Rodgers bids to bring old rival to book
BRENDAN RODGERS insisted he had no wish to publicise Sir Alex Ferguson’s autobiography but, when faced with defending the honour of Liverpool and his players, all those good intentions went out the window.
Eight minutes and 900 words later, Liverpool manager Rodgers had sought to bring Ferguson to book. By the end, he was in playful mood when asked about the former Manchester United manager’s acerbic assessment Liverpool were “eight players” shy of a title- winning side.
“We’re probably two short of what they need to win the league,” he said with a smile.
Rodgers’ demeanour had been less impish and more indignant initially as he responded to the points Ferguson had raised in a chapter about the Anfi eld club entitled ‘ Liverpool – The Great Tradition’, which spans 19 pages . He swatted aside the insinuation whose actions were not very good in the Manchester United game at home [ last season – he was sent off]. After the game, he was man enough to apologise to Sir Alex.
“It has gone in the book. And for a young player making his way in the game, it could be damaging. That surprised me, coming from someone with that status in the game.
“I’m sure that if he [ Ferguson] bumps into him, hopefully he will apologise.
“We’ll have a bit of banter with Henderson. We’ll tell him to run on his hands and knees. He is a fi t boy and you only need to look at him to see that his posture is terrifi c.
“Look at his record. He has hardly missed a game.”
Rodgers’ defence of his players was understandable and it will be interesting to see what tone Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho takes today if he is quizzed on Ferguson’s claim that Frank Lampard is not an “elite” player.
Likewise, the chance for Rodgers to stand up for Liverpool in the face of Ferguson’s barbs will appeal to many supporters.
“He can say what he likes, you don’t always agree with it,” said Rodgers. “But it’s by the by. It is for me to protect the club.
“I can understand some of the comments. When you have been a successful club like Liverpool, chasing them for so many years, you have to fi nd ways of bringing them down.
“This is a club that has class, a club that has history and is fi ghting in the modern era to get back to where it was.”
Yet the most important statement Liverpool can make comes tomorrow against West Brom, who beat them twice last season, when there is an opportunity to enhance their top- four credentials.
As for Ferguson, even though he no longer inhabits the managerial circuit, the circus around him continues. It is over to David Moyes today to either bite back at Rodgers’ wisecrack
– or bite his lip.