“I am confident we will improve the team further and will be stronger for this coming season, when we will be competing on all fronts; domestically and in the greatest club competition in the world, the Champions League.”
Brendan Rodgers
11th July 2014
“We lost a world-class talent [Suarez] and the natural progress of the team was halted – we needed the squad rebuilt, I think where we are is what was expected. The players we brought in were not really established. That decision was made knowing they might struggle a bit initially but further in the future would be big players for the club. That is where we are right now.”
Brendan Rodgers
31st October 2014
________________
A TEAM in a slump failing to match the highs of a previous season after not adequately replacing a star player. A festering disconnect between American owners and a manager recently rewarded with a new contract. Both sides briefing to their own ends and fingers getting pointed in every direction.
Sounding eerily familiar?
As a Liverpool side devoid of quality and confidence trudged off at St James’ Park at the end of another spineless defeat to cap another miserable week, it’s time for the club to pull together to arrest what is becoming an alarming decline before it becomes terminal.
In a week of claim and counter claim from the club captain, manager and club hierarchy, we are yet again in a position of washing our dirty laundry in public.
For the situation to develop to the point that the club is briefing against itself to ‘sympathetic ears’ tells you everything you need to know about the unity — or lack of — at the club at the moment.
No one, not Rodgers, not Gerrard, nor the club come out of this ugly episode particularly well. And it raises some uncomfortable questions.
At what point did it become acceptable for the club captain, backed by his manager, to speak publicly about what should be the formality of a new deal?
When did players feel so entitled that they thought they could speak publicly about what should be a matter between themselves and the club?
Does the manager not realise that, new contract or not, his paymasters are hardly likely to be impressed with thinly-veiled briefings to the local press?
Not for the first time, the story provided a convenient distraction for a man who has been struggling to get his team performing to anything near their potential.
Rodgers is clearly a very talented coach with plenty of credit in the bank. But one that under pressure and cornered shows a level of insecurity beneath the buzz words and guru speak.
That, and a willingness to pass the buck and throw someone under a bus to distract from his own misgivings.
Maybe the manager would be best served on focusing on what he is clearly excellent at instead of spinning away bad news and wasting time on petty distractions?
Maybe he’d do well to take note of what happened to his predecessors when they became as concerned with what the papers were saying as they were with matters on the pitch.
And what of the man about town Ian Ayre? Of what point is he if he can’t sign off a roll of toilet paper let alone sanction a 12-month extension for the club’s greatest servant and manage the process in a way that it doesn’t end up in the press?
Quick to geg in on a photocall for a new signing but invisible in a crisis and evidently ineffective as a bridge to Boston, where does this leave Ayre?
Backing his mate Brendan and the captain up or standing shoulder to shoulder with Boston and their spreadsheets?
The boss with his boss: Ayre with Rodgers (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Abraham Lincoln is often quoted as saying: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”
But what is also true is that football is a very simple game and the narcissistic desire to fool out of ego is toxic, and almost always unnecessary.
The clue is in the name, LFC — it’s not the Hadron Collider, it’s not MI6: it’s a bloody football club.
At what point did the primary focus of everyone at the club change yet again from simply trying to be the best bloody football club in the fucking world?
Why the need for empire building, subterfuge and being too clever for your own good?
For all the positive steps over the last 18 months, a sense of rudderless inertia and uncertainty has returned and is being allowed to metastasize through a lack of conviction and consistent vision from the owners.
Seemingly jumping from one idea and philosophy to the next, from hands-off ownership to periodic intervention, from Moneyball to Andy Carroll, from young potential to Kolo Toure and back again, from keeping the academy separate to establish a long-term plan back to being run at the whim of the manager, from investing in the best youth talent to refocusing on local catchment.
And the transfer committee. What are the protocols? What is the process? Who has the final sign off?
If ever there was a pertinent indictment on how things are being run at the club, it is this mysterious group and the lack of transparency around it.
It clearly isn’t the manager who has final sign off. For the club to sign Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto for a combined cost of £14m and for them then to hardly feature is a clear example of the money being wasted with zero accountability for those involved.
This culture of opacity that runs right through the club is what is fuelling the disconnect that clearly exists between the ‘home’ and ‘away’ teams in Liverpool and Boston/London.
It’s a culture that allows the manager to take credit for a player he didn’t sign if he flourishes and yet easily distance himself from if he flops. This can only encourage paranoia and selfishness — hardly an ideal situation for any dressing room.
This isn’t to say that having a committee is a bad idea, it has been proven to work elsewhere, but like everything at the club, it would be far less complicated if it were more transparent, open and honest, because in its current guise it gives everyone involved an out and an excuse to point the finger.
Football, a simple game.
One easily complicated by layers and layers of anonymous and unaccountable administration, and when self preservation is human nature, it’s inevitable that absolving oneself of responsibility becomes a very real factor.
Liverpool Football Club and its administration are playing as many games off the pitch as they are on it.
And while people are wasting time and energy on pointing fingers, covering arses and watching their own back, they aren’t doing what they are paid to do.
To make Liverpool Football Club the best bloody club in the world.
