Topic: Brendan Rodgers is no longer Liverpool manager

[Nick110581]

Respect.

X 2

[AndyMuller]

Interesting that the committee players are better than the ones Rodgers signed/wanted.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Good statement.

Best of luck to him. Pick your next job carefully Brendan, don't go rushing in (especially to the North East!)

[Pistolero]

Interesting that the committee players are better than the ones Rodgers signed/wanted.

quite...

[AndyMuller]

Classy statement by Rodgers, all the best lad.

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

Always likely marriage of convenience was going to end in divorce

Tony Barrett

In hindsight, Brendan Rodgers’s relationship with Liverpool was doomed to fail because it was founded, if not on a lie, then certainly on an accommodation that suited neither party. Rodgers would have turned the manager’s job down had Fenway Sports Group (FSG) also appointed a director of football so Liverpool’s owners acquiesced. Instead, they formed a transfer committee with the Northern Irishman as a member but not as its head. A marriage of convenience had begun.
“I wanted to make sure that I would be in charge of football matters; that I would control the team, control the work,” Rodgers said at the time. In one sense, the Northern Irishman had that control. He was given, by his own admission, “final say” over the players that Liverpool recruited and spending was heavy during his reign with almost £300 million spent on signings.
The compromise, though, was that he would not always be able to sign his first choices, the likes of Ashley Williams and Ryan Bertrand being prime examples, if they were not rated by the rest of the committee and he would also be expected to take on board their guidance. What was intended to be a system that provided checks and balances ended up being a dysfunctional fudge that suited neither manager nor club.
The tension it caused between them was apparent almost immediately. A move for Daniel Sturridge shortly after his appointment collapsed because Rodgers preferred Clint Dempsey but Liverpool made a derisory offer to Fulham for the USA international and that deal also perished. John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, penned an open letter to the club’s fans explaining what had gone wrong and backing Rodgers but privately he was seething at his manager for “killing” the Sturridge transfer.
For his part, Rodgers was incandescent when Liverpool dithered over the signing of Joe Allen and at one point threatened to resign if his new club failed to meet Swansea City’s £15 million valuation of the midfield player. This was in Rodgers’s first months as manager but already it was clear that the committee system he was working within was not going to run as smoothly as intended; it also seemed destined to ensure neither manager nor club got everything that they wanted.
Hope that this was just a case of teething trouble and that common ground would be found was to prove unfounded. The same problems continued with Rodgers reluctantly accepting players that were not his first choices – Mamadou Sakho, Emre Can, Alberto Moreno, Lazar Markovic and Roberto Firmino all fall into this category – in the hope that such willingness to co-operate would give him the bargaining power to sign at least some of his preferred targets.
That strategy was successful in that FSG reciprocated by signing off on huge deals to sign Adam Lallana and Christian Benteke at Rodgers’s request, even though the fees they had to pay for both players exceeded Liverpool’s valuations. Increasingly, though, the compromise began to show on the pitch as Liverpool became as disjointed as one would expect a team put together on the basis of the manager having one pick and the committee having another. Cohesion was conspicuous by its absence and a style of play became difficult to identify. Basically, it was a mess. Cock up by committee indeed.
By terminating Rodgers’s contract and retaining the services of his fellow committee members, Ian Ayre, the chief executive, Michael Edwards, the director of performance, and Dave Fallows, the head of recruitment, FSG have clearly decided that the manager is not capable of operating within their preferred system; something that Rodgers would probably agree on. More tellingly, they have also come to the conclusion that another manager will be able to get more from the players than Rodgers has, hence their assertion that replacing him as manager gives them “the best opportunity to deliver” success in the statement confirming his sacking.
The belief is that Liverpool’s squad is better than the sum of its parts, that Rodgers has been given ample opportunity to prove that he can work productively within a collegiate setting but has failed to deliver both on and off the pitch. Having given him a final chance at the end of last season when it would have been wiser to make a change rather than allow Rodgers to limp on, FSG finally ran out of patience after Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to West Ham United on August 29 and he has been on borrowed time ever since.
The irony of all this is that had FSG listened to Rodgers when he was first appointed, they would have seen all of this coming. “One of the things you need to do is to know yourself, and I know myself. I know what makes me work well and that wouldn’t have been a model I would have succeeded in,” Rodgers said of his refusal to work under a director of football. “It’s absolute madness if you are the manager of the club and someone else tells you to have that player. It doesn’t work.”
While FSG would contend, with some legitimacy, that no players were ever forced on Rodgers, by opting for a committee they put in place a system in which he felt the need to compromise and he ended up accepting players as a result. An unravelling in Rodgers’s relationship with his employers was all but inevitable. Now FSG must ensure that his successor is not only willing to work with a committee, he is also capable of thriving within one.

That really doesn't shine a good light on Rodgers. In the end I agree, our team is better than this, and someone can put it to much better use. People give FSG shit for the committee but it was never their original plan to have them in and they were responsible for getting in some of the players that we currently rate. I mean, Ashley Williams or Sakho ...

