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Rodgers

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Can't say I watched an awful lot of Swansea last season.

Was their football tippy tappy bellend stuff or was it more than that?
 
CHRIS WATHAN on why choosing to join Liverpool may not be quite as clear-cut as it appears for Swans boss Brendan Rodgers

A YEAR ago today, it was the moment that captured it all.Lifted up by his celebrating players, Brendan Rodgers was thrown into the Wembley sky.

This morning, 12 months on from that play-off victory, it is the future of the Swansea City manager that is up in the air.

That glorious win set up the prospect of the Swans taking on Liverpool and the like in the Premier League.

But the success of that first season has ensured the competition between the two has extended beyond the fixture list.

To many – most of whom lie outside of South Wales – the tussle for Rodgers’ stylish services represents a straightforward victory for the Anfield club.

But then Swansea’s top-flight demise was meant to be similarly straightforward.

In truth, nothing is simple – least of all a decision to leave the Liberty, where so much is in place, to enter the uncertainty of Anfield.

Yet there is the obvious cry of how on earth a manager of any ambition in the most fickle of industries can turn down one of the game’s genuine top jobs.

All of which will have been running through Rodgers’ mind recently. Perhaps even right now.

Because, while Swansea’s insistence yesterday was that there had been no approach from Anfield, they will not be naive enough to think that is the end of the matter.

Neither should anyone be naive enough to think that Liverpool is not a pull for any man. Regardless of opinions on their current state or squad, the name alone can speak for itself.

The millions at their disposal and the prestige of it all means – like Rodgers himself – the potential is enormous.

Rodgers’ initial decision to distance himself from Liverpool’s interest in his services is understood to have more to do with the beauty parade of bosses the club’s American owners wanted to conduct rather than anything else.

The feeling was that if he committed himself to an interview process with so many others in the frame he would face the consequences should he have been overlooked.

How would he convince the likes of Joe Allen and Ashley Williams to say no to big club offers when he himself had been tempted?

If, as we are led to believe, Rodgers is now on a shortlist of two, three at best, he will feel that risk has been reduced.

If he is out-and-out the one that they want, then it has gone completely and the door to an exit will be open.

There was a dramatic tumbling of prices yesterday that saw the Northern Irishman become odds-on favourite to replace Kenny Dalglish.

That and the rolling rumour mill that is Twitter where falsehoods can be reported as fact, such as the one that claimed Rodgers’ trip to the States was to meet Liverpool chiefs rather than the pre-planned holiday arranged some months back that it actually was.

Still, sources in the north west maintain that Rodgers remains a preferred candidate and such flattery will appeal to the Swans manager.

He is convinced of his ability to manage at the top, open with his ambition and happy to point at his time at Chelsea as an example of how he can work with world-class players.

Arrogance or confidence, the challenge of Liverpool would not be one that overawes him.

It is that same unerring belief in his own capability that will aid Rodgers to overlook the sense he would not be the Kop’s natural choice as the King’s successor.

Without the big-name reputation to fall back on, Rodgers would need to hit the ground running. He will feel he can.

But the opportunity, like the decision, is not quite so straightforward as everyone would presume, given the brand name of Liverpool FC.

The potential presence of Louis van Gaal in a sporting director role at Anfield is one that should cast a large shadow of doubt within Rodgers right now.

Rodgers has often described his joy at being able to get his hands dirty at Swansea. Although a tracksuit manager who says his natural environment is on the coaching field, his influence at the Liberty is everywhere from transfers to new training grounds.

Would he be able to operate in such a way with a sporting director hovering above him?

And not any old suit but one of the most experienced managers in the game, not shy of an opinion or two.

It is said that such a scenario has made Roberto Martinez think twice about a role he otherwise would have jumped for.

If that is Rodgers’ gut instinct, it could yet be dangerous to go against it.

Burned before when he left Watford for Reading – “the right club at the wrong time” – the decision quickly left Rodgers out of football for the first time in his life, unable to get even interviews at League One level before Swansea accepted his call. And so to the last most romantic but possibly most pertinent point.

Rodgers was given a chance at Swansea and returned the favour handsomely.

He has since been given everything he has asked for in terms of the club’s expansion, the signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson the response to his pleas to push the envelope on transfers.

The last time a Swansea manager was courted like this, Martinez cited the failure to land transfer targets like Jordi Gomez and James McCarthy and the lack of plans for training facilities as an example of why the club could not keep pace with his own progression.

