I think BR was good to his word, playing gung-Ho style in trying to achieve the goals deficit should we match mCity in points. This is exactly how gerrard would love to play it. All out, Roy of rovers style.

Naive probably, but it was such a ride for a team in trying to just nick a spot in CL at the start of our season

Mathematically we can still 'win' if mCity stumbles in the next 2 matches. But realistically to expect their high salaried Grade A & A- players to have a melt down in 2 consecutive games in hand is like...hoping the sun doesn't shine in 2 days.

Not bitter, we didn't "lose" the title chase with gerrards slip at anfield, the title challenge is a long haul task, we werent "fully equipped" in terms of overall personnel (good first team players but atrocious back up squad)

The good thing is we are still a younger squad than of the other top teams. This may augur well for the future.

As I said, it's a learning experience for Rodgers and the players. I hope things will be of certain clarity for gerrard's (playing) future. I have my sentiments (spot) for him.

But I think it's probably right if Rodgers think/planned ahead with post-Steven (cap fantastic) Gerrard in mind.

I don't know. Part of me wish another Liverpool 'Istanbul turnover', a miracle to to this seasons campaign with that elusive trophy.

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 10:14 AM

My observation is that that's not Rodgers style. Last season he wanted to be dominant in our possessions and out-posses our opponents statistically. And of course to win the game too.

This season we outscored almost every other team, 2 of our players top scorers in the charts. We have Suarez too obtaining the best assist in the league.

It's the play that we employ. We venture high into opponents half with intensity and overwhelming blitzerg, that leave our opponents in a daze. Rogers needs to plan to play against slow stubborn teams (bus parking ole' jose tactics). Patience in our play is missing.

Rodgers won't drop his believe (gung-ho) and then to play plan B. That's not Rodgers style

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 10:36 AM

Ok, BR philosophy of the game didn't change.

I don't quite remember we ever sent a bus driver out there, perhaps maybe we got stuck in the mud
Still think it's not Rodgers style, perhaps Jose's, yes. Not I recall of Rodgers

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 10:56 AM

i didn't see the game

but i will say this, the whole team will have to take it from the chin

Collectively we have set out to score as many goals as possible. this is evident. rodgers hinted this prior to our game against crystal palace. We didn't give a shit of how CP might respond. Judging from the made mention of johnson's ventures upfield, it only established what i thought.

Go out & attack & score as many goals. Rodgers believed we can do it. we did go 3-0. To believe we can do it with intensity for 90minutes is well. rodgers believed we can. I think the team tried. It showed from the photos (post game of suarez etc)

I won't single out glen. I think our squad did their best (at our standard of bench). Look, mCity showed how to maintain speed of the game. (we need to learn this), changing tempo/gears. Overall they had a wee bit more consistency in the season. We had composure in some games, time we have a better overall bench to support our first 11.

I hope, i pray suarez will not be tempted by galactico (i'm pretty sure they, Rmadrid will come now when last season they had sights for bale)

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 11:34 AM

Attack as a team, defend as a team.

i suspect our defensive midfielders were able to prevent the CP's strike force intent. kinda plodding down into 3 quarter and bypassing midfielders?



I hard, I'm gutted to see the images of suarez. I truly hate the comments of other fans (today's local radio DJ's, fB comments laughing at what they terms as our meltdown)

Call it whatever,

I wore a liverpool jersey today. I know whatever score , whatever event that happen, i'm still a fan. I don't go hiding if we were 7th place, 8th place or relegation battle.
Many of us are a fan of liverpoolfc over a lifetime, in good times & low times.


Thank you rodgers, suarez, gerrard & the rest of liverpool. You reminded many of us the virtue of LiverpoolFc spirit. disappointment & sparrows, for now. but it will be faith & stronger spirit in the near future
It may not be then end of our season (yet) but we love it still for the ride



Liverpool fans YNWA




When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There's a golden star (sky)
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on...
Through the rain...
Walk on...
Through the rain
Walk through the wind
And your dreams be tossed and blown...

Walk on... (walk on)
Walk on... (walk on)
With hope (with hope)
In your heart...
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.
Alone...

Walk on... (walk on)
Walk on... (walk on)
With hope (with hope)
In your heart...
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.
Alone...

You'll never...
You'll never walk alone...

Walk on... (walk on)
Walk on... (walk on)
With hope (with hope)
In your heart...
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.
Alone...

You'll never walk...
You'll never walk alone...

