Patience and time has ran out for Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers as the Liverpool manager becomes the second managerial casualty in the Premier League ending a three-year stint at Anfield.
FSG dismissed Rodgers after a string of disappointing results and lacklustre performances. His last act as Liverpool manager was to lead Liverpool in a dismal performance against cross-town rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby.
Despite admitting he felt secure in his job, the 42-year old manager was under a tremendous amount of pressure and faced continuous backlash after losing the backing of Liverpool fans.
The club thanked Brendan for his contribution and hard work during his time at Liverpool and have announced they are looking for an immediate replacement.
Liverpool has a list of potential suitors to choose from, as Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti top as favourites for the Anfield job. So, it shouldn’t be too long for till the Reds are under new management and can undergo the changes needed.
There are, however, a few key areas that need to be addressed immediately by the incoming Liverpool manager if they do not wish to go down the same road as Brendan Rodgers.
1. Regain Liverpool’s Identity
Liverpool FC is known for it’s proud history and never-say-die attitude that has been embedded into the club since the Bill Shankly management era. The philosophy of playing with passion and producing a proud performance has been key to Liverpool’s successes.
Unfortunately, Brendan Rodgers failed to recognise this and it ultimately lead to his downfall.
The ex-Liverpool boss had his best year when Liverpool played with a death by football mentality which almost saw them win the league in the 2013/14 season.
Since then the manager lost this trait and took up a conservative mindset that saw Liverpool drop their momentum and fall below expected achievements last season.
The beginning of this season did the Liverpool manager no favours also as the conservative mentality left the side looking dejected leading to stale results or poor performances.
The importance to recognise the clubs identity will be paramount in the incoming manager finding success in the short and long term. Liverpool fans don’t expect victory week in and week out but they do, however, demand a team that plays with pride and passion every week.
2. Retain Liverpool’s stars
Watching stars leave the club has been a far too familiar sight for Liverpool supporters. Although this has been happening beyond the Rodgers era, Liverpool needs a manager that can keep their best and brightest at the club.
Under Brendan Rodgers, fans saw the departure of Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard, all of which were key players in the Liverpool squad.
Recent years have seen Liverpool turn into a selling club as each season sees the departure of another in-form star.
Liverpool has struggled to keep their stars at the club as the possibility of Champions league has been a factor in outgoing players. Without the draw-card of Champions League football this season, the incoming manager must keep key players at the club whilst looking to bring further quality into Anfield.
Already there are rumours circulating one of Liverpool’s key players as clubs monitor attacking midfielder Phillipe Coutinho.
One thing is for sure, the next Liverpool boss will have a task on his hands to keep his best at Anfield, whether the side achieves Champions League this season or not.
3. Fix Liverpool’s defensive issues
An issue that was always present under Brendan Rodgers time at Liverpool was the inconsistency in defence. Whomever the incoming manager is this issue will need to address sooner rather than later.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool was unstable in the backline as changes to the formation and personnel failed to solve the issue.
During Rodgers time at the Reds, Liverpool conceded 198 goals including a season, which saw Liverpool concede 50 goals.
This issue has gone unsolved for far too long, whether the need for new personnel or defensive tactics is needed, something needs to change for Liverpool defensively.
4. Challenge for the top four and utilise the Europa League chance
Brendan Rodgers final press conference as Liverpool manager revealed that he was never outlined the goal of a top four finish. This statement caused outrage amongst Liverpool supporters as many feel that a top four finish is the minimum requirement for a successful season.
With a proud European history, Liverpool fans love the opportunity of playing in Europe and place a lot of emphasis success in these competitions.
Despite not being in the Champions League this season, Liverpool is currently in the Europa League. Whilst Rodgers was using the Europa League as a chance to rotate the squad and give fringe players a chance, this opportunity needs to be used effectively in Liverpool’s pursuit for silverware.
Liverpool currently holds two points from two matches in the Europa League after consecutive one all draws with Bordeaux and Sion. If Liverpool places more emphasis on the Europa League, it could provide further benefits including attracting players and gaining monetary benefits.
When a club like Liverpool doesn’t aim for top four football and take their European opportunities, they fall further behind fellow competitors across Europe and England. With the Premier League being closer than ever Liverpool need to demand a certain level of achievement each season, especially if they are going to keep up with the likes rivals Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
5. Plan for the future with focus on the present
The balance of managing youth and producing consistent performances is a challenge for any manager. During Brendan Rodgers’ time at Liverpool, he constantly claimed the club was going through a rebuilding process.
Whilst it is true that Liverpool are still rebuilding as a squad, the incoming manager cannot take a narrow-minded approach on the future and ignore what is in front of him.
With plenty of talented young players in their ranks, Liverpool can look forward to these exciting prospects coming up and becoming the future of the club.
It is important that club has the ability to develop young players into first-team players but it cannot be the sole focus of the manager.
Under his last season as Liverpool manager, Rodgers struggled to maintain this delicate balance and lost sight of consistent results.
If Liverpool is going to move forward as a club, the next manager will need to rebuild the squad and also maintain positive performances if they are to succeed.
These five points are only some of the issues the incoming Liverpool boss will have to fix in order to get the side back on track.
The club will also have to address issues such as backroom staff and the heavily debated transfer committee after the confirmation of the new manager.
With the mass of speculation surrounding Liverpool as fans and pundits get behind potential managers, Liverpool is set to undergo a new era in their quest to return to the top of English football once again.
So far, the club has confirmed nothing in the way of incoming managers but, FSG is expected to snap up a replacement quickly and announce their new manager in the upcoming days.
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