Rodgers does not have that luxury to ease his conscious on this decision.

Instead, Rodgers’ sense of debt to Swansea is genuine.

It remains to be seen whether it will be enough to resist the very real temptation of one of the greatest jobs in football.
Click to expand...
 
A quick look at Swansea's backroom staff list showed that Rodgers did not bring in his 'own man'. Coincides with rumours of Van Gaal looking to appoint his Dutch coaches?
 
Well I like the cut of his jib. Much more than Martinez. Good luck Brendan and let's give him a chance to transform things. I won't happen overnight
 
Brendan Rodgers has agreed a deal to become the new manager of Liverpool. The 39-year-old is understood to have signed a three-year contract at Anfield and his appointment is likely to be officially confirmed within 24 hours. Liverpool will pay between £4m and £5m in compensation to secure the Northern Irishman's services.
 
Brendan Rodgers agrees deal to become Liverpool manager

By Ben SmithBBC Sport
Brendan Rodgers has agreed a deal to become the new manager of Liverpool Football Club.
The 39-year-old is understood to have signed a three-year contract at Anfield and his appointment is likely to be officially confirmed within 24 hours.
Liverpool will pay between £4m and £5m in compensation to secure the Northern Irishman's services.
The Reds had finished eighth in the Premier League and were 17 points from a Champions League qualification spot, despite the Reds winning the League Cup andreaching the final of the FA Cup.
In contrast, Rodgers guided his Swansea side to an impressive first season in the top flight, including a 1-0 win over Liverpool on the final day of the season.
After parting ways with Dalglish, Liverpool embarked on an extensive search for a new manager.
The Reds have been linked not only with Rodgers and Martinez but also former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, ex-England coach Fabio Capello, and Ajax manager Frank de Boer, among others.
The Northern Irishman declined the opportunity to speak to Liverpool about the vacancy 12 days ago, and instead the club's hierarchy sought a meeting with Wigan's Martinez.
Jose Mourinho

​
But it appears Rodgers was always the preferred candidate, despite Wigan chairman Dave Whelan at one point suggesting his manager had been offered the job at Anfield.
Rodgers's managerial career began at Watford in 2008 after coaching spells at Reading and Chelsea.
There followed an unhappy period in charge of Reading but, after hisappointment as Swansea boss in July 2010, Rodgers guided his Welsh side to promotion to the top flight in May 2011, making Swansea the first Welsh team to reach the Premier League.
 
Spencer said:
Can't say I watched an awful lot of Swansea last season.

Was their football tippy tappy bellend stuff or was it more than that?
Click to expand...
At our best in the 70's & 80's we were quite the "tippy-tappy bellends". What more do you want? Barca/Spain have dominated football for the past 4 years and are referred to as tippy-tappy bellends so what "more" is there.

It was always the Liverpool way under Shanks/Sir Bob....just keep the ball moving; keep possession and the chances would come. And of course if you keep possession the opposition can't score.

I suppose you also need a solid back 4 which Swansea have and, if you are still looking for "more" they did have 2 quick wingers. But basically they were barca-lite.
 
i think it's a shite appointement but at least he's not a complete flake like martinez. would have been dark days with him.
 
As I said before, I did a shitload of reading on Rodgers & I'm optimistic he'll do a great job.

He got a team like Swansea playing amazingly good football, with our players & resources he should accomplish a great deal more.
 
Not sure how I feel about this but he will of course have my full support. Onwards and upwards! I wonder why he changed his mind. LVG perhaps??
 
I thought he would be the manager even when Martinez was being widely tipped for the role, think Ryan thought so too, and i'm delighted now that seems to be the case. The only downside is that he can't work with his players on the training field immediately as most of them are on international duty, and the system that he plays takes a hell of a lot of hours of hard work to implement.
 
Pesam said:
At our best in the 70's & 80's we were quite the "tippy-tappy bellends". What more do you want? Barca/Spain have dominated football for the past 4 years and are referred to as tippy-tappy bellends so what "more" is there.

It was always the Liverpool way under Shanks/Sir Bob....just keep the ball moving; keep possession and the chances would come. And of course if you keep possession the opposition can't score.

I suppose you also need a solid back 4 which Swansea have and, if you are still looking for "more" they did have 2 quick wingers. But basically they were barca-lite.
Click to expand...

Of course I like the passing game, but I think there has to be a purpose.

I'd love it if we had some proper wingers.

Either way, if he's manager he gets my support.
 
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