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Brendan Rodgers On Learning The Game Abroad


Mame Biram Diouf

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Brendan Rodgers admits he likes his Swansea players' 'brains to be sore' after every training session as he continues to draw influence from Barcelona.

The Swans, newcomers to the Premier League following their promotion last season but firmly on course for survival, have attracted plaudits for their patient passing style under Rodgers,spacer.gifearning comparisons with European giants Barca.

The Welsh side will go up against Manchester Cityspacer.gif on Sunday withRoberto Mancinispacer.gif having previously admitted they "play the best football in England."

Rodgers, who guided the Swans into the top-flight on his first season at the Liberty Stadium, previously spent years studying the approach of Spanish giants Barcelona,spacer.gif as well as Dutch sides Ajaxspacer.gif and FC Twente.spacer.gif

The manager has worked to emulate their philosophies at Swansea and bring intelligent football to the club.

"Barcelona has been my inspiration. I never run away from that. I spent many years travelling there learning about the model of Louis van Gaal and Johan Cruyff,spacer.gif" he told the Sun on Sunday.

"When I quit playing I wanted to understand that way and structure, the relationship between the youth teams and the first team.

"Obviously the leading lights were the Spanish and the Dutch."

He added: "After two weeks here I felt we would have a great chance because of the honesty of the players.

"They were sponges for information and wanted to work. They just soaked up what I was telling them.

"I like players to think. I like their brains to be sore after every session. I want them to keep thinking. To play this way you need players with incredible intelligence."

Rodgers says spending time as youth team coach at Chelsea under Jose Mourinhospacer.gif played a key role in his football education.

But the 39-year-old admits his approach differs greatly from the Real Madridspacer.gif manager's, adding: "With Mourinho, my football education was the equivalent of going to Harvard.

"But my philosophy on the pitch is completely different to his, yes.

"Absolutely. People don't see how there can be a difference. But the key is before I went there my philosophy was already formed.

"I had 10½ years of development as a coach. My principles were already in place. Going from Head of the Academy at Reading to Chelsea meant I was able to explore these ideas with top talents."

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Guy has been a massive success, makes me wonder if he can do it with the players he has surely loads of other teams could get a similar sort of success.

How far do you think he can take Swansea?

What do you think his next job could/should be?

Maybe Liverpool/Tottenham is too soon for him but right now there is not a lot of choice out there

Would love someone with his sort of philosophy and understanding of the game at OT, hopefully he can test himself somewhere else, get some silverware and be considered.

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