After a sticky start to life as Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers now appears to be proving his doubters wrong. Dave Martinez looks at his new-found tactical flexibility and ability to change his ways.

Do Liverpool now have a master tactician on their hands? (via telegraph.co.uk)
By Dave Martinez – @snez10
“The problem with Brendan Rodgers is that he has no plan-B. He should have kept Andy Carroll but he got rid of him because he didn’t fit into his rigid style of play and 4-3-3 formation that he never deviates from.”
Plenty of people in plenty of places have peddled the above notion all season long. At least they did, until Brendan Rodgers proved their words to be unfounded over the past month.
Liverpool’s season is up and running and as they now stand unbeaten in their last seven games, Brendan Rodgers is also showing the flexibility and fortitude that many people doubted he was capable of. Rodgers’ teams always play ‘nice’ football but when they’re up against it, can they shift a gear or move in a different direction to obtain results in another way? Glen Hoddle criticised Liverpool at half-time in their match against Chelsea recently for exactly this reason, and he was right. Liverpool had kept the ball well enough in the opening 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge but they weren’t threatening Chelsea and changes needed to be made. Fortunately, Liverpool’s manager, while being a strong believer in his philosophy, is now also displaying genuine signs of pragmatism and variation.
At Chelsea, Liverpool were being outplayed after an hour but Rodgers made the bold move of switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation after starting the game 3-5-2. He introduced Suso, a teenager of little experience and pushed the much maligned Jose Enrique to a left-wing role that he has seldom played. It showed guts to gamble on players such as Enrique and Suso to salvage the match for the hitherto disappointing away side, but it paid off. Liverpool ended the game in the ascendency and could have had more than the point they rescued from their 1-1 draw.

Jose Enrique now looks inspired under Rodgers. (via goal.com)
Last weekend against Wigan, Rodgers again made substitutions that helped change the course of the game in the Reds’ favour. After just 35 minutes he withdrew Suso and brought on Jordan Henderson to ‘flip the triangle’ in Liverpool’s midfield. On the face of it, it wasn’t a popular decision, nor an easy one to make. Suso is well liked by the crowd at Anfield and was Liverpool’s most threatening player until he was withdrawn. He is also of a tender age and being substituted in the first half without an injury could have been embarrassing for him. His replacement isn’t so well appreciated by Liverpool fans and has started few meaningful games this season. Henderson is seen by many as an expensive flop (indeed, Rodgers’ reluctance to use the midfielder this season suggests he may well share this view) but Rodgers had made his decision and stuck with it. Popular or not, he altered Liverpool’s midfield and after an uninspiring first half that saw Wigan leave the field with a clean sheet in tact, Liverpool then romped to a comfortable 3-0 win with Jose Enrique again adding the dynamism that has been lacking on the wings this season.
This ability to alter a game and Liverpool’s system was a genuine concern that surrounded Rodgers when he took on the role as manager but already this season we’ve seen that while he has a very clear way he wants his team to play and a preferred system to use (4-3-3), Rodgers can chop and change with the best of them. Already this season Liverpool have played 4-3-3, 5-2-1-2, 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 as well as subtle variations of each formation listed. Rodgers has also tried to augment styles during games as evidenced by Henderson’s replacing of Suso and Enrique’s new deployment in an advanced role.
When questioned about his change in the Wigan game Rodgers wasn’t shy about explaining his decision. Some may think he lauded his game changing decision a little but perhaps the substitutions, the changes of system and the public explanations are an indication of a growing confidence. From the moment the Northern Irishman made significant changes to his side at Goodison Park when his young team were being overrun by a rampant Everton side, Rodgers has shown his flexibility and courage consistently and it is benefiting Liverpool on the pitch. It appears that he is growing into his role more every day and he seems at ease with is surroundings. Tactical flexibility was a potential negative against Brendan Rodgers when he took charge of Liverpool Football Club but, to borrow a phrase from the man himself, recent events seems to show that he has ‘flipped the triangle’ in that particular department.
Does Brendan Rodgers now look like a Liverpool manager? Where can he lead the club? Tweet us @talkingbaws or comment below.


















