Liverpool Thread 2011/12

[jep]

Thought Brendan Rodgers was very impressive in that press conference - very calm and humble. Really looking forward to seeing us play under his guidance.

[CaptainPlanet]

Whoever is in charge of the online shop needs shooting. So many bad links, typos, items out of stock or not available. Complete shambles.

[bell]

It's been rubbish for years. Easier to drive to fecking Liverpool for stuff

[foofighter23]

oot'ers

[Kopite]

@kennethdalglish Congratulations to Brendan and Good Luck to everyone at LFC. Kenny

Class.

[VamPook]

Should have tweeted how he "gave away" his settlement as well

[wayne'o]

papaer report rubbish allready, So Mr Rodgers Gives hid first Interview yesturday and allready the press are trying to 2nd guess or sell him players by suggesting he wants Fillani from Everton..

I think in Rodgers the way he conducts himself he comands respect with out actually stating in, such an ora and presence, Cant see how any human from any walk of life wouldn't walk into a room and respect that guy. I bet he can be reall scary at HT when the team are playing under par..

he has the Game plan to play like Barcelona/Brazil/Arsenal/Swansea etc, Swansea was in the top 7 or 8 clubs in Europe for the most succesful passes completed.. I think he has the motivation and organisastion of Mourinho..

Like i said ealier, think of football in 5 10 years time when the oldies have gone, we will be left with who could go on to emulate at Liverpool what Fergie has at Utd, having said that he prob wont win as many tropheys as Fergie as i'm not sure that can be repeated in any of our life times but never say never..

I'm excited to see what players they actually come up with to turn us back into a flair type of game.

[Razzler]

When it comes down to it, its not really about the size of the stadium anyway, Its about maximising £ per-head per-game.

An extra 20,000 "cheap" seats, even if we could fill them at £50 a head won't Interest the owners, an extra 5000 Corporate seats averaging £200-300 per-head with a meal and drinks, maybe package flights for overseas fans does.

I assume they are intending to introduce the latter, the corporate bit but is there any word on that or is it 'just' an expansion?

[Northeu]

I don't think there's any real idea yet. It's always been difficult because even with knocking down houses there's no room to expand at either end, any expansion is either Straight up which is difficult and won't add much or to the main stand and Centenary. That's where the houses can be removed.

It's why it's always been a bit of a none starter without crazy ideas like rotating the pitch 90 degrees or building the stadium over the Anfield road Both of which would mean you might as well start from scratch.

I'd expect a minimal expansion in terms of numbers but conversion of areas to "club" and exec seating would be the most likely but we will see.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

**total edit**

[Razzler]

I'd expect a minimal expansion in terms of numbers but conversion of areas to "club" and exec seating would be the most likely but we will see.

Not sure you'd be able to command top dollar for that from execs and corporates though. I guess that's the fear. Plus reduced capacity whilst you expand?

[YOUNGSTEVE]

I wonder how long Martinez replacement is going to last at Liverpool, as Martinez was the one that out their passing regime in place at Swansea. He may have the right philosophy, & was right that Liverpool fans like to play a passing game instead of long balls, but unfortunately to do that he will need to have a bit of an overhaul of players, as most are incapable of passing, in particular that past it lump Gerrard.

Speaking of Mr Gerrard, did anyone see his supposed comments on Rodgers appointment when he said he was informed in discussions that he was the only viable candidate for manager, & Martinez wasn't a real option. Hilarious. Can you imagine Rio Ferdinand & Rooney being in discussions about Fergusons replacement. Says all you need to know about the running of Liverpool football club.

If either Rodgers or Hodgson have any chance they need to tell this overratted poseur in simple terms what his duties are & how he should be playing, not his views on matters that don't concern him. That is true of any other player who think they know best.

[Northeu]

Not sure you'd be able to command top dollar for that from execs and corporates though. I guess that's the fear. Plus reduced capacity whilst you expand?

