Y.N.W.A. Thread (Liverpool fans thread) II

[Jack_Napier]

Yeah Couts is giving me the shits no end. To think BR has isolated and frozen out Suso who is showing more in the limited cup games he's getting, than Coutinho has all year.

Yep can't argue with BR mounting off mate. He's done it all summer and strikes again with Origi. My point about strikers is we will have to lose some before even entertaining bringing someone in. Why on earth we didn't go in for Huntelaar has got me beat. Would've cost same as Mario and he's a proven scorer who wants another shot at a big club.

Agree we definitly need to play with 2 up top if we're to get the best from Mario. Problem is BR's reckless spending has out the club in FFP trouble so the owners will be a bit gun shy in the future.

On the CB's we have Lovren, Skrtel, Sakho, Toure, Ilori, Coates and Wisdom all at the club in some capacity. Again my gripe is BR has spent £39m on 2 CB's and is using one as depth, after telling everyone Sakho would solve our issues for a decade when he signed.

Sometimes I think BR would be a better Coach of the team than Manager. Not good when a club legend like Dagger speaks out about his man management within the team.

 

[saint.nick]

It depends on who you listen to about his man management though. There's been plenty of ex utd players not happy with fergie too.

 

[Jack_Napier]

True, it's more the way he's handled most of his signings. Brings players to the club, to only have them sit on the bench and not play or go out on loan until we can sell them for bugger all. Or in last windows case, not be able to offload them. Doesn't look like a clear plan for the young guns at the club IMO.

One thing the club needs is a defensive specialist coach to come in. BR can coach attacking football, it's his defensive systems and tactics that cost us. Would love him to get some help, what's Pulis doing at the moment?

 

[saint.nick]

I think that has to do with his transfer performance rather than man management skills.

 

[Lemon Squash]

One of my major concerns atm is the form of Sterling. His touch has been extremely poor lately, he keeps finding himself in good positions yet continues to ruin oppuritunites.

For a player of his ability it's inexcusable. I know he is still only a kid and has a stack of pressure on him to be the main attacking outlet, but he has already proven he is capable of doing so.

I would be tempted to give him a week or two spell just to freshen him up and maybe bring back a little bit of hunger.

 

[saint.nick]

like that chance he absolutely f**king butchered when he was onto that through ball. He looked like a relegation battler putting in a valiant, brave effort.

 

[Jack_Napier]

I think that has to do with his transfer performance rather than man management skills.

I've probably called it the wrong thing but its man management in terms of the way he's left 4-5 players in absolute career limbo. By either not playing them or not selling them when it's clear there is no future pathway to the first team for them. Anyway enough of my issue with BR.

Agree somewhat with sterling criticism as well. He looks to have gone from someone who was building confidence and making the right decisions in the final 3rd, back to the player who doubts himself again. Just a confidence thing with the entire squad I think. The pressure of being the only player capable of unlocking defences for the start of this season is weighing on him.

Hopefully BR let's Stevie push forward a bit more now we need it. His support of sterling further up the pitch will bring Raheems form back IMO. Raheem and Lallana playing off Stevie with Strurridge up front should see some form start to return.

 

[cb4]

I was thinking the same thing Jack, but who do you put in the holding role?
No doubt Raheem needs to be in behind the striker, but how do you get Lallana and Henderson with Stevie in the team?

I have no doubts when Sturridge comes back that BR will try the Diamond formation hoping that Sturridge can unlock Balo and vice versa.
For mine, that is our best formation, but we need another kind of striker.

I like Balotelli the character, and I probably got caught in the hype of his signing, but we needed to sign him and another top line striker, not rest our hopes on Mario himself.

My ideal line up until the transfer window would be Stevie, Hendo, Lallana and Raheem, with Sturridge and Mario up front.
Which is harsh on Joe Allen, as I think our midfield has lacked any type of muscle since his injury, which is odd considering Joe Allen needs to run around the shower to get wet.
I just don't think Lallana can get dropped now, he is back on track to hit his top form. He had no pre-season so it's not surprise he is finding his feet later than expected, but my god he is justifying Rodger's decision to buy him instead of Shaqiri.

I am also completely 100% with you Jack, on BR selection methods on leaving players in the dark.
How he is giving no time to Suso is mind boggling. The way he is treating Sakho is appauling, and in all honesty, it's little things like this that make me question whether Brendan will really be able to handle a squad capable of competeing for Leagues, Leagu Cups and CL.
To answer that question, I don't think he can. I don't think he will be able to manage the young guns correctly, and I don't think he will be able to keep all the fruit inside the basket.

I can tell you that BR is not happy with how some of the transfer windows have gone. Sakho was a committee transfer, but who cares, you got a guy who has CL experience, international experience, and is a damn good defender for a cut throat price. The was he is treating him is flat out disgusting and it won't surprise me one bit to see him sold at a lower price to another club and absolutely kill it.

Markovic is another committe transfer. One that Rodger's was flat out furious about. He is basically playing him to show that he was a mistake, rather than see if the guy is any good. In all honesty, I have seen Lazar play before, and I think he has all the tools to make it, but the expectation that is riding on him is a bit to much for a 20 year old. He needs cameo appearances to ease himself into a more physical league.
There is no doubt his speed will keep him in games, but he needs to be able to adjust himself in time.

This January transfer window is critical to Rodgers. He needs a new CDM, a CB or 2, because Lovren is nothing short of Ebola and Skrtle is an accident waiting to happen.
He also needs to get a worldy up front with Sturridge. Higuian or Benzema I don't care, but if he pins his goal scoring hopes on Lambert and Balotelli to complement Sturridge then he needs to go.

 

[saint.nick]

I don't unserstand how Liverpool were able to therefore buy Markovic and Sakho if Rodgers didn't approve? I thought he gives the tick of approval?

 

[cb4]

Negotiations and scouting aren't soley done by the manager. BR is well backed in the window but he gets the majority wrong.
The committee is there to over see his bids and negotiations plus make any they feel will make an impact on the club.

Sakho is the best defender at our club, and was an astute buy from the committee. Lazar, time will tell but I will give him the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

 

[saint.nick]

So why has Sakho been kind of ordinary? I don't think he's been bad but he hasn't been great.

 

[Lemon Squash]

On talent alone Sahko is our best defender however he isn't showing it consistently. For mine Lovren+Skrl have looked a lot more solid as a partnership, still room for improvement but they are going okay.

Really hoping when Sturridge comes back in we get out spark back, he helps players like Sterling and Coutinho with his link up play, he should also help bring out the best in Lallana

 

[cb4]

Lovren has look rank IMO. He is constantly caught out and has no speed to turn and chase.
I don't rate Skrtle either, our defence is still a shambles after spending 130 million.

 

[Mong]

How long is lovren out for?

I read a story that Mario has a 24 hour a day minder... Is that true?

 

[saint.nick]

Not sure about Lovren, he's yet to get scans or something like that. The Mario talk could just be bullshit made up by media. The news is a bit slower when international break comes around.

 

[cb4]

Not that I want to talk about the game, in fact the less said, usually the better, but jesus christ that was diabolical.
The first half we looked so uninterested, it looked like we thought we would walk away with 3 points just by turning up.

I will give a quick pop to Glenn Johnson, despite being out of position 98% of the game, the one time he was where he needed to be he saved our bacon.

I thought our midfield was all over the place, and this was the direct result of Gerard not playing deep. Yes, he has his Johnson moments, but there was no one to release Sterling our Lallana in the first half. Thought Can held his own, and he will improve into a powerful player, but we needed to take him out of the register role early.
Which is something that has been lackign all season, our in game management.
Rodgers is starting to show a lot of cracks that Suarez and Sturridge were patching up last year.
I know this game was worked on having Sturridge back and playing with Balotelli, but when Sturridge calf went, Lambert or Borini needed to start, not another midfielder.

We picked teams apart last year with our diamond formation and high pressing line, and we need to get back to it.
If Balo doesnt want to work, bench him, he is borderline diabolical anyway.
I was happy when he signed, but geez, he is jjust bad. That open goal, there was no excuse for it. It was a simple tap in and he skyed it.

The worst part is, we can't even dive into our depth as we really don't have any, despite buying so many players in the transfer market.
I have read that Origi loan may end, but in all honesty, we need to buy another striker with runs on the board as well as recalling Origi.

I fear what Madrid will do to us. This is going to be humiliating unless everyone pulls their collective finger out and really address the issues we have within the club.

Also, Jose Enrique should never ever play again. Dejan Lovren is not far behind him either.

 

[saint.nick]

It frustrates me that Liverpool allowed themselves to be bossed around by a team like QPf**kingR for the whole first half..

 

[Lemon Squash]

Thankfully I didn't stay up and watch the game. From the highlights I have seen it looks like we were woeful and very very lucky to get anything out of the game let alone 3 points.

I was a fan of the Balo signing and after showing good signs early he really is struggling now. I was reluctant to criticise him early because he wasn't getting any decent service but you can only defend him for so long, his confidence is shot and he is showing it (not unlike the rest of the team).

I was actually excited that we drew Real Madrid in the CL I wanted to see where we were at compared to the top dogs in Europe. Now though I am absolutely shitting myself, we are going to get absolutely ripped apart, going to be ugly.

 

[saint.nick]

Bale injured...well that helps

 

[Lemon Squash]

Massssssssssive game against Real coming up. I'm not expecting to get anything from the game but it is absolutely imperative though they we put up a competitive performance.

If we go out there and put in another terrible performance and get done by 4-5 goals it could really cripple what little confidence is left in the squad and doom the rest of the season.