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Far from not being ready for the daunting Liverpool job, Brendan Rodgers has been preparing a blueprint for success at the highest level for the past 15 years.

Literally.

The Irishman has set down his ­philosophy in a dossier he presented to Reds owner John W Henry soon after being appointed to the Anfield hot seat.

And as if to emphasise just how meticulous the new manager is in his approach to the game, that document had swelled to a mind-blowing 180 pages as he outlined his thoughts on how to return the club to the summit of the English game.

It was a detail revealed by Henry when he discussed Rodgers in glowing terms this week as Liverpool visited Fenway Park, the home of Boston Red Sox, as part of their north American tour.

Critics of Rodgers’ appointment at Anfield claimed he was not ready for such a demanding role.

But if attention to detail and forward thinking count for anything, then he is perhaps the best prepared of anyone to take the reins at the club, as became clear as Rodgers explained the dossier.

(Image: Andrew Powell)

“I started over 15 years ago, and it’s something I’ve been piecing together for many years since,” he said.

“Then, when I became a manager, I put it into a format with a philosophy and ­methodology. I’ve added to it throughout and when I came to Liverpool, I presented it to the owners.

“It’s a document on the culture, philosophy and game plan going forward. It’s a model, a short cut to how I work, the kind of players I want tactically and the personality traits of players.”

Injury forced Rodgers to stop playing when he was 20, and he immediately threw himself into reinventing himself as a future manager.

His promise even at that stage was so great that Jose Mourinho ­head-hunted him, and told the then Chelsea youth team coach he was destined to become a top-class manager.

Now 39, Rodgers has the chance to fulfil that prophecy with ­Liverpool, and he explained he has been working hard on identifying what it takes to be successful at such a great institution.

He added: “The vision is simple – to win the most trophies we can. That’s the bigger picture. The second is to play attractive, attacking football, and the third is to bring through as many of the young players as we possibly can.

(Image: Andrew Powell)

“That’s what I set down, and I’ve developed it along the way. When I became a manager I always wanted to go into a club with a clear philosophy so it’s clear in terms of where everyone is heading.

“That’s what I presented to the owners, a model of how we will go forward and make things work. Thankfully at two of my three clubs as manager I’ve been able to create a one-club mentality and it’s been successful.”

Of course, the doubters will say it is on the pitch and not on paper that success is created, and Rodgers understands that only when the serious football gets under way can he be truly judged.

But he has impressed massively so far with his enthusiasm, energy and man-management, a point made by skipper Steven Gerrard and all the senior players.

And he has been given support by the large majority of the fanbase, which he admits is a source of massive pride and inspiration.

“I’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by how comfortable it’s been with the people here,” said Rodgers.

“I know there has not been a ball kicked in seriousness yet and all that’s about to change soon, but I’ve been touched by how supportive everyone has been and the players have been magnificent.

“So I have sense of looking forward and hope. If you haven’t got hope, you have no chance.

“I just want to turn that positivity into something good moving forward.

“The club has been through enough trauma, heartache and problems. I could give you a list of problems but it won’t help anything. We have to find a way to go forward and challenge again.

“The club had won the most amount of titles for a number of years and all of a sudden we’ve been overtaken so we must fight for our life to make sure no other club gets away from us and get back to where it should be and where it has been.

“We need a one-city, one-club mentality. If we don’t, if we fail, it will be because of not sticking together and nothing else. If we can stay as one, we’ve a real chance.”

(Image: Andrew Powell)

While the Irishman brings youthful hope and fresh ­enthusiasm along with his impressive ­blueprint, he also adds a serious dose of realism.

To implement such far-reaching plans will take time, especially at a traditional club such as Liverpool, and Rodgers knows he cannot make any rash promises after the turmoil of recent seasons at Anfield.

With the likes of Chelsea spending more than £100million since the turn of the year and Manchester City about to open their bottomless coffers once more, it is a daunting job ahead, as he concedes: “There are many more teams to knock off the perch now, that is for sure.

“This is a club that has won 18 league titles and the ambition is to make sure we’re in a position to add a few more.

“But in the last three years, we’ve finished sixth, seventh and eighth, so I know where the club is and I don’t want to be talking too much garbage at the beginning of my time here.

“It’s like getting knocked out of the FA Cup every year in the first or second round but then saying you’re going to win it. We just have to make sure we stabilise first.

“The last couple of years have been traumatic in many ways, on and off the field. In order to have success, there has to be some kind of stability and then we can grow and become competitive.

“I am not waiting for it. My world has been about creating rather than waiting, because if you wait, you rely on somebody else to make a mistake.

“I’d rather lose a game trying to win it than lose it trying to not get beat.”

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