Well yes, And thats why Champions league football was/is so much more important than just "4th place" over cups. Its not just the 20 odd million quid you make from being in it, or the better quality of players you might be able to sign. Being a Champions league football club also puts bums in posh seats too.

[Divinity]

I wonder how long Martinez replacement is going to last at Liverpool, as Martinez was the one that out their passing regime in place at Swansea. He may have the right philosophy, & was right that Liverpool fans like to play a passing game instead of long balls, but unfortunately to do that he will need to have a bit of an overhaul of players, as most are incapable of passing, in particular that past it lump Gerrard.

Speaking of Mr Gerrard, did anyone see his supposed comments on Rodgers appointment when he said he was informed in discussions that he was the only viable candidate for manager, & Martinez wasn't a real option. Hilarious. Can you imagine Rio Ferdinand & Rooney being in discussions about Fergusons replacement. Says all you need to know about the running of Liverpool football club.

If either Rodgers or Hodgson have any chance they need to tell this overratted poseur in simple terms what his duties are & how he should be playing, not his views on matters that don't concern him. That is true of any other player who think they know best.

10/10. Outstanding. Would read again.

Sincerely,

mrb0ll0x

[Rhino]

Whine whine whine. Cry cry cry. Bleat bleat bleat.

I think you've outdone even the most ridiculous of your previous posts, of which are there a great many.

[Select_screen_name:]

Why does Brendan have a Scottish accent?

[bell]

It's a rather stunted Northern Irish accent, does sound Scottish though.

[bell]

I don't think there's any real idea yet. It's always been difficult because even with knocking down houses there's no room to expand at either end, any expansion is either Straight up which is difficult and won't add much or to the main stand and Centenary. That's where the houses can be removed.

It's why it's always been a bit of a none starter without crazy ideas like rotating the pitch 90 degrees or building the stadium over the Anfield road Both of which would mean you might as well start from scratch.

I'd expect a minimal expansion in terms of numbers but conversion of areas to "club" and exec seating would be the most likely but we will see.

Like I said, the plans are supposedly to add tiers on the two main stands, which is easily going to up the capacity by 20,000. You can generate Arsenal style corporate hospitality revenue up here, so there will have to be extra seats or it won't be viable.

[aggressive minor]

10/10. Outstanding. Would read again.

Sincerely,

mrb0ll0x

Such a lovely guy Divinity is. Actually think YOUNGSTEVE made some fair points.

[niggle]

Yeah scandalous decision to discuss the new manager with the captain what were they thinking an outrageous thing to do!

[Kopite]

I'm really liking the sound of Rodgers so far. I think he could be a very good fit for our club. I hope he starts to get his playing style in place, I hope the owners give him the money to do so and I hope they then give him time to make us a force again. Very excited to watch this type of football next season.

Brendan Rodgers talks the Anfield talk

Tony Barrett

Last updated at 10:00PM, June 1 2012

“You can’t come to Liverpool Football Club and play a direct game of football, lumping-it-style.” With that one line Brendan Rodgers met the first and most basic requirement of any Liverpool manager – to be true to the principles of a club which prides itself on being purveyors of pass and move football.

When Bill Shankly outlined the philosophy which would set the club on the path to greatness he also established a blueprint for his successors to follow and woe betide anyone who didn’t. “Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass,” he said. “It is terribly simple.”

Those who subscribed to those beliefs have tended to flourish or at the very least enjoy the patience of the Anfield faithful. Anyone who has chosen to follow different values that make possession of the football anything but the priority have floundered as a result, as Roy Hodgson could testify should he finally disabuse himself of the misleading notion that the reason for his failure was that he was not Kenny Dalglish.

Rodgers’ has no such worries on that front. His way is the Liverpool way and vice versa. “This is a club that is historic for the identity, style and DNA of its football,” he said, acknowledging that the lessons learned in past can lay the framework for an exciting future. “For me it is an absolute pleasure to be here. I genuinely think that Liverpool is the heartland of football and of football folklore.”

