Is Brendan Rogers position under threat ?

[Stevencc]

Blatter quits, Rodgers remains, salmon for dinner, ice cold beer in the fridge - what a day this has turned out to be.

 

[G-Dragon]

Rodgers probably can't believe his luck...

 

[SALTIRE]

Blatter quits, Rodgers remains, salmon for dinner, ice cold beer in the fridge - what a day this has turned out to be.

Charles Kennedy dies, and Stan Wawrinka beats Federer at RG, crazy day!

 

[Stevencc]

Charles Kennedy dies, and Stan Wawrinka beats Federer at RG, crazy day!

Yeah the Kennedy part kinda took the shine off the day.

 

[SALTIRE]

Yeah the Kennedy part kinda took the shine off the day.

Aye that was tragic that, he was one of the few likeable politicians who had backbone and strong beliefs. One of Scotland's finest politicians of the last 50 years. A real shame.

 

[smat]

Interesting.

I expect the Liverpool fans have been awaiting my input with interest, given how right I was about them last summer (not that they wanted to accept it at the time). Yes, my branding of their transfer window as a 'disaster' was mocked, but who's laughing now? Certainly not the Liverpool fans, whose club failed even to meet my very low expectations (think I predicted 5th, to howls of derision from the Liverpudlian contingent). I correctly identified that Lallana, Lambert and Balotelli were inadequate replacements for Suarez, that European football would swiftly put paid to domestic momentum, and that the inexperienced Brendan Rodgers would struggle to manage a considerably altered squad on four fronts. How do I feel? Well, vindicated. But I still don't have an apology. I'm right here, guys. In more ways than one ('right' can also be used to mean 'correct').

But unlike Liverpool fans, I don't like to live off past triumphs. It now behoves me to think of Liverpool's future.

The news of James Milner's imminent signing, and a verbal agreement with Danny Ings, seems to at least suggest the Club are determined to act swiftly and decisively this summer, avoiding the dallying which led to the signing of Balotelli as a last resort. The players are both English, which is the same nationality as Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert. But that doesn't mean they're completely rubbish. Indeed, Milner is a good addition. A versatile player with trophy-winning experience, and whose reliability leads to him unfairly earning the epithet 'boring'. His flexibility will especially appeal to Rodgers, who seems incapable of settling on a formation for more than a couple of games. The wages are over the top, of course, but there's no transfer fee involved - overall 'value' will depend on how many millions Liverpool hand over as a signing-on fee, and we may never be told that figure.

Ings is a risk, and a fairly uninspiring one. One season in the Premier League, an encouraging 11 goals, but I have seen few indications that he is a player capable of lifting Liverpool's all round game into one capable of breaking the coveted top four places in the Premier League. Especially if Rodgers doesn't have a plan to suit his game. After all, Rickie Lambert netted 15 and 13 in the two seasons preceding his Liverpool move. In last season's Premier League campaign, the immobile England striker mustered two goals in 25 appearances. But Ings will cost very little, and may even have reasonable resale value when his move to Sunderland in 2017 eventually rolls around.

So far, so reasonable. But as I pointed out last summer, Liverpool weren't going to get anywhere on gambles on potential (Markovic, Moreno, Can) or on proven midtable success (Lallana, Lovren, Lambert). What they needed at the time - and what they need now - is quality up front. Current quality, not potential. Brendan Rodgers correctly pointed this out recently when he said Liverpool need a 'marquee' signing. Supporters of the Club should be glad he has recognised this.

I predicted that Liverpool would fail in 2014-15 in part due to their renewed involvement in the Champions League. Thanks to Arsenal's FA Cup win (the second in as many seasons), Liverpool won't be required to play an irritating qualifier to get into next season's Europa League. But I wonder if Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed to see an early 'exit' sign flicker out. Because do you know what I call the Europa League? I call it the Season Fucker.

Rodgers' greatest success at Liverpool came in a season where European competition was not a consideration. They played fewer games than Arsenal and Chelsea, whom they finished above, and also Manchester City. The domestic benefit of not playing in Europe is not simply physical. It allows a side to focus on one goal, one which they can build momentum towards, uninterrupted. Last season, Liverpool struggled to manage the Champions League.

