Neil, Ben, Gibbo, Mike Nevin, John Gibbo, Kristian Walsh, Steve Graves, Andy and Roy Henderson give thier end of season verdicts for season 2013 and look to how Liverpool can push on.
PODCAST: THE END
by The Anfield Wrap | May 27, 2013 | Footie | 7 comments
Great pod with lots of measured and fair comment.
I thought the comments on the clubs management at board level and the
attitude were particularly perceptive by Neil and the lack of leadership above BR (and Kenny last season) is in many ways far more of a concern than what new players come in.
All because we had success with the last two players does not mean it will continue, over the season we have had two hits in the transfer market, but the jury is still out on Borini and Allen and the defence is a major concern now which it was not last year, and the way BR seems to jettison players such as Carroll, Coates, Skirtle and Henderson (if he could have last summer) slashing their resale value with a few ill chosen remarks while indulging Carra and Gerrard may give BR short term local support in the dressing room but is not the strategic management required.
When the club was run well under Paisley, Fagan and Kenny players like Emlyn, Souness and Aldo were sold in their 30’s for more money than they cost to buy after giving their best years to the club, that was the John Smith way and the upper management should stop fucking around on Harleys and make an effort to understand how successful football clubs are run, because at the moment LFC have no friends on the FA (where is the next Noel White) and no friends at UEFA (Platini always hated us and I cannot see David Gill bending over backwards)
Having Kenny and other ex players like John Barnes or even Didi Hamann involved would be a start but others such as Steve Rotherham or Michael Howard could be identified and used as lobbyists for the club (or even as a CEO), football politics should be taken far more seriously by the club and having a few friends in Westminster, in the house of lords, in the FA and Uefa should be a priority for the club, because at the moment what the club lacks more than anything else is leaders with gravitas.
Barnes is a must. He was brilliant for us, he had to put up with a lot of racist crap from various other clubs, he’s intelligent and can actually speak like an adult (unlike most players looking at the ground umming and ahing).
God should have a role, he’s still loved by many and loves the club.
I fell The King’s time is done. We don’t want another Shankly shadow over the incumbents. He would probably do us more good by worming his way into the FA, but being a Scot would probably stop that!
Jesus! Mike Nevin nailed the season at the start of the podcast. Just paused it there for minute but the rest of you might as well have gone home. Excellent analysis.
I suppose I can understand why some of the youth dropped out and why Stevie played. I think one of the most important aspects of this season was finishing it well. We lost 1 in the last 12 and as a result most of us are feeling optimistic as will the players. Before Christmas we felt short of players and it almost felt good playing the youth as we battled through the circumstances thrown at us. After January things felt better and it was important we kicked on. I agree with almost everything you said. I think Rodgers has the capacity to learn. I know we’re not a YTS scheme for aspiring managers but I’m happy with his performance in what we all said was a transitional season. Next year will be the test. He has to get us properly challenging for the top 4 till at least late April. It’s gonna be tough though with City, Utd and Chelsea not to mention Arsenal and Spurs.
Don’t think I’ll be wearing my black shirt combo again. I thought I looked quite smart but I’ll have a complex about it now.
I don’t know if this has been said in Liverpool, but don’t you think he’s going black on black because he wants Ring Of Fire to be his management song? i.e. He is The Man In Black.
“Yat-didat-didah-dahdahdah, Yat-didat-didah-dahdahdah… Brendan Rodgers Brendan Rodgers”
I reckon he’s orright.
I almost hate to say this but I feel I at least wanna put it out there, One or two of you seem so obsessed by the structure of the club you’re forgetting it’s primarily about the results which have been discussed in the podcast and there’s generally a bit of optimism and a feeling things are running ok. Room for improvement but pretty good. We may have had a better philosophy in the 80’s but we didn’t try and dictate how the club should be run in every area. Yes, we got stung once but if a bloke’s wife cheats on him, in his next relationship he has to put trust before suspicion or it’ll be detrimental to him and the people around him.
Imagine how football will be in 20 years. Hopefully we’ll all be here still so it matters. At the pace it’s moving (and this is the bit I don’t really wanna write / accept) our cosy corner shop attitude will mean we’re mid table at best. If we wanna be up there we have to be Tesco. Unicef aren’t gonna come and buy us. The kind of men running football now are different to us fans. I don’t even want them getting involved in the football side of things. Their job is to make us money and increase the budget.
I’m confident the club did ok in January. I think they bought early, learning from their mistakes. I’m sure the scouting team know what they’re doing. I think there was an improvement on the way we handled the bite to the Evra thing. It’s certainly a fair argument and worthy of debate to say we need some leaders. A lot of grave mistakes have been made but is it time we gave these mixed personalities a go to see where they end up? Sometimes something great can be created outside of structures. If things look like they’re starting to spiral then become vocal by all means. At the minute we’re nowhere near spiralling. We have a feel that we’re evolving half season on half season. All this trying to shape the club like it has been in the past is all a bit rigid for me. We as fans have to learn to evolve with it and look for a new niche that gives us a feeling that we have some soul still. The past way has finished. Enjoy the journey while it’s still fun.
Enjoyed this longer pod. Agree with everyone for the most part.
I’m not going to indulge in futile points tally or league position expectations but in terms of improvements for next season, I’d like to see players who aren’t scared to head the ball and for our season to not be essentially over by February. Ideally no embarrassing incidents and just general competence on the administrative side as well. Hopefully these things aren’t too much to ask.