Or Martinez
Our Team
- Thread starter Zlate
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
yea i rem that shit interview by that self-promoting egomaniac that the press seems to love. betcha he'll be laughed out of town with that quote now
As Jules said, I think the fact that 'Arry kindly made it public that Brendan had agreed in principle to work with him as England coach planted the idea in the minds of quite a few hacks. I'm not surprised they're mentioning it now. It is what England needs - a genuinely progressive coach, not a manager. Hopefully they'll find one elsewhere.
I think that's right TBH and I doubt those who've been mentioning this really reckon it's got much chance of happening.
I can certainly see Brendan moving into international football after re-establishing us at the top though. A long time after, with a bit of luck.
I can certainly see Brendan moving into international football after re-establishing us at the top though. A long time after, with a bit of luck.
No chance for many years. But this is the mad thing with England. The FA is obsessed with managers, like it's still 1973. And what they need is a coach. Hodgson, for example, wouldn't be so much of a problem if he actually had a proper coach working with him, rather than Ray Lewington and Gary Neville. It's never really that difficult to pick an England team - in fact, given the smaller number of top class English players these days in the top league, you could say selection has never been easier. The difficult thing is getting them playing good, positive, technically mature and tactically sophisticated football. I know old 'Arry gets lots of flak, much of it deserved, but his plan to work with Brendan was the one sensible idea that anyone in and around the England set-up has had for decades.
From yesterday's telgraph
Brendan Rodgers should be the next manager of England once his work at Liverpool is done
The Liverpool manager has stated that his life's work has been to fuse the British mentality with European ways. So let him have his chance with England, writes Jason Burt
Brendan Rodgers should become the next manager of England once his work at Liverpool is done
Waiting in the wings? Brendan Rodgers has the right philosophy to further the England team's prospects Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Jason Burt By Jason Burt11:29AM BST 04 Sep 2014
The “vision thing”. It was three decades ago that the phrase popped into the national psyche: it was apparently used by George W Bush as he contemplated running for the US presidency and was urged by friends to formulate what his political philosophy really was. Fat chance. “Oh, the vision thing,” Bush is said to have replied in exasperation. The phrase stuck to him.
Seguing from American politics into English football might seem a quantum leap but it is fair to say that England lack the “vision thing”. The Football Association appears equally bereft. At a time when the national game is becalmed, lacking in confidence and fearful of making the wrong move – just like the national team on the pitch – there needs to be an injection of belief.
Who has the “vision thing”? It would appear not to be Roy Hodgson: the England manager would probably prefer to debate away the merits or otherwise of such an approach and attempt to deconstruct the phrase and its origins, rather than offer anything meaningful himself. And it is certainly not Greg Dyke, the FA chairman, who, for all his semi-successful soundbites, still lacks substance regarding what he is trying to achieve. The FA is probably looking towards Dan Ashworth, the director of elite development, but nobody is quite sure.
The FA needs direction, maybe even an evangelical approach. It intends to keep Hodgson in place until the completion of the 2016 European Championship when his contract expires, when he will be close to celebrating his 69th birthday. He is likely to go then, so the clock is ticking as regards his successor.
The answer seems clear: it should be Brendan Rodgers. The FA should be going to Liverpool’s manager and asking him whether he wants the job and, if he turns it down, he should then be asked if he wants to be involved within or around the England set-up, even if he wants to combine it with his duties at Anfield. It may be unworkable – and Rodgers has already stated that international football is something that would appeal to him in 20 years time, not now – but, in management parlance, let’s have the conversation.
Harry Redknapp hit on something when he identified Rodgers as someone he would have wanted as part of his coaching set-up had he been selected, instead of Hodgson, to take England to Euro 2012. Redknapp was intrigued by Rodgers’s style of play at Swansea City. But there is much more to him than that.
Last February, in an upstairs room at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, Rodgers gave a briefing to reporters during which he became very animated when it came to a discussion over international football. “My life’s work is trying to show that British players can play,” he said. “I grew up being told British players weren’t as technically good as European players, which was the biggest load of tosh I’ve ever heard. My methods and ideas are a fusion between British mentality and European ways of working.”
