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Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

The journey of Brendan Rodgers as he aims to bring Liverpool back to where they belong.

Started on 14 January 2015 by Glenn T
Latest Reply on 28 October 2015 by Maximus

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Glenn T

9 years • Edited

Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

I wasn't really planning on getting FM15, but a friend gave it to me as a Christmas gift so hey, why not? I'm not much of an FM player as I was in the past, but somehow I've been really hooked on FM15. After playing with my Liverpool save for awhile and enjoying the crap out of it, I decided to go with what I do, or at least what I think I do best, writing a manager story on FM Scout. So yeah, welcome to my first, and most likely my last, Football Manager 2015 story.

You might be able to tell from the title but I will be going with the team I typically go with in my first save of every Football Manager game - Liverpool, the club I support. My managerial persona will be the current manager in real life, Brendan Rodgers, primarily because I couldn't really be arsed to think of another person when starting the save and I partly also like the idea of taking Liverpool to greater heights with the same man who led them to 2nd place last season.

As I'm terrible with story titles usually, I've combined 'Rodgers' Reds', something I came up with by myself as I thought it sounded cool, and 'Class is Permanent' from the quote 'form is temporary, class is permanent'.

I hope you enjoy!

Content

Glenn T

9 years

LFCTV Interview: Brendan Rodgers

We have an exclusive pre-season interview today on LFCTV with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. Following Liverpool's 2nd-placed finish in the Premier League last season, LFCTV presenter Claire Rourke will find out from Rodgers what his targets are and what he expects to happen during the upcoming season, as well as the club's activity regarding the summer transfer window.

Question: Liverpool were agonizingly close to a first Premier League title last season, but a few unfortunate results during the last few games saw Manchester City lift the title instead. Why do you think Liverpool couldn't go all the way?

Brendan Rodgers: I can't really answer questions like that, on how we didn't manage to go till the very end. One thing is for certain though, we played very well throughout the entire season and I believe it was down to purely being unlucky that we couldn't hang on and grab that league title. If I had to say, I feel that Jordan Henderson's red card was very impactful. I think I've said somewhere before that he was the most improved player in the Premier League and I stand by that opinion, he was great for us and not being able to have him in the team for the last few games hurt us badly.

Question: Do you think the team can go that one step higher for next season and win the league?

BR: Yes, I think we can go on to win the league this season. We have tasted the success of making the Champions League and now we want to improve on last season and go on to win the Premier League.

Question: Who in your opinion are some of the more vital players for a league title push in the squad?

BR: I don't like to single out individuals for being particularly good or bad. I suppose the only one I can name is Steven Gerrard, captain fantastic himself. He's such a leader, on and off the pitch, and can always inspire the other boys to do better than they're currently doing. That's a very important quality to have as a captain, in my opinion.

Question: There are a lot of rumors that Liverpool's star man Luis Suarez is going to leave by the end of the transfer window, with clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid showing interest. Can we have some of your thoughts on the Suarez situation? Do you think you keep him with the club?

BR: I don't want to comment on something like that. Ultimately we will all know if Luis stays or goes. But of course, I want to keep him. He's a terrific player.

Luis Suarez might leave Liverpool for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the transfer window

Question: Are there any positions you are looking to strengthen?

BR: Positions to strengthen... Yes, some of our priorities are a striker as well as a left-back.

Question: Continuing on with questions about the transfer market, Pepe Reina has returned on loan from Napoli - do you see any place for him on the team or will he be moved away on a permanent deal?

BR: We will have to see about that. I think both Simon Mignolet and Pepe are top, top goalkeepers and keeping the two of them is very possible. I think he did well at Napoli. We will review the club's and his own personal interests before deciding if he will be moving on or not.

Pepe Reina might not be a Liverpool player by the end of August

Question: Moving on to pre-season, is there anything you have planned?

BR: We have been invited to a Friendly Cup tournament in Italy so I suppose that is where we will be heading for the pre-season.

Question: Good luck! Will your full squad be available?

BR: Yes, I have everyone available, they've all had their holidays and are raring to go. We will be flying out sometime next week.

Question: Alright, is there anything you would like to say to the fans before we end this interview?

BR: Hm... Well, nothing much else except keep supporting the team. We want to finally bring the title back home to where it belongs next season, and we are definitely going to be up there. There's also the Champions League to play in so yes, I hope the fans can keep cheering Liverpool on, although I doubt I even have to ask. Here's to the fans, you'll never walk alone!

