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TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2015 SPORTS Liverpool’s decline leaves Rodgers’ future in jeopardy LONDON: As subscribers to the name is about to leave the club, with every right to be angry and frustrated Liverpool failed to get out of its The summer is also likely to be domi- “Moneyball” approach, Liverpool’s captain Steven Gerrard swapping and of course I take full responsibility for group in the Champions League and, at nated not by who comes in but whether American owners like to do their busi- Liverpool for Los Angeles after 17 years that.” one stage, was in 12th place in the Liverpool is able to keep hold of winger ness based on cold, hard statistics. as a professional at Anfield. Gerrard A 6-1 loss to a mid-table team with league. Later, Rodgers acknowledged Raheem Sterling, the team’s best young So here are some damning numbers scored three of Liverpool’s last four goals nothing to play for is the kind of result that at that time he feared for his job. player, who is refusing to sign a new for the hierarchy at Fenway Sports this season, taking his overall tally to that gets a manager fired, and social Rodgers changed the team’s forma- contract. Group to chew on before they sit down 186, and some pundits believe the play- media and radio phone-ins were filled tion to a 3-4-3 and the Reds went Gerrard’s departure leaves a gaping with Liverpool manager Brendan er who has held the club together for with Liverpool fans calling for the unbeaten in the league for 13 games. hole, not just in the team but at the club Rodgers for his end-of-season review in the past decade is leaving too early. It all removal of Rodgers after the game. With However, the final two months of the itself. the coming days. makes tough reading for Rodgers, who a respected coach like Juergen Klopp season saw Liverpool win just two of its And next season’s schedule already Liverpool finished a miserable season on Friday declared himself “150 percent” looking for work after leaving Borussia nine league games - against relegation looks complicated for Liverpool, which with a 6-1 loss at Stoke, its worst defeat sure that he’d still be in his post at the Dortmund, Rodgers is on shaky ground. contenders Newcastle and Queens Park must - because of its sixth-place finish - in the 23-year history of the Premier start of next season. Ever since Luis Suarez left for Barcelona Rangers - and lose to Aston Villa in the go through two qualifying rounds to League and its heaviest in 52 years. For Some aren’t so sure anymore - and last July, things have gone downhill for FA Cup semifinals in arguably the low compete in the group stage of Europa the first time in 84 years, the Reds con- that includes Rodgers himself. The man Liverpool and Rodgers. point of the campaign. At least before League. That competition has loaded a ceded five goals in the first half of a top- widely regarded as the top young man- The summer signings have been travelling to Stoke. heavy burden on English teams in recent division game. ager in Britain last season for guiding majorly disappointing - and Rodgers’ “It’s evident for all to see,” former years. In the space of a year, Liverpool has Liverpool to the brink of a first league lineup for the Stoke game reflected that. Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said And there’s still room for one last gone from the second best team in title since 1990 had a shell-shocked look Mario Balotelli wasn’t in the squad, fel- on his Facebook page, “there is problems insult for Liverpool fans. Belgium striker England to No. 6, despite an outlay of to him as he was asked to explain the low striker Rickie Lambert started on the at both ends of the field that will hope- Divock Origi, who will join on a perma- 116 million pounds (now $180 million) capitulation at Stoke. bench as Liverpool began the game with fully be rectified in some way this sum- nent basis this summer after being on new players in the last offseason. “If the owners want me to go then I no recognized forward, Dejan Lovren mer.” loaned back to Lille following his 10 mil- Rodgers has had three years as go,” an emotional Rodgers said, “but I and Lazar Markovic - who reportedly With no Champions League football lion-pound (now $15.5 million) transfer Liverpool’s manager and hasn’t won a want to be here.” “The fans deserve an cost a combined 40 million pounds (now on offer and with the likes of Manchester to Liverpool last year, was named in the trophy. apology,” he added. “They were angry at $62 million) - were unused substitutes, City and Manchester United set to spend French league’s worst team of the sea- Meanwhile, a man with the experi- halftime - and rightly so - because that and Adam Lallana and Emre Can played big this offseason, Liverpool is unlikely son by respected French newspaper ence of 710 Liverpool appearances to his was awful, absolutely awful. They have out of position. to attract the top names to Anfield. L’Equipe. —AP Mourinho hails departing Drogba LONDON: Jose Mourinho believes Didier keeping Cech. Drogba’s influence will continue to be felt “I keep saying the same. He’s a legend of at Chelsea even though the Ivory Coast for- this club, but he’s a legend at 33. Thirty- ward has called time on his second spell three for a goalkeeper is a very young leg- with the Premier League champions. end,” Mourinho said. Drogba announced his intention to leave “One of our strengths this season was to Stamford Bridge before the 3-1 victory over have the two best goalkeepers in the Sunderland on Sunday that ensured Premier League. When Thibaut Courtois Mourinho’s side ended their title-winning was injured, Petr made decisive saves in campaign in fitting style before being pre- matches for us. sented with the trophy after the final whis- “I’m not sure if Petr was not here in tle. these seven matches if we could be cham- The 37-year-old is keen to play on for pions, so his contribution was decisive. “But one more year, but will have to look else- we also have to be fair, and not emotional where for more regular first team action. with our analysis, and say that Thibaut is an Drogba was named captain but played amazing goalkeeper who had a fantastic only 28 minutes before being chaired from season for us. He’s a big champion.” the pitch by his team-mates as he was Members of Chelsea’s 2005 title-winning replaced by Diego Costa. team were reunited before kick off and And Blues boss Mourinho insists the vet- Mourinho said: “For me, to have here today eran’s legacy will continue to be felt the champions of 2004-05 and the champi- because of his impact on the development ons of 2014-15 is an amazing feeling of the club’s younger players. because I feel as if I belong to both. “The substitution was decided because “I belong to two generations. To be back he had a problem with his knee and, in nor- for the end of my team was hard. To see mal conditions, he could not play for long. Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien We left him on for half an hour,” Mourinho and Didier Drogba leave is very hard. said. “The captaincy was John Terry’s desire, “But my job is Chelsea’s future and to give him the armband. The players to Chelsea’s future is this team that we’ve bring him off the pitch? I think that was been working with in the last few years. “It LONDON: Middlesbrough’s Belgium player Jelle Vossen attempts an overhead kick as he is marked by Norwich City’s French player Sebastien decided between them because they like would be a dream to be here in 2025 and Bassong during their playoff final at Wembley Stadium. —AP him a lot. be with the champions of 2005, 2015 and “I’m really happy because he was part of 2025.” Sunderland arrived at Stamford the other team, but he belongs also to this Bridge having already secured their new Chelsea. “For these players to know Premier League status and boss Dick Norwich win promotion jackpot him, train with him, live with him, play with Advocaat, who masterminded their escape him, share with him is fantastic. after arriving on a short-term deal in March, LONDON: Norwich City won the promotion believing it and another thing doing it,” Neil ward to double their lead three minutes later. “He was very, very good for these young insisted he would make a decision on his jackpot as they swept back into the Premier said. “Big players arrive on the big stage and you This was a far more emphatic strike from people: Eden Hazard, Willian, Oscar. They own future soon. League with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough saw that in the first 20 minutes. We were unbe- Neil’s team, whose confidence, already high learnt from a good example. His was a fan- “Wait and see. It’s not up to me, because in the Championship play-off final yesterday. lievable.” after their play-off semi-final win over bitter tastic contribution this season.” they offered me already two or three years.