The Premier League Game of Thrones
By Ryan Wrenn
Brendan Rodgers – Liverpool
Projected Finish: 5th
How’d he do?
The late collapse of Liverpool’s title challenge last season carried into this season. The club’s frantic buying spree following the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona drew comparisons to Tottenham’s flailing efforts following Gareth Bale’s sale. The players brought in were talented but none could hope to replicate the unearthly production of Suarez. An injury to Daniel Sturridge early in the season did not help matters. Rough debut seasons for a number of new players led to some undesired reshuffling of Rodgers’ lineup. Inconsistent performances followed, including Liverpool’s exit from the group stage of the Champions League and semifinal loses in both cup competitions. Rodgers’ deserves credit, though, for mostly recovering from the loss of a player like Suarez.
Season Highlight: The 3-0 victory at Tottenham on the third week of the season gave some hope for the season to come.
Season Lowlight: Rodgers fielded a B team for the 1-0 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League in what ended up feeling like an eminently winnable fixture. Also, Mario Balotelli.
Future?
Possibly Out, oddly enough. It’s no coincidence that Rodgers’ time with Liverpool parallels their return to relative prominence. His man management got the best of Luis Suarez and he’s easily one of the more tactically experimental managers in the Premier League. Despite that, rumors continue to swirl that the club is ready to move on after a slightly disappointing season. Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Borussia Dortmund has only fueled speculation.