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 12:14 PM

65% possession, 26 shots, 9 on target



with the draw, even rodgers have conceded the fight (bar a super mCity meltdown)

Rodgers concedes the title push

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 12:39 PM

rafa is a perfectionist, its just too bad he didn't have the support from the board

That being said, rodgers will learn from this. I can't emphasise anymore then i have respect of BRodgers to learn his mistakes. Technically I would rate him behind rafa, and for now even behind houllier. (i know some will verdantly disagree).

Well, it bolls down to having to make changes to the team with substitutes that stabilise or improve the team (win). many or most of rodgers sub inclusions have been (in my opinion) not help greatly. We starts of well no doubt. Both houllier & rafa never had several speed demons with skills to match in the likes of suarez + sturidge + sterling + courtino.

It's my opinion anyway. I thnk rodgers will access the season as a whole. we never have real quality on the bench. its still a good season overall to me.
The consensus is until we win a trophy (with BR at the helm), we are building as a team, we have a youthful squad, we don't want to be a wannabee, even wenger with his attractive philosophy football won trophies before.

The disappointment will be our motivation next season & beyond.

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 01:38 PM

but we did fall to hull

ok, agree on the score about having players express themselves (BR ) but we need a tight rein. Fergie was able to exploit the league ruthlessly because he knew how to play it like champions. How often ManU would seize all the point at the death of the game. (jokes are made of the famous fergie time). Partly may there is some truth but it all boils down to patience. holding fort after nicking a goal, and blitzing them when opponents are tired towards the end.

This season we always score early (stats proved that) & we piled on it. it's probably excellent given that a match is won by scoring & scoring more we did. we score a lot vs they (opponents) could score (more).

The league is a long haul. perhaps in the last 2-3 games we are now seeing the 'stretched' liverpoolfc. We weren't really tested (physically) the whole season in the way where we we have tough mid week games hence coming to the crucial ending week(s) there seem to be lack of 'energy' in a players reserve (not bench reserve)

We tried hard to play fast 90minutes agasint chelsea. god knows how hard we tried to pound. IN every difficult match, the post matches is and can be mentally draining. just look at galactic real madrid's post CL bayern massacre. Against "a shouldn't be too difficult game" but they drew and drew indeed.

Brendan is quite an idealist, I won't hold it against him. He has brought back believe into liverpoolfc. Honestly i don't want him to be too (or overly) pragmatic on his approach to his players on how they are set forth. But we need to be able to shift gears in the game. There is not one game we 'toyed' with opponents. Blitz opponents we did, on almost all our wins. But shifting to sitting back for a while & conserving energy to hit opponents again (as you also mention)

This is where perhaps that's why andrea pirlo is viewed legendary in his role. he leads & he influence the tempo of the team. Gerrard can learn from him given the years has wilted his bravado runs.

I viewed it that Liverpoolfc season has played exactly how the comics that depicted gerrards childhood's influence (the great roy of rovers). idealistically

that being said will brendan pull gerrard aside? hamann sat back and only ventured for free kicks & corners (if at all)

granted he (gerrard) is still feels the need to go upfield. even at 1-3?

How do you coach the captain?




in the end, i said deep inside i wish for an istanbul miracle.

MCity fall to aston villa? MCity fall to west ham?

everyone mentioned its merely a minor speed bump for them

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 6 2014, 02:41 PM

Excellent piece by tomkins. haven't been keeping in touch with his pieces post rafa. Me bad

They probably cannot commprehend the meaning of 'spending big' (like how mCity & Chelsea). They often denied it even though they were the ones who probably began the trend (shifting goalpost as usual, so to speak )

We wish, secretly we all do cling on that remote feeling.

Will will look forward for the future, quality reinforcements, not just hearsay we did quite well this season without better quality at the bench. The squad will be taxed with champions league games, lots more traveling, will definitely put a huge strain on the squad if we only just maintain and add feeble additions.

I'm looking forward if Rodgers has an eye more for reinforcement in the midfield (first), second defense. While I know the defense is leaky in goals. I think our midfield is more important in the aspect we play with such high intensity, our current midfield is then too meek facing an onslaught by the opposition, we can't just leave the defense to soldier the opponent attacks alone in the second half.

Overall we may feel gerrard has done ok in his department, but remaining of Lucas, Allen, Henderson & courtino is a little too lightweight given we now have to content with further midweek workloads.

Gerrard needs a understudy, we need one real bad. His service for us in the years is exceptional, but we cannot cling and hope for him to shoulder us (even in a walking stick!) He has shown his influence in many games for us this season. The freekicks, the penalties are as important to us as he is decisive in his actions. (I do miss jonjo shelvey, flawed in some ways of his game but wasn't gerrard too has his minor flaws)

Of the several, I'm look forward to adam lallana. He looks promisingly ok. Seems a hefty price tag attached.