“At a football club, there’s a holy trinity – the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”
Bill Shankly
Excellent piece as always. All I will say is if our directors really cared about the club, they would allowed a proper replacement for suarez. Any other fucking club would of purchased a proven world class striker with the Suarez money. INSTEAD we went with the whole “lets buy youth and hope they all turn into Messi or Ronaldo and make money”…. Of course buy for the future but don’t fucking neglect the present.
I think it is now obvious that our owners only care about profit/selling the club. Otherwise rodgers would of surely added 1-2 faultless players into our squad – Just luck our top 6 rivals. At the very fucking least we could of had one of Eto’o, Pelle, Falcao, DiMaria, Alonso or Benzema (the list go’s on) instead we fucked around thinking we will be alright with all youth players.
I am sick of the luck of the Irish. You can’t keep rolling the Balotelli dice. He’s proven to be a piece of shit for 5 games now. Start Lambo, borini or both. Change it up, Try something else. Try a reserves player. Whatever we are supposed to be Liverpool but we are playing like a struggling Everton.
Say whatever you fucking will, but under Kenny players where hungry and they wanted it. We won the League cup and nearly got the FA cup. Things where looking bright. Kenny signed Suarez, and Luis played a MASSIVE, MASSIVE, MASSIVE, MASSIVE part last year.
Liverpool should never struggle to find their hunger/passion but so far it seems like every cunt is wanking in their own faces.
Sorry I’m pissed and angry.
Kind regards. – Me
Whilst I agree with the sentiment of the article and some of what you say, there are some things in your comment that are manufactured out of nothing.
Liverpool under FSG cannot be accused of being a selling club. They have sold big players who have given them little choice in the matter. When the Torres money was available, they spent all of it and much more. With the Suarez money they tried to do exactly the same. The big problem they had was attracting many of the players you list above. I think the answer lies in how they seem to always have to settle for the 2nd or 3rd or 5th man on their list every time they sign a player.
We have been known to have made bids for the following players over the last year or so:
Alexis Sanchez
Diego Costa
Henrik M
Willian
Falcao (not to sign him was a mutual decision in the end)
Remy
Salah
Konoplyanka
I’m probably missing a few more too.
The focus shouldn’t be on whether we sell or spend, but how it’s done and, in the case of the names above, how it wasn’t done. I know that the North West can be a bit of a problem for foreign players but this summer Liverpool was the most attractive proposition it has been since Benitez, where had he been allowed to spend the money by the owners, he would have signed a pretty stellar list of players.
Liverpool traditionally have never made big signings – our biggest by far have come in the FSG era. The reason there was a lot of interest in the Balotelli signing was because we’ve never really signed high profile foreign players for one reason or another. We just never have. They all made their name at Liverpool.
This time it seems that the money is there but somebody’s doing a horrible job of selling the club and the “project” to prospective stars.
Next player we’ll never get is Reus.
I can only think that Ian Ayre has halitosis or a limp handshake, because Liverpool weren’t a difficult sell this summer.
Honestly, I don’t think that Liverpool were as attractive a proposition as so many fans like to think. Yes, Liverpool finished 2nd last season, almost won the title if not for a few slip-ups. Yes, Liverpool are back in the Champions League after five years. However, that does not automatically mean that Liverpool will be able to attract the big name, marquee players as easy as saying “Hi _______, we’d like to sign you.” Those players will still look at Liverpool and think “Can I fulfill all of my ambitions here?” because we have not yet cemented our place in the top four and in the Champions League.
There is no point listing players that were either already moving to another club, were using LFC to get a fatter contract, or simply weren’t going to get paid anywhere as much as they knew they’ll be getting elsewhere. Bidding for such players may fool some, but FSG knew damn well they’d be kicked back. It’s like watching ‘arry on the final day of the transfer window. You know the daft bids are coming, and you know none will come off. That’s FSG whenever they go for someone that’ll have to be over over £100k/week. Many of the players they went for are now on over £200k/week, something FSG only did once to secure Suarez to a tighter escape contract which bumped his value considerably.
Let’s not be sucked in by these ruses, the only way LFC will sign a top proven player is when the club pays them what they’ll get elsewhere, and that is not how FSG operate.
LFC means nothing to top players. We’re not even a powerhouse vacuuming up silverware. Most players in their prime weren’t even born when LFC were a force in the game. So other than money, why would they consider coming to a club that has been floating around upper mid-table for most of their lives?
Couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve been saying this all along and I knew as soon as the summer transfer window started that we’d most likely never get a ‘marquee’ signing. Whatever money that is made available for transfers, we seem to have a policy that never allows for a player to come in on high wages. Whilst that may make for a sensible financial model, we all know that does not win you anything even thought we’d like to think we’ve come close. B. Dortmond are a perfect example they’ve had a similar model to us and whilst it may work for a while everyone knows such a policy does not keep you consistent for long as the big boys will buy themselves what the need to succeed. Until we have a policy where we can afford a few world class players to come in and be on you 150k+ a week like they would get in any other major club we’re really going to struggle to maintain a high level over the longer period, no matter how good a coach Rodgers may be. Even Ferguson who many argue is the greatest of all time had money available when he needed it to buy world class talent. Rodgers wont be able to get us where we all want us to be unless we allow for a wages rethink. Probably every player we’ve bought for over 20mil have all come based on them having lower wages comparably to other talent who’s values are around the same level. We’ve given 150k to Sturridge as he’s proven himself so why not offer that to a world class talent who has already proven himself elsewhere. I’m afraid as it stands we as fans are dealing with pipe-dreams if we think our transfer policy will ever attract the truly world class talent that we need. We can only hope that some of our potentials turn into world class talent, something which we’ve been lucky where we’ve had that happen over the past 10 years or so BUT that has only ended up in losing those talents as admittedly they don’t see us as a world class club which is soo unbelievable sad to realise.
