THE RODGERS EMPIRE

On the 30^th May, 2012, Swansea City confirmed that Brendan Rodgers has agreed to take up the vacant managers’ job at Liverpool FC. After weeks of intense and on the whole, irritating speculation linking all the top managers’ to the LFC hot seat, finally it is the forearm Watford, Reading and Chelsea Youth manager who will fill Kenny Dalglish’s shoes. After an extensive two-week process where many highly-qualified candidates were carefully considered, Liverpool's ownership group identified Rodgers as the single outstanding candidate to implement their long-term vision. Rodgers signed a three-year contract with the Reds while his old club, Swansea City, gained £5million in compensation for the loss of the highly rated young Manager.

He got the job but ended up getting many football fans disappointed, and not just those within west Wales, was disappointed to see the 39-year-old leave Swansea at that moment. His decision, while perfectly understandable from almost every perspective, robs them the chance to see what he would have made of a second season in the Premier League with a club of meek resources.

Brendan Rodgers is a man who has an appreciation for football perception and tradition; he’s a man who strives for excellence in the development of the game. The strategies of ‘Tiki-Taka’ and ‘total-football’ form the basis of Brendan Rodgers’ modus operandi.

Rodgers extensive coaching background began in 1995, when at just 22 years of age he became Academy manager for Reading. His talent and enthusiasm drew admirers and in 2004 Jose Mourinho swooped to secure his services for Chelsea, as they went on to dominate the Premier League for the next two campaigns. The Northern Irishman was soon to be given the opportunity to manage outright, being appointed manager of Watford and then subsequently Reading, where his professional journey began. Throughout his coaching career, Rodgers travelled Europe and visited clubs such as Valencia, Sevilla and Barcelona as well as clubs in the Netherlands to exchange ideas on football philosophy and to learn from some of the best teams and managers in the game.

Despite being only 39 years of age, Brendan Rodgers has been a top class coach for the last 19 years. His football career was ended in 1993 by injury when he was just 20 but Reading and Mark McGhee saw something in the young Irishman and offered him a coaching job with their youth setup. He stayed with the Royals until 2004 when Steve Clarke, who is now the manger of West Bromwich Albion, was hugely influential in bringing him to Chelsea under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.

Initially installed as youth team manager, Rodgers was then promoted by Mourinho to reserve team coach in 2006, where his reputation began to soar and it was no surprise to see him step into management with Watford in 2008 before being approached by Swansea in the Championship.

TACTICS AND STRATEGY

Brendan Rodgers, in early 2012, sketched out his strategy and explained his approach to the game for journalist Duncan White. First, he divided the pitch into eight zones and then plotted his formation. The division of zones is suggestive that each player when in possession should play a particular role, including the goal keeper and two centre backs. He has worked wonders with Swansea over the past two seasons and has really built upon the foundation that Roberto Martinez left him with. He believes in the Pep Guardiola School of football rather than the Jose Mourinho School and as such, his teams always play possession-based football and press while defending. The big secret to Barcelona's and Swansea's success over the last number of years is their goalkeepers, but not for the reason you may think. Liverpool FC can expect the same tactics Rodgers used at Swansea, but he must be given time by the fans and FSG and if he is, they could be great again.

Rodgers is not only coming in to improve first-team prospects at Liverpool, he is also coming in to help restructure the organization as a whole with a view to the entire club playing the same style throughout every age group. In modern football, transfers are not done single-handedly as was the case under Kenny Dalglish. When Rodgers goes to buy players and when the club looks to bring players in, whatever the age, they will be done by consensus.

CONCLUSION

Whether or not Rodgers’ methodology is a success at Liverpool is the question. However, the success may come down to the amount of control Rodgers is offered over the club structure: from the academy to the first team. Liverpool have kept no secrets in their approach to managers and directors this summer but all roads point to one single conceptual view of football, that of Barcelona and La Masia; the hope of becoming a successful club in infinity.