[TobyLFC]

All the best Rodgers, you will go on to do great things I'm sure of that!

YNWA

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Utter, utter morons.

[Les Willis]

He is very much a gentleman is Brendan and that showed in his statement.

[Mighty_Red]

Makes it so fucking sad, this guy was just a few points away from immortality, that's the margins in which we live and die.

The last 15 months were nowhere near good enough, but I think he proved himself to be a Liverpool Manager, even if he ultimately failed to achieve what he set out to do.

[Tumbleweed]

Great statement by Rodgers. He has always conducted himself with the dignity and class of a Liverpool manager. Good luck to him.

[Solomon Grundy]

http://www.leaguemanagers.com/news/lma-latest/brendan-rodgers-statement/

BRENDAN RODGERS STATEMENT

“I am, of course, incredibly disappointed to be leaving Liverpool Football Club. It has been both an honour and a privilege to manage one of the game’s great clubs for the last three years.

“I have worked every day to represent the club to the best of my ability, to develop both individual players and a team that the club’s magnificent fans can be proud of. There have been some very memorable moments during my time at Liverpool and I would like to thank all of the players for their hard work and commitment. The current squad is one in transition, but they have some real talent and are showing a strong sense of togetherness. I expect to see them continue to grow and develop over the coming weeks and I wish them and my successor well for the rest of the season.

“Liverpool has a magnificent football heritage and I have nothing but respect and admiration for the history, tradition and values that make the city and the club so exceptional. As well as my players, I would like to thank everyone connected with the club; Fenway Sports Group, the Liverpool Directors, in particular Ian Ayre, my coaching staff, the staff throughout the club, the volunteers, the Academy staff and its young players and of course the amazing Liverpool fans for their unwavering support, passion and dedication which has made my time at the club so special. 

“Finally, I would like to give a special mention to John W. Henry, Tom Werner and Mike Gordon. They gave me this great opportunity and even though we will no longer be working together I am sure our relationship and friendship will continue into the future.”

Just like Hodgson him.






Nah, only joking. Massive respect to you Brendan. Thanks for the memories.

[dmorgan]

I feel really sorry for him....especially after the way some fans treated him in the past few weeks. Anyway the joy he gave us during 2013-14 remains unparalleled

[arab88]

sad to see him leaving...but maybe I'm just a romantic( at least in football !) and this was the best choice for what matters most, Liverpool Football Club.

[Mighty_Red]

Oh, and all you twats with your snide comments about him can get to fuck. Criticise his tactics all you want and yes he talked himself up a lot but he never disrespected the club or us fans like some of you have.

[Caston]

sad to see him living...but maybe I'm just a romantic( at least in football !) and this was the best choice for what matters most, Liverpool Football Club.

Bloody hell I know some people don't like him, but sad to see him alive?!

[alonsoisared]

Great statement, great bloke. Still gutted today that it's another chapter ended. 13/14 was the best time of my life, I'd have carried on backing him throughout in the hope that he could take us there again and this time sneak over the line. It just wasn't to be.

Thanks again Brendan, really really hope the guy goes far in the game and i'm sure he will. The teams who always finish somewhere between 5th-12th ought to be queuing up to bring him in. If he showed anything while here is that he could make best use of young players and provide a great deal of excitement for supporters, kicking a team on beyond the sum of their parts. If you're bored of your team winning a couple of games, losing a couple of games and finishing mid table, take a punt on Rodgers because he could well get you on an unforgettable run amongst the top sides, bring you some genuine joy at watching your team and get you believing again.

[arab88]

Oh, and all you twats with your snide comments about him can get to fuck. Criticise his tactics all you want and yes he talked himself up a lot but he never disrespected the club or us fans like some of you have.

Indeed. He has been absolutely class in representing the club and its values, a man with great attitude.

I'm so sad both for us and him that we couldn't win the league together, he(we) would have deserved it all life,but that's football.

I wish him the very best and a successful career as a manager .

[Halcyon Lissome]

Very classy statement. It was so sad to see our own fans use the memes and insults of our rivals to shit on him while he was here. I've always admired his approach, even if he was positive to a fault, because ultimately that's the best way to keep sane and keep your players going forward.

The romantic in me always likes to think that my previous favourites will come back. It happened with Kenny, might some day with Rafa and Rodgers.

I loved 13-14, but how it ended has left such a bitter pill to swallow for me. To lose out on the title by being that close and the way it happened...there is no god at that point. It would have been fairy tale and fitting. Alas, we go on.

[arab88]

Bloody hell I know some people don't like him, but sad to see him alive?!

Stupid automatic corrector...I have corrected it now

[lgvkarlos]

Brendan showing a lot of class with that statement.

[Caston]

Yep classy statement that, I'm sure he will go on to have a good managerial career.

[Rush 82]

Good statement from Brendan.

Very classy.

Dignified.

[clinical]

I'll remember him for 13/14 season.

