Brendan Rodgers to become new Liverpool manager on Thursday after agreeing a three-year deal

BRENDAN RODGERS WILL BECOME LIVERPOOL’S NEW MANAGER ON THURSDAY HAVING AGREED A THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH THE MERSEYSIDE CLUB.

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)

Didier Drogba proves his value to Chelsea is more than just as a Wembley talisman as he downs Liverpool

Everyone has been asking questions of Didier Drogba this season, even Graham Norton, but he keeps finding answers.

SAME OLD ROUTINE: Didier Drogba turns away after claiming his latest Wembley goal (Photo: Getty Images)

Oft criticised, oft written off, the Chelsea striker is now the first player to score in four FA Cup finals, the man who has struck eight goals in eight competitive games at Wembley yet he is still expected to leave Chelsea.

The club need to answer a question from their fans. Why? Why let Drogba go? The talisman with the occasional tantrum in him always has a goal in him. The player who always seems to have the final word in finals does not have the final word in his Chelsea career.

At 34, Drogba wants a two-year contract at the Bridge, which the club are loathe to offer as they seek to rejuvenate the squad. He is still a force, still a goalscoring threat, and still apparently booked on a slow boat or fast plane to China and the riches of Shanghai Shenhua.

The way he kissed a post and touched the Wembley turf amidst Chelsea’s post-match celebrations looked like a man saying his farewells to a favourite venue.

Maybe Chelsea should keep him just for Wembley. In the 2007 final, Drogba played a 1-2 with Frank Lampard and scored the only goal to beat Manchester United. Two years later, Drogba struck the equaliser in the 2-1 win over Everton (settled by Lampard). His free-kick finished off Portsmouth in 2010. On Saturday, Drogba drove in another fine goal here which proved the winner against Liverpool. No wonder he views Wembley as his “lucky stadium”.

Ever since watching pictures of Eric Cantona score against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final, Drogba has been obsessed by the place.

His thoughts now turn away from Wembley. Drogba still has more to look forward to in the blue of Chelsea, a point made constantly by their fans with their chant of “que sera, sera, what ever will be, will be, we’re going to Germany”. Munich beckons. Drogba could be off with the greatest club prize of all, a winner’s medal from the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena.

After his frustration in the 2008 showdown with Manchester United, sent off in Moscow, Drogba will crave some redemption in Munich.

Drogba takes on a Bayern Munich defence shorn through suspension of that excellent centre-half, Holger Badstuber, and Gustavo, the defensive midfielder who shields the back-line so effectively. Drogba is a force against full-strength defences let alone weakened ones.

At Wembley, Drogba was up against an experienced, in-form centre-half in Martin Skrtel. Drogba’s face adorned the £10 Cup final programme, facing up to Skrtel, a duel that soon broke out here.

Within 28 seconds, Drogba was dropping off Skrtel, latching on to Lampard’s knockdown and trying his luck, sending a shot spinning over. Liverpool could not take their eyes off Chelsea’s No 11. Skrtel, probably Liverpool’s player of the season with Luis Suarez, had to be on his toes. When Drogba strode through early on, Skrtel calmly read the danger and nicked the ball.

Drogba was so obsessing Liverpool’s centre-halves, drawing Skrtel and Daniel Agger, that space opened up for Ramires to pour through for Chelsea’s 11th-minute opener. Even without direct involvement, Drogba had contributed. His work-rate was superb, his stamina exceptional.

Drogba feels so fit, smiling that he has “a few kilometres left” in him. He certainly put in the hard yards here, even chasing back to hound Craig Bellamy. Moments later, he was back upfront, linking with Juan Mata, then spreading play wide to Ramires.

Drogba kept imposing himself on all Liverpool defenders, inspecting the back-line like a particularly demanding Regimental Sergeant Major.

First Glen Johnson was worked over. Then Drogba moved across to trouble Agger. He then tested Jose Enrique.

Drogba has looked so sharp and hungry in recent semi-final weeks, bullying an array of centre-halves from Carles Puyol of Barcelona to William Gallas of Spurs. That decision to analyse the way Alan Shearer played during his Newcastle United days, muscling into centre-halves, giving them no respite, paid off.

On the eve of this final, Drogba had actually revealed that he did not enjoy playing the lone frontrunner role but he performs the duties so dynamically, so prolifically, keeping Fernando Torres kicking his expensive heels on the bench.

A beacon upfront, Drogba also proved a great “out” ball, controlling a clearance from John Obi Mikel. If Chelsea decide against keeping him, they also will miss the Ivorian’s presence at defending corners.

Just before half-time, following a Bellamy delivery, Drogba rose far more determinedly to clear the ball ahead of Skrtel. He has that strength, that determination. Up close, he is remarkably different from the battle-scarred heavyweight of popular perception. Drogba is lithe, slightly angular with an athlete’s frame rather than boxer’s. And deadly in front of goal. Seven minutes into the second half, Lampard released Drogba and he placed a low, firm shot between Skrtel’s legs and past Pepe Reina. Wembley was treated to a trademark Drogba celebration, sliding across the turf towards the Chelsea fans, arms outstretched.

If the attention then turned to the compelling Andy Carroll-Terry duel down the other end, Drogba proved once again the man for the great stage of Wembley, the man who has the answers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football