The Europa League is worse. The travelling involved and number of games played is broadly the same (though slightly more gruelling in the latter), but the lowly standing of the competition and opponents saps the energy out of players. Making it to the latter stages of the competition, with the prize of a trophy and qualification for Europe's premier competition at stake, would soon capture the imagination, but it will have taken a domestic toll long before. Besides which, drop-outs from the Champions League will have made progress far harder.

Take it seriously and Liverpool will languish in upper mid-table in the Premier League, and Rodgers will be fired. Throw the towel in and Rodgers will find himself under pressure for lacking a competitive instinct. It will fuck his season - make no mistake about that.

All of which brings me to the manager himself, and the recent announcement that he will stay. Clearly, last season was dogged by a catastrophic summer transfer window, in which their only World Class player was sold, and a motley crew of Maybe Men were assembled in his stead. Whose fault was this? The ambiguity of the Transfer Committee gives the manager an easy excuse, but I refer you to Rodgers' own words, just over a year ago to the day:

Obviously, I am involved heavily in the identification of the player.

The principle idea when I first came in was that like any manager you will have the first call on a player and the last call.

That’s the call on whether he’s good enough to continue to look at and try to organise a deal and the last call to say yes or no.

The finer details of that are left to Ian who does a terrific job and our other guys in that field who will go through the contracts. I am aware of where the situation is at right the way through the process.

We will never bring in a player here who the manager doesn’t want in. That’s a great credit to the owners and the other people at the club.

Do the cut-price options of Milner and Ings suggest a reduction in trust from the owners? I'm not here to speculate on that, but if they do, Rodgers isn't long for the Club. One could hardly blame FSG - the man has had a wretched season, quite apart from his transfer boobery.

• Described 5th place as 'par' for Liverpool (LIVERPOOL!) before finishing 6th
• Fielded a weakened team away to Real Madrid in a game where everything was still to play for (can I remind you, once again, this is Liverpool Football Club)
• Litany of press conference/post-match interview disasters, including criticising Southampton for a lack of ambition (before finishing just two points ahead of the club he had pilfered, with a vastly inferior goal difference), claiming he had solved Liverpool's defensive issues with a sarcastic 'must be the new defensive coach' comment (Liverpool conceded 48 league goals in total, including nine goals in their final two games), and claiming that Spurs should be winning the title after spending £100m (granted this was last season, but it further demonstrates a comical aptitude for saying the wrong thing)
• Disastrous big game results, picking up one point from six games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, and limply losing an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa
• Alienation of Raheem Sterling, Liverpool's best graduate since Steven Gerrard and a certainty to be a World Class player in the future despite a sometimes difficult season. Just 20 years old.

If Rodgers stays in charge and they don't plough resources into signing whatever Top Top Player is out there (and Real Madrid/Barcelona will inevitably be looking to jettison one or two very good players each), or the damage done by last season makes this impossible, I predict another hard season. Possibly harder. The non-transfer variables are going to be:

• What another year of development does for Sterling (if he stays), Coutinho, Can and Markovic
• Whether Rodgers can finally crack the defence. So far under Rodgers, Liverpool have conceded 43, 50 and 48. No other team who has finished in the top four has conceded more than Liverpool's stingiest season.
• Sturridge's fitness (though they're mugs if they don't prepare for the worst)

And those are just the known unknowns. Honestly, I just don't believe Rodgers is a very good manager - or at least, he remains a very inexperienced one. I think that will be reflected in Liverpool's league position and trophy haul. Here's my prediction, if Rodgers stays in charge all season:

Premier League: 6th
Champions League: Did not qualify
Europa League: Quarter-finals
Domestic trophies won: None

Thanks for reading.

 

[shane]

Do some work.

 

[JaggerCFC]

can not believe I read all of that, some good points.

In particular, that they should try to buy one of the Real Madrid or Barcelona players that always gets cast out. But don't think that's likely given most of these players want Champs League Football.

Don't think they will get a Marque signing either

More young players with potential is most likely, or mid twenties players from leagues that are considered less prestigious (Dutch, Portugal) or at teams that are also in the Europa League.

 

[thespus]

Wonderful write-up, Smat. Though I am shocked that you didn't include a reference to "Welcome Home, Mario (A Love Letter)".

