RODGERS: 'IT'S JUST PERFECT'
GOOD things come to those who wait, goes the old adage. For Brendan Rodgers that may well now be the case, as a decade and a half's worth of preparation yesterday (Monday) culminated in him making Watford his maiden managerial appointment.
Leaving many people's champions-elect, Chelsea, Rodgers makes the short hop north of London to the very heart of Hertfordshire, leaving behind a career made up of youth and reserve team posts, to take up the lead role at Vicarage Road.
But it's not one that daunts him for unlike some who get parachuted into the big jobs without having learnt their trade, Rodgers has gone through a thorough schooling on the coaching pitches of England. His stock in trade? Taking talented players and making them better. How? Education, education, education.
Rodgers has waited patiently for the right opportunity to come along, and to take the role of manager at a club whose philosophy matches his own. So, why Watford?
"It just feels right, it's like the hand in the glove, it just feels perfect. I think timing is so important and for both parties, I don't think the timing could be better.
"It's a job I've been preparing for, for over 15 years. I've had a number of opportunities to leave Chelsea, but to leave the job I had at a club of that status, it had to be for the right opportunity. I firmly believe this is it. I'm absolutely delighted to be given the chance.
"I admire the culture of the club, it wants to promote young, British talent, it's a club with a good tradition and for me, it is also important that it is a club that has a community feel to it.
"I was at Reading for a long time and that was a club built on a similar foundation, where the community and the town was very important. I know that Watford's a town where people support their club.
Born in Carnlough, on the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland, Rodgers was schooled in nearby Ballymena, showing sufficient talent to become a schoolboy international.
After a promising career as a youngster, which took in clubs such as Manchester United, Rodgers ended his playing days at the tender age of 20 to turn his attentions to coaching.
"I would never have been good enough to have been a top player," said 35-year old Rodgers. "So I moved into coaching and that became my passion."
Today he can look forward to putting a life's work into practice and instilling his footballing philosophy into a new group of players, a philosophy which should sit nicely with the Watford faithful.
"My role is to get results and performances with the first team first and foremost.
"My philosophy is very much about constructing a game plan that is effective but is about people playing football. Obviously I also see it as part of my job to put time into the development of young players.
"The short-term ambition is for us to get to know each other and develop a style and cohesive systems. What is critical is the style of football as I am very much a believer in the passing game.
"The second best thing to scoring goals in a game of football is having the ball.
"For that you need to have confidence, don't be embarrassed to have it. At Watford there are some terrific players who can pass, who can move, and can score goals.
"Any footballer wants to play that way and the short term goal is to introduce this philosophy and get the players working well in training with an intensity. Slowly but surely we'll see some very positive outcomes I am sure."
Rodgers' plans stem from a coaching career that started at Reading in 1995, coaching the Royals' under 15s, before becoming their Academy Director in 2003. He then moved to Chelsea a year later, where he would become an integral part of Jose Mourinho's set-up at Stamford Bridge.
"I have worked with children from five years of age through to the biggest and best players in the world," said the man who ironically shares a birthday with Mourinho.
"I have been very fortunate to have worked from a young age with some of the best coaches, not only in this country, but in the world. I have spent a lot of time travelling to pick up fresh ideas and ways of doing things. I speak Spanish and have spent a lot of time in Spain.
"I have worked with some terrific British managers here such as Steve Coppell, Alan Pardew and my dear friend Tommy Burns, who passed away this year. Going on to Chelsea gave me experience of working with some of the leading managers in the world.
"In doing that, I have been picking up pieces along the way and adding to my own methodology, so that when the opportunity arose, I could then present my thoughts on how I think the game should be played and how I can develop that game.
"I have produced a plan going forward for Watford, and an integral part of that revolves around the Academy base. That's for internal consumption, only for my coaches and staff, but it is something that we will hopefully give us the basis for making real progress."
That news will be music to the ears of those who put great store in what the Hornets have achieved in partnership with the Harefield Academy - an innovative, unique Academy concept that sees young players given three times more coaching time than any traditional Academy model.
"To me the Academy plays a key role in my job," said the Northern Irishman. "Watford's interest and hunger to see young players develop is clear and that matched my thinking also.
"I think that you either have to have youth in your heart or you don't. I think you either have that inherent belief in young players or you don't. I believe in that passionately, and I also believe it is the way ahead for this club, given the resources we have compared with those at Chelsea for example.
"It's something that's close to me because I spent the early part of my career developing some of the best talents around the country."
Rodgers' joins Watford knowing that despite a lowly league position at this time, the table doesn't quite tell the tale of a side that are inches rather than miles away from being a very competitive Championship side.
"When you look at the players and the people that are here, it is much better than the position reflects," said the man who is cousin to Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington.
"It is certainly a league where with four or five results you can go from third bottom to somewhere near the play-offs. I will be promoting that with the players.
"For me it is more than just being above relegation, it's about wanting to challenge for a play-off place, but there's an awful lot of hard work to go before that."
Rodgers was also quick to praise former boss Aidy Boothroyd for leaving the blocks in place on which he can now build a side in his own mould.
"I have to give credit to Aidy Boothroyd, who has done a wonderful job at Watford, and as a young manager he went in and did really, really well with the Club. I have the utmost respect for that.
"For me it's a similar opportunity, but it's from a different cycle that we start and it's a different footballing philosophy. I am a young ambitious manager at a Club that believes in youth.
"But Watford have had wonderful success over the last five years and the opportunity to go in and build on that, with the players and people that are there, was just too good to turn down."
With a watching brief for Watford's game at Ashton Gate, Rodgers will get into the real action on Saturday in home surroundings, as he takes charge of the side proper against Doncaster Rovers - a moment to savour.
"I have been growing and developing and had many fantastic experiences, from the Champions League to being there when Chelsea won the Premier League.
"They are memories I will never forget, but coming to Watford and walking out at Vicarage Road for my first game will be one of the most satisfying moments of my life."
Finally the new man at the helm had a promise for the fans who will be backing him, starting today.
"What I can promise supporters is that from my first day at Watford I will become the biggest supporter of Watford. It's just that I'm the one that is stood on the side managing the team.
"I will give my life to making sure that we are as successful as we can. You have to put in a lot of hard work to be successful and I'm overly ambitious for the club's success as well as my own.
"I can't do it on my own, I am 35 years of age. I have every belief in my ability but I cannot do it on my own. It's important that we are all working together, we are unified."
Rodgers will join Club Chairman Graham Simpson at a press conference this Wednesday, where we will report further on the new Watford manager at www.watfordfc.com
Pictures courtesy of Chelsea FC & Getty Images
