Rodgers on Luis, signings & season
3rd Jul 2012 - Latest News
Brendan Rodgers gave an in-depth interview to radio station TalkSport on Tuesday morning, in which the new Liverpool manager spoke about a variety of topics including working with Luis Suarez and potential new signings.
The boss explained how he is hoping to bolster the Reds' squad over the coming weeks, whilst also revealing that he's enjoyed a 'brilliant chat' with Suarez ahead of the new campaign.
Here's what Rodgers had to say...
Brendan, congratulations - you're at a fantastic football club...
It's incredible. Since the appointment I've spent quite a bit of time in Liverpool and it's a real privilege to be the manager of a great club steeped in history. It has been fantastic and I have been afforded a great welcome in Liverpool. I'm really looking forward to getting the ball out tomorrow and starting work.
The start of the Europa League is not far away, is it?
The first game is August 2 so we have brought the players back in a bit earlier - the players who have been off since the end of the season. Most players are ready to come back now; it has been quite a bit of time off. All the boys have been brilliant. I have spoken to most of them on the phone and met up with one or two. I am really looking forward to working with them.
Spain have proved once again they are streets ahead...
They are absolutely magnificent. I found it a bit disrespectful listening to people talking about them being boring. I thought that deflected away from a lot of the work, the teaching and the courage that the players have to play that way. Also, the hard work that goes in to getting a group of players to play that way. Obviously a lot came from Barcelona and Real Madrid, but they have produced a model of work in the last four or five years which has changed the history of their country as well as their club football. They have been held out for everyone to look at and rightly so, because they have been absolutely magnificent.
Are they the best national side you have seen?
Certainly in my time. An incredible team. The courage and the work that goes into asking players to play that way, and these guys just churn it out week in and week out. And when it arrives at big competitions, they produce as well. We [Swansea City] used to defend with the ball and people in this country don't quite understand that - they think that you defend without the ball. They had times when they rested with the football, and that was their way of defending because you can't press and can't always score every minute of the game. How they do it and how it is all co-ordinated is absolutely fantastic. But the most important thing is that it is effective, and it is brilliant to watch.
They played without a striker. Can you see Premier League sides doing that?
Yes, I did that last year. I think it is all about penetration. We talked a lot and it is something I will look to bring [to Liverpool]: possession is no good on its own, it has to be with penetration. If you look at the goals Spain scored in the final, they had penetration as well as possession. Fabregas was playing a striker but he wasn't really, he was free and loose. The pass that he received off his run in behind set up the first goal for Silva, the second goal came from the penetration from the left-back, Alba, who made a great run. The third goal came from them winning it back early in the transition and Torres made the penetrating run in behind. I think sometimes it is very easy to pinpoint a striker will always play as a striker. You see with Spain, and Barcelona with Messi, it is something that works. What is important is what the players do in those positions and that allows you to win games.
Last year Liverpool struggled defensively, is that something you will work on?
I think any football team, especially when you play possession football, is going to try to limit the opponent to few chances and that will be the idea. If you look at Liverpool's record last year, I think Kenny was very unlucky. They had so many games that they dominated but just failed to hit the back of the net, and defensively they were reasonably strong. It is just a case of trying to improve on what has been happening in the last couple of years and giving the players confidence to go and win games.
The Anfield crowd are patient, so you're at the right club...
Absolutely and that was key for me if I was going to leave Swansea, which I was in no rush to because the club, the city and the supporters were absolutely incredible. They understood that way and I always felt that Swansea supporters were very much like Liverpool supporters - very much educated in football. When you watched Liverpool through the 1980s, whenever they passed back to keep the ball, the crowd applauded because they were educated, they understood the game. It was always going to be very important for me if I left Swansea to go to another club that it was the right type of club. Liverpool is the perfect club for me.
Is the size and tradition of Liverpool not intimidating to you?
No, it is very much inspiring. I have been so inspired by everything I have seen. This is a real football institution. I walk into the training ground every day and you have the European Cup, a bust of Bill Shankly, and in my office I am surrounded by a photo of great players and managers of the past. I embrace that because it is very inspirational. I am in no way intimidated, I am just looking forward to playing a part in hopefully changing the history of the club.
Liverpool fans will be desperate to hear about transfers and the headlines about Suarez...
I very much keep my own counsel and it is certainly the Liverpool way to do that. I am looking to potentially bring in some players that can really affect the group. I have got a wonderful group of players here at the moment. I read every day players that are linked with Liverpool. Unfortunately, especially for the supporters, it is a difficult time because you have agents linking players with Liverpool just purely because it is great for them to be linked with such an institution of a club. But the reality is that there are very few players who could actually come and make a difference at Liverpool. That is something we will always keep close to our chest. I have had a brilliant chat with Luis, he is really looking forward to being here and we are obviously hoping to get him on another contract. He is really looking forward to the new season.
You had a lot of love for Swansea but was it a case of not being able to turn Liverpool down?
I couldn't. It was such an emotional, difficult decision in terms of leaving Swansea. I was in no rush to leave, I had a brilliant relationship with the chairman - Huw Jenkins - who is a wonderful man and strategically he has positioned the club brilliantly. He and I had a good relationship. As a city, they were magnificent for me; they looked after me and my family. So I was in absolutely no rush to leave there. But a club like Liverpool, with the history and a real institution which I have felt in the first two or three weeks of how big a club it is, they don't come calling very often. When you get that opportunity to go to a club like Liverpool and hopefully help it improve, it is very difficult to turn down. In my professional career and challenge, it was a great step for me.
Author: Chris Shaw
Tagged: Brendan Rodgers , Rodgers
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