Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

The bottom line is, and even Hart mentioned it in the closing stages, he "left it in the players hands".
He didnt change it. Didnt switch it up, try a different approach, make a sub at the end to try to change the dynamic...

He stood and watched 90+ minutes of turgidity, and as Hart put it "made subs like for like, to see what his players can do, see the big voices in the team push everyone".

Whilst i wouldn't call it lazy management, it certainly wasnt inspired, and it was far too cautious. As if all all his eggs are in the YB basket and a point was a step further, and better than nothing.

A win there tonight and one against YB, sees us qualify straight through, according to the metrics, with a 90 odd percent chance certainty.
A win protected us against a YB upset, and a possible duffing by Villa.

This wasnt a missed opportunity to me. It was poor management.

Not taking too much away from Dinamo, they defended superbly at times. But a single on target shot against a side utterly ravaged by injuries and low of confidence, with less quality than us (by a fair margain imo) is a * show.

Disgusted if im honest.

 

Then compare performances to this time last year... I'm much happier with where we're at

 

Folk are getting far too carried away.

 

Disappointed in his obviously conscious decision to take a safe point. No risk was taken.

 

Must be a headache for Rodgers, we've gone from "not pragmatic enough" to "that's too pragmatic".

There's a Goldilocks joke in here somewhere. Let's hope the performance against Young Boys is "just right"

 

Dinamo had a makeshift midfield, though. I think we didn't test them enough.

 

He’s transformed us in Europe. No longer a laughing stock, we have come a long long way under his management. Brilliant manager.

 

I agree that there were probably three points up for grabs yesterday. I feel like we just lacked in the chance creation and finishing departments, players didn't have the bit between their teeth. Hatate is now a wasted jersey in these games. Maeda looked well off it. Idah should have started.

 

Also, people want us to be more pragmatic in Europe and not so attack minded we lose every game..

We've definitely seen that in this campaign, Dortmund aside.. we were poor yesterday but we come away with an important away point in Europe that sets up nicely.

We move on to Hampden where BR, has been impeccable.

 

I don't get folk. A full week before this game people was * themselves. Lucky to scrape a draw etc. Yet because we convincingly got a draw it's a disaster and we played bad.

A point away in the champions league. Have a word. Thats a cracking result. Onto lifting the cup and wrecking the huns Christmas yet again. * yassss

 

Last night was a different kind of * it. Hesitant and scared to lose...and it almost backfired. They had some good chances.

 

Pragmatism means approaching and dealing with realities in a manner that leads to the optimal outcome.

It doesnt mean playing in safe. It means if youre facing world class sides, you dont dont go gung ho and expose your weaknesses.

It also means if your facing inferior sides with a makeshift line up, going through a horrible run in form and an injury crisis, you take advantage.

That was not pragmatic last night. It was overly cautious and short sighted.

This is the key difference here.

An Ange side would maybe have lost to brugge. An Ange side also would've rattled 3 or 4 past that team last night.

Being a pragmatic manager means accepting limitations, not inventing them.

 

The part in bold, what proof do you have of that?

Ange was abysmal in Europe for us, far worse than Rodgers was. Done well against Ferancvaros, Had one good game against AZ Alkmaar and a good first half against Real Madrid, but Ange also failed to beat a very mediocre Shaktar Donestk side over 2 games, and we should have lost at home to them as they missed a sitter after they scored. He failed to beat Leipzig at home like we've already done this season, and in the Conference league, Bodo Glimnt completely outclassed us over two games.


There's a 0% chance Ange gets a point away in Bergamo, and Ange failed to beat Leipzig at home when he faced them, it was a comfortable 2-0 victory for them.

 

They were incredibly poor and basic for me..

Doesn't say much for us though either..

 

, Young Boys came is high-pressure game at home, hope the stage fright doesnt get to them and they get a result. He has to go for it, there is no other choice.

 

I'm also glad we got, according to the supercomputer, the easiest draw out of all the CL teams this year, helped us develop ourselves at this level which more often than not you dont get

 

I thought they were good defensively tbh. Full backs played our wide men well.

 

I was proper wound up after last night and it's because I believe we were passive and didn't set out for the win, which we could and should've..

I get that we're now more streetwise in Europe, away from home also after Dortmund....but this wasn't Atalanta. We did our bit in restoring pride and belief with fantastic results home and away. This was just so negative for me though..

It was like we were scared to make a mistake. We should be past that after Atalanta away and even moreso Leipzig at home..

Can never grumble too much at collecting something on ghr road but in terms of Rodgers style of play and beliefs, us growing on this stage....I feel like it was a step back from the previous games..

Last night winning a game we were rightly favourites for, would've taken us to that next stage in this squads development, away from home..

It was just super flat..