Brendan Rodgers: History & Philosophy

FENWAY Sports Group (FSG) and Liverpool Football Club announced that Brendan Rodgers has been appointed as the club’s new Manager yesterday, after signing a three year deal with the club.

The new Manager says he can’t wait to get started at Anfield:

“I’m blessed to be given this opportunity.  I want to thank John Henry, Tom Werner and FSG for the opportunity to manage such a great club. 

“I’m really excited and I can’t wait to get started on this incredible project going forward.  I promise to dedicate my life to fight for this club and defend the great principles of Liverpool Football Club on and off the field.”

The news of his appointment comes after an extensive two-week process of carefully assessing many highly-qualified candidates; Liverpool’s ownership group identified Rodgers as the single outstanding candidate to implement their long-term vision.

Who is Brendan Rodgers?

• 1973: Born 26 January in Carnlough, Northern Ireland
• 1987: Begins career as a defender with Ballymena United
• 1990: Joins Reading as a teenager before being forced to retire through injury. Remains as a coach
• 2004: Jose Mourinho appoints Rodgers as Chelsea youth team manager
• 2006: The Blues promote him to reserve team manager
• 2008: Joins Watford
• June 2009: Returns to Reading to replace Steve Coppell
• December 2009: Leaves by mutual consent after a bad start
• July 2010: Returns to management with Swansea
• May 2011: Guides the Swans to promotion via play-offs
• May 2012: Leads Swansea to 11th in their first Premier League campaign
• June 2012: Officially unveiled as the manager of Liverpool FC.

Coaching career

If there is an easy way to become the manager of a Premier League football club, then Brendan Rodgers has not taken it. He was forced to retire as a player at the age of 20 because of a genetic knee condition, the Carnlough man turned to coaching potential professionals only a few years younger than himself.

In 2004, the “Special One”, Jose Mourinho invited him to manage the Chelsea youth team. Mourinho saw characteristics which mirrored his own and after 2 years he promoted the former Ballymena United man to become the manager of their reserve team in 2006.

“I like everything in him,” Mourinho said. “He is ambitious and does not see football very differently from myself.

“He is open, likes to learn and likes to communicate.”

After 2 years in-charge of The Blues’ reserve team, he joined Watford in 2008 but after a season, returned to manage his former club Reading, only to leave “by mutual consent” after just seven months. Despite his early exit from Reading, Rodgers was appointed Swansea City manager on 16 July 2010.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
By the following April, he guided Swansea to the Championship play-offs and faced his old club Reading at Wembley on 30 May. Swansea won the game 4-2 to become the first Welsh team to gain promotion to the Premier League.

He admits that it has been a difficult and laborious path and when Swansea closed on victory at Wembley, Rodgers permitted himself a moment of reflection on how it all once seemed impossible.

“At 4-2 and 30 odd seconds to go – and I’ve never, ever done it before – my mind sort of wandered to my journey as a coach,” he said after the game.

“From my early 20s, working with kids, driving many hours, missing time with my family, all that emotion – the whole journey flashes through your mind.”

Although billed as one of the teams to battle relegation next season, Swansea instead finished a respectable 11th place in the table, and drew praise for their passing game and a string of impressive performances.

Rodgers was named Premier League Manager of the Month in January.

Philosophy

Rodgers is regarded as being at the forefront of a new generation of football coaches, an excellent tactician and motivator with a progressive philosophy. He is one of the best students on the game around. Largely unproven, Rodgers however, has built a reputation for success on a shoe-string budget and has worked wonders with Swansea over the past two seasons and has really built upon the foundation that Roberto Martinez left him with. He believes in the Pep Guardiola School of football, his teams always play possession-based football and press while defending.

Rodgers’ philosophy is simple: “I like to control games. I like to be responsible for our own destiny. If you are better than your opponent with the ball you have a 79 per cent chance of winning the game. For me it is quite logical. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are, if you don’t have the ball you can’t score.” 

What Lies Ahead

Rodgers is all set to get on working at Anfield as soon as possible. But before he does it, there is this one thing that he must master, which Kenny Dalglish is a master at and one Roy Hodgson failed miserably at; it is the approval of the fans. Rodgers has taken over the reins at a club with probably the most passionate set of supporters in the whole world, and he’d have to do well to understand that there won’t be an easy way forward without building a happy and co-existing relationship with the club’s supporters. FSG are pulling all strings to ensure the return of glory days to Anfield and this is one step towards that direction.

The 39 years old Carnlough man will bring a new wave of changes and new philosophy of football to Anfield. How much of a success will he be? No one knows it yet and only time will tell, but after the sacking of Kenny Dalglish, his appointment has brought hope to the many supporters who have endured an anxious two weeks. He has been chosen by FSG so, it’s clear that he will be given time to turn things around barring an unmitigated disaster. Rodgers will be given time to improve morale, relationships with the media and the team. His three-year contract gives him that mandate and the knowledge that FSG will back him during that time.

Thanks a lot for reading. You can find me on Twitter @LEONGUI7E

Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com

Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook