{"id":94,"date":"2015-06-17T19:26:11","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T19:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=94"},"modified":"2015-06-17T19:26:11","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T19:26:11","slug":"what-the-fixtures-mean-for-rodgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/what-the-fixtures-mean-for-rodgers\/","title":{"rendered":"What The Fixtures Mean For Rodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wheels Are Wobbling<\/h2>\n

The Premier League fixtures were announced this morning and things aren\u2019t looking all that rosy for Liverpool Football Club or, more specifically, Brendan Rodgers.<\/p>\n

The Liverpool manager has been under intense pressure since the Reds had a rather poor ending to the season. From losing 2-1 at home to Manchester United to getting beaten 4-1 away to Arsenal, things haven\u2019t been great for the Northern Irishman.<\/p>\n

A capitulation against Aston Villa in the semi-final of the FA Cup didn\u2019t help his cause, especially given Villa\u2019s manager is the under-appreciated and much mocked \u2018Tactics\u2019 Tim Sherwood. The defeat meant that Brendan Rodgers was the first Liverpool manager since the 1950s to be in charge for 3 seasons and yet not win a trophy.<\/p>\n

All of those results paled into insignificance, though, when Liverpool lost 6-1 away to Stoke City at The Britannia Stadium on the final day of the season. It was the first time the Reds had conceded 5 goals in the first half in the Premier League era and Liverpool\u2019s worst result since they lost 7-2 to Tottenham in 1963.<\/p>\n

A Spectre Awaits<\/h2>\n

Earlier in the month Jurgen Klopp\u2019s agent gave an interview to the German website Spox.com<\/a> in which he made some not to subtle hints that the German would be keen to manage Liverpool should the opportunity present itself.<\/p>\n

Klopp is undoubtedly the fans\u2019 favourite to take over from Rodgers should he get the chop, with plenty of supporters feeling it\u2019s more a matter of when, not if Rodgers is removed from the Anfield hot-seat.<\/p>\n

In fact, there were plenty of people who were surprised that Rodgers survived his recent review from his American paymasters, with some feeling that FSG\u2019s decision to sack Rodgers\u2019s closest allies \u2013 in Mike Marsh and his assistant manager Colin Pascoe \u2013 has reduced the Irishman\u2019s power to the extent that his position is virtually untenable.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether Rodgers survives the summer \u2013 which it certainly looks as though he\u2019s a shoe in to do \u2013 the removal of his lieutenants means it will be decidedly easier to bring someone else in should Rodgers fail to get his troops firing on all cylinders when the season begins.<\/p>\n

A Tough Start<\/h2>\n

\"By<\/a>

By Webjedi (Own work) [GFDL (http:\/\/www.gnu.org\/copyleft\/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>Rodgers will not have been pleased to see the fixtures when they were released this morning. The Premier League claims that the fixtures are randomly generated, but away trips to Arsenal, Manchester United and Stoke \u2013 the scene of the 6-1 massacre \u2013 within the first 5 games of the season don\u2019t seem to be the sort of fixtures that just fall out of a hat when a manager\u2019s under pressure.<\/p>\n

In fact, Liverpool\u2019s opening 15 games of the season only generated 18 points in the 2014-2015 season, meaning that if the Reds don\u2019t improve on that score this time around then Brendan Rodgers could be out of a job before you\u2019ve even bought your Christmas presents.<\/p>\n

The spectre of Jurgen Klopp will weigh heavy on the Liverpool manager\u2019s mind throughout the rest of the summer and leading in to the start of next season. His presence will surely also be at the forefront of the thinking of John W Henry, Mike Gordon and the others at the top of the FSG moneyball train.<\/p>\n

Quotes from Klopp\u2019s agent, Marc Kosicke, such as, \u201cThe Premier League is very exciting\u2026not only the top four, there are still other great clubs\u201d, and, \u201cIn Germany there is a clear separation between manager and sporting director and I think in principle this is very good\u201d will be music to John Henry\u2019s ears. Especially when you consider that Liverpool were keen to employ a sporting director before Brendan Rodgers persuaded the FSG hierarchy to abandon that idea in favour of him.<\/p>\n

The Fixtures<\/h2>\n

Liverpool kick off their campaign away at Stoke where, as we\u2019ve explained, they\u2019ll hope to gain some revenge for the 6-1 defeat they suffered there on the last day of last season.<\/p>\n

After that it\u2019s a home fixture against Premier League new boys Bournemouth, before the Reds hit the road again and head to The Emirates where they\u2019ll hope to revenge their 4-1 defeat from last season. There seems to be a theme here, which involves Liverpool hoping for revenge after some heavy defeats\u2026<\/p>\n

