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18Jul

“Getting Rodgers is a sign Liverpool have been left behind”

There’s something special about the optimism you feel when your club appoints a new manager who makes all the right noises. Many Liverpool fans are very excited about the potential for their club to improve this season with Brendan Rodgers at the helm. But what is it about the former Swansea boss that makes him so appealing? The Life’s a Pitch panel takes a look.

“He’s got this calm persona about him, which is impressive,” says journalist and author Ian Ridley. “Clearly, he wants to play the game the modern way and I think players want to play for him. Liverpool fans will give him time, they always give Liverpool managers time and space to work – unless your name is Roy Hodgson.

“I think Rodgers fits the bill perfectly, except in one area: Liverpool fans still think they’re a massive club that should be challenging for the top two or three; the problem is they’ve been left behind over the past few years and Rodgers is almost a sign of that. They got him from Swansea, not Barcelona or Real Madrid – is he really a fit man for Liverpool? That will be the question.”

If Rodgers is going to make an impact at Anfield, though, he’s going to need to ring the changes to fit in with his style of play, says David Walker of the Sunday Mirror. “I think the principles of how he wants his team to play will be welcomed by Liverpool fans. The feedback I have been hearing over the summer is that Liverpool have around £25m-30m to spend on four or five players, so Rodgers is not going to be buying at the top of the market. You’re certainly going to see more pace out wide: Stewart Downing hasn’t delivered, and Rodgers will be looking for people who can.”

Don’t get too carried away, though, Liverpool fans. Footballer-turned-journalist Adrian Clarke thinks you’ll need to be patient. “What he did at Swansea was remarkable, but it was a transitional phase for the club. It wasn’t just his job, it was something he inherited and developed brilliantly. I don’t think you can expect Liverpool to turn into Swansea overnight. To play with that much fluency, freedom and expression within the squad takes time and I think it’s going to take several months, if not the whole season, before we see Liverpool keeping the ball in the manner that Swansea did.”

Watch the full video discussion by clicking on the play button in the image above. 

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Follow Life’s A Pitch on Twitter @BTLifesaPitch 

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  • Rag

    arse rag tattle once again from this site, just typical nonsense.

  • Dood

    Yaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnn

    Haters gonna hate

  • Stevecollins053

    was pep a big signing when he was appointed as Barca’s manager? what about the change in profile of Chelsea coach at the end of last season,don’t  forget that their manager now was once a west brom coach before he assisted AVB and took over.we are Liverpool and we will give him a chance! YNWA

  • Adex2sure

    This is typical nonsense, How can you say that liverpool appointing rodgers is a sign that they have been left behind. When Rafeal Benitez came he was with Valencia nt Barca or Real Madrid or did you hear of Borrussia Dortmund 4 years ago or 3 years ago so all u haters i only have one word to say FUCK YOU…..

  • Stevecollins053

    We don’t need a big name, we want someone that is hungry for success and will deliver! players such as Alonso, Mascherano, Benayoun, Arbeloa does not have a name before they got to Anfield. Even Torres was only at his best ever when he got to Liverpool and he cant just be the same Torres again ofcos we are seeing that!

  • Jeavons

    “They got him from Swansea, not Barcelona or Real Madrid” Succesful Liverpool managers :
    Bill Shankly - Huddersfield
    Bob Paisley – Promoted from within
    Joe Fagan – Nelson/Promoted from within
    Kenny Dalglish – Promoted from within
    Gerard Houllier – French Technical Director
    Rafa Benitez – Valencia

    Not exactly all from Barcelona or Real Madrid now are they

  • YNWA74

    Rodgers will be a success at LFC. It is true that the club have been left behind financially over the past few years during the ownership of Hicks and Gillett but to suggest that ‘getting Rodgers is a sign Liverpool have been left behind’ is an insult to Rodgers. The priority for Fenway should be the new stadium and to increase financial viability… football is all about money these days sadly. Just take a look at Chelsea and Man City and it is clear you can buy the title. I don’t believe for one moment that Mancini is that great and Di matteo was lucky. Money, money, money!!!! LFC the most successful club in an era where footballing ability, great coaching and fantastic support were the keys to success.

  • Big_Jan

    what rubbish, the guy hasn’t even been in charge for one game and clueless idiots like you are criticizing him already,

    go away and kill yourself   

  • Dood

    So … two words then? ;)

  • Silent Valley

    Is Rodgers such a waste ? The writer feels only Mourinho or Guardiola are good enough ? What did they do ?
    Did they build a team of their own ? Guardiola for all the plaudits he is getting inheritted a bunch of extra talented players in Xavi,Iniesta,Messi and very good players like Puyol,Busquets,Pedro,Alves and made them world beaters. Si it just his Guardiola’s merit ??? La Masia produced most of the barcelona’s world beaters. Come on buddy ..And about Mourinho , he has all tthe money in the world to buy whichever player he likes and formed an astonishing start team and is making waves. si it just Mourninho’s merit ???
    ” Getting Rodgers is a sign Liverpool have been left behind” ??? What do you mean?. The real sign is that Liverpool is not looking for instant success. Infact they are looking at long term and trying to build a dynasty with a young Manager in charge, that too one of the most impressive young manager in England.And we the real red fans are behind him. We dont care about the crap you guys write about the manager, the players , the team. YNWA

  • Mundo

    “To play with that much fluency, freedom and expression”
    This describes Barcelona not Swansea
    Swansea are too scared to give the ball away, there is very little expression or creativity.  

