Rodgers: Counter-Attack, Noise & Confusion

The seduction of the beautiful game, and loyalty to our team of choice, had brought us all to the
same point: currently joint top in the nglish !remier "eague# $ar from being a unifying
occurrence, it kindled and stoked differences of opinion, reflecti%e of our di%ersity and richness of
thought perhaps& not that many sa' it that 'ay# (nce more, the debate became fractious& fans
'ere reading from the same book ) e*cept not all 'ere on the same page#
+ome %ie'ed the beginning of the ,-./0.1 +eason as enough reason to be cheerful# The cherry-
pick of results, and attendant league position, surpass concerns about ho' the cake 'as baked#
(thers remained preoccupied 'ith the incidence of a key missing ingredient# Rather than rue the
scale of conflict or e*acerbate it, this dichotomised debate bet'een results and performance
should be embraced& it is e*actly 'hat 'e need# To paraphrase 2ordon 2ekko: 34isagreement is
good5#
And it is good because the situation is far from straightfor'ard& e*actly 'hy there has been so
much noise and confusion6 This time round, the much maligned 7nternational break offered a
'elcome pit stop& an opportunity to slo' do'n, think and to try and unra%el the detail#
The World Is Not Enough
The promise of a particular brand of football, 'ith the ca%eat that it 'ould take time to
implement, sa' the fan base ) or a good portion at least ) prepare for patient restraint# A
gestation period 'as granted# 8ut 'ith such an emotional in%estment deposited, e%en the most
stoic of fans 'ould need to see a satisfying return at a not too distant juncture# Then pu99lement
struck# :aybe it 'as not so much the sake of performances on the pitch ) per se& but rather the
apparent dismantlement of a former ;'ork in progress<#
!rogress is one thing but to regress from e*pectations is =uite another# The mind 'orks in linear
fashion so %olte faces are destined not to go unnoticed& disbelief is guaranteed# Carragher<s
utterance, during a spate of football punditry, 'as a prominent e*ample of such incredulity#
+tatistical feedback from the +underland game belied the %ery foundation on 'hich Rodgers<
philosophy had been built& he refused to accept that this 'as the result of the 7rishman<s
conscious design#
7n terms of timeline, pinpointing change, that obser%ation is significant# 7t came from someone
freshly released from Rodgers< tutelage ) as recently as half a do9en games ago# !resumably he
had no inkling of an imminent change in style# (utsiders 'ould naturally share the same
be'ilderment, maybe more so# And so it transpired#
There had been a lot of noise and confusion from the T'ittera99i set in general& but to adhere to a
more specific, =uality source, none had put it more succinctly ) and poignantly ) than Ted
>nutson# 4epicting a mock mo%ie scene, in an e*cellent article, one protagonist, ?ohn @enry,
=uestions another ) 8rendan Rodgers# The =uestion relates to the disparity, in key statistics,
bet'een this season and last:

2012/13 2013/14 Contrasting Position
Shots PG:
.A#1 .,#B .
st
0..
th
Shots Ag PG:
..#1 ./#C 1
th
0.1
th
Possession:
DE#, 1A#D /
rd
0.-
th
Pass:
C1#, C-#C D
th
0.-
th
FTied for /rd, 8ut Reasons $or Concern ) "i%erpool After $i%e 2ames# 8y Ted >nutsonG
The calm surface of the sea can mask po'erful undercurrents& similarly, consideration of league
position alone may also ignore hidden depths# The abo%e statistics should, at least, be of interest
to "i%erpool fans# @o'e%er, just si* re-t'eets and t'o fa%ourites to date suggests it 'as not# That
is not to claim that they necessarily correlate 'ith an imminent re%ersal of fortune in the league#
There is, ho'e%er, no harm ) and e%ery ad%antage ) in terms of research profounder than a
number telling you 'hat rung of the ladder you currently stand, especially 'ith only .D per cent of
the job complete#
(f course, this all depends some'hat on ho' you decide to consume your football in the first
place# +ome people are content not to look at stats at all, 'hich is fine& but so too should it be that
others get their football fi* in a different 'ay# 7ne%itably, ho'e%er, this fosters asymmetry of
information 'ithin the fan base, in turn, promoting conflict ) people are playing off different
bases# To be fair, those 'ho do absorb statistics could not help but sense a jolt to their addled
brain& the abo%e numbers do suggest retrograde steps from last season to this#
7t may be possible to resol%e one issue at least& and this is =uite a clincher# Rodgers had identified
a missing link: performances ha%e not been to his o'n particular taste& he intends to rectify that
situation# @e commented to that effect after the +underland game, and repeated much the same
ahead of the Ne'castle encounter:
3He<ll get better as 'e gro' together more, 7 go on about performances because 7 don<t just like to
get three points# 7 'orry about playing 'ell and playing in a certain 'ay# That<s al'ays ho' 7<%e
been5# FTelegraph +port .C#.-#./G
+o, despite great results and "eague position, Rodgers drinks from a half-empty glass# This offers
a resounding alibi for those accused of pessimism or negati%ity it seems ) the :anager shares a
similar mind set#
Where do we go from here?
Plato Philoso!h" # E$le$ti$is%
Rafa<s article F7ndependent ,E#A#./G 'as interpreted as indirect criticism of Rodgers& or, rather
;direct< maybe ) 'hiche%er 'ay you care to look at it# Certainly, references such as ;lea%ing
philosophy stuff to !lato< hardly re=uire leaps of imagination to deduce cocked snoops at the
current "i%erpool :anager# (n the other hand, the 'ording is subtle enough for Rafa to deny
targeting a specific indi%idual, and probably not e*plicit enough for the charge to stick#
Infortunately, the pre%alence of that debate possibly detracted from the real rum in the mi*:
3:y Napoli team ha%e played fi%e games so far in +erie A and 'e ha%e been up against a different
system in e%ery game, 'ith some opponents changing their system t'o or three times during a
game5#
!ure and unbridled eclecticism& not just o%er a season campaign but often 'ithin indi%idual
games itself# Rafa<s approach 'ould indeed make sense if the modus operandi of the opposing
team changes& presumably, they ha%e changed to e*ploit a percei%ed ad%antage# Adaptation and
fle*ibility are essential to a%oid conceding an edge# An obser%ation from a true philosopher seems
rele%ant and fitting in this conte*t:
37n $ootball e%erything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team5# F?ean-!aul +artreG#
Jour opponents 'ill ne%er oblige and play the game to accord 'ith ho' you set your stall out#
@ere lies the rub of the main criticism besto'ed upon Rodgers: he has no !lan 8& therefore, he
does not adapt, or demonstrate fle*ibility, in accordance 'ith the flo' of play# This can no longer
be a %alid assessment because, 'ithout =uestion, "i%erpool<s style of play has manifest change#
Rodgers, =uite possibly, is e*hibiting a hitherto unkno'n eclecticism ) sharing more in common
'ith Rafa than pre%iously thought& 'ith an emphasis shifting from +pain to 2ermany# (f course,
'e no' kno' that the "i%erpool :anager, and some of his players, attended 8ayern<s master class
at the tihad& a game that rendered billionaire-bankrolled :anchester City looking rather poor#
8ut Rodgers did offer clues suggesting that he had been 'atching 8ayern 'ell before this#
&Counter'Atta$() Countr"
%er since 2uardiola has been installed at 8ayern, the football media has been attempting to
compartmentalise his ne*t tactical phase# The +paniard had formerly been associated 'ith a
particular brand and style of football& is this about to change6 The incumbent manager himself
fuelled curiosity as to 'hich cards he may be holding:
37t<s hard to tell 'hether 2uardiola has subtly toned do'n his tactical ideas to make them fit
reality more closely ) he recently described the 8undesliga as ;counter-attacking country<, 'here
pre%enting =uick transitions is ;the most important thing< ) or if the team are just better able to
implement his comple* combination of smart positioning and manic pressing5# F@onigstein,
2uardian 1#.-#./G#
He 'ill ha%e to see if 2uardiola has changed his approach to suit a ne' en%ironment& it remains a
moot point at this early stage# Ili @oeness, 8ayern<s !resident, had remained coy on the specific
ans'er& e%idently, he considers tactical disclosures as an unnecessary ;heads up< to opponents#
Rodgers, ho'e%er, has mentioned that he looked at 8ayern<s system during the summer,
illustrating that tactical 'atch 'ith more transparency than @oeness 'ould care for# :ore to the
point, he likened the system to the one he had been attempting to employ at "i%erpool:
3The system is normally based on the characteristics of your players, so far us 'e<%e tried itK#7<%e
looked at it a number of times last season 'ith 4aniel +turridge through the middle and "uis
+uare9 just off the number .- but he<s not a number .-5# F2oal#comG#
@as the emphasis shifted from 8arcelona6 @as the ticker tape settled on tiki-taka6 $irst there
'as no !lan 8 and no' there is6 7s Rodgers no' closer to the eclecticism of Rafa 8enite9 than
many 'ould ha%e en%isaged6 All of these =uestions are best considered rhetorical& the ans'ers,
no doubt, 'ill still cause endless debate and argument# 8ut many ha%e already asserted that
"i%erpool are no' more of a ;counter-attacking< side& others are 'holly aghast at the discrepancy
) firing a sal%o demanding the return of a style that 'as promised# Tiki-taka 8loggers, in
particular, floundered to find themsel%es suddenly outmoded#
Noise and confusion has been e*acerbated by the apparent s'iftness of change# Contrasting
comments made by the "i%erpool :anager ) at opposite ends of the last ., month period ) help
to underline the disarming speed# After the %ictory o%er +underland, he spoke about "i%erpool
being ;dangerous on the counter-attack<# 7n terms of style and philosophy, had that e%er been a
salient phrase in his %ocabulary e%en6 @e certainly adopted that style at Hatford& the problem is
that it 'as not the style e*pected at "i%erpool# Not a year has gone by, since that inter%ie' 'ith
Robbie +a%age, 'hereby Rodgers e%idently distanced himself from a style no' adopted by his
former team#
(n ,/rd No%ember ,-.,, he described +'ansea City as no' being more of a ;counter-attacking<
team& that seemed to hint at personal closure on that particular brand of football# Jet it is just
after this period that many fans no' belie%e that "i%erpool had become a counter-attacking side&
'hich 'ould make those comments about +'ansea seem strange#
Another problem remains: if ?amie Carragher 'as still at the Club during this time, the !undit
should not ha%e been perple*ed, during his analysis, at the beginning of this season# He no' raise
more =uestions than ans'ers for sure, but that is about the si9e of this debate#
*+ou Are ,ere-
4espite the confusion about performance and tactics, there 'as nothing mysterious about our
league position# And it is absolutely %alid to look at a map that enables a ;Jou are @ere< stock-take
of your journey& but ca%eats should apply# +tatisticians also pro%ide comparati%e ;Hhere Jou
(nce Here< reminders& yes, 'e ha%e kind of been here before ) 'hate%er style of football applied:
3:arch ,-.-, a 1-. 'in o%er !ortsmouth took us to E/ points from the last /C games, and it<s been
E- or lo'er since#
7nterestingly, 'e<%e taken 1. points from the last .A games ) this is the first time 'e<%e taken as
many in a .A game chunk since (ctober ,--A5# FAndre' 8easley, TTT !ost: B#.-#./G
(ctober ,--A, in a footballing history conte*t, is so recent as to fall under that umbrella remit
often referred to as the ;modern game<& this is no ancient history discourse# Currently, in the
,-./-.1 season, just four years later, 'e are in the same position& 'e get to call it ;progress<# 8y
%irtue, that accolade ought be attributed to "$C<s performance bet'een (ctober ,--A and :arch
,-.-#
+imilarly, 'e can reference those t'o famous t'eets by ?ohn @enry, on ?uly Bth ,-..# $rom
?anuary ,,nd ,-.. to the end of ,-..0.,, "$C had the best goal difference, ahead of Chelsea,
Inited and City& plus 'e 'ere second in terms of goals per game scored F,#--G& only fractionally
behind the joint leaders, Chelsea and Inited F,#-BG# Hhich 'as not only top 1 form& but also in
the race for the title# And if those scenarios had been forgotten then the ensuing stories ha%e not&
the trajectory 'as not a relentless up'ard cur%e# The managers, in both time frames, ha%e since
been despatched#
7t is just a 'arning# !rogress, based on back data, is not necessarily a portent of things to come&
the past is no indication of the future# There can only be hope that, this time around, things 'ill
be different and 'e maintain form o%er a /C game period ) occurring in just the one season#
Con$lusion
7t may be time that credit is due to Rodgers for demonstrating tactical fle*ibility, smashing the
myth of dogged reliance on one system alone# 8ut confusion 'as ine%itable, and still is, because
the changes had not been foreshado'ed by any ob%ious intent& the fan base 'as caught una'ares#
:ore po'er, also, for Rodgers< refusal to rest on the laurels of current league position& openly
e*pressing discontent 'ith performances on the pitch# @ere lies the most important consideration
for the future: performances should reflect 'hat Rodgers sets out to achie%e: great football ) 'ith
'hate%er philosophy and style he is adopting# He can then be assured that 'e are more in control
of our destiny rather than in a phase that could e*emplify 'hat 'e all may ha%e forgotten to
remember#
Are 'e currently at the beginning of a contingency phase that 'ill continue e%er up'ard, or in a
sample si9e spike of good results ) a replication of the periods (ctober ,--A to :arch ,-.-& or
from ?anuary ,-.. to season end6 +ince the =uestion 'ould imply predicting the future, 'e must
heed a lesson from Hilliam 2oldman: 3Nobody kno's anything#5
In.ur" Ti%e
Hhat 'e all share in common is a relationship 'ith a game that fore%er holds us spellbound, its
mysteries e%er-present, unfathomable and elusi%e# He need to respect the improbability of such
circumstances holding any definiti%e ans'ers, and, therefore, the ine%itability of different
interpretations# Hith our opinions and %ie's ) the essence of 'hich make us opposites despite
the same Club allegiance ) 'e ine%itably lock horns during 'ars of attrition# Jou get to shake
your fists, cuss and s'ear at your opponent during debate if that is your style, but it hardly ser%es
a purpose#
Truthfully, 'e need people to disagree 'ith us& it keeps the narrati%e fresh and ali%e#
;4isagreement is good<#
:ost of all, it pre%ents the incidence of just one,potentially 'rong %ie' dominating the floor#
$ace up to it& 'e need each other for the long haul ahead# Addicti%e compulsion means 'e are
ine*tricably tied to the mast ) come storms or calm seas ) on a journey that 'ill last the entirety
of our respecti%e li%es# 2i%en that longe%ity, take heart in our need to co-e*ist#
The rest of this article is for Subscribers only.
%en s'orn enemies can share a durable, unholy alliance of sorts# The ?oker, confronting his o'n
nemesis, epitomises us all so beautifully:
3Jou 'on<t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness# And 7 'on<t kill you because
you<re just too much fun# 7 think you and 7 are destined to do this fore%er#5 FThe 4ark >nightG
+hould 8uck Rodgers 8e :ore "ike The 4ark >night6
Ising pro%ocati%e, inflammatory or contro%ersial headlines is just one of the 'ays ne'spapers
sell copies or generate hits& a tool in their armoury# He<re all a'are of Rodgers< tactical principles&
they<re just one of his tools ) not for increasing sales and ad%ertising re%enue, but for 'inning
football matches# And 'inning football matches regularly keeps you in a job# 7t also keeps the fans
happy short term# 8ut, 'hat if you 'ant to plan long term6 Jou need other tools# A manager<s job
isn<t just on the pitch and a manager<s reach doesn<t need to stop 'ith his o'n players# (%er a
number of years a manager can build up influence 'ithin the game#
@e can, like +ir Ale* $erguson, play the system# 8ut do 'e 'ant 8rendan Rodgers to go do'n this
path6
This post is for Subscribers only.