Having successfully navigated an interview process to be handed his dream job, this was the 39-year-old’s first opportunity to convince those who matter even more than those who employed him, the supporters, that their club is safe in his hands. Had Rodgers been handed a checklist beforehand detailing the right things to say to achieve that objective it is hard to imagine how he could have been more persuasive.

There were even a couple of Shankly-isms thrown in for good measure with the most passionate of all being a declaration of intent that would make the hairs stand up on the back of even the most hardened Kopite’s neck. “I want to use the incredible support to make coming to Anfield the longest 90 minutes of an opponent’s life,” he said. “That’s the idea. I want to see this great attacking football with creativity and imagination, with relentless pressing of the ball.”

Rodgers is well aware, however, that fashioning a team in his image will not be instantaneous. As he detailed the players that he believes have a big part to play, it was notable that Steven Gerrard was the only midfielder who featured in the oral list. Starting with Pepe Reina made sense as the goalkeeper’s name is always the first on any team sheet but it also chimed with the Northern Irishman’s unshakable belief that football should be played from the back and that players who are comfortable with the ball at their feet should always take priority.

“For a start, there’s a world class goalkeeper,” he said. “I really like Pepe Reina, he’s came through at Barcelona so he will know straight away the identity of this way I would like to bring in and the principles of the game. Defensively, they’ve been reasonably strong throughout the season. You’ve got Glen Johnson who can be the world’s best right back, he can bomb, he can run, he can serve the ball and he’s quick. I know Glen from my time before. You’ve got Enrique who will only get better. At Newcastle he was fantastic and for big parts of last season he’s done great.

“You’ve got your two centre halves, Skrtel and Agger, who’ve done well. You’ve got a legend in Jamie Carragher who will always provide great challenge and motivation for the group. What an absolutely phenomenal player he’s been. Then there are other players in the team like Suarez who is a talent and who scores goals, great goals, Then you’ve got Steven Gerrard who when he’s fit he’s the ultimate.”

Along with the excitement and the conspicuous passion, though, comes an acceptance that he is going to have to enter the transfer market to move Liverpool closer to where he and his new employers want them to be. He is also aware that his philosophies will need to be underpinned by a zealous work ethic and a sense of absolute collectivism if they are to stand a chance of having the desired effect.

“There are some big talented players here but there is no doubt that to get the team to play how I want to play I’ll need to bring in other players,” he admitted. “No question. To play the offensive, attacking football we did at Swansea we had to make changes in terms of recruitment.

“In terms of the core group here there is some brilliant talent. I work closely with players. My natural environment is on the training field so I am there every day, I coach, and I can make a promise that I will improve players. Hopefully that will continue and get effective results.

“It’s not starting from scratch but tweaking. You are looking at certain individual players and the principle of your game is based on your players. Obviously I have a philosophy in terms of where I want to get to but that won’t happen on the first day.

“What we will need to do is make a number of adjustments and bring in players for key positions that will allow us to play that way. I don’t think it is a total rebuild. They are an educated group of supporters at this club and, okay there might be watered down versions of the style of play, but you can’t come to Liverpool Football Club and play a direct game of football, lumping-it-style.

“It is going to take a bit of time. That’s the reality of it. It is going to take a lot of hard work to play that way. It took a lot of hard work to get that at Swansea, to get the tactical structure of the team and the possession and the position. It took a lot of hard work on the training field. That is why I am here.

“I think every player will tell you they would love to play that way. The question is, does every player want to work that hard to play that way? It is hard work. For me, a lot of our game is based on pressing.

“Our game at Swansea was talked about a lot and lauded in relation to the football. What people didn’t recognise is that to have the ball for 65-70 per cent of the game you have to get it back very, very quickly. So our transition in the game and positioning on the field to get the ball back became very good and that allowed us to beat Manchester City, to beat Arsenal, should have beaten Chelsea and to beat Liverpool. Big players want to play football. It’s the other side of the game that will be the important factor.

