Rodgers Tactics

After another disappointing result against Newcastle questions are being raised on whether Rodgers tactics are good enough to secure another top four finish. He traveled around Spain during his early career to learn different managerial techniques and has worked under Jose Mourinho as the head youth coach. So, for such an educated manager it makes you wonder how he hasn't been able to get it right this season. Last season he had Liverpool dictating the tempo of the game from the first whistle, closing down the opposition for the full 90 minutes and playing fluent attacking football each game.

New players & Transfer Strategy

However this season he is struggling to get it right, opposition have realised if you keep Liverpool quiet for the first 20 minutes then the game is yours and so far that is the case. Rodgers was recently quoted saying that he is staying up for hours on end each night looking for the answer to turn around Liverpool's fortunes, it makes you think what actually is he doing for that time if he is still struggling to find the the form. He has invested in eight players in the summer but that is hardly an excuse, Southampton sit second place in the league after undergoing a managerial change and an influx of nine players; Newcastle have hit a purple patch after signing 7 players (9 if you include Lascelles and Darlow loaned back to Nottingham Forest).

He has invested poorly in this transfer window and it is now starting to show, he has not signed a proven top class player since his appointment, you would think after playing attractive football and securing a second place finish that would put you in a great position to go and sign some top class talent to improve the starting XI. FSG are trying to implement the 'moneyball' technique that made the Boston Redsox a great baseball team which is when you only purchase players of a certain age and develop them. What needs to be realised ASAP is that this will not work in football you need a strong group which consists of young and experienced players of all ages and you would think Rodgers would know this.

You can only do this type of thing in FIFA but this is real life and the strategy needs to change or we are always going to use the excuse that we have players who 'have potential' but never players who have reached their potential. If you look at the starting XI, Skrtel and Gerrard are the only players that don't need developing and that just shows how dire the situation is and how much things need to change.

Stubbornness

One thing that I have noticed is Rodgers' inability to adapt his philosophies, it's either his way or no way and that is no way to be. He is a young promising manager which on it's own emphasises that he has a lot to learn. Even Sir Alex Ferguson had a stuttering start to his glistening Manchester United career and it took him a few years before he finally got it right and the rest his history. I am going to be harsh on Rodgers now but before he was appointed Liverpool manager he managed Watford, Reading and Swansea City. He obviously done a great job at Swansea making them play great football for a newly promoted side an earn a mid table finish which consequently got him the Liverpool job. However he has never won any credible trophies such as:

• Premier League title
• FA Cup
• League Cup
• Champions League
• Europa League

These are the trophies that you should be aiming to win at some point in your career as Liverpool manager or any top club in Europe. Rodgers has only won the Championship Play-Offs with Swansea City and has not won any trophy that is credible. Yes, winning the LMA manager of the year last season is impressive but he has no reason to be stubborn. If you look at Mourinho with Chelsea he has his team obliterating teams this season and playing great football, he adapts his tactics for the big games and that is what makes him one of the best managers in the business. Rodgers keeps the same tactics each game and what made Liverpool so good last season is that it caught everyone by surprise and we had the SAS up front getting the goals, but this season the opposition can easily predict how Liverpool will approach the game thus resulting in the bad results we have seen so far this season.

Defending

The defense this season looks even more shambolic than it did last season, and once again I think poor recruitment in both playing staff and backroom staff is the source of this. He has brought in Lovren, Moreno and Manquillo. Lovren has purchased to be the defensive leader that has been missing since Carragher retired but what I don't understand is how you can expect a Southampton player lead to lead our defense. No disrespect to Southampton but they don't get Champions League football, Johnson, Skrtel and Sakho are players who have experience in the competition and so does Lovren with Lyon but it has been a while for all players since the played in the competition. You need someone who has played in the competition consistently because then they will have no doubt over their own ability to lead the defense and I think that has what made Lovren disappointing so far, his lack of confidence.

Moreno is a young full-back but as many Liverpool players 'has potential' he is a really good player and I do like him but what needs to be remembered is he is still learning and his mistakes at Man City and Newcastle show this. He does have good European experience after helping Sevilla win the Europa League last season but he is another player who Liverpool fans must be patient with. Manquillo is the same, young full-back with potential but needs time to develop.

The thing that annoys me the most about the way that Rodgers plays is the way he tries to play from the back. He wants the defense to be able to distribute the ball up the pitch and pass it among themselves and he wants the goalkeeper to be good with his feet and be able to receive the ball and send it up the other end of the field. This is not the way to play the goalkeeper has only one job and that is keep the ball from crossing the line and the defense need to aid the keeper' and help him, Rodgers is trying to make them play football and in a perfect world the defense would be able to but you can't do that. Liverpool try and pass the ball around the attackers rather than send it down the pitch towards the strikers and that is what you need to do, leave the creativity to the attacking players.

