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Reality check needed in order to evolve

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Liverpool managerNOTHING becomes history quicker than football.

When the final whistle blows we start looking forward to the next game; when the season ends we start planning for the next. A split-second is all it takes to set off the triggers in your head. Present becomes history and anxiety becomes scrutiny.

Perhaps a worn-out metaphor, but a valid one nonetheless: a football club is like a shark; it has to move forward in order to survive.

It’s always about here and now, this very moment. Last week’s 5-0 win means nothing if you lose the next one, and last season’s cup triumph means nothing if you get relegated the following season.

In many ways it’s what makes it both bearable and horrifying being a fan. Lose one and you can’t wait for the next; win one and you get defensive, because the momentum may be gone by next weekend.

We see it with teams who have just won a championship; renewal is often needed in order to challenge again the next season. No matter how good the team is you need a couple of new faces when training starts again early July, just to keep everyone on their toes and let them know they need to maintain their performance level. Alex Ferguson was the master of doing this; always making some adjustments to the squad to make sure the collective hunger was maintained, never allowing his squad to become complacent.

Because your opponents will do everything within their power to stop you from winning again. Everybody wants to beat the champions, and everybody wants to become champions. They will be five per cent sharper and they will have better players. Always better, always trying to improve – always moving forward.

Renewal can be chosen, or it can be forced; it can be significant, or it can be minor adjustments. This summer, Liverpool FC seem to be facing yet another busy summer with plenty of ins and outs. For the first time since the sacking of Rafa Benitez, a Liverpool manager gets to follow up after a full season and start creating a team in his own image. It’s the first real sign of stability the club has had for a very long time; and for me it’s absolutely vital to keep moving down the path we seem to have chosen, and to look at the bigger picture.
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For many years now I have questioned the recruitment policy of LFC. Huge transfer sums have been wasted on hideously mediocre players – not to mention some of the contracts that were handed out under the last ownership. Financially speaking the period 2009-20012 was a complete train wreck; LFC was basically run as a Champions League club, but without the needed revenue. One doesn’t need a degree in economics to understand the reasoning behind the wage cut that has been going on the last twelve months.

Last season was all about laying the foundations and building solid ground; in many ways a year zero for FSG as owners of Liverpool Football Club. New manager – hopefully long term this time – and new rules. Now the time has come to start building something on those foundations. It may take time and it may include some unpopular decisions, but there are many signs that indicate LFC are moving in the right direction.

Player recruitment is obviously the most important pillar of them all. We don’t have the money of Manchester City or Chelsea, we are miles away from competing with Manchester United and we don’t have Champions League football – meaning we have to be smarter than them in order to start reducing the gap. This may sound unacceptable to some, but when putting together our squad we need to start thinking like clubs lower on the food chain – at least until we get back into the Champions League. We need to create a clear identity and find players who fit into that identity and help us develop it, like Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.

Porto, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund have shown what can be done if you have the structure in place. The advantage we have over those clubs is that we are Liverpool Football Club, meaning that if we manage to be clever and eventually claw ourselves back among the elite we will actually be able to hold on to our players.

The downside to this kind of thinking is that we may have to accept selling some of our top players in the process. Pepe Reina and Luis Suarez are both rumoured to possibly be heading out the door this summer.

If it happens, then so be it. Top players want to play for top teams, and it’s been a while since we could call ourselves that. We just have to make sure we reinvest the money wisely; keep building and keep moving, until we get there.
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25 comments

  • kushkingYNWA says:

    ynwa

  • Jon says:

    I agree 100%, if we can sign luis muriel, kolo,Llori, aspas and erikson we will have a fast, strong and creative group. Sturridge will bag 25+ next season and the midfield will be full of goals. I even think Borini will score loads given more games.
    Did anyone see aspas’s assist last night? He looks decent and can beat a man

  • tobbe says:

    (made up fees but still not far off)
    Out:
    Suarez £45m
    Reina £15m
    Skrtel £10m
    Carroll £15m
    +others £15m (coates, shelvey, spearing, pacheco etc)
    Total: £100m

    That means we have some serious funds to reinvest.
    We need a striker, goalkeeper and a centreback.
    Say we go for Begovic, Papadopoulus and Higuain that will total somewhere £45m giving us an extra £55m to spend.
    Eriksen costs £20m if we can land him. Tello somewhere around £10m and we could maybe also go for cast out Coentrao from Madrid for around £15m. And that still gives us £10m to shop for. In addition to that I think FSG has been kind enough to give BR a small warchest of their own besides player sales, another £20m and we can really build something special. Of course, players want champions league football but still we can dream! 🙂
    YNWA, in BR we trust (for now)

    • sam charles the king says:

      great post, it can be done, but if we cant or the club will not re invest the player sales money then we may as well pack it in,

  • mentor says:

    I fill re leaved,is better we made up our mind and we should focus on †?? next star ???õ??? be at liverpool, before we sign suarez we hard torres, with all torres goals for liverpool we were unable ???õ??? win a single triumph, only 51 goals luis suarez in all competition win carling cup last season, so if suarez wants ???õ??? leave, he should not be stopped, there are many fantastic players out there waiting for rumoure not ???õ??? talk of offer.