7<ll be looking at 4aniel Taylor<s book, ;This is the (ne;, a diary reflecting on $erguson<s treatment
of journalists and his often fractious relationship 'ith football 'riters, and at ho' this creates a
climate of fear in :anchester Inited press conferences that e%en led to the end of the !remier
"eague press conferences altogether at (ld Trafford# 7<ll be looking $erguson<s infamous mind
games 'ith, and derogatory comments about, the opposition, and the $ootball Association %ersus
+ir Ale* $erguson: a tale of blame games, innocence and repeated guilty %erdicts# @is defence of
his o'n players< $A bans# @o' multiple league titles, one uropean Cup Fby ,--B0EG and %arious
cup %ictories still count for nothing 'hen facing the 'rath of ,--/-L of the (ld Trafford fury
follo'ing a run of bad results and suspect formations# @is place on the "eague :anagers
Association<s :anagement Committee alongside 8assett, Allardyce, :oyes and others# The casual
bigotry# And finally, the kind, funny, self-effacing and generous $erguson& possibly the key to his
long term, 'ide-ranging influence# "et<s start 'ith a =uote from a manager 'ho calls $ergie 3The
8oss#5
?ose :ourinho talking to !aulo !into for CNN Horld +port:
3!eople kno' the manager, especially the manager during A- minutes# And during A- minutes,
7<m not there to ha%e fun# $un is a conse=uence# 7<m there to do my job, 7<m there to 'in# 7<m there
'ith my team to try to 'in# 7<m there and 7 li%e the game, 7 li%e the match as if it 'as the last
match of my career#
+o people look at me and they see 'hat they see# After that, in press conferences, it<s the other
place 'here people kno' me#
7n press conferences, there is still a match to play# 8efore the match, press conference is pre-
match and after the match, press conference is post-match, but it<s a match#5
7 promise no more :ourinho =uotes# @e has a point though, doesn<t he6 Aren<t those managers
'ho churn out lame clichMs in pre and post match press conferences 'asting a %ital opportunity6
The bra%ado of picking the opposition team, the dogmatic belief in your o'n side<s tactics, the
mystery injury to the star striker, declared out of the game 'ith minimal chance of being on the
bench, 'ho goes on to score the 'inner# Can these press conferences be used to "i%erpool<s and
8rendan Rodgers< ad%antage6 @ere<s ho', o%er many years, $erguson created a culture of fear
'ithin the (ld Trafford or Carrington media rooms#
The Culture o/ 0ear in 0erguson)s Press Con/eren$es
Compilation of $erguson berating, s'earing at and mocking journalists by;dkerfg<
4aniel Taylor claims in the introduction that 3deep do'n5 the journalists are a'are $erguson
doesn<t like them, or their industry# @e can be cold, ruthless and 3in the %ernacular of football ;a
bit of a bastard5# @e speaks of tense, joyless affairs, full of friction 'ith $ergie<s impregnable body
language, hands behind his head, bored and fidgety, e%en to the point of being abrasi%e and
monosyllabic# :ost other football clubs allo' reporters into the tunnel after the game to speak to
both teams< players# Taylor claims at the end of the introduction Fat least from ,--D-EG:
At Inited, it is considered trespassing#
@e once caught :att 4ickinson of The Times - being escorted by Arsenal<s press officer ) on his
'ay to see Henger<s players 'hen $erguson emerged:
allegedly shouting 32et that cunt out of my tunnelN5
7n recent times, one single ne'spaper journalist is allo'ed into the tunnel, after the match, to
speak to the opposition players# The organisations that pay for the broadcasting rights get full
tunnel passes, including the 88C Fe%en though $erguson refused to speak to them for years, but
'e<ll come to that laterG, +ky +ports and :ITO# They also allo' one local radio reporter# Taylor
adds:
As for the rest of us, there is nothing 'e can do# $erguson is hard and in control# ;Jour days are
numbered< he told us once# ;Tele%ision gets e%erything no'# All you can hope for are the crumbs
that remain 'hen tele%ision has had its fill#<
There are rules in place# Rules about 'here 'e can go and 'hat 'e can ask, and if anyone rocks
the boat $erguson hoards grudges like other people collect stamps#
The 1edia 2oll o/ Sus!ended ,onour FTaylor<s 8ook 'as published in ,--EG
The Press Association 'ere banned for three years after he told 4a%e Anderson he
3asked too many =uestions#
The Times, The Guardian, Daily Star and The Daily !press ha%e been fro9en out
regularly during his tenure#
The Sun and The Daily "irror are banished, on a%erage, t'o or three times a season#
The ##$ are regarded as the s'orn enemy#
?ust before the Champions "eague $inal 'ith 8arcelona in ,-.., $erguson continued this culture
of fear by trying to ban !ress Association journalist Rob @arris for asking a =uestion that included
the name of a :an Itd player# @o' dare he6 That<s the part of the JouTube clip abo%e 'here he
states 3Then 'e<ll get him# He<ll ban him on $riday#5 *cept he couldn<t# According to the
88C and a Inited spokesman:
8oth $erguson and 8arcelona counterpart !ep 2uardiola are re=uired by Iefa regulations to gi%e
pre-final media conferences on $riday#
8ut the Inited spokesman pointed out that as $riday<s e%ent is organised by Iefa, the (ld
Trafford club has no jurisdiction to ban @arris#
37 don<t think 'e can Pban himQ, but check it out 'ith Iefa,5 said the Inited spokesman# 3The
ans'er is probably no#5
A!<s managing editor for sport "ou $errara 'as also confident that @arris 'ould be able to
continue reporting the build-up to +aturday<s sho'piece e%ent
There 'as further e%idence this season# The 4ictatorial >night of the 8ritish Realm tried to ban
t'o journalists, for reporting the truth# +amuel "uckhurst<s article on the @uffington !ost 'ebsite
reported:
"ost amidst ne's of Hayne Rooney<s four-'eek lay-off, Robin %an !ersie<s e*=uisite first goal and
the narro' /-, defeat of $ulham 'as the re%elation the +cot had banned t'o more ne'spapers
from his pre-match $riday press conferences at Inited<s Carrington training ground#
Although this is not an e*traordinary occasion ) $erguson has made a habit of e*cluding
journalists and ne'spapers for years ) it is an e*ceptional one# $or it is perhaps the first time
$erguson has meted out an e*clusion for 'riters being right#
The Daily Telegraph;s :ark (gden 'rote a report on +aturday .C August detailing that Rio
$erdinand had sustained a groin injury during the s=uad<s $riday training session and 'ould miss
the season opener against %erton# That accuracy has no' cost him and the Daily Star Sunday;s
!aul @etherington their seats for 'hen $erguson holds court e%ery $riday#
Ne3 4ournalists
7n an article from the :an Itd blog ;The Republic Fno back'ards 3>5 re=uiredG of :ancunia FspG5
Taylor e*pands on the e*perience of being a ne' journalist approaching a press conference FNo%
,-..G#
+TR: Hhat ad%ice 'ould you gi%e to a journo attending his first $ergie press conference6
4T: 7t<s al'ays =uite amusing seeing a ne'bie trying to get ;in< 'ith him# Jou can shake his hand,
introduce yourself, 'ear your best suit, the lot ) he 'ill just look straight through you and, to be
honest, if you<re under the age of D-, he really doesn<t 'ant to kno'# 7t<s a trust thing# @e<s
suspicious of faces he doesn<t kno', especially if they ha%e a southern accent F3another one from
"ondon coming up here to make his fucking name5G# The best thing a ne' journalist can do is sit
there =uietly and learn 'hat is, and 'hat is not, accepted# 8ecause the ;rules< are comple* and if
you don<t kno' them you 'on<t last long#
$erguson is 3unfathomably difficult to predict5 according to Taylor, a joyful good mood can be
turned on a si*pence 'ith a look from his 3hard, penetrati%e eyes#5
Nonetheless, there ha%e been times under his management 'hen it is not just respect 'hen 'e go
to see him# 7t is genuine an*iety#
The End o/ The Pre%ier 5eague Press Con/eren$e
$erguson is the only manager in ngland 3'ho refuses to speak to the press after !remier "eague
games5# @is a%oids contact, if he can# According to Taylor, I$A 'ill fine him# $erguson makes
sure all his Champions "eague commitments are fulfilled# The $A and the !remier "eague 3turn a
blind eye in the domestic competitions#5
The Ne3 Pro$ess
$erguson talks to :I$C, usually for about fi%e minutes after e%ery domestic game# The football
'riting fraternity then ha%e to 3impro%ise5 at a'ay games by gi%ing a tape recorder to the :an
Itd press officer# +he records the :ITO inter%ie' for the pressroom to 3recycle the best bits#5
The procedure is slightly different at (ld Trafford 'here the journalists 'atch :ITO on the press
room TO and:
?ostle for position and hold our tape players to the tele%ision to record 'hate%er he says# 7t is an
undignified process: taping another man<s inter%ie' to reprocess the more usable =uotes#
The 6!!osition and The 1ind Ga%es
2abrielle :arcotti 'rites in the Wall Street %ournal that $erguson<s mind games 3first came to
prominence back in the .AAD-AB season,5 Inited 'ere catching Ne'castle, under >e%in >eegan#
@e e*plains:
After a 'in o%er "eeds Inited, +ir Ale* slammed his opponent, saying he felt sorry for its
manager, since it had played badly all season and had only tried hard against his team#
7nnocuous6 Jou 'ould think so# 8ut it 'asn<t to >eegan, 'ho launched himself into this tele%ised
rant, before going all >ing "ear and seeing a .,-point lead crumble and run through his fingers
like dust#
The psychology# +potting a 'eakness and making the 'hole 'orld a'are that you<re ready to
pounce# %en the usually brilliant :arcotti falls for the la9y clichM, occasionally, by stating:
The most notable e*ample came in ?anuary ,--A# Rafa 8enite9, the manager of league-leading
"i%erpool, 'hipped out some hand'ritten notes and 'ent on a tirade against +ir Ale*, 'ho had
suggested that his ri%al could 3blo' their lead#5
"i%erpool didn<t =uite 3blo'5 their lead though, did they6 They actually impro%ed their points per
game, after the ;rant<, as Andre' 8easley points out inRafa<s Rant ) The $acts#
As 'e kno', in the 'orld of football perception is often more important than reality# "i%erpool
did dra' the ne*t three league games, the narrati%e 'as formed and it has stuck to the former
"i%erpool boss e%er since#
8enite9 belie%es there is no impact on the players:
Hhen you ha%e a lot of foreign players, normally they don<t read the ne'spapers, so the mind
games for them are nothing# The main thing is if you ha%e a good team, you can 'in all the mind
games# 7f you don<t ha%e a good team, you can<t#
$erguson on Oiera and :an City last season:
7f it<s desperation bringing back the best midfield player in 8ritain o%er the last ,- years then 7
think 'e can accept that# 7 think he FOieiraG 'as programmed for that# 7 think Roberto had a little
dig a couple of 'eeks back# He<re all going to play our hand that 'ay# 7<%e got plenty of
ammunition for that# The point he makes about Ra%el :orrison, losing our young players, 'e
'anted to sell Ra%el :orrison, let<s be clear about that, for ob%ious reasons#
8ut 'e 'ant !aul !ogba to stay because 'e think he is going to be a fantastic :anchester Inited
player and hopefully that<s the case# 7f you<re talking desperation, they 'ere playing a player the
other night 'ho refused to go on the pitch and the manager said he<ll ne%er play again#
@e takes a fi%e-month holiday in Argentina# Hhat is that6 Could that come under the description
;desperation6<
7<%e got plenty of ammunition, don<t 'orry# They can try#
@o' about Arsene Henger6 They<%e been at each others< throats for years# @o'e%er once Arsenal
dropped off the league pace bet'een ,--C-,-.-, they e%en managed to attend a special ":A
dinner ;An %ening Hith +ir Ale* and Arsene; 'hen they talked of their mutual respect Fno'
Arsenal 'ere losing more often#G
Henger spoke of 3a much better understanding and mutual respect no'#5 And $erguson dispelled
the myth that there 'as any real animosity bet'een the pair: 3He<%e sat and shared a glass of
'ine and a meal on many occasions on coaching conferences in 2ene%a# He<%e both PgotQ great
teams and ha%e had incredible competition o%er the last decade#5
@o'e%er, 'hen Arsenal 'ere top of the !remier "eague around the turn of the ,-.-0.. season,
+ir Ale* $erguson slammed Arsene Henger<s criticism of +toke ahead of :anchester Inited<s
clash 'ith the !otters:
Red 4e%ils chief $erguson praised +toke counterpart Tony !ulis for the 'ay he prepares his side
and also for the 'ay in 'hich he copes 'ith the occasional =uestion marks ri%al bosses raise
against it#
Henger, 'ho $erguson has enjoyed some memorable years of sparring 'ith, 'as named by the
+cot as one such manager#
3!eople ha%e criticised their physical style of play but they stick to 'hat they do best,5 said
$erguson#
37 suppose Arsene Henger has been one of their main critics, but then he does go off on a tangent
at times# $or instance, he criticised our pitch after they lost here before Christmas and 7 'as at a
loss to understand 'hy#
37 ha%e a great admiration for Tony and the 'ry 'ay he rides the criticism le%elled at his team# 7f
anything the criticism gal%anises the players#5
Andre Oillas-8oas, only last 'eek, before his team<s first %ictory at (ld Trafford since before the
+purs manager 'as born or something, claimed other managers are censored 'hen it comes to
criticising referees in games against :anchester Inited#
The Tottenham chief, 'ho 'as fined R.,,--- last season after claiming Chris $oy 'as ;%ery poor<,
takes his team to (ld Trafford on +aturday#
$oy 'ill again be in charge this season#
$erguson doesn<t just reser%e his judgement purely for opposition managers# @e also takes cheap
shots at opposition players and then prepares the conte*t on ho' the results should
be interpreted:
0ernando Torres tried to get 4onn" E7ans sent o// sa"s 0erguson
$erguson said 37<%e 'atched it# 4efinitely, Torres made a meal of it, an absolute meal of it# There<s
no doubt he tried to get the player sent off# 7t 'as a game 'e absolutely dominated# At ,--, it
could ha%e been a cricket score ) ,-, 'as an absolute farce# 7 'as saying to myself, ;7t could<%e
been .-<, so 'hen it looked like ending ,-, it 'ould ha%e been a tra%esty of a scoreline, but it 'as
a great result at the end#5
3They had the momentum 'hen it 'ent to ,-,, but they ne%er offered anything did they6 They
had to depend on decisions from the linesman to get back into the game# The build-up to these
games is such that, if one doesn<t 'in, it<s a catastrophe# $or "i%erpool, this is a catastrophe#5
The 0A 7ersus Ale8 0erguson
&The Inno$ent 1an)
+ir Ale* $erguson and his assistant, Carlos Sueiro9, are facing fines from the $ootball Association
after being charged yesterday 'ith improper conduct# 7t follo's :anchester Inited<s defeat by
!ortsmouth in the $A Cup =uarter-finals 'hen both men angrily criticised the referee, accusing
him of sho'ing bias in fa%our of their opponents#
$erguson described :artin Atkinson as a 3disgrace5, declaring that his performance 3should not
be accepted in our game5, and 'ent on to claim that the referees< chief, >eith @ackett, 'as 3not
doing his job properly5 and picked his 3fa%ourites5 for Inited<s matches#
8ut 'hat e*actly did $erguson say that 'as so contro%ersial but ultimately led to a not guilty
%erdict for him and his assistant6
37t<s absolutely ridiculous, 7 cannot e*plain it# :anagers get sacked because of things like that and
he<s going to referee a game ne*t 'eek# That performance should not be accepted by our game#
$erguson said !ortsmouth kne' the referee 5'as on their side5 before turning his fury on the
!2:( supremo 37 think >eith @ackett<s got a lot to ans'er for, ;7 don<t think he<s doing his job
properly and he needs to be assessed# @e<s got his fa%ourites, as e%eryone kno's# Jou look at the
refs 'e get a'ay from home ) +te%e 8ennett, :ark Clattenburg, !hil 4o'd, all these people ) 'e
ne%er get them at home, al'ays a'ay, and 7 think that tells you e%erything about him
F@ackettG# Clattenburg ) oh, ?esus, 2od#5
That 'ill be tough to pro%e, that one# (ne man<s 'ord against another# No 'itnesses# (r it 'as
broadcast li%e on the tele%ision to millions of TO %ie'ers then repeated constantly in the
