Quantcast
View from the Kop

Brendan Rogers: Have the Owners Got It Right?

|
Image for Brendan Rogers: Have the Owners Got It Right?

THE prediction (still no official announcement at the time of writing) on Wednesday that Brendan Rodgers will be Liverpool FC’s new manager will be met with a fair amount of scepticism and surprise.

FSG seem to be applying their formula of bringing in a young, progressive, manager that has both on eye on developing youth as well and promoting attacking football. The problem is Rodgers’s doesn’t have a pedigree that would lead anyone to think he has the credentials to take Liverpool into the top 4 of the Premiership or lead them successfully in Europe. If you look at his managerial record and the clubs he’s been in charge of i.e. Watford, Reading and Swansea, you would not be inspired to thinking he’s the man to take any team, never mind Liverpool, to trophy winning glory.

From a statistical perspective Rodger’s win-ratio doesn’t make you believe he’s destined for greatness either. Of the 151 games he’s been a manager he’s won 41%: Watford 32 games 41%, Reading 23 games 26% and Swansea 96 games and a win ratio of 45%. Compare that to AVB: 121 games and a 62% win-ratio, Rijkaard 397 and 53% and Rafa 55%. Given this stat alone the decision becomes more difficult to wrap your head around.

Now it may well be that Rodgers will be a great success at Liverpool but the reality is the owners have still taken a big gamble. Let’s be honest, any manager, no matter how experienced, is going to be a gamble – think AVB and Chelsea. What seems to have attracted FSG to Rodger’s more than anything is his philosophy toward attacking, possession, football – al la Barcelona – and ensuring each player knows exactly where he needs to be on the pitch. He talks about frustrating teams by not giving the ball away versus simply hoofing it up the field and instantly loosing possession and this approach seems to have paid dividends for him at Swansea.

To learn his craft Rodgers has also travelled extensively around Europe studying different coaching techniques, and he speaks Spanish and Italian which will come in handy with the current squad or if Aquilani ever puts a red shirt again. You also have to think that with a squad of higher quality players, no disrespect to Swansea, Rodger’s approach could see Liverpool much improved and winning more consistently, especially at Anfield.

Last season Liverpool played some very good football under Kenny and were not that far away from being a very good side. With the £25m that’s being mentioned as being made available to Rodger’s it will be fascinating to see who he goes for and, in turn, who he decides to sell. It should give us a clear indication as to what approach he intends to take.

Would Rodger’s have been my choice for manager? No. I always felt that if FSG were prepared to spend £35m for a player then they should be prepared to pay for the best manager available. They have ‘t done this in terms of experience and proven success at winning trophies but now the decision has been made (to be confirmed of course) I’m willing to give Rodger’s the benefit of the doubt and get right behind him.

What will be critical is exactly how many seasons FSG will be prepared to give Rodger’s to become successful. My guess is because they chose him it will be a lot longer than Kenny.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
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

Share this article

16 comments

  • stah says:

    the second choice asked for the same thing the first choice was refused but He got the job ?

  • redred says:

    Doomed because he’s a managerial version of Carroll

  • diedrexler says:

    The answer to the question is very simple. Earliest we’ll know is by December. Which of the top four are we going to displace? Man U? City? Arsenal? Chelsea? Tottenham as usual will play spoilers in addition to one team having a ridiculous season like Newcastle. That’s 6 formidable hurdles. Whilst we’re talking about playing good football those teams are busy signing up the cream talent: Kagawa, Hulk, Hazard, Sneidjer, Falcao, Hulk. These are just some of the names they’ve been linked with. I rest my case.

  • redred says:

    We got the second choice…we live to regret

  • WC says:

    looking forward to seeing how he gets on, he needs maybe 3 or 4 signings
    ————Riena————-
    Johnson-Skrtel-Agger-Baines—-
    ——–Lucas–Martinez——–
    Suarez—-Gerrard—–Lavezzi
    ———–Ba————-

    This would be nice but maybe Enrique would possibly suit Rodgers and someone like Javi Martinez to play alongside Lucas, it would b a big ask to sign him though as would be Lavezzi but someone similar to them is needed. Ba would be a good choice I would think, thought they should have signed him last year from West Ham

  • RedRoy says:

    Should do well for us, did brilliant at Swansea, played us off the park twice! Very good football coach, not so ure about him as a tactician, but he’s young enough to be around for a while, so stability should come, I’ll get behind him ‘cos he’s one of us now. COME ON YOU MIGHTY REDS! Remember YNWA.

  • tony says:

    We have articals how the americans want to change our football what a load off bulls* they know nothing about football or do they care,
    . they will be the same as the other yanks no spending or on the cheap they have no vision . his staff is i trainer who trained juniors at chelsea the other from wolves and the third staffer is from reading and wales. So which world class players are we getting . And we are going for top 4 or champions league since when has swansea wolve reading got top for or champions league thats our new model for future NO future yes he will get us top 8 two or three years thats it thats our ambition now.

  • ode says:

    wil say much let me see what happons nex sesone i know no marnager was born to do well in any club Rodgers might make a suprise who knows guldula befor naw just get behind him Reds thaz what he needs

  • NJRedsFan says:

    Sounds like Stah and RedRed forgot to take their anti-depression meds again. Let’s all just decide right now that we’re doomed to relagation and not even bother to see what actually happens. Then again, maybe Tony’s Brit will arrive on his White Stallion and save our club from the clueless Yanks. Yes, that’s sarcasm.
    Lighten up folks, you sound like you’re ready to jump off a bridge over this, before you even give the guy half a chance. Then again, natural selection does have its benefits to the species.

    • redred says:

      We needed Muhammad Ali and instead we got Frank Bruno …and you expect us to get excited…can’t be delusional to oneself

  • Jack says:

    FSG have spent money unlike the other 2 american cowboys. Not sure if they know much about football though. Rogers had a great season at Swansea. But why gamble on someone who did well for only one season? He has never won anything. What does he know about pressure at the very top or the elite stage that is the CL provided we ever get back there? Has he ever managed star players who have massive egos? Does he have the personality to attract big name players? He may do alright but one thing for sure is that either way this is a gamble. Instead of being excited for next season to come I’m sure alot fans like me just feel like there’s been an anti-climax.

  • CK says:

    Liverpool needed a big name not a one hit cheap option. He lack top flight, top player experience. May as well of signed a manager from league two. Its a pity with such good managers available with having to pay comp for. Looks like another poor season with poor signings. We are becoming a club for the big teams rejects. Simply Not Good Enough

  • Akash says:

    TO ALL LIVERPOOL FANS.
    Please support our new manager. what is happen is happened, he is now our new manager.
    Whoever he wanted to sign, just give him a support, not always blame manager until the manager get panic like former managers.
    PLEASE SUPPORT MY DEAR REDS FANS!

    • Barry Ringstead says:

      Well said Akash.

      • Akash says:

        Always manager get panic because of pressure from fans, not from the owner actually. The owner pressure the managers bcos they got pressure from fans… SO FANS HAVE TO STOP EVERYTHING AND ONLY GIVE SUPPORT TO THE CLUB.
        Dont teach the owner or manager to sign this player, to sign that player. At the last they get panic and will sign stupid players.
        PLEASE stop everything.
        He is young,hot,sharp thinking & attacking mind Manager. DONT spoil him and give support to him, We Can Be A EPL Champion if they got support from us. PLEASE!!!

Comments are closed.