Well said mate #LFC
Perfect!
Straight to the point Andy.
Time to stop worrying about off pitch issues and focus on what matters.
This was always going to be a difficult season but we aren’t helping ourselves.
First away match since West Ham. I thought West Ham was dire but F*** me this was worse. It wan’t helped by having tickets for the East Stand and having Geordies laughing at our team and manager. What I witnessed was a disgrace to the red shirt and cannot be repeated. I’ve been to numerous away games where we lost and played badly, (my dad took me to Villa Park for the 5-1!), but this was something else. From the moment we kicked off it was obvious that things weren’t good. The lack of any pace and direction in our play was shocking, especially against a side who were also not very good. There seemed to be no plan or idea behind our play. If Rodgers said go out there play as slowly as you can at the back until you lose it, are forced to boot it or pass it to a midfielder 8 yards away who has a man on him, then he should be sacked on the spot. Of course that isn’t what he said, but that’s what happened. Yes blame FSG for appointing an inexperience manager, blame Ayre who seems to spend more time extolling Mighty Red than even jetting to Spain for ‘unproductive’ talks. Blame Balotelli for not being Suarez, blame the transfer committee for seemingly wasting £100m +, blame the backroom staff for not being very good. There’s blame everywhere, but if we repeat what I was forced to witness today then changes will have to be made. No level of the Club escapes blame for the witless shambles that embarrassed me, and those poor away fans today stuck up nearer to heaven than the hell on the pitch.
Great article Andy.
Brendan really has to sort this mess out quickly because the owners won’t fuck about. His comments recently betray a man who knows he’s under pressure. He’s got to start looking at himself for the answers though. He gave the impression of being a manager full of ideas to solve problems last season. This season it feels like he’s suffering from a crisis of confidence – unable to think clearly. He’s starting to look isolated as well. I’m sure Pascoe’s a good bloke and a competent coach, but every manager needs someone to take him to one side occasionally to challenge him and suggest alternatives.
At the moment it could go either way, but let’s get the Madrid game out of the way and beat Chelsea next week. Two shit performances and heavy defeats is just unthinkable, really unthinkable.
I agree with every word and a copy should be delivered to FSG.
And of course it really helps to ease the divisions and bring the club and the fans together when the widely read local Liverpool blogs write articles like this one, that serve only to widen the divisions and give fodder to the media to further rip us apart in the press and on the airwaves. Well done!
The reverberating negativity will certainly lead to decisions being made that will disrupt the management, further divide the fans, further lower the morale of the players, and ensure loss of revenue for the Club. But not to worry, we’ll get the 5-10 more years of mid-table ignominy we deserve to suffer through and that will feed the endless need some so-called fans have for something to moan about.
Do you disagree with the article?
Or is it that you would rather we all buried out head in the sand?
Brendan Rodgers .you wanted these players .u got them .time to get tough.were has our passion gone .cos the way u had lfc playing at Newcastle today was .so negative it was EMBARISING!!!!
Not as embarrassing as your language skills, though. Does your mother know you’re online?
That team on the pitch was way better than Newcastle, just as it was against Hull and QPR. Can’t blame transfers for those performances.
We have no confidence. We have no movement. We have no obvious plans to score a goal.
It’s on the field where the problems are, and Brendan is reluctant to look beyond the end of his nose at the moment.
There’s nothing Liverpool can do now but hope Sturridge saves us because the summer signings aren’t good enough. This idea Liverpool needed extra bodies because extra games was terrible. Markovic and Lallana weren’t even good enough to get in our team today. Liverpool needed 3 top drawer players not a bunch of young or mediocre ones.
I’m not one for either extreme. My point is that we are not helping ourselves at all by contributing to the negativity and divisiveness. It *will* become a self-fulfilling prophecy, leading to a longer period of failure to excel. And I do have the feeling that a fair number of fans are judging and criticising the inner workings of the club and its relationship with the Owners, the actual facts of which they most likely know little or nothing.
Forwarded to Mr Henry !
Even here in these comments fans are making statements about Brendan without knowing what he actually thinks and what is said at Melwood and in the dressing room.
The things he says to the media pre- and post-game are likely not representative of what actually takes place within the team. Brendan certainly knows that his every word will be twisted and used out of context. I expect it from the media who have no loyalty whatsoever, but it’s disheartening when it occurs among so-called supporters.
People excel when they are praised and nurtured and lifted up, not when they are dragged down by those they depend upon for support and encouragement.
I haven’t got a clue what way the club is being run or what Brendan is thinking. Was I ever meant to? I don’t suppose I was. I do know that the team aren’t playing well – that’s the only thing I know for sure. Is it true that we purchased young unproven but potentially very good players? Yes it is. Do I think we should relax and support the manager no matter what for at least the next two seasons (relegation battles aside)? Yes I do!