The way the ball is passed round the back four and towards the goalkeeper and back is a motif in Liverpool's play. However this is one of the reasons that we can't create anything when we are attacking, when you pass along the defense it allows the opposition to get into shape and to mark all the midfielders and the attackers and this is how you lose the ball. I don't understand how Rodgers does not see this and this needs to change if we are going to make this season a success while it is still possible.

Newcastle - Reaction

Just our luck to play Newcastle right when they hit form, and once again we pay the price for poor play, no creativity and shambolic defending. It was another one of those games were nobody on the pitch looked like they wanted to score, I said after the first 10 minutes of play that there was no way we are going to win this game. The style of play never changed from that point and we finally got what we deserved. 4th defeat of the season right before two big games against Real Madrid and Chelsea, which all Liverpool fans will watch but will not hold high hopes for.

After watching the link up play between Balotelli and Borini midweek I can't grasp why Rodgers did not go with the two Italian strikers up front. The team have been painful to watch all season and he had nothing to lose, and once again his stubbornness cost Liverpool another result. This is another fixture compared to last season so far this season where we have dropped points, if you look at the matches that have already been played this season:

• Southampton (H) - This season 2-1 - Last season 0-1 - 3 point gain
• Man City (A) - This season 3-1 - Last season 2-1 - Same points (0)
• Tottenham (A) - This season 0-3 - Last season 0-5 - Same points (0) 
• Aston Villa (H) - This season 0-1 - Last season 2-2 - 1 point loss
• West Ham (A) - This season 3-1 - Last season 1-2 - 3 point loss
• Everton (H) - This season 1-1 - Last Season 4-0 - 2 point loss
• West Brom (H) - This season 2-1 - Last season 4-1 - Same points (3)
• QPR (A) - This season 2-3 - Not applicable as QPR got promoted to BPL last season
• Newcastle (A) - This season 1-0 - Last season 2-2 - 1 point loss

Total: -4 points compared to last season

This season looks like it is going to be similar to the 2009/10 season, more disappointment and this game was no different. Yes, Newcastle were on a 3 match win streak prior to the match, but these are the type of games that test your credibility to be top four contenders and this is an early warning to Liverpool fans telling them to expect the midweek Champions League fixtures of this season to just be a luxury for this season only.

Ayoze Perez's goal was something that should have been prevented, Skrtel is the only defender that plays no part in the goal being conceded. Johnson kept backing off deeper and deeper and let the ball enter the box, all he had to do was go across and put pressure on the player and Henderson can come in behind and cover. Gerrard is too afraid to put a foot in to not give a penalty away, I have absolutely no idea what Lovren is doing and Moreno fails to clear the ball. How hard is it to put your foot through the ball and get it down the other end of the field? Man City all over again for the Spaniard.

At the end of the day this result was just not good enough and I think it is even more embarrassing that fact that I didn't expect anything less. Last season the team feared no-one you would look at the fixture list and think 'right we will win that game, and that game and that game' but now I don't expect us to even win games and now it is just a matter of waiting for Liverpool's fortunes to turn.

Spine of the team

The spine of the team is the core of the line up. It is the basis in which you build your team around the integral players in each defense, midfield and attack as well as the goalkeeper. One of the reasons that Liverpool gaining a top four finish despite nearly lifting the 19th League title last season is due to a damaged spine of the team.

Chelsea

There is a reason that Chelsea are still unbeaten so far this season, and that is because they have one of the strongest spines in the league. The spine of Chelsea's team is:

• GK - Courtois
• DF - Terry
• MF - Fabregas
• FWD - Costa

Mourinho recruited well in the summer, he bought Fabregas and Costa and improved the spine of his Chelsea side. He can now build around this strong group of players for seasons to come, with all of them apart from Terry no older than 28. Terry will be the only player in the spine of the team that Chelsea will be changing potentially at the end of this season or the next, but you know with the financial power that Abramovic brings that they will recruit a world class centre-back to their ranks.

Manchester City

The team that pipped Liverpool to the title last season done it for a reason. Despite their inability to cope in Europe they have one of the best spine's in Europe and in the BPL. Their spine is:

• GK - Hart
• DF - Kompany
• MF - Toure
• FWD - Aguero

Hart did have some troubled times last season when he had that period were Pantilimon was starting over England's number one. However he does remain one of the best goalkeepers in the league and was the reason that is took a late Jerome Boateng strike for Bayern Munchen to beat City in the Champions League after a string of crucial saves. Kompany is without a doubt the best defender in the league and Toure's performances last season made him the best midfielder in the league. Aguero would have been the best forward had it not been for the deadly partnership of Suarez and Sturridge, but after scoring four against Tottenham he is proving that he is now the best striker in the league and one of the best in Europe.

