Brendan Rodgers oversaw his first pre-season as Liverpool boss 10 years in the past this month. Aaron Cutler appears to be like again on what adopted…
It’s now 10 years since Brendan Rodgers led his first coaching session as Liverpool supervisor.
That’s important, if not slightly scary.
Loads has occurred within the continuing decade, to the extent that the Northern Irishman’s tenure is commonly forgotten. Certainly, he’ll ceaselessly be referred to as the person earlier than the person.
Discovering consensus on Rodgers’ reign is like discovering an trustworthy Conservative minister. From day one he break up opinion, with doubters vocal even together with his facet getting ready to an unlikely title.
A lot of that comes all the way down to picture. A self-styled ‘fashionable coach’, the then-39-year-old was unveiled at Anfield amid a lot speak of ‘philosophy’ and ‘ideology’.
On this respect, he did not learn the room.
Preaching the virtues of possession soccer to Liverpool supporters is like instructing Paul McCartney on learn how to write a success music.
Kopites had revelled within the success of the Shankly and Paisley eras. Final time we checked, neither have been the results of route one ways.
Merely put, Scousers don’t endure fools. There can be no reinvention of the wheel of their eyes.
A famed 180-page file, stated to have sealed his appointment, solely served to intensify the sensation he was a sporting salesman. Rodgers’ penchant for soundbites might have wooed the impressionable, however irritated old-timers.
Add this to the actual fact he was changing an icon in Kenny Dalglish, and you’ll start to grasp a few of that early apathy.
Being: Liverpool
Admittedly, the incoming boss was hardly helped by a previous dedication to filming a behind-the-scenes documentary throughout what can be his maiden pre-season.
One other supervisor, with a trophy-laden CV, may need put a cease to that. Dare we are saying his successor would have.
But Rodgers – at that time – had no actual monitor file to talk of. And having been parachuted into the recent seat of a footballing behemoth, he was in no place to provide ultimatums.
Sadly, ‘entry all areas’ meant precisely that, together with footage of some cringeworthy materials and staff talks; none extra so than that based mostly round envelopes…
This earned Rodgers comparisons to David Brent. A likeable determine, however considerably of a parody.
It was in opposition to this backdrop that the Reds entered a transitional season.
Rodgers was true to his phrase and tried to implement a passing model that meant taking part in out from the again.
It’s truthful to say this took a while.
Liverpool did not win any of their first 5 league video games and have been trounced 3-0 away to West Brom on the opening day.
Earlier than a long-awaited win at Norwich, in the meantime, got here a haphazard finish to the switch window.
It’s since emerged that Rodgers angered his bosses by bemoaning a scarcity of signings in ahead positions, having been provided the prospect to retain Andy Carroll.
Wanting again, this was maybe the primary proof of self-preservation, one thing that may develop into an everyday prevalence.
On the pitch the Reds step by step improved, nevertheless it was solely in January, when each Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho joined, {that a} trace of what was to return got here to the fore.
And this brings Rodgers’ much-talked-of philosophy into sharp focus.
Come the top of that season, the Reds had developed right into a counter-attacking facet. The sluggish, thought-about buildup was changed with quicker transitions, usually launched by the now-deep-lying Steven Gerrard.
It could possibly be argued personnel pressured the supervisor’s hand in that regard.
Certainly, it’s lengthy been speculated he was personally in opposition to the Sturridge signing. But the previous adage says you’re employed with the instruments you’re given…
And the flexibility to adapt is definitely the signal of a great supervisor.
Nonetheless, it made a little bit of a mockery of the seminars we’d listened to in each press convention for six months.
Regardless Liverpool ended the marketing campaign strongly. The three-2 defeat of Spurs at Anfield in March signalled the primary important victory of the Rodgers period. As much as that time the Reds had did not beat any of the established ‘massive six’.
They ended the season unbeaten in eight and filled with attacking impetus.
2013/14
Heading into the exhilarating however finally heartbreaking 2013/14 season, Rodgers had proven his means to harness momentum. It stays his greatest trait to this present day.
Immediately the curious and downright weird experiments that outlined his early months have been deserted.
Rodgers – for some time no less than – put apart the ego that may drive him to show ingenuity at each flip. There can be no extra Stewart Downing at left-back, for instance.
As an alternative, he rode the wave.
Round 15 gamers have been entrusted to go the space, constructing on the arrogance and power that stemmed from three consecutive 1-0 wins at the beginning of the marketing campaign.
Led by the spectacular Luis Suarez and talismanic Gerrard, the Reds discovered themselves in an unlikely title problem. They have been flawed however relentless, transport 50 targets however scoring 101.
When it clicked, they have been merely devastating, as Spurs (5-0), Everton (4-0) and Arsenal (5-1) discovered to their price.
By this level, Rodgers’ file had been set alight, together with the remainder of Premier League. There was no philosophy on show – how may there be once you concede so continuously?
The one dedication was to the utter chaos which may simply ship a nineteenth title.
It so almost did.
Everyone knows how that run-in concluded and although no person would admit it, we feared it will by no means be nearly as good once more.
That near-miss additionally served to intensify expectations. A severe title assault may need been anticipated in yr 4 or 5.
Rodgers now needed to repeat the components – with out his greatest participant.
The autumn
Rodgers’ greatest critics attribute the thrilling 2013/14 season to Suarez alone.
Granted, he was taking part in soccer from one other planet and drove an imperfect staff to the brink of the Holy Grail. However even the most effective want an atmosphere through which to flourish.
The Uruguayan by no means hit these heights underneath Dalglish.
Rodgers additionally did a great job of reintegrating his star participant following a really public exile for making an attempt to engineer a transfer away. That’s good administration, nevertheless you costume it up.
The naysayers level to the next yr as proof Suarez made Rodgers. What they neglect is he misplaced not one however two strikers, with Sturridge consigned to the therapy desk for just about the length.
Paradoxically this pressured him to revert to sort and overthink all the pieces.
We have been advised (by the person himself, clearly) about late nights on the kitchen desk devising a 3-5-2 system. We noticed Emre Can at centre-back, Rickie Lambert used as a goal man and even Brad Jones between the sticks.
He discovered that all-important momentum mid-season, resulting in a run of 12 video games unbeaten.
However nearly as good as Rodgers is at driving a wave, he struggles to arrest a decline. That started with a deadly defeat at residence to Man United and culminated in a 6-1 thrashing by the hands of Stoke.
In hindsight that actually ought to have marked the top.
For no matter purpose, he was allowed to limp on for an additional 5 months, through which time his paranoia got here to the fore in press conferences.
Admittedly, he wasn’t the primary Liverpool supervisor to endure that destiny. Gerard Houllier additionally started to mistrust everybody with a media badge. The pressures of the job will do this to you.
Rodgers’ legacy
So, 10 years on from his first coaching session, how is Rodgers considered now by supporters?
Nicely, the reception he’s afforded every time he returns with Leicester tells a narrative. It’s considered one of well mannered applause.
He was an honest supervisor boasting a 51.20 p.c win ratio. That places him above the likes of Roy Hodgson (41.94%) and Graeme Souness (42.04%) however under Roy Evans (51.77%) and Houllier (52.12%).
On reflection, you’d say that’s nearly proper.
Numbers, nevertheless, by no means inform the entire story. He got here inside a slip of being immortalised but in some ways contributed to his personal demise.
Did he get the Liverpool job too early? Maybe. Would he be reconsidered sooner or later? Unlikely.
His greatest critics level to his choice to stroll out on Celtic with a historic treble-treble in sight as proof his precedence has been and all the time can be Brendan Rodgers.
In that respect, he was by no means proper for our membership.