ne'spapers in the aftermath6
The $A 'ere last night considering taking the e*traordinary step of challenging their o'n
disciplinary process after :anchester Inited manager +ir Ale* $erguson and his assistant Carlos
Sueiro9 escaped punishment o%er a charge of improper conduct#
An independent four-man commission cleared $erguson and Sueiro9 after they publicly
=uestioned the integrity of referee :artin Atkinson after Inited<s $A Cup defeat to !ortsmouth in
:arch#
$erguson cleared# @e didn<t =uestion the integrity of the referee# @e didn<t =uestion the integrity
of the referee supremo# Hhat, on the basis of probability6 He can<t underestimate $erguson<s
achie%ement in being found not guilty# 7n fact, 7<d go as far to say it<s his greatest achie%ement, not
the treble# Con%incing a court 'ith a con%iction rate in ,-.. of AA#DL that you<re innocent is like
escaping from the deepest darkest prison cell in North >orea# The great escape# >eith @ackett,
head of the referee<s organisation, retired ., months later to be replaced by :ike Riley#
6/ten The 9i$ti%: It)s The 0A and 2e/eree)s 0ault
>e%in :cCarra in the Guardian
+ir Ale* $erguson rebuked Cristiano Ronaldo for his red card in :anchester Inited<s dra' at
$ratton !ark last night e%en though he also alleged that the referee, +te%e 8ennett, 'ould ha%e
enjoyed taking that decision# The dismissal of the !ortugal 'inger, 'ho appeared to aim a head-
butt at !ortsmouth<s substitute Richard @ughes in the CDth minute#
$erguson may ha%e been re%erting into an old di%ersionary tactic 'hen he attacked 8ennett# The
referee had 'ielded the red card 'hen Ronaldo 'as sent off in the !remier "eague defeat against
:anchester City in ?anuary ,--B#
37 ha%e tried to look at the incident and there 'as nothing conclusi%e there,5 said $erguson# 37n
fact you cannot really see anything# 8ut my take is that he 'as pro%oked and that he has fallen for
it# 8ut the referee, +te%e 8ennett, sent him off at City and he 'ill ha%e lo%ed that opportunity Pat
$ratton !arkQ to send him off#
$urther e%idence comes in this tirade against the $A, after all :I$C ha%e done for them, the
ungrateful so and so<s# 4a%id 2ill also 'ades in# 7 say 3'ade5, it<s more like dipping your toe in
the sea to test the 'ater# @e doesn<t mi* his 'ords, 2illy#
Sir Ale8 0erguson has a$$used the 0oot;all Asso$iation o/ treating 1an$hester
<nited un/airl"= The <nited %anager hit 3ith a /i7e'%at$h tou$hline ;an last
season %ade the $lai%s 3hile tal(ing a;out ha7ing u! to eight !la"ers on England
dut"=
$erguson, 3The $A may realise 'ho has produced more players for their country than any club in
the 'orld# :aybe they 'ill realise ho' important 'e are to ngland instead of treating us like
sTTT#5
>a7id Gill:
3Those bans led to :anchester Inited chief e*ecuti%e 4a%id 2ill claiming in ?une the $A had
singled out the club for 3harsh5 punishments# There 'ere some poor-ish decisions that 'ouldn<t
ha%e necessarily hit others ) the actual punishments 'ere harsh,5 said $A board member 2ill#
3That<s not to say 7<m condoning Hayne<s comments, because 7 don<t think they 'ere correct, or
'hat +ir Ale* said, because it 'asn<t helpful# He<re possibly being caught up in being one of the
biggest clubs and the P$AUsQ Respect agenda being there# Hhat better 'ay to demonstrate the
authorities are being tough than by hitting one of the biggest clubs the hardest6
Guilt"
Ferguson Banned for Verbal Attack on Officials (2003)
The 88C Report
$erguson reacted angrily to Rennie<s decision not to punish Andy (<8rien for bringing do'n Ryan
2iggs on the edge of the Ne'castle area#
The manager kicked a ball a'ay in disgust and remonstrated 'ith fourth official Hinter on the
sidelines before being dismissed by Rennie#
Hinter 'as then subjected to a sustained four-letter tirade from the +cot#
$erguson faced t'o separate counts, one relating generally to alleged 3improper conduct5 and the
other specifically to claims that he used abusi%e language to the match officials#
The Telegraph Report
Although $erguson has defended players such as ric Cantona and Roy >eane in front of the $A,
he has ne%er been in trouble 'ith them himself# @is only touchline ban 'as in the Horld Club
Championship in ,--- for protesting about 4a%id 8eckham<s sending-off#
Ferguson Suspended for Clattenburg Attack (2007)
The 88C Report
$erguson admitted using abusi%e and0or insulting 'ords to'ards referee :ark Clattenburg
during the game against 8olton on ,1 No%ember#
The ban starts on ,C 4ecember so the +cot 'ill be in the dugout for +unday<s match against
"i%erpool at Anfield#
$erguson, 'ho did not attend the hearing, 'as also fined RD,---#
@e said after the match that he had told the referee 3e*actly 'hat he thought of him5#
@e continued: 3+ome referees don<t like it# They don<t like the truth# 8ut 7 just told him ho' bad
he 'as in the first-half#5
$erguson 'as upset 'ith 'hat he felt 'as a lack of protection for his players against 'hat he
claimed 'ere 3o%er-aggressi%e5 tactics from 2ary :egson<s side#
And one tackle by >e%in 4a%ies on !atrice %ra prompted an infuriated $erguson into a finger-
jabbing rant as Clattenburg entered the tunnel at half-time#
$erguson said he belie%es refereeing standards are ;slipping< 'ithin the nglish game#
The 2uardian Report FNo% ,--EG
Ferguson Fined And Banned for !o "a#es (200$)
The 4aily :ail report:
+ir Ale* $erguson has been gi%en a t'o-match touchline ban after raging against referee :ike
4ean follo'ing :anchester Inited<s %ictory o%er @ull earlier this month#
The (ld Trafford boss 'as also fined R.-,--- after admitting a $ootball Association charge of
improper conduct#
After seeing his side 'in 1-/, the BB-year-old is said to ha%e made abusi%e comments to 4ean
during a finger-jabbing outburst 'hich took place as the referee left the pitch#
The Telegraph<s Report:
$erguson had claimed the $A 'ere 3dying5 to hit him 'ith his latest improper conduct charge# 7n
reaching its decision, the commission took into account $erguson<s admission of the charge and
his pre%ious disciplinary record#
Ferguson Banned for %ersonal Attacks on Alan &ile' (200()
The 2uardian Report:
The $ootball Association has 'ritten to the :anchester Inited manager +ir Ale* $erguson to ask
him to e*plain his comments about referee Alan Hiley#
$erguson =uestioned the 1A-year-old official<s fitness after the ,-, dra' 'ith +underland at (ld
Trafford on +aturday# @a%ing looked at the remarks, the $A has no' re=uested that the Inited
boss e*plains the reasons behind his outburst#
The $A<s $ull Hritten *planation F!4$G
The Commission recognised +ir Ale*<s uni=ue achie%ements and standing in the game# @o'e%er
'ith such standing came increased responsibilities# +ir Ale* should ne%er ha%e said 'hat he did
say in the conte*t in 'hich he did so# 7n the Commission<s %ie' it 'as a grossly improper thing for
him to do# The Commission considered 'ith care e%erything ad%anced by +ir Ale*, and by
:r 8ean on his behalf, during the hearing# Taking into account +ir Ale*<s pre%ious offending
history, 'hich the Commission 'as satisfied 'as both rele%ant and significant, the Commission
considered that had +ir Ale* not admitted the charge Pand made the apologies 'hich he didQ the
appropriate penalty 'ould ha%e been PaQ an immediate touchline ban of four matches and PbQ a
fine of R/-,---# 7n the light of these important mitigating features the Commission determined
that the penalty 'hich should be imposed 'as PaQ an immediate touchline ban of t'o matches
'ith the remaining t'o match touchline ban being suspended until the end of +eason ,-.-0..,
and PbQ a fine of R,-,---#
$erguson 'as 3hung out to dry5 according to fello' manager 2ary :egson:
$or :egson, this is just another e*ample of someone grabbing cheap publicity at $erguson<s
e*pense# ;$ergie couldn<t ha%e done any more,< the 8olton boss said# ;@e gets hung out to dry
because of 'ho he is# @e has apologised and then e%eryone criticised the apology#
;Alan "eighton seems to ha%e a bee in his bonnet about the apology# 7 ha%e seen him =uoted as
saying it is half-hearted# 8ut you are damned if you don<t apologise and damned if you do#
;Hhat is he supposed to do6 @e has said something and then, ha%ing had time to think about it,
he has said ;sorry<# nd of story ) mo%e on#<
And 3a source close to +ir Ale*5 e%en claimed, before the hearing:
7 don<t belie%e +ir Ale* can no' get a fair hearing# The Referees< Association has been putting
undue pressure on the $A demanding that they inflict se%ere punishment against him#
3Jet it is unprecedented for any manager to recei%e a touchline ban for making post-match press
comments#5
Ferguson Suspended and Fined (20)))
The $A<s $ull Hritten +tatement F!4$G
>e$ision o/ the Co%%ission
FiG $or the misconduct offence arising out of media comments made on . st:arch
,-.., there should be a three-match touchline suspension in respect of all domestic league
matches and cup competitions, together 'ith a fine of R/-,---&
FiiG The suspended t'o-match touchline ban imposed for a pre%ious misconduct offence in
(ctober ,--A should be acti%ated&
FiiiG The t'o touchline suspensions referred to abo%e should run consecuti%ely, resulting in a
touchline suspension of fi%e matches in total&
Fi%G +ir Ale* 'as also ordered to pay the $A<s costs in the sum of R.,,--#
The 0A 7s 1an <nited Pla"ers
*+ra C,arged
The 2uardian Report:
The $rance left-back 'as gi%en the punishment by the $ootball Association almost t'o 'eeks ago,
a %erdict Inited<s manager, +ir Ale* $erguson, called 3the 'orst decision 7 ha%e e%er kno'n5#
@o'e%er, after e*amination of the case, Inited ha%e decided not to take the matter further# 7t
appears unlikely %ra could 'in an appeal gi%en he had already admitted he 'as at fault for the
incident at +tamford 8ridge in%ol%ing the Chelsea groundsman +am 8ethell#
%ra 'as fined R.D,--- in addition to his suspension but it is the ban 'hich angered $erguson#
The former :onaco defender, 'ho is part of Inited<s s=uad for this 'eek<s Club Horld Cup in
?apan, 'ill no' be banned from domestic competition until mid-?anuary#
The $ull Report !4$:
An $A statement read: 3The regulatory commission found a charge of improper conduct against
!atrice %ra pro%ed on all four elements of the charge# The Commission found that his conduct
during a 'arm-do'n session follo'ing the Chelsea % :anchester Inited, !remier "eague fi*ture
on April ,B ,--C, 'as improper in that:
aG :r %ra pushed the Chelsea head groundsman 'ith his chest Fas 'as admitted by :r %raG
bG @e struck :r +am 8ethell, a groundsman at Chelsea, on the side of his head
cG @e subse=uently, ie after the pre%ious incident had begun to calm do'n, ran back to confront
:r 8ethell again Fas 'as also admitted by :r %raG
dG Then became in%ol%ed in a further physical altercation 'ith :r 8ethell#
-oone' C,arged
The 'orst incident Taylor e%er sa' in a press conference came in 4ecember ,--1 'hen Rooney
'as up on an $A charge for pushing his hand in the face of Tal 8en @aim# $erguson erupted 'hen
asked about the incident:
3KHell you<%e not fucking 'ritten enough about itN Jou<re fucking on about Rooney, because he
has a 'ee slap in the face and no matter 'hate%er fucking else matter in the fucking game6 Jou
see fucking beha%iour like thatN @e should be up before the $A, not fucking Rooney# Jou are
allo'ing that fucking cunt to cheat#5
8en @aim 'as cleared of the initial $A charge# $erguson also 'ent public into his criticism of the
$ootball authorities# @o' things change, eh6
The 4aily :ail:
+ir Ale* $erguson has demanded justice from the $A o%er Hayne Rooney and called for the
o%erhaul of a disciplinary system he condemned as 3fla'ed and immoral5#
:anchester Inited<s manager, still angry that Rooney 'as charged 'ith %iolent conduct, 'as
stunned to find that today<s $A hearing is a closed session and no club representati%e can defend
the striker#
Recalling Robin %an !ersie<s attempted elbo' on >ieron Richardson in the Carling Cup tie against
Arsenal earlier this month, 'hich earned a booking, $erguson said: 3The referee didn<t see that as
%iolent conduct#
Jou =uestion 'hat referees< %ie's are# (ne didn<t think Oan !ersie deser%ed a %iolent conduct
charge, yet another has said he 'ould ha%e sent him FRooneyG off for %iolent conduct#5
The ?ias o/ 2e/erees
@o' the referees treated :an Itd last season:
$7NA" C(NC"I+7(N
There is no denying the fact that :anchester Inited had a clearly positi%e bias from the refs in
general# 7f you 'ant to deny it be my guest and go through all the /, games and point at 'here 'e
are 'rong in our numbers# 7t is in the open and you can check each decision#
7n fact those fe' games 'hen the ref made mistakes that 'ent against Inited they dropped
points# And maybe that is the best indication of them all that sho's ho' important the refs can
be#
(r maybe this by 4inny 8 looking at the suspicious nature of referees to suddenly stop officiating
:an Inited games after criticism from $ergie:
Add that to e%erything 'e<%e found out: the year long 'aits for referees 'ho take charge of Inited
losses to be gi%en another Inited game to officiate, the penalties that are gi%en to Inited in
said referees ne*t Inited games, the punishment for making mistakes that cost Inited points
FAtkinson<s month long suspension from premier league games, ?ones< . month suspension from
A"" !R($++7(NA" gamesG, the comments from e* referee ?eff Hinter Fsee my pre%ious postG,
the fact that .CL of @o'ard Hebb<s career penalties ha%e gone to :anchester Inited, the
retirement of Alan Hiley after being called unfit by Ale* $erguson and, of course, the presence of
4a%id 2ill inside the $A and surely there<s enough there for some in%estigati%e journalist in the
I> to actually look more into this#
(r, TTT<s Andre' 8easley 'ho did a little digging into @o'ard Hebb, penalties and :an Inited#
Ot,er "eneral Studies
Are football referees really biased and inconsistent6 %idence from the nglish !remier
"eague F!4$G
C(RRI!T7(N AN4 R$R 87A+ 7N $((T8A"": T@ CA+ ($ CA"C7(!("7F!4$G
The importance of time in referee home bias due to social: %idence from +panish football F!4$G
The 1<0C 0ans 7s 0ergie
4uring the ,--D0B season, 'hen :ourinho<s Chelsea 'ere at their peak, (ld Trafford 'as also at
its most to*ic for years# According to Taylor:
$ans 'ere chanting 3four four t'o5, there 'as anti-Sueiro9 feeling gathering apace and
Inited 'ere struggling to keep up 'ith Chelsea on the pitch#
(ne such defeat %ersus 8lackburn led to Inited<s o'n fans shouting at him:
3fucking clueless5
3a disgrace5
3@e needs to fuck off and take Sueiro9 'ith him5
Taylor said: 3There is nothing to prepare you for seeing and hearing +A$ being jeered and abused
by :anchester Inited<s supporters# The only thing going for him is that he doesn<t ha%e to face
the press and a forensic e*amination of 'hat has happened# No =uestions about tactics or
selection and certainly no =uestions about the fans< reaction#
The journalists fly on the same plane as the Inited team on uropean trips# This is a standard
procedure, a curtain is dra'n and they don<t interact# @o'e%er, 'hen the game is finished, the
journalists al'ays hold up the Inited players, manager and staff because they ha%e to file final
edition match reports and =uotes pieces# $erguson hates this 'aiting# 4uring one trip, just after
the 2la9ers< take o%er, the manager is caught up in a ro' 'ith three 3militants5 'ho criticise
$ergie and his defence of the ne' o'ners# The fans bring up ticket prices and $ergie says:
37f you don<t like it, go and 'atch Chelsea# 2o and see ho' much it costs for a ticket thereK5
Hhen the journalists arri%e on the plane, after the game and more importantly the day after the
argument 'ith fans, $erguson has all the ne'spapers in front of him#
$R2I+(N @7T 8J $(IR-"TTR O(""J
$R2I+(N C"A+@+ H7T@ $AN+ (OR 2"AVR
$R27 T""+ $AN+: 2( +I!!(RT C@"+A
2ary Ne%ille then s'ears at 4a%id :c4onnell, accusing him of mis=uoting some :ITO inter%ie'#
The inter%ie' 'as reported by the !ress Association, but it seems Ne%ille is gi%ing them a second
hand 'arning on behalf of his boss# 7n the ne*t press conference at Carrington, the journalists
refuse to bring up the e%ents of the pre%ious 'eek& the game, the argument 'ith fans, the ro'
'ith Ne%ille, nothing#