[jillcwhomever]

Clueless owners. Selling our tradition as a brand but in doing so killing the last vestiges what made us different.  That season was wonderful. Caution to the wind football. Never seen such brave football and no Stevie the reason you were in with a shout of the title at the Chelsea game was because of the mangers style not despite it.


So we're getting rid of Rodgers in October what foresight, what planning, the charts and numbers must have been crunched and the optimum managerial change optimisation period must have come out with two hours after the Derby. If they appoint Klopp it will be by accident. Don't underestimate their ability to fuck it up. Rank amateurs.

Is right.

[Le_Mot_Juste]

He'd be a fucking legend at Newcastle... If he was given a bit of money to spend and they had a reasonable transfer structure in place.

Just not quite able to steer one of the most enormous sporting clubs in the world at this early point in his career - But he did a pretty fucking decent job in comparison to some more senior managers (Hodge) - Overall, I think his time here will hold him in good stead to progress as a manager and take a side like Newcastle/Villa/Saints up a level. Hard to think of many more impressive British managers out there, to be honest. Just wasn't quite right for us at this early stage in his career. Coming to club that demands winning, before he'd won anything anywhere else.

Anyway, if you happen to peruse the forum Brendan - Thanks for 13/14. It was unforgettable.

[cornishscouser92]

Honestly think it's a poor decision, stemming from deluded fans' expectations and that a change of manager will instantly propel us into the upper echelons of the PL.
Hope Rodgers is successful in the future.

[dorsetgill]

What a gent

[Gods_Left_Boot]

Very dignified and classy statement, absolutely top notch. I can't say in all honesty that I oppose the club's decision, but I wish Brendan only the best of luck in his future career.

[S]

An unsurprisingly dignified and classy response.

[Kopenhagen]

Honestly think it's a poor decision, stemming from deluded fans' expectations and that a change of manager will instantly propel us into the upper echelons of the PL.
Hope Rodgers is successful in the future.

Switching manager isn't a cure-all and expectations will still have to be tempered. However, forgetting results, aesthetically the football has been pretty turgid for eighteen months now; I genuinely did not enjoy watching us last season or this. Even if the new guy isn't necessarily "better," the players need a different voice, something to lift them, in my opinion. The squad isn't brilliant but it's certainly punching below its weight right now.

[thisyearisouryear]

Absolute class, that statement! Wish you the best wherever you decide to go Brendan.

[FlashingBlade]

Rogers has a long career ahead of him. He is an intelligent and very modern manager, I wouldn't be surprised to see him managing in Europe before returning to the premiership.

I never warmed to him , but he leaves with statement fitting of a Liverpool Manager, I doubt anyone would wish him ill for his future and he will always be welcome back at Liverpool , one day I suspect as an opposition manager.

[johnsmithlfc]

Carried himself well and represented the club with class and dignity.
It was probably too big a job for him and perhaps wasn't the right appointment but you can't fault his professionalism and the way he obviously cared about the club and wanted us to be back where we belong.

This is the right decision....wrong time but ultimately had to happen.
The club is the most important thing.


Cheers Brendan.

Good luck and all the best.

[Carra-ton]

Class from Rodgers. You will be more than alright, BR. It could have been a lot different if you could have had a few of the signings which didn't materialize.
Ultimately, you were class in representing the club. All the best. I would have liked BR to continue, but in the future he needs to get players who can match his ideas.

[ALPH1217]

Hardly the shock of the century. This is a business predicated on results and God knows - we weren't getting results. The tail end of last year was a disaster and the first 6 weeks of this season have left lots of us disillusioned. He's the manager who has to shoulder the blame rightly or wrongly for some of these poor signings. When money gets pissed away, eyebrows get raised.

[Rush]

Pure class and very respectful from Brendan. Thanks for the memories and best wishes for the future. YNWA

[Carra-ton]

Still feel, he had it in him to get the club playing great again. He just needed a bit of luck.
Will miss him, ynwa BR.

[CHOPPER]

Nice words from Rodgers and in just a handful of paragraphs has shown more respect and dignity, than some of you shower of shite have shown in the last 6 months in here. Those fans he talks about in that article, are not you, don't take any sort of pride or credit in those words, they are not meant for you. You know who you are. Wankers.

[cornishscouser92]

Switching manager isn't a cure-all and expectations will still have to be tempered. However, forgetting results, aesthetically the football has been pretty turgid for eighteen months now; I genuinely did not enjoy watching us last season or this. Even if the new guy isn't necessarily "better," the players need a different voice, something to lift them, in my opinion. The squad isn't brilliant but it's certainly punching below its weight right now.

Is it really thought?
Much has been made of Rodgers spend, but in the last 3 years (4 transfer windows) he's had a net spend of £25m
United £65m
City £68M
Chelsea £40m
Arsenal £28m

Liverpool can't compete with United, City and Chelsea.
Liverpool have hovered around the 6th biggest wage budget under BR.
What do fans expect? Seriously? The level of expectation far outweighs the reality. LFC are in the mix for 4th, they've had a hard start, but results haven't exactly been bad.