 

[JimJams]

Pedro is one they are constantly linked with. Another option as well is Song. Illaramendi is the only Real player I'd have thought a possibility. Pedro wouldn't necessarily crave CL football either given he's won it twice with his boyhood club already.

Liverpool are probably better trying to poach from clubs in a similar position to themselves in other leagues. Napoli missed out on CL football, so players from there may crave a move for money for example.

 

[Whitechapel]

Why hasn't Rodgers gone all out to get Jovetic?

 

[thespus]

Why hasn't Rodgers gone all out to get Jovetic?

Because partnering him with Sturridge would require significant contribution from Ings/Origi/Balotelli/etc.

 

[Stevencc]

Interesting.

I expect the Liverpool fans have been awaiting my input with interest, given how right I was about them last summer (not that they wanted to accept it at the time). Yes, my branding of their transfer window as a 'disaster' was mocked, but who's laughing now? Certainly not the Liverpool fans, whose club failed even to meet my very low expectations (think I predicted 5th, to howls of derision from the Liverpudlian contingent). I correctly identified that Lallana, Lambert and Balotelli were inadequate replacements for Suarez, that European football would swiftly put paid to domestic momentum, and that the inexperienced Brendan Rodgers would struggle to manage a considerably altered squad on four fronts. How do I feel? Well, vindicated. But I still don't have an apology. I'm right here, guys. In more ways than one ('right' can also be used to mean 'correct').

But unlike Liverpool fans, I don't like to live off past triumphs. It now behoves me to think of Liverpool's future.

The news of James Milner's imminent signing, and a verbal agreement with Danny Ings, seems to at least suggest the Club are determined to act swiftly and decisively this summer, avoiding the dallying which led to the signing of Balotelli as a last resort. The players are both English, which is the same nationality as Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert. But that doesn't mean they're completely rubbish. Indeed, Milner is a good addition. A versatile player with trophy-winning experience, and whose reliability leads to him unfairly earning the epithet 'boring'. His flexibility will especially appeal to Rodgers, who seems incapable of settling on a formation for more than a couple of games. The wages are over the top, of course, but there's no transfer fee involved - overall 'value' will depend on how many millions Liverpool hand over as a signing-on fee, and we may never be told that figure.

Ings is a risk, and a fairly uninspiring one. One season in the Premier League, an encouraging 11 goals, but I have seen few indications that he is a player capable of lifting Liverpool's all round game into one capable of breaking the coveted top four places in the Premier League. Especially if Rodgers doesn't have a plan to suit his game. After all, Rickie Lambert netted 15 and 13 in the two seasons preceding his Liverpool move. In last season's Premier League campaign, the immobile England striker mustered two goals in 25 appearances. But Ings will cost very little, and may even have reasonable resale value when his move to Sunderland in 2017 eventually rolls around.

So far, so reasonable. But as I pointed out last summer, Liverpool weren't going to get anywhere on gambles on potential (Markovic, Moreno, Can) or on proven midtable success (Lallana, Lovren, Lambert). What they needed at the time - and what they need now - is quality up front. Current quality, not potential. Brendan Rodgers correctly pointed this out recently when he said Liverpool need a 'marquee' signing. Supporters of the Club should be glad he has recognised this.

I predicted that Liverpool would fail in 2014-15 in part due to their renewed involvement in the Champions League. Thanks to Arsenal's FA Cup win (the second in as many seasons), Liverpool won't be required to play an irritating qualifier to get into next season's Europa League. But I wonder if Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed to see an early 'exit' sign flicker out. Because do you know what I call the Europa League? I call it the Season Fucker.

Rodgers' greatest success at Liverpool came in a season where European competition was not a consideration. They played fewer games than Arsenal and Chelsea, whom they finished above, and also Manchester City. The domestic benefit of not playing in Europe is not simply physical. It allows a side to focus on one goal, one which they can build momentum towards, uninterrupted. Last season, Liverpool struggled to manage the Champions League.

The Europa League is worse. The travelling involved and number of games played is broadly the same (though slightly more gruelling in the latter), but the lowly standing of the competition and opponents saps the energy out of players. Making it to the latter stages of the competition, with the prize of a trophy and qualification for Europe's premier competition at stake, would soon capture the imagination, but it will have taken a domestic toll long before. Besides which, drop-outs from the Champions League will have made progress far harder.

