THE transfer window is closed, the dust has settled but for Liverpool fans the sense of disappointment – even betrayal – felt towards the series of events still hasn’t faded.
A smart PR machine quickly churned into action and produced John W Henry’s “open letter” to Liverpool fans, seeking to calm the disquiet amongst fans, but everywhere you go and every Red you speak to will still say that the sense of being badly let down has not gone away.
A number of people have already written articles on this website that have examined the events of deadline day, who might be to blame and what it means for FSG’s relationship with Liverpool supporters from here on in.
The really interesting angle to explore is what the dealings on deadline day – or lack of them, more to the point – have done to Rodgers’ relationship with the owners, FSG. Was Rodgers stabbed in the back? What was he told by FSG? What was he promised by Ian Ayre and those ‘working on deals’? Perhaps most significantly, what does this mean for Rodgers’ relationship with the owners moving forward?
Of course, much of this is speculation, and we may never get proper answers. However, there are some clear facts (which were famously popular with Rafa) that are established, and what we read into them may give us some insights. Let’s look at the facts as we know them:
1) Rodgers only allowed Carroll to leave because he believed beyond doubt that he would be replaced: Sources close to the club have even indicated that Rodgers himself played an active role in persuading Carroll to leave, assuring him that it was by far the best option for his career. However, a quote from Rodgers just a week before the end of the window made his position quite clear:
“I need a minimum of three strikers. Once the window shuts, that is it until January. I have got [Luis] Suarez, Fabio Borini, and Andy Carroll.
“I would need to be a nutcase even to consider at this moment to let Carroll go out, unless there are other solutions for that.”
With just a week to go to the close of the window, Rodgers had gone public to say that he was happy to keep the existing three strikers until January, unless there were ‘other solutions’. It’s very hard to believe that he would have sanctioned – or encouraged – the Carroll move without a huge degree of confidence that ‘other solutions’ were going to bear fruit. In direct support of this, since deadline day, Rodgers has directly stated that, had he known that no deals would be done on the Friday, he would not have sanctioned Carroll’s exit.
2) Even as late as 3pm on deadline day, Rodgers was very confident that new player(s) were coming in: Rodgers’ regular weekly press conference on August 31st was dominated by deadline day speculation around deals that might be happening. Rodgers was relaxed and confident in his body language all the way through the press conference, and was very clear when the assembled journalists asked him about his chances of bringing in some much needed reinforcements up front, now that Carroll had left:
“Let’s hope by the time it [the transfer window] shuts later on that we’ve got some reinforcements. If we can get recognised goalscorers to come in, that’s the objective… there’ll be hopefully one or two coming in”.
Again, after the window closed, Rodgers was asked by various journalists how confident he had been that further strikers were going to be brought in. He gave a one word answer: “Very”. Rodgers is a modern manager, very capable of dealing with the press and not someone to overstate his case. He was in front of the world on deadline day and was absolutely confident that reinforcements were coming.
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3) Rodgers made it clear that Ian Ayre – and team – were the key players in getting deals done: Rodgers has been very careful all summer long to emphasise that Ian Ayre and his team are the ones that have been making enquiries, contacting clubs and negotiating deals. Even in his deadline day press conference, he clearly said:
“There are obviously a lot of people upstairs who are doing a lot of great work and working very, very hard [to get deals done]”.
In emphasising Ayre’s lead role, Rodgers has made it clear who bears responsibility for the failure to get any deals completed – and it’s not him.
4) Liverpool fell £1m short of Fulham’s valuation for Clint Dempsey with an offer rejected at 7pm, and he signed for Tottenham instead: this is one of the hardest facts to deal with. Why did Ian Ayre’s best and final offer only come four hours before the window closed, leaving no time for any other options to be explored? Why not 24 hours before, when the Carroll deal was sealed and done? Rodgers must have made his case absolutely clear to FSG around the need to bring goals into the team – he was publicly stating this was needed even before he let Carroll go. Why was this ignored? Why was the offer left to the last few hours of the window?
These are the facts as we know them. As mentioned earlier, we may never know for certain what conversations took place, what promises were made and what guarantees were given to Brendan Rodgers by FSG. But we know enough from the facts outlined above to understand that at best, he was given mixed messages by the owners over the last few days of the transfer window that caused him to end up short of strikers. At worst, he was told bare-faced lies by FSG around their intentions to bring in reinforcements, before they ignored his advice on the urgency of bringing in new striker(s) and sold him down the river.
