Liverpool Half-term Report

Five months and eighteen league games into the Rodgers era, and Liverpool have managed to reach the half-way point of the Barclays Premier League in eighth place. It seems clear that the year of transition alluded to by the manager during pre-season is well under way at Anfield.

Ironic that Rodgers had secured the club the same number of points through seventeen games as the hapless Roy Hodgson; yet the pulse of the club seems much more upbeat.  Just last week there was extensive coverage and talk of Liverpool making a real challenge for 4^th place. Considering the evidence that the last 12 games have seen Liverpool amass the 4^th most points of any team in the league, the talk seem justified. And the large sample size suggests the team have recovered after a poor start, and should be higher placed.

But just how has Rodgers squad compared to last seasons?

Well any comparison to previous seasons would be incomplete without considering the expectations charged to the squad.

Right or wrong, seasons gone by have seen greater significance placed on league position. As the lure of Champions League money was prioritized by the owners over any trophy haul.

Through eighteen games, King Kenny had the team battling in 6^th with a total of 31 points. And it seemed his expensive players were producing, while Steve Clark had the defense looking formidable: surrendering only 14 goals.

Dalglish ended the year collecting silverware for the club in the form of the Carling Cup, yet suffered embarrassing league form; finishing well below the demanded fourth place.

Seemingly harshly dismissed, but he should have been aware of the demands of the owners. 

Conversely, it is difficult to judge Rodgers’ performance of the season thus far, because the current manager’s job must be defined by more than results. Liverpool have been a club without any semblance of consistency or stability amongst owners, managers, and players. The club has truly been a mess since it has last appeared in the Champions League three years ago.

The appointment of Rodgers was to improve the club as a whole. He was tasked with lowering the wage bill, promoting youth, and adapting the style of play to the pass and move possession football demanded by the Kop.

All with the limitations of a transfer policy dictated by finances rather than the quality of players. The budget afforded to Rodgers has been next to nothing considering the departures from the club have removed 25 million pounds from the books; the exact sum of the transfer fees paid for summer arrivals.

Rodgers has demonstrated a quality to revive certain players. Where on the pitch, tangible evidence of positive impact from tactics and coaching can be seen. Turning profligate Suarez, into persistent scorer, and Henderson from lost on the right, to impact-sub. Youth players: Sterling, Suso, Shelvey, and Wisdom, have been introduced into the first team and granted valuable experience.  

So true that compared to last season, Rodgers is short of the mark judged solely on points. But this season began without a required league position, instead with the demand that the structure of the club be improved top to bottom. Health and sustainability is the obligation. But a template for the future takes more than five months.

That is not to say that league should be written off this year.

The season seems to be on the cusp of either being mired in steady transition or with the potential to string a few wins together and demonstrate the class to compete for honors in the future. But for that to happen the team needs to battle some trends that have been the prevalent flaws of the season. All too often, crisp passing falls apart in the final third, or chances are unable to be converted when dominating play.

For now, The Kop has demonstrated patience with the manager, being able to witness the endeavor and appreciating the attacking verve on the pitch.

Hogdson was an appointment born from flawed conservatism, while Dalglish from desperation, but Rodgers is the remedy.