Steven Gerrard shouldn’t be giving interviews like that. He knew exactly what he was doing: great servant or not, the club decides which players stay or go. One thing’s for sure, if he stays it should not be on the same terms: he’s no longer the best player at the club. I wonder if that’s not what this is really about.
This – I understand Andy’s point re: “Great servant to the club’ but that cannot be a ticket to never ending contracts. Even Chelsea eased out Lampard. To be honest, I saw SG’s interview and thought “Ok, thanks for all the fish, good luck”. These games have to end.
So he wouldn’t be disloyal or a traitor if he takes a contract at Man utd then??
Nope – not to me I’m afraid. I didnt think Torres was a ‘traitor’ either, nor Owen. I mean fair play what right do we have to even think we can tell people where or where they cannot work, because after all, this is just a (Very highly paid) job!.
Definitely not. He can go to any club that’ll have him, and remain a club legend. I’ll even drive him to Old Trafford if that’s his wish.
He’s well beyond his prime, he’s holding the team back by preventing a rebuild, and he won’t win any more medals with us. Everything on paper says he should move on. But his biggest weakness is that he’s scared to. He’s in a comfort zone. The best thing for him is probably a new club where he’ll get a fresh start and new perspective on life with not being the centre of everything.
I’ve said it before, if the club gives him a new deal, he’ll see Rodgers out of the club. Brendan needs to man up and put his foot down by telling Gerrard he can go as a free agent at the end of the season.
I have been flabbergasted at the lack of innovation and utilisation of some of the squad, yet the ‘untouchables’ continue to fail us week in, week out. How are we going to attract players when they need to sit on the bench watching the likes of Allen, Johnson, Balotelli and are I say, even Gerrard continue to get game time when their form does not warrant it. Lallana, Can, Borini, Markovic and Lambert must be kicking themselves for joining us – not too mention our young lads who we will inevitably lose: Suso, Ibe, Wisdom.
Brendan’s been exposed badly this year for an inability to make tough decisions and move on from losing Suarez (thanks Kenny), his utilisation of the money given to him has been absolutely woeful, a notion many have mentioned with no accountability it seems whatsoever. The way we had been playing last year should have had top stars wanting to play for us, why would you want to come now??
If Stevie G is already hinting at moving away it is time now to start establishing a new midfield structure and give some players a run of 4-5 games to see what they have. Stevie G can start planning which US club he will join……
100% spot on.
Rodgers made one huge mistake. He knew Sturridge would be out crocked for a portion of the season but he didn’t sign a like for like replacement.
now we are left with two target men and a centre forward that Rodgers evidently doesn’t rate.
Actually, from all I’ve heard, he signed a like-for-like replacement in Origi, but we were only going to get him if we allowed Lille to take him back on loan for the season. Other players we may have gone after? well, like I just said above, we aren’t the attractive draw everyone seems to think just because we have Champions League again.
Quality article, very well said.
Im not going to do the usual post match thing and go through all the players and the decisions the manager has made. I don’t feel like repeating myself. Again. That’s the fucking problem.
Btw, we are all very much aware that Brendan Rodgers is not only on The Transfer Committee but negotiated a “final say” on all signings when he signed his new contract, yes?
Two things I’ve heard since then:
(a) the “final say” has not been adhered to, meaning signings the manager didn’t want, who he has subsequently treated like shit and not given them a fair crack at the whip. FSG is fucking fuming with this.
(b) the “final say” has been adhered to and FSG, Henry in particular, is fucking fuming for wasting another £100m, just like under Kenny. Thus, FSG/Henry are now intent on implementing the Director of Football post they wanted to introduce when they sacked Kenny, to stop this from happening again. Problem being every manager they targeted (we all remember Rodgers was about 4th choice?) including Brendan, refused to work under a DoF. This has got Rodgers’ back up just months after being so trusted.
I don’t know what to believe, but I know things are very cold behind the scenes.
Im sure the lads of TAW know this as well or have heard this but haven’t said so on here or on the radio/podcast. Possibly out of respect for the club, possibly due to journalistic integrity, possibly due to hoping/thinking it’s not true and things would right themselves quickly.
But we’re in a bad way again. Not Kicks/Gillette/Hodgson bad, but pretty fucking bad. So bad it would take two hours to write all about it. I’ll leave that for the coming days and coming defeats to Madrid and Chelsea I think.
PS: If you fucked me off or accused me of being a Utd fan in the first month of the season when I said we were in serious trouble qualifying for the Champions League, now would be the time to apologise. Cheers.
It’s not really £100 million wasted like KD. Most of that is spread over several players, and most will have resale value. Suarez’s sale and the huge reduction in wages from him, Agger and Reina, will cover a large part of the money. There was no transfer money spent in the winter window, TV income is up, CL money is coming in, although we probably aren’t getting out of the group stage.
If that money wasn’t spent, it would only be sitting in an account or drawn out as returns for the owners, or used on the stadium after accounting jiggery-pokery.
I suspect you’re right about FSG being livid. They’ve given Rodgers a big new contract and he’s back to where he was before last season’s lucky run, dull mid-table dross. It’s going to cost them a fair fortune to kick him out if he can’t turn it around.
