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Football

08th Mar 2016

Brendan Rodgers raises the bar for Jurgen Klopp with some epic rewriting of his Liverpool history

Kevin McGillicuddy

Mystic Brodge.

The Antrim native, who was sacked by Liverpool in October, is doing the punditry circuit at the moment as he wait for the right management job to come up.

Perhaps it will arrive this summer but, until then, he will be forced to answer questions on all matters Liverpool whenever he makes a public appearance.

Thankfully it seems Rodgers is happy to dispense sage advice to his successor Jurgen Klopp about some of the pitfalls he faced while at the helm of the Merseysiders.

Though it seems the Northern Irishman is more than a little selective with his memory when it comes to his three and a bit seasons in charge at Anfield.

“They have a very good manager in Jurgen Klopp in place,” Rodgers told the Belfast Telegraph.

“It’s 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’s going to take time. I’m sure the owners will give him that time.”

Spectacular rewriting of history there from Rodgers, whose Liverpool side were 10th in the Premier League when he was sacked following a 1-1 draw with Everton in October.

The previous season they had finished 6th, 25 points off the top.

That whole second position thing was in 2014, 17 months before he was sacked.

Rodgers also gave his thoughts on Thursday’s Europa League clash with Manchester United at Anfield.

It is the very first time the two sides have met in European competition, but for the ex-Swansea boss, the result is too close to call.

“It will be tight, but Liverpool are coming off the back of good results so they will go into Thursday’s first leg with confidence.

“United will feel, having done the double over Liverpool, that they also have a good chance. It will be tight.”

 

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