KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum The none fan amongst us

I don't understand how anybody can compare Rafa to BR at this point of their carrer. BR might come good, he is younger anyway, but has won nothing yet, while Rafa has won trophies all over the place.

Rodgers is still making the same mistakes he made when he was sacked at Reading, he's so fixated on one style and changing the squad to suit his "philosophy" that's he's not going to get anywhere. -

This may come just a day after our 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough, but this isn’t a reactionary post. Reading have ten points from eleven games. We sit precariously above the relegation zone, below the likes of Barnsley, Scunthorpe and even Watford, the team that Rodgers departed for so-called better things. The new manager promised a ‘world-class’ model, based around playing good football, when he arrived. Yet the fans aren’t even being treated to pretty football anymore, let alone an effective system. He said that he needed to “change the culture” of the club. This was a club that had finished fourth in the Championship last season; why was such a drastic overhaul required?

Rodgers’ tactics continue to frustrate the Reading fans, as does his team selection. Playing with one striker at home against the likes of Doncaster Rovers appears staggeringly negative. Middlesbrough may be one of the better teams in the Championship, but are two defensive midfielders really required when playing them at home? Three points may have been won at Preston in midweek, but his decision to replace a winger with a centre-back brought about so much pressure that we came very close to throwing at least two of those away.

Baffling player positions and tactics, still apparent at Liverpool.

As for the team selection; sometimes I find myself rubbing my eyes in disbelief at Brendan’s chosen line-up. Under Coppell, when Brynjar Gunnarsson was given a starting spot, he was often taken off as his aging legs struggled to keep up with the younger players. A year on and he is playing two full games in a week. Against Preston he was visibly flagging towards the end of the game, but Karacan (who admittedly had been in wars) was replaced instead. Simon Church appears to be our first-choice striker now, although how he has moved in front of Hunt, Long or Rasiak I’ve no idea. Jay Tabb and Marek Matejovsky can’t get near the first team, despite the abject anonymous start made by Brian Howard to his Reading career. Marek, in particular, must be scratching his head in disbelief as to how he finds himself on the sidelines.

It's all very similar, Gerrard and Carragher struggling, yet leaves them on and takes off younger, more energetic players. Players he signed playing rubbish, yet better players not getting a chance - Allen vs. Henderson.

The obvious conclusion that most fans took from the failure of Rodgers' reign was the fact he tried to play a new style of football. This new style was so different from the Steve Coppell (traditional British 4-4-2, high tempo, two proper wingers) style that Reading didn’t have the players with the right qualities to be able to play the tiki-taka style that Rodgers wanted to implement. He did bring in new players to implement this style - Howard, Mills, McAnuff, Bertrand, Rasiak, O’Dea and Cummings. But even with bringing in over half a team he still didn’t manage to achieve success through implementing his style on a squad so used to one style of play. This led to many fans being frustrated as the players would pass the ball sideways and backwards, keeping possession but not creating many chances and not taking the few that were created. Even though possession was high, results were hard to come by. With only 21 points from 21 games (five wins, six draws and ten losses) Reading were sat 21st in the league, only three points clear of the relegation zone. This led to Sir John surprisingly sacking Rodgers on 16th December - surprisingly, as Sir John in his time as chairman has backed his managers well and supported them for a long time (some would argue too long). The appointment of Brian McDermott as caretaker manager was claimed by many to be a cheap option after the large compensation paid to Watford for Rodgers and the seven different players brought in by Rodgers. McDermott took Reading from 21st in the league to 9th after Rodgers left.

A big part of the reason why FSG hired him was because his strategy on the field and his choice of types of players was clear... Not sure Rodgers is making the same mistakes... They sound more like naivity from an inexperienced manager, than 1 that has been in the PL for 2 years... Given that we're actually winning games and on a very good run...

A big part of why they hired him was because he's a cheap yes man who wouldn't bother them in their business. Whereas a free agent like Rafa or other managers that wanted the job like De Boer, Deschamps and Cruyff would have hung them out to dry.

How is he not making the same mistakes, I've highlighted exactly the same things which have happened in his time at LFC, that happened at Reading.

We've played 2 games, it's hardly a very impressive run.

We've won 11 of the last 16 in all competitions, and 9 of the last 14 in the PL?! If you want to be defeatist, fine... but 31 league points from a possible 42... Over a season, that is 84 points!

It doesn't work like that, the season before isn't relevant as other clubs have improved and every single team has bought new players.

We've scraped through 3 games and struggled. Stop pretending we're on League winning form, as we're not.

If he was just a yes man, he wouldn't have complained to the press about Dempsey. Or Willian.

Don't think fans are frustrated about our style... Only the clinicalness with the chances created.

Again... look at the results... You're mistaken if you think they're not promising at the VERY LEAST.

I never said we're on league winning form. Over the course of a season, our recent form would be. That is on paper. Ignore as you like to. And how is last season not relevant... They are proving consistency as a team! Baffling comment.

Complained about a player he had no intention of signing. As for Willian - Smokescreen, show intent, but don't actually do anything about it. - Again, same things he did at Swansea and Reading, he has a massive reputation for being all talk and no action.

You honestly don't think fans are frustrated at our style, you do read the match threads and go to games I take it.

The results aren't promising, 2 1-0 victories wich we nearly lost in the last 10mins and struggling against a league 1 side.

You insinuated that we're on that kind of form, without actually looking at the full picture, last season we won once against the top 10 sides in the league. We are already struggling this season. We've ripped out 3/4's of the squad that BR inherited and hasn't replaced half of them, he's buying in areas we don't need to, he's carrying on his awful tactics, the only consistency is that he hasn't learned when to shut his mouth.