“My idea is to win the ball higher up the field so you are pressing higher and you are in better positions. You win the ball higher up the pitch so you are closer to goal and when you do that you need people with good skills. If you win it and you can’t attack, you recycle the ball and you then go and play. So I don’t think it’s a case of them working any harder because this is a demand anyway, it’s an obligation. For me it’s not a choice. Do you come in every day and do you work hard or not? No, that’s the obligation. It’s the tactic that the manager gives to that which determines how hard you work, how hard you press and what your identity is as a team.”

Arguably the player who fits least into Rodgers’s tactical template is Andy Carroll, for whom pressing high up the pitch and being comfortable in possession are not his most obvious qualities. But the forward’s new manager is not yet willing to write off any square pegs who don’t appear to fit into the round holes he is endeavouring to create. Instead, Rodgers will seek to unburden Carroll of at least some of the psychological pressure which he feels has prevented Carroll from expressing himself as he can.

“He came here for an awful lot of money and he’s still very young,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think anyone would have argued when they saw his period at Newcastle where he did terrifically well. When you come to a club like this one the shirt weighs much heavier than any other shirt. The expectation and the weight of expectation is phenomenal.

“My job next year is to try and lift some of that weight off the shirt. I’ll take the pressure. The players can just go and concentrate on performing and if you do that you’ll get the result eight or nine times out of ten because of your talent. That will be the same for Andy and any other player. Then, like I say, we’ll take time to review where we’re at and then look forward.

“The reality is that this is a club where I need to align the playing group with the supporters. There is an imbalance at the minute. You’ve got some of the world’s best supporters here and the playing group is not quite at that level yet.

“You’ve got some wonderful players here, some wonderful talent, but the work over the next number of years is to see if we can get that aligned with where it has been for many years. The reality is that, right now, it’s not.

[wayne'o]

I wonder how long Martinez replacement is going to last at Liverpool, as Martinez was the one that out their passing regime in place at Swansea. He may have the right philosophy, & was right that Liverpool fans like to play a passing game instead of long balls, but unfortunately to do that he will need to have a bit of an overhaul of players, as most are incapable of passing, in particular that past it lump Gerrard.

Speaking of Mr Gerrard, did anyone see his supposed comments on Rodgers appointment when he said he was informed in discussions that he was the only viable candidate for manager, & Martinez wasn't a real option. Hilarious. Can you imagine Rio Ferdinand & Rooney being in discussions about Fergusons replacement. Says all you need to know about the running of Liverpool football club.

If either Rodgers or Hodgson have any chance they need to tell this overratted poseur in simple terms what his duties are & how he should be playing, not his views on matters that don't concern him. That is true of any other player who think they know best.

There is no evidence to suggest that Brendon was never there first choice all though it may of seemed like Martinez was due to the interviews. After all at an early stage he did knock Liverpool back but that was because he didnt want to be part of a 10 man short list process..

As for Martinez starting the passing game at Swansea, it was still Brendon that took them on and got promoted, Why are Wigan not 12th for the past 2 years instead of fighting relegation, before Martinez took over, (think it was from Bruce?) they were a safe midtable team.. Liverpool already play a phigh pressing and passing game but somthing was missing, it's a case of lets hope Brendan can sort that out.

I think it's a bit silly to slate Brendan saying it was Martinez that started it, i bet a manager could take over Wigan and finish higher than 17th.? I'm Not knocking Martinez as i think he is another good young manager, in 3 years time it's possible he may be winning the League with one of Liverpool's rivals which is what i already predicted would happen if we didn't apoint him, every one else was slating him saying we needed a big name manager which is not the case.. Liverpool will make Brendan a big name and visa versa..

As for the ground expansion, if you do a bit of research Liverpool have already stated that to increase the capacity at Anfield houses will have to be dimolished to make the stand bigger which includes going up, to keep the houses would block there natural daylight which they are entiteld to by law. Liverpool ahve also stated that the Atmospher at Anfield could not be reproduced by building a new ground hence another reason why they are staying at Anfeld not to mention cost..