7nstead, they 'ere 3as polite as 'e could be, our =uestions designed not to antagonise him, much
as you 'ouldn<t ruffle the fur of a sleeping bear# (ur sur%i%al instincts ha%e kicked in since
8udapest and if that means buttering him up for a 'eek or t'o then so be it#5
The 51A $o%%ittee
The current members of the ":A :anagement Committee include:
W @o'ard Hilkinson
W +am Allardyce
W 4a%e 8assett
W Alan Curbishley
W +ir Ale* $erguson
W Chris @ughton
W 4a%id !leat
W 4a%id :oyes
W ?ohn Hard
(nly four current managers, and certainly managers there 'ho are ;friends< of +ir Ale*#
The ?igotr"
Chris Ro'land, in Conspiracies, !aranoia, 7nnocence and 2uilty lists a couple of e*amples of
$erguson<s casual stereotypes# And that<s being polite#
@ere<s ho' he respects the 2ermans for e*ample: after 8ayern had knocked Inited out of the
Champions "eague at (ld Trafford after a Itd player 'as sent off, he said:
3The young boy sho'ed a bit of ine*perience but they got him sent off, e%eryone sprinted to'ards
the referee ) typical 2ermans#5
"ink to the =uotes on the Guardian
$erguson also escaped a I$A charge#
4o the 7talians fare any better6
3Hhen an 7talian says it<s pasta 7 check under the sauce to make sure# They are inno%ators of the
smokescreen#5
F"inkG
8ut maybe the best e*ample of $ergie<s bigotry and racial stereotyping 'as reser%ed for ) 'ait for
it ) Iruguayans, 'ay back in .ACB#
57 mean, it<s not just a part of football, it<s the 'hole bloody attitude of the nation# Jou can see
that attitude there# The 'hole thing# They FIruguayansG ha%e no respect for other people<s
dignity#5
7nteresting link 'ith all the =uotes from managers# Neither co%ered themsel%es in glory#
And according to 4aniel Taylor, he once, after being asked by a journalist if he 'as going to the
Horld Cup, $ergie replied: 57t<s none of your business, do 7 ask if you<re still going to those
fucking gay clubs#5
Charming#
The Generous 6ne
7n ,--D0B $erguson 'as a committee member of the ":A and 3'ith one or t'o e*ceptions, it is
difficult to o%erstate the esteem 'ith 'hich he is held among his fello' managers#5
@e 'ill go out of his 'ay to make himself a%ailable if another ":A member needs help
@e 'ill ring a struggling manager, e%en ones he hardly kno's
"etters of congratulations are sent to promotion 'inning managers
A sympathetic note to one 'ho has been sacked, or relegated
@e 'rote to Rafa 8enite9 after "i%erpool<s Champions "eague triumph in 7stanbul,
apparently#
Conse=uence:
@e<s no' re%ered by the %ast majority, like no-one else in the game#
@e<s referred to by some as 3The 2odfather5
(ther managers compete for his affection
They hang on his e%ery 'ord 'hen he speaks at ":A functions
Hhen $erguson speaks, and is in a good mood, the editors al'ays clear the back pages# @e
pre%iously made sure the daily ne'spaper 'riters got a separate, e*clusi%e ten mins# +pecial
information for indi%idual sections 'ithin the media# The jokes, the mickey taking# The e*tra
sales# The backpage bylines# $erguson, if you<re a football 'riter co%ering the t'o :anchester
clubs, is the key to your future career success, to some e*tent# @im and his players pro%ide the
stories# The better the relationship 'ith $erguson, 'ith minimum conflict, the more stories you<re
going to get# 7f you ask the tough =uestion, you might get banned and miss all the e*clusi%e scoops
for a period of time# 7t<s bound to make you think t'ice#
2odgers) A!!roa$h
Ineasy "ies the @ead That Hears The Cro'n by ?ames >een
The responsibility#
37t is too early to say 'hich camp 8rendan 'ill fit into, he seems to ha%e fully bought into the idea
of the club and he is enthused and seemingly inspired by 'here he is and 'hat he is doing# The
press conference for the blogs and fan sites also sho'ed a man e*cited to talk about the game and
more than happy to engage 'ith the supporters# Hithout 'ishing to make predictions, he has
started 'ell, although the results ha%e been disappointing, but something he said stood out for
me#
3This is part of 'hat makes this, 'hen 'e ha%e success, 'hen 7 dri%e in through the gates, the guy
in security is a part of that successK not just the players on the field# He 'ill all feel a part of the
success, because of the one club#5 8rendan Rodgers
3The socialism 7 belie%e in is e%eryone 'orking for each other, e%eryone ha%ing a share of the
re'ards# 7t<s the 'ay 7 see football, the 'ay 7 see life#5 8ill +hankly
(f course ultimately only time 'ill tell 'hether 8rendan can become the man and manager 'e
hope he can be# 8ut he seems to fit in initially 'ith the picture of 'hat a "i%erpool manager
should be# 7t could be that he is a natural fit and that the opinions and sound bites he has come
out 'ith are an instincti%e fit 'ith the club# @e could be telling us 'hat 'e 'ant to hear& either
'ay time 'ill tell and ultimately judge him# 8ut the "i%erpool manager<s job 'ill carry on
regardless& 'hoe%er takes the job has to deal 'ith the spectral figures of the pre%ious managers in
the background plus the pressure and obsession of managing a club of this stature# 7t is one thing
to manage a club 'ho are just happy to be in the !remier "eague, it is =uite another to sit in the
office that has housed 8ill, 8ob, ?oe, >enny and Rafa& a great opportunity, but also a massi%e
responsibility#
Changing the Con%ersation by +i +teers
The non-conformist culture of "i%erpool instincti%ely creates a di%ide 'ith the media# 7t isn<t a
;natural< partnership& finding the balance bet'een protecting the club<s identity and building
relationships 'ith the media is difficult# 7t 'ill mean that the club has to be more pro-acti%e and
conformist in managing media relations# 8ut the tone of the club<s communications 'ill ha%e to
be carefully managed so that both the media and supporters relate to the message# (ne of the
benefits of 8rendan Rodgers< appointment is 7 belie%e that he 'ill be the perfect conduit bet'een
our culture and the media#5
,# :urdoch !ress:
!erhaps the most emoti%e issue in the history of the club# Any "i%erpool fan 'ho relates to the
club 'ill fore%er resent the +un ne'spaper for ;the Truth< headline in the immediate aftermath of
@illsborough# The 'ar against the +un is as ali%e today as it 'as in .ACA, perhaps e%en more so#
?ournalists 'ill often be reliant on sources 'ithin clubs to gain inside information& but aside from
.-, 'ell connected journalists, "i%erpool seems to be a closed shop these days# That 'ill naturally
fuel speculati%e journalism
The challenges facing Rodgers a'ay from the pitch and his off field reaction to e%ents on it and
opposing managers and players off it are massi%e# Comparing him to The 4ark >night
is nonsensical# +uggesting he starts shouting %erbal %olleys at rookie journalists or starts spouting
casual stereotypes about the Helsh, 2ermans or 7talians is also ridiculous# He can ask the
=uestion, ho'e%er, that if and 'hen Rodgers does start to bring some success to the club, should
he start abusing the po'er, authority and influence that comes 'ith success6 +caring the press
into asking 'eak =uestions# 8an them altogether6 :ake all official "$C ne's ) pre and post
match ) to tra%el through the "$CTO filter6 >eeping the pressure up on referees he belie%es are
making regular, repetiti%e errors# 4efending his players, often irrationally, out of principle6 (r do
'e 'ant to keep the current 8uck Rodgers6 The positi%e, enthusiastic communicator# As honest
as he can be, supporti%e of those 'ho deser%e it and critical of those 'ho need a kick up the
backside# 7 suppose my honest ans'er is, if he 'ins as many trophies as Ale* $erguson, 7 don<t
care# 8ut 7 do, deep do'n, and 7<d rather he acted 'ith dignity and grace, like other legends, closer
to home, 'ho didn<t need to adopt some of the di%isi%e <dark arts< $erguson employs& and still
managed to 'in plenty ) including fi%e uropean Cups bet'een them#
The :yth of Rodgers< 7nfle*ibility
On the terraces of Anfeld and inside pubs all across the world,
across cyberspace, Twitter and even here on The Tomkins
Times, an increasingly fractious debate is taking place.
Is Brendan odgers the man that will take !iverpool back up
the "remier !eague table into the elite of club football# Or is he
a promising young manager who has landed a big $ob that he is
not ready for#
And how long should we give him in order to fnd out#
In truth, the opinions of the fans take a back seat to the
opinions of one multi%millionaire investor. It is &ohn 'enry(s
decision to take. But I would argue that the opinions of fans
does hold some importance in the future of Brendan odgers(
reign at Anfeld.
After all ) take a look towards west !ondon, and we can see our
former manager afa Benite*. +ome ,uestions arise- is the
hostility of the .helsea fanbase adversely a/ecting the club(s
results# Are the .helsea fans mis$udged and ill%informed in
their opinion of their current manager# 0ill this a/ect his
likelihood of continuing in the $ob ne1t season# I believe the
answer to all these ,uestions is 2yes(.
That is an e1treme e1ample, but it is likely that the attitude
and opinions of a club(s fanbase ) as a group ) has
ramifcations for a manager(s $ob security and the results that
he delivers on the pitch. +o the debate about Brendan odgers
that is taking place amongst fans is an important one.
0hen I look at the current managerial situation at .helsea, I
cannot help but think that the fans of our rival club are being
unfair. I can(t help but think they are not looking coolly and
rationally at the 3facts4 5couldn(t resist6 about their latest
manager.
But it is easy for me to note that, whilst looking
on dispassionately from the outside ) as someone who does
not really care about the success of .helsea 7.. In fact, what I
have written there is somewhat of an understatement. This
observation spurred me on to look at Brendan odgers again )
and ask the ,uestion, as coolly and dispassionately as I could
possibly muster-
3Are we being fair to Brendan odgers#4
Myth Busting
This article is looking to focus on one particular myth that has
arisen around odgers. .learly much of what will follow is open
to debate, but I think I can make a strong case for it ) and, in
doing so, add something worthwhile to The 8reat odgers
9ebate Of :;<= 5as I(ve $ust named it>6.
In pubs, in my o?ce and online, and specifcally on this
website, I(ve seen a myth emerge about odgers which I think
needs to be ,uestioned. It seems to be a widely and strongly
held opinion from many !iverpool fans that Brendan odgers is
in@e1ible ) tactically, and in terms of personnel ) that he is a
dogmatic idealist who sees only one way to play the game,
with pragmatism cast aside in the name of establishing a
system.
This strongly established myth has it that odgers is only
interested in a certain kind of player in each position, casting
aside anyone who doesn(t ft the mould ) and that he is
sacrifcing precious "remier !eague points by continually
setting up the team in a manner for which they are not yet
ready to play.
+upporters of odgers argue that he needs time to implement
the system, and the improved results will follow. .ritics look on
enviously at more pragmatic managers at other clubs,
suggesting we would have been in closer contention for the all%
important top four place if only we had appointed a manager of
less idealistic nature. They ,uestion the value of a system at
all, when there are other managers out there that can simply
take the current s,uad and get the best out of it.
All of this is built upon the myth of odgers The In@e1ible.
odgers The 9ogmatic.
But are we being fair to him# Is this myth actually true#
The rest of this post is for Subscribers only.
A Certain Kind of Player?
I saw a very elo,uent post on The Tomkins Times, following the
Oldham loss, outlining a commonly held opinion about odgers
and his players-
Rodgers has a picture in his mind of what a football player
looks like; how a footballer player plays, and what skill set a
footballer has. In this world, if you do not ft his mindset you
are not a footballer If we have to wait until he acuires
players that ft his vision of a footballer, we may never get
there.!
This was posted by a very intelligent and well%informed regular
poster, who we all know well, called &e/. This is how it works
with me and &e/ ) he posts something, I agree with it and I
recommend it.
'owever, I could not agree with this comment.
9oes odgers really have an in@e1ible view of e1actly what a
player looks like in each position# And is he ruthlessly moving
on anyone who doesn(t ft that mould# The departure of Andy
.arroll, &ay +pearing and .harlie Adam would appear to
suggest as much ) especially as Andy .arroll was moved on
with a replacement yet to be secured.
'owever ) let(s look more closely at this.
Andy .arroll was indeed loaned out, but !uis +uare* was not.
.harlie Adam and &ay +pearing were moved on but !ucas !eiva
was not. 0as that because Andy .arroll did not suit his system,
and !uis +uare* did#
Or was that because, as with any new manager with money to
spend in the transfer market 5AB;.C million, and counting, so
far from odgers6, he simply wanted to move on the weakest
players and keep the best ones# Dspecially as a manager
under pressure to cut the wage bill.
0e can argue until we are blue in the face about the ,uality of
.harlie Adam and Andy .arroll ) but there is no doubt
whatsoever that neither of them were the best player in their
position at the club. And I think it is fair to say that the targets
we had in mind ) &oe Allen and, at the time, .lint 9empsey )
were not inferior players picked simply on the basis that they
were more of a 3odgers mould4 of player.
0e actually 5and eventually>6 ended up with 9aniel +turridge.
'ands up who wants to swap him for Andy .arroll# Dven on
current form, would anyone like to swap &oe Allen for .harlie
Adam# The system of play is surely only one of many factors )
it appears to me we(ve simply upgraded.
!ets also look at the current starting eleven in the "remier
!eague for evidence of odgers( in@e1ibility.
7irstly, it strikes me that it is a shifting starting eleven ) we(ve
seen 9owning dropped and reinstated, we(ve seen &ose Dnri,ue
played as left%back and, inventively, as a surprisingly e/ective
wide forward. 0e(ve seen +uso given a four game run, and
then placed back on the bench, and we(ve seen +helvey given
a short run, only to be dropped for going @ying in studs up
against Dvans. +o odgers then in@e1ibly benched him right#
Eope ) he then started four matches in a row later in the
season, including a performance that was instrumental in the
comeback against 0est 'am, before being placed back upon
the bench once more.
0e saw a number of players tried in the most advanced central
midfeld role ) +ahin, +helvey, and most recently 'enderson.
D,ually, +helvey has also been played as a wide forward and,
indeed, a centre forward.
Fy point is not to debate the success or failure of these
personnel changes. It is to point out that odgers is "e#ible in
his team selections. 'e has been open%minded about players,
in terms of whether they should be selected at all ) and where
they have been placed on the pitch.
In terms of 9owning and Dnri,ue ) he has ,uestioned their
ability to add to the group at all. And then reserved his thinking
on the basis of their performances.
If you remain sceptical, consider this ) there is only one player
who has been on the pitch for every minute of "remier !eague
action so far this season- +teven 8errard.
Is +teven 8errard the archetypal Brendan odgers player# Is he
naturally a short%passing, fast%pressing and possession
orientated 2tactically%minded( central midfelder#
I know conspiracy theories abound that odgers picks him for
political reasons. To that, I would reply with a ,uestion- are we
all entirely certain that odgers isn(t picking 8errard, despite
not ftting his supposedly in@e1ible vision, on the basis that
keeping 8errard in the team is more e/ective ) in terms of on%
pitch results ) than keeping wholeheartedly to his system
instead#
Is this not pragmatism at work#
One area where odgers deserves credit is his ability to bring
out players( abilities to play within a di/erent kind of
framework which they are used to.
