Brendan Rodgers promised to fight for his life when, at 39, he replaced club legend Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager.
He had only been a Premier League manager for a year, but plaudits had come in from all sides in praise of his Swansea side, who had proved such a breath of fresh air with their commitment to passing football.
Tasked with turning around Liverpool was no small ask in 2012. They were three years out of the Champions League, and it had been just two since the bitter departure of Rafa Benitez and the abortive, but mercifully short-lived reign of Roy Hodgson.