Quantcast
View from the Kop

The Importance of Perspective

|
Image for The Importance of Perspective

LFC celebrate at ArsenalAN abomination is the only way to describe Liverpool FC’s season. Defeats to Swansea and Oldham in the cups and without a win over any of our league competitors, times look worse and worse for LFC.

The capitulation to Stoke away and Aston Villa at home have served only to highlight the new depths we have managed to plunge and the future of Liverpool as a football heavyweight has been compromised.

Or so some might have you believe.

Modern football has become a morass of instant opinion, over-reaction and hype, hype, hype. And it is easy to get sucked into that world without taking time to actually consider and assess the positives and the negatives of a club, team, player or manager.

The phrase ‘you’re only as good as your last game’ has never been so relevant. What it is vital to remember is that this is a sentence used to promote regular performance from players; they cannot believe that their job is done after one good match, they must deliver every game.

Instead, there is a quite literal application of that phrase by football observers which causes a team to be labelled ‘world class’ if they win and ‘relegation fodder’ if they lose. The Norwich game showed that Liverpool are one of the most dominant forces in the Premier League, while the loss to Oldham proved Liverpool to be a wrecked ship, hoping to stem the flood before sinking into the abyss.

Perspective is not in abundance in the world of football, indeed it is largely absent.

A fair assessment of Liverpool would be that they are a good team which is inconsistent and a large part of that is due to the number of young and inexperienced players that have had plenty of game time in a red shirt. This is not a problem that needs to be addressed it is an inevitable result of giving academy graduates a chance. Young players will make mistakes but they will improve from having made them. And in the event that they neither learn nor progress, they will no longer find a place in the team.

There is a strange attitude in football at the moment where young players are both placed on a pedestal and slaughtered well before they should be judged so reverently or harshly. Recently I overheard someone describe Victor Moses as a failed player. This is a 22 year old who had a very encouraging season with Wigan last year and has played a number of games for a Chelsea side that is littered with top international talent. He has also scored 4 goals in 8 games for Nigeria. Failure.

The expectation on young talent is ridiculous. There is a paradox by which fans want academy players in the first team but expect them to perform like 28 year old internationals. I often remind people that Jonjo Shelvey’s 5 goal return in 27 games this season is not far off Gerrard’s 10 goals in 50 games at the same age. Yet Shelvey is expected to be as good as Gerrard is now. Gerrard was nowhere near the player he is now and it’s easy to forget that he was a raw talent when he first came through the ranks. He was not perfect but Gerrard did not come under the same level of scathing criticism when he had a bad game that Shelvey does now.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
Part of this seems to be down to the need for instant gratification in our society and Twitter is a good example of how much people focus on the here and now all of the time. Everything is condensed into a microcosm and amplified to the nth degree. This is a problem because it contributes to the hostile environment that younger players find themselves in, particularly at a club like Liverpool.

Take Joe Allen for instance. 22 years of age and arriving at the club with a big price tag and heralded by the new manager as a man who would reshape Liverpool’s midfield. Praised after his first few games as the best player on the pitch, he is now castigated as a flop. Overreaction is easy. Downing is terrible, Adam is terrible and Henderson is terrible.

Well now Downing is delivering, Adam has left and Henderson has produced goals and assists since the eye of condemnation was turned away from him. Allen is currently facing the backlash from some poor performances, and let’s be clear: his displays have been awful for the last 5-10 games, but is he the first player to take time to settle into a team? Did Robert Pires not struggle in his first season at Arsenal?

Players need time to adapt whether they come from the Premier League or from abroad. They experience a change of environment, teammates and manager. There are a host of variables that can affect why a player doesn’t settle into a team and that’s why instant successes are rare.

More importantly though is that young players are not the finished article, they advance with experience. Lionel Messi is one of the greatest talents to emerge in football but he did not immediately score 50 goals a season, he got better over time.

Liverpool have not been a Champions League side for a number of years now but the recovery is underway. The youth system is producing good footballers for the first time since the Gerrard himself came through and it is exciting. If everything pans out as we hope we could be looking at one of those wondrous moments in football where a crop of talented saplings come through at once and form the nucleus of the team for many years to come.

Yes, we want to see progress and yes we want to be back at the top as quickly as possible but if everything is continually dismantled with haphazard overreaction to every bad result then progress will be stifled.

The future could be great but we must ensure that our ludicrously concentrated focus on the present doesn’t extinguish the fires of youth from reaching their potential.
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’right’]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com

Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook

Share this article

36 comments

  • Kyle E. says:

    Just another flaky article , making up more bullsh*t excuses , and pleading for yet MORE time .