The truth may lie somewhere in between. The balance of evidence though, points to Rodgers having been badly let down by the owners. He was a manager who was clearly led to believe – with some public confidence – that he was in a certain position that was then subsequently taken away underneath him. His trust in the owners has to have been seriously damaged by the shambolic events, as he reflects on a challenge – turning Liverpool’s fortunes around on and off the pitch – that has just become even more difficult.
Where Rodgers’ relationship with FSG goes from here is difficult to gauge. After speaking to Live4Liverpool.com just a few days ago, he reiterated the fact that one of the major reasons he chose to come to this club was because of the owners, and their desire for success. He is in it for the long haul, and far too intelligent to burn any bridges publicly. He will work hard with the squad that he has and will continue to try and work with the group to implement his style of play, we know this for certain. But with every goal that Andy Carroll scores for West Ham, and every goal that Clint Dempsey scores for Spurs, his sense of having been let down will get stronger. We can only hope that he finds another way to deliver the progress that he desperately wants to make, in spite of the actions of his bosses.
Find me on twitter @rossco1981
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Time to move on!
I don’t know what to believe, I can only go on what I saw and heard. I know that with tens of thousands of liverpool fans all over the country, waiting all day for the news of who replaces Carroll. Sitting in front of their televisions, as I was, listening on their radios. Only for the TV to go over to the Sky reporter at Melwood and see Ian Ayre turn out the lights get in his 4×4 and piss off home. No explanation or message for the thousands of stupid fans, like me, sitting waiting for some news. Nothing, I felt angry and let down by what he did. I for one will never believe anything he has to say again.
Don’t know about Rodgers, but the fans sure was.
Yes that was obvious isn’t? They issue a statement days later saying that they had been the biggest spenders in the US baseball league and would continue to spend big. But not 6 mill for a proven goal scorer for LFC.
Dont know about you guys but definitely felt it in my back.
Pretty simple really FSG have told Rodgers he needs to use the academy players! Everyone keeps saying we have got better players in the reserves Morgan better then Carroll, Sterling better then Downing, Suso better then Henderson and so on!
In away FSG have listened to the fans again!
It’s all done and dusted. What is the point of continuing with this saga. Everyone and his mother has given their opinion on it. So just stop moaning and put your support into the players we have, as all you are doing is knocking their confidence. Dempsey could have been a flop like Cole and many others before him, we don’t know and never will know. As to FSG, we all knew they would be careful in their spending after last season and Comolli’s idiotic dealings. This is the future of LFC just get used to it and hope that Rodgers is as good as he believes he is.
Oh you left out KD when you say idiotic.
tHE FANS WERE BETRAYED – THE REASON – CUTS AT BOSTON RED SOCKS MEANT THEY HAD TO NOT BE SEEN SPENDING AT LFC – A STATEMENT WAS MADE TO RED SOCKS FANS AT THE EXPENSE OF LFC – WHAT A WAY TO RUN OUR CLUB – THIS IS THE TRUTH OF IT – SHOCKING.
Stop spouting nonsense. The finances of the teams are completely separate.
I’m not saying I agree with Stah’s comment. But since when did you see the accounts!? If you believe all is honest and reputable at this level, then you’re deluded. The ‘truth’ my arse! It’s another opinion……..that’s all!!
No, it is the truth, they are two entirely different entities. That’s all.
There has been no denial that it was Rodgers’ decision to put Carroll out on loan. He hasn’t once said that he was let down by Ayres or FSG. In his unseemly haste to get rid of a specific player, he left the club in the lurch, and it won’t be forgotten, or forgiven, by the fans.
I forecast when FSG arrived that they would be the same as the previous Yanks! They bought the club for buttons and don’t want to spend! Yes they spent on Carrol but picked up 15mil difference from the Torres sale! A quick profit!(They new exactly what they were doing by forcing Torres to make a transfer request in the last few minutes of the transfer window ; all planned and executed they way the wanted!) Then made a BIG MISTAKE bringing Dalglish back,and wasting money on panic buying!
The best thing they could do is sell the club to the fan groups,then all profits would be used within,instead of being filtered away!
I am baffled. FSG was is the same as those cowboys, just different spelling and yet we drove those cowboys out but just sit and watch while FSG slowly but surely is ruining our club. Frankly FSG made the Glazers seems like angels.
