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Swansea Fan: Rodgers Has Made A Big Mistake In Joining Liverpool
After regular assurances of his loyalty, Brendan Rodgers has ditched the South Wales club to take over in the Anfield dugout. A Swansea fan explains why he may just live to regret that decision..
So, what’s been happening with Swansea City? The new home kit is expected to be released soon… some of the players have played for Wales in America… there are vacancies in the Liberty Stadium ticket office. Oh, and… BRENDAN RODGERS HAS LEFT THE CLUB TO JOIN LIVERPOOL.
Yes, it’s official.
It had been speculated for a while, so can we be too shocked? However, with Rodger’s constant comments, reassuring us that he would not leave, that Swansea was the place for him – it does make it a surprising decision.
Firstly, I fully appreciate his situation. He is a young manager with a great record of success over the past few years. Liverpool is a big club (albeit one struggling a little at the moment), and Rodgers has seen his chance to manage that big club. I accept the situation.
While I wish him no specific ills, I can’t really say I wish him all the best. Or much of the best for that matter.
I also recognise what he has done for Swansea: taking them from a mid-Championship team to a mid-Premier League team in just two seasons. His style of football is fantastic and he’s brought some superb players to the club.
While I wish him no specific ills, I can’t really say I wish him all the best. Or much of the best for that matter.
Whatever spin he puts on his departure (e.g. wiping away the tears), he won’t be remembered as highly as he could have been. If he made this move two years down the line he could have gone to a bigger club, and we’d have probably respected him for it.
Hell – I’d have probably respected him more if he didn’t try to reassure everyone with false statements of intent.
Let’s look at a select few quotes taken from newspapers just a few months ago:
“If I felt in my own mind that I was going to be leaving, I wouldn’t have signed the new deal”
“But I want to complete the job here and, unless the club tell me otherwise, I am very, very happy here.”
“I don’t know where else I could go and be as happy as I am at Swansea City.”
“Hopefully I can see out the contract I have just signed.”
“My focus is purely on Swansea City, and on building what we have done here.”
“I get the opportunity to manage this club the way I want to do it”
“I’ve learnt my lesson in my career (at Reading), and that was a defining moment for me.”
“My family love it here in Wales. I’m 39 years of age and I hope to be in the game for a long time, but for now my concentration is with Swansea City.”
Blah, blah, blah and so on.
Most of us are understandably angry at the moment, especially with news that three backroom staff will leave with him. I’m assuming our anger will swell over the summer.
It was all technically lies… Maybe he meant it back then. Back two months ago.
The whole ‘Elvis for Brendan’ thing seems a little silly now.
So, most of us are understandably angry at the moment, especially with news that three backroom staff will leave with him. I’m assuming our anger will swell over the summer – as, inevitably, Gylfi Sigurdsson refuses to sign a contract, or Rodgers starts peeling players away from the club. I can’t see Joe Allen, Ashley Williams, Michel Vorm leaving, but Scott Sinclair? Nathan Dyer? I’d hate to see it, but you can’t help feel something else is on its way to ruin our summer!
The opportunity for Mr Rodgers is a big one, I’ll admit. But it’s the wrong one for him. I know that a few years later and the Liverpool job may not be there – this may be the only chance he has to manage Liverpool. But who the hell wants that job!?
If he likes a challenge he’s found it, that’s for sure! If the Liverpool fans were happy to get rid of “King Kenny”, a supposed Anfield legend, how will they accept Brendan Rodgers?
Liverpool want Champions League football. They want to win the Premier League. They want all of this NOW.
So far, looking at the forums, listening to Liverpool radio stations and, of course, Twitter, the response is mixed, with more emphasis on the ‘no ambition in signing Brendan Rodgers’ angle from many Liverpool fans. He’s off on the wrong foot already.
Even if they are ready to accept him, how much time will he get? He will need time to find his feet – to develop a style of play around the current team – which may take a while.
But Liverpool want Champions League football. They want to win the Premier League. They want all of this NOW. There is no “a few years down the line”. He’ll struggle to win over the fans I feel.
So, Swansea – the team we really care about – are left with a massive hole to fill. It’s by no means the end of the world. But it is a major setback for a summer where a little tinkering was required, rather than a complete change.
Who is going to fill that hole? There are a number of names being thrown around: Holloway, Di Canio, Zola, Solskjaer, Laudrup, Poyet… Monk.
Monk is an interesting one – he’s committed to the Swans, he knows the club, he knows the style of play. However, he’s inexperienced as a manager, so is not the answer… yet.
I don’t understand those who are desperate to see Roberto Martinez back. While I like Martinez as a manager, the way he left Swansea is much the same way as Rodgers has done. You know he’d jump into the role, stay another few years, then move along when another big club comes calling. Anyway, he has supposedly confirmed his loyalty to Wigan (but what does loyalty mean in footballing terms these days?).
No, Martinez is not the answer.
Whoever comes in, we just hope it’s the right guy to keep the club moving forward. Swansea City have the footballing philosophy in place, they have the money, they have the board and the full support of the fans. I am positive the Swans will remain in the Premier League after next season. They just need the manager to make sure of it.
This article originally appeared on Swansea City dedicated blog Forza Swansea
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COMMENTS
Got to agree with this. Most Liverpool fans didn't want him. and the fact he is to be given time rankles with most given that KK wasn't given time. I suspect we'll be following Swansea back to the Championship.
Bill you are an idiot. we wont struggle next season. All true Liverpool fans will get behind BR. Listening to the comments from people in the game BR is an intelligent coach and will quickly learn that the team is not that far away from a top four finish and he will make his changes gradually.
