Redknapp: Liverpool Will be Playing the Tiki-Taka Style

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Brendan Rodgers has the temperament to succeed at Anfield and backed the club's supporters to remain patient as he adapts to life on Merseyside.

Rodgers, 39, will be unveiled as Kenny Dalglish's successor at a press conference on Friday at 10am after Liverpool and Swansea agreed a compensation deal.

Redknapp worked alongside Rodgers when he started his coaching badges at Chelsea and the ex-Liverpool captain said it was obvious "he had something special about him."

"He wants his teams to pass in all areas. He has used a system that has worked in Spain, especially for Barcelona - principally the two centre halves split, the full backs push on and the holding midfielder steps in and plays from there," Redknapp told the Daily Mail.

"Everyone is encouraged to get on the ball, take risks, pass it, keep it. Liverpool will be playing the tiki-taka style."

Rodgers was appointed by then-Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho as youth-team manager in 2004 and was promoted to reserve-team manager two years later. He left west London in 2008 to become Watford boss.

He is expected to be given a three-year contract at Liverpool and Redknapp remains adamant Rodgers will not alter his coaching ethos with a bigger squad and transfer budget to manage.

"He won't change at Liverpool, but he will need time to implement his way of playing," said Redknapp. "The Liverpool crowd will be patient, because they love and understand their football and will quickly see what he is trying to achieve.

"Liverpool used to pass teams to sleep, but in recent times some of the managers they have had sent the players to sleep in training, with sessions based on stopping the opposition. At times, Liverpool supporters have been starved of good football.

"This squad should be excited about working with Brendan because he won't waste a training session, where he will be working with the ball and teaching them how to break down other teams."

Rodgers initially declined Liverpool's approach about the vacancy 12 days ago before the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, made it clear the Northern Irishman was their first choice.

And Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has backed his former Chelsea colleague to succeed at Liverpool.

"I am very happy with his appointment, especially because he did it as a consequence of all his amazing work at Swansea," Mourinho told the Sun.

"When he joined us at Chelsea he was a young coach with lots of desire to learn. But he was also a coach with ideas, who was ready not just to listen but also to communicate and share."

And Redknapp insists the appointment of Rodgers can represent a fresh start after an uncertain decade at Anfield.

"Over the last 10 years, it's been one step forward and then two back and, even though I believe there were signs of healthy recovery under Dalglish, they finished 37 points behind the top two," added Redknapp. "Liverpool played with less fear and more freedom last season, although their home form was very poor.

"There could be a long road ahead for Liverpool, but this has been a reality check for the fans. They say they wanted Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola, but Liverpool finished eighth - and were behind Everton, despite having a far superior squad. The club have done just fine by getting Rodgers.

He added: "They have got to grow again into a force and they haven't got Guardiola, but they may have the next Guardiola. As a former captain of the club, I am excited by this appointment and the owners should be congratulated for investing in a young British coach. Manchester United did that when they appointed Sir Alex Ferguson.

"The Liverpool fans who think the club have appointed a manager who didn't want them because he turned down an interview are wrong. He didn't want to be part of a beauty contest.

"His audition came last season in two matches when his Swansea team took four points off Liverpool in the Premier League."