Rodgers is a coach of the future

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So after all that, Liverpool didn't go to Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona to find their new manager. They went to Swansea.

An acceptance, perhaps, of their new, reduced status in European football. After three successive finishes outside the Champions League places –- a competition they haven't been involved in since 2009 -– they finally seem to have acknowledged that they cannot fix this problem by switching it off and switching it on again.

Prospective new boss Brendan Rodgers, who will be confirmed as the new Liverpool manager as soon as the club's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) agree on a compensation package with Swansea, represents a complete reboot of the system.

Rodgers has long been touted as a coach of the future. This is his chance to shine. Liverpool could go a long way with him at the helm. But they're going to need everybody to get behind him.