Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will leave his position, the club announced on Sunday. The club has terminated his contract, effective immediately.
Brendan Rodgers sacked by Liverpool
A draw in the Merseyside Derby wasn’t enough to keep Brendan Rodgers employed.
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Liverpool took an early lead on Everton in the Merseyside Derby on Sunday, but conceded a goal just before halftime and the match ended 1-1. Apparently, failure to win that rivalry game was the last straw for Liverpool’s owners. It was the fifth game that they failed to win in the Premier League this season, and they have drawn or lost eight in all competitions. It was their second consecutive 1-1 draw, following the same result against FC Sion in the Europa League on Thursday.
“Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch,” said owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Mike Gordon in a joint statement. “Ambition and winning are at the heart of what we want to bring to Liverpool and we believe this change gives us the best opportunity to deliver it. The search for a new manager is underway and we hope to make an appointment in a decisive and timely manner.”
Last season’s poor results likely played some part in this decision. Rodgers was somewhat surprisingly kept on as Liverpool boss after finishing the season with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace at home, then a terrible 6-1 defeat to Stoke City in which the Potters appeared to let off the gas out of pity for their opponents.
Rodgers’ time at Liverpool was marked by a contentious battle over their infamous “transfer committee,” in which Rodgers was simply one voting member, not the man with the final say. With Liverpool signing more players from within the Premier League this summer, many speculated that Rodgers had been given more control of transfers. If that was the case, he’d also bear the brunt of the responsibility for poor results, and the Reds started the season very poorly.
Attention will now turn to replacing him, and there’s no shortage of excellent candidates out there. Jürgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti are currently taking personal breaks from management and could be persuaded to return for the right combination of money and control. Unemployed Italian manager Walter Mazzarri might get a call as well, while Ajax boss Frank de Boer, Swansea manager Garry Monk and Southampton head coach Ronald Koeman are other outside candidates.
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