LIVERPOOL // Brendan Rodgers, the new Liverpool manager, conceded he will have to earn respect at Anfield on being plucked from relative obscurity today after his successful spell at fellow English Premier League team Swansea City.
In arguably the most low-key managerial appointment made by the fallen English giants in a generation, the 39-year-old Rodgers was preferred to Roberto Martinez, the Wigan manager, despite having only one season's experience in England's top division.
That year, however, proved to be a highly successful one, with Swansea City finishing 11th in their first season in the Premier League and earning plenty of admirers because of the Welsh team's attractive, possession-based style of play.
Tom Werner, the Liverpool chairman, said Rodgers was a "forward-thinking coach at the forefront of a generation of young managers and will bring to Liverpool attacking, relentless football".
The Northern Irishman had a limited player career at home before embarking on a coaching career, becoming manager of the Reading academy at just 22.
"I was never the big player. I had to go down a different route which was on the coaching field and earning my respect that way," Rodgers said.
"Hopefully over time I'll earn respect [at Liverpool]," he added.
Rodgers will be charged with improving Liverpool's fortunes in the league after a disappointing eighth-place finish that was sealed by a 1-0 loss to Swansea City on the final day of the season.
It was the 18-time English champions' lowest league placing in 18 years and saw them finish 17 points off a Champions League qualification spot, the minimum goal of the club's American owners.
That led to the termination of club great Kenny Dalglish's contract, who won the Carling Cup to end a six-year trophy drought at Anfield.
Fenway Sports Group targeted the hiring of a young manager to replace Dalglish and also held talks with Martinez. But it decided on Rodgers, who was once a youth-team manager at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho and has also managed second-tier clubs Watford and Reading.
"My pathway as a young coach has been different to most managers," Rodgers said. "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 the manager [of Liverpool in 1985] at 34 and resigned at 39. I arrive here at 39."
Rodgers said his footballing philosophy "has been a fusion between the British and the European".
"The single biggest influence would be Jose Mourinho, purely because he gave me the opportunity," he said. "I learned many things from Jose. He is a great man and the biggest thing he did for me is give me an opportunity and show belief in me, and give me that chance to work with top players."
Qualifying Liverpool for the Champions League will be Rodgers' first task, with the ultimate aim being a 19th English title to match the record haul of bitter rivals Manchester United.
"It's an aim for every manager at a top club," he said. "That's the holy grail, but also, in time, we want to be challenging for the title. For me, and it's not going to be straight away because that's not realistic, winning the title is something we want to achieve. It's not just aiming for fourth place.
"The Champions League is fantastic and that's where this club wants to be. I'm very much a realist. It's certainly going to be a few years in relation to where the team is at now. It will need some investment and it will need time for me to work."
Liverpool ruled English football in the 1970s and 1980s but have not won the league since 1990. They remain one of the world's most famous and successful clubs, having won the European Cup/Champions League five times - behind only Real Madrid (9) and AC Milan (5).
"This is a club that's based on fast, attacking, offensive football," Rodgers said. "But I'll repeat, it's very important to have tactical discipline within that. Your philosophy and your principles will always be governed by the players.
"There is a fantastic squad here, some terrific players, but there is no doubt I'll need to make maybe two, three or four additions to try and get that flow - and it will take time to put that in place."
Liverpool will have to pay compensation to Swansea City – reported to be in the region of £4 million (nearly Dh22.5m) - because Rodgers had three years left on his contract at Liberty Stadium.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Ferrari
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
