Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

He’ll decide what positions he needs to strengthen and the type of players he needs to strengthen it with. Judging with the speculation this summer, LB and a solid DM wasn’t in his plans to do it with.

DM I’m more sure of, because the one that we have that looked promising in Iwata hasn’t had a look in beyond RB and maybe 8th/9th choice CB?

 

Personally I think Rodgers is more involved than that, not just positions, but picking out targets and insisting they are the focus, and it backfired as we missed out on them and the window slammed shut.

Certain he's not happy with the window but don't get why so many think the manager in place had no say in the summer signings.

 

That’s what I meant with ‘marquee’ sort of signings. We won’t invest a lot without it being absolutely 100% Rodgers driving it, if he’s unsure of it but thinks ack I think I could use him we wouldn’t put big money and wages in.

There’s zero doubt that he’ll have targets of his own and would go for it, Nawrocki is 100% one of them.

Also zero doubt that he’ll be working with our recruitment team as well. Infact, just look at the signings early in summer for that. Yang, Kwan, Holm… aye that’s between recruiting team and probably Ange’s targets, but he’d have ran the rule over them to confirm when he got in as manager as well. We’re not a club that like to needlessly spend money, we aren’t a club that like spending money at all infact.

Mark Lawwell also being on charge of the recruitment department though, I don’t think we realise just how much of a reputation he has in football because his last name. He was a major player for the City Group, not just a part of the cog a decision maker and one who shaped a massive money project there.

Guy’s reputation goes before him, Rodgers coming back in fresh from the Premiership would have no qualms about working hand in hand with somebody like that. I hope by January we can see the benefits of that, this summer was rushed.

And the fact we were flying here there and everywhere, on flights to different timezones instead of on a training pitch,didn’t help. Also convinced it hasn’t helped us injury wise the start of the season either btw, can remember the same happening under Lenny and WGS. WGS eventually said don’t care if it gives an extra couple million it stops because it’s a hindrance

 

I think Holm is a good sign, we're signing a player with massive potential before he's ready to be in our first 11. Arguably Lagerbielke is too. He looks like he has potential and if not for the injuries to Nawrocki and Phillips, wouldn't be starting a CL match. It just looks bad at the moment because he did have to start big matches and currently (at this stage of his development) is a clear downgrade on Starfelt. But he'll be 3rd or 4th choice when everyone is fit.

I've said a few times since the window that I don't have a problem with who we did sign (I've argued at length about how difficult it is), although admittedly I might have let my frustration get the better of me after this last game. My problem (sorry to be a broken down record) is with who we didn't sign. I guess there's no clear evidence either way, but much as Taz can't believe that Rodgers wasn't given a lot of say in our transfers, I can't believe that Rodgers didn't want a new LB and GK.

 

And surely it's also a big part of why we're still in transition between Ange's style and Rodgers'.

 

I think if Ange was still here we’d be buzzing about some of the guys brought in a lot more than we are now. Also think of Jota never got sold, something that I don’t think anyone seen coming this summer but the money and Saudi’s blindsided everyone, we’d be a lot happier.


Absolutely still moany, but a lot happier. The baffling thing for me from what I thought was absolutely something required that we didn’t do, and weren’t really linked with anyone that plays there, is up front. We have 3 options, Kyogo, Oh, Maeda. Happy with they options but there’s the Asian Cup they’ll be missing and S. Korea and Japan are going to be making the depths of the tournament. Then I’m now more worried, because Yang I think will nail down a spot with Abada away and he’ll be there as well. Then Hatate added in… we have the option then to delay games due to the more than 3/4 players I think it is called up internationally rule, but then theres potentially 2/3 weeks of games missed.

Then playing catch up, and gruelling schedule to find midweek spots to actually play the games. It’s a situation that is unprecedented I think. The closest is Mane and Salah at ACON at Liverpool and that pales in comparison, but the two most important players. Think they had another away, Keita? So they had the delay option.

They didn’t go for that because it’d * up the schedule and be playing so much catch up in an already gruelling schedule

 

Aye, 100% is for me mate. Then add in injuries and us scrambling for makeshift defences and midfield to an extent, then Abada as well who I think we planned a lot around judging by pre-season.

Transition is getting harder and harder because we’ve not had a real chance to have the guys in place it was building around.

Think it was to be built on the foundation and calmness on the ball that CCV and Nawrocki would bring. Hatate I think was always going to come back in for Turnbull but was getting a wee boot up the hole as a reminder that form last year doesn’t matter, Turnbull was trying harder and outperforming him, soon as he came on for him at halftime when he could prove that… injured.

We won’t settle until after winter break now, but then its the Asian Cup. We’re in for a patchwork season working it out on the pitch, with players we hope can fill in, until late on in the season. We’ll be looking at Feb/March until it proper clicks I think.

