Liverpool did not have a European competition to participate in as they finished 7th the previous season.
They had a world class CF in Suarez who ran the show, which also partially lift the players around him.
They conceded an absolute hatful and had to out score their opponents most notably using main out-let in Suarez getting em out of jail when 2-0 on a typical away day at an average PL side.
They were naive in the big (big) fixtures. Well Chelsea at home they just completely blew it. They did not respect Chelsea going into that game and got deservedly punished with a big wake up call they could not recover from.
Despite this, whatever you say about Rodgers...that season, they had a team. A very very good side that was entertaining to watch and almost brought back the years for Liverpool fans.
A team so greatly full of confidence and enjoying their football scoring a lot of goals. A genuinely good magic formula was clicking.
I remember watching them beat Arsenal at home 5-0 and they beat em in every corner all over the park. More of a case Liverpool were very good rather then arsenal being very bad.
For me Brendan Rodgers lost his job ever since that Chelsea home defeat that season and it's been a gradual decline since that particular game. That game was the moment to show what you are TRULY made of, and they did just that. Showed they are not really winners and capable to lift a league title.
Then Liverpool knew the title was actually out their hands ...the cracks started showing and got wider when they then blew a 3-0 lead at palace.
The signing of sturridge was a master stroke tbf but Rodgers was and still is an absolute muppet in the transfer market.
When you narrowly finish 2nd...you instantly raise peoples expectations...you've got the champions league to contend with and clubs may take you more seriously.
So why...why sign Ricky Lambert after the departure of Luiz Suarez. What a terrible and depressing under-lying message that probably was to Liverpool fans.
Like saying we didn't deserve to finish 2nd...that was a fluke, and now back to reality (7th) where we belong.
I think Rodgers has been hard done by. Liverpool have progressed under him, and they're in transition having lost two irreplaceable world class players in first Suarez and then Gerrard. They needed to spend the Suarez money better, but by all accounts Rodgers was only part of a committee and didn't have the final say.
He also had Sturridge out on long term injury, twice. I think people need to remember the mess Liverpool were in before Rodgers took over. Whoever comes in now has a very different club to manage, but I think Rodgers deserved more time. He was a hair's breadth away from a title a year ago, for goodness sake - how unrealistic are their expectations?
The season before he arrived they reached two cup finals and won one of them.
I think he has been slightly hard done by. I would have expected him to have got a bit more time now D studge is back fit as they have clearly struggled without him and losing sterling as well. Liverpool seem like a very difficult club to manage. A lot of things going on behind the scenes that BR had no control over. I know pretty much for a fact that he didn't want Balotelli at all and was pretty much forced into getting him when the Remy deal fell through. Gerrard situation sounds like it got a bit messy and when you've got one of the all time clubs greatest players coming out and having pops at you in a book as the season starts you are bound to be up against it. He definitely is a good manager, just think it became a bit of an impossible task for him. Although he did spend a lot of money on crap, don't quite know how much of it was him but he has to take most of the blame for wasting almost 300million in a few years.
The fans have wanted Klopp for a while so be interesting to see if they actually get him and how it works out, tough job though, not a fantastic squad there, best fans in the world though i guess!
Three things have done for him. The first was Suarez biting, then leaving because of it, the second was Gerrard getting old and the last was Sturridge's injury problems. He has had time and money to try and solve those problems and hasn't been able to. Admittedly not easy ones, but that is what happens in football and he has been a dead man walking from early in the season.
I think he has been slightly hard done by. I would have expected him to have got a bit more time now D studge is back fit as they have clearly struggled without him and losing sterling as well. Liverpool seem like a very difficult club to manage. A lot of things going on behind the scenes that BR had no control over. I know pretty much for a fact that he didn't want Balotelli at all and was pretty much forced into getting him when the Remy deal fell through. Gerrard situation sounds like it got a bit messy and when you've got one of the all time clubs greatest players coming out and having pops at you in a book as the season starts you are bound to be up against it. He definitely is a good manager, just think it became a bit of an impossible task for him. Although he did spend a lot of money on crap, don't quite know how much of it was him but he has to take most of the blame for wasting almost 300million in a few years.
The fans have wanted Klopp for a while so be interesting to see if they actually get him and how it works out, tough job though, not a fantastic squad there, best fans in the world though i guess!
