Regardless, we have a run of 6 games in the League between now and January 2 that we should pick up at least 12 points. Do that, and we're right in the thick of things for the top 4 spot.
So are we going to look back and say that the Lucas injury cost Kenny his job and his return saved Rodgers'?
In very simplistic terms, sure. But, it was a number of factors: * Kenny's distrust in Kuyt, Meireles, and Maxi. * The failure of Comolli/Dalglish to buy a back-up for Lucas. Or, maybe, the favoritism of "local lads" (ie. Flanno, Robbo) when other players in the youth team (Suso, Sterling, Wisdom) were better? * The failure to get Phil Jones and Ashley Young - which led to Downing as a replacement. * An insistence on crossing as a main attacking strategy when we SUCKED at it.
Just for the record, even with the duplicate posts, RB and I are not brothers. Distant cousins, maybe.
i've just never seen him do anything remarkable for the ressies. and if you can't impress there, how can you move up to the first team when players like ngoo, adorjan, silva, pacheco, robinson, morgan -- players that have put on numerous excellent displays recently -- can't seem to make the jump? i know that some of these players' chances are limited by who's in front of them in the first team, but rodgers has been hesitant to even use robinson in a position we are very thin at. i also just can't pinpoint anything coady does particularly well. spearing was limited in the pass, but was a tough tackler and excelled at tracking runners into the box. i've seen coady make a good pass from time to time, but that's about it. now, maybe coady has improved by leaps and bounds through the summer, and i've only caught 2-3 reserve games this season. it's certainly possible with a teenager.
My question was a bit tongue in cheek, and more a commentary on how much better everyone seems to play with him in the lineup. Its certainly plausible that if he didn't get hurt we finish much higher than 8th and Kenny gets another year.
I never understood this, and it wasn't only Kenny. Hodgson and Benitez often misused him too, and Maxi thrived when Kenny started out. Hell, Rodgers' sale of Maxi also shows distrust, which I found ridiculous. Maxi would absolutely thrive in this system beside Suarez. Maxi is hands down the most misused Liverpool player over the past 5 or so years. He understood Torres and Suarez, made them both better on the uncommon occasion where he got to play with them, and played off of them very effectively as well. I would argue that if we had Maxi playing up front with Suarez and Sterling right now we'd have scored a few more goals and we'd be on at least the same amount of points as Tottenham.
i don't think we should read too much into the transfers of maxi, bellamy and kuyt when it comes to rodgers. it seems that the decision to move those guys on came well before he came on board and i'm sure it was a matter of age and wages. also, who knows if any of those players wanted to stay, anyway? would we be better and higher up the table with these three? absolutely. was it rodgers fault that they were moved on? i highly doubt it.
hmm, I respectfully disagree to an extent. I realize that all 3 players had reasons to move on (trophies for Kuyt and home for Bellers and Maxi), but first off, I don't think Bellamy and Kuyt would have made the same difference I feel Maxi would. I think if Rodgers' wanted to keep Maxi bad enough the owners woulda let him and I'm sure Maxi would have been intrigued by the chance to play more, but it's clear that Rodgers' just didn't feel the need to keep him. That's what I feel was the mistake.
I"m with Poops. Rodgers got told to get rid of the older players on big money. He wasn't going to get rid of the local lads like Gerrard or Carra, so it was those diving furreners who were an easy target to please the powers to be and most of the fans who didn't understand their value.
Rafa didn't really misuse Maxi - he only had him for half a season and he played 17 games. I think he may have even been cup-tied when he was transferred. He's actually the one that went out and got him too so I know he wanted to use him. Probably would have more too the next season if he had still been the manager.