The writing was on the wall long before the trigger was pulled. Brendan Rodgers had the air of a man on the brink in his press conferences and post-match interviews, arguing that certain ex-players and media identities had it in for the manager from the get go.
As results started to wane and the fan-base grew ever anxious, the American owners finally decided enough was enough.
Two months into the 2015-16 English Premier League campaign Liverpool sit mid-table with a bloated squad and limited world-class players to revive a run at a Champions League position.
The Northern Irishman tinkered between three and four at the back, signalling to all and sundry that he didn’t know what his best team was. He lost the confidence of the players, the fans and ultimately the owners.
Rodgers’ downfall can be linked intrinsically to the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona at the end of the 2013-14 season. Ever since Steven Gerrard slipped over to gift Chelsea the win at Anfield, Liverpool have not recovered as a football club.
They failed to convince Alexis Sanchez to come and replace Suarez before compounding the error by copying the same mistake Tottenham made post Gareth Bale. From Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Mario Balotelli, Liverpool only succeeded in replacing quality with quantity.
Constant switching of formations and personnel gave the impression from the outside looking in that the team had a crisis of identity.
Rodgers came across from Swansea on a mission to replicate his philosophy from Wales playing attacking football, keeping the ball and pressing high up the field. When results started to slip last season, he completely threw that mantra out the window.
In this instance, the manager only has himself to blame. For a man taught under Jose Mourinho he should have had the conviction to play the game on his terms.
When the time comes for Rodgers to give his side of events, he will point to a number of achievements and aspects of operations where the club failed to back their man.
The 2013-14 season was a record breaker for Liverpool, scoring their highest amount of goals in a Premier League campaign in the midst of an 11-game winning streak. The emergence of Suarez as a genuine world-class talent culminated with the development of young British prodigies in the form of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge.
Then there is the small matter of the ill-fated transfer committee. The board’s decision to sell two of those superstars, combined with long-term injuries to Sturridge, pulled the rug from under Rodgers’ feet. He will point out that the net spend compared to their rivals was well below their top four compatriots.
With Jürgen Klopp filling the hot seat, the German will have a convoluted group of footballers to galvanise with a fan-base hungry to see the club reach the next level.
If the current structure remains in place there is nothing to suggest that he will achieve either of those objectives, but if his time in Dortmund told us anything it is that it will be well and truly worth watching.
Blake Hampton
Roar Rookie
Thanks mate, much appreciated
Kaks
Roar Guru
It wasn't his signing, it was the transfer committee's signing. They felt the pressure of losing Suarez, and the fans pressure after they bought players like Lambert and Lallana, and thought they had to get a 'name' into the squad I am a massive critic of Rodgers as I believe he was out of his depth and his signings were poor (Borini, Allen, Aspas) but I cant blame the Balotelli signing on him as he was forced to accept the move.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Mystifying time at Anfield. Players may want to go and the call, lure and $$$$ of Barca would be hard to resistive for instance, but replacing a leaving player with someone like Balotelli was completely odd given his track record of being 'uncoachable.' Some very strange recruiting by Rodgers to say the least.
Lionheart
Guest
Good article for a new author, Well written Blake.
Kaks
Roar Guru
"he will point to a number of achievements and aspects of operations where the club failed to back their man." The club backed him more than most clubs would back their managers. Suarez did not want to be there, just got caught up in another biting controversy at the world cup and Liverpool were offered a decent amount of money. Same with Sterling, he did not want to be there and was faking illness so that he did not train with the club and force a move through. What club would want players like this to remain? Rodgers sent Reina away, sold Agger, threw his backroom staff under the bus to remain as manager this season, played players out of position all the time (the best managers play football based on the players they have, not play how they want and chuck the players in hoping they do well), had his favourites who kept starting even though it was obvious they werent in good form, bought horrible players when he had his say and was found out to have a lack of tactical knowledge. It is well known that Sakho was brought in by the transfer committee and Lovren was brought in by Rodgers. Sakho was defending well - and yet never started until Lovren got injured. Rodgers was holding Liverpool back, and the fact that he remained until he did is a miracle onto itself.
fadida
Guest
Agree he abandoned his initial philosophy. "Death by football", became Death by Indecision, and by boredom.