I was at that briefing and it stuck with me. His life’s work? Fusion of British mentality and European ways? I wanted to hear more, and so should the FA. It is why I kept the transcript. Not least because I had not heard a British coach speak in this way. Rodgers does talk well – eloquence is a fundamental part of modern management – but he was making some intriguing statements. So why not test how far he wants to go with this or whether he simply wants to keep it within a club?
“Spanish players are born the same as British players,” Rodgers continued. “We have an inferiority complex, absolutely. But British players are just as good technically and tactically as their European counterparts. That was always my idea – to put that into a team.
“There are better people to make a judgment than me. But I know from my career and I’ve worked with kids from five years of age through to some of the biggest players in the world, both British and European.”
Rodgers quit playing at the age of 20, realising he was not good enough to play at the top level. He paid his way around Europe – absorbing what was happening in Spain and Holland – and worked his way up the coaching ladder from the grass roots.
“It has taken me through community schemes at Reading, through academies, through elite year players at Chelsea, through top internationals at Chelsea, and to world-class players here at Liverpool also,” Rodgers added six months ago.
And there has been a commitment to British players. Despite bolstering the squad this summer, the core at Liverpool has, so far, remained the same: Gerrard, Henderson, Sturridge, Sterling. Rodgers has championed Jon Flanagan and Welshman Joe Allen and among his summer buys were Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert.
More recently Rodgers has spoken about how young British players have been ruined by being given too much, too soon. And last week he was talking about Mario Balotelli. “I’ve always had it all my life with young kids,” he said. “I’ve worked with children who were given no hope – inner-city kids, with no parents, but who just needed a chance. People write them off in life. That was my background all my life.”
Here is a man who clearly has “ that vision thing”. Not just in an identifiable and entertaining modern style of play – you could put his Liverpool team in any colour shirt and they would be recognisably Liverpool – but in developing players as people. He has both a “holistic” approach, to borrow Manchester City’s phrase, and a much deeper sense of pastoral care and social responsibility.
It does not matter that Rodgers comes from Northern Ireland. The FA should read his words and call him, to discover if he would want to be involved in finding “that vision thing”. Hodgson should welcome his input. It would not undermine him.
The question might be, why would Rodgers do it? There are certainly plenty of reasons for him to politely decline: at 41, he is the manager of a huge club, leading a vibrant young team into the Champions League, and working for employers who clearly value him highly, having just been granted an improved new contract taking him up until 2018.
Rodgers will have huge ambitions to meet as a club manager in winning trophies and driving forward one of England’s greatest clubs, and he might argue that a secondary role with England would be unfair on Liverpool.
But maybe – just maybe – a dialogue can be started that might lead somewhere. England and the FA have nothing to lose. After all, Rodgers has stated what his life’s work is. Ask him where he wants to take it.
Brendan Rodgers should be the next manager of England once his work at Liverpool is done
The Liverpool manager has stated that his life's work has been to fuse the British mentality with European ways. So let him have his chance with England, writes Jason Burt
Brendan Rodgers should become the next manager of England once his work at Liverpool is done
Waiting in the wings? Brendan Rodgers has the right philosophy to further the England team's prospects Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Jason Burt By Jason Burt11:29AM BST 04 Sep 2014
The “vision thing”. It was three decades ago that the phrase popped into the national psyche: it was apparently used by George W Bush as he contemplated running for the US presidency and was urged by friends to formulate what his political philosophy really was. Fat chance. “Oh, the vision thing,” Bush is said to have replied in exasperation. The phrase stuck to him.
Seguing from American politics into English football might seem a quantum leap but it is fair to say that England lack the “vision thing”. The Football Association appears equally bereft. At a time when the national game is becalmed, lacking in confidence and fearful of making the wrong move – just like the national team on the pitch – there needs to be an injection of belief.
Who has the “vision thing”? It would appear not to be Roy Hodgson: the England manager would probably prefer to debate away the merits or otherwise of such an approach and attempt to deconstruct the phrase and its origins, rather than offer anything meaningful himself. And it is certainly not Greg Dyke, the FA chairman, who, for all his semi-successful soundbites, still lacks substance regarding what he is trying to achieve. The FA is probably looking towards Dan Ashworth, the director of elite development, but nobody is quite sure.