  • guest

    roy didnt get time for nemerous reasons, woeful tactics, bemusing substitutuons, saying we played well when we where shit, and not backing nando when old scrote face called him out as a diver.  roy got what roy deserved as far as support goes.  we backed him till he stunned us with his stupidity.

  • Playitwithpassion

    Like Carra said, football is all about opinions….I just can’t wait for the season to begin so I don’t have to read some nobody’s view on whether someone will be successful or not…yawn

  • YNWA74

    I totally agree with you! I just feel that the amount of money available to some managers is ridiculous. LFC are the greatest club in the world as far as I’m concerned and always will be. But it is so hard to compete with the stupid amounts of cash flying around!! YNWA.

  • Lfc4lifer

    Other than shankly you have no point!

  • Jj

    A pitiful article. Apparently, you’re no longer a big club unless you recruit from Barcelona or Real? Staggeringly odd logic.

  • Johnnyboy

    What a load of bollocks

  • Morpheus1962

    No Point? There’s a lot of European Cupos between that lot… And who exactly do you think Liverpool could have signed to give them a better return than Paisley? Clueless.

  • Fire_ass

    That’s what you get when a Man U fan writes this article

  • Jim G

    Why would he want to turn Liverpool into Swansea overnight? 

    All he has to do is get the players to stop being so wasteful and convert just a fraction of the chances they create.

  • Jeavons

    Well I do have a point, all of them came in with a lot less experience than Brendan Rodgers is coming in with. Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish all come in with no experience pretty much in real management and won 32 trophies between them. Houllier had not managed properly in 10 years and won a treble along with a couple of other trophies. Benitez I might give you as Valencia were doing well at the time but only because of him so I decided he desereved to be included.

    Really I thought someone called Lfc4lifer would know all this and know LFC should be in capital letters.

  • THE VOICE

    it doesnt matter if he is fit for liverpool as long as he get results and the players respond to him and play how he wants them to. he is being judged before a ball is kicked and most journo’s would love to see LFC go another 20 years not winning a league title. try writing something constuctive for a change and get your **** out of ol’ red nose’ a**. we all know you hate LFC but we dont care. WE ARE LIVERPOOL . YNWA

  • Rice

    get lost do u have a clue about football ….. I THINK NOT

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_X5CX25AU3ROVDAHOAWU2IX7DHI Anonymous

    Clarke is getting completely “carried away” with Swansea – smiles. To believe him Swansea are world champions already and ready to thrash all and sundry. I suggest he re-checks his stats on possession before he lauds the Swans so much. Why are they not champions? The stats in the Liverpool v Swansea games showed that LFC held possession 8% more than did the Swans…. so much for them teaching how to hold the ball! Finally go get a life..

  • Silent Valley

    Why would he want to turn Liverpool into Swansea overnight? Nice question..You are appointed as a Manager of a team. Are you gonna follow the same tactics the previous Manager followed ?. If thats the case why the Club will appoint u as a Manager in first place. Club ownership have a dream , have a target in mind. They want a change for good. If you are not open to changes , you dont have the right to dream.Last 21 years liverpool has been playing one style without winning the premier league, where as the Manure’s kicked Liverpool off the perch.Now when somebody who had some success with this new approach at Swansea is trying to re create that success with a more talented team like Liverpool , you are not happy. You want the same mediocrity of last 21 years ????Change is the never changing nature of nature. Be open to changes and embrace it.

  • Dave

    Three of the worst journalists in the business.

  • football_critic

     Di Matteo did a great job in making Chelsea look more like a team again saying lucky is disrespectful, they beat Barcelona over 2 legs a team that am sorry to say would of rolled over Liverpool. They won the final on pens yeah but didn’t Liverpool also? not having a go just don’t think you should have a go at other managers and clubs because they are having more success at this moment in time, if you want the ‘glory days’ back at your team then you should get behind your own team and ignore what other teams are doing and basically just believe in what Rodgers wants for the club

  • http://twitter.com/Bobby_Styles Bobby James Styles

    how deluded are you Liverpool outspent everyone in the 60s and 70′s that is why you won titles 

  • Irish986

    What was wrong with Kenny?  I’m sure many of you will tell me but he was in throes of building a good team.

  • Gman

    Bobby James Styles…. Liverpool never once broke the transfer record in the 60s and 70s FACT! You sprout absolute garbage

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