&amie 3hoof it up the pitch4 .arragher is now our most
accurate passer of the ball. ead that sentence again ) and
imagine if someone had told you that would be the case last
season. 0ould you believe it was possible#
9oes odgers( coaching and tactical ideas make the players
any less e/ective#
Our captain(s fve goals and eight assists suggest not. 7rom a
relatively deep position, that(s a goal or assist every <.G league
games. 'e has recaptured a level of form that many believed
was impossible at the beginning of the season.
If anything ) and again I(m not arguing about the e/ectiveness
of his decisions, but the @e1ibility of them ) you could
speculate that odgers has held o/ on fully implementing a
pressing game at all on the basis that he doesn(t feel he has
the right personnel to do so.
Talking Tactics
All this might not impress an ardent critic. 'e might argue that
odgers is indeed @e1ible with his use of players ) but the
overall system remains the same. 'e might argue that odgers
is ftting s,uare pegs in round holes ) and, therefore, it doesn(t
matter which players he selects.
The system remains ill%suited to the s,uad ) and that this is
impacting negatively results.
Before I present my counter%argument ) let(s clear up
something important here. Any conversation on tactics is
sub$ective. This is unavoidable ) some things are facts 53we
played with three centre%backs6, but much of what we see
happening on the football pitch is in the eye of the beholder.
I(ve tried to base most of what I am saying here on what I have
seen this season, and also counter%referenced with Fihail(s
e1pert tactical analysis.
ather than get drawn into the uality of odgers( tactical
decisions, in my role as 3myth%buster4, I want to remain
focused on the "e#ibility of odgers The Tactician.
odgers( poor start to the season has been well documented.
Fany people en$oyed some of the performances ) particularly
the 3should%have%won4 game against Fanchester .ity ) and we
did indeed see an in%form &oe Allen spreading the ball patiently,
and a focus on short%passing when in possession as you might
have e1pected from the former +wansea manager.
'owever, we also only took two points from fve games ) and
were sat inside the relegation *one. 0e were pretty, but
ine/ective. 5In our frst game against Arsenal, we were ugly
and ine/ective ) but that(s another story>6.
+o, what happened ne1t# odgers showed a pragmatic side to
him.
'ow did we start the ne1t run of f1tures# 0ith two deep
midfelders and with one full back 5generally 0isdom6 asked to
stay back as well. Hsually the wide player in front of that full
back, at the time generally +uso, was also tasked with ball
retention and holding possession ) rather than getting into
forward positions.
This was a tactical change. Brendan odgers talked about the
need of a new tactical set%up in interviews. And we saw one
take shape on the pitch.
0e then saw a lot of draws, and fve clean sheets in following
ten games. 0e were unbeaten in the ne1t eight matches ) with
our points per game raising to <.GC over that period. odgers
had turned losses into draws 5and the occasional win6.
Then, against +outhampton, !ucas returned. Eow the
stabilisers were taken o/. 0e played with one deep midfelder,
and both full backs were asked to get forwards. 0e won two on
the bounce 5+outhampton, 0est 'am6 and then lost one 5Iilla6.
0e also conceded fve goals in two games.
In fact we had not drawn a game in any competition since
!ucas returned from in$ury until at Arsenal. This seems a big
change, and one that has surely come about from a new
approach. Our win percentage in the league since his return is
J;K. +urely this is unsustainable as the level of the opposition
gets tougher, but it is interesting nonetheless.
.learly odgers wanted to turn draws into wins ) and changed
up his tactics as a result. But clearly our defence was more
open than it had been due to the tactical changes.
7ollowing Iilla, we kept four clean sheets in the ne1t si1 league
games, taking us up to the win against Eorwich at home. 0hen
teams sat back against us defensively, we have been purring
to victory with no goals conceded and <C goals scored. In
games where we have been pressed at the back 5with !ucas
and our full backs given no space to play the short%passing
game6, we have been deservedly beaten in both cases 5Fan
Htd and +toke6.
Oldham also put our deeper players under pressure, and we
fell to lower league opposition. A pattern has formed.
$%&I'( )lease note this article was written before the game at
the %mirates, hence the e#clusion of any analysis of that
performance. I didn*t see the match in full, I missed most of
the frst half +dammit,- . so I cannot really comment on the
tactical conte#t until I*ve re/watched the match.0
Fany people seem to assume this pattern is due to in@e1ibility
on odgers part. Let, clearly, we can see that odgers is not
in@e1ible ) and has faced adversity in the league previously
during his short spell as !iverpool manager, and successfully
ad$usted his approach accordingly.
7urther evidence of @e1ibility can be found with his in%game
changes. Against 0igan, he successfully improved the
performance in the game by @ipping the midfeld triangle.
Against Dverton, he brought on an e1tra centre back 5.oates6
to change the tactical dynamic. I only caught the last =;
minutes of that game ) Dverton didn(t get a chance, we were
denied a clear winner by the referee. Against Fanchester
Hnited at Old Tra/ord, !ucas was removed and +turridge was
brought on, and we saw improvement once again.
And yet, my purpose is not to argue the ,uality of his decisions
) after all, perhaps he should have set the team up better to
begin with.
It is to prove that odgers( in@e1ibility from a tactical point of
view is largely a myth.
Fany are assuming that, because ) right now ) !iverpool
struggling with being pressed at the back is a result of
in@e1ibility on the part of the manager. But we do not know
what the future holds ) all we know, from the evidence above,
suggests that odgers is willing to make changes to his tactical
system in order to improve results.
Rodgers the Infexible Man or Myth?
I think fans have every right to direct criticism towards
managers and players.
It is a spectator sport, and if a fan sees that someone is not up
to the task at hand, or is behaving in a way that is detrimental
) or even not good enough ) then it is absolutely their right to
call it as they see it.
But, alongside that, comes a responsibility to decide whether
or not we are being fair.
The point of this article is not to $ump onto the bigger debate
that is rightly taking place ) about whether odgers is the right
manager to take !iverpool 7. back up the "remier !eague
table.
Fy aim is not to claim that snow is black, or up is down. .learly
odgers has an end in mind, in terms of how he wants
!iverpool 7. to be playing in years to come. I am not sure
anyone would want a manager who didn(t have a long%term
vision for their club in terms of how to improve the results.
I hope that I have remained focused on one specifc element of
this debate, and have done enough to cause a debate about
whether we are being fair to odgers.
It strikes me that a large proportion of fans do hold frm to the
belief that our current manager is overly idealistic in his
approach to tactics and personnel. That he has an over%riding
commitment to idealism ahead of pragmatism, and that this is
to the detriment of !iverpool 7ootball .lub both this season
and, to some, in the longer term.
I personally believe that odgers has shown a hell of a lot more
pragmatism than has been previously recognised ) and that
some people are holding frm to an idea that is more myth than
truth.
Rodgers: 8lueprint for a 8right Red $uture
8rendan Rodgers impressed, speaking calmly and steadily ) if ob%iously a little ner%ously at first
) in a fairly brief press conference, 'hich 'as handled to a%oid ans'ering certain leading
=uestions# There 'as no comment on the notion of there being an agreement not to go back to
+'ansea for players, no real comment on backroom staff, and so on# And there<s nothing 'rong
'ith that#
@e said that the aim 'as to get the announcement done, then get on 'ith the planning# No
comment 'as made as to 'hether +te%e Clarke 'ould be staying on# And e%en if there is an
agreement not to buy players from +'ansea, 2ylfi +igurXsson is still the property of @offenheim
Fto 'hom "i%erpool sold Ryan 8abelG#
Rodgers stated that he<d been coaching for almost ,- years& like 8enYte9, Oillas-8oas and
:ourinho, he kne' 'hen barely out of his teens that he 'anted to go do'n this route# These men
got onto their .-,--- hours under their belts 'hen most players 'ere still playing and focusing
mostly on their o'n interests#
3The principles of your game is based on the players you ha%e,5 Rodgers said# :aybe this 'as
'here Oillas-8oas 'ent 'rong at Chelsea, forcing his game on players that 'eren<t up to it& and
maybe Rafa did the same at 7nter# (f course, in both cases, the players themsel%es 'ere un'illing
to adapt to ne' ideas, and had too much po'er# As things stand, Rodgers 'ill inherit a lot of
players used to the high-pressing style of 8enYte9, albeit 'ith the energy le%els of >uyt and
2errard likely to diminish as their mo%e further into their /-s#
There<s 3big =uality in the group5, Rodgers said, and is looking for'ard to 'orking 'ith players
like 32errard, Carragher, Reina and 8ellamy#5
7n terms of the structure, 7an Ayre said that there<d be 3Analysis by committee, not signing by
committee# He 'on<t force any player on the manager#5 Rodgers made it clear that he refused to
'ork under 4irector of $ootball, but 'ants e*perts around him& the best scouts, the best medical
team# 3That 'as something 7 made clear 7 couldn<t 'ork 'ith# Hhat you need is an outstanding
team# He 'ill form a technical board that 'ill ha%e four or fi%e people that 'ill decide the 'ay
for'ard#5
7n a 'ay 7<m disappointed that there 'on<t be a major name like Oan 2aal to add international
kudos to the team abo%e the team, but you ha%e to admire Rodgers< confidence in demanding
'hat amounts to a kind of autonomy# He can also no' rest assured that Oan 2aal , for all his
=ualities, 'on<t be starting arguments in an empty boot room#
!erhaps there<ll still be room for T*iki 8egiristain, gi%en that he helped !ep 2uardiola on the road
to success, but didn<t dictate e%erything to him& he is a facilitator, not a dictator# Rodgers adores
8arcelona, and he<ll presumably also be happy 'ith !ep +egura becoming part of the consensus
process F'hich is still unconfirmed, but surely ine%itableG#
7t<s still a little difficult to stomach some of the ;:ourinho protege< stuff, gi%en ho' hated the
!ortuguese is by most "i%erpool fans& but :ourinho is 'ithout doubt the most feted manager of
recent times in terms of titles in different countries Fob%iously aided by tons of moneyG, and
thankfully, Rodgers does not possess his more irritating =ualities, nor his fairly direct style of
play#
+o 'hat<s different about Rodgers and 4alglish6
$irst of all, Rodgers is a training ground manager, in contrast to 4alglish, 'ho attended
sometimes, but 'as, like :artin (<Neill and Ale* $erguson, a match-day impact boss# Rodgers
closely assesses training all of the time, and many of the drills are like 8arcelona<s rondos, 'ith
the focus on keeping the ball in tight spaces#
"i%erpool 'ere more passi%e out of possession under 4alglish than they had under 8enYte9, but
not as passi%e as they had been under @odgson# "ast season 'as a mid-press, not a high press,
'ith the defence too deep at times, and the midfield ) 'hich 'ould ha%e been sat right on top of
them under @odgson ) further to'ards the for'ards F'hich 'as goodG, but that meant a gap
bet'een the midfield and defence& or 9one .1, as outlined on RAH>#
F7 guess the difference bet'een 9one .1 and ;the hole< is that the hole is the shifting space bet'een
a back four and midfield, but 9ones on a pitch remain constant# Vone .1 is 'here the hole is most
often found, but is not in itself the hole#G
Rodgers understands that you can<t press all the time# 7t<s about teaching players 'hen to press
and 'hen to hold off, to preser%e the shape and conser%e energy#
+o, ho' 'ill the e*isting players fit in6
Suare@
7t<s strange to think that "uis +uare9 probably got 4alglish the permanent job in ,-.., after his
play lit up the second half of the season, and then probably cost him it a year later# Hhether or not
+uare9 'as guilty as charged ) and 7 retain great doubts ) the 'hole incident undermined the
season# 7t became an un'elcome distraction#
To paraphrase a +pandau 8allet song from the time >enny 'as !$A !layer of the
Jear, communication let him down# @e didn<t communicate 'ell during 'hat 'as a total !R
disaster, and it seems he didn<t communicate as 'ell 'ith the o'ners as they had hoped#
All of this cost him his job& but the league form without these may ha%e not tipped the balance# 7
kno' loads of older >enny 4alglish fans 'ho felt let do'n by his beha%iour 'ith the media, e%en
if they hated the media, too# At times, it just felt like poking a nest of killer bees# Hith the modern
media, it 'as asking for trouble#
As for +uare9 himself, he is the club<s one hugely bankable asset, and 'ould 'ork brilliantly at
8arcelona, and probably feel happier in a country 'here the 'ord ;negro< simply means black#
Hho 'ouldn<t 'ant to join such a club, if they came knocking6
8ut of course, Rodgers 'ould lo%e to ha%e his o'n 8arcelona-=uality players# 7nterestingly ) and
maybe an o%ersight ) he didn<t include +uare9 in the list of impressi%e players at "i%erpool, but he
didn<t mention "ucas either, and 7<d eat my o'n kidneys if Rodgers didn<t rate the 8ra9ilian# The
list 'as of four players, off the top of his head# FAnd mentioning 2errard and Carragher is
presumably seen as an entry into >op acceptance#G
Inder Rodgers, +uare9 could re%ert to attacking from 'ider areas, 'hich is his style 'ith
Iruguay#
The rest
7 don<t see 'hy Rodgers 'ouldn<t rate Carroll, gi%en ho' technically strong he has looked 'hen fit
and full of confidence, and also gi%en that he prefers the ball into feet# A front three of +uare9,
Carroll and 8ellamy For >uytG 'ould certainly seem to be to Rodgers< liking#
4o'ning and @enderson are both good first-time passers, e%en if their end product needs
'orking on# ?ohnson, Agger, +krtel, "ucas and Reina should all lo%e Rodgers< approach, and he
surely like'ise lo%e 'orking 'ith them#
>uyt should still fit into the pressing style, gi%en that his fitness remains e*ceptional for his age& a
year ago his bleep tests 'ere still off the charts, but it could be that a lack of football last season,
rather than age, may not ha%e helped him stay as strong# :a*i is a supreme first-time passer, so
there<s no immediate problem there# >uyt<s passing may let him do'n, but he<s retained a place in
the @olland set-up for years, despite not being as technically gifted& largely because he uses his
intelligence#
?ose nri=ue 7<m more 'orried about, because the one thing he struggles 'ith is releasing the ball
=uickly& rather than one or t'o touch, it<s more like /D# Hith Rodgers< bra%ery in playing %ery
small players, 7nsua 'ould ha%e been far more suited to his system Fas 'ould Aurelio, if he had
e%er remained fitG, but there<s no use crying o%er spilt milk#
Hhen it comes to tiny players ) and +'ansea had se%eral ) then Raheem +terling must be licking
his lips# @e still needs a lot of 'orking on, but the system should suit him do'n to the ground#
Hith stature still in mind, +pearing 'on<t be cast a'ay, particularly as his first-time passing is
pretty good# 8ut he<s been a hitherto unremar&able player& either the ne' system 'ill help
further impro%e his game, as he doesn<t lack commitment, or he<ll find it too much for him and
fall a'ay#
Carragher<s days must surely be numbered, but maybe he<ll finally become part of the coaching
set-up6 As much as 7 hate the constant o%er-hyping of his future managerial career before he<s
e%en coached a reser%e team, he may be someone that Rodgers 'ants around# F!erhaps he<ll mo%e
to coaching the reser%e team, and Rodolfo 8orrell mo%es up to the first-team set-up6 ?ust a
random guessNG
2errard also presents a kind of problem& maybe he<ll be shifted to a more attacking role again, as
he did under 8enYte9, as modern coaches just don<t seem to 'ant his type as part of a t'o man
central midfield# 8ut again, Rodgers may hope to 'ork on that#
Alberto A=uilani may finally find a home at "i%erpool, although 'hilst being perfectly suited to
the fast-passing game, the concerns about his fitness and ;bottle< remain# Charlie Adam is
certainly better 'hen not looking to hit @olly'ood passes the 'hole match, but 'hile he<s
technically e=uipped for a shorter game, can he be disciplined enough6 7<m not sure# 4itto ?oe
