Struggling to a penalties victory over League Two side Carlisle United in the League Cup is going to do nothing but heap more pressure on Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

His week wasn’t helped when two players who flopped under his management worked wonders at other sides. Mario Balotelli struck a vital freekick in a win for Milan, while Iago Aspas grabbed a double as Celta Vigo defeated FC Barcelona in La Liga.

The next three Premier League clashes for Liverpool are going to be crucial for Rodgers.

First up his side face early season strugglers Aston Villa at Anfield. That should be three points in the bag for Liverpool but the Reds haven’t won* in their last seven fixtures (*games in ninety minutes). That run has included a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of West Ham, a home draw with newly promoted Norwich and a crushing loss to rivals Man United. Lose to Villa and it could be curtains.

Then after that they have the Merseyside derby against Everton coming early next month. A big defeat to the Toffees and that could persuade the Liverpool board that Rodgers isn’t the man to take the club forward.

Then there is an away fixture against Tottenham. Spurs are a good yardstick for Rodgers and his side as they too think they should be Champions League chasers. So all eyes will be on that fixture to see how the Merseyside club perform in that clash.

As Brendan’s coat peg begins to increasingly shake, the press have been speculating on who could come in and replace the Northern Irishman.

The favourite seems to be legendary Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti. Some in the media have suggested that Liverpool have already made an approach.

Now looking at it, Ancelotti would be a terrific appointment.

If Liverpool decide to sack Rodgers, then they should go for a coach who has a huge reputation and who can come in and get the best out of his squad.

He has been a great leader at almost every club he’s managed at. Winning titles at Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea and PSG.

His time at Chelsea will be seen as valuable to the Liverpool board, they’d obviously want someone who has both winning and Premier League experience.

The Italian also builds from the back and seems to get his defence right before anything else. That could be news to the ears for Liverpool fans who continually watch on as their side fail to defend in any good way.

But the Merseyside club will need to convince the fifty-six year old that Liverpool’s the best destination for him to return to football.

He announced after departing Real this summer that he was planning to take a years sabbatical and rest up after surgery. So is he ready to break that sabbatical after just a few months?

While I believe the Reds have a very decent squad, a lot of work is still required to make it a Top Four side.

The goalkeeping position, the defensive areas and possibly another forward could be needed. Carlo won’t come in unless he’s promised funds to reshape the team and that will mean another spending spree for the Liverpool board.

The club do have a lot of things in their favour with history, the fans and the clubs size being a big pluses. A return to the English Premier League could be very persuasive too.

But interestingly could Carlo end an Italian curse that seems to hanging over Anfield side?

Look at a list of Italian players who have played for the club.

Firstly they had Daniele Padelli, a dodgy keeper who was mainly used as a back-up.

Full-back Andrea Dossena arrived with a bit of a reputation but he failed to hold down a regular spot in the team and would leave for Napoli in 2010, although he did score agains Man Utd.

Alberto Aquilani joined to much fanfare after completing an £18m move. But the Midfield man struggled with injury and the pace of the game in England. Has never lived up to the hype, mainly due to more injuries.

When Brendan Rodgers arrived one of his first signings was Fabio Borini but the forward failed to make the step up. He seems more of a player when playing for smaller sides. Now at Sunderland.

Then there’s Mario Balotelli! The Italian striker has huge talent but he also has a big ego and just didn’t work well in the Liverpool team. He was ill suited to the Rodgers style and lasted just 12 months before being loaned back to Milan.

So if Carlo Ancelotti comes to Liverpool then he needs to prove that Italian’s can perform well at Anfield. In all honesty he’ll need to perform wonders to get the club where they want to be.

As I said before, he is a wonderful manager and would be a superb appointment if Liverpool sack Brendan Rodgers and make an approach.

But Brendan has three games to save his and his sides season. It’s certainly going to be an interesting few weeks coming up down Anfield way!

Posted on September 24th, 2015 by scott
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