Our players talk to the press too much full stop. It used to be Lucas & is now Henderson that seem to be quoted on an almost daily basis. We need a siege mentality, only speak at mandatory press conferences & concentrate on sorting the squad out at Melwood
Completely agree but by no means is this problem with transfers a new thing. Every transfer window since Brendan took over there has been a disconnect, from not pursuing Dempsey who was Brendan’s number 1 target supposedly. To signing borini and Allen for big money, who have never really looked like ‘top 4’ players. To aspas, Alberto, and sakho who are expensive bench warmers. Lovren and balotelli, who don’t seem to fit Rodgers style of play, was agger that bad? And this is without mentioning konoplyanka, mikhytarian, Sanchez, etc. The only signings I can safely say we got right was Sturridge and continho, but if Sturridge (or Costa) can pass a medical why couldn’t remy?… And he did. For $4.5 mill or whatever it was, I’m sure it would have been a better gamble then Lambert he’s spent the last 2 months on the bench anyway…
In saying all this I’d have to say the biggest problem we have with this team at the moment comes back to Neil’s article from last week. Rodgers is setting up to be ‘Average’. The first 60 minutes are designed to be mediocre, to not concede, to not commit players forward, to ping long balls up to balotelli and sterling and hope for the best. Then throw some attacking players on for the last 30 and ‘all’s well that ends well’. Why not? It’s worked for Ferguson for the last 20 years.. Because quite simply we are not Manchester United and I hope we never become them. We are not a team that benefits from flooding the box and throwing in cross after cross, we don’t have the presence, the movement or delivery required, Coloccini was never troubled. There were positives to take out of Swansea, unfortunately Rodgers went straight back to having balotelli as a lone striker, a role that clearly does not suit him and one that leaves the team often lacking a forward pass, (or 3 when comparing him to Suarez). At our best we are a small, quick, agile team and the sooner we get back to being ‘Brendan Rodgers tricky Reds’ the better, this is what has made us successful over the last 2 years.
BR is not doing himself any favors with his selections. We have a dreadful midfield and a spine that is soft and not anywhere near good enough. The failure to address the need for quality strikers and attackers how are ready to contribute this season is absurd and irresponsible.
And lately he comes out after crap performances and says we controlled the game, or we were outstanding in our 0-0 draw at home to Hull.
There is plenty of blame to go around for everyone in the club management and playing staff. They are just not getting it done, top to bottom.
Well done Andy finally a bit of honesty from the wrap about Rodgers., most weeks listening to the podcast it seems the boys ignore any criticism directed at him whether wrongly and rightly but are very quick to stick the knife or boot into any errors made by rafa .Kenny or houllier ..3 successful managers of the past. The wrap also fail to mention the vast sum of £250 million that has been spent in the last 5 windows alone and how badly it has been spent. Some honest assessments need to be made on the wrap.
You no times are bad when crazy bob cant be arsed to post and goes to the bingo with mam instead ?.
Here we go again. Unsubstantiated gossip of plot and counter plot by owners, managers, players with the Captain in the middle of it. Briefings, subterfuge, unrest behind the scenes with only those ITK able to illicit what is really going on.
Give it a rest, eh, Andy. This is lazy journalism, the sort you castigate regularly on TAW. No evidence, just a reminder of bygone times, so it must be true!
On Rodgers himself, I would be surprised if he didn’t ally himself to certain journalists; those relationshipS were probably made before he landed at the club. He is a modern manager who sucked on the tit of Mourinho so no story there. The fact that some of them are local signifies what? They’ll protect him, cut him some slack? Maybe, but only while it suits. It’s a dangerous game to get too cosy, so to be ‘briefing’ them regularly seems very risky, more worryingly, naive and I doubt he is that press wise. On the pitch is a different story. I see ample evidence of that but he has nowhere else to make his mistakes. He is a young, brash, know it all Coach, who was first choice if you listen to some. Who backed himself not to apply for the job and waited to be invited. The honeymoon is well over and he needs to sort it out.
You’re right, Andy, we do need to stick together through this rocky period. I wonder if your article, well written and succinct as it was, was slightly hypocritical of you?
“””(a) the “final say” has not been adhered to, meaning signings the manager didn’t want, who he has subsequently treated like shit and not given them a fair crack at the whip. FSG is fucking fuming with this.
(b) the “final say” has been adhered to and FSG, Henry in particular, is fucking fuming for wasting another £100m, just like under Kenny. Thus, FSG/Henry are now intent on implementing the Director of Football post they wanted to introduce when they sacked Kenny, to stop this from happening again. Problem being every manager they targeted (we all remember Rodgers was about 4th choice?) including Brendan, refused to work under a DoF. This has got Rodgers’ back up just months after being so trusted.””””
Either way it’s very naive all round.
Rodgers since he arrived has treated a lot of signings like the ugly girl at the dance. Assaidi and Sahin first window who we can assume weren’t his choices. Borini as well but he was his choice. Last summer Aspas, Alberto, Sakho and Ilori have all been unwanted by the manager. This summer doesn’t seem any better. The players you know he did want were Lovren and Lallana. Lovren to replace Sakho and Lallana can’t get a game anyway as he was a £25m luxury player we didn’t need. Either way I think Rodgers is difficult when it comes to signings and for a 3rd summer in a row (and a few more before that under other managers) we’ve got it totally wrong.