Cole, 'ho is due to return from $rance# The age and 'ages of Cole and A=uilani make them lo'
priority in terms of keeping#
There<s plenty there to 'ork 'ith, and as 'e<%e seen time and time again, different approaches
bring out the best in different players# Time 'ill tell ho' that transpires at "i%erpool under
Rodgers# 7<m %ery e*cited to see ho' things pan out#
+uare9 and +turridge: The 8est %er6
"i%erpool $ootball Club has possessed some =uite 'onderful strike partnerships o%er the years )
more than its fair share, some might argue ) but 7 can<t help thinking that the current
combination has the potential Fand that<s a key 'ordG to be the Reds< best e'er# 7ndi%idually they
are superb, together they are sublime#
!re%ious combinations 'ere certainly more easily defined: the creator and the poacher& the
thinker and the speedster& the big ;un and little ;un# Hith this pair there<s a %ersatility and
impro%isation that means the t'o can 'ander any'here in the attacking half to create space and
chances& indeed, both ha%e played as 'ingers and 'ide for'ards in their careers# 7f nothing else,
they are the hardest duo to contain#
Aged ,1 and ,B, this is not a case of the 'ise master and the young apprentice& neither are yet at
the age considered a footballer<s peak Fusually ,E-/-G, although it<s fair to say that =uicksil%er
strikers are often past their best at ,D#
(f the pair, only +turridge fits that playing style, but e%en then, he is so much more than a
speedster 'ho can score goals& and rather than be 'ashed up at ,/, that 'as the age 'hen he
really got going#
At the moment +turridge is scoring as regularly as prime-years 7an Rush, 'ith the added bonus of
some of the skills of ?ohn 8arnes# +turridge<s incredible chipped goal against Hest 8rom 'as not
inch but millimetre-perfect, and although it 'asn<t his best game in a red shirt, he produced
se%eral attempts full of disguise, often due to a lack of backlift, including a rasping effort that hit
the bar# @e has some of the =uickest feet 7<%e seen, and can lea%e defenders for dead 'ith skill as
'ell as pace, and is impro%ing as a goalscorer# The only thing you<d say he lacked 'as aggression
) at least 'hen compared 'ith some other strikers ) but he<s potent 'ith the ball, that<s for sure#
+uare9, mean'hile, has much of >enny 4alglish<s guile and gnarly body strength, but 'ith a bit
more bustling mobility& as if 4alglish<s brain Falbeit 'ith a fe' added gremlins and glitchesG 'as
planted into Ronny Rosenthal<s body F'ith >en 4odd<s teeth thro'n inG# The nutmeg for the
opening goal of his hat-trick 'as a thing of great beauty ) not passed through the defender<s lets,
but tickled through, like some kind of magic trick#
+ince his return, four league games ago, he has scored si* goals, and his strike partner has four,
'ith eight for +turridge in the nine league games he<s started# 7 admit to thinking that +uare9 had
played his last game for the Reds, and also 'ondered =uite publicly if the side 'as better balanced
'ithout him& but he<s the kind 'ho 'ould gi%e .--L in a car-park kickabout, and the ne'
formation, 'hile not totally ideal, is helping the front t'o to fill their boots#
@igh fi%es all round#
7t<s hard to judge goalscoring records across eras, as clearly there are distinct periods in the game
'hen, perhaps due to rule changes and tactical machinations, there are gluts and famines# 7n the
mid-;C-s, 7an Rush, 2ary "ineker and Cli%e Allen all approached D- goals in a season in nglish
football# Currently, "ionel :essi and Cristiano Ronaldo ha%e turned the old 3a%eraging a goal
e%ery other game5 rule about top strikers on its head by a%eraging a goale'ery game, 'ith B- or
E- in a campaign# At other times in football history, ,- in a season has seemed a big deal#
(ne thing usually considered necessary for greatness is longe%ity, although there are plenty of
e*ceptions to this rule# $or e*ample, $ernando Torres spent less time at "i%erpool than mile
@eskey& sometimes it<s better to burn 'ith fierce brightness and fade a'ay than it is to be a red
giant resembling a 'hite d'arf# The 'ay Torres left, and the fact that he joined Chelsea of all
clubs, may ha%e soured memories, but boy did he get the >op bouncing in his three full seasons#
Robbie $o'ler<s brilliance 'as o%er a similar number of years ) <A1 to <AE ) 'ith his later time at
the club much less remarkable in indi%idual terms Falthough ho' %ital 'as he in the treble of
,--.6G#
7t<s still %ery early days for +turridge and +uare9& too early to label them as Anfield greats, but
that is not to say that they ha%en<t been great so far# Hhat more can they ha%e done in their
"i%erpool careers6 FAlthough in the case of the Iruguayan, a%oiding lengthy bans is an ob%ious
area for impro%ement# "ess is more 'hen it comes to suspensions#G
2o back to .AAB, in a team also containing three centre-backs 'ith 'ing-backs pushing on, and
Robbie $o'ler and +tan Collymore looked an absolutely unstoppable combination& but by the
summer of .AAE Collymore 'as gone and $o'ler first fell foul of the injuries that allo'ed :ichael
('en to =uickly usurp him in the pecking order#
Though brilliant together in domestic football, $o'ler and Collymore ne%er really shone on the
international stage, in contrast to the 'ay 4alglish and Rush collected a 'arehouse-full of caps
Falbeit not for elite footballing nations, although that 'as not their faultG# +uare9 is a striker of
international repute, but +turridge is not there yet# @o'e%er, he<s certainly on an up'ard
trajectory# Jou sense that this is no :arcus +te'art or >e%in !hillips, ha%ing a year or t'o in the
the spotlight, but a thoroughbred#
The current pair also can<t say that they<%e pro%en themsel%es for "i%erpool in title races and
uropean ad%entures, in contrast 'ith the 'ay that @unt and +t ?ohn, Toshack and >eegan, Rush
and 4alglish, 8eardsley and Aldridge, and Torres and 2errard all e*celled in one or other, or both,
of those areas# 8ut it<s also fair to say that many of those greats arri%ed 'hen the team 'as already
the best around# !ut +uare9 and +turridge into any "i%erpool side of the past and, in theory, they
'ouldn<t 'eaken it#
7t<s easy to sense that +turridge 'ill stick around, ha%ing finally found a spiritual home, and that
+uare9 'ill lea%e as soon as he gets the chance# +till, on current form Arsenal 'ould ha%e to offer
RC-,---,--,, just to recei%e an offhand rejection#
Credit to 8rendan Rodgers for bringing the best out of the pair# At the time, and for a fe' months
after, 7 'as critical of the manager for not agreeing to sign +turridge in the summer of ,-.,, not
least because 7<%e been a big fan since seeing the striker at the age of .B# 8ut e=ually, there 'ere
'hispers about his temperament and attitude, and %arious Chelsea managers didn<t seem to rate
him Falthough there 'as the e%ergreen 4rogba, plus an o%ert pressure to play TorresG, so it<s not
like the signing, at R.Dm, 'ould ha%e been a no-brainer# $or all the naysayers, 7 couldn<t shake my
belief that there 'as a top player in +turridge 'aiting to get out#
That said, 7<%e also found myself enamoured 'ith plenty of other youth prodigies 'ho, for
'hate%er reason, just didn<t kick on as e*pected and drifted do'n the di%isions, so it<s ne%er a
gi%en# $or all its association 'ith a certain 'ay of trading, the biggest impression "oneyball left
on me 'as the 'ay that some sensational youngsters 'ho ;ha%e it all< Flike 8illy 8eane in baseballG
'ere still ne%er destined for greatness as players#
Time 'ill indeed be the judge of +uare9 and +turridge# :y 'ords of high praise may soon appear
foolish# 7<m sure that in ,--. 7 'as as e*cited about the ('en0@eskey partnership as any other
fan, not least 'hen they troubled uropean defences for "i%erpool and, for ngland, tore apart
2ermany in their o'n backyard# 8ut no' many look back at ('en 'ith a bit of a sneer, seeing
him as a fairly one-dimensional player Fthough he 'as ob%iously still %ery good at 'hat he didG,
and @eskey is %ie'ed 'ith a sense of unfulfilled potential# They 'ere young, and in-synch Falbeit
not as imaginati%ely as the current duoG, but before they e%er really got going their best days 'ere
behind them# Compared 'ith +uare9 and +turridge, they 'ere certainly lacking e*tra dimensions#
8y no', +uare9, 'ith almost ,D- goals for clubs and country at the age of ,B, is pro%en beyond
doubt as a top international striker& one for 'hom the term ;'orld-class< seems increasingly
inarguable, if e*cluding the noise that colours judgement on him#
+turridge is the one about 'hom =uestions remain# There<s still a sense that he could be
something of a flash in the pan& he<s already t'ice gone from prolific early season spells at 8olton
Fon loanG and Chelsea back to reser%e football#
8ut he looks like someone 'ho has come of age, ha%ing passed that in%isible point 'here people
start to take a player a lot more seriously# @e<s no' at the stage 'here he could go ten games
'ithout scoring before a manager 'ould e%en think about dropping him# 8efore, unless he 'as
creating plenty F'hich, in fairness, he usually doesG, you imagine it 'ould be one or t'o games,
tops# @e seems at home, both at "i%erpool and as a regular !remier "eague starter#
%en if Rodgers< side =ualify for the Champions "eague you<d ha%e to think there<s a good chance
+uare9<s 'anderlust 'ill make this the final season of the +A+ F7 usually hate those acronyms, but
7 guess it<s a helpful shorthandG# Real :adrid 'ill surely come knocking, 'hen they realise that
2areth 8ale is no'here near as good as the Iruguayan, a force of nature 'ho 'ould succeed
any'here in the 'orld#
Hith that in mind, it<s perhaps best to sit back and enjoy 'hat "i%erpool<s t'o strikers offer, like
kno'ingly entering the final season of a belo%ed tele%ision sho'# Their brilliance together can be
cherished, and if the partnership is sundered by +uare9<s departure For a /C-game ban for
performing a colonoscopy on the linesman 'ith a corner flagG, 'e can say that 'e 'ere lucky
enough to ha%e 'itnessed something that, unlike the "eague Cup successes of ,-.,, ,--/ and
.AAD Ffor e*ampleG, 'e 'ill still be mar%elling at in years to come#
After all, as much as sil%er'are is the aim of the game, it<s not al'ays trophies that li%e longest in
the mind# +ometimes it<s special players 'ho spark the imagination, and burn their talent into our
minds#
Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone<s D-th Anni%ersary
(scar @ammerstein 'rote the lyrics and Richard Rodgers composed the music for ;Jou<ll Ne%er
Halk Alone< in .A1D, in their 8road'ay musical ;Carousel<# 7n terms of its emotional impact and
iconic status, one 88C programme ranked the song alongside ;+ilent Night< and ;Abide Hith :e<#
7r%ing 8erlin said that the song had the same effect on him as the ,/rd !salm#
The %ersion 'e kno' rather better, by 2erry and the !acemakers, first appeared in the charts
on .,th (ctober .AB/, Z No# ,,# Thereafter it rose steadily up'ards:
.A (ct Z E
,B (ct Z ,
,, A, .B and ,/ No% Z .
/- No% Z ,
F+ource [ http:00'''#officialcharts#com0archi%e-chart0\0.0.AB/0G
2i%en the playing of top .- singles that 'ould gi%e us the 'eek of .Ath (ctober on'ard ) the day
'e beat HA8 .-- at Anfield could therefore just be the first time the song 'as played as pre-
match entertainment at Anfield# @o'e%er it<s probably more likely to ha%e been the home game
against "eicester City on ,nd No%ember .AB/ Fa .-- defeatNG, gi%en that it reached No#. that day#
(r it could ha%e been $ulham on .Bth No%ember Fa ,-- 'inG or 8urnley on /-th No%ember
Fanother ,-- 'inG arri%ed at Anfield# Hhat<s certain is that 'e 'on the league in JNHA<s first
season, ahead of the :an Itd of 8est, "a' and Charlton, 'ith %erton third#
@o'e%er, this story from Redand'hitekop alleges that fans didn<t start singing the song until ,Eth
April .AB/, 'hen a certain 2erry $laherty sang ;Hhen you 'alk through a storm< during a
thunderstorm during an $A Cup semi final at @illsborough Fanother .-- defeat by "eicesterG,
'hich 'ould mean that our famous anthem 'as born at the same ground at the same stage of the
same competition as our saddest day occurred#
&When "ou 3al( through a stor%)
(ou do not choose to wal& through the wild torrent of powerful and unpredictable forces that
are unleashed in a storm. (ou do not choose ad'ersity. The situation is one you find yourself in,
forced upon you, and caused by e!ternal circumstances that you do not control. (ou would
rather be anywhere else than here today. #ut you ha'e no choice. There is nowhere to hide. This
is the harsh reality of your life, right here, and right now.
3"ife is ne%er made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose#5
Oiktor $rankl
;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< has been sung at "i%erpool games by generations of fans, but there are
t'o occasions 'hen it has taken on a much deeper meaning than a simple football song# (ne 'as
in the Ataturk stadium in 7stanbul on ,Dth :ay ,--D at around .-#1D pm, 7stanbul time#
&,old "our head u! high)
)eep your dignity, your pride, your self*respect. +ift up your head. +oo& around you. Do not
hide away. ,ace up to the situation. +oo& it in the eye. Defy it.
3(tro :undo es possible#5 F;Another 'orld is possible<G Che 2ue%ara
Hithin ;Carousel<, ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< is sung to both comfort and encourage the female
protagonist ?ulie ?ordan, after the death of her husband 8illy 8igelo' during a failed robbery# 7t
is then sung again at the end at their daughter "ouise<s graduation ceremony, at the story<s
conclusion#
&And don)t ;e a/raid o/ the dar()
What is it about the dar& that we fear? -t is the un&nown. That place where imagined horrors
await. -n the dar& you can not see around you. There is uncertainty. Who &nows what may be
out there hidden from 'iew. -t is the rich and fertile ground for your imagination. We grew up
hearing many fairy tales that use a .ourney into this /dar&ness0 of the woods, where the hero
must o'ercome their fears as part of their 1uest.
3The 'oods are just trees# The trees are just 'ood#5 +tephen +ondheim
Hhen the "i%erpool team returned to the dressing room at half time in 7stanbul they 'ere at the
centre of the ;perfect storm<# $ar, far from home, in a uropean Cup $inal# .-- do'n 'ithin a
minute in the biggest game these players 'ill e%er play in# A team of the good, the decent and the
ade=uate, facing a side so crammed 'ith great names some had to 'ait their turn on the bench#
And no' /-- behind 'ith the 'hole 'orld 'atching, and still only half 'ay through this
catastrophic e*perience#
7n football terms, this 'as about as bleak as it could get for a "i%erpool fan# The parrot 'as not
just sick, the life support machine 'as about to be s'itched off, and it 'as about to meet its
maker#
And all this 'as unfolding 'ith the kno'ledge that this most public of humiliations 'ould be
indelibly engra%ed into the permanent granite of the historical record, ne%er to be erased or
forgotten# This 'as humiliation of such historical proportions that 'e may no longer be able to
think of oursel%es in the same 'ay again#
&At the end o/ a stor%)
2owe'er bad this may be now, there will be an end. This situation may e'en get worse before it
gets better, but it will not go on for e'er. (ou may not be able to see that end from where you
are now, but .ust &nowing that there will be an end gi'es a reason to cling on until it finally
arri'es.
3@ope is a 'aking dream#5 Aristotle
$ollo'ing the release of the ;Carousel< soundtrack album, $rank +inatra became the first artist to
record ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone<# @is %ersion reached number nine on the 8illboard chart in .A1D#
:any others ha%e follo'ed since# Recordings can be found of l%is !resley, ?udy 2arland, 4oris
4ay, Ray Charles, Nina +imone, +hirlety 8assey, 8arbara +treisand, !atti "abelle, ?ackie Hilson,
2ene Oincent, Aretha $ranklin, ?ohnny Cash, :ario "an9a, Cilla 8lack, Richard Thompson, Chet
Atkins, 4ean :artin, !lacido 4omingo, 2len Campbell, 8ob 4ylan, "ouis Armstrong, The 7sley
8rothers, +lade, Rolf @arris, HahN, 8illy ckstine, !erry Como, The Righteous 8rothers, 4ionne
Har'ick, Tammy Hynette, ric Clapton, ?immy 4urante, (li%ia Ne'ton ?ohn, The 4a%e Clark
$i%e, !aul :cCartney, and e%en ddie the on-board computer in ;The @itchhikers 2uide to the
2ala*y<, all performing ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone<#
8ut the iconic and definiti%e %ersion of the song is 'ithout doubt the one recorded in .AB/
by 2erry and the !acemakers#
&There)s a golden s(")
3emember that the dar&est hour is .ust before the dawn.(ou may be at your lowest ebb, but the
sun will soon rise and shine again. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And with that light
the dar&ness, along with all its uncertainty and imagined horrors, will be gone.
