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How all Liverpool fans might be wishing the league would have ended today. But no that is not to be, as Liverpool still have 6 games to go and while there is a certain belief flowing through the players, the manager and the fans, the result will eventually be decided on 11th May.
But Brendan Rodgers has been making all the right kind of noises – from being just champions league contenders to league leaders, he has done his job like a top dog. Deflecting pressure away from the players, not getting into arguments and great man-management skills have all been displayed over this entertaining season.
Liverpool have had a long history of managers where they have ruled the roost and been adored by the Kop; it is the manner and style of Rodgers which makes one feel that Anfield is truly experiencing something special. Rodger’s style and philosophy for which he is being heralded had its beginnings at Swansea City. In an earlier article published in the Guardian by Andy Hunter, Rodger’s insisted that: “I suppose that fear of failure is what drives me on”.
Now this statement may sound a bit awkward, but the backdrop under which this statement is made implies the significance of it. Five years ago, he was sacked by Reading seven months into the job and his time out of football is what made him realize that he had to develop a philosophy which had to have three most essential features:
- Attack as a means of defense
- Possession based play
- Result oriented i.e. wins more than draws/losses.
Realising that he didn’t have the luxury of time on his hands especially when it comes to dealing with big clubs, it was these three key elements that helped him turn his fortunes. It is naive to assume that Rodgers wasn’t aware of these issues, but it was the technique of implementation that was most important.
Fortunately, Swansea City offered him another chance and from there on he has prospered. Coming into the Liverpool job, he knew what was expected. He didn’t sway under pressure and after the first day hiccup, when Liverpool went down at the Hawthorns, there has been a steady year and a half of rebuilding. Making players realize the importance of the red jersey they wear and the importance of the club more than the player has made all the old-timers look at him with pride.
Instilling belief and using strong-arm tactics are other methods he resorted to. The culling of the squad, especially when he let Andy Carroll go, the record signing, was difficult to swallow. But the clarity in his tactics and the style of play he has adopted have inspired players around him to play with their hearts on their sleeves.
The manager’s meticulous methods have allowed the team to flourish and frequent changes to playing personnel and constantly changing tactics have left opponents flummoxed. Rodgers always hasn’t got it all right, but defeats are a part of the learning curve, like the defeats to Southampton and Aston Villa at Anfield and the frequent defensive lapses.
The most obvious quality that Rodgers has added to Liverpool this season is penetration and as the goals for column shows, no team has attacked with such swagger and verve in the recent past. Pace, penetration and clinical finishing, and a lynchpin of a captain in the form of Steven Gerrard, have made Liverpool a sight to watch not just for the fans but for the neutrals as well.
Further good work by Rodgers has been highlighted by the form of players such as Sterling, Flanangan and Henderson, who have gone on to repay the manager’s faith. Even Skrtel and Enrique(last season) did go through a loss of form. Skrtel’s story has been one of redemption. Seemingly on his way out in the summer, he has rewarded the faith of the manager by leading from the front. His leadership qualities were questioned, but the way Skrtel has responded makes him one of the first names on the team-list.
Liverpool’s season didn’t begin with Suarez or Gerrard or any of the gifted attackers, it began with them struggling to show their dominance, and relying on the man between the posts, Mignolet. On the opening day of the season, he made the penalty save that resulted in Liverpool holding on to their one-nil lead to gather three precious points.
From the first day of this season, Liverpool players have certainly played with a certain swagger and they have defied the pundits to reach the top, but with the final run in being quite tough, Liverpool fans will be hoping that all the pieces fall into place.