There’s no point players being bought that Rodgers doesn’t want because he just won’t play them or won’t treat them well and give them a fair go so to bring in a DOF model you may as well sack him because it’ll be the point of no return if he doesn’t change his attitude. But if you give Rodgers free reign he’ll blow it on the likes of Lovrenfor £20m when Rodgers can’t organise a defensive shape that will make him look any better than rubbish. He had Schneiderlin and Wanyama in front of him at Southampton.
The Gerrard thing this week is stupid but Rodgers has created a situation where he’s untouchable because he won’t even substitute him in a game and has compromised his whole style of play. Rodgers has been in awe of him since he walked through the door.
Rene Meulensteen is spot on that Rodgers hasn’t invested in his staff. He likes to surround himself with yes men who are just grateful for the job. Rodgers doesn’t know how to juggle domestic and European football playing 3 games a week. Tactically we’ve been inept and outthought in the 3 CL games and suffer either side of the CL games in the league with Rodgers using the excuse that if he doesn’t get a week to prepare for a game then we’ll struggle. God knows how all the other top clubs cope.
It’s a mess at the moment and the buck stops at the top. FSG make the appointments.
For Rodger say “categorically” that Balotelli is not coming to the club does not suggest that he rated him, but the money was not right. Perhaps because Lambert was already bought, so we didn’t need another utility man on the bench. I can’t see how Rodgers would have wanted him after months and months of talking about the importance of the collective.
That said, it is baffling that Rodgers persists with Balotelli as the lone striker. Perhaps because he doesn’t trust Gerrard to keep the midfield tight on his own at DM. But the only reward we’ve seen this season has come from two up top playing off each other. Yes, we’ve been shaky in the back, but that’s partly because opponents feel little threat to deal with. Our attack is shockingly static, and I don’t use the term “shocking” lightly.
If our plan was to keep most of last season’s squad on the pitch, then gradually introduce the new players, then something has clearly gone wrong. Flanno, Sturridge, Sakho, Allen have all spent most or all of this season at the doctor’s office, Coutinho disappeared into himself and now struggles to start even after strong performances.
I can only pray that the return of our injured marks a corner turned for the season, because I haven’t felt this lousy watching a football match since Hodgson was around rubbing his forehead vigorously (that was at St James, too, back when Carroll played for them and Kyrgiakos played for us).
I think it’s a bit too easy to identify one person, thing or clique for the current dip in form.
A) Clearly the transfer committee needs looking at. It has failed utterly. The top targets consistently escape them. A fundamental and ongoing issue. The owners must accept that it is a problem and money is being wasted.
B) The management isn’t doing itself any favours either. Teams quickly figured out how to play against us this season. Man-marking Gerrard, high-pressing our defenders, crosses into the box where the keeper won’t come for them. It keeps the team looking backwards and suffocates the midfield. Rodgers clearly hasn’t figured out how to deal with these issues and continues to play players that weaken the team defensively.
C) The Gerrard conundrum. Ok this overlaps with B) above but it needs addressing. Liverpool must accept that he is not a player for their future. If this means leaving him go, so be it. He’d do great at another club for a year or two where he won’t be the self-appointed lynchpin of the team. Ironically, his past brilliance now harms the club; teammates want to still give him the ball because of who he is, not because of what he can do with it.
D) Bad bloody luck cant be ignored either. Losing suarez is one thing, losing him and sturridge is catastrophic. It shows up balloteli for being a terrible signing but when he comes back you would think fortunes must improve somewhat.
Amazing that we’re still only 3 points of 4th though isn’t it? Not that it matters now but i suppose the one postitive we can take from this mess is that we have time to fix it.
All the best lads,
Mark
Great article, Andy. I hate the thought of being back in the game of in-fighting and arse covering. Your piece is well argued and timely. I hope people at our club read it and take it to heart.
One point that I think is worth making (and I haven’t seen made) is that American sports are run fundamentally differently from football. In professional sports in the US, there aren’t really long-lasting dynasties. Their draft system, salary caps and free agency practices mean that “franchises” may be great for a few years and then fall off the face of the earth. Remember the Chicago Bulls? Or the Yankees? Or the Dallas Cowboys? All teams that dominated for a period of time before going through a rebuilding phase. Even the Boston Redsox, won the World Series last year and were absolutely miserable this year. So, my point is that FSG may well be fine with –or at least used to– the idea of LFC not pushing on from last year’s great run. If so, it might explain why they would have preferred “investment” in Markovic, Moreno, Manquillo and Can, hoping they’ll come good in a year or two, rather than splashing money on Reus, Falcao or Di Maria.
I have no connections inside the club or to FSG, but wonder whether the American sports mentality might be at play here and may explain a few things.
Interesting point mate. I would guess LFC finishing in the top 4 would be the absolute highest priority for FSG. Failure to do so could see Liverpool slip back years and derail what has been a successful marketing of the club. With the CL money doubling next season and the FFP restrictions, failure to get in would make it almost impossible to match Utd’s, City’s and Chelsea’s squad. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Arsenal they’re not easily dislodged from top 4. It’s so crucial that I feel with FSG’s past record they would want heads to roll if we don’t get in. It may be £44m net spent (based on Suarez costing £65m) but the gross is £117m. I’m convinced their attitude is that amount of investment has to yield positive results or serious questions will be asked.
