Brendan Rodgers' departure a surprise to John Aldridge
Sunday 4 October 2015 20:26, UK
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge admitted he was shocked to hear the news of Brendan Rodgers' sacking as Liverpool manager.
Rodgers was shown the door at Anfield following the Reds' 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, a match which Aldridge attended.
Aldridge told Sky Sports News HQ: "I'm utterly shocked. I've just got back from doing LFC TV and I've seen all the press conference and I'm really shocked the way it has all happened so quick.
"A lot of pressure has come on Brendan on social media from Liverpool fans and I have to say it's been largely in favour of him going to be quite honest. Us ex-players have tried to be constructive in our criticism of how Liverpool have portrayed themselves over the last couple of months of last season and the way we've started this campaign - it's not been great.
"You wait and see signs of us rejuvenating but it's not really happened up to now. The timing I have to say - I thought Brendan was going to be given a bit more time to turn it around - but you move on. That's what football is all about, it's a results business and Liverpool has got a massive, big stand to fill with nearly 10,000 more seats and they have got to get the feelgood factor within the club which we haven't had for a while now and maybe that might have tipped the balance with the owners.
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"The size of the club, we need to be up there, we need to be challenging not just to get in the top four; challenging for trophies and titles and European Cups. Over the last three years we had a little bit of a stint in the Champions League but it didn't last very long - but that should be happening year in, year out and unfortunately we look a long way off being there at this moment in time."
Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti have both been linked with the position in recent weeks, and the Super Sunday experts Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness gave their backing to former Dortmund boss Klopp, and Aldridge expects one of those two to be given the job.
He added: "I say before you sack a manager you have to have someone in place straightaway, someone on the back boiler and I presume, although I might be wrong, that the owners must have done that.
"They must have done their homework and have been talking to a person in case things went wrong in the way they see things, so I think it's who we have been seeing in the press - it could be Klopp, it could be Ancelotti - so I would think they will be the favourites."
