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The Rise Of A New Generation

2:39 AM | Labels: Coaching, Jose Mourinho, Liverpool, Youth Development

The shortlist of managers which FSG had put together indicated the new vision of many top clubs today. Clubs are now seeking a young man, a modern coach with the ability to be a great communicator between players and media. With the success seen in the past decade from coaches like Mourinho and Guardiola, we have seen the rise of the new generation of coaches in world football.

The excitement which has surrounded the managerial merry-go-round of Villa and Liverpool has been a source of entertainment and excitement for 24 hour news outlets and social media sites. This summer the managerial merry-go-round is in overdrive and clubs know that success, relative to the side, is dependent on the man in charge. With the appeal of a young up and coming manager taking clubs' fancy, names like Rogers, Lambert and Martinez have become highly sought after people.

It is not just in England that the young manager has become a sought after commodity. In Italy Inter Milan have confirmed Andrea Stramaccioni as their permanent head coach and Antonio Conte, at 42 has just taken Juve to the top of Serie A undefeated. Dortmund have won the Bundesliga for the second year running with their hugely impressive manager Jurgen Klopp. With Roma trying to emulate a Barcelona style they brought in Barca B coach Luis Enrqiue, although that project ultimately failed, similar to that of Villas-Boas at Chelsea, the truth is, clubs around Europe, and top ones at that, are seeking a new generation of young coaches to take their sides forwards.

Mourinho's legacy

There is no doubt that the rise of the young manager has come from the astronomical rise of Jose Mourinho this past decade and the truly amazing job that Pep Guardiola has done at Barcelona. Liverpool and Villa both sought to bring in a fresh, young, dynamic and progressive coach in order to take the sides forward, relative to their ambitions. Both sides under achieved this past season and both owners realised that the previous managers were not providing the necessary skills on and off the pitch suitable for the modern game.

Was Rogers the the best man for the job? When I hear people like Stan Collymore ranting about how Liverpool should be approaching the likes of Guardiola, Mourinho and Klopp, then it just highlighted the lack of realism about who Liverpool are now. None of these managers would be enticed by the current standing of Liverpool in terms of position and the quality of players and FSG were right to approach the managers of the ilk of Martinez, Rogers and Villas Boas.

Rogers was the best of these options for many reasons; he is assertive & strong willed; the pressure of this job will be massive and I believe he can deal with that better than Martinez and Villas-Boas would have. Secondly, he has shown how effective he can communicate his ideas and thoughts of how to play the game. This Liverpool side is not that bad in all respects, they have played well this past season at times, yet had a manager who said simply to “go out and play” instead of a man like Rogers who knows what he wants and how to implement it.

Finally what makes Rogers such a good acquisition is that he has learnt first hand from one of the best in the game.The best man manager in the game today is Jose Mourinho, a man who is able to get the best from the players he works with, Rogers worked under him for four years at Chelsea and it is clear he learnt a great deal from the Special One. All in all the owners have found their perfect candidate; a man who plays with a style they want to see and is the young and media friendly manager that FSG wish to have in order to make their “brand” appealing.

Young and ambitious

Paul Lambert, who has been confirmed as the new manager of Aston Villa. In my opinion he has the ability to get the best from his players and his rapid rise to the top league has alerted many to his managerial abilities. More pragmatic and reserved than Rogers, it is understandable why he didn’t attract FSG for their need for marketing value. However, as a coach, I believe he would have been great for Liverpool. As it is, one clubs loss is another’s gain and Aston Villa appear to be the beneficiaries of Lambert’s expertise.

The man who has seemingly missed out from the managerial shakup is Roberto Martinez; a man who appeared favourite for both jobs at Anfield and Villa, yet who is now seemingly staying put. It seemed very likely that Wigan were going down to this past season and if not for a remarkable finish with wins against sides like Liverpool, Arsenal, United and Newcastle, then relegation was beckoning. This remarkable turnaround in fortunes made Martinez a popular figure, yet he must have felt he was fortunate to survive this season.

Right now he is regarded as part of this new generation of up and coming young managers, yet I worry for him though that he has missed his chance to further his ambition. Every club is effectively a stepping stone upwards and he should have taken his chance. No matter the loyalty he has to his players and importantly to his ideology, Wigan will always be at this area of the table and each season he will be fighting to retain his talented players.

When looking at these three managers we are seeing the new generation come into their own. Rogers and Lambert did a truly amazing job with their resources and apparent lack of quality in their sides, yet they both realise that although Swansea and Norwich have given them the opportunity to get to where they are, they must selfishly move on to bigger clubs where these managers can fulfil their ambitions. Unfortunately this is what managers careers are about, the ambitious ones, those who want to be successful will keep on moving up. Martinez may have missed his chance, I cannot see WBA being appealing to him and Chelsea would not consider someone like him. He may find that when his stock was highest he failed to take advantage of it.

Where is England's next generation?

It is refreshing to see a new generation of young, ambitious coaches coming through and moving onto big jobs, owners are seeing the value and taking risks in bringing in coaches who understand the modern game. Yet there is an issue which is not being addressed, the same problem which continues to be affecting the English game; Rogers is Northern Irish, Lambert is Scottish and Martinez Spanish. Where are the up and coming English mangers who are looking to move up to the top levels of the English game? Is it not amazing to you that no Englishman has won the Premier League, that no Englishman since Keith Burkinshaw in 1984 has won the Uefa Cup and importantly no Englishmen since Joe Fagan in 1984 has won the European Cup? The last European trophy won by an Englishman was the Cup Winners Cup in 1997 by Bobby Robson for Barcelona. What has happened to the state of English managers?

The greatest era for English managers in world football must have been from the late 70’s to early 80’s when an Englishman won the European Cup every year from 77 to 82. What an achievement. So what happened? Why have English managers become obsolete in the upper echelons of the game? It is a question which I do not believe has been given enough serious consideration and which especially has not been given the concern it warrants. For me, too many potentially good managers go into the role too early after playing and realise after that the pressures and importantly expertise required to manage at the top levels is seriously lacking in these individuals.

Cultural problems

In England there is a blasé attitude to coaching which usually corresponds to the belief that the better a player you are, the harder you worked and the stronger you tackled, means the better manager you’ll be. This ridiculous misconception of what is required for top level management has been the reason Paul Ince, Tony Adams, Alan Shearer and Gareth Southgate have failed in management. They were fast tracked too quickly without the required knowledge or understanding of the job. They believe that just because they played for England they can command the respect immediately. In the lower leagues this may be so, yet they found that in the Premier League, players expect more and they were found lacking. Yet it is not all their fault; the chairmen of the clubs should have known better and the PFA should have done more to help them in their transition from player to manager.

Yet, perhaps the truth is, they are just not good enough. Mourinho is clearly a natural, so too Guardiola, they show what is needed in the new generation of coaches. Shankley, Paisley, Clough, Saachi and Ferguson had it too, the ability to motivate and communicate with their players. Rogers, Lambert and Martinez all have this ability, they communicate well with their players and the media too. Do we have enough of these types of coaches who have the potential to be top managers? Where are the English Klopp’s, Conte’s or Stramaccioni’s?

Failure to communicate

The problem is, many English players want to manage but not coach, e.g. Paul Ince and Alan Shearer, however the modern game requires coaches. The biggest issue though for me is that English coaches struggle to communicate well enough, and with the influx of foreign players the ability to talk multiple languages is not just desirable but essential. Martinez speaks Spanish, as too does Rogers as well as Italian and Lambert speaks German from his Dortmund days. All three have learnt about different cultures, have developed an understanding and appreciation for the modern game and all its requirements.

