The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rodgers

  • Late Hornets winner provides sting in the tail for Rodgers

    Brendan Rodgers suffered disappointment on his Premier League return as his first game in charge of Leicester ended in a 2-1 defeat at Watford after Andre Gray’s injury-time winner.

    Rodgers is back in England’s top flight for the first time since October 2015 when he was sacked at Liverpool following his appointment as Claude Puel’s replacement earlier this week.

    And it looked like being a respectable start to his Foxes reign as Jamie Vardy’s 10th goal of the season cancelled out Troy Deeney’s early header.

    But the game ended in the same way as it started as Gray struck in the closing moments to inflict an opening defeat on Rodgers and deliver a fourth win from five for the Hornets.

    Rodgers, who opted to leave Celtic despite going for a treble treble, could not have envisaged a worse start to his tenure as his new side fell behind inside five minutes.

    They were lucky not to go behind in the second minute as Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel blocked Deeney’s effort and then Wes Morgan brilliantly blocked Gerard Deulofeu from the rebound.

    But it was only a temporary reprieve as Deeney headed home Deulofeu’s free-kick from close range for the Watford striker’s eighth of the season.

  • Player Of The Month Award Ambrose thanks Rodgers

    Player Of The Month Award Ambrose thanks Rodgers

    Celtic outcast Efe Ambrose has thanked manager of Celtic Brendan Rodgers for the role he played in his career despite a troubled spell at the club, which lead to his departure on loan to Hibernian in the Scottish Championship.

    Ambrose was voted the Championship player of the month for March after his spectacular showing in the eight games he played for promotion chasing Hibs, who are been coached by Neil Lennon, the man who bought him from MS Ashdod in Israel to Celtic.

    “Like I said yesterday this award wouldn’t have been possible without the help of coach Rodgers. He made me not to lose hope , let me repeat myself he is a father and a friend to me. I learnt a lot playing under his tutelage”, Ambrose told Owngoalnigeria.com

    “My immediate aim is to help Hibs to the title, then see what happens in the future because my next move will be crucial to my dreams of going to the World Cup 2018 with the Nigeria national team”.

  • Rodgers tips Coutinho for greatness

    Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes the “magical” Philippe Coutinho can take the UEFA Champions League by storm.

    Brazilian playmaker Coutinho has regularly shown glimpses of his ability since arriving at Anfield from Inter in January 2013.

    He made 33 Premier League appearances as Liverpool went agonisingly close to winning the title last term, and was the Merseyside club’s stand-out player throughout their pre-season preparations after missing out on a place in his country’s World Cup squad.

    Liverpool will return to the Champions League following a five-year absence in the upcoming campaign and, after watching a virtuoso Coutinho display in his side’s 4-0 friendly demolition of Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, Rodgers tipped the 22-year-old to shine on European club football’s biggest stage.

    “He’s so gifted – his ability is magical [and] the weight of his pass is phenomenal,” purred the Northern Irishman, who revealed last week that he wants to tie Coutinho down on a new contract.

    “He’s come into the country and lit it up with his quality. [The important thing for his development] is sustaining that level of performance.

    “He’s got the opportunity to show he’s a top-level player in the Champions League and he’ll do that.

    “Over the next four or five years, he’ll be a big talent in world football for Brazil and Liverpool.

    “We’re lucky to have him.”

    Coutinho was among the scorers as Liverpool routed Dortmund at Anfield, and Rodgers was thrilled with his team’s performance.

    “[I’m] delighted with the result – they [Dortmund] have been one of Europe’s best teams for the last three or four years,” he added.

    “We were excellent, and this brings to an end what has been a very good pre-season.”

  • Rodgers dismisses talk of Balotelli move

    l;iverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has dismissed talk that he is poised to make a move for Milan striker Mario Balotelli.

    Rodgers was full of praise for Italy international in the lead up to his side’s International Champions Cup meeting with Milan in Charlotte on Saturday, labelling the 23-year-old a “big talent”.

    Those comments resulted in speculation that the Northern Irishman could bring former Manchester City man Balotelli back to the Premier League as he looks to fill the void left by Luis Suarez, who signed for Barcelona last month.

    However, ahead of Liverpool’s International Champions Cup final against arch-rivals Manchester United in Miami on Monday, Rodgers has poured cold water over such reports.

    “I was asked the question about Balotelli last week and spoke about what a talent he is,” he explained on Sunday.

    “But I can categorically tell you that he will not be coming to Liverpool.

    “He is a wonderful player, but he is an AC Milan player.

    “I just gave my opinion on him – but [that] doesn’t mean I’ll be signing him.”

  • Rodgers:´We can score goals´without Suarez

    Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his team has plenty of goals in them post Luis Suarez.

    Suarez, who has joined Barcelona, scored 31 of his team’s 101 Premier League goals last season.

    Speaking after his side’s 1-0 win over Olympiacos on Sunday, Rodgers said he had already seen enough to be confident in his team’s attack.

    Raheem Sterling scored the only goal in Chicago, with Daniel Sturridge and new signing Lazar Markovic also starting.

    “I see it in the players that scored 70-odd goals last season. It’s very simple,” Rodgers told reporters.

    “Luis Suarez isn’t a Liverpool player so I don’t need to talk about or reference Luis Suarez.

    “I’ll just worry about the players I have, who showed in enough games last season and the season before, when we didn’t have Luis, that we can score goals. That won’t be an issue.”

    Rodgers said Sturridge, who scored 21 league goals in 2013-14, was ready to take another step up, while he praised Sterling and Markovic.

    “I’ve seen a difference in Daniel since he came back,” he said.

    “He has obviously got confidence from the World Cup and his season last year.

    “I think he’s ready to take on the mantle. He got 20-odd goals last season so he’s a striker of great value.

    “Markovic will only get better and better. He showed great strength when he burst through and hopefully later on when he picks up that speed and sharpness in his game, he’ll go on and finish that.

    “We’ve got good speed. Raheem Sterling is always a threat – he’s a joy to watch. I thought those three were really exciting.”

    Rodgers said he was delighted with his team’s progress, insisting the focus was still on fitness.

    “I was very pleased,” the Northern Irishman said.

    “In the first half we started the game very well, our passing was crisp and precise. We scored a very good goal and we looked a real threat at the top end of the field, both in combination play and on the counter-attack.

    “I was also very pleased with how we defended. We had good shape early in pre-season. We made changes in the game and the young players had some minutes on the field.

    “Some of our players who had only been back for a week or so got 45 to 60 minutes. Overall, I was delighted.”

  • Rodgers eyeing January deals

    Rodgers eyeing January deals

    Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted he will be looking to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.

    The Reds are short of options in attack after failing to bring in a replacement for Andy Carroll before the close of the summer transfer window.

    The need for reinforcements, particularly in attack, has increased with the foot injury suffered by Fabio Borini leaving Luis Suarez as the only recognised fit senior striker at the club.

    Rodgers has revealed he has spoken to the club’s American owners about the need to bolster his squad in January and he is hoping to get the green light to bring in some new faces.

    “There are still areas we want to reinforce – and we have to reinforce as soon as we can,”

    Rodgers is quoted as saying in the Mail on Sunday.

    “Our best team are comparable to any team in the Premier League. But we’re a very thin squad and we are having to challenge on a lot of fronts.

    “I’ve had good conversations with the owners and they understand where we are at as a team.”