Liverpool fans around the world were stunned with their clubs performance at Wembley on Sunday. The five time European Champions were outplayed and outcoached by Tim Sherwood. And that is a statement that you don’t read too often!
Reds fans took to Twitter after the game to express their frustration at Brendan Rodgers, who is the first Liverpool manager in over 50 year to not win a trophy in his first three years.
Here are some of their sentiments:
The issue for Liverpool’s Boston based owners is whether Brendan Rodgers has the big-game mentality needed to win trophies at Anfield. In the last twelve months Rodgers has seen his side squander a chance to win the Premier League at the end of last season and lose in two semi-finals this season.
Speaking after the FA Cup semi-final defeat Rodgers said:
“We’re obviously bitterly disappointed, more with the performance. You can always lose a game but you’d hope you play well and give yourself an opportunity. I thought we were second best today, to be honest, I thought they were better than us.
“We have reached two semi-finals, we need to have the courage and bravery to play better in the big games. We didn’t play well enough today, technically we weren’t quite on it, we looked as if the occasion and the energy got to us a wee bit. But that’s what can happen sometimes.”
Asked whether a big-game mentality was lacking, Rodgers said:
“We’ve come up short in a few games. That’s something we’d certainly need to improve. We’re a team that’s grown and changed quite a bit in the summer. But all these experiences will hopefully help in the future.”
Worrying for Rodgers has to be the two managers waiting in the wings to replace him. Kip favorite Rafa Benitez has been very outspoken for years about his desire to return to the Liverpool sidelines. He will leave Napoli this summer, possibly after winning another European trophy, and he would love nothing more than to return to Merseyside.
Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp is also heading to the Premier League this summer, and Liverpool might well be the most attractive offer he gets, especially if they sign Raheem Sterling to a new contract extension this summer. Klopp has won titles in Germany and reached the Champions League final a couple of years ago. At 47, Klopp is one of the best young coaches in Europe.
It’s a big summer for Liverpool. What do you think Fenway Sports should do with Brendan Rodgers? Should he be back for another year or is it time to bring in someone else?