How many English coaches can say they speak anything but English? No wonder they struggle in the world of modern football. Yet what do they do about it? Seek to develop these skills or complain about the lack of opportunities and opt for the comfortable world of media. It is a crying shame to see the Premier League contain only four English managers this past season. We are the only top nation where there are more foreign managers coaching our clubs than home grown managers.

A very short shortlist

The list appears quite short in terms of who we actually have who have who has potential to be a top manager. Steve McLaren is one of the best coaches to come out of England yet he is derided for his performance for the poision chalice which is the England manager’s job. He had potential to be one of the best yet last season he could not even get the job at Villa and ultimately failed with Forest. Quite amazing. Yet he is furthering himself with his development by being willing to go aboard and find work, how many others are willing to do that? Very few by the looks of it. He is the only English manager coaching in one of Europe's top leagues.

Who else is there? Perhaps Paul Clements is one to keep an eye on, currently with Ancelotti at PSG, I am sure the experience will be great for him and do not be surprised to see him back in England in the coming years, yet the question is, will any team want him? Sammy Lee tried his hand at management and ultimately failed, as too did Phil Brown, whose career has been on a decline for several years. This a major worry, these men are given opportunities yet clearly are not good enough for the role. What about Gary Neville, a man who seems to be doing things the right way by furthering his development, yet does he want to manage or would he prefer the comforts of bing England coach and his work in the media? Where are the English managers with ambition? If they can't get work in England, why don't they try their hand abroad?

What needs to be done?

A managers role is not easy, it requires many skills and much talent, yet above all it requires experience, not always positive ones, even the best suffer setbacks, and yet it is how you react to those which matter most. For an up and coming English coach seeking to be a manager there are many lessons to learn from the Jose’s, Rogers and Lambert's; there is a difference between being a player and manager; some were good players, others didn't play to a high level. Manager and player are two different roles, Sacchi was never a player, yet his quote about the jockey being a horse is something we have not learnt from in England.

We are now seeing more managers now who haven't played becoming highly sought after; Rogers, Mourinho, Stramaccioni with Inter, Villas-Boas with Porto, these men have shown that playing is not important. In England we need to change our mentality if we wish to develop world class coaches and managers. Coaching is a vocation yet is not regarded high enough in England, the belief of "I played the game, so I know how to coach" is too common in this country. We need to give more coaches opportunities regardless of if they played or not. There is an art, a talent to being a successful manager, one we do not consider high enough in this country.

The time you put into the profession of being a coach is what matters; how many are willing to learn from others, go through an apprenticeship, work for qualifications and develop their communication skills and inter personal skills and which ones are willing to go abroad to learn new styles and languages. If we are to see an Englishman lift the Premier League or even the Champions League, then English coaches must be willing to be creative and work hard to achieve their goals. In the coming decade will the next generation of up and coming managers contain English men, will we see an Englishman lift one of the top trophies in world football?

When will a side with the potential to win the league next hire a manager who is English? Redknapp is the closest man to the top yet I cannot see Spurs challenging for the top prize and perhaps he should invest more into the Europa League this next season and aim to accomplish something at White Hart Lane instead of the apparent top four success. Who will replace Ferguson and Wenger, not an Englishmen I guarantee. Chelsea will not bring in an Englishman and Man City will look for a Jose than any English coach. So is there another problem to consider, that an English manager will never get the chance to manage a side which has the potential to win things? Perhaps the FA should be concerned by this, the England manager’s shortlist was far too short and lacked a world class manager, these are issues which need to be addressed sooner than later if we are serious about being regarded as a world class nation.

My worry is, that as always with this country, will we sit back and wait or can we look to do something about this serious issue affecting the future of the English game?

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Should Liverpool be worried about FSG?

4:27 AM | Labels: Fenway Sports Group, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool

So the King has gone. It was inevitable wasn’t it considering the club was led by US businessmen whose country does not enjoy monarchies. Yet regardless of Republican desire for change, Fenway Sports Group have made the correct decision in their removal of not just Dalglish, but of the hierarcy of Liverpool football club.

Kenny Dalglish was brought in as a stop gap after the turbulent managerial reign of Roy Hodgson. He was the easiest choice to usher in the new generation of the Fenway Sports Group. However he wasn’t the long term option and if it wasn’t for a successful end to last season, I do not expect he would have remained at Anfield in the role of manager. Removing him last summer would have probably received a serious backlash from the fans and would have been a poor business decision for FSG in their ability to win over fans. They decided to give him a season and see what he could achieve. Ultimately he failed; with transfers, results and his very poor handling of the media. As well as the poor PR which followed the Suarez Evra affair, it was perhaps his comment about 24 hour news reporting which showed how out of touch he was with the modern game.

John Henry has decided that the experiment this season was a resounding failure and that if Liverpool have serious ambitions of reaching the Champions League again then relying on the past is not the answer. You see, the problem with Liverpool, as a club and as fans, is that they still hold onto the belief that they are one of the world’s best clubs. In terms of history, Liverpool are very much one of the best, yet based on the modern era, Liverpool are nowhere the top of elite football. Not winning your domestic league for over twenty years is testament enough to the decline of this club. A Champions League success in 2005 enabled Liverpool to believe they were still one of the best, yet they failed to push on from this success.

Promises of success from the US

Although Liverpool reached the final of the Champions League again in 2007, losing to Milan, the worst possible situation in hindsight had already occurred; the acquisition of the club from George Gillett and Tom Hicks. They arrived with promises of spending big on players and investing in a new stadium. It all seemed positive with the acquisition of world class forward Fernando Torres in July 2007, however when a fall out between Rafa and the owners became public and then rumours of their interest in Jurgen Klinsman taking over as manager was also admitted by Hicks, then Liverpool supporters lost confidence in their new owners. What had seemed like the start of a new era for Liverpool had begun to become a nightmare for the fans, and when talks regarding the new stadium were put on hold due to financial reasons, then it appeared Liverpool were under the ownership of very toxic owners.

When Benitez was over ruled in his desire to bring Gareth Barry to the club, instead Liverpool bringing Robbie Keane to the club, then it seemed that behind the scenes the club had hit rock bottom. Although Liverpool came very close to winning the league that season, finishing four points off United in 2^ndplace, it was clear that serious issues were affecting the long term future of the club.

That following season Liverpool finished 7^th in the league, a disastrous season considering the previous one; Alberto Aquilani replacing the impressive Xavi Alonso, a clear indication where the club was heading. The issues between manager and owners had become very public and the fans dislike of the Americans grew all season long. Liverpool were in crisis and in April 2010 Hicks and Gillett announced they had put the club up for sale. Inevitably Benitez left at the end of the season, to be replaced by Roy Hodgson. The clubs ambitions were only getting smaller and when Konchesky, Poulsen and Joe Cole were purchased that summer, then the American’s intentions to make Liverpool great again had clearly not materialised.

The issues on the pitch under Hodgson were nothing like the issues going on off it, a fall out between Hicks and Gillett, the loans being put in the toxic assets division with RBS and the ensuing battle between the Americans and Christian Purslow, the managing director and commercial director Ian Ayre over the offer to purchase the club from John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group. Eventually, FSG had their bid accepted and a new era appeared to be ushered into Liverpool.

New men, same problems

And so we are in May 2012 and the problems are surfacing again over the problems of US ownership and European football. Over Europe there appears to be consistent issues with American owners and football; United are struggling with the impact of the Glazers, Aston Villa have suffered from the impact of Randy Lerner, Roma’s ideas of “BarceRoma” have been a failure this season, Stan Kroenke seems less inclined to invest as heavily as the Russian Usmanov would be and the problems Liverpool have had with Hicks & Gillett and now FSG appear to indicate that US business does not correlate well to European “soccer”.

