Rodgers: Liverpool are in transition

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits the team are back in a period of transition similar to when he first arrived at Anfield and accepts there will be more pain to come before things pick up again.

The departure of striker Luis Suarez, integrating a raft of summer signings and injuries to a number of players have all contributed to a difficult start to the campaign.

They have yet to reach anything close to the blistering form they displayed in the second half of last season having won just twice in the league and scored only eight times in six matches.

Of greater concern is their defensive weakness with just one clean sheet in nine outings this season and only two in their last 18 games, which incorporates their scintillating displays which took them to a runners-up place in May.

Rodgers denied, however, he was facing the biggest challenge of his managerial career after expectations were raised following last season's second place.

"No, not really. It's an exciting challenge. This is an incredible job and nothing has changed," he said.

"The first six months were difficult here but for 18 months we've been on a magic carpet ride in terms of our performance level and everything improving.

"For me it would have been a case of keeping the squad we had and adding a few bodies to thicken up the squad.

"But that wasn't the case. There was big change here in the summer and we lost a world-class player (when Suarez was sold to Barcelona).

"We had to improve the squad and bring in a number of players and unfortunately we've lost a number of our key players to injuries. It brings us into a little period of transition again.

"It's something that was difficult in the first few months when I got here.

"You have to go through some pain along the way. We are in a difficult moment but that's the great challenge for myself and the players.

"We will look at it even harder and analyse it more just to ensure we keep it simple and keep to the values and ethics of this team - hard work, honesty and concentrating on our performance."

Meanwhile, Rodgers has ended whatever honeymoon period new striker Mario Balotelli was enjoying at Anfield, telling him he needs to start scoring goals after finding the net just once in seven appearances for Liverpool.

The Italian has the chance to do that when revitalised West Bromwich Albion visit Anfield on Saturday after an ineffective display in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat at Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday.

He badly needs the goals and Liverpool, who narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season, badly need a victory after one win and two draws in their last three league games has seen them slide to 14th in the table.

Rodgers made no secret about where the key improvement was needed: the form of the 24-year-old, whose only goal since he moved from AC Milan for £16.0 million pounds ($25.70 million) at the start of the season was against Ludogorets in the Champions League two weeks ago.

"In terms of goals he needs to improve, it is as simple as that," said Rodgers.

"In terms of goals he needs to improve, it is as simple as that" - Brendan Rodgers

"Not just him but any striker is judged on goals and at this moment he hasn't hit the numbers he will have wanted.

"And over the whole team, that is the same. We need to return to the team that brought us success over the last 18 months. When confidence is low in a team, it can become more about the individual."

Balotelli did not touch the ball in the opposition penalty area against Basel but Rodgers said that was not only down to the player.

"That is down to the team. You have to get yourself into those areas but it was about the service arriving in and our quality wasn't to the standard.

"But you also have to be able to score and create goals yourself as a front player and he didn't do that."

Balotelli was brought in fill the void left by the departing Luis Suarez, who scored 31 league goals last season, but has had to shoulder a greater responsibility because of the absence of the injured Daniel Sturridge who has missed the last six matches.

When Balotelli joined Liverpool in August, Rodgers conceded buying the former Manchester City player was "a calculated risk". He now says there were no available alternatives to replacing Suarez as deadline day approached.

"I always said it was about availability and affordability of players. Mario was the one right at the very end who was available for that. I said when he came in that it was a calculated risk and it's something I have to work on to try to make it work for the team."

Rodgers Regrets

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Rodgers: Liverpool are in transition

Dengan url

http://olahragaenjoy.blogspot.com/2014/10/rodgers-liverpool-are-in-transition.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Rodgers: Liverpool are in transition

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Rodgers: Liverpool are in transition

sebagai sumbernya

Olahraga Enjoy