Why Rodgers is right man to usher in Al Qadsiah’s next phase

The headline that accompanied affirmation conveyed precisely why Al Qadsiah had acted so decisively.

“Al Qadsiah appoints European teaching big Brendan Rodgers as Head Coach”, declared the article, posted on the membership’s official web site and transported around the globe through their social media.

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With a lot of the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League nonetheless to play, and with Al Qadsiah sitting fifth, the board had determined change was wanted. Coming as considerably of a shock, Michel was out and a former Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester Metropolis supervisor was in.

Michel, a Actual Madrid legend, had guided Al Qadsiah to promotion to the RSL from the 2023-24 Saudi First Division League, earlier than overseeing their first marketing campaign again within the prime flight final season because the membership ushered in a brand new period and a brand new id.

Impressively, there was a more-than-respectable fourth-placed end (and a runner-up within the King’s Cup), with Al Qadsiah boasting the perfect defensive report within the division.

However having fallen 10 factors off the tempo this time period, hindered by a solitary victory from their previous 4 fixtures, the membership concluded that now was the time for change as they appear to work their approach again into competition.

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A former Celtic coach may appear an odd appointment for an ex-Rangers Chief Govt Officer to make, however James Bisgrove, now having fun with the identical function at Al Qadsiah, is assured Rodgers is the person the lead the subsequent section of their evolution.

“It is a landmark second for the membership,” Bisgrove, who labored at Rangers between 2019 and 2024, stated in a press release launched by the membership. “The calibre of his expertise and monitor report of profitable displays our ambition and long-term imaginative and prescient to ascertain Al Qadsiah as one in all Asia’s main golf equipment.”

Whereas there was acrimony surrounding Rodgers’ latest exit from Celtic, he’s a revered determine amongst supporters having guided the membership to 4 Scottish league titles. Between 2016 and 2018, he received back-to-back trebles, whereas most just lately got here consecutive top-flight crowns within the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

Nevertheless, Rodgers’ journey started lengthy earlier than his second spell on the Glasgow giants. His first managerial appointment of notice was a way south, in Wales with Swansea, on the age of solely 37.

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There, Rodgers guided the membership from the English Championship – the nation’s second tier – to the Premier League, whereas incomes a fame as one of many extra progressive managers to emerge in latest occasions from the British Isles.

That fame was borne from how his groups performed: they prioritised possession, performed ahead, had been aggressive. Certainly, it earned reward from two Premier League greats who know a factor or two about stylistic soccer: Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger.

“They play soccer the appropriate approach,” was Henry’s view of Swansea in 2012.

His supervisor on the time, Wenger, parroted the plaudits.

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“They play with out worry all over the place,” the Frenchman enthused. “They’re a crew who look utterly in place within the Premier League. It’s totally good and superb information for England to have a supervisor like Brendan Rodgers adopting that fashion.”

Earlier than lengthy, Rodgers was difficult Wenger’s Arsenal for main trophies. Taking his place within the Liverpool dugout from June 2012, the Northern Irishman was put in to interrupt the membership’s lengthy title drought.

Nevertheless, had been it not for a memorable slip from captain, and former Al Ettifaq supervisor, Steven Gerrard, they maybe would’ve achieved that within the 2013-14 season.

Because it was, Liverpool completed runners-up and have become solely the second aspect in Premier League historical past to interrupt the 100-goal barrier in a single season.

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This was “Rodgers Ball” and, whereas he by no means tasted title success on Merseyside, in Glasgow he discovered the profitable system as Celtic dominated the home scene.

Bisgrove was working at UEFA throughout Rodgers’ first stint at Celtic, however when he later joined Rangers as his rival supervisor returned to the green-and-white half of the town, he noticed first-hand what the celebrated coach was able to delivering.

Likely, that was entrance of thoughts when it got here to discovering a brand new man to helm Al Qadsiah’s push to problem Saudi soccer’s conventional elite.

For all Michel achieved on the membership throughout two-and-a-bit seasons, there was a view amongst some that the crew was too defensively minded on the expense of their attacking menace.

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Bear in mind, in Mateo Retegui and Julian Quinones, they boast two of the RSL’s premier offensive abilities, whereas playmaker Musab Al Juwayr is the competitors’s reigning Younger Participant of the 12 months.

For pretty much as good as Al Qadsiah’s defensive report was, when it got here to the opposite finish of the pitch, they fell properly wanting the edges round them, with the bottom objectives scored of any of the highest six final season. Their 53 fell some 26 wanting champions Al Ittihad, and 42 objectives wanting second-placed Al Hilal.

This season, solely Al Ahli have scored fewer objectives of the highest six (12 to Al Qadsiah’s 16), with the common objectives per sport solely marginally higher than final season at 1.8.

To match, league leaders Al Nassr common properly greater than three objectives per sport. In the meantime, second-placed Al Hilal and Al Taawoun, in third, are averaging 2.7.

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So there’s clearly a view from the Al Qadsiah hierarchy that they need the crew to play a extra expansive, attacking fashion. The pondering should be that that, in flip, permits for a better problem on the pointy finish of the RSL desk.

Which is the place Rodgers is available in. With little greater than every week till Al Qadsiah resume league motion – they host Damac on December 27 – it seems not lots of time to rise up to hurry.

But, in appointing a “European teaching big”, Al Qadsiah have managed to make up floor because the vastly adorned Rodgers embarks on constructing a crew in his picture.

“Occurring that pitch, see each blade of grass on that pitch… we personal it,” the brand new appointment’s voice says within the membership’s announcement video, foreshadowing what’s to return.

Heading into a brand new 12 months, one other new period is about to start at Al Qadsiah. Rodgers’ reign guarantees a lot.