Rodgers: Managers’ transfer window would regulate the hiring and firing
Brendan Rodgers has called for a managers’ transfer window to be intoduced in an attempt toregulatethehiring and firing of coaches, which, he believes, is spiralling out of control, driven purely by money.
Already this season 38 bosses have lost their jobs in English football, the most notable of whom was Claudio Ranieri, who only 10 months ago incredibly led Leicester City to the Premier League title.
There were a remarkable 56 casualties in 2015/16 – and Rodgers was one of them when his contract was terminated by Liverpool.
The Celtic manager feels managers and coaches should only be replaced in the summer and in January in the same way that players move between clubs.
However, his comments have coincided with the news that Liverpool spent over £15mililion on redundancy payments when they parted company with Rodgers and his backroom staff.
The Parkhead boss, preparing for Sunday’s Old Firm derby, said: “I think there should be a window to change managers.
“Players have it and I think it brings some organisation to the chaos and it could be done for managers.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the future, that’s the case. If we don’t have that, you lose the qualities of people.”
Rodgers, whose stock has never been higher, believes the dismissal of Ranieri, in particular, was the ugliest example of why finance now rules the game.
He said: “It shows you that there is no loyalty in football. It’s all about money. That aspect of loyalty has gone and the soul of football has disappeared.
“It’s still a wonderful and incredible game, but football has become materialistic. There are a lot of values that are slowly slipping away.
“I think, from a manager’s perspective, I am resigned to the fact that my plan to manage for 1,000 games or until I’m 60, might mean I have three or four jobs in that period.
“That’s why I don’t get too carried away when we win or too disappointed when we lose.
“One day you walk on water, the next you’re the devil. That’s how it works – and as longasyouknowthat.thankfully, I’m well into my career now so I respect and understand that. Social media and mainstream media make it very difficult for coaches and managers.
“Claudio Ranieri did a brilliantjobinwinningtheleague with Leicester and then what happens is – and what many people don’t understand – when you go into the Champions League you have many more games and the whole thing explodes.
“There are various things to consider. For example, you have a player that used to be at Fleetwood and now he’s playing in the Champions League. It was always going to be a difficult season for them but I’m sure they would have stayed up [had Ranieri remained].
“If not, then the owners have to take responsibility as well. There is obviously too much riding on it now financially. It’s the sadness of what new football brings but that’s where we are at.”
It may seem inconceivable