I hope we can do business sanely this summer without Real Madrid distracting us with a Suarez bid. That the last thing I want. If I know Real Madrid, the won't take a simple no. The episode with pursuit of bale certainly wasn't conducted
In a simple manner. That I felt caused a disjointed effort by spurs this season simply because a large influx of players were included with lesser or no core within that team.

Some of the other names that I saw linked to us
Ogenyi Onazi, Antoine Griezmann, Roberto Firmino, Micah Richards, Marcos Rojo

Not sure if any of these will materialise, but I hope we land them (if they are Rodgers targets). 60mil isn't a lot if one compares to the potential of manU, mCity and Chelsea's bank account. Doesn't matter it take a little negotiation to land quality, proper quality players.

It's far far better than to have 'done our business's' early but with rather less impressive, slightly laughable quality. Coming of the bench that doesn't offer any improvement to the team but more anguish instead

This post has been edited by koolspyda: May 8 2014, 08:51 AM

Hhaha it would be an ideal snenario.



Not to spoil too much with overoptimism. Both Everton & Aston villa said they will do their best but mCity showed whose the boss.

They have too much talent that even turning up at west ham would almost but guarantee them a point.

Like I said, I take nothing away from what we have achieved, we have been brilliant despite a lean squad.

And to the ManU fans, Chelsea fans or totenham fans who are laughing at our seemingly flattering campaign to the title challenge, I will just smile. We are in champions league next season, to those ManU fans who jibe at us for not being in European stage this season (you know pesky ones who trolled here constantly). Go look at your past ManU posters because you have no European champions league to play next season

Which is why I want wenger's arsenal to win the FA cup. They been castrated for playing good football but poor defending. He wenger has never compromised his philosophy. Jose meanwhile adapted that it's "winning" is all that matters, hence coined the term "specialist in failure" for wenger. I don't doubt Jose is the type with winning mentality to instill on his team. How they both go about it are almost polar opposites.

Rodgers Liverpool this season has been praised for it's attacking and also some critique were at our almost lack of 'defenders' defending. Rodgers would prefer to continue to adopt that strategy (our vs Chelsea game is an example)

Will Rodgers be more pragmatic next season? Or would Jose have another pot shot at Rodgers to be another wenger 2?

Expected result.

Congrats mCity. The classy assembled team with a classy manager.

Congrats livepoolfc for doing something most critics bet was impossible. We were suppose to get or fighting for 4th -6th place. No business in a title challenge

Manu fans are not happy we 'took' their spot up there, fighting for championship on the last day, so many vowed that they will do a "Liverpool" next season (being out of Europe & fresh for league games). If they do, I look forward in watching LFc hammering their leaky defense the.

Congrats Chelsea, for being their best by having the special one proving he's one of a kind. With fergie now retired, the league needs some entertainment


We go again. YNWA

Thought on lallana ? Suppose to tied up to us before WC.

Though, if he is good, I'm pretty sure the money men will come.

Here we are sighting tier 2 type of players, ...
Out of Europe, Manu is targeting "Kevin Strootman" (roma) Louis van Gaal is also targeting Bayern Munich's Toni Kroos. (Reported). Talk about thinking big. No not jealousy, but I suppose we shouldn't be complaining much if we were pipped for trophies if our bench is again 'questionable'

It will be interesting how Rodgers plan to beef up our squad. I still think despite our leaky defense this season, we are terrible in the midfielder of talents for choise.

In our last game today, I thought Allen was largely ineffective. No edge for the attackers. It was only after courtino was introduced in Allen's place did we look like the Liverpool who can "play" and win.

i think more energy is required to be upfield.

many legendary centerbacks excelled even after their supposedly 'prime' years.

Gerrard needs to adapt a little more, Some times he need to "have faith" given at times he feels he need to "carry the team". granted we suck in some years where many have labelled us as 2 man team.

Rodgers wants to change that. We are still not there "yet", but in time hope BR can do it.

As much as i love to gerrard, and we all know his contributions are still massive, we need a new "leader" (in a younger way).

congrats suarez

Even though there is a hater from someone from you know where la

scary if it means the likes of players like appas



sturridge & courting were acquired midseason if i remember. any stand outs from early signing last season?

We see if the same will befall to manu, given tht they are out of Europe altogether. see if the said likes of (supposedly targeted) top players like arjen robben etc will join. Though knowing arjen has been more of a mercenary nomad player