A very interesting talk with the Reds boss, where he expanded on his ambitions for the team next season as well as delving further into the topic of potential departures from the club. It remains to be seen what Liverpool will do in the transfer window, but Rodgers will hope to at least be able to keep Suarez, arguably the club's star player after scoring a grand number of 31 goals last season.

Glenn T

9 years

Liverpool FC: Summer Transfers 2014/15

Brendan Rodgers has wasted almost no time in diving into the transfer market, with Liverpool actively buying and selling a number of players. It has been a busy period for Rodgers and the club with no less than 6 players leaving on permanent deals and a total of 9 players being brought in.

Transfers Out

Perhaps the biggest blow for Liverpool fans to take is the loss of Luis Suarez. The man who scored 31 goals in 33 appearances in a Reds shirt last season will now make the move to Catalan giants Barcelona, in a massive £75 million deal. Suarez joins a star-studded lineup at the Camp Nou that already features the likes of fellow South American compatriots Lionel Messi and Neymar.

He won the Premier League Golden Boot as well as the league's Player of the Season award on the back of a successful season with Liverpool, his performances helping tremendously to propel his team to a 2nd-placed finish, as well as firing them to within touching distance of the league title. However, after a controversial World Cup 2014 where he was found guilty of sinking his teeth into Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini, he will now continue to ply his trade with Barcelona, albeit after he has served his four-month ban from football.

Barcelona have wrapped up a deal with Liverpool's Luis Suarez

Longstanding servants with Liverpool have also been moved on, with Pepe Reina heading to Bayern Munich and Daniel Agger returning to his native Denmark to play for former club Brøndby.

Reina was sent out on loan to Napoli last season with the arrival of Simon Mignolet, and has now made his departure from Anfield permanent after 8 years playing as Liverpool's first team goalkeeper. Vice-captain Agger, who joined the club in the same summer as Reina and largely spent the season playing second fiddle to Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho, has also left after being told that he is not needed by Rodgers.

Transfers In

Linking up with Liverpool is the Southampton trio of veteran striker Rickie Lambert, Saints captain Adam Lallana, and central defender Dejan Lovren.

Their combined fee comes at a hefty £44 million being paid out to Southampton, but Liverpool will no doubt be pleased with what they have acquired, with all three being proven as players with Premier League quality. Lallana especially is a signing to look out for, but he will arrive at Liverpool carrying an injury with him, and is not expected to play any part in his new club's pre-season.

Southampton captain Adam Lallana has joined Liverpool

A promising buy is former Bayern youth product Emre Can, who comes in from Leverkusen for £9.75 million. Joining him is Lazar Markovic, the Serbian international arriving for a grand fee estimated to be around £20 million. Aged 21 and 20 respectively, they could be extremely vital for Liverpool's future plans.

Striking wonderkid Divock Origi also joins from Lille but will be returning on loan to his club for the rest of the season, while young Spaniard Javi Manquillo is also recruited from Atletico Madrid on a two-year deal. Reinforcing the defence is Alberto Moreno, who arrives from Sevilla, acting as another option at left-back - a position Liverpool desperately needs to strengthen.

But the transfer Liverpool fans will be most interested in has to be the player touted as Suarez's replacement, and it comes in the form of an unlikely candidate, former Manchester City bad boy Mario Balotelli, who joins from Milan for £16 million to start a second spell in England. A deal that could potentially backfire for Liverpool, however it seems Rodgers is ready to take the risk.

Mario Balotelli completing his move to Anfield

A rather exciting transfer window for the Kopites, who have seen many leaving their club and many joining in. It remains to be seen though, if the departure of Luis Suarez will hurt them in any way. Rodgers has made clear that his aim is the title, but can he really continue to overachieve without the influential Uruguayan?

£116 million has been spent in total on players this summer alone, but are these new players enough to cushion the loss of Suarez? With that being said, the transfer window has not closed, and Rodgers might look to continue dipping his toes into the market.

Glenn T

9 years

Restructuring the Defence

Liverpool have announced two new signings to complete their transfer window, with young Brazilian defender Eder Alvarez Balanta joining the club from River Plate for a fee of £8.5 million, while Nathaniel Clyne, a name fans will be more familiar with, also joins from Southampton for £10.5 million, adding an additional £19 million to the club's expenditure this summer.