It appears that the problem with US ownership comes down to all that concerns North Americans, earning money. The purpose that these owners have bought these clubs is because they see an opportunity to make money. The thing is, it is very rare that you really “make” money from football. It is an expensive business, especially if you want to win things. Arsenal are a great model of a side who wish to make a profitable business from football, yet they have frustrated their fans in their attempts to succeed financially from football. Man City and Chelsea have shown that heavy investment results in success and with debts of £500 million with clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, then the message is clear; if you want success, you have to accept it will cost money. United, who made their product into a marketing machine were seen as worthy investment in order for US owners to suck money out the club. The Glazers have taken something near £400 million out of the once debt free Man Utd in order to fund their other endeavours. This is quite amazing, shocking and somewhat unsurprising about US interests in business.

What of Liverpool?

Liverpool fans therefore should be apprehensive about their present owners, they need to know what the intentions of FSG are? Clearly their goal is to use the club as a marketing tool to spread their image globally. Football is the biggest game in the world, and the Champions League is the biggest tournament watched by millions. So John Henry’s goal is to get Liverpool back to these heights in order to use them as a marketing tool. That is all that concerns FSG; image and success.

The sacking of Kenny Dalglish is not surprising from a football perspective, he has made errors this season, yet owners who understood the club would have perhaps been more gentle and understanding about sacking a legend of the club. As it was, they treated him like any other manager, history and legacy was ignored. The key was that Dalglish had failed, he had painted a poor image of Liverpool globally and this was just not acceptable. I have no problem with Dalglish being relieved, yet the manner of it will affect the fans, and FSG need to understand this. The fans have had their fingers burnt by previous US owners, they took Liverpool from Champions League finals to the Europa League, they do not want this to happen again.

FSG have a major decision to make regarding what happens next. Effectively they have decided to change the power structure of the club, they believed that Dalglish had too much power and wielded too much influence and their Director of Football failed to implement their Moneyball model, this seasons performances meant heads rolled. It has left Liverpool devoid of any leadership and has left the fans worried about the future of the club. Former Barcelona Technical Director Txiki Begiristain appears to have been named as the new Director of Football at Liverpool, yet it seems chaotic behind the scenes at Anfield right now.

Youth is key for a global image

So who is the right man for the job and what do they want of him. A shortlist of 12 managers is rather a "longlist", the remit seemingly being the manager must be young. Their intentions seem clear, they want the new man to reflect their global image of Liverpool. The US mentality puts much emphasis on youth, it dominates the mentality of the country, youth in the US means exuberance, energy and signals good health. You just have to look at the Presidential race between Obama and McCain, youth versus old. Where once old age meant wisdom, today it means out of touch. FSG encompass these pro-youth views, knowing that their image is key for the progression of Liverpool as a global brand. This is why they are seeking a good looking, young manager.

It would appear they want someone who will not have the power that was given to Rafa or Kenny. This is the reason that Rafa will not return, he wields too much power over the club, and although it seems a smart appointment as his return will be welcomed by the fans, this is not what FSG want. This is why their approach is highly dangerous. What has Martinez, Rogers or Lambert achieved? They have done well with small clubs, have played attractive football and impressed neutrals, yet are they capable of managing Liverpool? Is Andre Villas-Boas’ reputation tarnished too much still from his time at Chelsea, which is unfortunate because if he was coming from Porto as of last season, he would be the ideal choice. Names like Guardiola, Mourinho and even Capello (too old) are not realistic; they want to work with in the top levels of the game, working with the best players and in the Champions League. The truth is, Liverpool are not a big club anymore and thus they cannot attract big name managers of the ilk being touted in the media. Right now Liverpool do not have the players or importantly the infrastructure in place to be an attractive proposition.

A long term plan

Many questions have been asked about who is advising the owners, many believing that David Dein is being influential behind the scenes. Even Paul Tomkins, a blogger on Liverpool has been accused of playing a part in advising FSG. What is important, and what they have seemingly failed to do, is show a knowledge of the club and it's history and a respect to the fans to instruct on what they intend to do and indicate that they have a plan for the future of the club.

Liverpool are very far off the top and the impact of US ownership has been a key reason for Liverpool’s decline in recent years. Although Arsenal fans will complain about lacking trophies, they can be proud that they have a world class stadium to allow them to compete with the top sides in the coming years. They have managed to maintain their ability to qualify for the Champions League too which is impressive, and this comes from the stability that Wenger has given the club. How much farther ahead are Arsenal to Liverpool! This means that if FSG are serious about wanting to make Liverpool great again then they need to look to invest in the players and importantly get a new stadium built in the next five years. If, for their own selfish reasons they want to make money then they need to build for the long term future of the club. The next manager needs to be given time, because if it becomes a 12 month job, then there will no stability and thus only years of mediocrity.

Fans need to be realisitc

The fans need to understand that success will not come overnight, and by this I mean challenging up the top. Right now they are in with the Everton’s and Fulham’s, this is not an incorrect assessment of where the club is. What the fans need to understand is that Liverpool is NOT a big club right now, they haven’t been for at least five years and fans need to understand that if they expect short term success then they will be disappointed. If they hound out the next man, if they protest against the owners, then they cannot expect to get back to the top. When Alex Ferguson took over United he did not win anything for five years, the board were patient with him and allowed him to build a side which needed work. Liverpool fans need to allow the owners to implement this with a new man.

In my opinion the best man for the job would be Paul Lambert; what he has shown is a drive and determination, a pragmatism and ability to bring out the best in players above what is expected of them. Whereas I doubt the ability for Martinez, Rogers and even Villas-Boas to impart their influence on the Liverpool players, I see Lambert being able to convince and impress the Liverpool players. Remember, he is a Champions League winner with Dortmund, has played at the top and comes across with a steel of that like Alex Ferguson. He is exactly what Liverpool need, and what FSG need also; they need someone who can impress the fans while they look to build the foundations for a new stadium and give the club the chance to get back to the top.

The journey won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight, yet Liverpool fans need to move on from the past, don’t forget the history, but accept the truth; the truth that Liverpool right now are nowhere a top club, they don’t have the quality of players to challenge for the top and that expectations need to be realistic. The previous owners put the club back years, the only hope is that these US owners do not do the same.

The Whitehouse Address covers stories from all over, anything which interests or is topical. Feedback is always welcomed as I do not profess to know everything. I just have a real love of the game and enjoy voicing my opinion.

Find me at Twitter @The_W_Address

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The Times of Change Abound at Anfield

3:49 AM | Labels: Anfield, Fenway Sports Group, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool

After the FA Cup final Dalglish said, "We will wait and assess the season, and everything that contributes to the season, after the games are finished. I cannot be any more honest than that.” When Liverpool fans reflect and assess this season, can they truly be filled with satisfaction or a feeling of deflation? In all “honesty” can anyone really say that Dalglish is the man to take Liverpool forward?

This season there have been many mistakes made and already people at the top have paid for it; Comolli has been relieved due to the poor transfers, the director of communications, Ian Cotton, is to leave the club due to his handling of the Suarez affair and the head of sports medicine and sports science Peter Brukner left just after Comolli. Clearly the Fenway Sports Group are not pleased with how things have gone this season, yet surely, the man who is most culpable is Dalglish.

Last year appeared to be the start of a new era at Anfield, (apparently they were days away from administration before being bought by the Fenway Sports Group) positive signs were shown immediately will the acquisitions of Suarez and Carroll and results at the tail end of the season appeared to show that Liverpool were back on track. The summer appeared to promise much, talk of heavy investment and improvement of the squad all sounded very positive. Yet it turns out that poor decisions contributed to a somewhat mediocre and often times disastrous season.

