Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

That nearly suggests Kilmarnock have better players than us. We put out a far superior team to them on Sunday not that it looked like it.

 

Course we have a better team than them. Doesn’t mean we will win every game though. With the style alot of these teams play a lot of the time we need real quality to break them down.

 

We did go to Rugby Park last season without Mooy, Hatate, Jota and CCV. We won 4-1. We even had Kobayashi playing!

 

We did but we were well over 40 games in at that point. It’s different right at the start missing all these players through injury and not being backed in the market. He needs to time to implement his style and get his players in.

 

That's my biggest concern. With all the science available to coaches and managers these days you'd think the load would be managed better.

CCV and Hatate are massive losses at the moment.

 

It was the manner of the loss. They were getting shots on targets while we flaffed about with the ball without seeming to know what to do

 

I hate his style though. We dropped * loads of points with it first time round and it would bore you to tears. He couldn't conquer plastic pitches or 10 men behind the ball either back then. And yeah I'm obviously referring to post invincible season here

 

There was no fight or passion in our team and the killie players looked well up for it and looked as though they wanted it more. Reminded me of some games of the past under Lennon or Rogers

 

It's the manner of the loss. Yes it happens but after 2 uninspiring displays it a cause for concern. Yes maybe we will turn things but it's not a guarantee. It's legitimate to at least feel concern but not necessarily panic at this stage. It's more the making excuses rather than saying yeah that was a bad result that I'm replying to

 

He’s surely learned something since then though. We cut through Countu and Aberdeen fine and should’ve scored 5/6 in both games. Once he gets 2/3 in and gets CCV and Hatate back we will have a better idea.

 

Just thinking about the start to the season and where things have gone wrong so far and I do think the full back areas have a massive part to play.

When Rodgers was here before and we had a good team he had Lustig pre decline and Tierney, even Izziguire as a back up was attacking. On the right Forrest provided width as someone willing to take on his man and get to the byline so Lustig could hang back to provide some extra cover but domestically that wasn’t that important.

Sinclair came inside and almost formed a front two at times with Dembele.

See when you compare that to current players, we have two full backs who are incapable of providing the width that a Tierney did for us, not talking about levels more just positioning at the moment. We also have no wingers able to do what Forrest did in providing width in the absence of an attacking full back on the right, both Abada and Maeda can’t beat a man and largely look to always come inside and get on the end of things, more like Sinclair did for us but neither are close to being as effective as 16/17 Sinclair.

So right away we have only 1 out of 4 components really to play the way Brendan did before and utilise wide areas. Juranovic would have likely been a very good option in a Rodgers team.

We then have the centre of midfield issue, Rodgers largely had a core two of Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong, not the most technically gifted two players but in Brown plenty of steal and defensive cover and Armstrong that ability to carry the ball forward and get shots away around the box. You combined that industry with the guile of Tom Rogic who provided the flair, through balls and dribbling ability. We also had Roberts as someone that could play and give us that.

Compared to the current midfield, none of McGregor, Hatate, Turnbull or O’Riley have an engine like Armstrong did or the defensive know how of a Brown, or the guile of a Rogic. Hatate maybe with the guile like Rogic on his day but plays deeper. In the case of McGregor, Hatate and O’Riley they are all individually probably better rounded midfield players but none of them have that real specialist skill set in the way the midfield above did.

Given how we are trying to play just now and where we are in the window and unlikely to bring in enough players, I would like to see Iwata come in to the team. McGregor is going to play so play a double pivot. Then whilst Hatate is out use O’Riley. We need to play Yang until another winger is signed and then one of Abada or Maeda on the other side.

For full backs we just need to get Johnston fit for the right and sign a proper left back. We are very light of the required standard in those positions.

Having a better goalkeeper would help too but sadly we look like being negligent there.

 

Its evident early doors that kilmarnock are going to be a much better drilled team this year, 9 new players and already beaten us, der hun and drew with the diets at tynecastle, all 3 games without conceding also.

 

I just feel scunnered already. The support are divided and if things don't get better I can see it getting toxic. Just feel that if we employed someone that didn't have his baggage there would have been less chance of this happening. Ange got off to a bad start but everyone was desperate for him to do well and got behind the team.

 

We had it good under Ange. There were some issues but I was probably the happiest I've been in my lifetime as a Celtic supporter for those 2 years.

There was a real sense of belief and optimism amongst the support that we were heading in the right direction. Fast forward to today and I can't be arsed with it already. Found myself tuning in and out of the first 3 games (I did have some things to do tbf), but I was glued to the screen in most of our games under Ange.

The window hasn't helped either.

 

Aye a would be happy for him to walk the now tbh, a don't see it getting any better at all.

 

I would happily take just winning the league this season and looking for another manager again in the summer. It just feels like all the bad and negative things that were there first time round are back again. BR doesn't even seem to have the arrogance or confidence he had first time round either.

 

Ffs, thats mental..

One loss, window still open (admittedly our activity has been shocking so far), performances have been poor too albeit with an excellent result at Aberdeen..

Got to be more patient, we're 3 games in to a 3yr contract.

 

Agree with that. He doesn't look interested for some reason. Maybe he should have taken that break from football he promised himself instead of bringing his lethargy here. Let's hope it turns out OK.