16 Aug 2015 17:15:08
I'm going to raise a couple of points from the podcast and invite replies from readers :

1. Rodgers doesn't watch the youth players - have a look at the LFC website. There are 27 x Academy employees in an independent set-up. It costs a million odd quid to run, so I guess that most of those costs are wages.
Don't you suppose that Rodgers meets the Academy Director and U21 / U18 Managers on a regular basis to discuss progress ?
Promising kids are invited into the First Team Squad, so there is a clear pathway there.
It's the next leap that the issue occurs.
That and the recruitment of new players that interferes with introducing youth players. So recruitment is a problem.

2. Rodgers doesn't watch or check new players - he will obviously be aware of British players so that is not a problem. But European / global players, is he supposed to travel the planet checking out potential players ?
Haha, we're not talking about Geoff Twentyman in his car driving around northern Britain here.
If you say Rodgers should fly wherever, how many times suffices ; once, twice three times ?
C'mon.
That's the scouts job. So again a recruitment problem.

3. And finally there is the FSG policy, of age and price. Fit that into the above conundrum.

Rodgers is what he is. A young, inexperienced manager in relative terms. If you want to sack him for being inexperienced, fine. Ask FSG why they employed him.

I think that the scouting function is too hit and miss, and the process of getting in fringe youth players is lazy.
I'm not sure that these things should be laid solely at the manager's door.

1.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 17:25:51
The role of the manager in 2015 isn't what t used to be at the very top level.
For comparison I'd like to know how much Mourinho, Ancellotti and Guardiola watch the youth players and scout their own signings.
Then any criticism would at least be more objective.

2.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 17:28:50
Errr, I could agree on point 2. mate, though I believe the problem mentioned was more like the lack of background checks.
However, not watching the youth setups and the PLAYERS ON LOAN is a bad move for the manager. There is no way there could be complete communication between the academy staff and the manager, as they work in different levels. THe eds have mentioned that the academy staff have been pushing forward players that BR refused to play. Fair play if he had bothered to actually watch the lads and gain a complete undderstanding of their abilities, but he didn't. Also, it would be a huge boost for the youth players to know that the first team manager is monitoring them.
He isn't. Same with loan players.

3.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 17:38:21
To be fair aswell he's just been shown in the crowd at the city Chelsea game , perhaps he's listened to the podcast

4.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 17:48:23
All the managers you've mentionef Ron work under sporting directors who will do much of the recruitment work. Rodgers wants all the responsibility but can't be arsed to do the work. He'd rather woo his bit on the side or run a property empire.

5.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 17:57:00
Drigan, fair points.
The youth players do get invited in to the first team squad, there are a number in it already. But the log jam occurs there. That and the haphazard loan arrangements, as you mentioned.
This is partly down to Rodgers, he could throw some of the kids in more. Let's see if any get a chance this year.
But whose job is it to manage the loanees ?
Youth Development ?
First Team Manager ?
Perhaps the eds could advise on this. We know Chelsea employ liason staff, but who oversees them ?

{Ed002's Note - Chelsea has a structure that means there are regular meetings with the management team about the progress that the loanees are making.}

6.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 18:19:20
Who actually does the leg work ed002, finds and allocates specific teams to the loanees. I can't imagine Jose spending hours on the phone doing this ?

{Ed002's Note - Chelsea already have a formal relationship with a number of sides in Europe and in Brazil. Meetings are ongoing with a French side to also build a relationship. Typically the Technical Director handles most of this.}

7.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 18:50:40
Brendan definitely listened to the podcast :)

8.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 19:17:34
Could he be learning Benny ? I'm sure he knows it's last chance saloon, has someone had a long chat with him because to be fair I can't remember seeing him at other matches doing his homework ( not that that's proof of anything ) .I really hope so because it can only benefit us in the long run .

{Ed001's Note - O'Driscoll is old school and likes to watch future opponents when possible, while Rodgers preferred to use analysts.}

9.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 20:06:55
If BR can't be arsed to do the D
OF part of his job on this issue, he should leave it to a true DOF to do or take a hike. He ants the job but couldn't be arsed to do the job. Pathetic work ethic!

10.) 16 Aug 2015
16 Aug 2015 21:29:06
Some interesting points raised. My opinion.
1, Rodgers doesn't watch the kids. the suggestion is that he doesn't. Is the 27 staff he meets with an excuse not to? No. I think it shows he doesn't acknowledge seeing these players in a match situation as important.
2, does he need to scout players. Yes! For example, Watching video only shows what the cameraman wants to show. Movement off the ball is one of the basic things not covered in this. Is he supposed to travel the planet watching players? I think that is an obvious answer. The scouts do there job identifying players then the manager who lives or dies by signings makes the final decision. Otherwise Rodgers might as well work under the DoF that he was initially asked to do. He either wants full control or he doesn't?
3, FSG policy? If as suggested in point 2, this is the responsibility of the scouts, why has this point been raised? But. Has Rodgers bought into this policy?Does Rodgers have a policy? Ilori may disagree!
I think Rodgers joins a distinct list of people honoured to manage players and clubs whose ability are greater than their own!