Brendan Rodgers

[Mags]

sometimes you have to take a short term hit for long term gain, this is one of those times - we are going nowhere under Rodgers so why wait until Klopp or Ancelotti are no longer available.

Gives FSG the perfect excuse not to hire either?

[marcus50bucks]

Liverpool news: Under-pressure Brendan Rodgers hits out at 'hysteria' over his Liverpool future

Rodgers has blasted the “frenzied” campaign to undermine him, as stand-in captain James Milner rallies behind his "top-class manager"

By Chris Bascombe
10:30PM BST 27 Sep 2015

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, has claimed that he is the victim of a “frenzied” campaign to force him out of Anfield.

Rodgers refused to identify those whom he felt were campaigning against him but James Milner, Liverpool’s acting captain, suggested that the rise of social media was a contributor to the “hysteria”surrounding the manager.

There have been hints that Rodgers believes that former Liverpool players working in the media have not been supportive enough during his troubled spell.

“There has been a frenzy to get me out of here. There is no question about that,” Rodgers said. “Whether that’s a Liverpool hysteria or big-club hysteria, I am not so sure.

“The scrutiny here is obviously greater, for me, than any club. But it is a huge club and as a manager you know that and deal with it.

“It’s not about proving people wrong. I think I have shown in the early stages of my management – without being arrogant – that with a talented group of players I can compete at the top end of the league. There are very short memories in football.

“The team was eighth when I got here and we built and produced a team to excite people throughout European football that should have won the league. It didn’t but nobody even expected us to be near the top four.

“I know how to manage top players and manage the group, but when you lose that or those players are not available and you have to piece it together, that takes time. Then all the good work gets forgotten. That’s how it works.

“It seems the focus has not been on what’s gone on and what we’ve been missing, but more about getting me out of the club. That’s sad. I am the same man who nearly won us the league, but better. If you give me the tools I’ll do the work.

“I know last season and this, there have been a lot of things going against us, but we’ve always managed to stick together. The players are very much fighting and with players returning we can have a great season.”

Milner, who scored the first in Liverpool’s 3-2 win against Aston Villa, argued that the possible consequence of every poor run gets magnified due to changing nature of football coverage. “That is the way football is now – social media and Sky Sports apps, and everything like that,” Milner said.

“There is so much scrutiny. It is important we pay no intention and focus on the work.

“A lot of things that have been said are disappointing and frustrating really because you see how close they went to winning the league a couple of years ago and then with the players that have left the club it is going to take time to get back to that point. But with patience he [Rodgers] has shown he is a top-class manager and with the players we have we can get to where we want to be.”

Milner believes that the scrutiny at Anfield is comparable to that at Manchester City. “I would say it is as big. They are both big clubs,” he said. “There is always going to be that pressure when things aren't going well. That comes when you play for big clubs, as I’ve been fortunate to do for the last few years. There is going to be scrutiny.

“When things aren’t going well there are going to be things said but it is important that we stick together. When things are going well it gets blown out of context and the same when it is bad.

“Someone has told us we are five points off the top so things change so fast in football. If we can put a couple of good wins together then it will different. I think things are starting to click.

“There are people giving criticism from outside the club but I think Manchester City have lost more games than us this season so you know it is so early.”
Working with Rodgers was one of the factors behind Milner’s decision to join Liverpool.

“I’ve been really impressed with him,” the England international said.

“Preparation is second to none. We go into every game with a game plan. Training is very good and any problems as a player you can see on the pitch, he has seen them as well rather than him not knowing what the problem is.

“I’ve talked with him after a game and whatever I’ve thought he has already said ahead of me so I think he is well on top.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ol-future.html

[marcus50bucks]

Liverpool FC boss Rodgers: I'll overcome "frenzy" to get me the sack

22:48, 27 SEP 2015 BY JAMES PEARCE

Manager says win over Villa proves that Reds are united in battle to transform the club's season

Brendan Rodgers has vowed to overcome the “frenzy” over his future as the defiant Liverpool boss insisted: “I have a hunger to succeed here.”

Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Aston Villa eased the pressure on the Reds boss after a miserable run of results.

Rodgers hit out at what he perceives to be a campaign to get him sacked and claimed the scrutiny of life at Liverpool is greater than at any other club.

However, he reiterated his determination to remain in the job and transform his Anfield reign.

There has been a frenzy, there is no doubt about that, to get me out of here, Rodgers said.

Whether thats a Liverpool hysteria or a big club hysteria, I am not so sure. The scrutiny here is obviously greater, for me, than at any club.

It is a huge club and as a manager you know that and deal with it.

I am fine. You know what comes from leadership and being a manager. Ive never got too carried away when weve won, and not too disappointed when weve lost.

I have a hunger to succeed here. I know last season and this there have been a lot of things going against us, but weve always managed to stick together and improve together.

“The players and staff are very much together, fighting to be better and to live up to the expectations we create ourselves that is to be the best. With players returning we can have a great season. With me there is no drama, I only worry about the team.”

Daniel Sturridge’s second-half double inspired Liverpool to their first league win in five matches and lifted them back to within touching distance of the Champions League spots.

Rodgers believes the criticism he has been subjected to has been unfair considering how close he came to winning the title two seasons ago and the issues he’s been wrestling with since.

Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling have all left, while Sturridge has only recently returned to action after an injury plagued 12 months.

This season his squad has been depleted with captain Jordan Henderson, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Dejan Lovren all currently sidelined.

“It’s not about proving people wrong,” Rodgers said.

“I think I have shown in the early stages of my management – without being arrogant – that with a talented group of players I can compete at the top end of the league.

“There are very short memories in football. The team was eighth when I got here and we built and produced a team to excite people throughout European football that should have won the league.

“It didn’t but nobody even expected us to be near the top four. I know how to manage top players and build and manage an exciting group, but when you lose that or those players are not available and you have to piece it together, that takes time. Then all the good work gets forgotten. That’s how it works.

“My only gripe is that it seems the focus has not been on what’s gone on and what we’ve been missing, but more about getting me out of the club. That’s sad.

“I am the same man who nearly won us the game, but better. If you give me the tools I’ll do the work.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport...s-ill-10143930

[sinbad]

He's really lucky there hasn't been enough hysteria. He should've kicked out after the 6-1 at Stoke.

[Fredo]

He's really lucky there hasn't been enough hysteria. He should've kicked out after the 6-1 at Stoke.

Try harder.

[Chris]

Wish we'd at least win at Goodison first before he wants to big himself up in the media. All we did was get a 1 goal win v a team of Brummie milkmen and labourers.

[Fredo]

Yeah. He's feeling the pressure and I think the writing's on the wall, sadly. I think he's not referring to fans or people in the media, but some people within the club who he probably knows don't want him here anymore.

[Mark79]

He did say outside the club, Fredo.

[Vermilion]

Yeah. He's feeling the pressure and I think the writing's on the wall, sadly. I think he's not referring to fans or people in the media, but some people within the club who he probably knows don't want him here anymore.

I think he is referring to the fans too tbh when he says....

There has been a frenzy, there is no doubt about that, to get me out of here, Rodgers said.

Whether thats a Liverpool hysteria or a big club hysteria, I am not so sure. The scrutiny here is obviously greater, for me, than at any club.

edit: tbh i don't see how he can't be including the fans when he says things like the above, after all there are lots of fans that want him out and he knows that full well, so i do think he lumps those fans in with 'the group' he speaks of wanting him sacked.

[BubbaZanetti]

So Brendan's better now than when we finished 2nd. Shame the results and tactics haven't improved too.

[Liverpel]

Was no one else a little bit bothered with how Rodgers pronounced hysteria as "high-steria"?

