Mark Pougatch is a freelance radio and television broadcaster, a journalist and author who works mainly as a sports presenter for the BBC. You may know him from BBC Radio 5Live.
Is Brendan Rodgers the man to take Liverpool back to consistent Champions League football?
“Only time will tell, but for certain reaching the Champions League is so much harder now because of Manchester City’s money and the consistency of Tottenham near the top.”
Do you think Rodgers’ use of academy players was a forced hand?
“A bit of both probably . Clearly Dalglish spent an enormous amount of money on players who simply haven’t given Liverpool a return, but there’s also a desire from the majority of even the big clubs to try to breed their own.”
Last season, Liverpool had a good defensive record whereas this season the defence has looked susceptible at times, how big of loss has Steve Clarke been?
“Goals conceded are often as much down to individual errors as a team malaise. Difficult to evaluate that as none of us were on the training ground last season and aren’t this.”
Is there space in the midfield for both Joe Allen and Lucas to play together?
“That’s a good question. I asked Kevin Ratcliffe a few weeks ago and he saw a lot of Joe Allen at Swansea . He could play further forward in a midfield three.”
With Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher coming to the end of their illustrious playing days at Anfield, how do Liverpool compensate for the loss of their two ‘go-to’ men?
“Defensively they’re doing that already with Skrtel and Agger, although Coates hasn’t convinced as a back up. How does any team replace a world-class player like Gerrard? With a great deal of difficulty, and you can’t load the expectation on the shoulders of young Coutinho.”
Luis Suarez has always been part of the media storm, what do you make of the controversy that seems to follow him?
“He’s been the architect of some of his own headlines of course – Evra and the Stoke dive – but he’s a magnificent player and no one wants to see him leave the Premier League.”
Do you think Luis Suarez is in a team and a system that allows him to realise his full potential?
“If you’re as good as Suarez then you can affect the game from any forward position as he has shown. But by definition, if he played in a team of even better players he would have the potential to shine even more because there would be more attacking opportunities for him.”
Can Brendan Rodgers emulate a successful possession ethos in the premier league like Barcelona in La Liga?
“It can’t be possession for the sake of it – as it has been at times this season – and it has to be possession that counts in the right part of to field. But it is players that win matches. Not systems.”
Is renovating Anfield the right move or would a new stadium be more beneficial?
“It’s the capacity that counts. Look at the huge advantage Manchester United have now and the position Arsenal are getting themselves into.”
Looking at foreign ownership in the English game, how do FSG differ and are they doing it the right way, in terms of buying for future?
“Well clearly they’re not writing a blank cheque like Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour but nor are they as fiscally stringent as Stan Kroenke seems to be [at Arsenal]. When it comes to your money, your way is the right way.”
What are realistic targets for Liverpool for the remainder of the season?
“Champions League is a definite no. Europa League at a push.”
