Barnes says Rodgers is right manager
While not all the fans agree with Liverpool’s decision last week to stick with Brendan Rodgers for next season, the manager has a staunch supporter in Reds’ legend John Barnes.
The former England winger was in Bangkok and Jakarta earlier last week where he rallied behind Rodgers despite his failure to win a trophy during his three years in charge.
“Of course Brendan should stay on,” Barnes told ESPN FC.
“There’s not another manager in the world who could do better than him with the players available. When we lost to Manchester United the second time, it all fell apart. But to expect us to finish second, like last season, was unrealistic.
“Yes, he spent £150 million on new players, but Liverpool can’t afford to pay the high salaries that other clubs do to get the real superstars. Chelsea won the league because they bought two players, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas.”
A decade and a half since retiring as a player, 51-year-old Barnes is in high demand all over the world. He is a Uefa Champions League pundit for South African television and is a frequent visitor to Asia, also stopping by Bangkok for a day on his latest trip.
He flew to Southeast Asia after attending the 10-year anniversary dinner last week of Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph over AC Milan in Istanbul.
As for unsettled England winger Raheem Sterling, Barnes believes that Liverpool should start preparing for life without him.
“If he doesn’t want to stay at the club, he has to go,” he said. “You can’t keep an unhappy player because he’s not going to perform. You need to get the money for him and bring in players who want to play for Liverpool. That’s modern football.”
Barnes’s Anfield career — with five major trophies, including two league titles between 1987 and 1997 — overlapped with that of departing club captain, Steven Gerrard, who “could be Liverpool’s best ever.”
He added: “Alongside Kenny Dalglish, he’s the greatest Liverpool player of all time. But now he’s 35 years old and he can’t run anymore. Liverpool were there before him, Liverpool will be there after him. What we need to do now is focus on how Liverpool can get where they want to be without him.”
Barnes’ visit to Jakarta last weekend coincided with Indonesia’s suspension from FIFA for government interference in football which sees the nation excluded from upcoming AFC World Cup qualifiers
“I’ve been coming to this part of the world for a while now and unfortunately politics plays a big part in football,” Barnes said. “The infrastructure and finances should be good enough for football to thrive here, if only people were allowed to do what they’re good at.”