They are an odd club. Such a sense of entitlement and a staggering belief they are still the most magical club in the history of world football. Souness yesterday made me cringe. Transfer by committee, owners who don't seem to have a clue, a set of self righteous fans who have over inflated expectations.
Rodgers certainly made mistakes, but the culture of the club makes it hard for people to flourish.
Rodgers downfall for me was how (and that's assuming he was in charge of player signings) he spent their money. Lambert, Markovic, Lovren, Balotelli, all pretty much disastrous signings. Why spend almost 30m on Firmino when Coutinho plays in his position? Why spend over 30m on Benteke when your style of play over the past 2-3 years has been based on fast, skilful, counter attacking players who can get in behind defences. All that lot are well over 100m. And that's without the money spent on the likes of Lallana who still don't really fit in there. Would've been much better off buying a defence, as they concede far too many goals week in week out. Aside from Clyne and Gomez, their defensive options are appalling for a supposed top side.
Rather than spend the Suarez money on one of two top quality players, Rodgers went for half a dozen who're decent but not top quality. Balotelli was a real mistake. However, it seems that there was a 'committee' (a modern innovation) responsible for player signings. Perhaps Rodgers is a victim of an old syndrome, a manager sacked for the sins committed by a controlling group, higher powers
Rather than spend the Suarez money on one of two top quality players, Rodgers went for half a dozen who're decent but not top quality. Balotelli was a real mistake. However, it seems that there was a 'committee' (a modern innovation) responsible for player signings. Perhaps Rodgers is a victim of an old syndrome, a manager sacked for the sins committed by a controlling group, higher powers
The problem is attracting top quality players, they'll only go to a Champions League team, and especially an established Champions League team.
It's a bit like Bristol City who were allegedly waving around vast sums of money in the summer, and bought nobody. Even if these bids were real, why would £10m players go to a newly promoted team instead of one of the established "big" Championship clubs that you know have a good chance of promotion?
Rodgers downfall for me was how (and that's assuming he was in charge of player signings) he spent their money. Lambert, Markovic, Lovren, Balotelli, all pretty much disastrous signings. Why spend almost 30m on Firmino when Coutinho plays in his position? Why spend over 30m on Benteke when your style of play over the past 2-3 years has been based on fast, skilful, counter attacking players who can get in behind defences. All that lot are well over 100m. And that's without the money spent on the likes of Lallana who still don't really fit in there. Would've been much better off buying a defence, as they concede far too many goals week in week out. Aside from Clyne and Gomez, their defensive options are appalling for a supposed top side.
Liverpool spent a fortune on defenders, Lovren 20m, Moreno 12m, Sakho over 10m but never managed to blend them into a solid unit. It says something that the player they've missed is Jon Flanagan
I think Rodgers has been hard done by. Liverpool have progressed under him, and they're in transition having lost two irreplaceable world class players in first Suarez and then Gerrard. They needed to spend the Suarez money better, but by all accounts Rodgers was only part of a committee and didn't have the final say.
He also had Sturridge out on long term injury, twice. I think people need to remember the mess Liverpool were in before Rodgers took over. Whoever comes in now has a very different club to manage, but I think Rodgers deserved more time. He was a hair's breadth away from a title a year ago, for goodness sake - how unrealistic are their expectations?
The season before he arrived they reached two cup finals and won one of them.
They spent £120m that season under Dalglish, and he was sacked at the end of it for a reason. They finished 8th in the League, their lowest for 18 years, and the whole club needed rebuilding, which needed and still needs time.
The season they finished 2nd under Rodgers they overachieved in my view, and they did what many burgeoning title contenders did - they failed to get over the line when well-placed, lost key games at the wrong time, and that's down to sheer inexperience of winning. Since then he's seen his best player sold at the end of each season - first Suarez then Sterling - and Gerrard decided to effectively retire to the USA as well. This season was always going to be about transition, and that means inconsistent performances, and trying to gel new players. Players Rodgers didn't have the final say on buying, incidentally.
In Sturridge and Coutinho they had two match winners, but Sturridge is perpetually injured and Coutinho's a kid. I thought one mistake Rodgers did make was sticking by Mignolet, but there's nothing better behind him.