  • Brigadier says:

    Rubbish article! Rodgers creating a team in his own image? What, show ponies who go missing when the pressure is on and only play well when there’s nothing left to play for? Yeah, whatever!

  • Brigadier says:

    Oh and Kolo Toure is a Rodgers type player is he? A squad player from City who had his best season 9 years ago in 04? Yeah, OK….

  • Hutch says:

    Someone is playing FM with transfers..look at QPR with their new signings last season..players take time to gel; evolution not revolution is the way forward for LFC hopefully only Carroll will be moved on and.we can get a top centre cack to replace Carra

    • Ali says:

      Lol . We only had 4 last summer. 2 of which were used to English football and look how rubbish we were
      Swansea had 7 new players . WBA 7. Arsenal 5.

      Try some different lame excuses

      • tasos says:

        Yeah only 4,but a totally different approach on the field.plus,when you have a team with the average age around 23 it is expected not to perform under pressure,but that’s how mentality is being built….patience lads.YNWA

        • Ali says:

          Patience is over. There is no mentality being built and no progress I’m sorry to say.

          • Jon says:

            If you patience is over Ali why don’t you f&ck off and take all the other glory hunters with you

          • realist says:

            Ha ha .

            Another idiot response from Jon. Which is higher ? His age or his IQ ?

    • pine says:

      while i agree.. its clear we need at least 2cb, one with the option of covering enrique at lb.. some one to help / compete with lucas at dm… and we are in despirate need of established wingers, downing and afew youth wont cut it at lfc.. if suarez stays we might be alright in the striker department, if not, sign one established, and 1 youth….

      • sam charles the king says:

        great post,

        i want Suarez gone now after his disgusting lack of the way he has handled himself of late, sell him for 50 mill and buy 3 great young players to help squad quality and depth for the now and for the future.
        lamela, muriel, benteke = suarez and money from fsg can easily add these 3 player for top end of the pitch.
        caroll money takes care of a center back like papadopoulos
        skrtel going = aldweireld

  • sam charles the king says:

    Its bloody vital players that are just clearly not needed, that are just not good enough are SOLD.

    Spearing – 3 mill
    Assaidi – 2.7 mill
    Pacheco – (not much)
    Wilson – (gone)
    Carroll – 15 mill
    Shelvey – 6 mill
    Flanagan – 1 mill
    Coates 6 mill

    Start with that lot – that above gets us worse case scenario, money coming back into the club without spending a penny first. – Around £33 mill.

    That will pay for PAPA & ASPAS & CISSOKHO.

    Then Skrtel could go we could then for Lovren or Alderweireld.

    Downing and some cash could bring in Benteke.

    Suarez would fetch a hug price 45 – 50 mill, which could see the likes of – Erik Lamela and Luis muriel.

    all this still without spending any of the clubs money! just buy using player sales money

  • sam charles the king says:

    Or you could say we are going to go out and play young kids and second – third choice players to rest most of the first 11 in order to try maximum level to get into top 4?

    Next season has to be at all costs getting top 4 and we know it!

    Ideal world we would now keep Reina, if he doesn’t move to Barca.
    Not fussed about keeping Skrtel as there are better out there for younger and better wages.

    I want Suarez gone now after his speaking this week, we have to move on, its clear he will go one day and we all knew it was coming, sell him off now get the cash and re build asap!

    If we can keep this and add to the 1st 11 then we will be fine next year.

    REINA
    JOHNSON PAPADOPOULOS AGGER ENRIQUE

    GERRARD LUCUS ERIKSEN

    COUTINHO
    LAMELA MURIEL
    BENTEKE

    This is very achievable with carroll, suarez, skrtel, and all other deadwood going.

    • Jon says:

      Muriel looks a great player, papdopalis has said he wants to stay at his team. I think we are in for llori, he’s faster than ronaldo so should be good at 6 mil ish
      I hope we get erikson too as we need that creativity in midfield

      • realist says:

        Ha ha ha. Your a total deluded idiot

        ‘llori is faster than ronaldo’

        How do you know ?

        Have you seen them race ?

        Ha ha ha . Clueless

        • Jon says:

          Do you know anything about llori?

          Or did you tiny little brain see my comment and think” how is this possible ronaldo has 96 speed on fifa, no man can be quicker”?
          Maybe next time you should have a quiet word with yourself before you comment.
          Go and do 10 mins research on Llori and you will learn WHY he is faster you fool

        • Jon says:

          it was reported that Ilori broke Sporting’s speed record in training, surpassing results set by Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were with the academia.

          Did you even read the article? you really are a nob

    • tobbe says:

      4-3-4
      yes, of course. with that extra man on the pitch we would be unstopable 😉 not sure the FA will agree tho’

  • Raam says:

    Guys,, is there a new league with 12 a side team??

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