[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2530059/Jamie-Carragher-column-If-I-knew-Liverpool-title-race-I-wouldnt-retired.html#ixzz2olIQP2my ]The first time I met Brendan Rodgers, he had just become Liverpool manager. We were speaking about the future and he mentioned the possibility of me joining his coaching staff.
But I told him straight away I would be retiring at the end of the season, so our working relationship would only last 12 months.
I made my announcement public in February but a few weeks later, at Melwood, Brendan invited me for another conversation.
He asked me whether I would consider postponing retiring for another season. Again, my answer was ‘no’. I was set in my ways, content with the decision I had reached. Only one thing could have changed my mind.
It wasn’t the prospect of more appearances; it had nothing to do with another contract or anything like that. If I felt Liverpool were going to compete for the one honour that had eluded me — the Barclays Premier League — I would have said ‘yes’ in a flash.
At that time, I could only see Liverpool challenging for a top-four place. If I had been able to see into the future, I would now be preparing for tomorrow’s showdown with Chelsea.
Make no mistake, Liverpool are title contenders. They might be outsiders in the group that contains Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, but there should not be any doubts about my old club’s potential to go the distance.
Once Chelsea are out of the way, Liverpool will have played all of the top eight, bar Manchester United, away from home. December has been a demanding month, with trips to White Hart Lane, the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge but they are in excellent shape.
Even if they fail to beat Chelsea, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Had you asked any Liverpudlian what they would have taken from that sequence, four points from nine would have been acceptable.
If they happen to end up with six, expectations will be soaring into the New Year.
Liverpool look like a proper team once more. No other club has matched their tally of 83 Premier League goals in 2013 — Manchester City are closest with 81 — while a return of 69 points from 36 games in the calendar year shows they are finding consistency.
It also shines a light on the job Brendan is doing. Compare those figures to 2012, the year Kenny Dalglish’s reign ended and Brendan took over. In 39 games through the year, Liverpool only picked up 46 points and scored 54 goals.
Things were not easy for Rodgers when he came in. Kenny is God to Liverpool fans and his name still gets sung every week on The Kop, even before they chant the name of the current manager.
This job was always going to test his character and capabilities.
Not everything worked for him straight away, either. His first two signings, Joe Allen at £15million and £11m Fabio Borini did not make the expected impact.
I was also a little sceptical about the style which he wanted the team to play: centre-backs splitting, both full-backs pushing high up and the keeper comes out to operate like a sweeper — just as Barcelona do.
Liverpool have always played good, intelligent football but this was taking it to another level. I felt it was risky. Three games into the season, we faced Arsenal at Anfield and they took full advantage, beating us 2-0. With that style, I didn’t see how we would ever grind out a result. But to Brendan’s credit, he and the team have evolved over the last year while remaining true to his principles.
Plenty of judges are good at saying in this country how we should play football on the floor and give young players a chance, yet when they get jobs, they don’t do anything about it. You couldn’t level that criticism at Rodgers.
He wants his teams to inflict ‘death by football’ but this year Liverpool have shown another side to their character. They are now flattening the teams they should do but they are just as adept at toughing it out.
It was said at the beginning of the season that second-half displays against Stoke, Aston Villa and Manchester United were not up to standard but I was encouraged by what I saw. Liverpool showed maturity and held on to the result, something I don’t think would have been possible 12 months ago.
Another aspect Brendan deserves credit for is how he has never ducked a big decision. He offloaded Andy Carroll. Popular players like Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina have found he isn’t concerned about reputations — Agger has been dropped, Reina was loaned to Napoli.
Luis Suarez has found that out, too. Rodgers handled the delicate situation in the summer superbly, sending Luis to train on his own after he had stepped out of line.
He also criticised him last season when he admitted to diving yet, despite all that, he has coaxed out the best form of Luis’s career.
Clearly there has been a benefit from not having to deal with European competition this season — as Jose Mourinho has not been shy to point out — but Liverpool have still had to go and get the results to keep them among the pacesetters.
For Brendan to be an unqualified success at Liverpool, he will need trophies and regular Champions League football and those objectives are as difficult to achieve as they have ever been in the last 20 years.
