Style v substance?

Adam Bate wonders why Liverpool are focusing on Martinez and Rodgers ahead of Paul Lambert.

The news that Wigan's Roberto Martinez and Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers are contenders for the managerial vacancy at Liverpool is an intriguing development. Of course, the usual European heavyweights also feature on the inappropriately named 'shortlist' - the perennial figure of Frank Rijkaard and the spectre of Rafa Benitez loom large. But the presence of two of the Premier League's up-and-comers indicates a willingness to consider a manager who is capable of stepping up to a bigger challenge. In which case, how can Norwich's Paul Lambert possibly be ignored? It shouldn't be a surprise. While the entire country appears to be au fait with the finer details of Leon Britton's pass completion rates for Swansea, Norwich's efforts have failed to capture the imagination in the same way. Rodgers' zealous commitment to passing football has seen him rightly lauded by his peers and the media alike. But the disparity between the praise given to the two promoted bosses is highlighted by the bookies, who rated Rodgers a 7/5 favourite for the LMA manager of the year award in April. Lambert, whose Norwich were level on points with Swansea at the time, was an 8/1 outsider for the prize that eventually went to Newcastle's Alan Pardew. Indeed, the Swans and the Canaries finished the season level on points, with Martinez's Wigan side a further four points back despite their late rally. A creditable effort by all three given they were among the favourites for the drop. But Norwich's starting point under Lambert must be considered when comparing the prospective Reds candidates. Swansea had just finished in an encouraging seventh spot in the Championship when Rodgers took the reins in 2010, while Wigan had secured 11th place in the Premier League in 2009 before turning to the Spaniard. In contrast, Lambert inherited a League One team that had just been beaten 7-1 by (his) Colchester United. Admittedly, Liverpool do not need a manager able to turn things around at a third-tier team - they need a coach who can fashion the five-time European Cup winners into a competitive top four outfit. But the belief that this favours a manager accustomed to possession football at all costs could be a flawed theory. Firstly, it assumes that Lambert - a Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund as a player, of course - would not be comfortable adapting his style to the demands of the job. All the evidence available points to the contrary.

Adaptability

Lambert's Norwich have proven to be among the more flexible sides in the Premier League this season. The statistics may show they have played more long balls than any team in the division, but there has also been a willingness to pass through the middle, use the wingers and operate on the counter-attack - with only three top-flight teams scoring more goals on the break. As Michael Cox writes in The Guardian: "Paul Lambert is something of a rarity among Premier League managers, happy to switch his formation from week to week, and vary his strategy according to the opposition." Should he be penalised for taking a pragmatic approach rather than being wedded to the passing game? Surely not, in this of all seasons. Chelsea's Champions League triumph came despite surrendering possession in the semi-final and the final. They became the second side in just three seasons to be crowned champions of Europe playing a reactive brand of football, with Jose Mourinho's Inter also emerging victorious in 2010. Counter-intuitive it may be, but possession is not everything - even at the highest level of the game. As a result, perhaps the time has come to flip the question around. How would the most successful managers in world football approach the task of getting results in the bottom-half of the Premier League? Would Sir Alex Ferguson take the Martinez route? Does Mourinho identify a kindred spirit in Rodgers? Or is their true heir the man who sets out to maximise his team's potential, while showing the necessary flexibility to adapt to the task in hand. Maybe it's time for Liverpool to call on Paul Lambert.