BRENDAN RODGERS SAYS he aims to bring the glory days back to Liverpool after being appointed the new manager of the former kings of Engish football today.
It is more than 20 years since Liverpool were last crowned champions of England, with the Merseysiders rarely challenging for the title in the intervening decades.
To make matters worse, it is arch-rivals Manchester United who have become the dominant force in English football, while Liverpool have also been overtaken by big-spenders Chelsea, the reigining Champions League holders, and current Premier League champions Manchester City.
But former Swansea manager Rodgers said Liverpool’s illustrious past, which includes five European Cups, was an inspiration and not a burden.
“That was the attraction, the history of the club,” Rodgers told a news conference at Anfield this morning. ”Also the frustration. It has been over 20 years since they won the title. We might not be ready for the title but the process begins today, it’s a new cycle, and that is something that we will work towards in the years to come.”
Rodgers succeeds Anfield great Kenny Dalglish, who was sacked last month after his second spell in charge ended with Liverpool finishing the season a massive 37 points behind champions Manchester City.
The Merseyside club’s American owners the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had given Dalglish more than £100 million to spend in the transfer market since he took over from the sacked Roy Hodgson, now in charge of England, in 2011.
But expensive signings such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam have largely flopped, with Liverpool’s eighth place finish their worst season-ending position for nearly two decades although they did win the League Cup.
Swansea, in their first Premier League season, finished 11th and also took four points off Liverpool in their two league games.
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