It will be 24 years next May since Liverpool were last champions but even if they don’t end that hoodoo, one thing is beyond doubt: Brendan Rodgers is building a team that has given Liverpool supporters their pride back — one that is a threat to all.[/article]
But I told him straight away I would be retiring at the end of the season, so our working relationship would only last 12 months.
I made my announcement public in February but a few weeks later, at Melwood, Brendan invited me for another conversation.
He asked me whether I would consider postponing retiring for another season. Again, my answer was ‘no’. I was set in my ways, content with the decision I had reached. Only one thing could have changed my mind.
It wasn’t the prospect of more appearances; it had nothing to do with another contract or anything like that. If I felt Liverpool were going to compete for the one honour that had eluded me — the Barclays Premier League — I would have said ‘yes’ in a flash.
At that time, I could only see Liverpool challenging for a top-four place. If I had been able to see into the future, I would now be preparing for tomorrow’s showdown with Chelsea.
Make no mistake, Liverpool are title contenders. They might be outsiders in the group that contains Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, but there should not be any doubts about my old club’s potential to go the distance.
Once Chelsea are out of the way, Liverpool will have played all of the top eight, bar Manchester United, away from home. December has been a demanding month, with trips to White Hart Lane, the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge but they are in excellent shape.
Even if they fail to beat Chelsea, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Had you asked any Liverpudlian what they would have taken from that sequence, four points from nine would have been acceptable.
If they happen to end up with six, expectations will be soaring into the New Year.
Liverpool look like a proper team once more. No other club has matched their tally of 83 Premier League goals in 2013 — Manchester City are closest with 81 — while a return of 69 points from 36 games in the calendar year shows they are finding consistency.
It also shines a light on the job Brendan is doing. Compare those figures to 2012, the year Kenny Dalglish’s reign ended and Brendan took over. In 39 games through the year, Liverpool only picked up 46 points and scored 54 goals.
Things were not easy for Rodgers when he came in. Kenny is God to Liverpool fans and his name still gets sung every week on The Kop, even before they chant the name of the current manager.
This job was always going to test his character and capabilities.
Not everything worked for him straight away, either. His first two signings, Joe Allen at £15million and £11m Fabio Borini did not make the expected impact.
I was also a little sceptical about the style which he wanted the team to play: centre-backs splitting, both full-backs pushing high up and the keeper comes out to operate like a sweeper — just as Barcelona do.
Liverpool have always played good, intelligent football but this was taking it to another level. I felt it was risky. Three games into the season, we faced Arsenal at Anfield and they took full advantage, beating us 2-0. With that style, I didn’t see how we would ever grind out a result. But to Brendan’s credit, he and the team have evolved over the last year while remaining true to his principles.
Plenty of judges are good at saying in this country how we should play football on the floor and give young players a chance, yet when they get jobs, they don’t do anything about it. You couldn’t level that criticism at Rodgers.
He wants his teams to inflict ‘death by football’ but this year Liverpool have shown another side to their character. They are now flattening the teams they should do but they are just as adept at toughing it out.
It was said at the beginning of the season that second-half displays against Stoke, Aston Villa and Manchester United were not up to standard but I was encouraged by what I saw. Liverpool showed maturity and held on to the result, something I don’t think would have been possible 12 months ago.
Another aspect Brendan deserves credit for is how he has never ducked a big decision. He offloaded Andy Carroll. Popular players like Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina have found he isn’t concerned about reputations — Agger has been dropped, Reina was loaned to Napoli.
Luis Suarez has found that out, too. Rodgers handled the delicate situation in the summer superbly, sending Luis to train on his own after he had stepped out of line.
He also criticised him last season when he admitted to diving yet, despite all that, he has coaxed out the best form of Luis’s career.
Clearly there has been a benefit from not having to deal with European competition this season — as Jose Mourinho has not been shy to point out — but Liverpool have still had to go and get the results to keep them among the pacesetters.
For Brendan to be an unqualified success at Liverpool, he will need trophies and regular Champions League football and those objectives are as difficult to achieve as they have ever been in the last 20 years.
It will be 24 years next May since Liverpool were last champions but even if they don’t end that hoodoo, one thing is beyond doubt: Brendan Rodgers is building a team that has given Liverpool supporters their pride back — one that is a threat to all.[/article]
