Late on Sunday evening, Brendan Rodgers was let go by Liverpool football club, ending his three year run with the team.
There was almost an inevitability about the decision, which had been speculated on for weeks, and while there were a number of fans voicing their displeasure in no uncertain terms on social media, one tweet highlighted just why the Northern Irishman had been so well regarded for a long time during his reign.
Rodgers had always stated that man management was his strength, and in a passage taken from a piece in The Independent newspaper, there are several cases of his warmth and personal touch that showcase his ability to deal with people.
Brendan Rodgers ladies and gentleman. What a man. He leaves with my utmost respect... (@TheAnfieldWrap) #lfc pic.twitter.com/uXn1u1STRy
— LFC Live News (@LFC_NEW5) October 4, 2015
The full piece outlines how he gave Henderson time off and made sure to stay in close contact with him and his family as his father battled cancer, how he helped Raheem Sterling both off the pitch and on it, and his unique motivational tactic that helped the team to push towards the title.
The manger reached out the players' mothers to ask them for a line on their sons, which he would read out before the team took to the pitch, meaning, as Coutinho puts it "the final word came not from the manager, but from a player's mum".
Furthermore, one Liverpool fan detailed how Rodgers reached out to him and his family with a personal letter after the death of their grandfather, and how much that had meant to them at a difficult time.
Unfortunately for Rodgers, results didn't go his way, but what is made clear from these series of anecdotes is that he will be well regarded by both players and fans of the club, no matter where the next step takes him.
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