Neil, Rob, Mike, Phil, Kristian, Andy, Mike Nevin and Joel Richards dive into Parr St to mull over the more than deserved point at The Etihad
Direct link to PODCAST: A GOOD POINT
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good point if we’re Stoke City but we are not Stoke City. If you have any aspirations to be movers and shakers again have to be thinking of winning these and less of the’ Gord bless yer for the point guvnor’. mentality
I think we all need to let the Downing hate go; I am not, and never have been ‘a fan’, but the lad has earned a little bit of generousity from us. I think the best thing about Sunday was that we have, by whatever means, found our best 11, (remember how Benitez almost stumbled on the 08/09 line up when I think it was Alonso returned from injury) and I agree with Kristian, players coming in now, need to earn their shirt. Manu U have won countless titles with the O’Shea’s, the Brown, Mclaires etc. it’s how the 11 function above all things. Obviously there can be some rotation, and theres Europa (where I advocate mass rotation) to keep the squad happy, but unlike Dalglish’s signings last summer, the mentality must be players must earm their place.
Couple of other observations, I also noticed that it was an experienced side, and whilst I do hope the message gets through to FSG that it’s also good to get some prime meat now, I am also cheered by the volume of quality youngsters we have. If we can keep the ones we want to keep, it can also be like yesteryear, where they play for a couple of years in the Reserves/Cups, and earn their place as first teamers (alá Rush and Clemence etc.)
Lastly I’m pretty firmly a Brendan man, one slight concern is that he seems to have been very, perhaps overly keen to jettison’s Dalglish’s signings. In the main thats been good (Adam & Carroll), but I do think it has taken him a little too long to give Hendo his head – I’ve heard him say words to the effect of ‘the price tag has not helped him, if the lad had come in for 4 or 5 million…’, this was some months ago, but even to me, who was never a Hendo believer thats under selling him to the point of bemusement, couple that with the Fulham thing. I also thing Coates has been mishandled; basically the lad has won league titles in Uruguay, then been top young. performer in the SA Champs in which Uruguay won, basically he’s our Wiltshire, but he’s won things. He’s kind of shot for now, but has been undermined I think (not in terms of getting in the first 11, but he was/is starting to get overlooked for cups etc.). Having said all that he’s clearly not overly precious about his own signings (Sahin, Allen – though it took a while and Borini), there was though the possibility of a pattern to my mind, which hopefully now he’s confident enough to let go.
Anyway, great peformance, I would urge you all to rewatch us Vs United at Anfield. I actually think that was the best performance of the season, we outplayed them with 10 men, it was astonishing, but for the ref I am convinced we would have won. This also undermines this thing about us not winning against the top half. Unlucky against Man city twice, Man u once; robbed against Everton, and OK to good draws at Arsenal and Chelsea; if the Gods had liked us a bit more we would be talking about it in a different light.
Love the opening questions and always listen to it. Keep it up boys.
Good points about Henderson and team pressing. Made me think back to playing away to Spurs last season when we lost 4-0. Lucas was doing all the pressing and Charlie Adam was doing fuck all, perfect example of how pressing needs to be done by the whole team. If one person doesn’t do it then the idea fails.
Nothing wrong with FSG wanting to sign younger players in the main. Paisley’s oldest signing was Dalglish who was 26 years old. The vast majority of his signings were 24 or younger. That’s how you build dynasties. You look at our better buys in recent years. The majority 24 or younger when signed: Torres, Alonso, Lucas, Suarez, Agger, Skrtle, Reina, Mascherano…
There is enough experience in the squad we just need more quality.
I’m gobsmacked how everybody thinks that pass and move and pressing the opposition is something new.We’ve got the pass so far but not much move!
These are crumbs of comfort.We played a very poor Arsenal side and let them back into the game at the very point when they and their supporters were about to get rattled and start falling out with each other!
