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Rodgers won’t sell out on his principles

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Brendan Rodgers has revealed that even getting the sack from Reading didn’t cause him to compromise his football principles.

On 16 December 2009 the Irishman was sacked by Reading after 23 matches which brought just six wins.

It was another six months before Rodgers was back in the dug-out but since getting the job at Swansea his career has been on an upward spiral.

Fourteen months ago Liverpool decided to part company with Rodgers but as time passes his achievement of finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the 2014 Premier League looks more and more impressive.

Celtic are now getting the benefits of that experience with his footballing principles getting the backing of the hoops support in growing numbers.

Explaining his managerial style to The Sun he said: “I think it’s the way you sell it. All clubs are different and my way is always an aggressive way.

When I went in at Watford they were in the bottom three, and players had been told they were going down.

It was my first job and I had to sell the idea to the players we could do it and do it in a certain way.

After a difficult start when confidence was low we turned it around and things were able to develop.

At Reading it didn’t work, 20 games and I was out.

At Swansea they were seventh and trying to be the first Welsh team to reach the Premier League. Can you impose that aggressive style, give them confidence and get promoted?

At Liverpool the team had been eighth in the league, and had not qualified for the Champions league for five or six seasons.

I imposed my working style and got there eventually, and nearly won the league.”

By the end of this season it looks very likely that Rodgers CV will start to show the honours to compliment the principles he refuses to compromise on.

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