Hoping for appropriate amount of time being given to his successor to achieve his objectives, former Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that Jurgen Klopp will have to win the league in order to improve on his tenure at Anfield.
Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers as the manager early in September, after a poor 2014-15 season and an indifferent start to the 2015-16 season that saw them win just thrice in the league.
Having gone close to winning the league just a year back, the sacking of the manager and the dwindling of his popularity among the Anfield faithful was a classic case illustrative of the short memories of fans and management alike.
Only title win will be an improvement on my tenure at Anfield: Rodgers
Rodgers had a topsy-turvy time at Anfield, finishing 7th, 2nd and 6th in the league during his period; the highlight of his career as their manager being the close run-in to the title in the 2013-14 season that saw them come close to ending a 25-year wait for the title.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Rodgers articulated his approval for the new man in-charge of Anfield, while also hoping that he would be given time to improve on his second place finish.
He said: “It is going to take time to bed in his methods and how he wants to work. He has some very good players there.
“The expectancy of course is to win the league, we went very close in my time and obviously Jurgen will go in and feel that he can improve on that and that’s why the owners made the change.
“They felt they wanted to improve and to improve on runners-up would be to win the league but it is going to take time.
“I’m sure the owners will give him that time.”
Can Klopp win the league with Liverpool?
It is going to be a herculean task for the German, who has been able to achieve a similar objective in Germany with Dortmund, to win the league with Liverpool this season. However, one mustn’t forget that unlike in Germany, where Klopp needed one major club to falter for his good work to be rewarded with the title, England has four teams that offer stiff competition to Liverpool who need to play out of their skin to win the title.
Moreover, the current Liverpool squad is filled with players that are talented but also young, which explains their inconsistency. Liverpool need to get the right players over the next two transfer windows in the summer and the following January to start consistently challenging for the title.
A manager is as good as his players, and the fact that the Reds have finished 7th, 6th, 8th, 7th, 2nd, and 6th in the last 6 seasons speaks volumes.
Just as a decent squad can finish high in the table after performing surprisingly well, they cannot consistently underperform and finish lower in the table. The consistently poor run of results in the league, with the Reds repeatedly finishing outside the top four, is a clear indication that there are not enough quality players in the squad. If Liverpool FC are to make full use of the managerial gift of their German manager, they have to provide him with the tools to make an impact.