    Look , We all wanted Rodgers to be a success , but he hasnt been , he has been an unmitigated disaster from start to finish , yes it has been an abomination of a season

    There is no point trying to deny it , we should now be focusing on how to make sure it doesn’t happen next season , hopefully with a proper manager in place

    • deane fitzpatrick says:

      Agreed,I’m sick to death aswel of seeing players we shud of signed now making Der way to other clubs,Monreal to arsenal,urby to Fulham,supposedly negredo to the scum,it boils my blood that the *managing us an useless owners thought it was a good idea to sign joe Allen an borini and it stems back to d gangs of wasters Ur king Kenny thought Wer gud enough to wear our shirt.monreal should of been brought in and isco, everything should of bn done to bring in an experienced midfielder.the points we hav thrown away has cost us any chance of getn 4th place cos the opportunity has been Der but Brenda doesn’t know what he is doin

    • Dave says:

      Incredible over-reaction. I’m not a Liverpool fan, but you’re seventh. Hodgson was an unmitigated disaster. You’re a place above where you finished last season. How much better than that did you expect to be? Did you expect the signings you made to turn you into title contenders? I would love to see Liverpool fail and sacking your manager after 7 months in the job for performing better than you did last year would be a GREAT start.

      • deane fitzpatrick says:

        Then fuk off,the page is live for liverpool,get the hint its for liverpool fans

      • David Tobin says:

        ‘Dave’ IS obviously a liverpool fan , One of the clueless muppets trying to make his point , but pretending to be on the outside LOL

      • Mick says:

        Those 2 numpty’s are just cheesed off that they are exactly the dumb *this article is talking about. You little rainy clouds of doom get a grip. Go support Citeh or Chelski if you want to support a club that’s going to turn into Title holders overnight. You seriously have no idea. Can’t stand these F* idiots who thought LFC was going to win the league win the every Cup and stop world hunger because we got a new manager and a couple new players. You’re exactly what this article is talking about.

      • Mick says:

        Those 2 failed abortions are just cheesed off that they are exactly who this article is talking about. You little rainy clouds of doom get a grip. Go support Citeh or Chelski if you want to support a club that’s going to turn into Title holders overnight. You seriously have no idea. Can’t stand these Einsteins who thought LFC was going to win the league win every Cup and stop world hunger because we got a new manager and a couple new players. God couldn’t win the league with our squad. Rodgers has improved it beyond words though. You’re just one of those that goes along with every word the Daily Star prints. Everyone of you jumping in the Allen bashing bandwagon and next month you can copy whatever gets printed and pretend that if only LFC appointed you as manager you’d bring back the Glory Days.

        • stevieG says:

          Braindead , delusional , stupid , and you dont have a clue about football or how to support your club

          LOL LOL LOL – saying Rodgers has improved the squad LOL – just shows how dumb u are

          Try going to a few games instead of watching highlights , it might give u a better understanding .

        • Tommo says:

          No one expects to be challenging overnight , but we should expect better players than the dross Rodgers has signed . better results than the crap we have had , and a better manager that actually knows how to beat decent sides

        • Dan says:

          Mick … sorry but you dont know what your talking about

  • Dicky Hill says:

    Totally agree. We have great potential. With the budget and resources available Rodgers is making great progress. It will take time.

    Rodgers also makes mistakes, but he is quick to rectify them. The recent Man U game being a good example. He’s also still getting to know his players and their strengths and weaknesses. Fergie took 5 years to win the premiership, and that was without the unlimited financial resources clubs such as Chelsea and Man City have.

    • GAZ says:

      Rodgers quick to rectify mistakes ? You havin a laugh ? 30 games for Joe Allen is 28 games too many . Getting outplayed and dominated by Man U – it took him til 65 minutes to change . He never took off Allen v Oldham when we were losing the midfield .
      The guy is clueless

      • Mick says:

        Allen scored against Oldham.

        • Mick says:

          What are you talking about losing the midfield anyway? Oldham just chucked the ball up the pitch to that 6ft6 lump of a striker.Coates was at fault. What is this the Allen Bashing Show? Is it his fault your one load your mum should have swallowed?