Take it seriously and Liverpool will languish in upper mid-table in the Premier League, and Rodgers will be fired. Throw the towel in and Rodgers will find himself under pressure for lacking a competitive instinct. It will fuck his season - make no mistake about that.

All of which brings me to the manager himself, and the recent announcement that he will stay. Clearly, last season was dogged by a catastrophic summer transfer window, in which their only World Class player was sold, and a motley crew of Maybe Men were assembled in his stead. Whose fault was this? The ambiguity of the Transfer Committee gives the manager an easy excuse, but I refer you to Rodgers' own words, just over a year ago to the day:



Do the cut-price options of Milner and Ings suggest a reduction in trust from the owners? I'm not here to speculate on that, but if they do, Rodgers isn't long for the Club. One could hardly blame FSG - the man has had a wretched season, quite apart from his transfer boobery.

• Described 5th place as 'par' for Liverpool (LIVERPOOL!) before finishing 6th
• Fielded a weakened team away to Real Madrid in a game where everything was still to play for (can I remind you, once again, this is Liverpool Football Club)
• Litany of press conference/post-match interview disasters, including criticising Southampton for a lack of ambition (before finishing just two points ahead of the club he had pilfered, with a vastly inferior goal difference), claiming he had solved Liverpool's defensive issues with a sarcastic 'must be the new defensive coach' comment (Liverpool conceded 48 league goals in total, including nine goals in their final two games), and claiming that Spurs should be winning the title after spending £100m (granted this was last season, but it further demonstrates a comical aptitude for saying the wrong thing)
• Disastrous big game results, picking up one point from six games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, and limply losing an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa
• Alienation of Raheem Sterling, Liverpool's best graduate since Steven Gerrard and a certainty to be a World Class player in the future despite a sometimes difficult season. Just 20 years old.

If Rodgers stays in charge and they don't plough resources into signing whatever Top Top Player is out there (and Real Madrid/Barcelona will inevitably be looking to jettison one or two very good players each), or the damage done by last season makes this impossible, I predict another hard season. Possibly harder. The non-transfer variables are going to be:

• What another year of development does for Sterling (if he stays), Coutinho, Can and Markovic
• Whether Rodgers can finally crack the defence. So far under Rodgers, Liverpool have conceded 43, 50 and 48. No other team who has finished in the top four has conceded more than Liverpool's stingiest season.
• Sturridge's fitness (though they're mugs if they don't prepare for the worst)

And those are just the known unknowns. Honestly, I just don't believe Rodgers is a very good manager - or at least, he remains a very inexperienced one. I think that will be reflected in Liverpool's league position and trophy haul. Here's my prediction, if Rodgers stays in charge all season:

Premier League: 6th
Champions League: Did not qualify
Europa League: Quarter-finals
Domestic trophies won: None

Thanks for reading.

The pleasure, and I don't use that word lightly, was all mine.

 

[Red]

Good post Smat, you make some really good points. Lallana, Balotelli and Lambert not being an adequate replacement for Suarez wasn't a difficult prediction to make though.

 

[smat]

This is the most humble day of my life.

 

[G-Dragon]

"The Europa League is worse. The travelling involved and number of games played is broadly the same (though slightly more gruelling in the latter), but the lowly standing of the competition and opponents saps the energy out of players. Making it to the latter stages of the competition, with the prize of a trophy and qualification for Europe's premier competition at stake, would soon capture the imagination, but it will have taken a domestic toll long before. Besides which, drop-outs from the Champions League will have made progress far harder."
Mostly good points but Sevilla seemed to do fine. Won two European trophies in two consecutive seasons, equaling the number of Arsenal's European trophies in its entire history.

 

[thespus]

Good for Sevilla. I wonder why Ser Brendan Whiteteeth couldn't get his side to perform as well as the Spanish side? Ceraintly Liverpool have outspent them, despite futile claims defending Brendan that they simply cannot compete due to lack of finances.

 

[mistermagic]

Kinda agree with the end of 15/16 season predictions also. Either Rodgers has a decent domestic start that is hindered by the EL or he starts badly and decides to get Liverpool voluntarily knocked out.