After Arsenal comes another London club in the form of West Ham, they\u2019ll be Liverpool\u2019s second visitors of the campaign. Then it\u2019s a trip along the M56 to face the old enemy, Manchester United.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a little respite after the trip to Old Trafford, but only a little bit. The Reds host Norwich, though sadly Luis Suarez is no longer around to have his own goal of the season competition against John Ruddy, then they play host to Aston Villa. On paper that should be an easy enough fixture, with the Reds given a chance to get their own back after the FA Cup semi defeat. Yet Villa have a good record at Anfield in recent seasons and no one will be overly keen to welcome the Villains to Merseyside this time around.<\/p>\n

The Merseyside derby is scheduled to be the first game in October, and normality has been restored with the first derby being at Goodison, after last season\u2019s anomaly that saw the first one played at Anfield. The rest of the October fixtures go Spurs away, Southampton at home and Chelsea away. Thankfully it\u2019s mathematically impossible for the Reds to have to make a guard of honour for Jose Mourinho\u2019s team as they did last season.<\/p>\n

November sees Liverpool host Crystal Palace, before it\u2019s a trip to The Etihad in order to take on the team that finished ahead of the Reds when they came so close to a first Premier League title in 2014. The month is rounded off by the visit of Rodgers\u2019s former team Swansea \u2013 presuming he\u2019s still in charge at that point.<\/p>\n

The busy month of December starts off with Liverpool having to head to the North-East to take on Newcastle before returning to Merseyside in order to play host to West Brom. That comes before 3 fixtures against teams that have either only just been promoted or else struggled in the relegation battle last season. It starts with an away game against Watford, then Leicester City travel to Anfield on Boxing Day and Liverpool head back to the North-East to face Sunderland just two days later.<\/p>\n

January starts in London for Liverpool, with West Ham being the first game of 2016. Arsenal could well come back on the coach with Liverpool to Merseyside, as they\u2019re at Anfield in the next game. On the back of the visit of Arsenal Brendan Rodgers might be hoping for a bit of a break, but there isn\u2019t one. Straight after the Gunners it\u2019s the Red Devils at Anfield, as Manchester United would love to repeat their feat from last season and beat their old rivals on their home turf once again.<\/p>\n

Away to Norwich and away to Leicester City are the next two fixtures, before Liverpool host Sunderland and then travel to Birmingham for the return match against Aston Villa.<\/p>\n

The month of Valentine will be rounded off for Liverpool by the visit of Everton, with Rodgers desperately hopeful that he\u2019ll be able to send Jurgen Klopp a love letter or two with a return address of Melwood. The Reds will then host Manchester City before heading back down to London for a game against Crystal Palace. This time it\u2019s Chelsea who could join them on the coach back, with Mourinho\u2019s team due at Anfield after the Reds have played The Eagles.<\/p>\n

Liverpool then go on to face Southampton at St. Mary\u2019s before hosting Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke in succession. Away to Bournemouth, home to Newcastle and away to Swansea are the matches that see out the month of March for Liverpool.<\/p>\n

That leaves just two fixtures left to play for the Reds, starting with a home game against Watford. After The Hornets have been to Anfield it\u2019s Liverpool who hit the road, finishing the 2015-2016 season at The Hawthorns with a game against West Brom.<\/p>\n

What Does It All Mean?<\/h2>\n

Right now it feels like it\u2019s all doom and gloom for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers. As far as fan and press reaction is concerned, the Reds will be lucky to get through the first 5 games with more than about 4 points.<\/p>\n

Yet football changes quickly and if Liverpool were to come through games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Stoke with maximum points then the table will have turned. There are plenty that feel as though the players gave up on Rodgers at the end of last season. There were numerous moments of shoulder shrugging, of players looking lost and confused on the pitch.<\/p>\n

If there is any truth to the notion that the players wouldn\u2019t be overly bothered if another manager came in to replace Rodgers then we\u2019ll soon find out. Disappointing performances on the pitch combined with crowd unrest could see Rodgers\u2019s head on the chopping block reasonably early doors. Chants for Klopp raining down from the Kop after the first defeat or sign of difficulty will place insurmountable pressure on the Liverpool boss.<\/p>\n

But Jose Mourinho took his Chelsea side out last season with the specific aim of having the league won by Christmas. Liverpool\u2019s first 7 away games are against Stoke, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester City. Win all, or even half, of them and the Reds will be in a strong position heading into the winter months. It also means, of course, that all of Liverpool\u2019s top 4 challengers will have to come to Anfield in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

If Rodgers and the Reds can survive a truly torrid start to the season then maybe, just maybe things may not be so bad after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Wheels Are Wobbling The Premier League fixtures were announced this morning and things aren\u2019t looking all that rosy for Liverpool Football Club or, more specifically, Brendan Rodgers. The Liverpool manager has been under intense pressure since the Reds had a rather poor ending to the season. From losing 2-1 at home to Manchester United to getting beaten 4-1 away to Arsenal, things haven\u2019t been great for the Northern Irishman. A capitulation against Aston Villa in the semi-final of the FA Cup didn\u2019t help his cause, especially given Villa\u2019s manager is the under-appreciated and much mocked \u2018Tactics\u2019 Tim Sherwood. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94\/revisions\/95"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}