Martinez was clearly the number one choice for Liverpool, no matter what they'll no doubt say now they've got Rodgers. He was identified early as the man they wanted but during the negotiations he refused to accept the off the field set up Liverpool have planned. They are going for a three tier Director of Football system apparently. One in charge of the general direction and strategic planning for the club, one focused on identifying players and the coach who takes the players he's given and moulds them into a consistent style of football defined by the DOF. Sounds very continental and you can't blame Martinez for not wanting any part of it.

Liverpool didn't get round to formerly offering Martinez the job, so will now deny he was first choice. We will get a week full of press releases about him being their man, when clearly he was still working on Swansea's transfers early in the week with no idea he'd be offered the manager's job at Liverpool.

I can't understand the reaction of the Liverpool fans to the news. I have a few mates who are Liverpool fans and they are acting all offended that the owners have put such a lowly name in charge of their great club. A lot online say they wanted a bigger fish, a Mourinho etc. Rodgers seems a very astute coach who will drastically improve the way Liverpool are playing. The Dalgleish appologists used to come on here and allege they were playing well every week, but they were absolutely appalling last season. The thing with Rodgers is he seems to have a really good eye for a player, an attribute which looks unlikely to be given the chance to shine at Anfield.

Looks like F could be out of the Euro's. Good job we have Henderson on standby

I think some people have the wrong idea about Asians and their loyalty to clubs with Asian players. Do people really think South Koreans are mad Arsenal fans because Chu-Young plays for them? I bet more people 'hate' Arsenal now than like them, simply because they've wasted a year of his career benching him. Then they have the nerve to go and play a friendly in Seoul this summer in an embarrassing attempt to 'cash in'. They're very fortunate that his military service has been delayed, as they would probably be even more angered if it was to be his last season in Europe.

For me, Kagawa is an outstanding player, easily good enough to play for any big club in the world. The potential 'growth' in the club's fanbase is an added bonus, but really doesn't come into consideration when you're talking about a player that talented.

My views on our managerial appointment are mixed. I'm actually pleased that we're implementing a better 'structure' at the club. Our club has lacked strategy for decades, we looked like we were finally getting things in place with Benitez, but things went wrong and we ended up going about five years back on ourselves. Rodgers' appointment is pretty much irrelevant if the club doesn't appoint the right people around him (van Gaal, is it?) and if they don't work well with him. Whilst I am happy we're putting in this new 'system', for me it's not something you can put in and make work instantly. I guess they have to make a start of it somewhere, so they've brought it all in at once, which is good, but I really thought the 'directors' would have been brought in first, simply to be involved in the interviewing process.

Let's be honest, you're living a pipe dream if you think Liverpool would compete with £150m, and you're living a pipe dream if you think our owners can invest that kind of money. They have said all along, they want to be able to compete by being clever, 'ahead of the pack' and self-sufficient. The model to follow is Arsenal, they easily have the best scouting system in the country, whilst they definitely don't have the biggest backers. They may not be winning the league, but they are always up there and the guarantee of CL money for them has meant they've been able to build a new stadium on the back of it.

Without an Arab, we will never be able to compete with Citeh and co. through sheer investment; we have to be clever about it. Instead of spending £20m-£30m on established players, we have to get them before they are established. Instead of spending £23m on Luis Suarez from Ajax, we should be spending <£1m on Suarez from Nacional, or <£10m on Suarez from Groningen. It's far easier said than done, but the owners clearly think if they have dedicated people to each 'role', it will maximise the performance of the club in those areas. Our failures of recent decades have clearly shown that allowing one man to run all footballing operations hasn't worked; to put the future of the of the club in the balance of one man clearly hasn't worked with us. Whether you agree with the structure or not, you have to agree that it makes far more sense for the owners to be investing in multiple men, rather than just one man and hoping for the best.

