THREE weeks into his reign as Liverpool manager, and Brendan Rodgers is finding out just how brightly the spotlight shines at Anfield.
The new Reds boss is yet to unpack his belongings at Melwood, he remains in the market for a family home, yet already the questions are mounting. How will his Liverpool differ from Kenny Dalglish’s? How will they line up? Which players may shine under him? Which players may not?
Rodgers has spoken at length about his core footballing beliefs, which have been honed across almost two decades in the game.
Here, ECHO sport examines the key tactical questions facing the new Reds boss:
Basic philosophy
Rodgers’ philosophy revolves around a trio of central tenets; his sides pass the ball quickly and accurately, they press in numbers when out of possession, and they place a huge emphasis on the art of positional play.
“My template for everything is organisation,” he says. “With the ball you have to know the movement patterns, the rotation, the fluidity and positioning of the team.
“If it is not going well we have a default mechanism which makes us hard to beat and we can pass our way into the game again. Rest with the ball, then build again.”
Rodgers has spoken of how he and his coaches divide the pitch into seven ‘zones’, arguing that the best way to keep possession is to play diagonal, rather than lateral, passes. Fluidity, consistency of movement and confidence in possession are recurring themes.
It is Rodgers himself who perhaps sums it up best: “The way I want to play is the Liverpool way. The game will be based around what Liverpool are about, which is control, dominating games with the ball, working very hard when you haven’t got the ball, keeping the game as simple as possible.”
Implementing It
To have such a defined system, of course, places great demands on the players within it. It is one thing to know what you want to do, another to make sure you do it.
Rodgers’ coaching and man-management skills will be tested thoroughly, particularly during pre-season, as he seeks to impose his will and his ideas upon an inherited squad.
One of the more reasonable criticisms of Liverpool last season was that, for all the work put in by Dalglish, there was a tendency for the Reds to look a little disjointed, a little short of direction in their play. It – along with myriad other factors, of course – goes some way to explaining why so many games were drawn, particularly at Anfield, and why they failed to find their way past several lesser sides.
Often, Liverpool would start games impressively, then fade. On other occasions – notably the FA Cup final – they would take too long to hit their stride. They were nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe, but rarely did they manage to sustain their performance levels over 90 minutes.
Rodgers’ high-pressing game tests players’ fitness to the full. It is the reason he was so keen to bring conditioning expert Glen Driscoll with him from Swansea.
Driscoll’s work will be key in preparing a Liverpool side which hunts from first whistle to last, and in replenishing energy levels throughout what could be a gruelling campaign, both domestically and abroad.
‘The Controller’
Central to Rodgers’ plans will be the midfield area. It is astonishing to note that Swansea, a newly-promoted side, completed more passes than any team bar Premier League champions Manchester City last season.
Rodgers’ theory, obvious as it sounds, is that by monopolising possession, his side improve their chances of scoring, and reduce the risk of conceding.
At Swansea, it was Leon Britton who emerged as the key to this masterplan.
Britton, a player of modest pedigree, had the highest pass success rate in the division, his short, sharp passing key to establishing Swansea’s rhythm in games.
Rodgers refers to this role as ‘The Controller’, and at Liverpool he may well find the perfect fit for it, in Lucas Leiva.
It could be argued that the loss of the Brazilian to injury was the single most damaging moment of last season for the Reds, depriving them of a calming, controlling influence in the centre of midfield. Without him, Charlie Adam’s form plummeted, while neither Jay Spearing and Jordan Henderson was able to plug the gap.
The swiftness and accuracy of his distribution, and the crucial role he plays defensively, should ensure that, providing he can work his way back towards peak fitness in pre-season, Lucas will be a central figure for Rodgers’ Liverpool.
The Carroll Conundrum
Andy Carroll’s form at the back end of last season was enough to earn him a place in England’s Euro 2012 squad, but the question of how, or indeed if, he fits into Rodgers’ vision for Liverpool, is an intriguing one.
At Swansea, Rodgers’ system was built around the presence of two sprightly wide forwards (Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer) and a more physical, central striker (Craig Beattie, Fabio Borini or, latterly, Danny Graham).
Graham’s performances for Swansea last season were under-rated – 12 Premier League goals is a more than decent return for a player in his first full top-flight campaign – but his tactical importance lay more in his movement, his work-rate and hold-up play than his goals.
With Carroll, all three of those attributes have improved markedly since his arrival at Anfield 18 months ago. His performances in the second half of the season – and for England against Sweden – hint at the emergence of a more rounded, polished centre forward, but his improvement must continue if he is to remain in the picture at Anfield.
Rodgers, of course, has other options. Luis Suarez netted 17 goals in all competitions, but the nagging suspicion is that the Uruguayan would be best suited as a roving inside forward – much in the manner of Sinclair – free to wander in the space opened up by Carroll’s work.
Whatever the intricacies – and there are plenty – it promises to be a fascinating season at Anfield. The arrival of a new manager is something Liverpool fans have become strangely accustomed to in recent years, but Rodgers’ tactical history suggests there could be plenty of entertainment en route to Merseyside this season – even if patience may be required in the early stages.
