So let me get this straight, it's feasible that teams like Stoke, Villa and Swansea can dominate an entire second half without the
famous buzzword of having "world class" players in their side; their manager just has to tinker the tactics and have us on the back foot just like that. But it isn't feasible that Rodgers looks to protect a lead and contain a side then look to hit them on the break? Sorry, not having that, I think that's absolute poppyc*ck.
As I said, Rafa did it and Houllier did it too, you just plucked Maureen out of that but it could be argued he's the exception not the norm given the quality of players he has at his disposal to play this tactic. You need to remember, other managers use this tactic without having the necessary "world class" players in their team. I honestly didn't realise you had to have "world class" players just to play counter attacking football. I thought world class players would boss a game entirely without having to rely on CA football.
The only player who had the pace to exploit defenders in Houllier's team was Owen, knock a long ball down the channel and that was pretty much it, Heskey, Berger, Murphy weren't "world class", Hamman was class but not as a creative player, the only other player apart from Owen (who was "world class" at the time) was Gerrard - hardly an entire team of "World class" talent. When Sturridge is fit, he'll run those channels, with players like Sterling and Moses and even the running of Henderson could do this, so, I wouldn't be so quick to write this this tactic off.
I think it was Skertel after the Man.U game said 'we've been working on our defensive game all pre-season', given this and Rodgers's comments after the Villa game, along with the displays we've seen, I think it's a safer bet to conclude that this is what Rodgers is looking for - more steal to the team because last season we were very prone to conceding very soft goals through the middle. Largely because there were acres of space between our midfield and defense - due to the expansive approach we took. On top of this (and this is my theory now) we don't have the most mobile midfield in Lucas and Gerrard (something you also disagreed with me IIRC in the 'Midfield a concern or not' thread), and I think Rodgers is also accommodating this factor into the tactic. Midfield is our weakest link (IMO for a number of reasons), so to protect this he might not want them exposed by space, where like last season the opposition found enough room between midfield and defense to park a jumbo jet. They couldn't recover adequately so he may have turned this weakness into a strength, at the cost of fluidity and possession up top. Now, he may redefine how he wants his forwards to play in this system and considering they weren't, or aren't a weak link he may feel this would benefit the team as a WHOLE.
So, all in all, his management has worked thus far, it still needs tinkering but it shows Rodgers is adapting accordingly and I think he is working on trying to find the right balance.
I hope we go in at HT 0-0 against Soton at the weekend to disprove your theory of the opposition pushing a higher line up and opposing managers tinkering their sides with barely any "world class" players in them in order for them to come out into the second half and totally dominate us. When it's been us that have dropped deeper and have changed the ebb and flow of the game, just so we can see that this team are able to go toe to toe with the mighty Soton in the second half.
Champions of England 2020.
YNWA