Liverpool

The spine to Liverpool's team is not one that Rodgers can rely on to win games and build his Liverpool team around. The spine of Liverpool is:

• GK - Mignolet
• DF - Skrtel
• MF - Gerrard
• FWD - Sturridge

Excluding Gerrard, not one of the other players who are the core of Rodgers' Liverpool would be able to hold a starting place in either Chelsea or Man City. Mignolet is a great shot stopper but it is the only positive aspect of his game and he is too much of a liability and he will either need another quality goalkeeper in the side for competition to up his game or move on come the end of the season. 

Skrtel is a player that doesn't receive the criticism he needs that might help him realise that he needs to change his game in order to become a great centre-back but time is not something he has as he is 29 and will turn 30 come December. Gerrard has always been the name that never leaves the team sheet but performances this season show that maybe it's time to finally start looking for his replacement and not build the team around his talent. Finally Sturridge was without a doubt one of the best strikers in the league last season scoring the second highest amount of goals behind Suarez despite picking up an injury mid way through the season. However his injury concerns show that he is not always going to be in the side and perhaps Liverpool need another striker that they can build the team around.

Improvements

There are some improvements that need to be made in order to make Liverpool title contenders for the coming seasons. The signings this season are mostly squad players and some are starting players such as Moreno, Lovren and Balotelli. However I don't think any of these players will become crucial to the spine of the team.

Goalkeeper

1. Victor Valdes is a player that Liverpool are constantly being linked with and will not cost a penny as he is a free agent after leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. He is 32 years-old but he still has a few good years left in him and can be the goalkeeper Liverpool can rely on to keep the shots out and improve the clean sheet record.

2. Bernd Leno is a 21 year-old goalkeeper who plays his trade at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. He is a very consistent goalkeeper and has shown his talents in the Champions League last season, he could have a similar impact that De Gea has had at Manchester United and become the starting keeper' for years to come.

Defender

1. The first centre-back who I think Liverpool can sign if they spend big and Borussia Dortmund so far this season are struggling. Mats Hummels is one of the best in the world and is the main defender for the German national team. He would be a signing that would excite fans and a great partner for Dejan Lovren.

2. The next centre-back also plays for Borussia Dortmund and that is Nevan Subotic. The Serbian defender is on the fringes at the German club as they opt to start Papastathopolous. He formed a solid partnership with Hummels before the arrival of the Greek centre-back and signing for Liverpool could be the right move to revive his career. 

Midfielder

1. A player that I have mentioned previously is Arturo Vidal, he is player who is reportedly unsettled in Turin and can be a big hit in the BPL. He will cost a lot of money around £35m and will be player that most likely would be a target for the summer, so gaining a top four place would be crucial towards signing him.

2. A player that has previous BPL experience at Newcastle and is reportedly unhappy at PSG is Yohan Cabaye. He was one of the Premier League's best midfielders during his time at Newcastle and could be available for a cut price deal if PSG are willing to sell. He can be a player that Rodgers can build the midfield around, short-term at least.

Forward

1. One ex Real Madrid forward who is reportedly unsettled at the lack of Champions League football in Naples is Gonzalo Higuain. He has once again reportedly said that he would not move to Liverpool, but money is always a factor and a player who can score consistently and available for around £30m is a player that Liverpool can build their team around.

Capitol One Cup Draw - Reaction

Draw

AFC Bournemouth away is Liverpool's Capitol One Cup quarter final tie. The draw would have been perfect if the tie was at Anfield but I am confident of our chances despite their 2-1 win against West Brom due to our 2-0 victory last season in the same tie in the FA Cup. I am just happy that we managed to avoid Premier League opposition for at least one more round and especially happy that we avoided Chelsea. I was as surprised as anyone to see Newcastle record a 2-0 victory over Man City at the Etihad, but at least there is another top team eliminated from the competition benefiting our chances of winning the trophy.

Chances

I think that after the quarter final draw it will be surprising despite our inconsistent form this season to not progress to the semi-finals of the competition. With Man City out our chances of winning the cup are becoming better and better as the rounds progress. Chelsea in my opinion are the favourites to win the competition but I think that this season Liverpool can lift the trophy for the second time in 4 years.

