Louis van Gaal Praised By Liverpool Counterpart Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits he was not surprised to see Louis van Gaal turn around Manchester United's fortunes.

Rodgers' side have not lost in the Premier League since going down 3-0 to United at Old Trafford in December and sit just two points behind their greatest rivals ahead of the teams' showdown at Anfield this Sunday.

Despite currently occupying the fourth Champions League spot, Van Gaal's methods have come under scrutiny with many fans questioning whether he is getting the best out of the talent at his disposal.

However, Rodgers has leapt to the defence of his counterpart insisting the Dutchman has nothing to prove to anyone.

"I don't think there is any convincing required," he said. "He has shown over his career that he is a top-class manager,"

"He will have seen, coming into this country for the first time, the challenges of this football - it is why it is the most competitive league in the world.

"The Premier League is different from the leagues he will have worked in before but I don't think you can argue with his credentials.

"There is no question about the philosophies he has put in place at Ajax or Barcelona or his achievements and when he leaves Manchester United he will still be one of the great managers."

Rodgers found himself under similar scrutiny after Liverpool's poor first half of the season but having turned things around, and with an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, he is firmly back in the fans' good books.

"I've said to coaches and players that when the criticism comes, deserved or undeserved, you won't like it but you have to accept it as it is part of the game," he said.

"As a manager you have to take the circumstance of where you are at. That won't fit with results but it is quite easy, you have to stay focused.

"You have to have an inherent belief of how you work and when it is scrutinised and ridiculed you go back to that platform of why and how you work.

"You know you are going to get it at some stage and in your career it is important you come out the other side. I am early in my career as a manager but that period benefited me.

"It is the challenges of being a manager at any level, you are scrutinised but you have to stay calm and believe in your qualities as a coach and manager."