Rodgers strikes defiant pose ahead of Reds’ trip to United
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LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers insists he is the right man for the job amid mounting pressure after a poor start to the season and a visit to in-form arch-rival Manchester United today.
Rodgers’s side is currently ninth in the English Premier League with 21 points, 15 adrift of leader Chelsea, and has struggled to rediscover the form that fired it to second in the table last season. The Reds visit Old Trafford having won two of their previous six league games and after suffering an early Champions League group exit after a drab 1-1 home draw with FC Basel on Tuesday.
“I think the message from me is clear. I don’t think there would be anyone better to do the job here,” Rodgers was quoted as saying yesterday.
“Seven months ago we nearly won the title unexpectedly, I had time to work with players and we took them beyond where the club has been in a long time,” said the Northern Irishman, whose side narrowly lost out to Manchester City in last season’s title race.
“This has been a difficult start with new players, less coaching time, young players; we are virtually starting again.
“I don’t think there is anybody better equipped to deal with that having been here for the last two and a half years and experienced what this club is about and seeing what we get from the players whenever we are at our best.”
He added: “Criticism comes with the territory when you don’t win games. Football is very short-term. The same people who are criticizing me now were maybe saying I couldn’t do anything wrong six or seven months ago.
“That is the way football works. You have to accept that as a manager and fight even harder to bring success.”
A trip to United will be an ominous prospect for indifferent Liverpool though as Louis van Gaal’s team has won its previous five league games to propel it to third in the table.
United striker Robin van Persie has overcome his early season slump to score three in as many games, including both in the 2-1 win at high-flying Southampton last Monday.
“It was a hard start to this season. It’s hard to maybe pick things up straight away after the World Cup,” the 31-year-old Dutchman told MUTV. “I don’t think it’s an age thing. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very well physically. I feel good and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the goals are flowing in much better now.”
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