3@ope is faith holding out its hand in the dark#5 2eorge 7les
Chris Ro'land 'as at the Ataturk on ;that night<# @e says 'hen the players left the field at half-
time he Fand e%ery red in the stadiumG 'as feeling 3shocked and embarrassed at 'hat had been
and 'hat might be# 7 don<t kno' anybody 'ho thought 'e still had a chance of actually 'inning#5
8ut for Chris the singing of ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< at that moment, in that stadium,
in that game 3'as an act of defiance to the 'atching 'orld rather than a belief that the game
'asn<t o%er# 7<%e been there 'hen ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< has been sung in desperate situations
as an act of defiance, as 'ell as so many times in triumph# 8ut in terms of the situation at the time
and the enormity of the occasion, 7 can think of no comparable situation 'here it has been sung#5
&And the s3eet sil7er song o/ the lar()
The alliteration of /sweet sil'er song0 brings a calming 'ision of restored simplicity and order at
this time of chaos and confusion. Along with a golden s&y comes a sil'er song. The storm is o'er,
the dar& is past. These are simple e'eryday pleasures, but both are now seen to be precious and
to be treasured. They ha'e been ta&en for granted and now, in their absence, you realise how
much you will come to appreciate their simple, peaceful calm when you see and hear them
again.
37magination is more important than kno'ledge#5 Albert instein
At the same time that 8rian pstein 'as managing The 8eatles, he 'as also taking care of
business for 2erry and the !acemakers# 2erry :arsden had al'ays liked the song, but 'hen he
suggested recording a %ersion 'ith producer 2eorge :artin at Abbey Road, both pstein and
:artin belie%ed it 'as too slo' to e%er be a hit#
The song 'as e%entually recorded and released in (ctober .AB/# Hithin a month the single 'as
number one in the chart, and stayed there for the ne*t four 'eeks#
&Wal( on through the 3ind)
(ou &now that you must find the resol'e from somewhere inside yourself to &eep going, &eep
battling, ne'er gi'ing up in the face of ad'ersity. (ou &now there will be an end, you &now you
must carry on, loo& past the difficulties and see that golden s&y, hear that sil'er song, that lie
beyond.
3Hhen you are in hell ) keep mo%ing#5 Hinston Churchill
$or Chris Ro'land in the Ataturk that night 3The song began half-heartedly at first, then some
kind of momentum built, it became a sort of rallying point# The song spread, and most joined in#
7t 'as an act of public defiance more than seeking to inspire# 7t 'as about unity, 'e<re all in this
together, e%ery player and e%ery fan# The message 'as that you may be beating our team but you
'ill ne%er crush our spirit# He 'ill ne%er be subordinate, to anybody#5
+ome'here else in the stadium 'as >elly 4alglish# 37<%e ne%er hard it sung like that before# %er#
7t 'as almost like a prayer# And there 'as almost a kind of desperation to it#5
!aul Tomkins 'as there too# 37t 'as a %ery po'erful e*perience, as a fan, to hear the familiar song
sung ) and to be part of the choir ) in such footballing ad%ersity#5
&Wal( on through the rain)
The repeated simple action of one foot placed in front of the other.
/Wal& on.0
And another.
/Wal& on.0
And another.
That is all it ta&es.
4ne step at a time.
That is all it ta&es#
37f you can force your heart and ner%e and sine', to ser%e your turn long after they are gone# And
so hold on 'hen there is nothing in you, e*cept the Hill 'hich says to them ;@old onN<5 Rudyard
>ipling
7n the B-]s the top .- singles charts 'ere played at Anfield before matches and the >op
choir 'ould sing along to the hits of the day# At the end of .AB/ ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< 'as
introduced and became so popular that, e%en 'hen it 'as no longer in the top .-, the s'aying
>op continued to sing it themsel%es#
&Though "our drea%s ;e tossed and ;lo3n)
(our resol'e, your resilience, your faith in the outcome, will be sub.ected to many tests. This is
the brutal truth that must be faced. !pect challenges to come at you from all directions. There
may be three steps bac& before you can ta&e one step forward. So be it.
3udderless and adrift with neither map or compass, in an alien landscape, bereft of the familiar
landmar&s and reassuring signposts found in that 5one called /$omfort6, you will feel buffeted
li&e a tiny boat, blown far off course, on a 'ast, 'iolent, raging ocean of turmoil. 2ome is going
to feel li&e it is 5illions of light years away.
(ou will 1uestion your beliefs. (ou will ha'e your doubts. (our dreams will be treated as
lightweight, worthless and inconse1uential, and you0ll see them brushed aside and
dismissed.#ut do not gi'e in. 2old on to them. 7e'er let them go.
3Jou may face many defeats in your life, but ne%er let yourself be defeated#5 :aya Angelou
?amie Carragher 'as at the %ery centre of the storm in the Ataturk# Hhen +micer<s shot made it /-
, he says 3The first goal ga%e us a bit of hope# 8ut this one gi%es you belief no'#5
&Wal( on 3al( on)
The simple plan. %ust get started.
4ne step at at time.
4ne foot in front of the other.
And then again. 4ne foot in front of the other
4ne step at a time.
3A journey of a thousand miles begins 'ith a single step#5 "ao9i
;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone<, once adopted by the >op, %ery =uickly became associated 'ith the club#
Hithin .C months, 88C football commentator >enneth Holstenholme 'as describing it as the
3"i%erpool signature tune5 as it 'as sung during the .ABD $A Cup $inal against "eeds Inited#
&With ho!e in "our heart)
Where does hope come from? 2ope comes from within.
2ope is not in your /head0. -t is not a focused logical thought. 2ope is not about certainty.
2ope is not in your /gut0. -t is not a fu55y intuiti'e feeling. 2ope is not about the probable.
2ope is in your /heart0. -t is 'ague. -t is not necessary for it to be specific. -t is not a plan, or a
dream, or a wish.
2ope may be uncertain, it may be improbable, but it is always possible.
2ope is simply the auto*pilot of the /heart0, re1uired to &eep going long enough for your /gut0
and your /head0 to ha'e a chance to do their wor&.
Without hope you are hopeless. When hope is lost you are left with despair. -f you gi'e up hope
you are doomed, and you are destined to /wal& alone0.
#ut with hope you retain an optimism that says /the glass is one drip full0.
-f hope is the pilot flame that flic&ers in your heart then imagination is the spar& which re*
ignites that flame. When all seems lost, you still ha'e the ability to imagine. (ou may ha'e to
li'e in this present, but your imagination allows you to tra'el to a future that does not yet e!ist.
When you ha'e hope you see, you feel, you thin&, and you act differently.
(ou may be down but you are not defeated. That spar& of imagination ignites the flame of hope.
That flame burns the fuel of will power to get bac& on your feet and .ust ta&e one step.
3@ope is an ability too belie%e the future 'ill be unspecifiably different from, and unspecifiably
freer than, the past#5 Richard Rorty
$arlo Ancelotti was also in the Atartur& stadium that night in "ay 899:, in his role as the A$
"ilan coach. What impact did the defiance of +i'erpool fans ha'e on him? -n August 89;8 he
was as&ed which club has the best fans. <-n my opinion +i'erpool fans, when they sing a song
they= - don0t &now in nglish, but your s&in is=66>he fluttered his fingers up and down his arm
to e!plain?.
&And "ou)ll ne7er 3al( alone)
-f you get your 'alue from outside yourself, then it can always be ta&en from you.
3The one thing you can<t take a'ay from me is the 'ay 7 choose to respond to 'hat you do to me#
The last of one<s freedoms is to choose one<s attitude in any gi%en circumstance#5 Oiktor $rankel
&+ou)ll ne7er 3al( alone)
;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< no' features in the club crest, and on the +hankly gates entrance to
Anfield# 7n (ctober ,-./ ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< 'ill ha%e been the "i%erpool anthem for half a
century# That is tradition# That is history# That is culture# That is something that cannot be bought
or sold#
&Wal( on 3al( on)
Those glorious swirling strings. (ou &now they are coming and yet e'ery time you hear them
they ma&e the hairs stand up on the bac& of your nec&. They0re li&e a musical shot of pure
adrenalin. This is the sound of the light of that imagined gold s&y appearing at the end of the
tunnel. 3ousing music, lifting you bac& on to your feet again.
@ntil now the song has been about the imagination reigniting a dying flame that is about to be
e!tinguished. 7ow the song has found the energy and determination from within to &eep going
forward.
There are no guarantees. (ou &now that your dreams may not e'er be realised. #ut you
recognise that you will always ha'e a choice. To gi'e up all hope and submit, or to &eep that
flame of hope burning in your life.
Jou in'ent yourself e'ery time you choose.
34on<t 'ait for a light at the end of the tunnel# +tomp do'n there and turn the fucker on
yourselfN5 +arah :illican
The other occasion 'hen the song took on a much deeper meaning 'as on .Bth April .ACA at
"i%erpool<s Roman Catholic Cathedral, the day after the tragedy at @illsborough#
Hith D,--- people in attendance and a further C,--- outside, ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< 'as sung
by a lone choir boy# The song sought to offer both comfort and encouragement to an entire city in
a state of trauma.
&With ho!e in "our heart)
3@ope is independent of the apparatus of logic#5 Norman Cousins
:el Torme told Richard Rodgers that 'hen he heard the ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< it had made
him cry# Rodgers apparently replied impatiently 3Jou<re supposed to#5
&And "ou)ll ne7er 3al( alone)
Hhen teams from across urope %isit Anfield, part of the magic of the occasion is the opportunity
to 'itness the legendary sight of the 'hole stadium rising up to sing the club<s anthem# 7t is an
e*perience that e%okes memories of the glorious history of one of the greatest football clubs in the
'orld# 7t is an e*perience like no other in football#
3He must accept finite disappointment, but ne%er lose infinite hope#5 :artin "uther >ing
+ou)ll ne7er 3al( alone)
After almost half a century after its arri%al, ;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< is no' thought of as first
and foremost as the anthem of "i%erpool $ootball Club#
+ome may go as far as saying that, more than any of the great players or legendary managers,
;Jou<ll Ne%er Halk Alone< is the %ery 4NA of "i%erpool $ootball Club, its most recognisable and
uni%ersal symbol, maybe e%en more than Anfield itself#
7t is possible to imagine a time, another D- years from no', long after more heroes and legends,
and maybe e%en Anfield itself, ha%e come and gone, 'hen this heroic song about resilience in the
face of ad%ersity 'ill continue to be sung#
38et'een stimulus and response there is a space# 7n that space is our po'er to choose our
response# 7n our response lies our gro'th and our freedom#5 Oiktor $rankl#
4oes Rodgers Need To 8e A 2enius6
As "i%erpool fans 'e<re steeped in the mythology of our managers as geniuses# 7t started 'ith 8ill
+hankly<s incredible personality, continued 'ith 8ob !aisley<s remarkable success, and carried on
through to >enny 4alglish in the late ;C-s, 'here his clear genius as a player only added to his
aura as a boss#
:ore recently, there is little doubt to anyone 'ho doesn<t harbour an irrational grudge that Rafa
8enYte9 'as a tactical genius, in the 'ay he masterminded runs to t'o Champions "eague $inals
by out'itting the managers of more established and e*pensi%e sides, and the amount of high-
pressure matches he 'on#
"ike it or not, 8rendan Rodgers has these ghosts to try and li%e up to# "i%erpool<s history is both
the reason 'hy it<s still such a huge club in ,-./, but also a 'eight bearing do'n on any current
set-up# Rodgers rightly called it 3a hea%y shirt5 'hen he took o%er, and 'e kne' 'hat he meant#
There are fe' clubs like it in the 'orld#
To my mind, it<s impossible on the e%idence thus far to get a sense of 3genius5 about Rodgers# @e
hasn<t got the o%erpo'ering personality of +hankly, the uropean Cups of !aisley, the playing
cachet of 4alglish, nor the pro%en tactical thinking of 8enYte9# As 7<%e said since his appointment,
as fine as his achie%ements at +'ansea 'ere, he hasn<t yet got anything remar&able on his CO,
either# Intil he does, that 'ill 'ork against him 'hen it comes to the length and breadth of any
benefit of the doubt#
8ut does he ha%e to be a genius to be a big success at "i%erpool6 7 think not# (b%iously if he
pro%es to be a success at the club ) building on the fine start of this season ) then his legend 'ill
start to gro'# :aybe there 'ill be games that enter him into folklore, but there ha%e been no such
moments in almost .C months#
:aybe Rodgers can harness some of the skills of those aforementioned greats to do things
another 'ay: 'ithout the larger than life bombast, 'ithout the fer%entworship of the >op, and
'ithout the encyclopaedic kno'ledge of tactics in their purest sense# :aybe he can take aspects of
each great manager and use it in his o'n 'ay#
Rodgers has yet to 'in many of the big encounters of his "i%erpool career ) his head-to-heads
'ith the big boys ha%e not great and the cup record is poor ) and often these are things that
legends are built upon# 8ut his record in ,-./ as a 'hole is e*cellent# :aybe ha%ing so fe' cup
games has helped the league form, and it<s clear that Rodgers has yet to ha%e a season 'here
rotation is essential, but there<s no denying that results o%er the calendar year Fand this season in
isolation, tooG are about as good as 'e ha%e any right to e*pect, and better than any time since
finishing ,nd in ,--A# 7f he hasn<t had to face the punishing schedule that comes 'ith Champions
"eague football, he also hasn<t had a Champions "eague s=uad to call upon#
(f course, Rodgers is in a different position to a lot of his forebears, in that he<s not in charge of
transfers# $or me, the great genius of 8ob !aisley 'as in his transfer 'ork: he bought a player,
and sooner or later they slipped seamlessly into his ^7, often replacing hitherto important
personnel# An old football saying 'as that managers li%ed and died by the =uality of their
signings, but no' at "i%erpool, as 'ith many other clubs in ,-./, other people make those
decisions, and, at best, the manager may only ha%e a small say#
(f course, !aisley<s genius could also be attributed to the ;scout e*traordinaire<, 2eoff
T'entyman# :anagers didn<t go out and find these players for themsel%es, after all, but in the old
days, they made the final decision, and the buck stopped 'ith them#
7t 'as slightly different 'ith +hankly, 4alglish Ffirst time aroundG and 8enYte9, in that all signed a
reasonable share of duds& more so than !aisley, 'ho still got one or t'o 'rong, of course# 7n
!aisley<s fa%our 'as that he inherited a team that had 'on both the league and $A Cup 'ithin the
pre%ious ., months& +hankly and 8enYte9 'eren<t so fortunate# 4alglish also inherited a recent
title-'inning side, but his signings in the first three years 'ere almost all inspired# !aisley and
4alglish 'ere in positions 'here they could break the 8ritish record to buy a player& +hankly and
8enYte9 ne%er really got close# +o all of these situations are slightly different, and 'ith Rodgers
there<s the transfer committee, too#
As 7 noted last 'eek, 7 don<t look to blame Rodgers for Aspas Fif the +paniard continues to
flounderG nor e*alt him for +turridge and Coutinho# He need to think a bit differently 'hen
judging a manager these days& that<s certainly the case since the transfer committee 'as installed
around a year ago#
@o'e%er, Rodgers has largely handled these resources %ery 'ell indeed# :aybe ;any< manager
could 'in a lot of games 'ith +turridge, +uare9 and Coutinho as an attacking unit, but Rodgers
has got some great performances out of this trio, 'ith fe' finer than the demolition of $ulham
yesterday#
7<m guessing here, but Rodgers probably has more influence o%er 'ho lea%es than 'ho arri%es#
Andy Carroll clearly 'asn<t for him, so 'hat 'as the point of keeping the big no#A6 F7<d ha%e still
kept him in the summer of ,-., until a replacement 'as signed, but that<s another issue#G +te'art
4o'ning 'as ne%er as bad as his critics suggested, but he 'asn<t the bra%est on the ball# @is age
also 'orked against him#
Hhere Rodgers may ha%e less influence is in 'hen players reach their /-s# Rodgers can help shift
