New Look LFC Putting On A Show and Putting Up A Fight

We’re familiar with winning ugly (aka ‘The Gérard Houllier years’) and we’re also familiar with winning in style but losing to ‘lesser’ opposition also known as the ‘in Rafa we trust’ years. Now we’re in a new world (touch wood) of winning in style or winning ugly also known as ‘winning’ and imminently to be known as in the ‘Brendan Rodgers we trust’ years.

I’m getting a nose bleed sitting here at the top if the table and looking down the table at the rest. I’m not comfortable; the situation at this time of year is alien to me. I’m now able to ask any other fans… ‘where are in the league?’ and that killing off any criticism of LFC with their silence mercifully ended by me with a simple request ‘shut up then’. A trick I learned from an Arsenal fan, during the ‘invincible’ years.

It’s a strange feeling, I’m perplexed, lost and struggling to feel comfortable. I hope to get use to it and be very comfortable with my wall display of ‘LFC’s title winning 2013-2014 season!’

I remember the Liverpool of Houllier and Rafa who fell away during 01-02 and 08-09 seasons. By the final day of the season all was already lost and forgotten. Seasons where ‘miracle’ signings of Heskey proportions couldn’t save the day and opposition players who really couldn’t ‘hit a barn door with a banjo’ scored 4 goals against us.

In the past ‘minnows’ such as Cardiff would have beaten us. They needed the win and it would have moved them out of the relegation zone. In the past the desire of teams like Cardiff, Sunderland and West Ham would have eclipsed our own and we would have lost. There is no doubt in my mind Rafa’s Liverpool would have dropped points to both Cardiff and Sunderland. This new Mr Rodgers team is a Liverpool team to be proud of and a manager who makes us proud and we will keep for years to come.

What’s changed?

Well, Rodgers has a very public philosophy and he’s brave. Rafa and Houllier had philosophies, they were brave. But back then the Reds were much more in the spotlight and more was expected at the beginning of each campaign. There was more pressure. Pressure isn’t a growing, nurturing environment no matter what profession you work in. Now, as a club we’re lucky to exist. We make loud claims about not paying over the odds and ‘allow’ targets to slip away if they want more than we believe is fair. Liverpool don’t want the money-greedy, they want the success-hungry. That’s new.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully believe that Mr Rogers is deserving of great credit, I feel he has done an amazing job and he deserves – we deserve – success. He is a genius, spotlight or no spotlight, and the transformation and new style Liverpool play with is amazing.

What else?

Is Dr Steve Peters working wonders or is that just the chimp talking?

Dr Steve Peters, the British phsychiatrist who has worked with a number of individuals who could at one time or another be described as troubled, such as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Joey Barton, now works with Liverpool FC. Is he the secret to success? Who knows but Dr Peters has has had success everywhere, in other sports. Could he really have such a big part to play in Liverpool’s success, I mean, he only works with the squad for one day a week!

Let’s look at the numbers though: in a day he could see five people if he gave each person an hour. Since November he’s worked one day a week.  That’s 4 months, so around 17 days of work, minus two days for Christmas and New Year so we can say he’s probably worked for LFC for 15 days.

It’s hard to say how many sessions someone needs before you see a real improvement, but having spoken to a few psychologists an educated guess would be around 4-6 so to keep the maths simple let’s say 5 sessions. Dr Peters therefore, could have helped 15 Liverpool players. I imagine his efforts would be the focus on the first team. 15 first team players with more steel, more determination, clarity of thought and focus would make a real difference to any squad.

Sounds a bit too good to be true; it all sounds a bit too simple.

Sports psychiatrists and psychologists aren’t new, elite athletes will try anything; we remember Mr Hoddle’s faith in faith healers! I’m sure Rafa and Houllier would have had their equivalents as well. Dr Peters is flavour of the month which doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s great. I am sure he’s one of the best in his field and been of some help but I can’t believe he is the difference.

In my opinion the difference is Mr Brendan Rodgers and FSG’s professional set up coupled with lower expectations which allowed the team to grow and evolve.

As Brendan Rodgers himself once said “The problem with being a manager is it’s like trying to build an aircraft while it is flying.”

What do you think?

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