But it won’t all be like the way we’ve started this year. It’ll be a steady improvement I think. And gives us space for some surprises like Scales so far. I * hope he keeps this up and kicks on further, because the boy deserves it, he has ability and some talent that we couldn’t afford passing wise in a player thats got all other attributes you want in a defender.

And I * love when a guy gets a chance and was near away but for a freak set of circumstances then cements a place. Last one was Christie. Loved him outwith a season a can’t quite remember


His wee cameo under Ange before he left, I’m glad that gave me a reminder of it.

 

Hadn't realised that. Another reason to keep and blood Vata in as a striking option.

Not sure who else would even be another option. Mikey Johnston or Forrest is as close as I can get. That's depressing.

 

Vata for me is a pure winger and flinging him up top would be as unfair as what we done with Mikey Johnston twice putting him up top against them, and then using him as like for like as Eddy and think Dembele before him. Think it was two seasons apart doing it to him.

As it is, we won’t see Vata this year, he’s 100% away on a free doesn’t want a contract and we won’t ‘waste’ time on him because of it. Which is * I think, because a chance and cementing his place could be a bonus for both him and us.

On the Vata note btw, I recently talked to somebody involved in the Irish youth setup, pure coincidentally in the company of and asked what he thinks of Celtic and got told they advise young Irish players who are fans to stay away, because we don’t have a pathway to senior football.

But also say to consider if it’s a good offer money wise, because it might be the only time they get it. Apparently we’re quite good payers for that level, outwith top English teams and youth players know that and can seek it out.

I was thinking bout that for a while, not sure if I like that, and it’s one coach at like u-15 odds, that I had to google to confirm he wasn’t full of *, but see if we’re seen as a payday for youngsters that aren’t good enough for academies down south, it feels like the wrong mentality to bring in regardless of talent. I’m a full paid up member of the Ange style of recruitment, mentality and personality is the most important. You need that to do anything with the talent.

Again, Kieran Tierney. Another guy we got rid of who gained that mentality due to being let go and needing to work his way up - Andy Robertson.

I’d love to know what our criteria is.

 

He said he's not a fantasist, and that he's willing to adapt the playing style in Europe. Good. Playing out of the back and a high D-line must go. If he adapts to the realities he mentioned, I will start liking him.

 

We come out the transfer window weaker than we went into it. Then post financial results showing we are in the land of milk and honey. It all points to a complete lack of vision and ambition in the boardroom.

 

I usually agree with you mate, but I think this is the is the type of attitude that has now seeped into a lot of our fans after years of being told we cannot compete by Lawwell. Even though his own salary competes with others at that level worldwide.

I think what was confirmed this summer, is that this board simply doesn’t have the capability or vision to take us forward, even though we find ourselves in the best financial position we ever have.

The wage argument has been done to death. I personally think it’s a lot of nonsense for reasons I’ve previously said. Again, I think this is an argument people have used to defend our biscuit tin mentality when it comes to transfers and it has stuck.

 

You ask any manager and they'll always want another two signings in during the window.

This is different and something we all thought. I'm assuming he wanted the same positions filled that we all knew we needed at the end of the January window.

To bring a manager in and not throw money about is a weird one. We don't win anything with the amount of money we've accumulated in the bank. You need to spend some of it.

 

What a mental few months btw. If you'd have told me at the turn of the year that by October we'd have Brendan Rodgers back in charge - and actually have a degree of sympathy for him too - I'd have told you to put the pipe down.

 

I'm wondering if even Rodgers was misled about how good our finances were?

Was told we have x to spend and we finish the window a clear 2 of 3 players short and make a net profit on fees. Only to then see we have 70mil in the bank.

He won't hang about if he doesn't get backed

 

There is a certain limit to the money we can pay out, that’s unquestionable mate.

And when you raise that bar, other big performers want a slice of it as well. Or do you think they’d happily sit £30k less a week than a couple players they’re potentially outperforming week on week?

 

If they are being outperformed then we won't renew the contracts and the best performers can get those wages if they don't leave or get sold. Got to take a risk sometimes.

 

Being outperformed by Carter-Vickers or Kyogo or Calmac doesn’t mean you’re a bad player btw. That was my point.

There’s a ceiling to how high we can feasibly offer wages. Don’t think that’s a particularly controversial point, more just factual. We could afford one player, £200k a week. That’s £10m in a year. Easily could afford that. Doesn’t mean we should.

 

Surely we can offer bigger sign on fees to negate the wage issue to an extent? No point 70m sitting with another 40+ on the way. Unless we're secretly saving a 100m+ to finally sort the stand out and create a proper bowl.

 

That’s the route I’d want us to go down. Especially to free agents who would usually require a big fee.

And after our wage revamps in the summer with contracts dished out here there and everywhere, does anybody have a clue about how much we’re paying now? There wasn’t a whisper of a figure in all the renewals we done.