Crunch time for Rodgers

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Brendan Rodgers manager of Liverpool reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Liverpool at Britannia Stadium on May 24, 2015 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Dave Thompson/Getty Images)

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Brendan Rodgers manager of Liverpool reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Liverpool at Britannia Stadium on May 24, 2015 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Dave Thompson/Getty Images)

Published May 25, 2015

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When crunch time comes, Fenway Sports Group will only need the answer to one question: can they trust him?

As this abomination of a season came to a dreadful end in The Potteries, with invective and fury raining down from enraged supporters, Brendan Rodgers wore the look of a man who knew his future employment prospects were dangling by a thread.

Rodgers will hold a summit with Mike Gordon, FSG’s second largest investor, soon but the ground he now walks on is anything but safe. Liverpool were not just beaten by Stoke City, they were utterly humiliated and the buck stops with the man who stood helplessly in the technical area.

Some defeats can be explained, but this? Stoke tore them asunder, capitalising on the tactical chaos that scrambled Liverpool’s senses; they bullied them, outmuscled them and gleefully inflicted their heaviest defeat since 1963.

So this is where it becomes interesting for FSG. They have invested more than £200million since Rodgers arrived at Anfield three years ago and looking at this shambles you would say similar investment needs to be made to get them where they want to be.

Is he the man to oversee the rebuild? Should there even need to be a rebuild? Only Gordon can answer those questions. But as he sat solemnly dealing with enquiries about how he can lift the club, the look on Rodgers’ face was telling. He is no longer in control of his own destiny.

‘All supporters connected with Liverpool will be embarrassed by that and deserve an apology,’ said Rodgers. ‘The first half was awful. Absolutely awful. I have always said if the owners want me to go I go, it is as simple as that. But I still feel I have a lot to offer here.’

That last point is now debatable. Why did this team start with no natural right back? How did Liverpool sign three strikers last summer yet began this contest without one on the pitch? What formation were they playing? Why couldn’t he stop the humiliation unfolding? It seems almost unfair to give Stoke’s excellence second billing in this narrative. Mark Hughes has done a superb job and these three points helped them to their best ever tally in the Barclays Premier League.

‘I don’t think this reflects badly on Liverpool,’ said Hughes. ‘Most teams would have struggled with our intensity. I sensed all week they wanted to finish on a high.’

There was no chance of that for Liverpool. Since losing to Manchester United on March 22, results and performances have nose-dived with this being a spectacular crash-landing. As the bulk of the goals rained in during 25 chaotic first half minutes, Rodgers looked like he had seen a ghost. Perhaps the only surprise was that it took Stoke 22 minutes to score. It was a scruffy opener, Mame Diouf tapping in after Simon Mignolet fumbled Charlie Adam’s drive. It smashed open the floodgates and soon Liverpool were drowning.

Diouf doubled the advantage with a drive from the edge of the 18-yard area. All over you could see heads dropping, with the exception of one familiar warrior.

Steven Gerrard, looking for a final hurrah before heading to LA, sported that furrowed brow, looking around him in a state of angered bewilderment. After all he has done for the club, he didn’t deserve this ending.

On the half-hour, two became three. Jonathan Walters scored after Emre Can had got himself hopelessly confused and headed a loose ball to the forward. From six yards out, Walters was never going to miss.

Leaping out of his seat, punching the air in delight, Hughes implored his side to go for the kill and they did that quite magnificently with two wonderful goals before the interval, the first coming from Adam, the latter from the outstanding Steven Nzonzi.

Gerrard reduced the deficit with his 186th career goal after the break but the ignominy was not over for Liverpool as Peter Crouch put the gloss on a fabulous afternoon for Stoke and put the spotlight firmly on Rodgers.

‘There is a number of key elements of the performance that didn’t surprise me if I am honest,’ said Rodgers.

‘There are areas which will we address in the summer that will help us become more competitive. We as a club will work very hard to make that happen.’

But will he be the man to execute the plans? Or will he pay the price for a season of dreadful underachievement?

In Boston, they will be formulating their answers. – Daily Mail

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