1. Is Brendan Rodgers the man to take Liverpool on to the next level?
[quote]From what I’ve seen so far, and from what I knew of Brendan at Swansea – yes. Liverpool needed someone with vision and a development plan; somebody with energy and fearlessness and a manager who could improve a team by improving players rather than just buying them. The shortcuts to success open to clubs with greater riches were not open to Liverpool.
Brendan fitted in with all of the above, which is why he was appointed and I feel in a short time he has completely refreshed the squad by forefronting younger players such as Raheem Sterling, and he has brought a real improvement to Liverpool’s football. There’s still a long way to go and the next step is going to be the hardest but the indications are good. I certainly don’t think Liverpool’s points tally (at time of writing on 22nd January) reflects the advances they’ve made on the pitch, but results are starting to come and I expect them to finish the season strongly. I predicted at the start of the season Liverpool would be 4th and was shot down for doing so. I might well be wrong – I had underestimated Tottenham – but I expected Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal to be all about the same level and that’s the way the season is panning out.[/quote]
2. With Pepe Reina being linked away from Anfield due to high wages, is it time for the Spaniard to move on or do Liverpool need to bring in a potential challenger to his position?
[quote]If Liverpool got a good fee for Pepe then I’d take it. He’s a great keeper and has been a wonderful servant but his performances over the last two seasons have dipped just a little. Brad Jones has done well when he has played and if Liverpool brought in Jack Butland and blooded him in the right games, while using Jones in others, it would be smart business. But only if the fee was right for Pepe – he is a brilliant goalkeeping talent, after all, and there’d be no sense in letting him go cheaply.[/quote]
3. Do you think Brendan’s use of academy players was a forced hand?
[quote]To some extent, yes. The well-documented failure to sign an extra forward in August coupled with Borini’s injury meant Suso and Sterling had to be relied upon. Their success helped encourage Brendan to give other youngsters a chance, notably Andre Wisdom. But it would be wrong to think it was only down to these circumstances. Brendan’s entire history in coaching has the development of young players as a recurring theme. He did it at Swansea and before that worked as a youth coach. He is unafraid to give players chances if they are good enough and picks teams on merit and that has helped Sterling, Suso, Wisdom and Jonjo Shelvey stay in the team – even if their chance to show what they could do came sooner than expected because of August/injuries.[/quote]
4. Last season, Liverpool had a good defensive record, how big of loss was Steve Clarke in the summer with West Brom now being a solid side?
[quote]There’s no doubt Clarke is a superb defensive coach and his West Brom team, with their deep defensive line and quick counter-attacks, play in much the same way as Liverpool did when Dalglish was manager but Clarke was doing much of the training ground work. But that style is quite different to Brendan’s and I suspect that had they been asked to work together their philosophies would have clashed.[/quote]
5. Is there space in the midfield for both Joe Allen and Lucas to play together?
[quote]Yes. Both very intelligent, team-orientated footballers. Allen’s ideal position is further forward than Lucas’s and he was only playing deep at the start of the season because of Lucas’s injury. He’s a good young player and while he has had a mixed season I feel it’s down to the difficulties of adjusting to a big club. It’s up to him to keep working hard and show he has the confidence to express himself properly when playing for Liverpool…Lucas went through a similar process and Jordan Henderson likewise.[/quote]
6. Do you think Luis Suarez is in a team and a system that allows him to realise his full potential?
[quote]Suarez is so good that he can play in a variety of systems but I think that because of his priceless, rare ability to beat people and go directly for goal, you want him to be as close to the box as possible or inside the box when he receives possession. Also, you don’t want to saddle him with too much defensive responsibility.
Rodgers has used him in those ways, whether playing him with two wingers or flanked by another striker, such as Sturridge. It’s reflected in his goal return. But more important for Suarez than the formation is having other good players around him – from the start he clicked with Gerrard and has been happier with Sterling and latterly Sturridge to play off compared to patches of last season.[/quote]
7. Is Daniel Sturridge the answer to Liverpool’s scoring woes?
[quote]Time will tell. He has the talent and the ‘front’ to play at a major club like Liverpool. He has struck up a good rapport with Suarez already. His problem at Chelsea and Man City was impatience and possibly ego and his success at Anfield will depend on staying humble and hard-working and listening to his manager.[/quote]
8. Is renovating Anfield the right move or would a new stadium be more beneficial?
[quote]I could be here all day answering that one! Quick answer is that club should stay at Anfield and renovate.[/quote]
9. Looking at foreign ownership in the English game, how do FSG differ and are they doing it the right way, in terms of buying for future?
[quote]They have the right ideals: be self-sustaining long-term but invest at the start to grow the club; succeed through development and clever transfers rather than throw money at the problem; listen to the fans; respect history; make the most of Liverpool’s global appeal to pull in big commercial deals from abroad. They’re also keen to invest in young players. All good – though I’d have to say, none of that is rocket science. They’ve made a number of bad decisions so far, mixed in with the good ones, and I couldn’t judge just yet whether they’re successful owners or not.
Are they different to other Premier League owners? To some, yes (Abramovich obviously). But not, despite the initial fanfare and ‘Moneyball’ stuff, to others.[/quote]
10. What are realistic targets for Liverpool for the remainder of the season?
[quote]As I said, I thought the club would finish 4th at the start of the season. I’d say Spurs are favourites to do that now but it’s realistic for Liverpool to keep aiming for that. Winning the Europa League would be fabulous for the club and while there are some good teams left in there, Liverpool are capable of going a long way.[/quote]