Small piece of criticism on your excellent post, Smat. Liverpool may have fielded a weakened side at the Bernabeu but that side played better than the first teamers against Real Madrid at Anfield. Not Rodgers' poorest move.
I also can't see Ings being the solution to Liverpool scoring problems.

 

[SALTIRE]

Interesting.

I expect the Liverpool fans have been awaiting my input with interest, given how right I was about them last summer (not that they wanted to accept it at the time). Yes, my branding of their transfer window as a 'disaster' was mocked, but who's laughing now? Certainly not the Liverpool fans, whose club failed even to meet my very low expectations (think I predicted 5th, to howls of derision from the Liverpudlian contingent). I correctly identified that Lallana, Lambert and Balotelli were inadequate replacements for Suarez, that European football would swiftly put paid to domestic momentum, and that the inexperienced Brendan Rodgers would struggle to manage a considerably altered squad on four fronts. How do I feel? Well, vindicated. But I still don't have an apology. I'm right here, guys. In more ways than one ('right' can also be used to mean 'correct').

But unlike Liverpool fans, I don't like to live off past triumphs. It now behoves me to think of Liverpool's future.

The news of James Milner's imminent signing, and a verbal agreement with Danny Ings, seems to at least suggest the Club are determined to act swiftly and decisively this summer, avoiding the dallying which led to the signing of Balotelli as a last resort. The players are both English, which is the same nationality as Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert. But that doesn't mean they're completely rubbish. Indeed, Milner is a good addition. A versatile player with trophy-winning experience, and whose reliability leads to him unfairly earning the epithet 'boring'. His flexibility will especially appeal to Rodgers, who seems incapable of settling on a formation for more than a couple of games. The wages are over the top, of course, but there's no transfer fee involved - overall 'value' will depend on how many millions Liverpool hand over as a signing-on fee, and we may never be told that figure.

Ings is a risk, and a fairly uninspiring one. One season in the Premier League, an encouraging 11 goals, but I have seen few indications that he is a player capable of lifting Liverpool's all round game into one capable of breaking the coveted top four places in the Premier League. Especially if Rodgers doesn't have a plan to suit his game. After all, Rickie Lambert netted 15 and 13 in the two seasons preceding his Liverpool move. In last season's Premier League campaign, the immobile England striker mustered two goals in 25 appearances. But Ings will cost very little, and may even have reasonable resale value when his move to Sunderland in 2017 eventually rolls around.

So far, so reasonable. But as I pointed out last summer, Liverpool weren't going to get anywhere on gambles on potential (Markovic, Moreno, Can) or on proven midtable success (Lallana, Lovren, Lambert). What they needed at the time - and what they need now - is quality up front. Current quality, not potential. Brendan Rodgers correctly pointed this out recently when he said Liverpool need a 'marquee' signing. Supporters of the Club should be glad he has recognised this.

I predicted that Liverpool would fail in 2014-15 in part due to their renewed involvement in the Champions League. Thanks to Arsenal's FA Cup win (the second in as many seasons), Liverpool won't be required to play an irritating qualifier to get into next season's Europa League. But I wonder if Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed to see an early 'exit' sign flicker out. Because do you know what I call the Europa League? I call it the Season Fucker.

Rodgers' greatest success at Liverpool came in a season where European competition was not a consideration. They played fewer games than Arsenal and Chelsea, whom they finished above, and also Manchester City. The domestic benefit of not playing in Europe is not simply physical. It allows a side to focus on one goal, one which they can build momentum towards, uninterrupted. Last season, Liverpool struggled to manage the Champions League.

The Europa League is worse. The travelling involved and number of games played is broadly the same (though slightly more gruelling in the latter), but the lowly standing of the competition and opponents saps the energy out of players. Making it to the latter stages of the competition, with the prize of a trophy and qualification for Europe's premier competition at stake, would soon capture the imagination, but it will have taken a domestic toll long before. Besides which, drop-outs from the Champions League will have made progress far harder.

Take it seriously and Liverpool will languish in upper mid-table in the Premier League, and Rodgers will be fired. Throw the towel in and Rodgers will find himself under pressure for lacking a competitive instinct. It will fuck his season - make no mistake about that.

