Brendan Rodgers Believes Anfield Pitch Has Negative Impact on Liverpool

There have been several factors blamed for Liverpool’s poor form so far this season, but the Anfield pitch is not one that immediately springs to mind.

Nonetheless, per Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph, manager Brendan Rodgers has requested that the hallowed turf be dug up because it’s hampering the team’s passing game.

According to the aforementioned article, Rodgers has been unhappy with the pitch since he took the job back in 2012, but it appears enough is finally enough for the Reds boss:

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We will be getting a new pitch next summer to help the speed of our game.

It is an old pitch that has not been upgraded for some years and it can be a disadvantage for us. It is difficult to play one-touch football on it.

It is nothing to do with the ground staff at the club or at Melwood, who are outstanding, it is just because the pitch is old. We will do the best on it until the end of the season.

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Rodgers lambasted the state of the surface in the wake of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in what looked like an act of frustration. However, there seems to be some clout behind his complaint, meaning the club will have an all-new surface to complement the development work being done on the pitch.

Bleacher Report’s Vince Siu suggests something should have been done already if the Reds chief truly has harboured long-term concerns about the pitch:

To the naked eye, the surface at Anfield is one of the most aesthetically pleasing in the Premier League, and there was certainly no mention of any issues when Liverpool were playing a brash band of attacking football during the previous campaign.

According to Bascombe, though, the regeneration has been in the pipeline for a long time.