- Brendan Rodgers has left Liverpool after a difficult start to the new season despite big spending
- The Anfield side are 10th in the Premier League with just three wins and drew at Everton on Sunday
- Rodgers has been in the job since moving from Swansea in June 2012 and enjoyed relative success
- He signed a new four-year contract with the club just over a year ago
- Jurgen Klopp is the favourite to take over at Anfield ahead of Carlo Ancelotti, who flew into London on Sunday
- Manager had insisted he was feeling no pressure after draw with Everton at Goodison Park
Brendan Rodgers was sacked on Sunday after Liverpool’s owners took ‘the difficult decision’ to look for a new manager.
Jurgen
Klopp is now the hot favourite to succeed Rodgers, who was told in a
phone call by Mike Gordon — the president of Fenway Sports Group — that
his three-year reign was over.
Carlo
Ancelotti, the former Chelsea manager, is also in the frame and was in
London on Sunday night having flown in from Italy. Although the Italian
is willing to talk, early signs are pointing towards Klopp being the man
FSG want.
Liverpool have parted company with Brendan Rodgers after a difficult start to the Premier League season for the club
Rodgers' side drew 1-1 with Everton in Saturday's Merseyside derby after taking the lead at Goodison Park
Former
Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp and ex-Real Madrid boss Carlo
Ancelotti, both pictured at Anfield, are the top contenders
Klopp, pictured with Rodgers ahead of a
pre-season friendly at Anfield last season, is the early favourite with
the bookmakers to take the role
Rodgers hasn't been able to call on
Daniel Sturridge nearly enough over the last two years, the striker
struggling with persistent injuries
The departing Liverpool manager shakes
hands with Danny Ings after the forward's goalscoring display in
Sunday's Merseyside derby draw
Rodgers tries to get across his views
to defender Mamadou Sakho, but the Northern Irishman ultimately failed
to inspire his Liverpool side
Liverpool owner John Henry took the
decision to sack Rodgers following a poor start to the season on all
fronts from the Anfield club
Rodgers
was dismissed after a 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park but FSG
had already taken the decision to replace him regardless of the result.
When they sacked Kenny Dalglish in May 2012, they embarked on a near
month-long search and spoke to a variety of candidates before they chose
Rodgers, but there will be no drawn-out process on this occasion.
Liverpool
will not appoint a caretaker manager as they expect the new man to be
in charge for the trip to Tottenham on October 17 after the
international break. The club have not yet made a decision on whether
coaches Sean O’Driscoll, Gary McAllister and Pepijn Lijnders will also
be sacked.
A
statement on Liverpool's website read: 'Liverpool Football Club has
announced that Brendan Rodgers will leave his post with immediate effect
after having his contract terminated. The process to appoint a new
manager is underway.'
In
a joint Fenway Sports Group statement, owner John W Henry, chairman Tom
Werner and president Mike Gordon said: 'We would like to place on
record our sincere thanks to Brendan Rodgers for the significant
contribution he has made to the club and express our gratitude for his
hard work and commitment.
Liverpool almost stunned English
football by lifting the Premier League two years ago (Luis Suarez
pictured crying at Crystal Palace)
Steven Gerrard's infamous mistake against Chelsea saw the title slip from their grasp in the dying weeks of the 2013-14 season
Suarez was the main reason Rodgers got so close to a title but the striker was sold to Barcelona for £75million
Winger Raheem Sterling (pictured in February) was another to leave the club, joining Manchester City over the summer
Rodgers' side currently sit 10th in the Barclays Premier League having won just three of their eight games
Jamie Carragher and Gerrard both recently departed, leaving a gaping gap in the squad's spine
Rodgers was appointed Liverpool manager back in 2012 and did enjoy a modicum of success although leaves trophyless
Rodgers alongside the famous This is
Anfield sign in the tunnel, which he campaigned to have restored, a
month after landing the job
'All
of us have experienced some wonderful moments with Brendan as manager
and we are confident he will enjoy a long career in the game.
'Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch.
'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.'
Liverpool legend and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher backed Klopp as the man to take up the vacant post on Sunday night.
Carragher,
speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports' coverage of Sunday's match of
Ancelotti and Klopp: 'I think either of those coming in to Liverpool, I
think the Liverpool supporters would be ecstatic.
'Carlo
Ancelotti, Champions League winner three times, they know what Klopp
did at Borussia Dortmund, we were all excited by them over the last few
years. If it was me I would go for Klopp ahead of Ancelotti. I think
he's got more to prove.
'I
think Liverpool is not an easy job now. I think Ancelotti is a great
manager of course but he gone to clubs where you expect to win trophies.
It's a difficult job now at Liverpool to get them back into the top
four.'
On Sky Sports, Thierry Henry (second left) reacted in shock by grabbing Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher's leg in the studio
Carragher (left) went on to back Klopp
for the role, saying that the former Borussia Dortmund boss would have a
point to prove at Anfield
Romelu Lukaku equalised for Everton on a dramatic Merseyside derby day which ended with Rodgers being relieved of his duties
The Premier League table as it stands
following Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday, which proved to
be the last match in charge of the Reds for Brendan Rodgers who was
sacked after three years at Anfield
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