Had we been playing Real Madrid last night....

[buttons]

And our manager made such sweeping changes and effectively waved the white flag before the game, what would your thoughts have been?

I was actually quite angry last night (no idea why because i have a fiarly strong dislike for Liverpool) but the Real Madrid away fixture is the reason you get into the Champs League, surely? Regardless of what is (or isn't)riding on the game, those games dont come around often.

I think Rodgers treated their club and the fans with complete disrespect last night and I would expect more from a manager of our club.

Completely hypothetical of course but just interested in peoples thoughts...

 

[Davids_5]

We'd be calling for his head... We want any manager sacked if we don't win a game 5-0

 

[E17yid]

Nabil and Pauline would have teared it up, mate.

 

[tototoner]

Looking at the big picture Rodgers was spot on last night.

He loaded the midfield and tried to stifle Madrid, at home he tried his better attacking players against the same side and they were ripped to pieces

Horses for courses and all that.

 

[danielneeds]

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation really. The chances of them beating Real at home are minimal, given how they are playing as a team at the moment.

Yet if all their key players gave everything on Tueday they would be fatigued for Chelsea no doubt. It's a tough call, but managers are paid to make analytical decisions, not emotional ones.

 

[buttons]

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation really. The chances of them beating Real at home are minimal, given how they are playing as a team at the moment.

Yet if all their key players gave everything on Tueday they would be fatigued for Chelsea no doubt. It's a tough call, but managers are paid to make analytical decisions, not emotional ones.

True. But i still think, as a fan, i'd be gutted if we rolled a team out which had struggled to beat Swansea Reserves last week out to face Real! There was no glory (or even attempt at glory) in last nights game.

And i think they had as much chance beating/drawing with Madrid as they do of beating Chelsea where Jose will strangle the life out the game and nick it 1-0.

 

[Mr Pink]

Its a difficult one, I agree with what you're saying to an extent, a pretty large extent, but the only way they had a chance of getting something last night was to do what they did. Frustrate and hang in the game as long as possible and hope to nick a goal at some stage.

Going toe to toe with Madrid and they would of got slaugheterd. With Gerrard and Balotelli starting, they wouldn't of played with that high energy you need to shut down the space Madrid needed to open them up enough, and frequently enough. And Balotelli just doesn't work hard enough from the front as well. Borini offers far more work rate up top.

So if we accept that he went for a more energetic side to stifle Madrid, which is the right thing to do IMO, but what I can't understand is why he didn't start Henderson and Sterling. Those two get through loads of work normally and they have more quality than all who started. Well I can because he was still prioritising Saturday.

Had he started those two, it would of increased their chances slightly IMO.

So he could still of gone with the same approach but could of picked a stronger side to execute it, and still would of had some rested for Saturday. A better compromise all round probably.

It was a bit of a cop out really. He's just thought we're getting beat no matter what so I might as well give my players the best possible chance for the Chelsea game.

A bit cowardly and it does sound out a weird message to the players IMO. That's one of the biggest stages of world football last night and had they nicked a result through a battling performance it could of given them a huge mental boost which in turn could directly affect how they perform against Chelsea anyway.

 

[buttons]

Its a difficult one, I agree with what you're saying to an extent, a pretty large extent really, but the only way they had a chance of getting something last night was to do what they did. Frustrate and hang in the game as long as possible and hope to nick a goal at some stage.

Going toe to toe with Madrid and they would of got slaugheterd. With Gerrard and Balotelli starting, they wouldn't of played with that high energy you need to shut down the space Madrid needed to open them up enough, and frequently enough. And Balotelli just doesn't work hard enough from the front as well. Borini offers far more work rate up top.

So if we accept that he went for a more energetic side to stifle Madrid, which is the right thing to do IMO, but what I can't understand is why he didn't start Henderson and Sterling. Those two get through loads of work normally and they have more quality than all who started. Well I can because he was still prioritising Saturday.

Had he started those two, it would of increased their chances slightly IMO.

So he could still of gone with the same approach but could of picked a stronger side to execute it.

It was a bit of a cop out really. He's just thought we're getting beat no matter what so I might as well give my players the best possible chance for the Chelsea game.

