Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers The New Bill Shankly?
Bill Shankly arrived at Liverpool when the club was in disrepair, in the old Second Division and with no idea on how to return the sound. Sound familiar?
Liverpool have endured their worst league start since 1962 - funnily enough when Bill Shankly himself was in control - but this isnt time for Reds fans to start hitting the panic button. There were plenty of expensive quick fixes than Brendan could have looked to, but he has gone with the choice of bringing players through the academy and moulding them into first team regulars. Take Raheem Sterling for example, the boy has been a breath of fresh air this season, and one of the only bright sparks to a very dark start. Brendan Rodgers said this week, young players will run through a barbed wired fence for you, whereas older players will look for a hole, and there is a lot of truth in such a comment. Young players play without fear, without respect and make fans rise in their seats. Due to an easily avoidable calamity in the transfer window, Brendan Rodgers has been forced into relying on his young players to give him their all, and you could see how much he needs them this week when he talked the FA out of putting Sterling in the U21s. The emergence of players such as Sterling, Suso and the continued impressive form of Jonjo Shelvey are the future of Liverpool Football Club, and right now, the future is looking incredibly bright. It is just all about having patience. Rodgers needs time. You can see it, you can sense it, and more than anything, he deserves it. That may be the most important factor of all. Liverpool could have sought more experienced coaches, coaches who had won big titles and tournaments, but FSG have seen something in this manager, and the evidence is all there to see why. At 39 years of age, he is a young coach, one with many ideas, some that will be right and some that will be wrong, but wanting a team to play like Barcelona isnt bad in this day and age, is it? He has been thrown in at the deep end after a very successful first season in the big time with Swansea City, and the question on everyones lips is, will he sink or will he swim?