‘Rodgers to do it his way’

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill has backed Liverpool counterpart Brendan Rodgers to run the club his own way after a turbulent start to the season.

The two Ulstermen will go head to head at the Stadium of Light this evening, three days after Rodgers’ problems at Anfield were put into perspective by an independent report into the deaths of 96 of the club’s supporters at Hillsborough in 1989.

It is certain to be an emotional occasion on Wearside, but once the whistle blows, the only concentration for the men on the field will be the three Barclays Premier League points at stake.