Assessing the job Brendan Rodgers has do

On the 1st June 2012 it was the start of a new era for Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers is appointed manager following a very succe sful spell with Swansea City.When I first heard of the news that Brendan Rodgers had emerged as the leading candidate for the managers position at the most succe sful, most historical and one of the most recognised organisations in world football, I was slightly skeptical, along with many others.Could he handle the step up from a small club of Swanseas stature to a club with the tradition of Liverpools?His first season was always going to be difficult, steadying a ship that had sunk to the lows of 8th position under the leadership of Kenny Dalglish. He inherited a squad that was nowhere near good enough to challenge for even a Europa League place, you only have to look at the likes of Jay Spearing, Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Sebastian Coates, Jonjo Shelvey and Charlie Adam, who were all regular starters under Dalglish.Rodgers recognized that this squad simply was not good enough for a team with ambitions of qualifying for Champions League football and ultimately winning the Premier League title. And by the end of the 2012 summer transfer window, Rashad Vaughn Jersey Rodgers had sold Andy Carroll, Jay Spearing and Charlie Adam, and later in his tenure, sold Stewart Downing and Jonjo Shelvey.However, it was all well and good Rodgers clearing out some of LFCs dead rubber, but if he didnt bring in suitable replacements, his first transfer window in charge of Greg Monroe Jersey Liverpool FC wouldve been deemed a failure.And indeed it was.Rodgers forked up 25m for the signings of Fabio Borini and Joe Allen, bought in Nuri Sahin on loan, Ousama A saidi (2.5m) and Samed Yesil (1m). Borinis start to life in a Liverpool shirt was a miserable one. Very Poor form coupled with injuries made it a season to forget for the Italian. Joe Allen enjoyed a very good start to his Liverpool career, however injuries ultimately hindered his debut season at LFC. Nuri Sahin was probably the biggest name signing of the bunch. The Real Madrid midfielder caused real excitement amongst the LFC faithful. However, the Turks Liverpool career never really hit the heights his ability promised. Which he later revealed was due to Brendan Rodgers playing him in the wrong position. And Ousama A saidi and Samed Yesil were ones for the future.This, coupled with inability to replace the deadline day departure of Andy Carroll made for a disappointing transfer window for Liverpool Fans.Enough of the busine s, what about the football I hear you say. Well....Having inherited this squad from Kenny Dalglish, Rodgers also inherited the way Dalglish wanted Liverpool to play, which, from the signature of Andy Carroll, was to play an attacking but direct style of football, with pretty much everything being lobbed up to Carroll. This was not the Rodgers way. In fact quite the opposite. As we saw at Swansea, Rodgers favoured a keep-ball approach to the game, playing fluid, pretty football, keeping the ball on the turf and playing round the opposition, being lethal on John Henson Jersey the counter attack.Liverpool were in that transitional period. A lot of people were expecting Rodgers to come in and all of a sudden take Liverpool back to where they belong, at the top of English Football. But realistically it was never going to be a quick or easy proce s. Liverpool didnt have the players or the ability to attract top cla s players to Anfield. It took a lot of time and effort for Rodgers to stamp his philosophy on Liverpool Football Club.However, I dont think anyone wouldve expected Liverpool to start the 2012/13 season in the manner in which they did. An opening day 3-0 defeat at the hands of West brom, followed by draws with City, Sunderland, Newcastle, Everton and Stoke. Coupled with defeats to Arsenal and United. Saw Liverpool tally only 11 points from their first 10 games. With their only victories coming away at Norwich, and home to Reading. This form saw Liverpool find themselves in 12th place, only two points ahead of Aston Villa who were lying in 17th place.Although this form suggested otherwise, Rodgers Liverpool side were very unlucky to find themselves in this position. In particular in the games with City and United at home. But, nonethele s if Liverpool are to get back in the Champions League, they have to take their chances. Something which ultimately saw the demise of Kenny Dalglishs second reign in charge of Liverpool Football Club.Liverpool continued this patchy form. It wasnt until the January transfer window and the signings of superstars Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, who gave Liverpool that little bit more pace and cutting-edge in the final third, before Rodgers side really started to show the kind of form worthy of a top four place.Rodgers first season rather fizzled out, and a 7th place finish in the Premier League summed up a disappointing season for both Rodgers and the football club. But there were definitely positives to take from Rodgers first season in charge. His young side were certainly improving. He imposed an identity on LFC, something they seemed to have lost in years gone by . That identity was One of attacking, pretty Jason Terry Jersey , edge-of-your-seat football. Rodgers had got this side playing again.However, Out of all the clubs challenging for a champions League place in the 2012/13 season. Liverpools squad was undoubtedly the thinnest. Rodgers knew that without major additions to this squad, Liverpool just wouldnt be able to keep up with English Footballs leading forces.And so it proved, as by the end of this seasons summer transfer window. Brendan Rodgers had bought in no le s than eight players; Kolo Toure, Mamadou Sakho, Victor Moses, Tiago Illori, Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Aly Ci sokho and Simon Mignolet. With the picks of the bunch probably being Kolo Toure, who would bring much needed big-club experience to a team with the youthful inexperience of Rodgers team, Mamadou Sakho, who has all the attributes, with the right guidance, to become one of European Footballs top, top defenders. And Simon Mignolet, who enjoyed a glittering career at Sunderland, single-handedly keeping them in the premiership at times.The rest of the signings perhaps wouldnt have added to Milwaukee Bucks Jersey much to the squad in terms of quality, but definitely gave Liverpool much needed strength-in-depth, which they really havent had since the early Benitez days.A much better transfer window second-time round for Rodgers. He began to build a team that looked like a real force to be reckoned with.And we really saw how far Liverpool had come under Rodgers in the first game of this season. Stoke city cam to Anfield. LFC went one-nil up early on, courtesy of a Daniel Sturridge strike. Liverpool continued to dominate the game, firing in shot after shot, only to be denied by a man of the match performance from Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic. Liverpool won the
 
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