In the past few weeks I have been reading many comments, mostly coming from ex-Liverpool players turned tv pundits, all giving their expert advice on how the Club should be run, most of them claiming that the owners are making a balls-up of the situation and blatantly accusing them of running the Club ‘the American way’ !
I do not want anyone to take me as a staunch defender of Fenways Sports Group, nor do I want anyone to think that I do not keep in the back of my mind that this is first and foremost and investment in their hearts and minds. However, being objective and utterly direct, I feel obliged to point out that just over a year or so ago we were praying, begging and imprecating the Gods to save us from the vortex of sure administration, and save us they did!
Not that this gives them an undisputed right do away with the traditions and heritage of this great Club but we must put everything in perspective. First and foremost people should stop referring to the ‘Liverpool Way’ because this, like the boot room, like all our historic managers, like our era of invincibility are all locked in our past. They give us credit; heritage, a glorious history, but they will not have any effect of bearing success or titles in the present and future. Being the most titled club in English football will not help you win honours! Our history is something to treasure for life, especially people like me, who lived through what is undoubtedly the finest hour of football history for this club, and sadly two horrific sporting tragedies one of which marks it’s anniversary today!
Fenway came in, made money available, granted the fans their ultimate wish of having Kenny Dalglish back at the helm, gave our living legend 18 months to work his magic, and did their best to support him in this every wish, including bringing the players and technical staff he asked for. Plan A did not work, so now they decided to do things ‘their way’! Can they do that? Bloody right they can!
The ‘Liverpool Way’ was special even unique, and when KD was brought in, we saw a glimpse of it again. But in today’s scenario and in today’s game, you need to be pragmatic, almost ruthless, because one cannot afford to be either sentimental or nostalgic.
Just for the sake of having ‘saved’ us from limbo and having given us at least financial stability, I am ready to give Fenway Sports and John Henry the benefit of the doubt and am ready to allow them to do things ‘their way’!
There are two things this club needs right now, stability off the pitch and consistency on it! We need to get a manager who knows the game and who is capable of grafting out every ounce of adrenalin from each player game in game out! We need to spend wisely and bring in the right players. We need to work our way up the rankings and we need to do that by being humble. We must make Anfield the fortress it once was, and we need to make teams comprehend that playing Liverpool is no foregone conclusion.
Be it the Liverpool Way or the American Way, the hope is that it leads us up the Right Way!
what do you think barca have been doing for the past 10 years? that passing possession football is copied from Liverpool in the 70s, the “blueprint” idea of all barca teams from youth to 1st team playing the same style was what LFC did in the Shankly days with new players spending 6 months in the reserves learning the clubs playing style, all the common sense laid down by our great managers in the past has been adopted by the teams we dominated back then while we have forgotten everything, Kenny did a few decent things but he didnt do enough, he should never have brought in a trainer from chelsea he shoulda filled the backroom team with ex reds, Phil Thompson/Steve Heighway/Steve Nicol/John Barnes/Jan Molby and John Aldridge would bring back our pass n move keep ball style
The owners haven’t announced anything about who they’re after, twitter and Dave Whelan have. DW has given Sky Sports a running commentary on everything Roberto Martinez has told him and that is NOT FSG’s fault. In this day and age it’s impossible to do things completely behind closed doors.
the one thing which i dont understand is that everyone is going on about how FSG came in and are not doing it the “Liverpool Way”.
Quick question: When (since KK left Liverpool) have Liverpool Football Club come out and said
“we are going to interview these candidates, these candidates have been interviewed and dont want the job, or X,Y and Z are now the final trio with whom we will negotiate!” ??
The past 2 weeks has been speculation upon speculation upon speculation!! Nothing official has come out of the Club!!
So until that happens, as far as i am concerned it is being done behind closed doors, with the exception of Dave Whelan being a transfer gossip (Sky Sports) whore who is telling us everything about Martinez, from when Martinez slept to when he ate and when he went for a shit!
Whelan, shut up will you!!
Whatever happens, whoever FSG decide to bring in, as fans, we must support the team!! And whatever happens, the next manager must be given time!! unless he is completely useless and relegates us! But we need to get some stability back at the club!!
Finally a bit of good sense being spoken! A massive part of “The Liverpool Way” was always to deal with issues behind closed doors. FSG have tried to do this (take note Dave Whelan!!) yet some fans accuse them of being secretive, sly or not having a plan at all. Seems you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t in some peoples eyes.
One of the most sensible blogs I have read since Kenny’s departure.
Gotta agree with my fellow reds who have posted, we havent heard anything official from LFC so as far as I am concerned business is being conducted in the “right” way which is how Liverpool do things.
Twitter has a lot to answer for, but its 100000% pure speculation. No one has any idea what is going on, they are just guessing from “credible” media sources who again have no idea.
Whoever comes in, I will back them and support them and the team, as that comes first.
My honest opinion is FSG want to spend big money, I’m talking £80m-£100m and they want to ensure that its with a manager who they can trust.
As much as KK is a living legend at LFC, I just dont think they trusted him with the budget hence rumours were spread about the budget being £30m.
