A poll on 'This is Anfield' website asked the question to Liverpool fans, should manager Brendan Rodgers be sacked. A staggering 90% voted yes out of over 33,000 votes a clear indication that fans aren't happy with the reds poor start to the season. Liverpool sit 10th in the table five games in after back to back defeats to West Ham and Manchester United respectively and Rodgers has admitted that his team have an 'identity crisis' "You can lose games but it is how you lose them, and the last couple of games are not how you want to lose," Rodgers said. "I think it is good I have an identity as a coach and a way of working that is clear and I can see where any one making that comment would come from.
The way Liverpool have gone about their business has echoes of Tottenham Hotspur's transfer dealings after the sale of Gareth Bale. In the past two years Luis Suarez Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard (arguably Liverpool's three best players) have left the club and no real quality has replaced them, sounds familiar doesn't it. Nearly most of the money Liverpool actually gained out of the Raheem Sterling was spent on Christian Benteke who hasn't really fitted into Brendan Rodgers style of play so far, no more evident then in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend, where Benteke cast an isolated figure up front despite a stunning overhead kick that gave them hope at 2-0.
Rodgers tactics have also come into question, with only Jordon Ibe as the out and out winger there's a lack of fluidity to Liverpool's play and it has become easy for teams to cage them in. There's no doubt the reds are going backwards, two seasons ago they came incredibly close to winning their first league title before that infamous 'Gerrard slip' In that season the danger for other teams was the ferocious way Liverpool attacked with pace and numbers with the front three of Sterling Suarez and Sturridge, last season they were found out and ending up losing their Champions league place after a disappointing season. Now where you watch Liverpool play it all seems very lethargic and frustrating and maybe that's partly the reason why so many want Rodgers gone.
Liverpool fans shouldn't give up all hope just yet, with key men like Sturridge and Henderson still to return it may take time for new players to adapt and for them to find a right balance in their play. They have also made good signings in Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino and the departure of Raheem Sterling could set the path for talented Philippe Coutinho to become a hero at Anfield having been the most consistent player over the past couple of years. In this day and age however fans become restless very easy and if Rodgers doesn't turn it around soon.
Jurgen Klopp is the most talked about replacement for Rodgers having won the bundesliga with Dortmund and also managing them to a Champions league final in his time at the club. Klopp has made no secret of his love for Liverpool and Anfield but rumours suggest Klopp is ready in joining Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze in making the switch from Dortmund to Munich if Guardiola is set to leave. Other than the German Klopp though it's hard to find any other reputable replacement that could help Liverpool challenge for the premier league title and lets not forget Rodgers is still only a young manager with plenty to learn.
Source: DSG
