If you expected Brendan Rodgers to walk into this morning's scheduled pre match press conference, sit down and say; "The speculation is right. I’m leaving and Jurgen Klopp is taking over” then I’m afraid you’ll have been left disappointed.
The Reds boss maintained calm manner while addressing the speculation while uttering disarming sound bites such as "I want to be here for a long period. I'll prepare my team to prepare exciting dynamic football."
The former Swansea manager knows there’s no point in trying to duck the issue and chose not take an aggressive stance, but rather a friendly, but controlled approach. He told the gathered press; "I'm never complacent enough to think my job has never been in danger. At a club of this stature, you always need to be at your best" . The unflustered looking 42 year insisted; "the pressure is huge but I embrace that challenge. I respect that we need to get results. One win and we're back around the top four."
Maybe he was publicly quelling any suggestion of a poor relationship with John W Henry but Rodgers talked about how good cordial things are between him and the power brokers and how even if he left they would their relationship will always be good. "I have regular contact with owners & that relationship strong. No matter how much longer I'm here, I'll have huge respect for them." Those comments beg the question, are those the words of man who continues to have their backing or a man who knows his time is done?
Aston Villa provide the opposition tomorrow but it’s hard to know if being at home is a good or bad thingfor the manager at this point given their poor recent performances. The defeated League Two Carlisle in the Capital One Cup during the week in a penalty shootout and in their 3-0 defeat to West Ham and 1-1 draw with Norwich.
In all the speculation about the manager we may forget there’s a game to play and there is some good news as Daniel Sturridge has been declared fit however Christian Benteke will miss the game with his old side due to the hamstring injury he picked up against Norwich last Sunday.
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