Dubai: Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers deserves to stay at Anfield despite a disappointing season, according to former Reds legend Jamie Carragher.
Rodgers’ side finished sixth in the English Premier League (EPL) and failed to pick up silverware this season in a stark contrast to the season before where they narrowly missed out on winning their first league title in 24 years.
Carragher blamed the dip in form on the sale of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona for £75 million last summer, and said the players who had come in had failed to impress, but he absolved Rodgers of all blame.
“It may not be down to Brendan Rodgers,” said Carragher during an ‘audience with’ at McGettingan’s at JLT on Saturday. “He’s getting criticism this season but last season he was the best thing since sliced bread.
“He’s probably not changed as a manager and may be better for the experience. But it’s about the players and getting the right players in. I always believe managers get too much credit when it goes well and too much criticism when it goes wrong.”
The 37-year-old former defender, who made 508 appearances for Liverpool between 1996 and 2013, added: “Losing Suarez had a massive impact but what really affected Liverpool was that the players that have come in haven’t hit the ground running. Only Emra Can has plus marks.
“Signings haven’t worked but how involved is the manager in all signings? Of course he’s involved, I don’t think the club are signing players without his say so, but I think off the back of what he did last season he should be given the chance to get things right.
“The first season was about bedding in and getting things right and the second season we played football that took us to a place that no one dreamed of, almost taking the title.
“There’s no doubt this season has been a disappointment. The owners have been ruthless in the past, but for me I think he deserves to start next season and hopefully, with the arrival of new players, we can get back into the top four.”
Carragher singled out £16 million signing Mario Balotelli from AC Milan as one of the club’s biggest transfer flops.
“He shouldn’t have come in,” he added. “He wasn’t a risk, he was a guarantee that it wouldn’t work. We all knew what type of player he was having seen him at Manchester City.
“Rodgers said he [Balotelli] wouldn’t be coming, but when he couldn’t sign [Alexis] Sanchez and [Loic] Remy that may have altered his view. He didn’t have too many options and maybe that’s why we decided to buy him.
“Alongside [Rickie] Lambert and [Fabio] Borini it just hasn’t worked. The problem with Liverpool is scoring goals. We’ve got [Daniel] Sturridge who is injury prone but when he does play he’s quality.
“I’d imagine the club will try to move those three [Balotelli, Lambert and Borini] and bring in [Danny] Ings, [Divock] Origi and [Christian] Benteke.
“It also looks like he’s trying to bring in the fullback from Southampton [Nathaniel Clyne] because with Glenn Johnson leaving we need a right back. If those players come in and hit the ground running I’m sure we’ll have a good season,” he added.