The variable of ‘time’ presents Liverpool with the biggest challenge. Tiki-Taka football simply does not transpire from one single season of transitional change just ask A.S. Roma and Luis Enrique of 2011/12. Swansea were already a technically gifted side and good in possession long before Brendan Rodgers, both P.Sousa and R.Martinez provided the club with the foundations. The core of the Swansea side has been with the club for many years; Tiki-Taka has become the club’s tradition.

However, Liverpool needs change, the club needs to move away from the over reliance on two or three individuals and a move away from the many, many wasted chances over the years. Progress and longevity are the goals of Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers; it is this collaboration of ideologies that may well lead Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool back to the glory years of yesteryear, a glimpse of revolutionary realistic success.

Liverpool needs to restructure from the ground up and no man is better suited to become Liverpool’s very own Pep Guardiola than Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool fans should expect the unexpected if I may put it that way, just don’t have the right word to use.

After all is said and done however, the decisive factor for Rodgers will be the time he gets to put his own ideologies into place. With his predecessor being one of the most popular figures in the clubs history, many fans are still bitter about his removal from the helm. If Rodgers does get off to a less than average start (which is very possible when looking at Liverpool’s opening rounds of fixtures), then he could possibly feel a bit of pressure from the Liverpool faithful. The owners must stick by their man regardless and allow him time to grow into the job. A job of such pedigree and history should command patient and well thought out strategy but not to be rushed. 

REASONS WHY AVB WILL SUCCEED AT TOTTENHAM

The second coming of Andre Villas-Boas’ to the English Premier League, the Portuguese tactician arrival at White Hart Lane has left opinions split down the middle with some focusing on the new managers all conquering time at Porto, while others point to his ill fated spell at Stamford Bridge as proof of his inadequacies. After having a great stint with Porto of Portugal, he was then given probably the biggest challenge of his career by Mr. Roman Abrahimovic, by managing the affairs of Chelsea.

After carefully studying him for the past few years and now taking charge of the North Londoners team, Tottenham Hotspurs, I have these three things to say about the gentleman from Portugal and why I think White Hart Lane is the right place and choice for him.

While every Premiership dressing is full of multi-millionaires often with egos bigger enough to match their bank balances the Chelsea dressing room seemed to be taking player power to previously unseen heights. John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole & co seemed to be more concerned with team select rather than their own performance and Villas-Boas was forced to drop experience players at times in an effort to tackle this player power in the dressing room. Even though, Tottenham do have some senior professionals, their unlikely to prove as obstructive to AVB’s plans as the Chelsea dressing room did, and he would be free to implement his plans and philosophies.

Tottenham are of course a huge club and as Harry Redknapp’s sacking proved that their boardroom are not scared of sacking and or changing managers. However it is long time since Tottenham were last crowned champions of England’s top division in contrast to a Chelsea side expected to mount a serious challenge for the league title year after year following the injection of Roman Abromvich’s vast wealth into the club since he acquired it. Despite bold claims from AVB of what he can achieve at White Hart Lane, success for Tottenham is still likely to take the form of Champions league qualification rather than the league title challenge expected at Stamford bridge.

Villas-Boas inherited a Chelsea team that was ageing and needed younger players to be introduced for future success of the team. It was a very radical decision he took to sideline the senior players all in the name of grooming the younger deneration for success. If ask, I must say it was a bold decision to take and he did it but was let down by his own judgement and reaction to the issue of the ageing. Roman, is the man who wants instant success not what you’ll be able to offer him in the next future.  A decision that has left AVB claiming Chelsea’s Russian owner  ”quit on him” In contrast Tottenham’s squad can be consider to be a better mix of youth and experience meaning such a radical overhaul is unlikely to have to be attempted.

I am really looking forward for the coming season and hope AVB proves his critics wrong, he has the right tactics for the EPL, good philosophy for Tottenham and with right players he’ll take the EPL by storm. He’s the best way for Spurs to clinch their first major trophy in year.