Bring in Martinez isn’t the American way or Liverpool way. It’s for “Teams to avoid relegation” way
i dont care what way its done but win the prem should be our target and top 4 is a start , american way or liverpool way just get us there and by the way build us a 70,000 seater stadia as well . not much to do lads
Please no one tell Dave Whelan about Twitter !! FFS !!
Please i need your enlightenment about the “liverpool way”, am a liverpool fan from Nigeria.
The Liverpool Way is being humble, doing everything behind closed doors, promoting peeple from within the club. The Liverpool Way is achieving grandeur through sporting success not by spending big to look grand!
Then we should expect “God” (Robbie Fowler) to be our next manager, rather than the Martinezs and Rodgersz.
Finally a semblence of intelligence from the fans. Let’s countdown to how long it is broken with caps shouting WE WANT RAFA BACK or YANKS OUT.
At least some common sense.theres is no need to get all worked up just because David Welham cannot keep his mouth shut.the club hasn’t issued an official statement and that’s fine by me I don’t need to know every little detail just the outcome
You can kill the Liverpool’s way of football, after just one season in a short three years contract. Houllier has had 4 years as Rafa has had 6 yrs to stamp his philosophy. Kenny deserved more time: Liverpool’s way requires more time & stability because the passing possession football needs time & hard work in the training ground. 10 yrs out of 12 yrs the CLub experienced continental methods and it didn’t works out but after just one season, as FSG never really trusted in Kenny, You would kill the Liverpool’s way. Liverpool are Liverpool’s way football style and this will never change.
You are dead right,Rick! It takes a second Jesus Christ to undo 20 years of rubbish in 18 months! KK was no Jesus Christ. He needed just another season (imo) to get us to the promosed land, but we are impatient morons!
Just another season you say? Seriously? It does not take a second Jesus Christ to get back to the top! You need financial and technical stability, and the right person to steer you to the top. Kenny was given 18 months, and the choice to get the players he needed and the technical staff he wanted. It’s not that we remained ‘stable’, we went backward! Our worst season in the PL in I do not even want to remember how many years. It’s not a question of being impatient, it’s a question of knowing there is no room for improvement.
Di Matteo took Chelsea from the doldrums to FA and CL Cup triumphs, Conte took Juve from 7th the previous season to unbeaten Serie A winners the next. I assure you, non of these italians are a second Jesus Christ.
Now if you are objective you can figure out the reasoning. If you are a patient moron and reason with your head in your ass than you have no hope.
It’s not a matter of doing things the Liverpool Way or FSG Way. Regarding the new manager they are not doing things in a Football Way.
In the United States it’s normal to interview several coaches for a job but in Europe it isn’t. Do you imagine any manager with credit to accept being part of a list with 10 managers and taking the chance of not being chosen in the end? Even for Martinez it will be tough to return to Wigan if he doesn’t get the job.
I think FSG have a done a pretty decent job so far, even sacking Kenny, but the hiring process of the new manager seems very unsuited to the way things work in modern football.
Still I will obviously give my full support to the manager that FSG decides to appoint.
My biggest fear is that whilst we are looking for a new manager, the manures of this world are snapping up half decent world class players.I pray to god the new man gets enough transfer funds so that we don’t get bargain bucket players playing happy hours.
Surely there must also be vacancies within our scouting structure as the current lot seem to be on permanent holidays!
Sharde, for the time being, and as things stand, we find ourselves at a disadvantage to snap up the Hazard(s), Marin(s) and Cavani(s) because we lack Champions League football and because we do not pay the ridiculous salary packages teams like Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd (possibly) do!
We can only count on players that REALLY want to come to Liverpool and unfortuneately although we are regarding as a club or prestige we are not regarded as a club that is going places…..not for now at least!
Media speculation coupled with attention seeking nobodies (wheelan) using Martinez’s interview as an op to get his name out there. The club have said nothing.. They have adhered to the Liverpool way. They will appoint a team of well qualified people to implement their strategy..we must have faith.
It saddens me to see ex players spewing negativity in the media about FSG. I know that that KK is their mate but they should respect the clubs decision and back the club all the way.. That is the liverpool way…Kenny will always be the King but even he said that no one is bigger then the club and his exit statement was all class. If only his mates saw it right to follow suit.
Even when we are down the majority of the media is about LFC.. Loving the fact they can sell he disaster story…. Don’t worry LFC fans it may take us a while.. But we will be back where we belong on a new and improved perch in no time. YNWA
The Liverpool way still exist’s for sure. The media created the circus surrounding the managerial appointment. With regards to which players we can bring in, lets not forget how shrewd FSG are. Rodgers or Martinez coach the team and get them playing the nice football (crucially keeping morale high) Van Gaal attracts the players that Rodgers/Martinez would not. And yes it is that simple when you mix Louis Van Gaal with Liverpool. In the event of this plan backfiring, Van Gaal is in a ready made position to step in as manager god forbid it doesn’t work for the new manager. The Liverpool way and positivity. YNWA