The FA needs direction, maybe even an evangelical approach. It intends to keep Hodgson in place until the completion of the 2016 European Championship when his contract expires, when he will be close to celebrating his 69th birthday. He is likely to go then, so the clock is ticking as regards his successor.
The answer seems clear: it should be Brendan Rodgers. The FA should be going to Liverpool’s manager and asking him whether he wants the job and, if he turns it down, he should then be asked if he wants to be involved within or around the England set-up, even if he wants to combine it with his duties at Anfield. It may be unworkable – and Rodgers has already stated that international football is something that would appeal to him in 20 years time, not now – but, in management parlance, let’s have the conversation.
Harry Redknapp hit on something when he identified Rodgers as someone he would have wanted as part of his coaching set-up had he been selected, instead of Hodgson, to take England to Euro 2012. Redknapp was intrigued by Rodgers’s style of play at Swansea City. But there is much more to him than that.
Last February, in an upstairs room at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, Rodgers gave a briefing to reporters during which he became very animated when it came to a discussion over international football. “My life’s work is trying to show that British players can play,” he said. “I grew up being told British players weren’t as technically good as European players, which was the biggest load of tosh I’ve ever heard. My methods and ideas are a fusion between British mentality and European ways of working.”
I was at that briefing and it stuck with me. His life’s work? Fusion of British mentality and European ways? I wanted to hear more, and so should the FA. It is why I kept the transcript. Not least because I had not heard a British coach speak in this way. Rodgers does talk well – eloquence is a fundamental part of modern management – but he was making some intriguing statements. So why not test how far he wants to go with this or whether he simply wants to keep it within a club?
“Spanish players are born the same as British players,” Rodgers continued. “We have an inferiority complex, absolutely. But British players are just as good technically and tactically as their European counterparts. That was always my idea – to put that into a team.
“There are better people to make a judgment than me. But I know from my career and I’ve worked with kids from five years of age through to some of the biggest players in the world, both British and European.”
Rodgers quit playing at the age of 20, realising he was not good enough to play at the top level. He paid his way around Europe – absorbing what was happening in Spain and Holland – and worked his way up the coaching ladder from the grass roots.
“It has taken me through community schemes at Reading, through academies, through elite year players at Chelsea, through top internationals at Chelsea, and to world-class players here at Liverpool also,” Rodgers added six months ago.
And there has been a commitment to British players. Despite bolstering the squad this summer, the core at Liverpool has, so far, remained the same: Gerrard, Henderson, Sturridge, Sterling. Rodgers has championed Jon Flanagan and Welshman Joe Allen and among his summer buys were Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert.
More recently Rodgers has spoken about how young British players have been ruined by being given too much, too soon. And last week he was talking about Mario Balotelli. “I’ve always had it all my life with young kids,” he said. “I’ve worked with children who were given no hope – inner-city kids, with no parents, but who just needed a chance. People write them off in life. That was my background all my life.”
Here is a man who clearly has “ that vision thing”. Not just in an identifiable and entertaining modern style of play – you could put his Liverpool team in any colour shirt and they would be recognisably Liverpool – but in developing players as people. He has both a “holistic” approach, to borrow Manchester City’s phrase, and a much deeper sense of pastoral care and social responsibility.
It does not matter that Rodgers comes from Northern Ireland. The FA should read his words and call him, to discover if he would want to be involved in finding “that vision thing”. Hodgson should welcome his input. It would not undermine him.
The question might be, why would Rodgers do it? There are certainly plenty of reasons for him to politely decline: at 41, he is the manager of a huge club, leading a vibrant young team into the Champions League, and working for employers who clearly value him highly, having just been granted an improved new contract taking him up until 2018.
Rodgers will have huge ambitions to meet as a club manager in winning trophies and driving forward one of England’s greatest clubs, and he might argue that a secondary role with England would be unfair on Liverpool.
But maybe – just maybe – a dialogue can be started that might lead somewhere. England and the FA have nothing to lose. After all, Rodgers has stated what his life’s work is. Ask him where he wants to take it.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh, OK then.
He doesnt support any team really. He has Liverpool scarves and kits hanging in his room. He cheers for who wins usually. Last year he was supporting uz. Working on making it a more lasting bond.
