BRENDAN RODGERS WILL BECOME LIVERPOOL’S NEW MANAGER ON THURSDAY HAVING AGREED A THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH THE MERSEYSIDE CLUB.
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| COMETH THE HOUR: Brendan Rodgers (right) could become the new Liverpool manager. (Photo: Getty Images) |
Rodgers’ departure from Swansea City was confirmed in a statement released by his chairman, Huw Jenkins, on Wednesday night. Negotiations regarding a £5 million compensation agreement will not be a stumbling block and the Welsh club have accepted Rodgers’ decision to leave.
The 39 year-old met Liverpool’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, on Wednesday and received the reassurances he needed that he will have control over team affairs, and the style and philosophy he wants to impose on his side is entirely in keeping with what his new employers were looking for.
High on the criteria for a new manager was a young coach with a passion for fluid, attractive football. That is why Liverpool were prepared to wait patiently to meet Rodgers, despite his initial reticence to join the recruitment process. Rodgers harboured concerns about how the selection process was being handled at first and, latterly, whether the arrival of a powerful sporting director such as Louis van Gaal would compromise his position.
Those reservations were laid to rest during his conversations with the Liverpool hierarchy, particularly when the Van Gaal interest cooled.
Liverpool do not deny speaking to Van Gaal, as managing director Ian Ayre held talks with the 60 year-old last week, but they insist no job offer was made. The same applies to Wigan’s Roberto Martínez, who was granted an audience with the principal owner, John W Henry.
As Liverpool shook hands on a deal with Rodgers, Martínez was left to commit his future to Wigan Athletic rather than head to Aston Villa.
Martínez was a serious contender, but ultimately Rodgers’ broader experience, apprenticeship at Chelsea under his mentor and friend Jose Mourinho and success at keeping Swansea comfortably in the Premier League at his first attempt by playing an eye-catching brand of football, gave him the edge.
Rodgers’ cause was also assisted by the fact that he led Swansea on one of the few occasions Liverpool owner Henry attended a Premier League game at Anfield last season. On that day, despite a 0-0 draw, the Welsh side outpassed and outplayed Liverpool and were unfortunate not to win.
Liverpool made no statement on the imminent appointment last night, but confirmation was provided by Swansea. Jenkins said: “Following on from discussions with Liverpool’s owners, Brendan has informed us that he would like to take up their offer to manage Liverpool.
“We are currently in talks with the owners to agree compensation. We are trying to finalise that within the next 24 hours.
“Although we are very disappointed to lose such a talented, young British manager, we didn’t wish to stand in his way. As always at Swansea City, we want people working here who are fully committed to the task ahead. We wish Brendan every success in the future.”
Rodgers’ decision ends a three-week recruitment process at Anfield. He will be one of several appointments in a summer of transition.
Liverpool have been reviewing how to restructure the club, redefining scouting and technical roles, although there is a feeling much of this shake-up is being over-analysed amid a plethora of lavish titles.
Essentially, the club will be appointing a glorified chief scout, an experienced administrator to negotiate transfers and contracts and a figurehead to ensure a seamless transition between the youth and senior set-ups. Liverpool want the same brand of football played at all levels, a philosophy they stuck by rigidly during their most successful periods under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. Some of the new appointments will be internal promotions and will not intrude on Rodgers’ role.
It is not a summer of revolution at Anfield, but it would be an underestimation to suggest it is mere evolution. FSG are pursuing a modern reinvigoration of the club’s well-established values, and the appointment of a dynamic, young coach fits with the promises they made on buying the club nearly two years ago.
That vision has been subjected to compromises ever since FSG inherited an ageing, defensive coach in Roy Hodgson and had little option but to turn to club legend Kenny Dalglish as a short-term solution to stabilise a fraught situation.
In turning to Rodgers, there is a sense they are now finally following their own blueprint. Rodgers is likely to assess the coaching staff before determining his backroom team, with Dalglish’s assistant, Steve Clarke, set for further talks on his future. Clarke offered his resignation on the day Dalglish was fired. It was refused by the club hierarchy because they wanted Clarke to delay a decision until a new manager was appointed.
Clarke was instrumental in helping Rodgers join Chelsea’s coaching staff under Mourinho.
In another twist, Swansea’s potential record signing, Gylfi Sigurdsson, may now stall on penning a £6.8 million deal. An agreement is in place between Swansea and German club Hoffenheim, but part of the attraction for Sigurdsson was working with Rodgers. It remains to be seen if the Iceland international, 22, commits his future to the Liberty Stadium given the managerial uncertainty.
http://fulltimescores.wordpress.com (Main Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool)
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