Rodgers ready to follow in Kenny's footsteps
SCARF ACE ... Brendan Rodgers is unveiled as the new manager of Liverpool at Anfield
Published: Today at 11:29
BRENDAN RODGERS was today unveiled as the new manager of Liverpool and insisted: I am the right man for the job.
The Northern Irish boss, 39, left his role at Swansea to take the Anfield
hotseat after just one season in the Premier League.
His Swans side impressed as they finished 11th playing an attractive brand of passing football.
Despite being 22 years younger than Kenny Dalglish — the man he replaces at Liverpool — he has no concerns about his experience.
Dalglish's first attempt at the Kop job in the '80s ended in great success as he guided them to three league titles and two FA Cups.
Rodgers, who retired as a player aged 20 due to a knee condition, said: "My pathway as a young coach has been different to most managers.
"I have actually been coaching and working in football for 20 years. At Chelsea I had experience of working with big players.
"I look at Kenny Dalglish, he was first the manager of Liverpool in 1985 at 34 and resigned at 39. I arrive here at 39."
He added: "I'm very proud. It's a club with wonderful tradition and I feel very blessed with the opportunity to manage the club."
Rodgers is confident he will get time to introduce his methods at Anfield.
He said: "This is long-term, that was important to me, to come into a project over a number of years.
"For me, the attraction is to defend the principles of this great club — offensive football with tactical discipline and to retain the values of the club.
"That was the attraction, along with the history of the club.
"Also the frustration. It has been over 20 years since they won the title.
"We might not be ready for the title but the process begins today.
"It's a new cycle and that is something that we will work towards in the years to come."
Liverpool's search for a new manager has been criticised in some quarters for being too wide ranging.
But managing director Ian Ayre was satisfied with how the club dealt with filling the vacancy.
He said: "There was a process and it was right to have a process.
"Brendan was at the forefront of that thinking, evidenced by the fact we
asked Swansea very early on.
"He was the only person we made an offer to. We got the person we wanted."
He added: "The process is a private process but it's fair to say we considered many people because that's what you should do.
"You try to understand how any individual fits with the profile."
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was another to hold talks with Liverpool before they plumped for Rodgers.
Ayre said: "Roberto was one of the people in that process. We went through that with a lot of people.
"Some people decided to say they were in the process but they weren't.
"It was all about understanding individuals and matching their skill-sets with the profile.
"Brendan was at the forefront of that and at the outcome of it and that was exactly what we wanted."
Ayre also explained there would be a new set-up on the football side.
He said: "The structure, and Brenden is aware of this, is a more continental director of football type structure, a collaborative group of people working around the football area.
"We don't expect at this moment in time to have a director of football per se but a group of people working with Brendan to deliver the football side of it."
His Swans side impressed as they finished 11th playing an attractive brand of passing football.
Despite being 22 years younger than Kenny Dalglish — the man he replaces at Liverpool — he has no concerns about his experience.
Dalglish's first attempt at the Kop job in the '80s ended in great success as he guided them to three league titles and two FA Cups.
Rodgers, who retired as a player aged 20 due to a knee condition, said: "My pathway as a young coach has been different to most managers.
"I have actually been coaching and working in football for 20 years. At Chelsea I had experience of working with big players.
"I look at Kenny Dalglish, he was first the manager of Liverpool in 1985 at 34 and resigned at 39. I arrive here at 39."
He added: "I'm very proud. It's a club with wonderful tradition and I feel very blessed with the opportunity to manage the club."
PROUD ... Brendan Rodgers speaks to the media
He said: "This is long-term, that was important to me, to come into a project over a number of years.
"For me, the attraction is to defend the principles of this great club — offensive football with tactical discipline and to retain the values of the club.
"That was the attraction, along with the history of the club.
"Also the frustration. It has been over 20 years since they won the title.
MAIN MEN ... Brendan Rodgers with managing director Ian Ayre and chairman Tom Werner
"It's a new cycle and that is something that we will work towards in the years to come."
Liverpool's search for a new manager has been criticised in some quarters for being too wide ranging.
But managing director Ian Ayre was satisfied with how the club dealt with filling the vacancy.
He said: "There was a process and it was right to have a process.
SPOTLIGHT ... Brendan Rodgers holds his first Press conference
"He was the only person we made an offer to. We got the person we wanted."
He added: "The process is a private process but it's fair to say we considered many people because that's what you should do.
"You try to understand how any individual fits with the profile."
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was another to hold talks with Liverpool before they plumped for Rodgers.
Ayre said: "Roberto was one of the people in that process. We went through that with a lot of people.
KOP A LOAD OF THAT ... Brendan Rodgers in front of the famous stand at Anfield
"It was all about understanding individuals and matching their skill-sets with the profile.
"Brendan was at the forefront of that and at the outcome of it and that was exactly what we wanted."
Ayre also explained there would be a new set-up on the football side.
He said: "The structure, and Brenden is aware of this, is a more continental director of football type structure, a collaborative group of people working around the football area.
"We don't expect at this moment in time to have a director of football per se but a group of people working with Brendan to deliver the football side of it."
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