I happened to be in the background at the after-match press conference at the Emirates.Brendan was giving it large.After about 15 minutes the whole room was yawning with boredom.He was talking about false number nines and reverse wingers and how he felt that he could now move on and get at least 4th place.Somebody asked him if it was important to beat teams above us to achieve that.He the launched into another diatribe about how important it was to have his young players ready to move on and step up and achieve great things.
People were shaking their heads and asking “Are these the same young players he threw to the lion’s den at Oldham?”
He spoke like a snake-oil salesman.”Take this and you’ll feel a million times better!”But he didn’t have many answers.But it went on and on.And all about Brendan and how he knew about everything and how,given time he would win everything.
My mind kept wandering back to post-match press conferences of Shankly and Paisley.Shankly “It was a traversity of justice”after a nil-nil draw.Paisley “Well we could have won if we’d have had a few more shots on goal like!”
Simple stuff.No false number nines and reverse wingers.No attempt to try and pretend they were something that they weren’t.
The City game?Again an opportunity lost.At their most vulnerable we (he) decided to back-pedal.
Don’t get me wrong,I see an improvement from the early part of this season.But an improvement on last season? Well,I find that difficult to understand.We can take these crumbs and be grateful for them.But progress should be measured on a different scale shouldn’t it?
We’ve got a Manager talking a big talk.We see that week in week out with the likes of Pardew,Allardyce and the rest of them.
And really you have to wonder why Liverpool Football Club should appoint the likes of Rodgers.You really have to question the motives of FSG and John W Henry.You really should be asking who does this philosophy for buying and developing young players benefit?
This wasn’t a Club on its knees by any stretch of imagination.This wasn’t a Club in need of major surgery.It’s looking as though it is now.
The longer this goes on the harder it’s going to get.
And I know there are people who are going to say “What’s wrong with you?We got a draw against Arsenal and Man.City!”
Well,we play West Brom next week.And we’d all put a grand or two on us beating them would’nt we?
I disagree with this notion that Brenden came in with preconcieved notions that Henderson did not fit.
Early last year he raved of Henderson http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2173065/Brendan-Rodgers-raving-Jordan-Henderson.html#axzz2JxzC1veE
‘I look at the young kid Jordan Henderson who got a wee bit of stick last year but do you know what, this is a boy who was 21 years of age,’
‘This kid can play football. If he is in a certain system – in an environment which is going to help him and educate him in the game – you will see that.
‘The biggest thing for me that I’ve heard about Jordan is his attitude. He has got an incredible attitude.
‘If you have got a player like that who has got the ability and the thirst to learn – he can run all day, he is physically good, he is strong, he is quick – and you can remodel him.’
He didn’t come in not believing in him. Exactly the opposite. He came in thinking he could play and had potential. But even so, a manager should be free to change his mind based on what he’s seeing in practice and adjust his opinion of how a player fits into his system.
Early in the discussion, somebody suggested that ‘the penny had dropped.’ I hope it’s true. It took a long time (it dropped for a good many of us some long weeks ago.)
The football played was exciting, and I don’t care if we don’t win games so long as we play like that. But we still need to address the ‘losing a lead’ problem. 2-0 up against Everton and Arsenal should not end in a draw. And if anything we dominated City even more.
Suarez and Sturridge could become one of the greatest pairings in LFC history. Their individual ball skills are terrific, and Sturridge’s pace breathtaking. They both seem prepared to work their arses off, too.
One last point, surprisingly not commented on by the panel; Aguera’s goal was pure arse. Spectacular as it was, it was an attempted cross, as any second look at the kick makes clear. That doesn’t detract from the errors by both Reina and Skrtel – had the intended cross eventuated there were enough city players in the area to poke it into the unattended goal.
But for the Skrtel back-pass that Tevez pounced on and Pepe’s rush of blood, it’s six points against City instead of two.
Not really, who knows what their players would have done had they not been gifted those goals. They may have changed up a gear and scored on their own merits, just as they have many times before.