Currently Liverpool lie in 7th with one game left, based on results this weekend there is the possibility that Liverpool could end the season 6th, above their rivals Everton. With a League Cup, a runners up medal in the FA Cup and Europa League football next season, can Liverpool fans be positive and confident about the future, or apprehensive about their chances of getting back into the top four?

The failed project

Many excuses have been made about this season; the woodwork has been blamed, the Suarez-Evra incident has affected matters and the new crop of players are finding their feet as though playing for a great side like Liverpool is such a daunting experience. In all these instances there is one man who is accountable, one man who has overseen and presided over just 14 wins this season; Kenny Dalglish. Since Christmas Liverpool have won only five games, lost ten and drawn three, a points tally of 18 is relegation form. The most worrying factor about these statistics is that only two wins have come at home in 2012.

This season the project which John Henry wanted Damien Comolli to implement, the Moneyball model, has been a failure. Seeking players with good stats is only part of it, the key was to get them at reduced value, this did not happen, resulting in the fans and media to question the cost and quality of these acquisitions. In hindsight these players should not have been bought, whether it was Dalglish or Comolli, the sums didn’t make sense and the season has been a reflection of that. When you look at acquisitions like Pappis Cisse, Jelovic and Cabaye and the performances of Liverpool’s purchases, then it is not surprise that Liverpool’s transfer policy has been questioned.

In a summer where stability was found for the first time in years and with investment that had been lacking in recent seasons, the foundations were in place to push this team forwards. However, the purchases have reflected the old school mindset of Dalglish and his views on English football. His reliance on purchasing British players has prevented Liverpool from being a force this season. It is no secret that English players come at a premium and is no further surprise when they don’t perform to warrant their transfer fees. It shows that it is not the amount you spend but the quality you bring in, the way you manage the players that arrive and how they fit into the system you wish to implement. Ultimately he has tried to change the side to accommodate his signings instead of bringing in players to complement the formation and team.

Successful season? Bright future?

After the win against Chelsea this week there were fans on social media spouting that the 4-1 result meant that this Liverpool side had found their feet; Carroll and Henderson in particular now worth every penny. This short term, small minded mentality is what is wrong with many fans around the country, and Liverpool fans seem particularly prone to this, seemingly able to ignore the problems and highlight only the positives. There is nothing wrong with being positive, but a sense of realism is certainly required. Last weekend Liverpool played Chelsea in the FA Cup final, a game which meant everything to Liverpool. The previous game against Fulham was one of the worst performances from Liverpool all season, the players who came in really didn’t perform, showing the lack of quality to this side. However, it appeared that league position would not matter if they won the FA Cup, yet momentum is such an important thing and with performances being very sporadic and uncertain, it was not simply possible to turn good form on and off. And it showed.

The 4-2-3-1 can be a great formation if you have the right players, however in the final Dalglish and Clarke got it very wrong. Playing Suarez as an isolated number 9 was a mistake, he is best when he drops into the hole and links up play, effectively you want your best player on the ball, so why take him out the game? As for Gerrard much has been said this season about his performances, about his lack of tactical discipline, some believing that he in-balances the side as he seeks to play “his own game”. When he moved next to Spearing he was able to do better, I believe that he is suited for that deep lying role, however his frustrating use of long highward balls are becoming tiresome. The truth is; Gerrard is not the player he was in 2005 when he was lifting the Champions League for his side, as with many players he has declined. This happens, yet many Liverpool fans and England fans for that matter won’t have it, they don’t want to believe that this powerhouse midfielder is not player he was. Unfortunately he isn’t and the sooner Liverpool move him to the periphery of the side the better.

As for Downing and Henderson they are simply not good enough or positive enough to play as high wingers, they lack the ability to drive inside and their reluctance to beat their defender, instead opting to pass back, was shameful. Both these players have clearly not enjoyed their season, whether this is their own failings to handle the pressure or Dalglish’s inability to bring out their best, either way, it is not promising for Liverpool. Downing’s best two performances have come against Cardiff and Brighton, now call me a cynic but if your best showings have been against Championship opposition then what does that say about yourself? As for the full backs, they did not provide enough attacking intent, which is strange considering that Johnson and Enrique are much better when attacking then defending. All in all it was a negative and over cautious display.

Blame the King

When looking at these players it is worrying that they have not hit the heights of their previous clubs, questions must be asked of the manager and how good his man management skills really are. When performances are poor is it the players who should be blamed or the manager? I said earlier on in the season, in the aftermath of the defeat to United at Old Trafford that if Dalglish did not achieve a top four finish, with the money he has spent and especially the issues that clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal have had, then he should leave his position at Anfield. After reflecting on this season now we are at the end, I believe this should be the case more than ever. Kenny Dalglish has tarnished the reputation of Liverpool this season; his performances with the media, his handling of the Suarez affair and his inability to bring out the best of the players he has bought have all reflected in the performances this season. If fans attempt to justify a good season based on the League Cup success then it is important to stress that it was only Liverpool who fielded their strongest side in all rounds. Credit to them for winning it, yet ask any other club around Liverpool what was more important and their answer would be everything else. And if the fans are content with current performances and Europa League football then they need to consider how “big” a club Liverpool really are anymore.

One can argue that Dalglish has mishandled Any Carroll too, I believe this is true. Now say what you want about Carroll, yet I do believe he has excellent attributes, the only problem is that I worry how much Liverpool and particularly Dalglish can get out of him. He has been used sparingly this season and clearly he does not have the trust of his manager. Yet recent form has shown that perhaps Carroll can cut it at Anfield. To be a cynic one could argue that his relatively reduced season has contributed to his added freshness in this period of the season, yet I think there is more to this than just that. Andy Carroll is a Newcastle lad, a player brought through the academy, adored by the fans not just because he was scoring goals but because he was one of them. As with many youth graduates, the fans adore you, however his move to Liverpool changed all that, now he wasn’t the fun Andy Carroll but the £35 million Liverpool number 9, expectations were exceedingly high and the pressure on his shoulders; where at Newcastle was minimal, now weighed the weight of the world.

Credit to Carroll then for coming through this ordeal, one which will make him stronger no doubt, he looks happier lately, looking settled for the first time; clean shaven, hair cut; important factors when assessing the mental state of someone. He has shown flashes of skill along with his ability to frustrate and dominate defences which makes you think that with Suarez behind him, they could be a real partnership. Remember Carroll is only 23 years old, relatively young for a player of his type. Comparisons to Crouch and Holt forget to state that both are 31 years old. Llorente is another who can be compared to Carroll, he is 27. I wonder how good Carroll can be in 4 years time, in 7 years time?! If it was up to me I would be sending Carroll to the Ukraine, he can be a focal point for both club and country and so he must gain the necessary experience.

Holy grail - Champions League

At the end of the day the key for any side in the Premier League is achieving a top four finish; the riches of the Champions League pale all else into insignificance. For the Fenway Sports Group and the new kit sponsor, Warrior, they want their brand to be global; this is achieved by qualifying for the Champions League. Ask Arsene Wenger what he would prefer, he makes sure his side reach this tournament over the winning of silverware, why, because it makes business sense. The Fenway Sports Group are business men who want to make money and advertise their brand, so the importance of playing Champions League football is huge.

