Vital Liverpool editor Gavin Kelley-Day gives his views on the sacking of Brendan Rodgers and who he would like to see take over…
The timing and handling of Brendan Rodgers’ departure, an hour after Liverpool had earned a decent point away to local rivals Everton, left a lot to be desired but very few people, myself included, were ultimately surprised to see the Northern Irishman go.
The past 16 months have been nowhere near good enough and all the positivity created by the unexpected, and highly impressive, title tilt of 2013-14 evaporated a long time ago.
A recent return of just six outright victories from the last 22 competitive games, dating back to the 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United on March 22, is downright awful and, quite frankly, unacceptable. And that’s before you take into account the modest opposition often faced during the period and the general lack of quality and entertainment produced.
Of course there are mitigating circumstances and Rodgers can point to losing a number of key players and the fact he is only partially culpable for the series of big-money flops that have littered his tenure.
Those excuses can only stretch so far however and the current squad unquestionably has the ability and strength in depth to be doing far better than it is.
With the decision made, attention has already turned to who should takeover and it’s no surprise to see ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp quickly become the leading candidate amongst bookmakers, pundits and many supporters.
Personally, although I like Klopp and would view him as a marked improvement on Rodgers, I’d hand the Anfield hotseat over to Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian has done it all in the game, as both a player and a manager, has an unflappable character and, crucially, has previous experience of working in the unique environment of the Premier League, unlike Klopp.
If we are to get back into the Champions League this season, which with the money and glamour it offers is crucial, the new man needs to hit the ground running and I believe Ancelotti is the best placed to do that.
Managing Liverpool would not be a daunting task for a guy who has had spells in charge of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, AC Milan and Juventus.
Consequently, Ancelotti also has plenty of experience of managing within different structures and setups and Liverpool’s much-criticised transfer committee is unlikely to unduly worry him, especially after working within the ‘Galacticos’ approach of Real.
The 56-year-old has had success wherever he’s been; winning 17 trophies to date, including the Premier League and the Champions League three times. If he was to takeover at L4, I can see only further success following.
So that’s what he thinks, how about you? Let us know your thoughts on the managerial vacancy below or vote in our poll to the right…
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