on here.

After we've watched MOTD.

 

[Duquesne Whistle]

Just now, red5 said:

After we've watched MOTD.

 

Tbf, I think most of us noticed it long before Shearer.

[David Hankey]

Well, what anyone says, Brendan got it right last night with an inspired substitution to bring Lookman on.

 

And, yes, I know he will still have his detractors but at the end of the day, after an extremely tough spell and with all the injuries etc none of us would really want his job under those circumstances despite the plethora of "experts" on this forum.

[Steve Earle]

42 minutes ago, Scotch said:

Last night doesn't change the fact that at one point or other this season, most of those points have had some truth in them. 

 

He has been very stubborn in persisting with certain players or not changing some tactical decisions like zonal marking etc which comes across as his ego not allowing him to admit when he is wrong. 

 

His substitutions have bee outright bonkers at times. 

 

When teams have sat in against us, he's appeared at times to not have an answer for it tactically. 

 

Last night he got most of that right. The correct subs at the right time. Changed formation when it was needed. Visible changes made in how we defend corners etc. It's important we acknowledge that he got it spot on last night but that doesn't change the fact that those observations have been correct at one point. You may have stuck by him through the last twelve months of wrong decisions (not to say he hasn't gotten it right in that time too, he obviously has) but that post just reads like you desperately trying to vindicate yourself and that opinion. It's a wee bit sad from a grown man. 

 

Again, he deserves credit for last night but that doesn't discredit the criticism he's earned when he's gotten it wrong. Let's just hope that he continues to build on what he got from his players last night. 

I don’t know you @Scotch and you don’t know me. I have no interest in vindication.

 

What interests me, and the point of my post, is how quick people are to judge based on limited or inadequate information.

 

We might not agree, for example, with a substitution, but at the time we don’t often know whether the player substituted is injured or fatigued, sometimes only finding out in the post-match presser. Or we don’t see as clearly as our coaching staff what needs correcting to nullify the opponent’s strengths.

 

How do you know, for example, how he and the coaching staff have tried to address our set-piece defending?

 

I’ll get back now to being a sad grown man 

[Scotch]

3 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

I don’t know you @Scotch and you don’t know me. I have no interest in vindication.

 

What interests me, and the point of my post, is how quick people are to judge based on limited or inadequate information.

 

We might not agree, for example, with a substitution, but at the time we don’t often know whether the player substituted is injured or fatigued, sometimes only finding out in the post-match presser. Or we don’t see as clearly as our coaching staff what needs correcting to nullify the opponent’s strengths.

 

How do you know, for example, how he and the coaching staff have tried to address our set-piece defending?

 

I’ll get back now to being a sad grown man 

Specifically in terms of defending set pieces (because it's easiest to see from a fans perspective) it was clear to see that zonal wasn't working. It was producing mismatches like Rudiger on Castagne and Vestergaard on (I can't remember who it was at the weekend but it was someone tiny). Yet we clearly didn't change it for about a year. Also, the amount of goals we were conceding from corners, the vast majority of them were being headed towards the back post where again, it took us nearly a year before we put someone on it. These are things that we could see with our eyes that needed fixed and weren't. 

 

The subs I'll give you in terms of we aren't privy to what is going on but having watching BR closely for about 6 years (I'm scottish so see a lot of Scottish football) it is no secret that he is partial to defensive subs to defend a lead. This is what he does instead of trying to kill off games. Its fact. 

[Jobyfox]

We beat Liverpool. So this thread is flooded with pro Rodgers comments. If we lose to Norwich it will be similarly flooded with the Rodgers out brigade. There is nothing as fickle as fans after the emotions of a win or a loss. 

 

To be honest, despite the fact our league form folded over the run in to the last two seasons, I think two 5ths and an FA Cup win is more than I would have hoped for when he replaced CP. He's done a great job and definitely taken us forwards. 

 

There is evidence that things might have started to go a bit stale under his management. That's the real indication of a great manager - someone who can keep reinventing the team with different personnel. I also agree that his substitutions tend towards the negative and invite pressure when we're trying to close out games. 

 

On balance I think that, in the short term, the focus shouldn't be on the manager's position. I can't see what he could do too much differently with the injuries and players available. More to the point I don't see what a new manager would do. We need to get player's back and performing before we really judge. That's unless we get dragged into any relegation issues. 