I'm mixed on Rodgers, I know little of his management style or philosophies (I'm sure we'll read he's the next Mourinho all week like we did when he went to Watford), but he done well with Swansea this year and he's obviously interviewed well with the ownership. I too would have wanted somebody with more 'pedigree', but how many people in that class would be willing to fit into our structure? Why would Jurgen Klopp leave a title-winning Dortmund that look like they're on the verge to a good few years in the CL? A club with players like Reus and Gotze about to enjoy their best years?

I don't think we should take the negative approach to Rodgers -- we really don't know how things will pan out. We're taking a complete fresh start this summer: new manager, new structure, new philosophies and new direction. To demand titles and multiple-year progress immediately is deluded. We should give them time, let them do things their way and judge by the results over a few years. If we don't improve, if we end up having repeated summers like the last one, then the owners won't last very long and they'll be offloading the club before long. But they don't want to do that, they want to win, they want to improve and they've gone with a method they think will work. It's nothing to do with baseball or NFL, it's to do with Liverpool and getting our club back on track.

All Rogers did at Swansea was carry on the work that Bobby did.

Probably did. But there's one thing carrying it on in the Championship, it's a different story doing it in the Premier League, which is what he done. Whilst I don't remember Martinez signing Sigurdsson - arguably one of the signings of the season. I'm not blowing his trumpet, by the way, I've already admitted I know little of his management style or philosophy. I am simply disputing your claim, which was probably made as a light-hearted attempted at a bit of sarcasm

I guess loan signings don't count. I guess when Fergie signed Tevez on loan for two seasons, he was just dismissed as a good signing because he was on loan? Dear Lord, talk about moving the goalposts.

I was reading an article about Rodgers a few hours ago that had this in thereRodgers has often described his joy at being able to get his hands dirty at Swansea. Although a tracksuit manager who says his natural environment is on the coaching field, his influence at the Liberty is everywhere from transfers to new training grounds.

Would he be able to operate in such a way with a sporting director hovering above him?'"

I think any Liverpool fan pointing him to be the next whoever is an idiot.

I wasn't praising Rodgers' ability to keep a player, I was praising his ability to spot a player who turned out to be one of the best signings that season. Keeping him will/would be harder because more teams will be interested now he's exposed as a good player in a strong league, but that doesn't mean you can't turn around and praise him for getting him in.

I obviously want us to improve, but I desperately want the new structure to work, just because I feel we're desperate for a bit of consistency. The last thing I want to be reading is unrest at the club due to 'somebody else signing players' or whatever. The club need to focus on knuckling down and focusing on making the right decisions, hopefully the role Rodgers will be in has been explained with true transparency.

Has Rodgers been sacked yet?


Rodgers out.

Wouldn't mind Sigurdsson at LFC. We could do with a box to box playmaker to sit infront of Lucas. He would also contribute with goals from midfield which we have lacked of late. Very good player.

Saddened, how do you know that Martinez was there number one choice? They approached him yes, but at the same time they approached Rodgers to, who turned the approach down.

One thing is for sure though, for the first time the owners have got their man, he is their choice so therefore I believe he will be given time and cash. He has impressed me with his signings at Swansea with the small funds he had at his disposal. Graham, Sinclair and Sigurdsson.have all proved great captures, interesting to see what he can do with more cash and at a massive club.

Might be able to get you to challenge the for a top 6 place. I agree that he will be good with the money, defintely be better than KKK who took the club back ten years. I think it's a great appointment, Sterling may breakthrough next year as well which bodes well for Rogers.

Swansea agreed a fee with Hoffenheim for him three days ago. Rodgers would have to the dirty on his former employer if he was to now take him to Liverpool. The fact that Rodgers instigated a move for Sigurdsson days before 'reportedly' moving to Liverpool leads me to believe he wasn't expecting to leave South Wales and therefore wasn't Liverpool's first choice.
With Paul Lambert now being mentioned as a likely replacement for McCleish you have to feel for Martínez. He wanted to move on, to better himself but he's ended up losing out on two good jobs and having to stay at a club that everyone from the chairman and fans to the tealady knows he tried to ditch.