Clyne will be the fourth player from Southampton to sign for Liverpool in a single summer, following teammates Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren. The 23-year-old adds on to a list of young arrivals after an impressive season for Southampton, with his future looking to be very bright. Despite having 0 caps so far, he is expected to be named in an England squad soon.

Nathaniel Clyne looks to have a bright future for both club and country

21-year-old Balanta has been catching the eye of clubs like Barcelona in recent times, as well as being named in the Colombia squad for the 2014 World Cup. The central defender will provide competition for fellow new signing Dejan Lovren, Martin Skrtel, and Mamadou Sakho.

More players have also exited the Anfield door, with Rodgers sanctioning the sales of Glen Johnson and Joe Allen to Tottenham for a total fee of £20 million, while Kolo Toure also completes a £600k deal with West Ham.

Glen Johnson will join Tottenham after 5 years at Liverpool

The sale of Johnson states Rodgers' intention to play Clyne as his first-choice at right-back, while Toure has also been moved on after a short one year with the club.

Allen is perhaps the more surprising sale of the three, with Rodgers having given no indication that the midfielder he brought in from Swansea along with him was no longer needed. The move leaves Liverpool with only Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Emre Can as the squad's only central midfielders.

In terms of loans, Liverpool have sent out Suso out for a season to Turkish club Beşiktaş, where he is expected to play a huge part in the club's Süper Lig campaign for the season.

Glenn T

9 years

Pre-Season 2014

Liverpool enjoyed a great pre-season, with the only loss coming in a penalty shootout against French club Laval. The Reds managed to get good results against clubs like Dnipro and Chievo.

Friendlies

Liverpool 3 - 0 Liverpool Under-21s

Moreno

Johnson

Sturridge

Dnipro 2 - 4 Liverpool

Coutinho

Lambert

Markovic

Liverpool 3 - 0 Chievo

Coutinho

Lovren

Balotelli

Liverpool 1 - 1 Laval (10-11 p.)

Markovic

Panionios 1 - 5 Liverpool

Sterling

Gerrard

Lallana

Balotelli

ACS Poli 0 - 2 Liverpool

Lambert

Balotelli

Player of Pre-Season

New signing Mario Balotelli performed well, scoring 4 goals in 6 pre-season appearances, including a superb brace against Greek club Panionios.

Manager's Thoughts

The team did great, apart from being unable to find a winning goal against Laval and the new players managed to integrate themselves nicely. Aside from Balotelli, Lazar Markovic impressed also and so did Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling. Despite their young age, they're talented individuals all of them will be pushing for first-team places this season. We start our Premier League campaign with a game against Swansea, followed by fixtures against Stoke City and Leicester, three matches from which I'm hoping to get nine points.

Denzy

9 years

Good luck with the Season :D!

InvertedWingbacks

9 years

well, hello stranger! amazing start, and a great pre-season to boot - good luck!

Glenn T

9 years

Denzy: Thank you!

TaT: Hello as well, and thanks!

No1VillaFan

9 years

Awessome start to this glennT and i will be following this, also good start in the pre season

No1SwansFan

9 years

Great start! Some good signings too to improve the defensive side of Liverpool's team. Good luck, mate

Verdinho

9 years

Welcome back, Glenn! Great to see you delve into stories once more!

Glenn T

9 years

Liverpool FC: Squad Overview

A complete evaluation of the team by the gaffer Brendan Rodgers himself, before the start of the new season. This report, compiled by Rodgers and his staff, will assist greatly for his side's upcoming league campaign.

Tactics

Liverpool will be playing mainly with this tactic

Characteristically dubbed the Asymmetric Bulldozer, it is an extremely offensive tactic, but keeps itself balanced by remaining solid at the back. A defensive midfielder is utilized in this formation, as well as a left midfielder. The man in the left midfield role will be vital, playing in an attacking style along with a number 10 who will sit behind a lone forward. This leaves only a single midfielder in the center of the pitch, who will adopt a box-to-box playstyle behind the number 10.

This tactic doesn't belong to me. Full credit goes to Abuzerkadayif, the owner of the Asymmetric Bulldozer tactic.

Key Players

Steven Gerrard
Squad Number: 8
Age: 34
Best Position: Defensive Midfielder

The captain will fall back into a more defensive role this season, and is expected to play as the manager's first-choice in the defensive midfield position. A Liverpool legend and the obvious crowd favorite, everyone will be largely depending on him to lead the boys to as many wins as possible.

