Brendan Rodgers' Overhyping Players, Performances Not Fooling Liverpool Fans
By Matt Ladson , Liverpool Correspondent Nov 3, 2014

Rickie Lambert working tirelessly, Fabio Borini being outstanding against Swansea, a late 2-1 win over Swansea described as excellent, and the claim that his side had almost full control against Newcastle United: It's been another week of superlatives and hyperbole from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers.

While it's all well and nice putting a positive spin on performances and building players up when the performances are nowhere near the desired level, it merely stands only to further disgruntle the frustrated fanbase.

Speaking after the defeat to Newcastle on Saturday, Rodgers told BT Sport (h/t ESPN): "We passed the ball well. I think the options in front of the ball were good but we lacked a bit in the final third of the field."

The claim that Liverpool passed the ball well is highly contentious, especially with defender Dejan Lovren's long-range passing found to be highly inaccurate.

Lovren is a player struggling desperately to live up to the high claims of his manager, with Rodgers having declared the Croatian the leader his defence requires and a replacement for Jamie Carragher. Instead, the only time Lovren has looked assured is with Kolo Toure leading the defence alongside him.

Progress

"We had full control of the game but we didn't create as much as we would like," admitted Rodgers. "We've been punished for a mistake and it's ended up costing us."

The truth is that it was a series of mistakes that ended up costing Liverpool. From Glen Johnson's wild and unintelligent shot that led to Newcastle breaking away, Lovren bizarrely stepping out of the way as the ball came across the six yard box, and Alberto Moreno hesitating so close to his own goal, "calamity" is how it should be described.

"We haven't started how we would like but we will improve," said Rodgers on Saturday, per This Is Anfield. "I think we showed that in the period when I first came here after six months."

That's all very well, but those first six months were a time when there were signs of progress; you could see what Rodgers was implementing and how the side was developing. These opening months of the new season have not seen any signs of improvement; in fact, quite the opposite.

The defeat to Newcastle was arguably the worst performance of the season and similarly the most worrying.

Completely devoid of attacking intent, creativity or threat, Liverpool then succumbed to a calamitous goal—which is becoming the norm rather than the anomaly among a back four into which more than £66 million has been invested over the past 16 months.



Borini and Lambert

"I thought Fabio [Borini] was outstanding against Swansea," said the boss last week, per the official website. He was subsequently left out of the side against Newcastle and used only for the final 25 minutes in an unnatural left-wing role.

Why overhype his performance? He can't have been that impressed if he didn't warrant his performance enough to put him in the side for the following game.

"Rickie Lambert hasn't had many opportunities," said Rodgers last week per ESPN, but, of course, he "has worked tirelessly every day."

Lambert's lack of opportunities is due to Rodgers' choices. The question should be why the manager signed a player whom he barely involves, especially one who clearly needs and benefits from playing regularly.

Lambert needs to be playing frequently, just as he was at Southampton, to play anywhere near his best. His game isn't suited to brief 10-minute cameos here and there.



Hyperbole

We're well averse to Rodgers' hyperbole though, not least when the boss famously dubbed Joe Allen "the Welsh Xavi" upon his arrival at the club in 2012. Such comparisons help nobody, instead giving fans and media easy opportunities to criticise the player.

Did Rodgers not see Gerard Houllier foolishly compare Bruno Cheyrou to Zinedine Zidane?

In the world of modern football, positive PR is all very well and good, as is being aware of the media—something Rodgers is clearly good at—but it can also work the other way. Fans aren't easily fooled, and instead these public declarations and overhyping of players helps nobody when things don't go to plan.

While we're not after Roy Hodgson-style lowering of expectations, Rodgers would be best off toning down the positive spin, as it's not helping himself or his players.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2253982-brendan-rodgers-overhyping-of-players-performances-not-fooling-liverpool-fans?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-UK

Edited by Damo Baresi: 4/11/2014 11:01:04 AM

A fair report imo......as we the fans see it just as it says.
We have kept saying more quality at the back - Johnson has been a liabilty for 2 seasons at least, takes so many wrong options its ridiculous.
Our backline errors are average to say the least - watch Real at home coming up #-o

Lambert was 4mil. I don't know why anyone would be disappointed in him since he hasn't been able to string some games together to get any form. He's 32, he can't play 90 minutes for Liverpool week in week out, and certainly not in the future. I think Rodgers is working on a game plan with him so he can be more effective off the bench and maybe prolong his career here.

It hasn't taken off swimmingly yet, but i think he has a great touch, can hold up a ball well and is good at passing in between lines. Now its just about using that to our advantage in the last 10-20 minutes of games instead of playing through balls to him which dont work.

Rodger's treatment on Borini, at least from the outside looks criminal (Not sure whats going on behind closed doors since it looks like he might be leaving). The 442 diamond is our best formation which we will go back to should Sturridge ever get better. Why are we persisting with the 433/4321 that has not been working when we have another striker that can just slot into Sturridge's position without messing with the rest of the team? Hope he starts tonight

My line up v Real

------Balo---Borini-------
---------Sterling-----------
----Hendo---Lallana----
---------Gerrard-----------
Moreno-------Manquillo
------Lovren-Skrtel------
----------Mignolet---------

Edited by tbitm: 4/11/2014 05:22:38 PM

Well since my last post pre Real - was proved wrong in that, 1nil you can feel humbled but the loss over the weekend hurts once again..........