Are Liverpool capable of achieving a top four finish then? On current form, with the current squad and managerial team, no. Liverpool need to do a lot this summer, those who believe they are just one player away from competing for the title are nothing short of delusional. Liverpool need to a centre back capable of coming in to replace Carragher and be a starter or at least give competition for a place. Carlos Cuellar will be released from Villa on a free this summer and would be an ideal player to add depth to the defence. Yet it is the midfield which needs the most work; the team that almost won the title had Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard supporting Torres up top.

These were top players and Liverpool played some of their best football that season. In Suarez they have Gerrard’s replacement, a modern number 10 who can link play, assist and score goals. However, behind him Charlie Adam, Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing are not top four players and even though Gerrard could play next to Lucas next season, it may need another player in the ilk of Cabaye who can play in that position and feed the attack. Out wide Liverpool should do all they can to bring in Junior Hoilett who would be a great addition to the side and perhaps Loic Remy could be another strong option in the attack. Up top there has been talk of FC Twente’s Luke De Jong; at 21 he has scored 30 goals this season and appears ready for a move abroad, if Liverpool want more options and strength in depth, then De Jong may be the ideal player to partner Carroll or Suarez. I don’t think John Henry will spend big on one or two players, you have to wonder who would want to come to Anfield, names like Cavani, Falcao and Sneijder are wide of the mark. John Henry believes in the Moneyball system and will look instead to build the squad with good young players whose cost is not too high. This is why Comolli was relieved, he got the formula wrong. Can this propel Liverpool up the league? With the right man in charge it can.

Need for progress = change

So in order for Liverpool to progress, the key for the future of the club, must be to part ways with Dalglish. A major characteristic of being a manager is being able to deal with pressure, he has shown this season he struggles with that and I wonder how long it will be till Dalglish decides he can’t take it anymore? He has a history in previous jobs ofleaving due to stress and his performance when at Newcaslte must be a cause forworry for Liverpool fans; Dalglish ripped apart the team challenging for the league created by Keegan and put the club back years in regards to their title ambitions. His decision making was questioned, and it must be worrying how it seems all too familiar a story of poor transfers, poor decisions and subsequent poor performances. The best thing for Liverpool would be to call it a day now, wish him the best and bring in a manager who can take once great club forward. There has been talk of Johann Cryuff coming in to oversea a new era at Liverpool, this would be interesting yet the key is bringing in a man who can inspire the fans, the players and push Liverpool to the next level.

The question is, who is this right man? I would not be surprised to see Brendan Rogers or even Villa-Boas’s names being put into the mix with their attacking football philosophy yet I believe that Paul Lambert is a top quality manager who if given a job like Liverpool could achieve great things, similar almost to Ferguson at United. Only time will tell, yet expect major changes this summer as Liverpool reflect on a quite disappointing season.

Thoughts always appreciated. Find me on Twitter @The_W_Address

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The Truth About Moneyball

4:04 AM | Labels: Arsenal, Billy Beane, Everton, Liverpool, Moneyball, Newcastle, Wenger

With all this talk of Moneyball, do people realise it has been happening in football for years? And to good effect?

In the aftermath of Damien Comolli’s departure last week, many articles and fans have discussed the failed project this season, which appeared to stem from the book Moneyball by Michael Lewis about the Oakland A’s, an American baseball team, and their visionary general manager Billy Beane.

New Liverpool owner John Henry believed he had a secret, something no-one else knew of, which was thought up by Billy Beane over in Oakland, over a decade ago. To understand what Liverpool have tried to accomplish, you need to understand what Oakland did.

The A’s were playing a different game than everyone else.

The Oakland A’s had been consistently so much more efficient than anyone else that they appeared to be in a different business. They won games by buying in the qualities in a baseball player that the market undervalues, and they sold the oned the market overvalues. Often because of the superficial judgement of how a player looks, his physical appearance for instance, would often mean a player being undervalued by the market.

The Oakland A’s had a strategy centrered around financial control. Most teams were spending too much money. The key for them was being successful on a tight budget. The key to Billy Beane success was that he sought to win games cheaply.

Beane firstly dismissed the views of his scouts. Why? Because Beane believed they were wrong in their judgements. He rendered decades of scouting experience meaningless; they were judging players on their own subjective opinions; Beane viewed this as ridiculous, he felt they were choosing the wrong players, because they weren’t basing their judgements on the players performance, instead it was more about how he looked or how he moved.

Beane’s vision entailed the use of performance scouting, which directly contradicted the baseball man’s view that a young player is what you can see him doing in your mind’s eye. It argues that most of what’s important about a baseball player, maybe even his personality can be found in his statistics. Billy Beane intended to rip away from the scouts the power to decide who would be a pro baseball player and who would not. A new insight into statistics would be his weapon for doing it. He believed that by analysing baseball statistics you could see through a lot of baseball nonsense. This was revolutionary. And it worked.

John Henry, the new owner of the Boston Red Sox and now owner of Liverpool had a great understanding of markets and their inefficiencies and he believed that Beane’s methods were the way forward, efficiency without spending a lot, a sustainable model of success. He wanted to overhaul his new franchises in the image of the Oakland A’s.

John Henry’s new Anfield model

Many people have used the phrase “moneyball” to explain the transfer policy at Anfield since the Fenway Sports Group came in to the club.

By looking at their signings it would show that did try to attempt Oakland's "Performance scouting", to scout players objectively, through their statistics.The signings made by Liverpool last season indicated that statistical analysis was the key for the purchases of Suarez, Enrique, Carroll, Henderson, Downing and Adam.

In an interview with France Football last year Comolli said of Luis Suárez: "We turn enormously toward players who don't get injured. We also took into account the number of assists, his performances against the big teams, against the smaller clubs, in the European Cup and the difference between goals scored at home and away." José Enrique was signed aftrer his statistical figures were far more impressive than Liverpool's scouting report suggested.

Henderson and Downing created the most chances for their respective clubs the year before, and this would have been a major factor in their acquisitions. Charlie Adam’s set pieces were considered to be worth “£10 million on their own” according to Alex Ferguson after United played Blackpool. And so what Liverpool had done was bring together a group of players who had created a lot of chances from different positions on the pitch, who had a high percentage of entries into the final third, a perfect mix for strikers like Carroll and Suarez.

And yet, Liverpool failed in their approach, because they didn't get the value in the market with which Beane was so famous for. The extreme money spent on players at Anfield in the past 18 months has been staggering, and this is why Comolli has left. He took a concept and misunderstood it, he looked at the stats, sure, yet the point is to see worth in a player whose value doesn't indicate it. £20 million each for Downing and Henderson and £35 million for Carroll is not really "value for money". Regardless of their statistics.

The French version of Billy Beane

And yet, have there been other sides in football who have used the the "Moneyball" system to good effect. Indeed there has. And it these sides which deserve a closer look.

Since 2006 the side who has the lowest net spend in the Premier League may shock you, or perhaps not. It has been Arsenal. They have spent £85 million and recouped £116 million, with a net of minus £31million. This is remarkable considering their league position has never had them finish below fourth.

Damien Comolli worked with Wenger from 1996 and found a number of talents for Wenger. Wenger gave Comolli a lesson in scouting, in performance analysis. Wenger was doing what Billy Beane was doing it over in Oakland. He was brining in players for cheap and with little market value and finding they had talents. Wenger’s impressive scouting network unearthed some real talent, which contributed to performances on the pitch and more importantly for a side wishing to achieve sustainable growth, has improved the finances of the club, especially when a new £500 million stadium has restricted the growth of the squad in the short term, yet allowed it be stronger and sustainable in the longer term.

The profit margin on some of their players is remarkable. Arsenal realised they couldn’t spend on both the team and the stadium and so had to be very astute with their signings and importantly with their ability to sell big to other teams. Kolo Toure, Adebayor, Nasri and Clichy, players who cost Arsenal £150k, £7m, £10m and 250k have recopued Arsenal over £80 million.

