FOR Rodgers:
Rodgers has proven that he can get Liverpool playing genuinely beautiful, exciting free-flowing football.
Let’s make no bones about it – our brilliant, attractive game last term was not only because we had Luis Suarez playing up top. It was because our manager trusted a number of stars in an attacking formation and encouraged them to go and express themselves. Rodgers is not afraid of tactical diversity, positional versatility and attacking football. Fans may have grown used to us playing short passes automatically now, but they’ll have easily forgotten the often stale, defensive football deployed by Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benitez and… (gulp) Roy Hodgson. Rodgers hasn’t always got it right this term, but his philosophy and innovation is admirable and suits Liverpool perfectly. It deserves more chances.
AGAINST Rodgers:
Can the Northern Irishman really attract top European talent?
Bar perhaps Mario Balotelli, we haven’t made a marquee signing in the three years Rodgers has been in charge. We’ve targeted the likes of Willian, Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez (via ESPN) – and publicly, and rather embarrassingly, missed out on them to rivals. Is this partly because of Rodgers’ lack of European pedigree? Maybe.
