Liverpool boss admits he needs results to safeguard job and insists sack doesn't scare him



Brendan Rodgers



Liverpool boss admits he needs results to safeguard job and insists sack doesn't scare him

 

The Liverpool manager has come under increasing pressure following continued downturn from his team and knows his position is under scrutiny by owners, Fenway Sports Group.

Former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and ex-Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti have been linked with the Anfield job if Rodgers is unable to resurrect his side’s fortunes.

Liverpool face bogey side Aston Villa at Anfield tomorrow with Rodgers aware of what is at stake, but reference what he achieved when he had world class players at his disposal in 2013-14.

“I am never complacent enough to think (my job is not under threat),” he said. “What drives a manager on is that fear, a positive fear, that every day you need to be at your best.

“When you come into here and a club of this stature, then that is always there.

“But it is something that does not frighten me. It is something that I have an inherent belief in what I do.

“I think I have shown in my time here that when I work with the players at the level we have had before we have gone on and achieve nearly great things.

“But we have been constantly rebuilding here and now we have a new group of players and are looking to remould them in order to take them forward.

“My belief in confidence is there and always has been. I don’t shy away from the fact that you need to get results and on top of that you need to be performing well in order to stay in work.”

Rodgers accepted the speculation swirling around his future, and mention of Klopp and Ancelotti, simply came with the territory.

“When you are a manager of a club of this size there is always going to speculation around your job and when you don’t win that will intensify,” he said.

“Since I have been here I think there have been over 10 managers linked with job and that is part and parcel of the game.

“I have regular contact with the owners and the relationship is always strong.

“Whether I am here for one day or more or one month or another year or whatever I will always have huge respect for the people here, the owners and Ian Ayre.

“All I will do what I will always done and do the best I can. I know you need to get results and the expectations of a club like this are huge. But I embrace that challenge.

“I walked in here three years ago as a 39 year old manager of one of the great clubs in the football world and as I sit here today I am much better manager for that.

“But I understand and respect you must get results. We know with one win you are back near the top four. It is still very early on.

 “I don’t think it goes away unless you are winning games and get the performance level.

“For me I know we have created the expectancy because of how we worked. The level of the game we produced here for a couple of years was at a real high level. Admittedly we had world class players in our team, so we created the expectancy because of how well the team operated.

“How do I block it out? It is fairly simple. I focus on the team, not myself. I hope to be a manager for another 20 years. I expect that 20 years wont’ be at Liverpool, but while I am here I want to fight for the club and the players.”