Add to this Cesc who cost nothing and was sold to Barcelona for £24 million, then the model that Arsenal has produced is the most impressive in the league. The top scorer in the league this season cost Arsenal £2.75 million. He has scored 93 goals for Arsenal in 189 games, what a return for the money spent.

Arsenal realise they cannot compete with the money spent by City and Chelsea (£500 and £250m in the past six years), what they needed to do was find a solution to this in order to keep being competitive . Arsenal's scouting network is so good because it has to be, they need to keep finding talents who will cost little, who will improve the side and who can be sold on for more. This is sustainable growth. Wenger has done such a remarkable job producing a competitive Arsenal with spending literally no money. Oakland were the same, they could not compete with sides like the Yankees, and so the players who cost the big money were not feasible. This is why they began looking to players who were not valued by the big sides.

When you talk about Moneyball, when you consider what Billy Beane did to baseball, Wenger has done the same thing for the English Premier League. He has brought in players for little money, achieved relative success on the pitch, and more often than not, got a lot of money by selling them on for more. When John Henry considers a side who he wishes to resemble, Arsenal may just be that side.

The Toffees, continually exceeding expectations

In fact, there are other sides around England and Europe who deserve a closer look to see how they resemble Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s.

When you talk about Moneyball the key is buying players who other teams don’t consider good enough or worth the risk to play in the top levels. It is about buying cheap players who can offer more than their value shows. Everton are an excellent example of this.

David Moyes has been at Everton since 2002 and in his time he was built a stable Premier League side with almost no money. Remarkably Everton in the past five years have not finished below 8^th, many will not be surprised as many consider Everton to be a top half side. Yet, they have only spent £111 million on players since 2004. And in that time they have recouped £100 million. This means that they have a net spend of only £10 million in eight seasons.

This is impressive considering Liverpool rank 3^rd with £83 net spend, Tottenham 4^th with £73m net spent and of sides considered equal with Everton; Aston Villa, £68m net and Sunderland, £62m net. Even Bolton, Fulham, Stoke, Wolves, QPR and West Brom have all had a higher net spend than Everton since 2006. And yet, Everton have finished most of these sides for the past several years.

What has been their secret? Everton have scouted players from the lower leagues such as Cahill, Lescott and Jagielka and have found players capable of performing in the Premier League. These were players that many clubs were believed to be interested in, yet the belief that they “couldn't do it in the top flight” was a reason for their reluctance to purchase them.

Since 2004 these are some players who have been bought in to Goodison; Tim Cahill (£1.5m), Joleon Lescott (£5m), Phil Neville (£3.5m), Mikel Arteta (£2m, Tim Howard (£3m), Phil Jagielka (£4m), Leighton Baines (£6m), Steven Pienaar (£2m), Louis Saha (Free), Sylvain Distin (£4m), Jermaine Beckford (Free), Magaye Guaye (£1m), Apostolos Vellios (£250k), Seamus Coleman (£150k), Darren Gibson (£2m), Nikica Jelavic (£6m).

This is an impressive array of talent considering the money spent and shows how a Premier League side can be competitive with a tight budget. Their academy also has brought through players like Rooney, Hibbert, Osman and Barkley.

They have sought to tap into a market which was not been utilised by teams around them, they spent less and earned more from those players, on the pitch and off it too. Everton should be proud of their accomplishments and those calls for Moyes to be manager of the year each season are correct in what they say. He has done a remarkable job.

Moneyball aims to bring in players with talent who other sides don’t know about or perhaps don’t want to take a risk on. Everton have shown that taking the risks works, especially with the right manager and environment. And Billy Beane was also keen to stress that players bought cheap can benefit the finances too, Everton have shown this in their sales of Rooney (£27m), Lescott (£22m), Arteta (£10m) and Beckford (£4m).

A new change in team's approach?

Looking at some other sides, it would appear that this Moneyball mentality is spreading and bearing fruit. Newcastle have been a great example in the past two years of buying players for cheap value and achieving great results. Their new transfer policy has acquired players from around Europe who can offer more than their value represents. Cabaye (£3.5m), Tiote (£4.5m), Ben Arfa (£2.5m), Ba £0) and new signing Papiss Cisse (£10m) have all been remarkable signings for Newcastle. And I am sure that they will make a hefty profit on these players when the decide to sell them on.

These aren’t unknown players who are hidden, but those who certain teams don’t want to risk buying. Newcastle are proving that good scouting can produce good results for less money. With the right manager at the helm they have exceeded expectations and have a realisitic chance of achieving Champions League football this season.

Newly promoted Norwich are an excellent example of sustainability and great management too. Two seasons ago they were in League 1, now they sit tenth in the Premier League. What has been their formula for success? The key has been their manager; his drive, determination and ability to get the most from players. And also his ability to buy cheap players who exceed their value. Anthony Pilkington, Steve Morrison, Bradley Johnson, Jonathon Howson and Wesley Hoolahan are players who had no previous Premier League experience. Their total value is around £10 million. And yet performances would show that they can handle the speed and pressures of the top flight.

It shows that there is talent out there, it resides in the lower leagues and abroad and sometimes it may take a manager with a restricted budget or with a little nous to take a risk on some players there. Take Grant Holt, he has been a revelation since signing from Shrewsbury Town. He was signed for only £400k in 2009 and in his Norwich career he has played 113 games and scored 58 goals.

Holt is the perfect example of the Moneyball philosophy. He is regarded in the media as being overweight, a drinker and someone who doesn't fit in the Premier League. It is as if people haven’t watched him play. He has scored 13 goals in the Premier League this season, after Rooney he is the top English marksman.

Holt’s biggest problem is his age. At 31 he has little upside left in his career, perhaps his arrival in the Premier League has come several years too late, it is a shame, because he really does look suited to this league and imagine if someone had taken a chance on him years ago, perhaps he could have been an England regular. The lesson from Holt is for sides to not make judgements on players, how many other Holt type forwards are in the lower leagues, is Rickie Lambert, Jordan Rhodes or Ged Evans, players capable of making the step up, I would say definitely.

A German model of Moneyball

In Europe there has been no team better at creating success with little money than Borussia Dortmund. This is a side who ten years were close to bankruptcy due to over spending, they had gone beyond their means and looked a shadow of their side they were in the late 90’s. Dortmund have become sustainable and they have been successful. What have they done to accomplish this?

Firstly, they decided that the key was to bring the right man to lead the side, they decided Jurgen Klopp was the right choice. And right they were. Klopp decided that if he had no money to spend then he had to use what he had. The key was youth. Klopp believed in developing youth players and saw the value in bringing through academy players and buying cheap players who perhaps were not valued as much as they should. Sound familiar?

On top of youth development the key for Dortmund has been their impressive use of scouting. The Dortmund scouting team work very closely with the management, they use a scouting system called Scout7 which gives information on players from all over the world. Dortmund have specific attributes for each position of which they look for, which they then search for a match on Scout7.

Effectively, they are looking for a player who fits their criteria who perhaps hasn’t been found on other top teams radar. Players like Kevin Großkreutz, Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels have all been picked up for small amounts yet have made massive contributions to the revivial of Dortmund and their success in the past couple of seasons. One of their most impressive “finds” has been Shinji Kagawa, he was found in the J-league 2nd division, and was bought for just £300,000.

Dortmund, Arsenal, Everton and Norwich have shown the merits of the football version of Moneyball, specific scouting using players statistics and attributes in order to find a player whose ability does not match his value. These sides have taught other sides how to use the market effectively, that spending millions is not always the answer, they have proven that success can had through sustainability.