If our club got relegated or end up like Rangers, we just got ourselves to blame b’cos we just watched and complaint. We need to do what we did to the cowboys. Obviously FSG do noty have the resorces or are willing to spend it on LFC.
Iv spent over 300 euro on lfc stuff and I all way buy as soon as it comes out but if the club don’t spend any thing in jan ether will I, simple as. We are one of the top earners in the world of football but haven’t got the team to go whit the out going of the club. I hope most of the players that were zapping all of the clubs money, so this money can be used the bring in at least 2 world class players in jan. if not I will not be buying any merchandise.
Enough is enough, what’s done is done. No changing the past it’s gone get over it and move on. What you should be publishing is about the bright young talent coming though and how we need to be paitent in this phase of rebuilding, I believe we have the right manager and owners to bring us back to the top. This Liverpool I ‘live4liverpool’ and as fans we should be supporting them not bringing them down.
Yes fans should be patient but the problem is are the opposition going to show them patience with our young team?
I am sure all our rivals would PATIENTLY wait for us while we get our act together so that we are not too far behind.
Maybe SAF did not get the message as in a little over 20 years Manure had taken over with their 19 titles.
Oh would you please send this message too to teams like Spurs, Sunderland, Newcastle or even our Everton as the seems to be fast catching up. I am sure they would understand.
Last year we let down by King Kenny and his expensive flops and this year by John Bankrupt Henry,there is nothing wrong with Rogers if he is given time and money he will build a good team.As a fan I am very much concerned about the club’s future if we don’t do well this year(which I don’t think we will playing without proper strikers) we will loose the likes of Suarez etc and eventually turn up like Leeds .
With JH and BR, we would be lucky if we end up like Leeds.
The have done well to get the club out its dept it was in . But all the time they keep saying they are not going too spend money big money on players it tells us we will never get back to being a top side. If B Rodger is asking for players and he was told he would get the back he needs from them . Them they have belittled the man in the worst way you can in football by telling one thing when they offered him the job then said no to him when he has signed a contact
To the person who replied to my post “stop spouting nonsense, the finances of the clubs are completely seperate – you have no idea of the preasure put on the owners in Boston were the perception was they have got rid off their big money stars and believe the owners think more about spending at LFC, they are Americans they cant fathom that most of the money spent was off players sold not henry’s money (in that sense) at all. MAKE NO MISTAKE lFC ARE PAYING FOR NONE FOOTBALLING REASONS. do you get it now.
Liverpool are what we are because we have a world wide fan base – this is why the Americans are involved, we are a means of branding profits, better teams than us are on TV a tenth as much, the Americans better not go too far or else the games up for them and us. Can some one do a survey of just how much has been spent on players and how much reaped in, i bet the net spending is a pittance in football terms, even the Borini cash went back to them.
If anything the onus fall upon Rodgers, Ayer, and the scouting staff for not having a back up plan once Dempsey became unattainable. Move on.
ste trousdale and anyone else that believes the debt was paid off ..thats not correct. FSG have paid a large amount of it off but still have between 30 million and 40 million in what was described as manageable debt . They also made no promise to saddle the club with further debts in the future .
There has also been no progress on the development of Anfield or the building of a new stadium . Had they really wanted to they would have began .Now if they feel neither would make any financial sense then they need to say it and stop lying , that progress has been made .
Grateful for what FSG’s done, but they have to sell to a wealthier owner. They’ve taken us as far as they can. Now it’s time to move on. I’m quite sure if they decide to this day, there’ll be no fewer than 5 bidders for the opening bid. Especially now that the club’s finances are healthy. With lots of hope, i’d hope for Sheikh Al Maktoum of Dubai, or HRH Al Waleed Al Saud!
buying the success is never as sweet as earning it. fsg splashed the cash last season and look what happened. sure this transfer deadline day was a disaster but alot will be learned from it by fsg. they are business men first off (john henry was a farmer) they know how to make money. they know that the real money is in winning the league and playing in the champions league. but who can blame they for not giving the club 80million or so for players when they know now it does not grantee you top 4. they said they are looking for bargains and not pay over the odds for player like last year. and to all of you doubters that say you cant win the league or get top 4 with bargain players look at daniel levy at spurs. 4th place last year would be in CL only for the luckiest CL win ever by Chelsea. I WOULD HAVE THE TWO YANKS OVER YE MUPPETS ANY DAY OF THE WEEK