It’s been quite a while since I wrote anything for DFT. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve started numerous posts over the last few week’s regarding all sorts of things related to LFC, but not finished or published any of them. Transfer targets for Kenny, Kenny’s departure, who the new man should be, club structure and even one full of vitriol for the few people (especially on Twitter) that refuse to let Kenny go. Anyway, now things are a little bit clearer, at least in a managerial sense, I thought I’d put my thoughts on Brendan Rodgers and his footballing philosophy into words.

Firstly, let me start by saying that I fully support FSG in everything that they have done related to the removal of a structure that was clearly not working and trying to implement a new infrastructure (including a new stadium if the rumours are to be believed) to move the club forward to where it should be, ie: competing with the elite of European football.

I first heard about Brendan Rodgers a few years ago when he took over the reserve team duties at Chelsea. A good friend of mine has been a season-ticket holder at the Bridge since the late 70’s and was raving about a glut of young talent being nurtured by an up-and-coming coach. The players included Scott Sinclair, Michael Mancienne, Ryan Bertrand, Sam Hutchinson, Saloman Kalou and John Obi Mikel and the manager was of course Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers talented players and expansive style (given the players at his disposal, he probably should have done even better than he did), saw him become touted as the next big thing in English managerial talent, and when Watford parted company with Aidy Boothroyd after relegation from the Premier League, Rodgers was duly appointed.

Watford struggled under Rodgers initially, but a run of wins playing some very attractive football saw them finish 13th in The Championship in his first season. At the end of that season, Steve Coppell resigned from Reading and Rodgers took over in acrimonious circumstances, having stated that he was “fully concentrated on Watford”.

At Reading, Coppell’s squad was dismantled with Hahnemann, Bikey, Hunt, Doyle and Lita all leaving. The only incoming’s before the beginning of the season were Ryan Bertrand (on loan), Matt Mills, Jobi McAnuff and Gregorsz Rasiak. As you can see, relegation costs you a lot in terms of squad depth and talent. It cost Rodgers his job.

Reading was the first role that Rodgers attempted to implement the philosophy that would serve him so well at Swansea. However, the adaptation of the players from Coppell’s direct style to the more fluid passing game was slow, and despite a couple of decent results, Rodgers left by mutual consent before Christmas. One thing that Rodgers did do while at Reading was push a certain Gylfi Sigurdsson into a more attacking role than he had been used in under Coppell.

Rodgers then spent the first six months of 2010 roaming round Europe soaking up as much knowledge as he could from the continent’s finest footballing minds.

In July 2010, Rodgers was appointed Swansea manager, succeeding Paulo Sousa, who had himself succeeded Roberto Martinez the previous season. Martinez had brought flair and attacking football to South Wales (or at least as much as you can with Jason Scotland in the team!), Sousa had tried to build on that, but failed, and Rodgers was seen as the ideal man to implement a footballing philosophy that would shake The Championship to the core.

It worked. Rodgers’ Swansea team managed to secure promotion through the play-offs playing an incredibly attractive brand of pass-and-move football, not dissimilar to Barcelona’s famed tiki-taka approach. It’s true that they were sometimes bullied out of games (as is the nature of that division), but they, along with Norwich and QPR certainly played the best football in the division and all three were tipped for survival in the Premier League due to their approach to the game.

The following season, as I’m sure you all know, and I’m not going to bore you with the story of the last 12 months, Swansea adapted their game further, finishing 11th in the Premier League.

Some things to note about Rodgers’ managerial approach and tactical style at Swansea:

He was quick to spot weaknesses in his promoted team and identified players that not only could play at Premier League level and fit into his style, but would prove to be some of the best in their respective positions, receiving plaudits far and wide – Michel Vorm and Danny Graham from teh beginning of the season and that man Sigurdsson on loan from Hoffenheim in January.

He also managed to get the best out of some very average players – Ashley Williams, Leon Britton and Nathan Dyer have all been exceptional this season, but I believe they’ve all reached their talent threshold.

The way his team evolved their game during the season, from a possession based, hit-on-the-break approach in the early part, to a much more controlled tiki-taka style pressing game is something that not many teams (or managers) can claim to have done.

Finally, the infrastructure at Swansea is very different from at Liverpool. They don’t have their own training complex, or an academy. Rodgers’ achieved a strong team and strong performances with very few resources.

I can understand the critics of Rodgers; he’s inexperienced, both at the top level and in general. But I’d counter that argument with two words – Roy Hodgson! Experience doesn’t mean much in football. In fact, if you look at the most experienced managers in Europe, they’ve all got a failure or three on their cv, with the possible exception of Lord Ferg of Purplenose.

And so to the future.

What will Rodgers’ Liverpool look like? Can the existing squad fit into his ideology? Will he have money to strengthen in certain positions? Will his philosophy be transferred over the club, down to the reserves and youth teams?

I think most of the existing squad will actually fit Rodgers’ style better than a lot of other managers’. I can see the team lining up something like Reina, Johnson, Enrique, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Adam (EDIT – I’d actually stick Aquilani in here, but forgot all about him! Seems a very good fit in the role that Sigurdsson has been playing at Swansea), Henderson, Suarez, Carroll, Gerrard. Undoutably an upgrade in every single position when laid over the 4-3-3 that he favours when compared to Swansea. The quick passing will suit Adam, Lucas and Henderson. Early balls into the channels will suit Gerrard and Suarez. And I can see Andy Carroll not just battering defenders as he did at the tail of this season, but also dropping off to hold up play in much the same way as Danny Graham did for Swansea this year.

Unfortunately, Rodgers’ appointment almost certainly means the end of Dirkidinho and his first touch, but may see Maxi sign a new contract. I could also a couple of new central midfielders arriving in the shape of Joe Allen from Swansea, and the much-vaunted Nick Powell from Crewe.

I think it is also now more likely that the attack will remain unchanged, with Suso and Sterling getting more of a chance in the wide forward roles.

If rumours are to be believed, the new man should have £30m to spend should he choose to, but as far as I can see he doesn’t really need to do that much other than maybe strengthen the squad rather than the first team.

In summary, Rodgers’ ideology is the way forward for football, and whether we like it or not, The King could not have changed his beliefs to match the future of the game, indeed he struggled to match the demands of the present!

I believe that FSG have identified the man they wanted, and gone out and got him. I think the Martinez stuff was all a smokescreen. When you’re recruiting in business you speak to everyone to get their opinions, it doesn’t mean you want them for the job.

In fact, you might say that Liverpool have come out of this in a much better state than, say, Wigan, who have a chairman that felt the need to comment publicly on his manager’s whereabouts, and whose (300-or-so) fans now are left with a manager that they know wants to leave!

Good luck Brendan and I sincerely hop it all works out as I think it will.

And good luck to Bobby M working for a rent-a-gob, at a club that are losing all it’s best players. He deserves a better club and will be a successful manager at a big club (maybe even at Liverpool) in the not-to-distant future.