Nottsgriff

From the day he was hired: "Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre also explained there would be a new set-up on the football side. He said: 'The structure, and Brendan is aware of this, is a more continental director of football type structure, a collaborative group of people working around the football area. 'We don't expect at this moment in time to have a director of football per se but a group of people working with Brendan to deliver the football side of it.' Rodgers added: 'That [a director of football] was something I made clear I couldn't work with. 'What you need is an outstanding team. We will form a technical board that will have four or five people that will decide the way forward.'"

Sahin is going to be a tough one for Rodgers. He's class, and could have a major impact on our season. But he's clearly miles off the pace, and carrying him as a total passenger was a big reason that we were dominated in midfield at times yesterday. He'll only get up to speed with Premiership games though, and our next few fixtures are going to be tough. So do you pick him knowing that it weakens the midfield while he gets to grip with things? Or do you leave him out, knowing that will delay the point at which he starts delivering? Gerrard is becoming a problem too. Yesterday was a classic 'sulky' game for me. He wasn't happy with deadline day and sulked his way through the match, even staring out some of the crowd when they groaned at one of his crap corners in the corner of the Kop/Centenary. You need your captain to lead you thorough adversity, not sulk and play badly. As for yesterday, when you play a top four side you need 5 or 6 good performances from your team, and the rest to be average. Last week against City we had that and were let down by horrendous individual mistakes. We had Allen and Sterling yesterday putting in good performances, with the centre backs average and everyone else poor. Despite that it could have been a different game if Suarez had taken one of his good chances, and if we'd got the penalty when he was held (much more contact than Agger vs Long). It wasn't AS bad as it seemed at times second half. The first goal was vital for them and allowed them to sit back and pick us off on the counter. We had little creativity or guile in the final third to break them down once they settled into that pattern of play.

I'm not panicking about the long term, though I think this season could be a bit of a write off which I suppose affects the ability to hire and retain the best talent next summer. Our back four and midfield are pretty much sorted and just need to learn the system. We've got good youngsters coming through. It was just a monumental c**k up of a deadline day which has left us two strikers short through letting Carroll go and not signing Dempsey or A N Other. Even yesterday wasn't the disaster that it felt like second half. We had marginally the better of the first half open play, and created more chances (or good positions at least). We just had nobody to put them away. Once Arsenal got the first goal they were able to sit back and play us on the counter, which suits them completely, and we had no creativity or guile in the final third to break them down. That said, the game still could have been completely different if we'd got the penalty we should have when Suarez was held (much more contact than Agger vs Long), or if Suarez had taken his two decent chances. Whatever happens we've got to keep the faith with Rodgers now. We all said that the first six fixtures looked tough on paper, and that we'd have to be patient as the squad adapted to the new style of play. Nothing's changed in that respect. Sacking managers every season leaves you with a mess of a squad that doesn't suit any new manager coming in. It puts you back years. Rodgers was probably too hasty in trying to do the clear out job in one summer window, but at least now we know that the players who are left are players that can play his way, and we can move forward. We're talking about adding players from now on, rather than how to shift them out (I'm ignoring Joe Cole!). And if FSG are prepared to spend £25m net every summer or thereabouts then that should be good enough to build the squad year on year.

Bellamy & Maxi? I think many of us were optimistic with a new manager who plays good football, excited by Allen and sahin, and thought that two forwards today (Dempsey plus one) would have us in good shape to push for fourth. Glad to see the wage bill cut and for us to get those out of contention for the first XI out of the club, just shocked at the lack of replacements. I'm really excited by Sterling and Morgan and will enjoy watching them develop for us. I'm just not comfortable that we are relying on them as important squad players at this stage in their careers.

While we argued the toss over £6m for Dempsey, this window Blackburn rovers signed Jordan rhodes for £8m... Not sure that means anything but it's been an odd window.

What a f***ing disaster of a deadline day. AGAIN. While we are at it where's this f***ing stadium FSG promised progress on? I know they'll point to £25m net spend, give or take, but I'm getting the first whiff of a slicker H+G after today...we needed two strikers today whether bought or on loan, never mind losing Dempsey for the sake of £1m.

Same here. If we're getting Dempsey plus one then I'd be happy enough with Sturridge as the plus one. My worry would be the fee given that young English players are always overpriced.

Agree totally, and if true it's worrying they're not backing their new manager in his first window given the squad restructuring needed for his style of football. Would explain a lot though, and most who are ignorant of true situation would say £20m plus what you raise is a good kitty.

Hypothetically speaking, suppose rogers was told he could have £20m plus whatever he could raise, due to ffp and last year's spend. He decides he wants Allen, Dempsey, borini, and one other attacker (was gylfi). So he needs to raise around £20m for the four based on his valuation of the players. Tries to offload Carroll, but Nufc won't go near £20m and the player rejects whfc. In the meantime Swansea are playing hardball over allen. If we don't get £20m in we only have £10m to spend which now would barely pay for one of the targets, and we all agree we need at least three in... Might explain the current situation re: agger and loans.

That's the problem though isn't it, because of agger's injury record we have to mess around with ours at least a few times a season. I can see the sense in taking £20m plus and getting in someone more reliable, but given the lack of time to get all these deals done before the window shuts I think we should keep him for now. If we do it then make it the last deal we do, when we've already got our 2-3 attackers and Joe Allen in place.

