'Rodgers has right attributes'
Former Reds boss Roy Evans has offered a unique insight into the experience of becoming Liverpool manager and claimed Brendan Rodgers has the right attributes to move the club forward.
Evans, who first joined the club as an apprentice in 1965 and was handed the reins as manager between 1994 and 1998, revealed to Liverpoolfc.com the tasks Rodgers will have been facing this week after his squad returned to Melwood for pre-season training.
"Obviously it's quite daunting on your first day," said the 63-year-old, who replaced Graeme Souness midway through a season which saw the Reds finish eighth. "From Brendan's point of view, he doesn't know most of the lads so he's meeting new people.
"He needs to put across what he intends to do and how he intends to do it, what he expects of the players and staff. He will have plenty of time to get on the training pitch before the season starts, which is good.
"The man management side is really important. You try to get the best out of your players, try to talk to them, because they are all different and they all have different personalities. You treat them as a team when it comes to games but you have to be individual with them on a daily basis.
"When you do get the job, you realise what it means to so many people, what responsibility it holds. But when you realise that the future of your club and the fans' club is in your hands, your first day is very nervous."
The appointment of a young, upcoming manager has pleased Evans, who praised Rodgers for his impressive mission statements so far and noticed a hint of former Liverpool bosses in the new man at the helm.
He said: "I think he did an excellent job at Swansea, playing some great football and decent to watch - all the attributes that you want Liverpool to be.
"The pressure starts when the games start and that becomes a different thing. But so far, I think he has made a great start and people are looking forward to seeing where he can take us.
"It's time to go forward with a young man. I like the way he talks about football, he sounds passionate and he has a touch of some ex-Liverpool managers in him so far."
Swansea's 11th placed finish in the Barclays Premier League last season was a surprise to many, as the Welsh club flourished with an attractive, passing game. Evans warned that expectations will be higher at Anfield, however.
"If you have come from Swansea, where the biggest thing was to stay in the Premier League, the other end of the scale is that the expectation at Liverpool is massive and that's something he will have to address," Evans continued.
"It's not an easy job but he knows that, and if you come to Liverpool you don't expect it to be easy, you expect it to be challenging and that's what it will be.
"The toughest thing is always the results because results are everything and fans judge you by results. But Brendan will know that, it's not something that will be a shock to him. Hopefully he can deal with that and be successful."
Evans was a central figure as a succession of legendary managers took charge of the Reds during the 1960s and beyond, but asked to name his managerial hero, he pinpointed Joe Fagan.
"I was a massive fan of Joe Fagan because he was straightforward and honest. You won't find any ex-players that played under Joe that would knock him. If he said you were playing badly, you took it," said Evans.
"He was a bit like my father. Joe was great in the professional game and I always had a great relationship with him. Joe will always be my friend in football management, with the style I would like to have had."
Rodgers has always espoused his own style of football and Evans is confident that only a few minor changes, along with a unified vision at the club, are required to bring improvement to Anfield.
He said: "We are a passing team, we have the ability to do that and he has a good start on that. We need to be a bit more aggressive at home; we should take the game to teams very early. Just a more positive attitude and we need to take more than our fair share of chances.
"Your backroom staff have to be supportive of you but you want them to have their own ideas, not just say yes. But once you've decided what you are going to do, they have to back it to the hilt. That's what you want from a backroom staff and they are massively important to the manager."
Evans admitted his pride that his Liverpool side of the mid-'90s are considered one of the most enjoyable to watch in recent years, but concluded that winning is all-important.
"The best part of being a manager is when you win, it gives you great satisfaction. You don't think you have any problems when you win; when you lose you think you have a million. You don't get carried away but you enjoy the moment."