Clearly Rodgers also had to learn as he went along, it was a big job but my own view is that he made people think about Liverpool as a club capable of delivering a title again, which seemed a million miles away under Benitez, Hodgson and Dalglish. I think history may see him more kindly than our too-frequent short-termism.
Is he really brilliant or does he only look great in a team of journeymen. If you put Coutinho in Arsenals squad would he even be guaranteed a place on the bench?
The comparison to Spurs, living on their past glory is so apt. The bin dippers, who have never won the Premiership (25 years and counting) need to accept that they are an also ran until a Saudi Prince or Russian Oglgiarch buys them out. Sadly that is football these days and Brendan Rodgers was never going to elevate them into the top four regularly despite the £300m he had to play with.
Think that Brendan has been badly exposed at Liverpool, for not getting the basics right.
Strikes me as the sort of guy, that always likes to demonstrate how smart/clever he is, when in fact the opposite applies.
Too much tinkering and not enough focus on defensive shape and discipline - heard it from Brian Clough and Fergie on many occasions, you always need a good keeper, two good centre halves, two strong centre mids and a top class centre forward - that is your spine sorted, and you can rotate the others around them.
You cannot play three centre backs, when two of them - Skertel and Sakho - look like nervous wrecks on the ball.
The comparison to Spurs, living on their past glory is so apt. The bin dippers, who have never won the Premiership (25 years and counting) need to accept that they are an also ran until a Saudi Prince or Russian Oglgiarch buys them out. Sadly that is football these days and Brendan Rodgers was never going to elevate them into the top four regularly despite the £300m he had to play with.
And Spurs have spent £300m have they? Have you seen their net spend since qualifying for the Champions League?
I sort of see what Carragher was getting at but thought it was a strange analogy from the man who actually scored more goals for Spurs than he did the chronic grief merchants.
Liverpool ,B 291mil. S 200mil. - 91m Chelsea, B 391mil , S 323mil. - 68m Man City. B 397mil , S 122 mil. -275m Arsenal. B 200 mil. S. 85 mil. - 115m Man Utd B 387 mil , S 124 mil - 263m
The comparison to Spurs, living on their past glory is so apt. The bin dippers, who have never won the Premiership (25 years and counting) need to accept that they are an also ran until a Saudi Prince or Russian Oglgiarch buys them out. Sadly that is football these days and Brendan Rodgers was never going to elevate them into the top four regularly despite the £300m he had to play with.
And Spurs have spent £300m have they? Have you seen their net spend since qualifying for the Champions League?
I sort of see what Carragher was getting at but thought it was a strange analogy from the man who actually scored more goals for Spurs than he did the chronic grief merchants.
Touch a raw nerve did he? Never thought I'd ever have anything in common with JC, apart from the own goals
The comparison to Spurs, living on their past glory is so apt. The bin dippers, who have never won the Premiership (25 years and counting) need to accept that they are an also ran until a Saudi Prince or Russian Oglgiarch buys them out. Sadly that is football these days and Brendan Rodgers was never going to elevate them into the top four regularly despite the £300m he had to play with.
And Spurs have spent £300m have they? Have you seen their net spend since qualifying for the Champions League?
I sort of see what Carragher was getting at but thought it was a strange analogy from the man who actually scored more goals for Spurs than he did the chronic grief merchants.
Touch a raw nerve did he? Never thought I'd ever have anything in common with JC, apart from the own goals
The comparison to Spurs, living on their past glory is so apt. The bin dippers, who have never won the Premiership (25 years and counting) need to accept that they are an also ran until a Saudi Prince or Russian Oglgiarch buys them out. Sadly that is football these days and Brendan Rodgers was never going to elevate them into the top four regularly despite the £300m he had to play with.
And Spurs have spent £300m have they? Have you seen their net spend since qualifying for the Champions League?
I sort of see what Carragher was getting at but thought it was a strange analogy from the man who actually scored more goals for Spurs than he did the chronic grief merchants.
Touch a raw nerve did he? Never thought I'd ever have anything in common with JC, apart from the own goals
Comments
Liverpool did not have a European competition to participate in as they finished 7th the previous season.
They had a world class CF in Suarez who ran the show, which also partially lift the players around him.
