Brendan Rodgers has denied compromising his managerial principles to accommodate Christian Benteke at Liverpool but said all coaches evolve with experience.
Rodgers focused on improving Liverpool’s defensive organisation in pre-season and has been repaid with two clean sheets in two wins before Monday’s visit to Arsenal. Liverpool’s encouraging start has also been notable for the number of crosses aimed towards Benteke, their commanding £32.5m summer signing from Aston Villa.
While Liverpool are still adapting their style at the start of a season containing several new players, the approach against Stoke City and Bournemouth has marked a departure for a manager who off-loaded Andy Carroll at the start of his Anfield reign and used to claim that “Plan B was to make Plan A better”. But Rodgers insists his philosophy has not altered.
“I think the purist element comes from other people,” said the Liverpool manager, who will make a late check on Jordan Henderson’s foot injury. “I’m always clear and I don’t change in relation to how we want to work and play. One of the key things in bringing Christian here is that first and foremost he can play football. His touch is good and his ability to bring players into the game is good - whether that’s with his feet or a little cushioned header What he gives us is that threat in the box.
“When you have a 6ft 4in player like Christian he affects when the ball comes into the box because of his physicality and mobility. It keeps the game alive that bit longer. It’s not like we were smashing it into the box and playing off the second ball. But we’re not against that. That’s not a compromise. Our notion in the game is always to dominate the ball. I’ve been in football a long time and my emphasis has always been possession, but dangerous position.”
The Liverpool manager entered the campaign under intense pressure for results following last season’s domestic and European disappointments, but maintains that style remains important to him.
Rodgers explained: “Ultimately it’s about results but, for me, it’s also how we play. I worry that we play good football. I’ve always done that in my life working with young players, working at senior level as a manager in 300-odd games. I’ve always worried about the football. I’m not one that will go into every game and not worry about how we play and take a 1-0.
“Of course you can do that at times but the nature of how we work on a daily basis and as a coaching staff is based around a tactical idea on intelligent footballers, creative footballers with high energy and the ability to press the game and to make it really difficult for opponents with and without the ball. That notion hasn’t changed. Of course as you evolve as a manager and a coach you understand and recognise that at times there are different ways to win a game of football. That was the idea with bringing in different types of players. That hopefully gives us a better way to win.”