A bit cowardly and it does sound out a weird message to the players. That's one of the biggest stages of world football last night and had they nicked a result through a battling performance it could of given them a huge mental boost.

Perfectly summed up. Had he genuinely wanted to stifle the game (rather than rest players) certainly Hendo and Sterling would have started.

What is it Billy Nick said 'its better to fail aiming high than succeed aiming low' - i'd want my team to have given it a go.

 

[ARMASPUR]

Nabil and Pauline would have teared TURD it up, mate.

Fixed!

 

[TaoistMonkey]

Always go out fighting

 

[tiger666]

Rodgers out

 

[absolute bobbins]

Nabil and Pauline would have teared it up, mate.

Is that you Tim?

 

[Danny1]

Todgers out

Excuse me......

 

[yido_number1]

Its a difficult one, I agree with what you're saying to an extent, a pretty large extent, but the only way they had a chance of getting something last night was to do what they did. Frustrate and hang in the game as long as possible and hope to nick a goal at some stage.

Going toe to toe with Madrid and they would of got slaugheterd. With Gerrard and Balotelli starting, they wouldn't of played with that high energy you need to shut down the space Madrid needed to open them up enough, and frequently enough. And Balotelli just doesn't work hard enough from the front as well. Borini offers far more work rate up top.

So if we accept that he went for a more energetic side to stifle Madrid, which is the right thing to do IMO, but what I can't understand is why he didn't start Henderson and Sterling. Those two get through loads of work normally and they have more quality than all who started. Well I can because he was still prioritising Saturday.

Had he started those two, it would of increased their chances slightly IMO.

So he could still of gone with the same approach but could of picked a stronger side to execute it, and still would of had some rested for Saturday. A better compromise all round probably.

It was a bit of a cop out really. He's just thought we're getting beat no matter what so I might as well give my players the best possible chance for the Chelsea game.

A bit cowardly and it does sound out a weird message to the players IMO. That's one of the biggest stages of world football last night and had they nicked a result through a battling performance it could of given them a huge mental boost which in turn could directly affect how they perform against Chelsea anyway.

I remember Mourinho playing a somewhat weakened time against Liverpool before one of their champions league games last year. Everyone slated him for suggesting it, they played deep and broke and beat Liverpool 2-0 damaging their title chances.

Maybe Rodgers learnt from that and has used the team he did because he thought it would be most effective?

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think people were saying a fairly similar thing when we went to the San Siro against Milan. Whilst we didn't drop all of our best players, we certainly played what looked like an odd system that night.

Turned out it worked though.

As for Rodgers, based on their recent form I think he was more than within his rights to drop everyone involved.

 

[Kushal]

Looking at their recent games, last night's team was actually their strongest.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I think its a bit shit after all that good work most of those players did to achieve 2nd and get into the CL, he then goes and denies them the opportunity to play in it, against the current holders, in their famous home ground. I mean... that's the whole point for getting to the CL right? To play in these big games against the worlds best players?

I'd be pissed off tbh.

 

[Metalhead]

And our manager made such sweeping changes and effectively waved the white flag before the game, what would your thoughts have been?

I was actually quite angry last night (no idea why because i have a fiarly strong dislike for Liverpool) but the Real Madrid away fixture is the reason you get into the Champs League, surely? Regardless of what is (or isn't)riding on the game, those games dont come around often.

I think Rodgers treated their club and the fans with complete disrespect last night and I would expect more from a manager of our club.

Completely hypothetical of course but just interested in peoples thoughts...

The way we are playing at the moment, I don't want to think about us playing Real Madrid, even hypothetically!

 

[yido_number1]

I really don't know what all the fuss is about, I thought they played really well last night and thought the players he picked did better than Gerrard, Henderson and Sterling have been recently. Ballotelli has needed to be benched for a while.

 

[mpickard2087]

I don't see it as a big deal. Looking at our group for instance on paper before a ball is kicked then I would plan to send the weakest team possible to Besiktas. If we cant get 10 points against Asteras and Partizan then we don't deserve to go through.

Same with Liverpool, be smart about things. Madrid away is a game you can 'throw' and use as an opportunity to rest players. If you can't pick up the required number of points in the other games then you shouldn't be in the competition. No right to think about taking on the bigger teams if you cant deal with the relative minnows.