Brendan Rodgers is fighting to save his Liverpool job, with his poor team selection against Basel and the 3-0 humbling at Old Trafford perhaps the final nails in the coffin.
Time looks to be running out for Brendan Rodgers, and whilst the Liverpool boss has shot himself in the foot on several occasions with some of his decisions this season – you can’t help but feel sorry for him.
Reports last week suggested John W.Henry has already looked to replace the Reds boss, only to be talked down by former Liverpool stars and football advisors.
But since the tame Champions League exit at home to FC Basel and a 3-0 humbling against bitter rivals Manchester United, Rodgers is running out of support fast.
A large section of Liverpool supporters seem to have turned on the manager, with his team selection for the draw with Basel perhaps the catalyst.
In what was a must win match for the Reds, Rodgers decision to field Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva as holding midfielders whilst leaving Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana on the bench was a huge mistake.
The performance for the first 75 minutes was of real concern. If the players cannot lift themselves for a must win Champions League game at Anfield, are they going to ever?
The team selection and the tactics certainly did not help, but the way in which Liverpool tamely surrendered their Champions League status having worked so long to get back into Europe’s elite competition was extremely difficult to take.
Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United was a painful reminder of just how far the Reds have fallen in such a short space of time.
A 3-0 win in March saw Liverpool installed amongst the favourites for the Premier League title. Seven months later, a 3-0 defeat left the Reds a huge 10 points behind their bitterest rivals, and facing an uphill battle to make the Champions League during the second half of the season.
Rodgers has earned until the end of the season at least following the heroics of last term, but Liverpool have been on a steady decline since Daniel Sturridge got injured at the beginning of September.
For three and a half months the Reds and huffed and puffed and got nowhere under Rodgers, and it is now becoming hard to see where the turning point is going to come from – if at all.
To place all the emphasis on Sturridge’s return is unfair on the striker, and whilst you could argue Rodgers has been unfortunate with injuries to key players and the sale of Luis Suarez – results this season have been unacceptable given the money spent in the summer.
Rodgers fiercest critics keep coming back to his transfer business. Of all his signings since taking over at Anfield in the summer of 2012, you could argue only Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho have looked good business.
And with the January transfer window fast approaching and the Reds in dire straights, Fenway Sports Group face the dilemma of trusting their manager with yet more money, leaving him to work with a squad that is clearly devoid of any sort of confidence, or cutting ties and backing somebody else to turn it around.
Sadly for supporters and for Brendan himself, the latter is looking the most likely with each passing week at present.
Do you think Brendan Rodgers can save his Liverpool job? Do you want to see him sacked or backed? Let us know your thoughts below.
I have said many times the same things about this so called manager, he is a IMPOSTER and not fit to manage this club. With each passing week he becomes more of a embarrassment, and to top everything else about this man he is arrogant and clueless in both his team selections and his transfer dealings. He will hopefully be shown the exit door by our owners and will most probably walk away a rich man because this is what happens in top club management when you are a failure. So I hope John Henry acts now and not later and save this club from more ridicule. Of course he is not alone in the demise of this wonderful club, Ian Ayre and many of Rodgers back room staff need to go along with him. So make my Xmas and New Year something to look forward too and rid us of the IMPOSTER once and for all.