A new future of sustainability

Billy Beane changed the lives of ballplayers whose hidden virtues otherwise might never have been seen. The money splashed around by teams like Man City, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid the game looks unsustainable and unbalanced. What the game needs is more Wenger’s, Moyes’, Klopp’s and Lambert’s, men with the willingness to take a risk, to believe in a player who others don’t and to prove those others wrong.

Why did Damien Commoli fail? Because he didn’t do what Oakland did. Instead he brought in players for obscene amounts, this was not the model John Henry wanted implemented. If those players were too expensive, then Liverpool should have sought to find players who had similar stats and attributes yet who could did not have the same value as those they bought. Perhaps it would have given Liverpool the same results, or even better. It would have definitely being more cost effective. The problem with buying English players from the Premier League is that their value is too high compared to their actual worth. It has been a harsh lesson learnt by Liverpool’s owners.

What can Moneyball teach us? It is no surprise to me that the reluctance to open up to new ideas has held back the English game. The majority of coaches and scouts in the pro game posess an “old school thinking” philosophy which doesn’t consider how the modern game is and what is required. They holds onto an ideal of the past. The truth is, the game changes, styles change and ideas evolve and in order to achieve success ideas need to be ahead of the game.

Billy Beane gave a new approach to baseball and revolutionised the sport. It gave the seemingly accepted idea something new to think about. Are football coaches and teams willing to try new approaches to improve standards? Barcelona’s approach is revolutionary, Guardiola has been called a visionary for the work he has done; he obsesses over tactics and statistics and has put emphasis on possession and movement more than any team in last two decades at least. The game can be changed, what it needs is someone with vision, a will to convince and the ability to implement.

I appreciate any feedback you have and you can get me on Twitter at @The_W_Address

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A tale of two sides. The dangers of buying British.

4:05 PM | Labels: Alan Pardew, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool, Newcastle

Bob Paisley used to say: 'Judge managers by their judgement of players.'

Last summer two sides made significant moves in the transfer market. One side did away with their British players and invested in foreign talent. Another sold their foreign talent and bought British. Of these sides one has exceeded expectations and the other has distinctly fell short of theirs.

This past Sunday Liverpool played Newcastle, two sides who have had different fortunes this season. Newcastle have certainly overachieved whereas Liverpool have left everyone disappointed. With Carroll and Enrique leaving to go to Anfield, Newcastle appeared to be a team heading down, with a lack of investment and the loss of key players, they were tipped to many be battling relegation again. Liverpool were regarded as serious title contenders, yet, Newcastle lie in sixth; 11 points ahead of Liverpool. What has happened is due to different transfer policies and the management of the sides.

A really shocking season

Liverpool ended last season in good form, the resurgence coming from a change in manager and a new strike force. Kenny Dalglish appeared to have galvanised a side lacking belief and results. Performances against Man City at home and Fulham away seemed to show that a new era was upon Anfield, led by the charismatic, energetic Luis Suarez, a new number 7, of similar ilk of his new manager. With ambitious and rich new owners, the problems plaguing Benitez and the storm engulfing Hodgson would be of thing of the past.

The summer would be an opportunity for Liverpool to invest and improve their squad, perhaps giving this side a chance to challenge for a title not won in over twenty years. Yet, the season has not been the one anticipated by many, in fact it has been much worse than in previous years. A League Cup win can be celebrated yet it is inconsequential when the new owners anticipated Champions League qualification. Liverpool are currently 14 points off fourth and a staggering 34 points off the top. Based on recent form this gap will only get wider. What has happened this season?

Director of football

A lot of blame has been pointed at Dalglish for the sides poor performances this season. Yet are other people behind the scenes may just as culpable. The model of coach and Director of Football is a continental idea which has not worked all too well in England, where the manager usually has complete control over the running of the club. Dennis Wise was a failed Director at Newcastle with Keegan, yet perhaps this was more the man than the role which was to be blamed.

Damien Comolli spent time in England before, with Tottenham, and was there under the rather disastrous period of Juande Ramos. He was responsible for the transfer policy at the club which was based on signing young potential talent; this led to the arrival of Hutton, Prince Boateng, Dos Santos, Taarabt and Kaboul. He also purchased current first teamers Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Assou-Ekotto. This is quite a list and Spurs have benefited from many of these signings which has given them Champions League football. The interesting thing about these players is that only one was English, David Bentley and only a handful British. The policy aimed to acquire talent from all over, not just these isles and it has proved successful with the right manager.

On 22 March 2011 Comolli was appointed as the Director of Football at Liverpool. In an interview Comolli stated it covers pretty much the whole football side of running the football club, although he does not get involved in team training or selection. This is remarkable, effectively stating that he is the one who deals with the players coming in. Does this mean that Comolli is the man responsible for Liverpool's failings?

Can Dalglish be acquitted from blame then for the players who came in last summer? I would argue no. The relationship between these two must have been working in synergy, they must have discussed who and what was required and then Comolli would go out and make the deals happen. This has happened with Peter Kenyon when at United and Chelsea and David Dean when at Arsenal.

Comolli played a part in the acquisition of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll coming to Anfield with the departure of Torres. Suarez scored 81 goals in 110 games for Ajax and appeared an excellent signing to replace Torres. Andy Carroll had shown at Newcastle, in the Championship and Premier League that he had the ability to score goals, play as a target man and be a real danger to defences with his strength and movement.

Last season both signings seemed like genuine good business, Torres had lost his form and importantly interest at Anfield and two forwards for one was shrewd business for Liverpool.

In the summer Comolli helped Liverpool sign Henderson, Adam and Downing for roughly £50 million. These were players who the previous season had been arguably their sides best player. This was a major change in the squad and indicated that a change in playing style was going to take shape also. With wingers like Downing and Henderson, a playmaker in Adam and a bustling number 10 in Suarez, all the pieces appeared in place for Andy Carroll to score many goals and this Liverpool side to go and challenge for major honours.

However, something didn’t seem right; the expense of the players like Henderson and Downing seemed rather ludicrous considering their actual talent and quality. Charlie Adam was part of a relegated Blackpool side where he clearly showed his own failings. Were these players really of the standard to step up to the “great” Liverpool? A cynic would have seen what was to come a long way off. All these signings have been shells of their former selves this season, and this is where Dalglish is answerable.

The side which Dalglish inherited was mainly foreign. Reina, Kuyt, Lucas, Agger, Maxi , Suarez and Meireles brought that team out of their misery last season. Did Dalglish not like the foreign feel of the squad? Was he still stuck in the 80’s and 90’s where the British players ruled and the foreigner was more of a luxery than a major part of the team?

When looking at the signings that Comoli brought at Spurs compared to those at Liverpool, it would appear that Dalglish’s fingerprints are all over these signings. I would bet that Suarez and Coates were Comoli’s own decisions, whereas the others screamed of Dalglish. There are serious questions to ask about the logic and the costs of the acquisitions since Dalglish has been manager, especially the form of these players, which as Comolli stated, was down to the manager and his coaching staff.

A problem with the coaching?

So is Steve Clarke answerable to the failings of this side? Apparently he takes all the sessions and is a major part in the development of the team tactically. He was spoke of highly at Chelsea, under Mourinho and certainly after with Grant. Yet, at West Ham with Zola it didn’t go too well and this Liverpool side appears unsure of what is doing, positionally and tactically for many games. Each game Liverpool line up differently; their formation, the players and the style are always altered.

Now, for some sides this may confuse the opposition and be a strength, however Liverpool themselves seem confused as to what they are supposed to be doing. Clarke is to blame for this season yet the one at the top is the one most at blame.

