Shaken by the demise of Scottish giants Rangers, new boss
refuses to continue Reds' habit of paying so-so players superstar
wages
Brendan Rodgers is ready to introduce a new
financial reality at Liverpool, after insisting: "I won't bankrupt
the club".
And he has warned potential new arrivals at Anfield
that simply signing for the Reds is no longer a ticket for the
gravy train.
Fans have also been told to expect some budget
acquisitions who will be rewarded only when they have proved
themselves.
"I am very much conscious on the value and worth of
players," said Rodgers. "There's no doubt there are top players who
have earned every single penny they get, but you can also get
certain types of players for less.
"The problem sometimes is there's a snobbery towards
players at a lesser club. It's an ignorance.
"You get scouts at a big club who see a young player
and think maybe he can't play. Then he will go to a big club and
all of a sudden they want him. It's about making those decisions
earlier.
"Look at the squad here, and there aren't too many who
have dropped from heaven to play for Liverpool.
"A lot have come through lower clubs, made their way
and now they are making their name at Liverpool.
"There's no doubt I want to get the best players I
possibly can, and that costs money.
"When you're not in the Champions League there is a
restriction in terms of what you can spend and I know that. I was
fully understanding of that before I came in.
"When players come here, it should be the beginning,
absolutely.
"If you look at the history of the club, it is about
hungry players, coming in from the lower leagues, from clubs in
Scotland and Ireland, and working their way up.
Counting the cost: Flop Aquilani set Liverpool back
£50m in total
"That has been the ethos of the club - talent
aligned with hard work takes you a long way.
"I just want to maintain that spirit within the club. I
like to think I practice it myself in the club. I find it difficult
to work with players who don't share and match that."
In a hard-hitting interview, Rodgers offered a damning
insight into the parlous state of Premier League football, which he
believes is heading for disaster unless clubs get their houses in
order financially.
Liverpool MD Ian Ayre has
admitted Liverpool were just days away from insolvency
before the current owners took over.
Rodgers said: "It's incredible this club came close to
bankruptcy.
"This is Liverpool Football Club.
"You may think it will never happen to your club, but
who would have ever thought that could happen to a team like
Glasgow Rangers?
"But listen, if football continues to pay the wages
that some clubs do, then you will be asking for it. That is the way
football is right now.
"Who would have thought that a club like Glasgow
Rangers would fall apart?
"If you believe that it can't happen... well, it can.
It might not be now but it could be later on. You can never say
that it will never happen.
"Look at that club's [Rangers] history and where they
have been in the game. That is a warning for everyone."
In recent years, Liverpool have been one of the clubs
adding to the massive problem by paying mind-blowing wages to
players such as Maxi Rodriguez, Alberto Aquilani, Joe Cole and
Milan Jovanovic.
Aquilani's signing
left the Reds with a liability of almost £50million in transfer fee
and wages, yet he played just 28 games before being shipped out on
a succession of loans.
For Rodgers, one of the biggest problems is players
arriving at big clubs and immediately expecting the superstar wages
and lifestyle without ever earning it.
That though, will not happen at the new Liverpool - as
Rodgers' stance in talks with Gylfi Sigurdsson proved.
The Icelandic midfielder was a major target for the
Reds' new manager, having starred for him at Swansea last season,
but Rodgers refused to spend silly money on salary and Sigurdsson eventually chose to join Tottenham
instead.
Rodgers then returned to previous employers Swansea and
bought midfielder Joe
Allen.
When asked if that proved players can't now come to
Anfield just to earn a quick buck, Rodgers replied
emphatically.
"No chance. Certainly not with me," he said. "In
professional and social life, I like to get value. That is just my
nature and just my upbringing.
I won't pay 'anything at all costs' - absolutely
not.
"If there is a player out there who can make a
difference, we will do all that we possibly can to bring him to the
football club.
"What I won't be prepared to do is waste time, money
and effort to bring in a player who won't add value to the
club.
"There have to be certain factors to make a player want
to come and play for you. Unfortunately for people, money distorts
the reality.
"I prefer the hungry player - those that want to
succeed. Of course they will earn good money, and they will get
their value and worth if they perform. I would rather work that
way."
No ordinary Joe: A beaming Rodgers with new signing
Allen
Rodgers knows it will take time for his
pragmatic philosophy to pay dividends, especially given he still
has plenty of supporting-cast players at Anfield who will prove
difficult to shift because they are on superstar
wages.
And life in the Premier League is complicated further
by the insistence of clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea on
paying huge money for even average players, massively distorting
the market.