Hi Chris. Just a couple of points: Most Liverpool fans were not "happy" to get rid of Kenny Dalglish, and I would suggest that the majority of them felt he should have been given another year. I would also humbly suggest that whilst the title is obviously the Holy Grail, initial noises made by both Rodgers and FSG have been specifically tailored to temper any wild thoughts of the Title, certainly not for a couple of years. (!!!) LFC is not the club in crisis that the media would have you believe - the player pool obviously needs some additions, but performances last year were encouraging. The Home results were hugely disappointing, but the actual play was good. All that was missing (and it was a BIG "all") was an instinctive striker. The really worrying thing was the way the league season collapsed after the last-minute [unlucky - yeah, I know....!]defeat against Arsenal. The players simply gave up, when wins against Villa, Wigan, Fulham, Albion (all "winnable") would have still had Liverpool in contention for a respectable finish. This is the main problem that Rodgers will need to address. Good luck to Swansea, and I'm trying not to sound patronising. You were a breath of fresh air last season.
Few points to amend. 1) BR said that the flaws and failures are part of what drew him to Liverpool so that he has a challenge to fix that. 2)Liverpool can't sign swansea players for 12 months as stipulated in an agreement between clubs 3) Realistically Liverpool fans know that it will take time for his ideas to come across fully and that time and stability is needed. 4) Liverpool fans weren't overjoyed with kk leaving but the results spoke for themselves, the American owners weren't happy and have taken action to try and usher in a new era.
I'm with Bazza - the doom and gloom merchants are just as irritating as the envious little plebs at other teams that love to continue spending themselves concerning themselves with LFC. Dalglish was given time, but the situation was untenable, with the team delivering the worst results in a generation (as well as all of the distasteful off the pitch stuff). Nobody is expecting Rodgers to win the title this year, and I doubt there is even much pressure to get us straight back into the Champions League, after Dalglish's and Hodgson's failings. It is a realistic ambition, that Rodgers has clearly embraced, to get us back amongst the contenders within the next couple of years though. And that simply wouldn't have been achievable at Swansea.
As a Martinez fan I believe that Liverpool bottled it with this decision ... who really knows whether Rogers was the go to guy from the start, yet he does seem to be the 'Young' and 'English' vanilla choice here, and yes I do know his heritage! Having said this Liverpool are well overdue a renaissance, AND a PR check-up, so I wish them and Rogers well as the next few seasons unfold ...
It's important that Swansea don't ruin their remarkable season with delusions of grandeur. Leaving such a club for Liverpool is a no brainer and to send BR off begrudgingly, epitomises a small-club mentality.
Most fans are quite rightly still in shock over kennys sacking. I would have liked to see him have another season. However results even though play at times was great. Just wasnt good enough. The owners clearly have a model they wish to implement. A model that involves the club being financially self sufficent. They are smart people. Even though people may appear a little underwhelmed. It isnt the feeling of dread or unwarranted over confidence that accompanied kd and rh's appointments. I think they realise that breaking into the top 4 is going to be tough. Most fans live in the real world and realise it wont happen overnight. Dont listen to the net wums. ;) For the first time since Rafa went. I feel pretty good about the club and the direction its going in. The owners dont wash their dirty linen in public. We have a clear vision and the owners have shown their is no room for sentimentality. Which in my humble opinion is whats stagnated the club since the 90's. We need to change in a ever evolving game. Cant wait for the season. Dont be bitter every club loses players etc.
I would like to be a swansea manager
I think you're wrong. I personnally love BR. And I am willing him time to build his team. In his first season, i would hope for at least better than this season. If its worst than that, He can continue and build the next season.
Liverpool fans lack of ambition is astonishing these days. To think that a top 4 finish is a victory epitomises this. KK wouldn't have settled this for this and, it's a blessing to him that he's no longer at this, once great club.
Tempest. Sometimes you need to get a balance between ambition and realism. Liverpool fans want to win, make no mistake about that. But City, United and Chelsea will all spend extravagantly whilst Wenger continues his knack of moulding teams. Top-4 is not an unreasonable expectation with the squad available plus an instinctive goalscorer, but this I don't regard top-4 as a victory, merely a means to an end. I hate to say it, but though I idolise Kenny Dalglish still, he DID "settle for this", or else how do you explain him not being able to coax Reina (arguably the best goalie in the League) to make a single dive/save in the last 3 months of the season? Or convince Kuyt that scoring can be good? Or tell the players there is no point in Downing delivering a cross if nobody can be arsed to get in the box? Or b@llock or motivate the players when they clearly threw in the towel for the season after the Arsenal game. Like I said, that will be Rodgers' biggest task: to get the egos to perform.
As a Liverpool fan, I'm really happy with his appointment and everyone but LFC fans thinks we have unrealistic expectations, we don't and all reds I know are the same. As long as there's progress, we'll be happy. Am looking forward to seeing the football Swansea played more regularly at Anfield (hopefully), but it is a shame he left the Swans, they were doing great with him.
LFC fans were not happy with KK leaving. Don't believe internet whoppers as the true voice of LFC fansd. No one believes the league will be won soon either. The internet is good for many things, but listening and quoting whoppers isn't one of them
Neither LFC or STFC fan so here is an unbiased opinion. Apparently, FSG will get behind him as will the fans. They are not important. The most important thing that matters about who will get behind him are.... the players. Quite a few of them who would not get behind a very good manager in Roy Hodgson. They needed a bigger manager. As far as Liverpool go with this situation, Rodgers won't last two years. Liverpool started improving, until the terrible purchases of the close season and the poor form of Carroll. Then K.D got the bullet. Swansea? Well, i would like to see them survive. Still i remember going there when Bradford played them at the old Vetch Field. Survive or not the next manager for them is an absolutely critical decision, one which could decide whether they stay up or go down.
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