All of which brings me to the manager himself, and the recent announcement that he will stay. Clearly, last season was dogged by a catastrophic summer transfer window, in which their only World Class player was sold, and a motley crew of Maybe Men were assembled in his stead. Whose fault was this? The ambiguity of the Transfer Committee gives the manager an easy excuse, but I refer you to Rodgers' own words, just over a year ago to the day:



Do the cut-price options of Milner and Ings suggest a reduction in trust from the owners? I'm not here to speculate on that, but if they do, Rodgers isn't long for the Club. One could hardly blame FSG - the man has had a wretched season, quite apart from his transfer boobery.

• Described 5th place as 'par' for Liverpool (LIVERPOOL!) before finishing 6th
• Fielded a weakened team away to Real Madrid in a game where everything was still to play for (can I remind you, once again, this is Liverpool Football Club)
• Litany of press conference/post-match interview disasters, including criticising Southampton for a lack of ambition (before finishing just two points ahead of the club he had pilfered, with a vastly inferior goal difference), claiming he had solved Liverpool's defensive issues with a sarcastic 'must be the new defensive coach' comment (Liverpool conceded 48 league goals in total, including nine goals in their final two games), and claiming that Spurs should be winning the title after spending £100m (granted this was last season, but it further demonstrates a comical aptitude for saying the wrong thing)
• Disastrous big game results, picking up one point from six games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, and limply losing an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa
• Alienation of Raheem Sterling, Liverpool's best graduate since Steven Gerrard and a certainty to be a World Class player in the future despite a sometimes difficult season. Just 20 years old.

If Rodgers stays in charge and they don't plough resources into signing whatever Top Top Player is out there (and Real Madrid/Barcelona will inevitably be looking to jettison one or two very good players each), or the damage done by last season makes this impossible, I predict another hard season. Possibly harder. The non-transfer variables are going to be:

• What another year of development does for Sterling (if he stays), Coutinho, Can and Markovic
• Whether Rodgers can finally crack the defence. So far under Rodgers, Liverpool have conceded 43, 50 and 48. No other team who has finished in the top four has conceded more than Liverpool's stingiest season.
• Sturridge's fitness (though they're mugs if they don't prepare for the worst)

And those are just the known unknowns. Honestly, I just don't believe Rodgers is a very good manager - or at least, he remains a very inexperienced one. I think that will be reflected in Liverpool's league position and trophy haul. Here's my prediction, if Rodgers stays in charge all season:

Premier League: 6th
Champions League: Did not qualify
Europa League: Quarter-finals
Domestic trophies won: None

Thanks for reading.

Too soon to answer this till new signings have been made. Some points I will pick up on later.

 

[smat]

Mostly good points but Sevilla seemed to do fine.

Sevilla play in a much less competitive and demanding league, and they only have one domestic cup competition.

Honestly think a lot of English football's problems could be solved by winding down the League Cup. There's no need for it at all.

Small piece of criticism on your excellent post, Smat. Liverpool may have fielded a weakened side at the Bernabeu but that side played better than the first teamers against Real Madrid at Anfield. Not Rodgers' poorest move.

Mmm, but at the Bernabeu, they went for 0 points and got 0 points. If the first teamers had played, maybe they'd have got something and eventually gone through. The message it sends out is desperately sad. We can't win so we won't try.

 

[Humongous Fungus]

I think it's going to have to take a miracle for any team to break into the top four next season. Chelsea under Jose are guaranteed. City will obviously spend some cash if they need to reinforce their position. Now United have regained a spot will surely hold onto it, and are clearly going to break records again this summer. Arsenal in my eyes haven't looked as good for ages, and if Wenger actually buys what's needed could challenge for the title easily. I really can't see Liverpool doing it, and this has to be the goal for them. I think Rodger's time as a Liverpool manager isn't going to be a long one, and it's partly not his fault. But that's my opinion, who do people think they could honestly replace in the top four?

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

City could easily drop out IMO. They seem directionless.

 

[Bilo]

Well, we're unlikely to. But it's not impossible. One out of four teams has to underperform, while we overperform. The former scenario isn't very unlikely, but the latter is. We overperform about once every five years. So 2019.