[Big-Red-Ed]

I like Brendan. I think he is out of his depth with us and his tenure was always doomed from the start because he's just not big enough for a club of our stature even in a period were we are dormant. He had to win big early on and didn't. But fair ****s to him he believes in himself and what he's doing even if he is deluded. He's honest to the point of ridicule. But he cares and he knows the pressure is building. I think he needs to go but take no pleasure from it. Big clubs need big managers. Look at van vaal. We all think he is an idiot but them friggers are top and in cl. Brendan was never big enough to be taken seriously by media, fans and players.

[MrMichael]

I like Brendan. I think he is out of his depth with us and his tenure was always doomed from the start because he's just not big enough for a club of our stature even in a period were we are dormant. He had to win big early on and didn't.

Big clubs need big managers. Look at van vaal. We all think he is an idiot but them friggers are top and in cl. Brendan was never big enough to be taken seriously by media, fans and players.

A few months ago I might have argued with this but I don't think I would now

But fair ****s to him he believes in himself and what he's doing even if he is deluded. He's honest to the point of ridicule. But he cares and he knows the pressure is building. I think he needs to go but take no pleasure from it.

[Hemingway]

Actually, Brendan probably is a better manager, in some unquantifiable holistic sense. People tend to improve with time and experience, so he's had to have gotten better in at least some respects. The problem is that managers aren't judged in that unquantifiable holistic sense, in which space exist "good managers" and "bad managers." There are a few genuinely good managers and a few genuinely bad ones, but a whole lot in between who have only a fleeting impact on their club's success and are dependent on how they fit the club's situation (and getting some good fortune). Brendan exists in that group of not-bad, not-great managers - he had a good run in a good situation, and has since found out that the particular plan he used in that season just doesn't always apply.

I've made this point before (as has Lecter, though more critically of BR), that the title challenge year couldn't be used as a blueprint because it was dependent on an unusual number of circumstances that weren't sustainable. Just off the top of my head, it required:

- having two world-class strikers;
- having those two world-class strikers outperform even their very high standards;
- scoring an unusually high number of set piece goals, many of them coming early to break open games;
- outperforming things like [statto alert] TSR, SoTR, and xG, which usually come back to earth with time;
- hell, even getting an historic number of blocks (which, like set piece goals, regress to the mean season-on-season).

I'd argue that all five of those things were unsustainable. Statistically, we know the final four are. You can beat them for awhile, but you always regress to the mean given enough time. But I also think that having two world-class strikers is likewise unsustainable, and people gloss over this. How many clubs can consistently have two world-class strikers? Real, Barca, PSG, Bayern...maybe United? Unless you're one of those really moneyed clubs, any plan that relies upon having two strikers of Suarez-Sturridge levels is pretty much bankrupt. If we held onto Suarez, or if we replaced him better, we could've delayed the downfall for awhile. But it would've come eventually. Except for that really elite few, it's an exceptionally difficult thing to maintain.

A lot of people say the downfall from that season started when we tried to find another plan, instead of just getting goals on the pitch and seeing what happens. I disagree - the first aspect of that plan would've been hard to maintain and the other four were just straight-up statistical quirks that would've (and did) come back to earth. It was unsustainable to do all of that year on year. We were right to look for another plan; the problem was that BR couldn't make another plan work.

That doesn't mean he doesn't deserve credit for that year, or that he can't find another method that might work in the future. I'm hopeful about 3 at the back, actually. But you (and he) can't just take what he did in 13-14 and say "See, he can do it, and he's even better now." No, he can do it if he has two world-class strikers and things break right. Which is not the same thing as being able to do it in the current situation. He's better, but not as lucky. He's better, but in a worse situation. And right now it's looking like he doesn't have the answers for it.

Anyway, he's not a bad manager, certainly better than the last month or so, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to be successful elsewhere once he gets some time away from the game to reassess things. I'd be happy enough if he could figure it out here. But I don't think he will, and based on his history of making grandiose statements before important games I'm not optimistic about getting the results he's hoping for.

[Red_Polo]

Was no one else a little bit bothered with how Rodgers pronounced hysteria as "high-steria"?

Yeah I noticed that, it grated on me too but let's face it if it were the only thing grating I'd be of a far sunnier disposition watching our games!