da premier bet： Amid an unceremonious end to an underwhelming season, the pressure is mounting on Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers.
da dobrowin： He’s guided the Reds to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup and potentially fifth-place in the Premier League. But after a string of disappointing results against Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa, effectively ending Liverpool’s chances of silverware or Champions League qualification this season, some at Anfield believe it’s time for a change.
In fact, a small cohort of fans are so convinced, they paid for a plane to be flown over Anfield during a 2-1 win over QPR on Saturday, with the banner “Rodgers Out, Rafa In.”
But if there’s one thing Football Fancast has learned about the beautiful game, it’s that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – just ask the Newcastle fans who ran the SackPardew.com campaign and now find themselves yelling at John Carver instead every week.
So it’s with that in mind we’ve conjured up a list of FIVE potential successors to Rodgers, to let you decide whether the Merseysiders would be better off without him.
JAMIE CARRAGHER
Jamie Carragher is yet to dip his toe into the cesspool of Premier League management but he’d certainly have the full backing of the Anfield support, as a local-born lad with the second-most appearances, a whopping 737, throughout Liverpool’s history.
And although the 37 year-old has opted for the Sky Sports studio rather than the dugout since retiring in summer 2013, his regular doses of Premier League punditry continually demonstrate a supremely entrenched understand and passion for the beautiful game.
A former captain who often depended upon tactical street-smarts to compensate for his lack of natural talent and athleticism, especially during the latter stages of his career, Carragher has always struck as a future Liverpool boss in the making.
Admittedly, however, the retired centre-back is an enormous risk without any prior management experience. Perhaps in a few years time he’ll seem like a more realistic candidate.
FRANK DE BOER
After five years of sustained success at Ajax, winning four consecutive Eredivsie titles until PSV’s Memphis-Depay-inspired revolution this season, Frank de Boer seems destined to leave the Amsterdam Arena for a higher calling this summer.
Another retired defender like Jamie Carragher, it’s the former sweeper’s intelligence and reading of the game that’s made him such a successful manager – whilst a trophy-laden playing career with Ajax, Barcelona, Galatasaray and Rangers has done de Boer’s reputation no harm.
In terms of Premier League experience, however, he does come up short. And for a club with such an illustrious history, de Boer will be disappointed to have never surpassed the Champions League’s group stages or the Europa League’s round of 16 since his appointment in 2010.
Nonetheless, he and twin-brother-come-assistant Ronald de Boer are quite the dynamic duo. Liverpool could be the perfect platform for them.
RONALD KOEMAN
He may only have one year’s worth of Premier League experience under his belt but it’s impossible to overlook the phenomenal job Ronald Koeman has done at Southampton.
Amid the enormous exodus of playing and coaching personnel last summer, many tipped the Saints for relegation this season. But working a new squad and some inspired signings from the Eredivisie, the 52 year-old looks set to guide the south coast outfit to their highest-ever final league standing of the Premier League era.
A huge part of that has been Southampton’s dogged defensive displays, currently boasting the healthiest goals conceded column in the Premier League. Organisation at the back has been a real problem for the Reds during Brendan Rodgers’ three year tenure and an era they need to improve upon.
An impeccable career as a goal-scoring defender with Ajax, PSV, Barcelona and the Netherlands national team, producing a total return of 253 goals in 763 appearances, only further endorse Koeman’s credentials.
But after abject campaigns from Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren, the last thing Liverpool fans want is yet another Southampton-inspired fad.
RAFA BENITEZ
They say you should never go back in football but a return to their trophy-laden past is what Liverpool fans desperately crave.
Indeed, with the exception of their runner-up finish last season, the Reds have been in the wilderness since parting company with Rafa Benitez in 2010, who’d previously masterminded the Anfield outfit’s way to the 2005 Champions League title and the 2006 FA Cup during a six-year spell.
Since, the 55 year-old has served at Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli with mixed results. He’s set to leave the latter club this summer after missing out on a Champions League spot, for example, which could trigger an exodus of playing talent.
But for three of his last four sides, Benitez has left with a win rate above 50%, and his conservative philosophy has always proved successful in Europe, with three continental trophies in total.
Then again, the chances of the Spaniard replicating the accomplishments of his original Liverpool tenure seem somewhat unlikely.
JURGEN KLOPP
Unquestionably the hottest management property in European football at the minute, the iconic Jurgen Klopp will leave Borussia Dortmund this summer after a nightmare season at Westfalen, which has seen the Black-Yellows fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2011.
But it’s a small blotch amid an otherwise incredible seven years with Dortmund, taking the club from the cusp of bankruptcy to claim back-to-back Bundesliga titles and reach the 2013 Champions League final, where they lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich.
Most impressively of all, Klopp’s done it by developing a batch of home-grown players largely sourced from the lower tiers of German football with a captivating style of play that combines industry, technically-demanding build-up play and incredible velocity on the counter-attack.
In a way, it’s not too dissimilar to the Brendan Rodgers philosophy of the last three years – promoting promising youngsters and attacking football – but Klopp far eclipses his Anfield counter-part in terms of silverware and experience at Champions League level.
In my opinion, he’s the only manager on this list worth ousting Rodgers for. But the 47 year-old may have some more coveted options – namely Manchester City, Real Madrid and PSG – already on the table.