        • deane fitzpatrick says:

          Bolix is he getn credited with dat goal,took a deflection.if he scored on d last day of the season for us to win d league in goal difference I stil wouldn’t acknowledge him.u are either a relative of his or like d way he looks.he is out of his depth at Liverpool.its like playing with a man less with him on the pitch

        • stevieG says:

          LOL , oh you make me laugh …. “Allen scored against Oldham ” ? That deflected shot that was going wide ! ha ha ha ha ha ha

          Go watch Man U instead of giving Liverpool supporters a bad name with silly comments

        • Tommo says:

          Kop on Mick

        • harry86 says:

          Allen couldn’t score in girls footie

  • redrum says:

    Stupid excuse laden article . Trying to make excuses for Allen is pathetic . He is NOT young 23 next month and has been atrocious ALL season , even when he passes well – he doesnt actually do anything – just passes backwards 5 yards , slowing the attacks down . Comparing him to Pires is nonsense , Pires was from diffrent country and wasnt used to the EPL

    This is Liverpool FC – Stop making excuses for a poor manager and some underperforming players . Expect higher standards

    “ooooh he needs more time to settle ” WHY ? they are top professionals getying paid ridiculous wads of cash

    Did Suarez need time ? Or Hyypia, Alonso ,Torres, Benayoun , Arbeloa etc etc etc etc .

    What about Christian Poulsen ? Maybe the fool of a writer would like to give him a year to settle ? … or Meijer or Dundee or Ferri or Konchesky etc etc

    Good players DONT need a year or two to settle in … but BAD ones do

    • David Tobin says:

      Well said . We need to stop giving time to people who r not good enough for LFC _ Sick of hearing excuses

      • Mick says:

        yeah well said you pair of geniouses. Let’s stop giving time and go out and sign Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Falcoa, Xavi, Iniesta, Cavani and then get Mourinho in. Oh and get me a coke aswell.

        • stevieG says:

          Well for the 31 million Rodgers wasted in the summer time we could have done a lot better than the 2nd division trash that is Allen Borini and Assadi

    • simon says:

      Yes spot on . If they are not doing it – get rid . We CANT have poorly performing players in our team

      Hell , even QPR or Southampton players dont get 30 or 40 games if they aint doing well

      Pathetic apathy from this writer , and some fans

    • Dan says:

      Totally agree Redrum , No more excuses please
      its very sad and it makes me cringe , all the excuses people make up on this site for people who are not good enough for LFC

    • Souey's 'tache says:

      So what’s your take on Lucas? Clown…go and support City and/or Chelsea

      • harry86 says:

        ooooooh , One player in a hundred turns it round , so by your logic Liverpool should give everyone at least 2 years to settle in ??

        so 2 years of Konchesky
        2 years of Borini
        2 years of Adam
        2 years of Poulsen
        2 years of Dossena
        2 years of Jovanovic

        We DID give 2 years to likes of Sinama ,Ngog ,Insua ,Cole, Degen ,Kyrkiakos and look where patience got us there

        Talkin rubbish as always souey . City or Chelsea is where Uneducated moopets like you belong

    • harry86 says:

      Great comment redrum , yes it funny how Suarez can take to the premier league in what ? one game

      Cant believe fools want to give bad players more time ??? I mean WTF ? Why would you want players who are not producing ? Thats insane

  • GAZ says:

    I hate these ‘moderate’ saps who want to give everyone years to perform . where would we have been last season if , instead of Downing n Henderson we had 2 decent players actually performing to a reasonably high level ???? I would say top 4 no problem

    Downing n Henderson have improved a bit this season … BUT they are nowhere even close to what a Liverpool player should be , and they never will , so why wait ?

  • Tommo says:

    ‘Perspective’ is bull . Reality is Rodgers is making us worse , he has signed crap and doesnt have a clue how to beat the good teams

    Wake up fools ,if we dont get rid of Rodgers it wil be the same rubbish next season

    And who is going to get rid of all the deadwood Rodgers has signed ?

  • Mike says:

    Ive said it b4 ,but the only pple who are happy for us to keep rodgers at pool are mancs .24 points behind mancs already ,24 !!! the mancs are laughing at us because we have this clown as our manager

  • Jonas says:

    You say perspective is absent in modern football , there is reason for this , perspective is just a way of making excuses and there should only be truth and facts
    All this article is doing is ignoring facts and twisting perspective to make it seem everything is better than it is.
    Factually Rodgers is The worst manager in our history since Bill Shankly – thats a fact
    Factually Rodgers has spent more than Kenny or Roy net spend
    You cant twist facts , they are there , they are true

  • Kay says:

    Rafa!!!!!!! Come back!!!!

  • fotheringham says:

    Rodgers needs sacking END of . inept ,incompetent whatever he has been an embarrassing failure

    And i really dont get the people who come on here to defend useless players , you should want LFC to be rid of useless players , NOT giving them more minutes

    You dont hear Utd fans screaming for Bebe to get more chances . Arsenal fans HATE when Santos is in the team , And even most chelsea fans want rid of Torres

    So what are we ? The home for useless players ? A place where they can stay for few years and fester ?

  • Mr Ed says:

    Rodgers has proved to be a failure , NOT the man to take us to top 4

Comments are closed.