The 'Rodgers' Project is coming along nicely, although it will require a bit of luck to push us over the edge.
Like Montpellier and Dortmund initially, they had one blistering season, although the latter continued to build and win titles thereafter.
What Rodgers is trying to achieve is what many clubs would ideally like to do. They invest in youth, use youth, award wages within a performance-based framework, and these players are quick, technical players with excellent use of the ball, either in a way which uses angles (Coutinho) or via direct running and dribbling (Sturridge and Allen when he was at Swansea). However, investing in youth means patience and time to not only train these players to fit your tactical framework, but also it means that you have to shift out the deadwood. What Rodgers has managed to do is 'rinse' (his term) every last drop out of the likes of Downing, Enrique and Henderson, players once considered deadwood. Although I imagine Downingand Enrique will be sold by the end of next summer, Rodgers has used his resources well to get them to fit into his system for the time being, until he replaces them with players able to fit his model of play.
The 'Rodgers' project is gradual progress. He talked about doing things quicker here.
And he talks about 'rinsing' here.
So with this in mind, I am supremely confident that Rodgers is able to manage his resources effectively, to 'rinse' everything he can from players he'd rather not have, and to get to his destination as quickly as he can. Aspas and Luis Alberto are proof of fast, technical players who play either direct (IA) or silky (LA).
Toure is an astute signing to add experience, but also reasonable footballing qualities that fit into his model. Even Jamie Carragher passed the ball continually last season, so this is again Rodgers being effective in his resourcefulness.
I take great encouragement in the domination we had in the second half against Man Utd at Old Trafford, Arsenal at the Emirates in a controlled performance, Chelsea home and away, and the way we began to look clinical once Sturridge and Coutinho slotted into the team in the second half of the season. He altered our tactics from a 4-3-3 passing side into a 4-2-3-1 side that focused on moving the ball up the pitch as quick as possible in a direct manner. This is similar to Benitez, except he used longer passes from deep ala Carragher, and Agger pushing up from defence on occasion. Rodgers uses short, quicker passes within smaller spaces on the pitch.
Finally, FSG have done well to back him so far, and after the debacle of last summer, it seems that Ayre and FSG have bucked their ideas up to ensure a better summer thus far. I imagine there is great difficulty in attracting marquee signings, and that is purely down to our decline since Gillett and Hicks in the summer of 2009, and Hodgson thereafter.
Rodgers is the first manager since Benitez of whom I have faith can build a team, change things when they're not going well, and inspire a team.
Like Montpellier and Dortmund initially, they had one blistering season, although the latter continued to build and win titles thereafter.
What Rodgers is trying to achieve is what many clubs would ideally like to do. They invest in youth, use youth, award wages within a performance-based framework, and these players are quick, technical players with excellent use of the ball, either in a way which uses angles (Coutinho) or via direct running and dribbling (Sturridge and Allen when he was at Swansea). However, investing in youth means patience and time to not only train these players to fit your tactical framework, but also it means that you have to shift out the deadwood. What Rodgers has managed to do is 'rinse' (his term) every last drop out of the likes of Downing, Enrique and Henderson, players once considered deadwood. Although I imagine Downingand Enrique will be sold by the end of next summer, Rodgers has used his resources well to get them to fit into his system for the time being, until he replaces them with players able to fit his model of play.
The 'Rodgers' project is gradual progress. He talked about doing things quicker here.
Brendan Rodgers
'When I went in to Swansea I knew very well I could still work with the same philosophy and identity but I would have to get to the end point quicker.
'That allowed me to round off everything I do and how I work with players and it brought me success at Swansea.
'I probably became more clinical after that (at Reading). I went in there looking to change things too quickly.
'When I went in to Swansea I knew very well I could still work with the same philosophy and identity but I would have to get to the end point quicker.
'That allowed me to round off everything I do and how I work with players and it brought me success at Swansea.
'I probably became more clinical after that (at Reading). I went in there looking to change things too quickly.
I am not a magician but I will be able to improve players and that is my work. If I look at the first six months I believe there has been improvements in a lot of the players. I will rinse everything that I possibly can out of them, but the bottom line is about talent. If you don’t initially have that then it can be difficult.
“We will get talents and we will try and maximise what we can out of players. You look at Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique since the start of the season and we have added value back to them. Absolutely.
“We will get talents and we will try and maximise what we can out of players. You look at Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique since the start of the season and we have added value back to them. Absolutely.
Toure is an astute signing to add experience, but also reasonable footballing qualities that fit into his model. Even Jamie Carragher passed the ball continually last season, so this is again Rodgers being effective in his resourcefulness.
I take great encouragement in the domination we had in the second half against Man Utd at Old Trafford, Arsenal at the Emirates in a controlled performance, Chelsea home and away, and the way we began to look clinical once Sturridge and Coutinho slotted into the team in the second half of the season. He altered our tactics from a 4-3-3 passing side into a 4-2-3-1 side that focused on moving the ball up the pitch as quick as possible in a direct manner. This is similar to Benitez, except he used longer passes from deep ala Carragher, and Agger pushing up from defence on occasion. Rodgers uses short, quicker passes within smaller spaces on the pitch.
Finally, FSG have done well to back him so far, and after the debacle of last summer, it seems that Ayre and FSG have bucked their ideas up to ensure a better summer thus far. I imagine there is great difficulty in attracting marquee signings, and that is purely down to our decline since Gillett and Hicks in the summer of 2009, and Hodgson thereafter.
Rodgers is the first manager since Benitez of whom I have faith can build a team, change things when they're not going well, and inspire a team.
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