As silly season gets into overdrive, most Liverpool fans have their attention split between our world cup stars and the apparent pavement vomit that now best describes Liverpool Football Club. I can’t help myself focusing on the void that lays in front of our futures.
Walking past Anfield now I would half expect a scene from Escape from New York. A car sits on fire in the street, dirty faced kids cower in the allyways, in the brightly lit Anfield offices four shadowy figures sit around a table and discuss how they can best syphon the remaining life blood of the surrounding peoples souls…
Well, I digress, maybe things aren’t that hopeless but still… To many red blooded fans, this summer looks to be one of foreboding and doom. Is this promising but directionless team on the verge of being broken up for a credit rating? Will King Kenny come charging in with the LIght Brigade and deliver us from evil? It all remains to be seen and this is what makes it so hard.
A lot seems to depend on the would-be manager. The way I see it, if Roy Hodgson is appointed it shows the board lack ambition, it shows they don’t listen to the fans, it shows they want an ‘easy’ ride and most of all it shows we have as less money than we ever imagined.
While I completely respect Roy Hodgson, his CV pales in comparison to Benitez’s, if the owners were really expecting a sale soon, would they act on Benitez position? Paying out millions when they were about to see the back of him? It seems to me as though Rafa was the one fighting for the people in the boardroom. Rafa only cared about one thing, and that was the football. I’m delighted he ended up at Internazionale, I hope he proves just how good he is when he finally has the money to spend he always craved. If Hodgson is appointed, I would suspect the reason is he will do as he is told; work on a budget and befriend the media. I like Roy, but I don’t think he’s the man for the job.
The next leading candidate is Kenny Dalglish. A controversial choice it may seem, but if the board were savvy enough, they would make the appointment. Dalglish seems to be seen as some sort of Liverbird crested Ché Guevara. Many have this fantasy of The King coming in and making sweeping changes on and off the pitch. I can’t imagine his appointment would have that dramatic an affect while things off the pitch stay as they are.
Dalglish would be restricted in the transfer market while needing to mould his own team, he would have massive expectation placed on him and at the same time he will need to convince Benitez’s loyal players that he is the man for them. The one thing he definitely would bring, is complete fan loyalty. If the board gave Kenny the job, then the fans wouldn’t say a word against him, well, for a season or two anyway. Maybe the board are scared of what he could become? He really could become the Red Ché; loyal public support and a good cause to fight for.
Liverpool fans seem aimless at the moment, we don’t know what to expect, and because of that we have no expectations. Will the club be broken up? If so, expect no more than Europa League football for the foreseeable future. Will the club be sold to a rich yet savvy businessman who’ll appoint Dalglish? If so, expect a huge resurgence in support and expectation.
It’s hard to even look a week ahead in Liverpool’s future, I love speculating on ‘what ifs’, but now I’m scared. I feel like we’re teetering on the edge here and we’ve got one last shot to turn it around.
We’ve reached the fork in the road, down one path is the dark woods full of things that go bump in the night and bureaucratic moneymen, you know who I’m talking about *cough Purslow/Broughton cough*. Down the other path is the green field with the goals set up, just waiting for you to run on and enjoy what we love about football, the game itself.
I might be too old for fairy-tales but the goings on at this club border on make believe, I just hope this one has a happy ending.
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Football FanCast writer Oscar Pye-Jeary documents his time in South Africa following England in the 2010 World Cup. (England v USA).
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hey abdul! i happen to rate those 2 players very highly! i was highlighting the fact that he had £38m to spend on them. you are obviously a bloody expert with your superiority complex! don’t insult me just because i have a different opinion, knob!
if any of you wish to continue this debate in a mature manner, feel free to e-mail me direct to stevemac@live.ie
Rafa did not get enough money he had to sell to buy he did not get 250 mill extra, thing is we they sell most for more than what was paid.
So looking at it they should be able to revamp the squad with shrewd buys without a great outlay.
He had £38 million to spend but that was after selling players worth more than £38 million. Why do you simpletons find it so hard to understand such a basic principle? BTW you want a mature debate? How about dropping the expletives for a start?
steve your debating with people who do not understand your excellent points of view mate they are arguing against every thing you point out because they dont understand what we were explaining . Me albey said we should follow arsenals system on scouting for young talented players that cost little but become worth millons i never mentioned about them winning trophys but let me say htey are nearer to becoming a winning football club than liverpool fc are abdul and chris and as i also pointed out in my earlier post what ever rafa spent he bought players that could not trap a ball pass a ball or head a ball and sold them on and lost money on most of the buys yes he made some good buys but even you abdul and chris could of picked them out so as for slaging steve off lads i think you owe him an appolige every thing that man has told you is right if you read it properly the man knows his stuff once again respect to steve none to you abdul or chris
daboy how much did rafa have to spend at valencia nothing they bought the players for him what did he win? the league twice and the uefa cup why do you think that was ? could it be they didnt trust him with there money and by the way valencia bought david silver and david villa and all the top players they have today think that answers your he didnt get enough money remark. also he sold hyppia , riise, crouch , keane , alonso ect when we would of won the premier league if he had kept them and we lost money on all but alonso great bit of management dont you think daboy and abdul and chris he had more than enough money and chances to get it right but he didnt a i thank him for the champions league adventures but even you three must hold your hands up he cost us the uefa semi last season with the team he picked he got us beat not the players