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Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Liverpool Have New King - Rodgers


On Sunday May 13 Liverpool played Swansea City, in the last fixture of the Premier League season, at the Liberty Stadium with Kenny Dalglish at the helm - and Brendan Rodgers on the home bench.

The home side won the match 1-0.

Within hours of the final whistle Dalglish was off down thew M4 and catching a flight to the United States to meet Liverpool's owner, John W Henry, and Fenway Sports Management to assess the season end - and make plans for the new season.

The answer was simple from the US owners, the future did not include Dalglish.

Unfortunately under his rule club fell to eighth place in the Premier league table, miss out Champions League football in 2013, lost the FA Cup - with the Carling Cup the only silverware to show for the money spent and effort exerted.

Legend or not, Kenny's number was up and time, it seems, waits for no manager.

Less than a month later it is Rodgers travelling along the M5 to Liverpool with a three year deal in place, according to BBC Sport, to take charge of the Anfield club. Roger is the new crown prince.

It seems the king is dead, so long live the king!

Only two years ago Rodgers took over as manager of the Swans following Paulo Sousa's departure to Leicester City.

Originally from Carnlough in Northern Ireland, Rogers retired as a professional footballer with Reading at the age of 20 due to injury, but remained at the club and in time appointed as youth team coach before.

Jose Mourinho made him team manager at Chelsea in 2004 and two years later he was promoted to reserve team boss at Stamford Bridge before taking over as Watford manager in November 2008.

His stay at Vicarage Road was brief, however, as he returned to Reading to replace Steve Coppell as manager in June 2009.

But, following a difficult start where he was forced to sell some of the club's top players after their exit from the Premier League, he left the Championship club by mutual consent in December 2009.

He was back in management seven months later as he headed to the Liberty Stadium. Sharing the same footballing philosophy as the Swans, it proved a perfect match.

Brendan tempted Scott Sinclair away from former club Chelsea while another Chelsea youngster Fabio Borini made a massive impact after joining on loan later in the season.

They proved shrewd signings as in his first full season as manager, Brendan led the Swans into the Premier League via the play-offs thanks to a Wembley win against former employers Reading.

In doing so, Brendan became the first manager in the club's proud history to guide the Swans to the Premier League.

Rodgers has said in the recent past: “My biggest influence has been Spanish and Dutch football, that Total Football idea. Rodgers’ father enjoyed Brazilian style, he loved gifted players and he was a big influence on the Swans boss.

"The British type of football never suited me as a player. It was very much smash it up the pitch and play the percentages. The only percentage I was interested in was possession and I didn't think it was rocket science. If we have the ball, you can't score, no matter how big or strong you are. I've always worked off that.”

Amen to that.....

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