At some point Brendan Rodgers is going to get a long term contract offer to stay at Liverpool.
At some point in the near future Tom Werner and John Henry will have to sit down and reward Brendan Rodgers with a very long and very expensive new deal to remain Liverpool boss.
Rodgers has said he’s in it for the long haul and if this season is anything to go by, not a single Liverpool fan will have an issue if he signs on the dotted line for another three, four or five years.
Liverpool seem to have found a coach who ticks all the boxes so does he have a chance of getting close to Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26-year reign at Manchester United?
When Fergie retired, several said that his longevity would never be matched and it’s true, it will be very difficult for any boss to stay at a single club for nearly three decades.
Arsene Wenger is the closest, installed as gaffer at Arsenal back in 1996 and still going despite the various calls to get rid of him as the Gunners endure a trophy drought.
Rodgers has set the precedent for himself and a season which he’ll now have to match in terms of strength and consistency.
That creates problems because while Rodgers is a nice guy and a competent boss, it’s impossible to predict how he’s going to react to various challenges until they happen.
Liverpool should finish with Champions League football and that in itself will create a whole type of new pressure next season, throwing up various challenges and problems which Rodgers hasn’t had to contend with this season.
Rodgers also has to reinvent the side tactically next season.
Sides have been totally outplayed by Liverpool this season but the point is they’ll find ways of nullifying Liverpool’s attacking threats and Rodgers needs to reinvent the team to counter those tactics.
If he makes it through those challenges, with Liverpool still fighting for the Premier League title and well placed in Europe, that will be the strongest indication yet that he can realistically rack up several years as Liverpool’s boss.
It won’t please Rafa Benitez who wants to return and it won’t please Steven Gerrard, who has already admitted he wants to manage the club one day.
So how is it possible to judge whether Rodgers is capable of longevity and breaking Fergie’s record based on his Liverpool career so far?
He has a fantastic relationship with the owners, who trust him, and he has a great relationship with his players, who respect him.
When he has been challenged, he’s done well.
Last season, he responded to the size of Liverpool’s squad by throwing youngsters into the team; Raheem Sterling, Suso, Jordon Ibe, the list goes on.
Last summer he has the Luis Suarez issue to deal with and he managed to keep his star striker at the club, with no guarantee of a top four finish heading into the current season and he’s now got the Uruguayan tied down on a long term deal.
He’s got through every mini-challenge which he’s so far been set which is why no one would argue if he was offered a five-year deal right now.
Is he capable of 26 years and more at Liverpool? Why not?
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