Reds boss will enter the final 12 months of his current deal this summer please log in to view this image The Reds boss will enter the final 12 months of his current deal this summer and the skipper insists it’s time to reward Rodgers for transforming the club into title contenders. The Northern Irishman recently confirmed talks over an extension had yet to start with John W Henry and Tom Werner expected to wait until the end of the season before addressing the issue. However, Gerrard believes in the wake of Sunday’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Manchester United the timing is perfect to sort out his future. “Brendan has been a revelation,” Gerrard said. “From week to week he is helping us improve and get better and he has been an absolute breath of fresh air to this football club. I am sure the rest of the players would echo what I am saying. “I am absolutely delighted he is here and I just hope that there is a lot of movement in Boston now because they have got to get him signed up as soon as possible. “When players are in this situation with a year to go and you want to keep hold of them so desperately, then the club reacts really quickly and gets it sorted. For me, I think he deserves a very long contract here and I think he is perfect for this club.” Gerrard says he has been “blown away” by Rodgers’ tactical expertise and man-management skills since his appointment as Kenny Dalglish’s successor in June 2012. Having inherited a squad which finished eighth in the Premier League, Liverpool now sit second – just four points adrift of leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. The 33-year-old midfielder is enjoying a rich vein of form and he credits the former Swansea City boss with improving him as a player. “I would never judge a player or a manager or a member of the coaching staff before I have actually met them face to face and you see them day to day,” Gerrard said. “I have been absolutely blown away by his sessions, his tactics and his maturity in the job and I am learning off him every single day. “When you become a little bit of an older player you look to see how the manager does certain things and he has been fantastic for myself personally. “He keeps tweaking and tinkering with the formation and making little subtle changes to personnel and tactics and it is coming off from week to week. “He manages every single player differently, he knows we have different characters in the dressing room and his man to man, one on one management is the best I have known. “He makes you go out on to the pitch feeling a million dollars – full of confidence and belief. He is a very confident manager. “When you play for Liverpool you have to accept pressure, you have to take it on the chin and perform. But when you have got a manager who is making you feel good, but who is also not scared to give you a good one-on-one telling off as well, then he has the perfect ingredients. “He is a young coach who has been there and earned the right to become Liverpool manager.” As Liverpool’s players and staff celebrated in front of the away end after the final whistle on Sunday, the unity and camaraderie shone through. Gerrard says that’s something Rodgers has fostered. “That starts from the top,” he said. “The manager is very keen on team spirit and togetherness. “When you are working together daily and trying to achieve things together, it is important you all stick together, have a laugh and enjoy it as you go along. “But you can only get that togetherness, spirit and happiness when you do the dirty work and go the extra mile. That is what these players are doing for each other right now.” Rodgers’ Liverpool are on the brink of ending the club’s five-year absence from the Champions League and fans are dreaming of title glory. They have picked up 26 points out of a possible 30 since the turn of the year and momentum is growing. Gerrard believes they cleared a significant hurdle with the manner of their resounding triumph at Old Trafford. “As a team we have to keep making statements,” Gerrard added “A lot of the so-called experts out there questioned us before the United game. They said ‘are we capable of coming to Manchester United and beating a good team?’ One that has been performing quite well of late besides the Olympiacos game. “I think we passed the test and answered the question with flying colours. “Not just that, but we went away slightly disappointed that this wasn’t a five or six goal thrashing because the way we performed from start to finish, with everybody in the team contributing, was magnificent. “We have had our difficult times and at the moment we need to enjoy the way we are playing and try and continue it and get success. That is how we will eventually be judged.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...lls-liverpool-fc-6843646#.Uyd6D29v378.twitter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High praise from skipper and I echo his sentiments. I'm convinced Brendan is the man to take us back to the top, him, like us has come such a long way since he joined, and we're playing some of the best football in Europe.. But it's not naive football, we have gameplans in the big games and I think this could hold us in good stead in the CL next year. Brendan
He'll get a new contract and well earned it will be. This bit speaks volumes; "He manages every single player differently, he knows we have different characters in the dressing room and his man to man, one on one management is the best I have known. “He makes you go out on to the pitch feeling a million dollars – full of confidence and belief. He is a very confident manager. “When you play for Liverpool you have to accept pressure, you have to take it on the chin and perform. But when you have got a manager who is making you feel good, but who is also not scared to give you a good one-on-one telling off as well, then he has the perfect ingredients." As we discussed yesterday mate I'm convinced they are playing so well mainly because they are enjoying playing the game. One of my biggest worries with Rodgers was whether or not he could adapt tactically to what he had at his disposal. Was he just going to build a team around the Barca model and keep at it whether it was working or not? No, he realised pretty quickly that he needed to adapt that philosophy to a much quicker game and adapt it he has. My other major concern was how does a young manager gain the respect of the older "been there, got the Suarez t-shirt" type players. He took some stick last season for the way he talked up Carra (knowing it was important to both players and fans) and Stevie and the likes of Agger and Skrtel and yet it's their experience that we will now need more than ever...and these guys trust him. He also took stick for the way he handled Mandy's departure and Reina's too (I was one who didn't think he handled them well) but it sent a message out just as it did when he sent Suarez to train on his own (that was a massive gamble for a manager to take) and like it's sent a message out to the youth by him trusting lads like Flannel and Sterling. Very impressive He will still make mistakes as we move forward but the least he's done is earn himself a chance to carry on that good work On the CL thing though it will be a learning curve for him next year tactically (if we get in...no jinx). The fact is we need to learn to play tighter at the back if we are to beat the bigger, more experienced teams over two legs. It's a riskier strategy going gung-ho at home in Europe as conceding away goals can end up being so costly.