Mamadou Sakho
Squad Number: 17
Age: 24
Best Position: Central Defender

Between Skrtel, Balanta, Lovren and Sakho, competition for a place in the club's defensive positions are going to be rife, but Sakho has to be the best man that can be called upon if Liverpool need a solid central defender. The former Paris Saint-Germain captain possesses qualities like leadership, consistency, determination, and can be great in the air when the situation calls for it.

Jordan Henderson
Squad Number: 14
Age: 24
Best Position: Central Midfielder

The new vice-captain displayed some great performances last season and will look to continue to do the same. He has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years and there is full confidence within the team in his midfield prowess.

Philippe Coutinho
Squad Number: 10
Age: 22
Best Position: Attacking Midfielder

Coutinho has proved to be a brilliant buy since his arrival at Liverpool in January 2013. A very skillful attacking midfielder, versatility is another strong point of his - he is able to play in central midfield and on the left wing aside from his usual number 10 role.

Raheem Sterling
Squad Number: 31
Age: 19
Best Position: Left Winger, Right Winger, Attacking Midfielder

Despite his young age, Sterling is a very important member of the first-team. He is also already an England international at the age of 19, his first cap having been won two years prior. His major strengths include his incredible versatility on the football pitch, being able to play in a number of positions, as well as his acceleration and pace.

Daniel Sturridge
Squad Number: 15
Age: 25
Best Position: Striker

The man who will hopefully be banging in the goals for the club this season, Sturridge established a great understanding with Luis Suarez before his departure from Anfield, and will look to shine in his former teammate's stead.

Prospects

Eder Alvarez Balanta
Squad Number: 5
Age: 21
Best Position: Central Defender

Balanta is very highly-rated among the coaches and the manager himself, and although he probably isn't the first name on the team sheet at this moment in time, will still have a part to play in the first team this season.

Jon Flanagan
Squad Number: 38
Age: 21
Best Position: Right Back

A product of the club's youth academy, Flanagan forced his way into the team last season, and now has more competition with the arrival of Nathaniel Clyne. Not quite ready to be a first-choice player yet, but is most definitely one to watch.

Emre Can
Squad Number: 23
Age: 20
Best Position: Central Midfielder

Someone with incredible potential, Can signed for the club just this summer. He will most likely be only playing with the Under-21s for now, but could very well be Gerrard's successor with time.

Lazar Markovic
Squad Number: 50
Age: 20
Best Position: Right Winger, Attacking Midfielder

The Serb brought in from Benfica can play on both wings as well as behind the striker, and this ability to play in multiple positions will definitely give him an edge in getting more first-team opportunities. Still at a tender age, but nonetheless has the skill required to participate in first-team games.

Full Squad

Name - Age CA/PA

Goalkeepers

Simon Mignolet - 26

Brad Jones - 32

Defenders

Nathaniel Clyne - 23

Jon Flanagan - 21

Javi Manquillo - 20

Mamadou Sakho - 24

Martin Skrtel - 29

Eder Alvarez Balanta - 21

Dejan Lovren - 25

Alberto Moreno - 22

Jose Enrique - 28

Midfielders

Steven Gerrard - 34

Lucas Leiva - 27

Jordan Henderson - 24

Emre Can - 20

Raheem Sterling - 19

Philippe Coutinho - 22

Adam Lallana - 26

Lazar Markovic - 20

Forwards

Daniel Sturridge - 25

Mario Balotelli - 24

Rickie Lambert - 32

Glenn T

9 years

Jason: Thank you for reading and following!

No1SwansFan: Thank you!

Paddy: Thank you, it's good to be back

Jonte-23

9 years

Very nice start of the story!

Iconic

9 years

YAHOO!! Glennjamin is back

My day just went from crazy to epic let's hope this is one of your best Glenn. So glad you're back and you Imma keep up with this!

#ReturnofGlennjamin

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Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

Content

Season One: 2014/15

Season Two: 2015/16

Season Three: 2016/17

Season Four: 2017/18

Season Five: 2018/19

Season Six: 2019/20

Season Seven: 2020/21

Season Eight: 2021/22

LFCTV Interview: Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool FC: Summer Transfers 2014/15

Transfers Out

Transfers In

Restructuring the Defence

Pre-Season 2014

Friendlies

Player of Pre-Season

Manager's Thoughts

Liverpool FC: Squad Overview

Tactics

Key Players

Prospects

Full Squad

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

YAHOO!! Glennjamin is back

FMS Chat–