Good post Andy with lots of insightful comments. The Stevie G interview is a disgrace , I don’t see Jamie C coming out and pillorying his mate for the same crap he did against Raheem Sterlings agent. We are in the mire and deflated after getting so close last season, losing Suarez was always going to mean either spend on a big name replacement (would they come here?) or spread the load and buy quantity. We went for the latter but maybe that was because we couldn’t attract the big name. Hindsight only serves to bolster either opinion, but you are right in what you say….shut the feck up each and everyone at the club and do all the talking on the pitch.
Shocking stuff this season. The major downer is how a team can lose one player and the whole thing goes to hell. The system, speed, aggression out of possession, the belief.
First problem- Rodgers has to always choose the system to fit his most ‘effective’ players. He did that with the SAS, why stop now? The current system obviously does not work, yet he persists.
I don’t believe the defense is that bad because I feel even an average defender will always need protection ahead of them. The best teams always do.
Second Problem – The Gerrard conundrum – this is pretty simple. If he can’t control the game, then he cannot affect the game positively.it’s not rocket science. With all our signings, not getting a decent DM was a huge mistake. You need to protect your back four. It’s the first and most effective line of defense. For that reason alone, Emre Can has to play more. With or without Gerrard.
Third Problem – Mario isn’t effective as a lone striker, only Rodgers can’t see that. Either play him with a partner or bench him. The partner reduces the attention paid, and gives him room to operate. Why Rodgers is trying to turn him into what he’s not (striker that plays on the shoulder of defenders) is beyond me really.
Honestly feel Sturridge’s return improves the team massively.I just hope Coutinho isn’t badly out of form before that happens. They always seem to be on the same wavelength.
Still believe in Rodgers but he needs to get out of his current funk…. Quick. He isn’t handling the pressure well at the moment and comes across as a dufus. Almost like the players who he claims the Liverpool jersey is weighing heavily on.
Fin.
Liverpool works, when sturridge works, when sterling works, when Henderson works, when Gerrard works. None of these components are working together at the same time. I reserve judgement until Brenda has 3-4 games with his base from last season up to speed. As for FSG cannot fault them.
As away fans would say, “you only sing when your winning”. And yes looking through various forums it seems that there are lots of trolls that seem to love it when things aren’t going too well. The bile, bordering on racism, that I’ve seen thrown at Brendan Rodgers is enough to make one ashamed to be associated with these people. What next!!
In my opinion, how this season’s unfolding crisis have so quickly escalated may have been due to the undercurrent of fear, anger and confusion consistently created by FSG 4 year reign in our club. Mentionable highlights …
1) Henry’s infamous non-handshake with Kenny in his walk up to the runners up FA cup final award. If a picture could say a thousand negative words, that was it. In a single non action he insulted not only kenny but us fans and the club ethos. I believe it was calculated and deliberate as a man of his experience and business level would surely know the better.
2) No search of prominent and experienced DOF even when they are Yanks who know nothing of “Soccer”. then proceed to hiring and firing wholesale of backroom staff. Hire young inexperienced brendan. Who ever goes full retard moneyballs skint and hope their investment will pay off?! Unless they are here for the short term..
3) Transfer season Soap Operas – Werner’s “we can compete with anyone” war-cry – Sori folks, but Dempsey is just a few million too much. Screw the lack of strikers excuse. Apology letter follows…Next season rinse and repeat with different players …
4) I clicked on the Liverpool’s Official Online Store, retro clothing section, for the up teem time for a year on, looking for those sought after yesteryears candy, crown paint replica kits. Only to see a perpetual sold out sign for the popular sizes.
Disappointed and puzzled and total waste of fans time keep clicking into clothes that is there on the website but in reality doesnt exist anymore.
I mean, don’t they need money or care about the “customers”. Do they not want the worldwide fanbase retail money potential realised? Or is it too small change and too much hard work then say compared to the glamorous easy profiting of our prized player transfer fee?
Remember Henry’s Private jetting our precious Suarez from point A to B because he might get tired. No, I am not trying to make a compelling case here… :)
So in a nutshell, can I conclude that to FSG, Liverpool Soccer Club asset is in reality only the – $$$Prized Players$$$
Like fast food businesses where their real money is in real estate, our football club manager, coaches, average players, tea lady, the fans, are just incidental hungry customers in a queue waiting to lap up on all so tasty scrotum meat patty. LFC signed Mignolet Match Shirt for £750 anyone?!
FSG were right to sack him but I agree they treated Kenny poorly. Don’t remember this non handshake to be honest, but flying him over to Boston to sack him wasn’t great. That said, the man himself hasn’t said anything negative about them and has accepted a different position with them since so maybe it wasn’t not as bad as we think.
They had a DoF lined up! It was the current manager of Manchester Utd! But when FSG sounded out the likes of Rafa, Martinez and Rodgers they all said they would not work under a DoF so they dropped the idea.
The Thing with the Kenny sacking was always going to be contentious because they were sacking him.
I think whilst flying him out to Boston wasnt great, they at least did it face to face and in the room. Imagine the uproar if it had gotten out that it was done by phone, Skype or email!!.
There was a recent piece about “who shot Kennedy” I think; and this sounds a bit like it.