 

Edited 29 December 2021 by Jobyfox

[Mendi]

I got a feeling that Frank Lampard will get the job, once he leaves...

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, Mendi said:

I got a feeling that Frank Lampard will get the job, once he leaves...

Wouldn't be hugely opposed to it. 

[winteriscoming]

11 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Wouldn't be hugely opposed to it. 

I would be hugely opposed to it. 

[whoareyaaa]

Rodgers made a really positive sub last night with Youri and Lookman and it had an impact straight away.. he has obviously resolved the issues around the corners and seems to have changed style a wee bit.

 

Let's hope this is a new Rodgers along with the players attitude and application we shouldn't be looking elsewhere.

[Aus Fox]

31 minutes ago, Mendi said:

I got a feeling that Frank Lampard will get the job, once he leaves...

Let’s hope that Brendan is here for a long time to come then.

[Heskey2011]

Amazing how much confidence people have in their opinions of what needs to be done to "fix" certain issues with the team.  Shearer was right for this game, but wouldn't of been for others.

 

There are so many variables to defending, corners especially, for example we put a man on the back post and Liverpool didn't try to crowd the keeper. Traditionally if they play a man on the post most teams will crowd the six yard and look to shoot in the second phase, after a knock down or clearance, loads of goals come this way but Liverpool didn't seem to respond much to us, but they do their own thing really.

Norwich will crowd kasper and will stick someone on whoever covers back post and pin them there for that second phase and we could be vulnerable. 

Maybe our first fully fit 11 will defend corners in the way we've been doing all season and with that personnel it works, I dunno, but I think the management team does.

 

 

 

[Duquesne Whistle]

12 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

Rodgers made a really positive sub last night with Youri and Lookman and it had an impact straight away.. he has obviously resolved the issues around the corners and seems to have changed style a wee bit.

 

Let's hope this is a new Rodgers along with the players attitude and application we shouldn't be looking elsewhere.

This isn't meant to be unduly critical, but one swallow does not a summer make. Let's hope it's the beginning of a much better approach to facing dead ball deliveries into the box. Massive improvement last night, obviously. If the coaching now concentrates on that defensive set up, we should get better and better at it, hopefully. If we can do the same in the next game and lock the opposition out from corners and freekick deliveries again, we might just be on to something.

[An Sionnach]

The less comments like "we're gonna batter these" and we should be hammering these" the better. Pragmatics should rule. We defend in depth against any team and make it as difficult as possible for them , should be the first principle , and then quick ball out and our attack is plenty good enough to score against anybody.

[StriderHiryu]

Rodgers needs some respect put on his name today. Despite it apparently being his fault we have an injury crisis during a global pandemic and AFCON tournament, he got a 4-1 win with a patchwork team made up of kids. And those kids are more than alright. Lookman is now starting to put in consistent performances after being a promising prospect for years. Maddison was rightly derided by all of us for being awful earlier in the season and now is in immaculate form. Hamza played at CB and was a candidate for MOTM. Lewis Brunt was solid throughout, Kasey McAteer looks very promising.

 

This season has definitely been underwhelming and Brendan has to take a lot of flak for it. But consider this. Given our state of the art training academy, he is a proven coach at developing and improving talent. How many of the kids that we saw today are going to go on to be first team regulars? Hard to say, but putting a 16 year old who stats doing step overs and drag-backs looks pretty promising to me.

 

He deserves his glass of wine tonight!

[Unabomber]

Masterclass today 

[Vazman]

6 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Rodgers needs some respect put on his name today. Despite it apparently being his fault we have an injury crisis during a global pandemic and AFCON tournament, he got a 4-1 win with a patchwork team made up of kids. And those kids are more than alright. Lookman is now starting to put in consistent performances after being a promising prospect for years. Maddison was rightly derided by all of us for being awful earlier in the season and now is in immaculate form. Hamza played at CB and was a candidate for MOTM. Lewis Brunt was solid throughout, Kasey McAteer looks very promising.

 

This season has definitely been underwhelming and Brendan has to take a lot of flak for it. But consider this. Given our state of the art training academy, he is a proven coach at developing and improving talent. How many of the kids that we saw today are going to go on to be first team regulars? Hard to say, but putting a 16 year old who stats doing step overs and drag-backs looks pretty promising to me.

 

He deserves his glass of wine tonight!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, half a glass of wine he gets the other half if we draw or beat Everton 😃