Soccer

Brendan Rodgers’ future at Anfield to be reviewed by Liverpool owners

Steve McClaren vying with Patrick Vieira for Newcastle job

Brendan Rodgers: continues to work on transfer targets like Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke. Photograph: Steve Parkin/AFP.
Brendan Rodgers: continues to work on transfer targets like Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke. Photograph: Steve Parkin/AFP.
Andy Hunter
Louise Taylor
Mon Jun 01 2015 - 23:00

Liverpool's chairman, Tom Werner, and the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) president, Mike Gordon, are due on Merseyside this week to conduct the review into the team's underwhelming campaign and its implications for Brendan Rodgers' future as manager.

The two members of the Anfield hierarchy are expected to arrive from Boston today before a far-reaching review into Liverpool’s sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

A poor return on last summer’s £117 million transfer spree, swift exits from the Champions League and Europa League and the manager’s part in a campaign that ended in a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Stoke City are all on the agenda.

FSG has indicated that Rodgers retains its backing since the final-day drubbing at the Britannia Stadium and is working on transfer targets that he has agreed on, including the Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke and Burnley forward Danny Ings.

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Fourth campaign

But the owners want to hear Rodgers’ plans for a vast improvement next season and his willingness to work within their model for

Liverpool

before moving into a fourth campaign with the Northern Irishman in charge.

Pressure grew on the Liverpool manager during a miserable end to the season when his team lost the FA Cup semi-final to Villa and faded from Champions League contention as a consequence of only two wins from the last nine league matches.

Both Jürgen Klopp and Rafael Benítez have been touted as potential replacements for Rodgers this summer but the German coach has confirmed his intention to take a sabbatical from football after ending his seven-year reign at Borussia Dortmund while the former Liverpool manager is expected to be unveiled as Real Madrid’s new head coach on Wednesday.

Strong support

Steve McClaren continues to command strong support in the corridors of power at Newcastle United where he is vying with

Patrick Vieira

for the manager’s job.

Much hinges on the outcome of talks involving Vieira, the Manchester City Under-21 coach, and Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, who hopes to be in a position to name John Carver’s successor by the end of the week.