(He is my stepson and was already 6 when I started indoctrinating him. I have lots of work to do yet.)
Ah, I see, in that case, keep up the good work!
I suspect if Rodgers wins something major in the next couple of seasons or if Liverpool continues to play sexy attacking football while seriously challenging and impressing in the league and CL, it'll not (just) be England knocking on his door but Barca tapping him up as well if they need a new manager (and they'll tap up Sterling too with Suarez).
In the last dozen seasons or so, Barca have not always hired managers who've won something major, or who've come from managing Barca B, in contrast to Real Madrid who go for big names both on the field and by the sidelines. I think there's quite a good possibility that their interest might be piqued, as I expect Rodgers' star to continue to shine. With his ambition, it's quite a good possibility that he would be tempted as well.
Of course this is all still a bit far away, but I wouldn't be surprised if this does come to pass. The England job? It's made for Tim Sherwood.
In the last dozen seasons or so, Barca have not always hired managers who've won something major, or who've come from managing Barca B, in contrast to Real Madrid who go for big names both on the field and by the sidelines. I think there's quite a good possibility that their interest might be piqued, as I expect Rodgers' star to continue to shine. With his ambition, it's quite a good possibility that he would be tempted as well.
Of course this is all still a bit far away, but I wouldn't be surprised if this does come to pass. The England job? It's made for Tim Sherwood.
Stopped reading right there. His work will not be done for another 30 years, by which time he will have established Liverpool as the greatest dynasty this world has ever seen. At that point he can retire to the England job, leaving his long term No.2, Mr Gerrard, to do a Paisley job
After the Suarez affair, and Dalglish's/LFC's handling of it, a lot of people around me seemed to think Liverpool were a racist team. Being black, it did bug me a little that we didn't have any talented black players in our team (GJ?) that I could point to for any sort of rebuttal.. but now we have Sturridge, Sterling, Balo, Sahko, Ibe.. all young, all exciting and talented.. and with the way we play, with skill, pace and some arrogance, we're now an attractive "neutrals' team" to a young audience, especially a black one. Macca makes a fair point.
Gotta say, I do love what Brendan Rodgers is doing with our club.
Gotta say, I do love what Brendan Rodgers is doing with our club.
Don't really see how this was a reasonable conclusion considering the Red Sox have been paying David Ortiz big money for years, and pretty much ignored drug allegations.
But I do agree there was definitely a lack of black players in our side. Now we have more than a lot of teams.
Everyone loves what he is doing...and plenty of neutrals.... but last season doesn't count for shit and this season is only 3 games in... I remember Hull away..
I really like him, especially since he has got us playing some truly lovely stuff but it was poor management which cost us against Chelsea IMO, his confidence led to excessive boldness... Stevie slipping on the half-fucking-way line and yet being last man still rankles with me...
Before we saint the man lets win stuff... that is the ruthless Liverpool way and although I genuinely thank Rodgers for making me think about it that way again after so many years not... same rules apply... second is nowhere even if it is better than seventh.
I think it's well documented, especially by Ryan, that Gerrard has a tendency to drop way too deep when playing the holding role. He set himself up for failure.
But I thought we set up really well for that match. We picked our moments to go forward, kept possession patiently for long stretches, and didn't commit to many men to attack. I think we would've gotten a result of Gerrard hadn't slipped there and we were forced to chase the game from thereon.
In a world with a lot of terrible and naive managers though, I think Rodgers is very solid. There aren't a whole lot of better options, so I don't think anybody can complain.
But I do agree that we need to take that next big step forward for some of this praise to ring true.
Interesting that you mention Magic, because he did give you material for a rebuttal. Not only was he a first team regular, he came out very strongly indeed on Twitter in support of his teammate Suarez and the club's backing of him. Unfortunately that got next to no publicity at the time because it didn't fit with the witchhunt everybody else had decided to get going. In a way, the support we're getting now is the other side of the same coin - an idea becomes fashionable and folks follow along behind it because "everybody else is doing it". I'm glad we're regarded in a better light than before, but I don't set any store by that. It can all change overnight, and might well do so when we start winning everything in sight again.
- Status