Predictions

I am personally betting on Liverpool to lift the cup at the end of the competition but that is not just due to biased. Chelsea have drew Derby away from home, which normally would be seen as an easy win for Chelsea. However I see things differently, they needed an own goal to see off Shrewsbury which is something I would expect us to do and the tie is in the middle of a busy list of fixtures including two Premier League games against Hull and Stoke and a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon. The Capitol One cup is not one that will be a priority to Jose Mourinho as lifting the title will be his main priority and I expect him to field a weak side against Derby. Derby are not a bad team so I predict that they will go through to the semi-finals of the cup.

Southampton are another threat to our chances of lifting the trophy and they got a fairly easy tie against Sheffield United but they are another side who should not be underestimated. They had a fantastic FA cup run last season reaching the semi-finals of the competition. Southampton are in great form under Koeman but that was the story last season and towards the busy Christmas period their early season form died out and I expect the same thing to happen again. They have many players who are not going to be able to adapt to the busy period and a Capitol One Cup tie will not help them at all. I don't expect them to field a weak side but I do expect it to be a difficult game but it is too hard to call for me.

Tottenham vs Newcastle will be a repeat of the recent 1-2 win for the Geordies. Their recent form despite calls for Pardew to be sacked is to be admired but I don't think that Pochettino will let that result happen again and Lamela could be the difference between the sides, as the Argentinian is showing great form following a poor first season. I do expect to face a Premier League side in the semi finals but there is a possibility Liverpool could face lower league opposition in the final like we did in the 2012 final against Cardiff. I personally think this competition is the best chance Liverpool have got to lift some silverware this season.

Swansea - Reaction

Another dramatic cup tie at Anfield. In the 86th minute of the game Swansea were on the verge of piling more misery to a otherwise unsatisfactory start to the season as Martin Emnes' volley was the difference between the side. However after an incredible cross from Borini to let Balotelli volley his second goal of the season, and a lobbing set-piece from Coutinho over Tremmel for Lovren to head home resulted in a 2-1 win for the reds.

It seemed to be the same old story, dominate the game and lack the killer instinct in front of goal but the resilience in the side impressed me Tuesday night. The Italian forwards linking up for the first goal was exciting to see, raising questions on whether Rodgers will start with the duo up front against Newcastle on the weekend. I have made my thoughts clear on both the strikers, deeming them both as players who will be gone come the beginning of next season; but I could be ready to eat my words. This partnership could be the thing that sparks Liverpool's season to life and mend the dent left by Sturridge's absence.

Balotelli

I was as relieved as anyone to see Balotelli add another to his tally with a well taken volley after Borini curved the ball around four Swansea players into the big strikers path. Hopefully this goal is the springboard to help Balotelli push on and start scoring the goals we all knew he was capable of when he joined. Maybe the Italian link between the two forwards will be formidable in the coming weeks and perhaps keep Sturridge out the side until we know he if fully fit and ready to be the club's main striker.

Coutinho

Coutinho had another fantastic game last night, he is starting to prove his doubters wrong and showing the form that he showed during his first couple of months for the club when he first signed. His ball to Lovren at the back post was something that has been missing from Liverpool from set-pieces so far this season, Gerrard hasn't been delivering in this area so far this season and Coutinho could be the man the team turn to when Gerrard doesn't feel like he can deliver.

Lovren

Lovren's goal was something I think that the Croatian needed to help him get his season together so far as well, his addition so far has seemed to make the defense weaker than it was last season. However he has showed signs that he is returning to his best form and played excellently against Hull to register the second clean sheet of the season. Despite conceding another goal I am hoping that this game will be that influx of confidence that he needs to become an integral part of the defense for the rest of the season.

My Opinon

A good cup run is exactly what the team need to boost their confidence in my opinion and considering that the league cup is the last one that Liverpool won is one that I think we can win again this season. It is a cup that is worth winning and teams don't take it as seriously as they should and is perfect to rotate the line up and left other squad players push for a place in the starting XI.

To show that the team progressed from last season's second place finish I believe that the team need to lift a cup this season. The Champions League and the Premier League are too unrealistic for us this season I think, as the signings made in the summer need to adjust to Rodgers tactics and I still believe that he did not recruit correctly and still needs a few more signings to make us challengers. This cup will be the perfect way in order to boost the players confidence and to lift some silverware come February.

Defensive Frailities

Problem

As we all know, Liverpool's defense this season looks even worse than it did last season despite the new additions. The 0-0 draw with Hull on Saturday was only our second clean sheet in 18 games. Every week I see at least one article in which Rodgers has said that he will 'continue to work' on the issues regarding the defense. But as each game comes Liverpool continue to concede goals and it needs to stop now if we are going to stand any chance of reaching the top 4 come the end of the season.