 

[thespus]

I agree that City could drop out. Wenger has recently spoken about the importance of squad cohesion, and we've seen great turnover fail for big(gish...see Tottenham) clubs in the past. City will certainly be revamping their midfield, and likely their back-line. I think they're capable of dropping out, but I don't think it's likely. They'll still be good enough to finish ahead of that Liverpool squad and will likely purchase its best player. Their inability to comply to homegrown rules without the bizarre cases of Lampard and Wright will mean the focus of their spending must be insular—which can hamper the overall product.

I think it's going to have to take a miracle for any team to break into the top four next season. Chelsea under Jose are guaranteed. City will obviously spend some cash if they need to reinforce their position. Now United have regained a spot will surely hold onto it, and are clearly going to break records again this summer. Arsenal in my eyes haven't looked as good for ages, and if Wenger actually buys what's needed could challenge for the title easily. I really can't see Liverpool doing it, and this has to be the goal for them. I think Rodger's time as a Liverpool manager isn't going to be a long one, and it's partly not his fault. But that's my opinion, who do people think they could honestly replace in the top four?

The last two sentences are interesting. Excuses are often made for Rodgers failure to meet his objective 2/3 seasons due to the perceived financial barrier and the quality of the four sides above them. One only needs to look at the near-decade ('05-'06 through '12-'13) of futility and austerity Wenger was criticised for to wonder why Liverpool aren't trying to find a manager who can excel in consistently finishing in the CL spots while building up the finances. During those years, Arsenal had a net spend in the bottom-half of the league table. Liverpool are in the top four of net spend the past five seasons, even with the £75m sale of Suarez. Rodgers has been in charge for three seasons. Tottenham have finished above Liverpool twice and have accumulated precisely two fewer points combined in that time period. This suggests he is under-performing, even if we generously grant him slack for financial power.

 

[mistermagic]

Honestly think a lot of English football's problems could be solved by winding down the League Cup. There's no need for it at all.

FUCK YEAH! Been saying that for a few seasons now but if only non-European sides entered the League Cup, it would make for a great competition (possibly much more entertaining than the FA Cup). But yeah getting rid is also a solution.

 

[AdrianDurham]

1) Ferguson
2) Mourinho, Ancelotti
2) Guardiola, Benitez, Van Gaal
3) Klopp
4) Wenger, Pellegrini
5) Rodgers, Koeman, Pochettino

Any surprise why Liverpool and Arsenal are a spent force?

 

[Humongous Fungus]

Mourinho has Fergs number, that's why he suddenly retired for the second time when he found out Jose was coming back.

 

[SALTIRE]

Sevilla play in a much less competitive and demanding league, and they only have one domestic cup competition.

Sevilla are not Real or Barca so the games against the lower ranks are tougher for them, and I'd argue that the top ten to twelve in Spain play at a very high level. I wouldn't say its that far off PL standard, maybe not so much physically, but technically they have to be on it all the time to get results against those other top half teams. The cup competition is played over two legs bar the final, so if they run well, its around the same amount of games teams play in the FA Cup and Milk Cup. Then they have the tribulations of the Europa League which they have went all the way through the last two seasons, and despite that, pushed Valencia to the last game of the season for CL qualification.

 

[allouso]

I agree with most of Smaticockle's posts. I predicted 5th with a push for 4th at the beginning of the season and we achieved neither.

What i'd really love to know is, what the hell happened in that meeting with Rodgers and FSG? What could he have said to convince them? How do you justify such a huge spending on crap, a horrible season all around and a 6-1 defeat to Stoke? I honestly think they just don't want to get into paying him a huge compensation fee since his contract was renewed relatively recently. They just thought about giving him another shot and, if all else fails come Christmas, they'll kick him out. Delaying the inevitable really.

 

[thespus]

Sevilla are not Real or Barca so the games against the lower ranks are tougher for them, and I'd argue that the top ten to twelve in Spain play at a very high level. I wouldn't say its that far off PL standard, maybe not so much physically, but technically they have to be on it all the time to get results against those other top half teams. The cup competition is played over two legs bar the final, so if they run well, its around the same amount of games teams play in the FA Cup and Milk Cup. Then they have the tribulations of the Europa League which they have went all the way through the last two seasons, and despite that, pushed Valencia to the last game of the season for CL qualification.

If anything, isn't this all the more reason to consider the appointment of Rodgers a failure? In particular, it highlights the quality of players available for cheap (relative) that a more savvy manager could have targeted.