[LRJ]

Brendan Rodgers says he'll meet with Joe Cole & Alberto Aquilani to decide whether the pair can revive their Liverpool careers #SSN

There's hope for Aqua yet \o/

[Kopite]

Think Aquilani would be brilliant in the system Rodgers plays. Joe Cole I'm not sure but Aquilani definitely. I'd keep him and shift Charlie Adam, straight away you improve your midfield and add to your transfer funds.

[foofighter23]

a more patient build up would fit aqualani perfectly imo.

[LRJ]

More please.

(of the passing, we've seen enough of that type of finishing this season)

[SRL88]

We are 3 seasons away from being back to a top side again. Lets give Rodgers a chance and see what he does.

As long as he signs Gylfi I will be a happy man .

[Kopite]

Remember being stood on the kop that night against Atletico and saying to my mate that we should build our attack around Aquilani next season, then Hodgson happened . Really hope Rodgers gives him a real chance.

Would love to see Rodgers here for the long term. I agree it will be a min of 3 years before we are anywhere near a title challenge. I have confidence that he could get us there though. Still think Rafa was the best option, but from the way Rodgers has conducted himself so far he looks every bit the Liverpool manager.

[SRL88]

I love this .

[Insipidus]

We are 3 seasons away from being back to a top side again. Lets give Rodgers a chance and see what he does.

As long as he signs Gylfi I will be a happy man .

Its obviously impossible to put timescales on stuff like that, so i shall refrain from making the same mistake as yourself and merely suggest that our team is only 2 or 3 signings away from being a challenger from the top 4. That of course is reliant on making the correct signings, having the correct tactical setup to suit said players and also not having to deal with 3 big signings being rubbish and our top midfielder being out injured.

[Kopite]

I love this .

Brilliant that. Conducts himself really well.

[dking]

Brendan is talking a very, very good game.

I thought I'd be underwhelmed if we got him but I have to say, after listening to the man, I'm very impressed and very excited.

[Kopite]

Brendan is talking a very, very good game.

I thought I'd be underwhelmed if we got him but I have to say, after listening to the man, I'm very impressed and very excited.

I was the same. However, I looked up a bit more about him when it became clear he was a front runner and was impressed with what I found out. It is a risk but if it pays off he could build a legacy at the club long term. To be honest I'm just excited to watch possession football with a high pressing defensive game. That's when we looked our best under Rafa is when we pressed high up the field as a team. I think the biggest taks he faces is getting it right in the transfer market. He won't have had any experience with the type of money we have and won't have looked for the top end players before. If he does that well this summer the football we played at times under Kenny can definitely be built upon and improved.

[CaptainPlanet]

Yay, people's expectations are rising. That can't possibly backfire.

[Insipidus]

The above posts are mere revisionism, and its borderline funny but quite disheartening in equal measure. Ill put it into simple form using quotes from the above.

I thought I'd be underwhelmed if we got him

I was the same.

This then leads to:

after listening to the man, I'm very impressed and very excited.

I looked up a bit more about him when it became clear he was a front runner and was impressed with what I found out

To interpret these en masse, we can look at them from a few angles. Firstly, you made initial decisions with no knowledge of the man or situation, proving your lack of basic comprehension along with your ability to make snap knee-jerk decisions based on little else than gut feeling. That is nothing to be proud of. Secondly, your head has been changed by simple rhetoric at a podium. I am not meaning to belittle his words, but any man who has just been given the liverpool job is going to sound impress, particularly if one is looking to be impressed. Finally, we can merely note the posters.

All said and pondered, I am still on the fence and will wait and see how things progress, and I shall not allow myself to be turned by simple rhetorics. To quote a well known phrase, actions speak louder than words.

[dking]

First of, I made my initial decision based on the fact he failed at Reading and was then manager of Swansea, so I'm not quite sure how you come to the conclusion that I have zero knowledge and that's how I came to my decision. And you accuse me of making knee-jerk, snap judgments without knowledge? You idiot.

