Panel say rest of season will be major test for Reds manager
Sunday 21 December 2014 19:11, UK
Brendan Rodgers faces the biggest challenge of his career to gain qualification for the Champions League again, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.
Having already slipped out of Europe's premier club competition this season, Liverpool have also made their worst league start in 50 years and currently sit 10 points off fourth-placed West Ham.
And, speaking ahead of the Super Sunday clash with Arsenal, The Times’ Alyson Rudd questioned Rodgers’ ability to turn things around at Anfield despite his successful campaign last season.
This is the test of a man who probably got the job too early in his career and now he’s finding out how tough it is. I don’t know how Rodgers can get out of this patch and am pessimistic about him putting things right at Liverpool.
“It’s about the here and now for Rodgers, this is the test of a good manager, when you’ve lost one outstanding player permanently, and another through injury,” Rudd said.
“Rodgers is being questioned now, partly because week after week you never know what you’re going to get from him and he seems to be implying, ‘look at my record last season, I don’t think I deserve to be questioned’.
“He's stumbled through this season so far. There’s a knee-jerk thing going on at Anfield, it’s very hard when Rodgers talks about having a clear pathway and the Liverpool way and yet there is no defined philosophy from him at the moment.
“I think fans and commentators have every right to question him – you cannot keep referring to last season. This is the test of a man who probably got the job too early in his career and now he’s finding out how tough it is.
“If they beat Arsenal and are the best team today then he’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief but he has dug a big hole for himself if it’s not a great performance.
“I don’t know how Rodgers can get out of this patch. He’s doesn’t have any transfer nous, he’s already spent over £200million and I can’t see any of the fruits of that. Usually it’s in the window where a manager puts things right and I don’t see evidence that he can do that. I am pessimistic about him putting things right at Liverpool.”
The Guardian’s Dominic Fifield suggested the long-awaited return of Daniel Sturridge, and his subsequent partnership with Mario Balotelli, could ease some of the pressure on Rodgers but argued Liverpool’s defensive frailties would ultimately cost them their place in the top four.
“Liverpool will do very well to finish in the top four,” Fifield said.
“We have to wait and see what impact Sturridge has when he comes back and if he comes back. A lot has been made of Balotelli, who I don’t think was the right buy for them had they wished to continue playing how they did last season. (Alexis) Sanchez would have been the perfect buy for that but he didn’t want to come.
“But with Balotelli you have to look and see how he does with Sturridge. They’ve only played the one game and that was a very impressive win at Tottenham when they did look as if they could play something akin to last season.
“There are a few things that could work in Rodgers’ favour but I just look at the defence and, even with a 3-4-3, I just don’t see it holding its own to finish in the top four.”
Watch Liverpool v Arsenal live on Sunday. Coverage from Anfield starts at 3:30pm, Sky Sports 1HD