They conceded an absolute hatful and had to out score their opponents most notably using main out-let in Suarez getting em out of jail when 2-0 on a typical away day at an average PL side.
They were naive in the big (big) fixtures. Well Chelsea at home they just completely blew it. They did not respect Chelsea going into that game and got deservedly punished with a big wake up call they could not recover from.
Despite this, whatever you say about Rodgers...that season, they had a team. A very very good side that was entertaining to watch and almost brought back the years for Liverpool fans.
A team so greatly full of confidence and enjoying their football scoring a lot of goals. A genuinely good magic formula was clicking.
I remember watching them beat Arsenal at home 5-0 and they beat em in every corner all over the park. More of a case Liverpool were very good rather then arsenal being very bad.
For me Brendan Rodgers lost his job ever since that Chelsea home defeat that season and it's been a gradual decline since that particular game. That game was the moment to show what you are TRULY made of, and they did just that.
Showed they are not really winners and capable to lift a league title.
Then Liverpool knew the title was actually out their hands ...the cracks started showing and got wider when they then blew a 3-0 lead at palace.
The signing of sturridge was a master stroke tbf but Rodgers was and still is an absolute muppet in the transfer market.
When you narrowly finish 2nd...you instantly raise peoples expectations...you've got the champions league to contend with and clubs may take you more seriously.
So why...why sign Ricky Lambert after the departure of Luiz Suarez. What a terrible and depressing under-lying message that probably was to Liverpool fans.
Like saying we didn't deserve to finish 2nd...that was a fluke, and now back to reality (7th) where we belong.
It's Pardew.
Palace are negotiating as we speak.
The fans have wanted Klopp for a while so be interesting to see if they actually get him and how it works out, tough job though, not a fantastic squad there, best fans in the world though i guess!
Rodgers certainly made mistakes, but the culture of the club makes it hard for people to flourish.
However, it seems that there was a 'committee' (a modern innovation) responsible for player signings. Perhaps Rodgers is a victim of an old syndrome, a manager sacked for the sins committed by a controlling group, higher powers
It's a bit like Bristol City who were allegedly waving around vast sums of money in the summer, and bought nobody. Even if these bids were real, why would £10m players go to a newly promoted team instead of one of the established "big" Championship clubs that you know have a good chance of promotion?
The season they finished 2nd under Rodgers they overachieved in my view, and they did what many burgeoning title contenders did - they failed to get over the line when well-placed, lost key games at the wrong time, and that's down to sheer inexperience of winning. Since then he's seen his best player sold at the end of each season - first Suarez then Sterling - and Gerrard decided to effectively retire to the USA as well. This season was always going to be about transition, and that means inconsistent performances, and trying to gel new players. Players Rodgers didn't have the final say on buying, incidentally.
In Sturridge and Coutinho they had two match winners, but Sturridge is perpetually injured and Coutinho's a kid. I thought one mistake Rodgers did make was sticking by Mignolet, but there's nothing better behind him.
Clearly Rodgers also had to learn as he went along, it was a big job but my own view is that he made people think about Liverpool as a club capable of delivering a title again, which seemed a million miles away under Benitez, Hodgson and Dalglish. I think history may see him more kindly than our too-frequent short-termism.
Strikes me as the sort of guy, that always likes to demonstrate how smart/clever he is, when in fact the opposite applies.
Too much tinkering and not enough focus on defensive shape and discipline - heard it from Brian Clough and Fergie on many occasions, you always need a good keeper, two good centre halves, two strong centre mids and a top class centre forward - that is your spine sorted, and you can rotate the others around them.
You cannot play three centre backs, when two of them - Skertel and Sakho - look like nervous wrecks on the ball.
I sort of see what Carragher was getting at but thought it was a strange analogy from the man who actually scored more goals for Spurs than he did the chronic grief merchants.
Liverpool ,B 291mil. S 200mil. - 91m
Chelsea, B 391mil , S 323mil. - 68m
Man City. B 397mil , S 122 mil. -275m
Arsenal. B 200 mil. S. 85 mil. - 115m
Man Utd B 387 mil , S 124 mil - 263m
How do Spurs stack up?
Many thanks to the original poster of this joke. Kept me smiling for days.