Secondly, who mentioned anything about being proud? Proud of what? I was simply saying what I felt. That the man is handling himself very well, oh wait, of course, any man who has been given the Liverpool job will obviously endear himself to the fans, just like Woy did.

Thirdly, why do you feel the need to completely over analise something, in a pathetic attempt to try and make yourself look smart, and an even more pathetic attempt at belitteling people?

All said and pondered, you're a bit of a ****.

[Kopite]

Yay, people's expectations are rising. That can't possibly backfire.

My expectations haven't risen at all. Don't know where you have got that from. I would have expected the same from anyone given the job. To get us playing good football, to conduct themselves in a way that will make the supporters proud to call them our manager, to improve our home record, to do good business in the transfer market and for me aim to get in the top 6 next season. What has changed is my belief that he could be the man to achieve it.

First of, I made my initial decision based on the fact he failed at Reading and was then manager of Swansea, so I'm not quite sure how you come to the conclusion that I have zero knowledge and that's how I came to my decision. And you accuse me of making knee-jerk, snap judgments without knowledge? You idiot.

Secondly, who mentioned anything about being proud? Proud of what? I was simply saying what I felt. That the man is handling himself very well, oh wait, of course, any man who has been given the Liverpool job will obviously endear himself to the fans, just like Woy did.

Thirdly, why do you feel the need to completely over analise something, in a pathetic attempt to try and make yourself look smart, and an even more pathetic attempt at belitteling people?

All said and pondered, you're a bit of a ****.

Well said.

As dking pointed out his time at Reading wasn't exactly great and he has only had one season at the top level.

So what about that would mean that a made a decision without knowledge of him?

What I didn't realise is how much of an identifiable philosophy he has, I can also honestly say I hadn't heard him speak too often. Knowing a bit more about him and seeing the way he conducts himself makes me feel that he could be a very good fit for this club. I have also acknowledged that it is a very big risk due to his lack of experience and there is certainly no gaurantee that he will succeed here but I really do hope he will. No matter who FSG would have employed I would have wanted them for the long term. Our club has only had 18 managers in it's history but 4 in 2 years. That needs to stop. And the more I have read about him makes me believe that he could be here for a while.

Basically Insipidus you are talking absolute ***** and have just attempted to pick apart mine and dking's posts for no apparent reason.

[Insipidus]

First of, I made my initial decision based on the fact he failed at Reading and was then manager of Swansea, so I'm not quite sure how you come to the conclusion that I have zero knowledge and that's how I came to my decision. And you accuse me of making knee-jerk, snap judgments without knowledge? You idiot.

Secondly, who mentioned anything about being proud? Proud of what? I was simply saying what I felt. That the man is handling himself very well, oh wait, of course, any man who has been given the Liverpool job will obviously endear himself to the fans, just like Woy did.

Thirdly, why do you feel the need to completely over analise something, in a pathetic attempt to try and make yourself look smart, and an even more pathetic attempt at belitteling people?

All said and pondered, you're a bit of a ****.

Your post was covered by my second point about being altered by rhetoric and soundbites, whilst the first point was at Kopite.

It wasnt an attempt to overanalyse nor belittle. It was merely being opportunistic and taking the time to point out the flawed thinking of certain individuals. I do, however, appreciate the irony of being accused of belittling whilst being called an idiot, described as pathetic, and being aligned with a word unfit to grace these forums. Good wan.

What I didn't realise is how much of an identifiable philosophy he has

Every manager has a philosophy. Additionally, he hasn't shown this philosophy at Liverpool yet, he has merely spoken about it. That again suggests you have been turned by his rhetoric, and I only wish to instill some caution. This also shows you really didnt know much about him initially - his style and philosophy at Swansea is extremely well publicised. If you didnt understand his philosophy before he moved to Liverpool you must have made initial judgements blindly. Revisionism doesnt sit well with me, that is all.

[dking]

Dress it up all you like. Trying to belittle people is pathetic, and being a hypocrite, whilst trying to sound oh so smart, could well be classed as idiocy.