Spearing gives the ball away far far too often, and in dangerous positions too. Cost us last season in big games, never mind when we're trying to play a possession based game under Rogers.

Some positives tonight, otherwise pretty standard half-paced pre-season fare. Quite a few of our players need to learn not to give the ball away cheaply, more so now that rogers is here and wants us to play possession footy.

As I've said - in the sense that he was a solid, reliable player, with a track record of delivering. As opposed to someone who's never really delivered, and doesn't really suit the sort of game Rodgers wants to play, but has undoubted potential.

Getting rid of a solid, reliable player with a track record of scoring important goals in big matches (e.g. the Mancs at least twice) vs getting rid of a player with huge potential that he's struggled to fulfil ever since joining the club 18 months ago? And I like Carroll, always have. I think when he's 27-28 he'll be awesome for someone. Just think you have to trust the manager when they first come in.

And he got rid of Danny Murphy straight away, which in many ways was a bigger shock than the possible sale of Carroll.

Exactly. Whenever a new manager comes in some players leave and he brings in some of his own. Always been the same at every club and with every manager. Sometimes the ones that are sent out the door are surprising, but you've got to give the benefit of the doubt until you see how the team starts to perform. If we start playing attractive winning football then it'll be forgotten by Christmas. If not, then people will naturally start saying "if only we hadn't got rid of so and so" but it's a bit daft to start doing it now before we've even seen how Rodgers's first team sets up.

Cool - I love late night internet rumour-fests. Just been told by a mate that Alonso landed at John Lennon earlier, then logged on to find that Carroll's going out on loan (Tony Evans), Borini is signing, and all the other rumours that are knocking about.... Probably all complete b******s, but livens up a Monday night.

Assuming the reports are true and he's opted for spurs then I'm not devastated by the news. Sure he's a talented lad, but he's not messi or mata, and wasn't going to fill one of the biggest gaps in our squad, so I can see why we wouldn't want to get involved in a bidding war if that's our decision. And if modric is going, as rumoured, then I can see why spurs might see him as a higher priority than we do and to go the extra mile. The important thing is whether that really was our decision or whether there's no money. We've missed out on plenty of players over the years, players better than gylfi too. All clubs do, and there can be hundreds of reasons. Off the top of my head evra, phil jones, ronaldo, shearer, silva, mata etc. What's important is who we sign instead. If we sign a few top class players this summer no-one will give a toss that he went to spurs come september. If we sign average low wage players only then this will be seen as the deal that showed the sign of things to come. Either way, no point getting hysterical now...

Exactly - Rafa and Kenny were ultimately sacked for underachieving in the league (at least, that's what gave the owners cover to do the dirty on them). Man City are going to dominate with their money, and Utd aren't going to collapse in the next year or so, but there's no reason to think we're not in a group with Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs to battle for 3rd-6th places. They've all got their own issues too. If it's Rodgers, fine - now let's see what kitty he's given for the summer. If he's able to bring in 4 or 5 quality players that fit his vision and fill gaps in our squad then there's no reason for us to lower our expectations. 4th is certainly not an unachievable goal.

I'm sure someone's already posted this? But if it is to be BRod then this is a good interview with him setting out his football philosophy. Certainly talks the right sort of game for us, I'd take watching that style of football if he can deliver it and is backed with a decent kitty..His lack of experience and Reading spell are a worry though. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/swansea-city/9013702/Swansea-manager-Brendan-Rodgers-aims-to-convert-long-ball-believers.html#.T1s3Tli4cC0.email

The point is that all went from much lesser clubs to win league titles with their next clubs. You shouldn't rule out a manager based on the club they are currently at, you should rule them in or out for footballing reasons not status reasons.

No, you've got it a*** backwards. You don't appoint him because he's from Wigan, but you don't rule him out because he's from Wigan. You make the football arguments, so if you rate him it's because he plays attractive football and keeps them up whilst spending little and reducing the wage bill. If you don't it's because he's suffered the occasional hammering and had a very long losing streak last season.

It's actually the correct spelling of the club he was managing at the time - the 's' was dropped in '68

There's a reason he's managing Extremadura and Tenerife. There's a reason he's managing Aberdeen. There's a reason he's managing Grampus 8. There's a reason he's managing the 'b' side. There's a reason he's managing Hartlepools. Name those 5 managers. It's not where they come from, it's whether they turn out to be the right fit for the new club at the time.

This article is worth a read if you haven't already seen it? http://footyfinance....ill-to-survive/ You're right that Steve Bruce and Paul Jewell both had money to spend, but Martinez hasn't. You can't 'shape a side' under those conditions - you're basically firefighting and constantly trying to work out how to make the best of what you've got. To maintain their position has been a really good achievement, which is why he's so respected within the game for achieving it whilst playing attractive attacking football. Our experience of the last few years showed that even Rafa can't maintain and shape a progressive squad when players are being sold from under you and you're given less money and wages to replace them with. The point here shouldn't be to denigrate what Martinez has achieved, it's whether that level of that achievement is enough to deserve a chance at restoring our Champions League status. Personally I don't think it is, and would prefer AVB if it's a choice between the two. He has winning experience from Porto, Champions League and Europa League experience, and has already made his mistakes at a big club and will hopefully learn from them. And I'd prefer Rafa over both of them, for obvious reasons. But there are a lot of people in the game who rate Martinez very highly, and I reckon the stick he's getting over what most people regard as a successful period as Wigan boss is unfair.