Rodgers evokes the Spirit of Shankly

Well, we know what Brendan Rodgers has been reading recently, don’t we. Red or Dead by David Peace is the hagiography of Bill Shankly and it is flying off the shelves as we speak. It charts the life and times of the great man from his arrival at Liverpool Football Club to the end of his days. It is a book centred around his fierce determination, passion, honesty and devotion to his life as Liverpool manager. It is a labour of love that celebrates his socialistic views, his desire for everyone at Liverpool (and indeed, the wider world) to work for each other. Every fan, tea lady and cleaner was every bit as important in Shanks’ mind as the superstars that he moulded into the great Liverpool teams of the 60s and 70s. Moments of triumph and despair were to be shared and commitment to the cause was not celebrated, but a pre requisite. How times change.

One can only guess how Shankly would have dealt with modern football and it’s spoilt, millionaire players. He’d probably have Luis Suarez doing laps of Melwood for the next three years for turning his back on the club and it’s people this week. Of course, in modern football that is not an option and lamentably we have no Shanklys left. Society and football have changed almost beyond recognition but when Brendan Rodgers faced the media to discuss that interview from Luis Suarez, the current incumbent of the Liverpool managerial position sent out messages that fans of any era would have approved of. The origins of those messages were easy to determine.

Rodgers can’t talk like Shankly, few can, but he gave it his best shot and relied on the principles of the great man to get him through a tricky moment.

The easy option would have been for Rodgers to give ‘no comment’ on his want away forward. Instead, he laid things out clearly. With honesty. With passion.

“Obviously the remarks I've read are bitterly disappointing - but my job is bigger than that. My job is to fight and protect the club. I will take strong, decisive action, absolutely. There has been total disrespect of the club - this is a lack of respect for a club that has given him everything. Absolutely everything.”

Rodgers is no Shankly. No manager today is. But his words evoked the great man. His words were music to the ears of Liverpool’s supporters. How Arsenal fans would have loved Arsene Wenger to say the same sort of things last year instead of selling Robin van Persie to Manchester United.

Rodgers poses next to Shanks' portrait at Melwood

The messages from Rodgers were not ambiguous. Yes, Suarez was bang out of order. Yes, he would be punished. Yes he has betrayed the club. The only surprising thing was that Rodgers didn’t repeat himself again and again during his answers to mirror Peace’s writing style in Red or Dead. 

Rodgers appealed to the emotion of fans and spoke of Suarez’s betrayal of them. It was almost textbook Shankly if, understandably, lacking in some of the gravitas that the Scot carried.

“I really, really feel sorry for the supporters, people that have sung his name. We have travelled the world over the course of this pre-season. 85,000 fans were singing Luis' name in Jakarta. It was the same in Australia, in Thailand and at Steven Gerrard's testimonial.”

Shankly’s holy trinity of manager, players and supporters were used in Rodgers’ condemnation of the Uruguayan also. When quizzed on whether Suarez could wear the red shirt again, the manager showed how deeply Suarez had cut the club.

“There's a few bridges to cross before that can happen (play for Liverpool again). It's about the respect, that's the only thing we look for. This is one of the most iconic football clubs in the world, you can't disrespect it. That's something I will ensure (an apology) before anything happens in the future.”

The great man in front of his adoring Kop

Of course, this could all be grandstanding but Liverpool’s resistance to sell to Arsenal seems sincere. How would Rodgers look if Suarez was sold for £40m after claiming that his value is far in excess of that all summer long? How would John W. Henry look after that famous tweet if Suarez made his way to the Emirates? Liverpool have backed themselves into a corner but it was the correct thing to do both from a moral viewpoint and as business decision. Selling Suarez to a rival at a low price shouldn’t even be an option.

The recent developments in the case suggest that Suarez has no legal grounds to demand a transfer at £40m. He is a rebel without a clause. Liverpool remain in the difficult position of having their best player being unhappy and determined to move but with no offer on the table that matches his value. It’s easy to see that there are many miles left in this saga but Liverpool and in particular Brendan Rodgers have dealt perfectly with it thus far. One hopes that FSG have the courage of their convictions and prevent Suarez from moving to the club that Liverpool need to overtake.

Rodgers’ press conference was a timely reminder that, even after all this time, the spirit of the man who built Liverpool and his ethos still reside somewhere within the corridors of Anfield.