It ‘s beginning to sound like a scene from the court of of some French king.Either that or a carry on farce! Who Shot who?
To speculate on these things is one thing but to report them as fact is quite another.If you have been briefed why not nail your colours to the mast?Decide which side of the fence you’ve on?
Just on a small point ;I’ve been arguing with people for years now because I have always said that Gerrard is the best player we’ve ever had.And I saw Billy Liddell once!
But to come out with all this stuff about his contract this week has changed all that for me.I’m not even sure if he makes the top ten now!
It looks like Andy Heaton is trolling LFC.
Unless I have missed something (and I way well have!) this really is a load of nonsense from start to finish.
When clubs try to hold older players to 12 month extensions you are always going to get these things left to late in the day, otherwise the players end up sitting on 24 month contracts. The discussions or briefings that I have seen regarding Gerrard’s contract don’t seem at all contentious. Some papers may have chosen to further sensationalize the story, but that can’t be helped.
Anyway, Andy has taken this as a trigger to re-hash old concerns about the owners, transfer committee etc.
This obsession with knowing the mechanics of the transfer committee serves no purpose. Rodgers has said any players are not brought in to the club against his wishes and he is always positive (on the record) about the role of directors and owners in supporting recruitment. Clearly there are times when it is not possible to deliver a deal for a player the manager might want, but that would happen regardless of set up.
Andy points to Alberto and Aspas as examples of players presumed to be committee signings who Rodgers then didn’t play. I think that the reason for these players not getting game time has been that they didn’t make the impact expected after they arrived and they are simply transfers that haven’t worked out.
We all know Andy knows and has connections to certain people at the club, and that may or may not mean he has an agenda, but that does not – does not – mean his points in the above article are wrong. Most us seem to agree its very well balanced.
On the Gerrard situation you mention – it is contentious. He wasn’t even asked about a contract (this has been confirmed by the journo on twitter). Steven deliberately came out and spoke about it in order to send a message to those across the Atlantic. He knew exactly what he was doing. Ordinarily if a footballer does something like this I don’t mind. They have to get out of their playing career’s as much as possible, especially if they are not the type to go into media or coaching (Gerrard doesn’t seem interested in either).
But as it’s Stevie and he represents something different to us, something more to us, and is our captain, he should be held to a higher moral standard. Especially given the fact he is set for life now in terms of money. He was wrong to go public and Rodgers was wrong as well to take his side publicly against the owners. But precisely because it’s Gerrard the vast majority of Liverpool fans have kept quiet about it, even though we all know it’s poor form.
I think Henry/FSG is very wary about awarding an expensive contract to an aging legend after what happened with Carra – who again got away with murder because he was who he was (is).
At the end of 2009/2010 he wanted a new contract. Rafa wouldn’t give him his long term massive wages contract he asked for and instead offered him a 2 year deal on the same money but with the provision he had to have played a certain number of minutes over those seasons, so he helped get him the sack and his mate Purslow appointed Hodgson.
On the 9th of October 2010 FSG agreed to buy LFC but Hicks/Gillette went to court over it, delaying the sale by 9 days. In these 9 days Carra then forced through this new contract with Purslow on increased wages and with no provision for playing time affecting the rate of pay. It had no input from Hodgson. This was signed on the 14th of October, just one day before FSG took control of the club.
Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows exactly what the then close to 33 year old Carra was up to. But it was a good day to bury it given all the reports were about FSG’s takeover, their plans for the club etc etc.
Gerrard seems to think he is deserving of the same wages he’s on now and deserving of a place in the first 11 every week. But even club legends have a sell by date. He’s holding us back as his legs have gone. But it’s not solely his fault as it’s Rodgers who continues to pick him, even three times a week, which is ludicrous. We can all see Balotelli needs a partner but the reason he isn’t getting one is because Rodgers needs two players beside Gerrard to do his running for him.
Chelsea knew they had the same issue with Lampard and rightly let him go. Unfortunately I can’t see us doing the same and looking to the future without Stevie come seasons end.
The transfer committee is horrible and our executions and lack there of professionalism in getting them done now is a prime example of this. Our targets linger and we don’t seem to hit the ground running when the windows open up with a direct focus and target like we have done in the past. Stop making excuses saying we can’t bring talent to Liverpool FC. With the amount of money misplaced this last window I beg to differ. The lack there of action in reaching for some sort of replacement of Suarez’s absence is proof of their priorities and lack of focus.
Tonight is the final humiliation… We laughed at Moyes last year.. He is ten times the manager Bullshit Boy will ever be… And this is from a staunch, dyed in the wool Red… I have listened to Bullshit Brenda for too long… Leaving Steven out away at Madrid and playing Forrest Markovic… I honestly despair.. We have waited five years and that twat puts that team out tonight…I don’t give two square fucks about the result… I am so angry I could weep.. I am a Liverpool boy who works away in the week and I travelled 360 mile round trip to watch the horror show v Swansea and the Real game….and now this!!!?.??
Fuck all this ‘lets get behind the manager’ shite.. He is a fake, he is a one trick pony and he will destroy our club because of his ego….
Name me one decent buy outside of Sturridge and possibly Coutinho… There isn’t one!!.. He has pissed away £200m+… Devastating!!!.. Get the overrated fuckwit out of LFC now before he damages us irreparably…