Skrtel has been recorded saying that the blame for the amount of goals the team concedes doesn't just lay with just the defenders. His performances this season have been far from perfect but he does have a point, the whole team need to defend not just the defenders. Carragher pointed out during the half time discussion at the Real Madrid game, that Balotelli, Sterling and Coutinho failed to get back and help the team on more than one occasion. This may have been the difference that led to the clean sheet against Hull but the attacking players obviously need to be further up the pitch to aid the counter attacks.

Solution

So this is when I realised the solution to the problem which is the defending of the team and it is that the team is lacking a top quality defensive midfielder. Gerrard is being deployed in that role this season and he is an all round quality midfielder but he was used as a box to box attacking midfielder for years; expecting him to change his entire mindset to play as a defensive midfielder is costing us. Nemanja Matic is a prime example of a top quality defensive midfielder that helps the team so much, yet is so under rated.

Despite the Serbian only recording a single goal and a single assist so far this season he plays a pivotal role in the unbeaten Chelsea side. If you watch him play he rarely ever loses the ball, he is always passing the ball forward and he is the brick wall that protects the defense. That is the type of player that Liverpool are missing desperately, there is nobody in the side that can do what Matic does and keep the defense protected.

Targets

1. This first potential target is one that is very ambitious and that is the reported Man United target Arturo Vidal. He is integral to a Juventus side that has claimed several Serie A titles during his time at the club. He can be tempted away from the club reportedly for around £30-40m which seems quite extravagant, however unlike Matic; Vidal can score a lot more consistently. 

You need to be spending this amount of money to secure the top talent, securing his signature will be more possible if we are still in the Champions League. But Man United did show this transfer window that every player has there price and it is time that Liverpool start spending the money. The only problem with this signing would be the fact that we are under investigation regarding the clubs finances and are running the risk of disobeying FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules.

2. The second target that I have identified is one that Liverpool were reportedly trying to sign and the club would have to wait until the end of the season to sign him, West Ham loanee Alex Song. Song has had loads of Champions League experience at Arsenal and Barcelona and is one of the key players in West Ham's impressive form so far this season. 

There is a reason Barcelona let him leave the club on loan, he is on the fringes of the club and could be picked up for around £7-10m. This is a great price for a player that can benefit the team drastically and help improve the defensive frailities, there is also a chance that we could lodge the bid in January and get his loan move cut short. This is a player that Arsenal have been missing since they let him go and their loss could be our gain if we act quickly.

3. This final target is another who is on the fringes of their club and that is Real Madrid's Sami Khedira. The big German was linked with Arsenal last summer and has been left out of the starting line up for Madrid this season, following the acquisitions of James Rodriquez and Toni Kroos. Khedira can be picked up for around £8-12m according to reports and this is also another affordable top quality player.

If we can beat Arsenal to his signature he can be an important player for Liverpool in the second half of the season and thus lead to less goals being conceded.  

Hull - Reaction

0-0 at home to a side that finished 16th last season. That is simply not good enough, the players know it, the fans know it and for gods sake Rodgers better had know it. Liverpool had 66% possession and 17 shots with only four of them being on target, it was a good display in terms of dominance but once again the finishing product isn't there. I have said that every game this season there isn't a player you look at and think he is going to score today and this time nobody scored and with the game being at Anfield that is not good enough to be in the top four.

The good thing is we have finally got a clean sheet and not conceded a goal. Carragher said that Liverpool just had to focus on getting a clean sheet and not focus on winning which in a way is right but you still needed to be beating a bottom 10 side at home. We have dropped too many points now and it's got to stop before it really does turn into a crisis, as it stands we have done a Tottenham. They had a terrible season last year after selling Bale for a world record transfer fee and the same is happening to us with Suarez.

Rodgers has took that money and invested in 8 players in the summer, and not one of them was a proven top quality player from a Champions League side. Rodgers has let us down as supporters his season with who he has decided to invest the money in. Anyway, the defense had a surprisingly good game and managed to keep a sacred clean sheet. Lovren had his best game in a Liverpool shirt and made the team of the week and was lucky not to break the deadlock getting his header cleared off the line.

Balotelli must have been as surprised as everyone else to find his name on the team sheet and should have found his name on the goal sheet as he missed a sitter at the end of the game to clinch the three points. Coutinho demonstrated what he can do when he is on form taking past two players and putting in a pin point ball to Balotelli's feet for him to swing his foot at the ball and miss it completely. There goes another game without a goal and even though Balotelli put more of a shift in he is not looking the part. Raising the question of whether he is going to still be in a Liverpool shirt come the end of January only a couple of months into his Liverpool career.