You all know, I’m no advocate of Brendan Rodgers. There are have been several articles and podcasts that I’ve been on where I’ve slated, bemoaned, and even be-damned our former manager.
But, if we’re honest with one another, we wouldn’t be in this current position without him.
Going back a little, we were a club that was nearly drowned in anonymity. After Hodgson (#HeWhoMustNotBeNamed) and Dalglish, Fenway Sports Group hired Brendan Rodgers with the hope that a new era would be born. New manager, new promise, new passion for a kind of football that we inherently love.
And, for a time, we had exactly that.
After a mediocre start to the 2013/14 season, fireworks constantly burned bright over Anfield. We scored, and when we defended poorly we scored thrice more. It was frenetic, but it was ecstatic and exciting. There’s little more that a football fan can ask for.
In more recent memory, however, there was less excitement and more indictment as Rodgers failed to impress on the league and European stages. A 6th place finish, an abysmal exit to the European competition, and lack of domestic trophies ultimately led to his departure three weeks ago.
And yet, we find ourselves now appreciative of a 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in a cup fixture and an admittedly astounding 3-1 win over Chelsea.
So, how did we get here? What travels did we endure to witness the first win against Chelsea since 2012? The first win at Stamford Bridge since the year prior?
We attribute much of this to new manager Jurgen Klopp. And, to be fair, there is reason for it. Though Chelsea have lost to many opponents this season that they shouldn’t have, they scored in the 4th minute. Their play at the beginning of the match was astounding, and Liverpool couldn’t cope with it.
So where does this outstanding feeling come from? As much as I loathe to admit, at least partially from Brendan Rodgers.
Now, there is some credit that cannot go the former manager’s way. Klopp worked Roberto Firmino into the side when, after injury, it seemed less and less likely he would be used up front at all. The more forward Brazilian was given a proper sixty minutes in which he recorded an assist to his national teammate, Phil Coutinho, and displayed some quality with his hold-up play and pressing from the front. Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne looked far better with license to roam forward, and there’s no one that can truthfully admit that Adam Lallana looked as abysmal as he did twelve, six, or even two months ago.
Yet, without the battle between an anonymous transfer committee and Brendan Rodgers, we might not have some of the players we have today. Coutinho himself, as well as perennially injured Daniel Sturridge, came under the Brendan Rodgers reign. Lallana, Mamadou Sakho, and, if not somewhat surprisingly, Firmino came to the club while Rodgers held the title of manager. The same can be said for the emergence of Jordan Ibe, as well as the blossoming of Emre Can.
At the current time, though, in the midst of Kloppmania, we sometimes forget the love we had for the Irish manager and the brilliance he brought to the club. Why he must be credited, at the very least, is a point made rather shortly.
If Liverpool as a club continued to flounder in the league, drop out of domestic competitions, and waste away in Europe, a figure like Jurgen Klopp would have no interest in Merseyside. Period.
If fans, players, and the world hadn’t been shown in a brief, fleeting moment of ecstasy that the Liverpool side could punch above their weight and aim for the top four, Klopp might not know Liverpool existed in the sphere of international football.
Instead, we have Klopp, a man in love with what Liverpool might be. We have a squad willing to work for him. We have a fan base mainly united underneath an organisation that looks to the future of the club rather than a quick exit.
We have hope. Therefore, there are things that we, as Liverpool fans, have a duty to remember about Brendan Rodgers and his tenure at Liverpool.
We played exciting football because we had Suarez …. probably the best footballer in the world that season. Rogers was taking Liverpool in a downward direction.
The article? Arrant nonsense, pitiful
Rogers had no vision only buying midiocer players taking lfc as everton,aston villa etc
The article?. Arrant nonsense. Pitiable
frankly speaking,Brendan did a brilliant job at Liverpool were it not for his erratic decisions and his stubborn nature. he played football that was never played before in England, a fast-paced attacking football with flairs, mesmerizing skills and goals of brilliance from super talented players or magicians like suarez coutinho and sturridge not forgetting the legend stevie G. those are the moments every Liverpool supporter would remember (2012/13 make us dream again). those were the work of brendan.
Most signings under him are individually talented players the likes of Can Coutinho Sturridge Benteke etc
most importantly, he introduced pressing style which klopp has further taken from there to a more advanced style (gegenpressing). in short, a lot of the work was done by Brendan, klopp reignited it. we applaud you Brendan
I LOVE this line: “…Brendan did a brilliant job at Liverpool were it not for his erratic decisions and his stubborn nature.”
And except for that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
The flaw in Dylan Baker’s argument is that you can say that Rodgers also showed what a good CM Emre Can is by playing him out of position for that year and 2 months.
Look, I get it when people play the role of contrarian (you can stir up the pot…you can make outlandish comments and/or predictions…), but I don’t think that Brendan Rodgers showed what a cherry gig the LFC Manager’s job is; I think the passion of the fans and the £292,000,000 that Fenway Sports Group have dished out made the Manager’s job so appealing.
Yeah..as if all the players mentioned are his buy..
Rogers done nothing while at lfc some think nearly winning something is as good as winning well it ain’t he left club and players in terrible mess and got very rich in doing so all he cared about what himself and he proved that when he said he don’t care about shankly and Paisley and cares about himself and it been well documented that he did say this
I can thank BR for the wonderful 2014-14 season and having the sense to play SAS up top.
But having lived through his managerial tenure, I cannot say with any degree of certainty what he stood for. His eye for talent was at best dubious while his much vaunted developmental skills seemingly didn’t encompass human relations management –something which is critical to get players to buy into a vision and perform so that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
This is bias on my part but I do not believe that a BR team comes back to win at Stamford Bridge. J
ürgen Klopp, his managerial team, their tactics, and his philosophy belong here. It is the right fit in terms of our history and the right fit in terms of where we want to be.
Revisionist nonsense!!
I think the speed the players have understood how to press is also something Rodgers has to take credit for as his reading of football isn’t a million miles from klopp