Its been pointed out before but the fact that he makes a mistake, doesn't pretend its someone else's fault, then learns and changes. Take the Villa game at half time he knew he had made a mistake so changed it up while [I know its current trend to do so] but if you look at Moyes who stood rigid even though his tactics were not working on Sunday.
Love it, Stevie! The team unity and spirit is so clear to see at the moment. Also, someone said that Rodgers is the one who is waiting until the end of the season to discuss his contract, and not the owners. The team that has pretty much got us to this position are mainly players bought in BR's first 12 months at the club (bar Mignolet). That shows you how well Rodgers has got the best out of the existing players he had. Truly incredible, the style of play we adopt is so versatile that opposition have little chance to pre-empt our attack.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/barcelona-set-raid-liverpool-brendan-rodgers-report-1440555 Edit; new link for G.
I think gerrard has a little too much power but if he really convinced suarez to stay and is the power behind the throne now... well at least he's not more desire than terry and lampard who actually got 3 managers the sack at cheslea. I don't like player power.... but i guess if gerrard would be a player coach perhaps he might or might not fit with rodgers and pull like this could undermind the man at the top.
Time will tell I suppose, I think Gerrard will play for 1 maybe 2 more seasons and then retire. I don't think he's the type of person to walk away from footy, I hope he stays in some capacity.
I suppose it depends upon what you mean by player power. Suarez has power within the club and so does Gerrard. However, it really depends upon how those individuals are managed that is important. Now it appears that BR and JH have hit upon a strategy for managing Suarez and Gerrard has never been put into a position where he has felt the need to exercise power in his dealings with the club. The end result is that Rodgers has managed two very different types of individual in such a way that they have been able to use their power (influence may be a better word) constructively both on the pitch and in the media.
Would be a great way to go out and it would be something I'd consider in his position. Feel sorry for Carra if we do it though.
I don't think he will retire at the end of the season. The lure of just one more stab at Old Big Ears will be just too strong. However, depending upon who is brought in over the Summer, I could see him playing less games next season and taking on a mentor/trainer role within the club.
1. no f'n way will gerrard retire if we in the league 2. not gerrard will only become player/coach.. IF he wants to at age 36 or 38. 3. he needs to be seeing his successor playing in his place more next season. if we are in CL frankly i'd expect him to play what 20? league matches next year, 25 maybe? someone simply has to come in and i don;t know if its lucas any more.
True. I do think it would be a great way to bow out though - finally winning the league in your final year, after so many attempts ...
I can't think of another current player who hasn't already got a PL Winners Medal who would deserve it more.
Nah, he know next year will be an even bigger challenge in maintaining a CL spot and challenging again for the League. Would be selfish of him to win the league then **** off and leave us even shorter in the middle. He's playing arguably his best football since Rafa was in charge and he can quite easily keep going for another few years in that deep role. I think he'll do a Carragher and once he starts becoming less and less important in the team, decide that's the time to go. The Club would be mad not to renew BR's contract in the summer but I'm sure they will. Rodgers strikes me as someone who wants to build a legacy and what more of a place to do that than at Liverpool? He has a long term vision which you can see by using the youth players. Compare that to Mourinho who only ever stays for 3 or 4 years at a time and as such doesn't both with the youth as he won't be around to use them when they've developed. I also understand the BR doesn't have an agent, should make things a little bit cheaper as we can offer him a bit more without having to worry about paying agent fees either