Why have Carroll, Downing, Henderson and Adam all failed at Anfield? As said, their value was too high and perhaps the pressure on them has hampered their development. But we know that these players are not as bad as they have played this season, and so the problem here is not the players, but their manager. Even Luis Suarez has not performed this season, even prior to the racism affair.

Kenny Dalglish has a history of stress and a history of quitting. As a player he was superb, yet, in management, as he has aged, he has not allowed himself to adapt to an ever changing, ever evolving game. Ferguson, his nemesis for many years has been able to understand the changes, understand the influx of foreign talent and changing styles and tactics. This has enabled his side to constantly be at the zenith of domestic and European football.

Clearly the signings made and the handling of them by the manager has contributed to the poor season at Anfield. For the money spent expectations were high and Liverpool have failed miserably. No cup can compensate for the league form and position. In comparison to Liverpool, perhaps the side with the right transfer policy and management has been Newcastle.

A new philosophy in the North East

It has been a turbulent time in Newcastle for the past several seasons. Gone are the days of Keegan and Robson, when Newcastle were genuinely considered a top team. After the sale of the club to Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, the club has been a shadow of it’s former self. So many poor decisions from Ashley turned the fans against him and made him a laughing stock to fans around the country. This beer downing, common dressed owner was making a mockery of the club he said he would make great.

The club was plunged into crisis when they were relegated, yet perhaps that year in the Championship matured the owner, the fans and the club. Chris Houghton was the man given the task to take the side back to the Premier League and he did a truly remarkable job. The Newcastle side that season contained Premier League talent, with players like Nolan, Barton, Coloccini and Carroll helped the side achieve promotion. Houghton still had to galvanise a side which was severely lacking in confidence, he brought the team together and achieved what was in the end of very assured campaign where they won the league.

With seemingly stable foundations built Ashley plunged the side back into chaos when he sacked Chris Hughton while Newcastle were in 11th after 16 games. The man he brought in was Alan Pardew, a manager who had just been sacked by Southampton in League 1, for apparently not bringing the team together. Many fans were displeased with this decision and more questions were being asked of Ashley.

Now one year on and the appointment of Pardew is starting to look inspired, even Ashley’s fiercest critics have started changing their opinions on his handling of the club and performances and results have put Newcastle back into the top six, a remarkable achievement for a club who have spent relatively little in the past two years. Pardew has efficiently reshaped the squad and the model that is being followed, with chief scout Graham Carr being a key figure, is clear and effective.

A change in approach

In the summer the midfield duo which had been part of the relegation and then promotion, of Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton was deemed surplus to requirements. Barton especially caused many issues with his behaviour and Pardew had a big decision to make. Ashley supported Pardew’s decision and Barton was released for nothing. This would cement Pardew as the boss and that anyone who did not buy in to the clubs philosophy would be moved on. Questions were asked however of whether Newcaslte could survive without these experienced players.

When looking at the transfers brought in by Newcastle in the past two years it would show that they have changed their approach. The value of the players has gone down, wages are lower and there has been a clear disregard for British players. Head scout Graham Carr has been credited for the arrival of these foreign players, players like Cabaye, Marveaux, Demba Ba, Santon, Obertan, Ben Arfa and Tiote have all come in for just over £20 million.

Papiss Cisse was £10 million and effectively the return on Carroll has given Newcastle depth. Those going out have returned good money and importantly reduced wages; Nolan and Barton were no longer needed and their wages were needed to be slashed. It has made Newcaslte more sustainable and has improved performances on the pitch. The payroll has been brought under control with a new era of tight fiscal policy as the club stops haemorrhaging money.

It would appear that Ashley through Houghton and now Pardew has overseen a cultural shift at St James’ Park, a side which used to be home to some of the best-paid players in English football such as Alan Shearer and Michael Owen is now home to up-and-coming talent such as Yohan Cabaye, Chiek Toete and Hatem Ben Arfa.

A tale of two sides

Newcastle have changed their philosophy and decided that buying British was not producing results and was costing them more than it should. And this is the problem with Liverpool this season, they have invested in a transfer policy of buying British, signing potentially good players yet who are average now, with no guarantee that they can and will succeed.

When you buy these types of players for cheap, a la Tiote, Cabaye and Ba, then the risk is not great. However Liverpool have invested huge sums into players who were clearly not worth the money paid for them. It has burdened the players and the team with increased expectations of which they have clearly not dealt with. It has led to a media frenzy obsessing over the obscene sums paid for these players and the wants of the owners have not been fulfilled. Perhaps if they were bought cheaper less would be expected of them and they be able to relax and perform like they did prior to their arrival to Anfield.

Over hyped and over valued

Some major questions come from this situation. Firstly, why are English players so expensive? It seems rather ludicrous that players who are no more than average are valued so highly. The problem for the England national team is that many sides find it much more financially prudent to buy cheaper foreign talent for less than pay perhaps 10x as much for an English man who is of the same quality. Newcastle have realised that buying foreign players is much more beneficial for their finances and as we are seeing, their sides performance in the league.

For Newcastle then there is more value in scouting abroad than buying English players. And their team reflects this; against Liverpool Newcastle had only two English players in the side; Perch and Simpson, players who will not be considered for the England team. Liverpool had six with Henderson and Downing coming on later. And the truth was that Newcastle were better than Liverpool, and have been all season, an 11 point lead shows that. And so comes the debate of whether the talent in Britain is really as good as we are led to believe or if it is more to do with the management of the side. Both aspects need to be accounted for.

There is too much hype and over inflation of English talent that does not reflect reality. We are not creating players of the quality as well as other countries yet we pricing them above many others. When clubs begin to be realistic with their valuations then perhaps more English players can come through the system.

What needs to happen is the Premier League needs to introduce the 6+5 rule to make it the case that 6 players need to be British. What will need to happen from there is that a tribunal will be needed to be set up to set the cost of each player, to make the cost buying English players more viable. These players need to be realistic in their wage demands also; it is the clubs fault for paying them and the agents for demanding so much. Foreign sides will not buy English players due to the high transfer fees and wages demanded, this is causing a disservice to the national side as not enough players are developing into top class players due to an arrogance and delusion that our players are better than the rest.

This is having a detrimental effect on the development of top quality English players, as there are not enough going to top teams to improve further, because they are simply too expensive. Newcastle have progressed financially and on the pitch by bringing in cheaper foreign players who are just as good, or better than their English counterparts.

Secondly, the management of the players. Alan Pardew has shown he has the ability to be a top manager, he has shown tactical knowledge and a man management which has brought out the best in his players, especially the volatile Ben Arfa. This is much different to Dalglish who has not brought out anything like the best of his side. Liverpool have made mistakes in their transfer policy and importantly with the handling of these players and the performances on the pitch have shown this.

Newcastle appear a side more in line to get into the Champions League than Liverpool right now, if Liverpool’s owners have any sense they must part ways with a man who is holding the team back. It shows that all factors are key in the successful running of a team; scouting, transfers, wages, coaching and man management are all key to developing a successful side.

Dalglish has done a poor job at Anfield, he has brought in players who offered potential and he has ruined them; they are all devoid of confidence and inspiration. Alex Ferguson gets the most from his players, many of who are considered average, yet he inspires them and drives them on to do better. Dalglish lacks this ability, he has the opposite effect, and the media, for all they adore Kenny cannot deny that he has done a terrible job this season. Many other managers would not have lasted this long and the time is up for the “King”, he needs to do the respectful thing and leave because right now he is taking this side to mediocrity.

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A tale of two sides. The dangers of buying British.