Should have had a pen at the end but a draw would have flattered us.

This season is a write off.

So Suarez made that team?

What else could have changed on such a level to make Liverpool so poor?

-PB

Not just Suarez, however he did score/create 50 goals last season. He also created space for others, would pull defenders away and open up gaps. We don't get that at the moment with Mario playing as the sole striker.

The lack of movement upfront also causes our build up play to be much slower.

Defensively we look worse than last year, despite our new signings.

We've hardly used the diamond formation that served us so well last year, maybe once Sturridge is back that will change.

About it Pr1mo, our lack of mobility/options up front are very limited.
Mario just can't get in the swing of our style of play - this is stiffling our creativity + out of form he's not winning enough ball to lay it off to oncoming mids or wide. Partly from his lack of mobility.
Last seasons snappy counters had near on every team we played punished - as mentioned Luis's being top scorer followed by Sturridge.
I don't really know what Sturridge will bring when he finally gets on the park, he'll lack match fitness but hopefully he'll lift our movement up front !
Our defense is ordinary to say the least.

So apparently Sturridge injured himself in training again.....

As imno has posted before - made of glass, thats it his season is over, report I read didn't even quote a time.

Another 4 - 6 weeks on the sidelines.

Jedinak dominated you tonight.

Milligan is still better

Edited by vison: 24/11/2014 07:37:04 AM

Our turn



#RodgersOut

:lol:

BB it somehow doesn't get the same reaction/s as your plight at the time :lol: champs to chumps whereas we really did nothing but finish best of the rest last season with the same gaffa.
Going forward to this season pressure surely is building up on BR - similar to the Bale departure we are struggling big time introducing many new players and the blanks up front at presently.
Our GA keeps proving our lack of concentration from some of the back 4, silly errors not marking up and some deflections going against us.
Mind you our attack is blunt. Missed Hendo big time last game. The Count is not the player as last season at present.
There is so much not happenning its not funny, we are not linking well at all and its obvious the guys are lacking confidence imo.
Mind you as grim as it looks 5points off the top 4, much is going to happen for all the coming weeks.
We need a win big time and Lugorets game is a make or break imo.

Wonder what Jan window may bring.

Although that 'nothing' was enough to write 8 books about :lol:

Oh cro - your lot have as many chapters and more :lol:

Arsenal fans are genuinely angry and upset by not winning things. Liverpool celebrated it.

Says a lot about Liverpool or Brendan Rodgers that a 2-2 draw against Ludogorets in which you concede an 88th minute equaliser can be considered a 'confidence boost'

the expert opinions :lol:

So you agree with Rodgers then? You after all did say the Ludogorets game was make or break.

I'm sure you don't believe half and more the jargen arsene spills out to the press after games especially after a ordinary result.
The deflection is quite obvious when I hear him and Roger's was no different his way....spin a positive.
Doesn't mean I agree with him though at your question on the issue.
Yes I said a win is important - I did quote make or break IMO - I prefer the win who bloody well wouldn't leading into the next game at home !
For me the result is crap, that start up squad was good enough to take the win and infact would have Raheem put away that sitter taking a 3-1 lead.
Mignolet is shaky as, I think his form is the worst since being with us, not having the quality forward is killing our counter attack as well as SG sitting too deep in the holding role exposed and not being able to punch his usual pin point ball ahead.

Our errors are shocking to watch, defensively everyone thinks someone else is going to do their job.

Rodgers told Sky Sports: "To go a goal behind in this competition so early, you need a team that is together and has spirit.

"I think the character showed. We are disappointed with the goal at the end but it's irrelevant now.

"We need to win against Basel anyway and we looked at that game at the start of the tournament as the crucial one."

Liverpool headed into the match on the back of a four-game losing run and, far from being frustrated by seeing his side fail to win again, Rodgers praised their fighting spirit.

He added: "I was worried when we went behind and it was a poor goal to give away. But we showed wonderful resilience and kept our focus."

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/rodgers-pleased-despite-ludogorets-late-show#YkWaDgJHzZVTUXrL.99

As much as the game was not much of a specticle he's right that their fight was there what more can you say really.

Stoke always been a bogey game for us - head first Johnson gains us the much needed 3points.
I was away didn't see the game.
Next 2 games won would really help getting back up.

Clean sheet and a win. First half was poor but we controlled the second half for the most part. Mignolet made some decent saves and we created (but did everything to not finish) a few chances.

On to the next one...

Thanks Pr1mo.

What are the odds of Mario going in Jan?

-PB

I don't expect it BUT who knows come Jan there's been no word on anything to date I think.
Might as well buy more midfielders that can score :lol:

I watched the 1st half biting my nails ! what stress Mignolet puts us under when distributing, bad enough our backline gets pear shaped many times as it did through the half.
Much better having SG playing behind Lambert. Sterling was looking better taking them on.
3 - 1 win is what the doc orders good stuff.

Unlikely. Who would buy him?

To be fair, the latest instagram/twitter 'scandal' is a storm in a tea cup.

He's also been the scapegoat for an under performing team. He has't been that bad.

Brad Jones should get a start soon too I'd imagine.

-PB