[Kopite]

Every manager has a philosophy. Additionally, he hasn't shown this philosophy at Liverpool yet, he has merely spoken about it. That again suggests you have been turned by his rhetoric, and I only wish to instill some caution. This also shows you really didnt know much about him initially - his style and philosophy at Swansea is extremely well publicised. If you didnt understand his philosophy before he moved to Liverpool you must have made initial judgements blindly. Revisionism doesnt sit well with me, that is all.

Obviously every manager has a philosophy but I think his would be a very good fit for us.

We can look at his time at Reading and Swansea and picture roughly the way Liverpool will be playing next season so we don't really need to see it in action.

I knew Swansea played good football having watched them a few times, what I didn't realise was his journey to finding that style of football.

Couldn't care less whether revisionism sits well with you. I think most people who saw we were linked with the Swansea manager would have been a bit underwhlemed especially with Rafa available. I'd still rather have Rafa now so I am still slightly underwhelmed. Most people would have found out a lot MORE about him in the last week or so, obviously the opinions of most would have changed. Also speaking about our club the way he has will have made people believe he could do well here as well. No way we could have felt that way before he was given the job. The link earlier about the tea ladies and Shankly is part of the reason I think he will be a good fit. How could I have known that before he was given the job? He strikes me as a similar type of person to Liverpool managers of the past, the ones who built this great club so yes my opinion of him has changed. Anyone not admitting that is probably lying.

[Insipidus]

Each to their own. I appreciate what you are saying but I for one wont be taken in by soundbites, small gestures with tea ladies simply because Shankly did similar, and gut feeling governed by his behaviour in the 48 hours since his appointment. I'll be waiting to see how the team looks on the pitch.

[CaptainPlanet]

There's a nice quote in last years thread after Hodgsons press conference where Kopite says he likes what he hears and thinks Hodgson is going to do good things for the club.

[Kopite]

Nothing wrong with optimism. I'll try and be optimistic about any new manager and I'm not afraid to admit it. What's the point in just slating people from the off. The thing I want the most is for the club to be succesful. For me that means backing any manager from the word go. I would never ever start off negatively because I didn't agree with an appointment.

Don't know what your point is to be honest, I wish Hodgson was still here. I wish that because I wish he had been a success. But he wasn't and he has gone. I'll be as optimistic as possible about Rodgers because he now has the job and I hope and believe in anyone as long as they stick to the values of the club and put in 100%.

@Insipidus obviously I'm not just basing it on what he has said etc. I am just trying to be positive. There's been so many bad things happening with the club in recent years it will be nice to get back to playing good football with the same manager for the next 5 years. If we do that and expand Anfield I'll be a very happy man.

[SRL88]

Its obviously impossible to put timescales on stuff like that, so i shall refrain from making the same mistake as yourselfand merely suggest that our team is only 2 or 3 signings away from being a challenger from the top 4. That of course is reliant on making the correct signings, having the correct tactical setup to suit said players and also not having to deal with 3 big signings being rubbish and our top midfielder being out injured.

I havent made a mistake thanks because what I said is true.

[Insipidus]

I havent made a mistake thanks because what I said is true.

What you have said is not true. What you have said could be true. Equally, my theory that we are only 3 or 4 signings away from a strong first eleven that with the right coaching and luck could challenge for the top 4 next season is also valid. Lest we forget, we were challenging for top 4 until around January this season when the proverbial wheels just happened to stop turning for numerous reasons.

[CaptainPlanet]

We're challenging for **** all unless we can get a striker who scores.

[Insipidus]

That would be one of my 3 or 4 signings then.

[dudester]

Am fairly certain with some good high pressing and better midfield to create chances Luis will score quite a bit more then this season. At times he appeared to be trying to do too much and not the most crucial thing.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Sterling for the first team

[CaptainPlanet]

Suarez got 27 goals and 9 assists in 50 appearances last season. (including international games) That's not a bad return.