As Brendan Rodgers celebrated winning the Manager of the Month award for August, Gerard Houllier has praised the regime of the new Liverpool manager.
Houllier enjoyed a six-year spell at Anfield, during which time he led the Reds to the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and two League Cups, before he was replaced by Rafael Benitez in 2004. He remains a hugely popular figure in the red half of Merseyside, and was given a tremendous reception when he returned with Aston Villa in December 2010.
It is no surprise, then, that the French coach continues to keep a close eye on developments of his former club, who have opened the Premier League season with three successive wins. This has resulted in Rodgers being named as Manager of the Month for August, and Houllier has nothing but praise for the softly-spoken Northern Irishman.
“I like his philosophy because it goes well with the Liverpool culture,” said the 66-year-old. “I like his passing game and also their results so far this season. They’re top of the league and I hope they can stay there for as long as possible. I was impressed by their solid resilience and team spirit. When you win 1-0 you can’t say the result is easy.”
Rodgers’ next task in his second term in charge will be a return to Swansea City on Monday night, as his side look to maintain their perfect start to the campaign. In contrast, his old employers have endured a difficult beginning to the season, having lost two of their three league fixtures although they have progressed in the UEFA Europa League.
Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, has been named the Player of the Month after the contribution he has made to Liverpool’s winning start. The England international scored the only goal in both victories at Aston Villa and at home to Manchester United, and he will hope to have overcome a groin problem in order to line up at the Liberty Stadium.
