ROB GUTMANN is in the host’s chair as he prompts Ian Salmon, Sean Rogers and Gareth Roberts to discuss Liverpool’s slim top four chances, the criticism of Brendan Rodgers from all angles and the general direction — and transfer policy — of Liverpool FC.
It’s TAW Unwrapped. And it’s bordering on feisty.
Just me that thought the Dion Fanning piece was pretty decent? Ok! :)
I think again your being very kind and again its all the TC etc etc – Amazing how BR begins his reign saying he doesnt want a DOF yet defers to this TC and has no saying in any signings or some signings or all signings?
Lots of What if’s here too – what if we’d bought Sanchez, what if we take 21 games only, what if what if.
By the by, I do realise that Gareth is arguing the other side of it all with Rob taking up the defence.
His ‘deferring to the TC’ is nonsense. He BOASTED that he had the final say. He is just incapable of taking any responsibility. The very worst thing that can happen is that he gets another year, even if he flukes fourth. He is not an EPL manager and he’s especially not a Liverpool FC manager. He hasn’t the presence.
I’m subscribed and on an iPhone but having no luck with listening. They don’t show up in TAW in the podcasts app like they used to and can only see comments when I click on a show on this website. (I am logged in)
What have I to do or what am I doing wrong?
It’s a different feed for the subscription shows, mate. Instructions here: http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/taw-player/instructions/
This may be a little late so no one will probably read this, but…
I don’t mean this as a slight against any of the TAW contributors, but right now Gareth Roberts is just on another level. He’s Suarezing every show he’s on and I’d pay the $8 a month just for him. Terrific stuff.
I wanted to raise a point that I really hope Rob Gutmann gets an opportunity to read. I love Unwrapped and that’s largely down to Rob tackling some of these issues very in depth, but one thing I’ve noticed (and he did this on City Talk this week too) is that he keeps referring to FSG and Billy Beane, Moneyball, winning the unfair game, etc. I’m assuming Rob isn’t a big baseball fan (and I don’t blame him, even as an American I can admit it’s pretty damn boring) so let me try and help out with some misconceptions.
FSG has as much experience in winning an unfair game as Roman Abramovich. Their connection to the “Moneyball” philosophy is that when they bought the RedSox they offered the job to Billy Beane, and when he turned it down they then proceeded to hire another very smart person to run the baseball operations. But, the entire allure of this to people like me (who bought Moneyball as soon as it was released) was seeing what would happen if intelligent management was married to gigantic payrolls. And the RedSox have always had the latter under FSG. Only in FSG’s second year, when they dropped to 6th, have the RedSox ever dropped out of the top five payrolls in MLB. For most of the time they had the second highest payroll in baseball.
Keep in mind, too, that there is far less correlation in baseball between payroll and “winning the league.” This is partially because it’s a more inefficient market. It’s also because there hasn’t been such a thing as “winning the league” since the 1960s. It’s all about qualifying for the playoffs – which are essentially random – and then winning the championship that way. So keep that in mind as I show you the following.
In the years the RedSox won the championship during FSG’s tenure, their payroll ranked 4th, 2nd, and 2nd.
In the years the RedSox didn’t win the championship during FSG’s tenure, the team that did had a payroll that ranked 7th, 8th, 11th, 10th, 1st, 12th, 11th, 13th, 25th, 15th.
So yes, FSG hired someone VERY smart both times they needed to, and yes, the RedSox have made a lot of “Moneyball” type moves. But they’ve also bludgeoned the rest of the league with money. Only once (2009) did they lose the championship to a team that outspent them.
Essentially, FSG won an unfair game by hiring the smartest baseball mind they could get and then letting him spend gobs of money. Then just frame it as being unable to compete financially with the Yankees (even though the way baseball is set up doesn’t require you to compete with them at all) and it seems impressive. But it’s not. I’d temper your expectations regarding FSG doing anything similar at Anfield.