players out simply by not playing them, but those running the club 'ill make the decisions on
'ell-paid players in the t'ilight of their careers# Jou could argue that 4irk >uyt and :a*i
Rodrigue9 could ha%e helped see out another season, but then maybe there<d ha%e been no room
on the 'age bill for Coutinho a fe' months later# The only reason >olo Toure arri%ed at /, 'as
that his 'age demands 'ere relati%ely lo'& he 'asn<t playing for City and therefore 'asn<t in the
strongest bargaining position# @e needed to re%i%e his career, rather than maintain his 'ealth#
A possible contro%ersy is bre'ing 'ith 2len ?ohnson, although he adds such a different
dimension on the right flank, and there<s such a paucity of reliable co%er, that 7<d be loath to let
him go& occasionally you ha%e to keep an older player rather than create a chasm# :artin >elly is a
fine full-back, but has a fitness record that 4arren Anderton 'ould be proud of# ?on $lanagan is a
decent enough s=uad player, but unless he impro%es radically 'ith age, he doesn<t look like a
future first-team regular# Andre Hisdom looks the type to become a great defensi%e full-back, but
is nothing special on the ball# Ryan :c"aughlin looks far more likely to succeed in the ?ohnson
mould, but he<s as yet untested#
!erhaps Rodgers 'ill be hindered in the summer by a club decision to sell ?ohnson, if the po'ers-
that-be decide his 'ages are too high for someone of his age Falthough of course, the transfer
committee could al'ays hand the manager a =uality replacement, e%en if it might be easier said
than doneG# The same could happen 'ith +krtel and Agger, although 'e can only hope players opt
for a reduced pay-packet Fas long as it<s not insultingG in e*change for continuing to enjoy their
football#
Rodgers may not ha%e as much control as his predecessors in the regard, although !aisley 'as an
ad%ocate of letting players 3lose their legs on someone else<s pitch5# +o it<s a policy that has some
merit#
:aybe Rodgers< ;genius< is less tangible# :aybe it occurs not on the sidelines, in the 'ay that it
did 'ith some of his predecessors, but in his office, 'here he gets inside the players< heads in
bet'een games# Appointing leading sports psychiatrist 4r +te%e !eters 'as certainly a touch of
genius& something so sensible that you 'onder 'hy other clubs hadn<t got there first#
Rodgers has engendered an e*cellent team spirit, and done so by design# !erhaps this is easier in
the earlier part of a manager<s reign as it<s often said that players lose interest and desire after
three years under the same boss, due to o%erfamiliarity and repetition# F+uccess tends to be the
factor that e*tends good'ill& just as 'inning a match makes players less mentally tired, then
'inning trophies keeps the team happy ) if not necessarily the fringe players#G
Rodgers is clearly a cle%er, 'ell-tra%elled manager Fin his spare time, as a student of the game, if
not in terms of the clubs he<s managedG, and maybe his genius could lie in human interactions#
!erhaps he can<t hold an audience in the palm of his hand in the 'ay that +hankly did, or turn
pre%iously unheard-of players into 'orld stars like !aisley, or command the fear and respect
afforded to 4alglish, or s'itch his tactics on a match-by-match basis like 8enYte9#
8ut he can certainly talk 'ith charisma, has played a role in assembling a strong team, and is not
one-dimensional or outmoded in his approach to formations and line-ups#
:aybe he<s one of those managers for 'hom one outstanding attribute is not apparent, but 'ho,
on the 'hole, kno's ho' to do things sensibly, and 'ith a fair sprinkling of panache in his team<s
play6
8et'een .AA. and ,-.-, "i%erpool a%eraged a ne' manager e%ery fi%e years# (f course, in the /,
years before that, the club<s managers on a%erage lasted eightyears, but 'e all kno' that the
increased pressure and spotlight has changed the rules in the modern game# %en so, a%eraging
one manager per year since the end of ,--A0.- is, to use a great 'ord,
some'hat discombobulating#
+omething 'eird happens 'hen you 'ant stability and success, but can<t find it# 7n the hunt for
the right manager, sackings become a kind of yardstick& i#e# 'hat :anager ^ got sacked for means
that his successor must also suffer the same fate unless he is immediately better# And that<s
assuming that the managers 'ere sacked for just their on-pitch performance, and not other
contributing factors#
7f a manager in 'hom you 'ere emotionally in%ested gets sacked then of course it can make it a
little bit harder to 'arm to his successor# That<s human nature# And if a manager you loathe gets
sacked, you<ll probably 'elcome the ne*t one like he<s 8ob !aisley reincarnate#
Right no', there are many 3factions5 of "i%erpool fans, some still pee%ed 'ith 8enYte9<s dismissal
Fand being ignored in the summerG, some still pee%ed 'ith >enny<s, and one Fin an asylumG
banging the 'alls of his padded cell crying out RoyN RoyN RoyN
Add the different stances o%er different o'ners and their contro%ersial decision making
e*ecuti%es, and there<s added agreement or disagreement thro'n into the mi*# Not e%erybody
=uestioning 8rendan Rodgers is carrying a grudge about Rafa or >enny, or something else#
7t is possible for fans to think that he<s just not good enough, 'ithout any agenda# The murky area
is the =uestion of just 'hat isgood enough6 That may be 'here people are getting things 'rong#
Rodgers< lack of CO and the absence of a single outstanding result so far this season ) the a%erage
position of teams beaten is .Dth ) make it easy for critics to label him a mid-table manager, just as
they labelled ?ordan @enderson a mid-table player, simply because he came from a mid-table
club# 8y that logic, 2areth 8ale is a Championship player and Hayne Rooney is only good enough
for a team that a%erages Bth or Eth in the table# That said, Rodgers< side ha%e had had at least t'o
dreadful results: losing /-. at home to Aston Oilla and losing /-, at (ldham# =ually, if he<s
building something good, 'e can<t e*pect it to be ready yet#
!eople in football are capable of mo%ing up the ladder& they are not defined by the en%ironment in
'hich they made their name# 8ut of course, managers need different skills the higher up the
league table they go# Right no', Rodgers seems to possess a lot of the attributes for a big-club
manager: progressi%e style of play, e*amples of modern thinking that can gain an ad%antage, and
the aura of someone 'ho doesn<t seem o%er'helmed F'hether or not you like Rodgers or find his
personality grating, he doesn<t spend his time looking confused and rubbing his faceG#
8ut it<s e=ually true that he<s got a lot to learn and a lot to pro%e# Although they<%e all got time on
their side Fbar Nuri +ahinG, Rodgers< signings are yet to spark into life, 'ith the e*ception of the
first month or t'o by ?oe Allen Fbefore disappearingG and the great impact of 4aniel +turridge#
FAnd e%en then critics, if they so 'ished, could point to the fact that the manager refused to take
the player in August, 'hich at the time 7 found a bit strange#G Right no', the majority of Rodgers<
spending sits on the bench or in the stands# That said, Allen and 8orini ha%e genuine potential,
and could follo' "ucas and @enderson as young players 'ho took a year or t'o to settle in and
find their feet#
7n training Rodgers focuses more on attacking drills than defending, and that is e%ident in ho'
good the team are looking going for'ard and ho', if they don<t keep a clean sheet Fshut-outs are
something they<%e only done against the minno'sG, his side 'ill concede at least t'o& according to
this site<s Andre' 8easley, goals-per-game is fa%ourably comparable 'ith most "i%erpool seasons
from the past ,- years, but goals-per-game-against is poor# +o far, "i%erpool ha%e conceded t'o
against :an Inited Ft'iceG, :an City Ft'iceG Arsenal Ft'iceG, %erton and +purs& i#e# in e%ery
game against the top si*, bar the fi*ture at +tamford 8ridge Fone goalG#
The addition of !hilippe Coutinho is %ery e*citing, but 'as the priority yet another tricky little
attacker6 ?ust as in the summer the priority 'asn<t central midfield Fbut t'o of the four arri%als
'ere central midfieldersG, it could be a criticism labelled at Rodgers that he isn<t addressing the
pressing issues, assuming that he had a large say in the matters#
+till, 7<%e been a fan of both Coutinho since 'atching his early 7nter games back in ,-.-, and in all
the time 'atching "i%erpool<s youth matches in the past decade or so, +turridge has been the
joint-best opposition player 7<%e seen, alongside ?ack Hilshire& t'o kids 'ho looked like men
amid boys# +turridge impressed on loan at 8olton and last season at Chelsea under Oillas 8oas, so
7 think that "i%erpool ha%e spent R,-m %ery 'isely indeed, especially as both players ha%e played
for big clubs, meaning they shouldn<t be too scared of the "i%erpool shirt# 7t<s just a =uestion of
'hether other areas should ha%e been strengthened instead, but 'ith "i%erpool unlikely to fall
do'n the table and unlike to mo%e up to the top four, that can 'ait to the summer#
Rodgers has yet to sho' that he can strike the balance that good teams need, although it<s still
relati%ely early days, and the :anchester City display yesterday 'as the most balanced ) and
impressi%e ) against top opposition yet# "i%erpool did 'ell to go to Arsenal and City 'ithin four
days and get a point from each, although both opposition sides 'ere 'ithout at least t'o of their
best players FArteta, 4iaby, >oscielny 0 >ompany, Jaya ToureG, 'hich made it slightly easier,
gi%en that "i%erpool had no such 'orries# %en in those circumstances, ho'e%er, a point is more
than acceptable#
A%;i7alen$e
(%erall 7 still remain some'hat ambi%alent about 8rendan Rodgers# 7 al'ays used to think that
ambi%alence 'as a synonym of indifference, but e%en though the end position might be similarly
neutral, it<s because of a strong push and pull as opposed to simply not caring either 'ay#
7 kno' full-'ell that the right thing to do as a fan is to support the manager# =ually, 7 kno' that
it<s illogical to support the wrong manager& 'ould "i%erpool as a club ha%e been better had it
stuck 'ith +ouness and @odgson6 The Ale* $erguson argument says that if you don<t gi%e the
manager si* or se%en years to get it together you may accidentally cut loose a great talent# 8ut
should e%ery manager get that long6 And ho' do you decide 'ho merits it6
@alf of me thinks 8rendan Rodgers is 'hat the future of football management looks like# And the
other half of me thinks that 8rendan Rodgers looks like 'hat 'e thin& the future of football
management should look like, but 'here appearances are decepti%e# @e looks like he could be the
real deal, but he<s se%en months into his only high-profile, high-pressure job, and, at best, he<s
doneo&ay#
(n the one hand, 7 think 'e<ll ne%er kno' if Rodgers is the real deal if he<s not gi%en a chance# (n
the other, 7 'orry that after three years of uphea%al, another t'o or three years 'ithout heading
to 'here 'e 'ant to be is the e=ui%alent of dri%ing do'n a cul-de-sac# The good ne's is that,
unlike under Roy @odgson, there 'on<t be that sense of it being in the wrong direction# Rodgers
isn<t going to dri%e the team off a cliff#
The former +'ansea man may not get us to 'here 'e 'ant to be F'ho can say6G, but 7<m pretty
sure he<s not going to fill the side 'ith ageing yard-dogs and brutish cloggers, and lea%e the best
players disillusioned# 7ndeed, +uare9, Agger, ?ohnson and 2errard seem %ery happy under the
Ilsterman# They are performing at a high le%el and are being managed in fitness terms through a
reduced training load rather than rotation, 'hich means they don<t ha%e to get the sulks on the
bench# 7t seems to be 'orking, although the final stretch of the season is often 'ere tiredness sets
in, and 'e<re not there yet# And as the s=uad gets bigger, can he keep e%eryone happy6 Again,
'e<re not there yet#
Rodgers< general philosophy feels right, and 'hen the Reds< game clicks it looks e*citing, but
there are still some major issues, such as the failure to cope 'ith any side that is physical in si9e or
energetic in its pressing Fi#e# "i%erpool ha%e only really beaten minno's 'ho don<t press& anyone
else has found it too easyG& the failure thus far to beat a decent team Falthough the majority of
those games ha%e been a'ay, and a couple of the games 'ere dra'n due to indi%idual errorsG& the
apparent fre=uent failure to take the opposition<s strengths into =uestion& and 'hether or not his
idealistic approach fails to lea%e room for enoughpragmatism, 'hich at times may be necessary#
8ut 'e<ll see# 7t<s 'rong to e*pect too much change 'ithin se%en or eight months# @o'e%er, the
great tension from fans seems hinge around what 'e ha%e a right to e*pect# Intil Rodgers
achie%es something notable at "i%erpool, there<s a section of the fan-base he 'ill not 'in o%er#
=ually, 'e can<t say that he 'on<t achie%e anything based on his record to date, other'ise no
manager 'ould e%er 'ork his 'ay up the ladder#
Part Two
Hhat follo's is an e*amination of 'hat 7 see as the pros and cons of Rodgers< management so far,
deli%ered, 7 hope, 'ithout prejudice#
The second half of this post is for Subscribers only.
7<m not sure this is an e*hausti%e list, but it is the key things that sprang to mind# And a lot of
these issues may be cons instead of pros, and %ice %ersa, depending on your %ie'point#
Things I li(e a;out ?rendan 2odgers
7 definitely like Rodgers< pass-and-mo%e principles# Hhen it 'orks, as it did against Nor'ich, it
can be a joy to behold# %en 'ith +uare9<s role slightly altered, it looked polished and almost
fla'less#
7t seems to 'ork best against 'eaker sides, 'ho can<t li%e 'ith the =uality and mo%ement# Thus
far, better sides seem to be able to find a fairly easy antidote Fand this is 'hy 7 keep banging on
about not being able to beat a team in the top half of the table& it may just be a =uirk, but it may
also be a tactical failing# "i%erpool<s best games against the bigger clubs came in August, 'hen the
early uropa "eague schedule may ha%e helped gi%e the Reds a fitness ad%antage#G
7 like that, on the 'hole, Rodgers picks Fand treasuresG the right players from the s=uad he
inherited: Reina, ?ohnson, Agger, +krtel Fbefore his yipsG, "ucas, 2errard, +terling and +uare9, as
'ell as blooding +uso and Hisdom# Hhen he picks an ^7 it has a better 3look5 about it ) to my
mind ) than a @odgson or 4alglish side Fthat<s 4alglish last season, not .AC-sG, particularly in
midfield#
7 like that Rodgers no' plays @enderson, ha%ing come close to casting him aside for around RDm
last summer Fsomething 7 didn<t likeG# Rodgers had been pretty stubborn in picking Allen o%er
@enderson, but not too stubborn# 7t<s easy to criticise managers for sticking to their beliefs, and
ha%ing their fa%ourites, but you don<t 'ant one 'ho keeps esche'ing his principles at the first
sign of trouble#
7 like the &ind of players Rodgers has brought into the club, e%en if most the indi%iduals
themsel%es still ha%e a lot to pro%e# @e<s bought young, promising players, 'hich makes sense,
although he<d clearly like to bring in older players, too# Rodgers had a young team at +'ansea and
part of $+2<s attraction to him 'as the ability to impro%e young pros#
7 like that Rodgers sometimes uses 9onal marking, 'hich, 'hether he gets it to 'ork or not Fand it
seems okay so farG, sho's a refusal to just stick to con%entional 'isdom#
7 like that Rodgers and his staff seem to ha%e ;cured< some of the fitness issues surrounding
2errard, Agger and ?ohnson# These players are not only barely missing games ) touch 'ood ) but
they are playing 'ell# 2errard, in particular, has come to life in the past couple of months# As
noted earlier, there has been a conscious effort to not o%er-train these players, and it<s paying off#
F@a%ing said that, shouldn<t "i%erpool<s results be a bit better ha%ing had their best players
a%ailable more often6 4oesn<t it stand to reason that 'ith the best players fit ) no' including
"ucas ) results should be better than last season, 'hen not only 'ere those players plagued 'ith
injuries, but there 'as also the terrible form of +uare9 post-%ragate, and the nine-match ban,
plus the time to get sharp again6G
7 like that Rodgers brought in 4r +te%e !eters, one of sports fe' +portsPsychiatrists# As ?oe!
says, it can be hard to judge the efficacy of such methods& any time a player does 'ell, it 'ill be
put do'n to !eters getting inside his head, 'hen all o%er the 'orld, footballers< form impro%es
'ithout the aid of psychological inter%ention# 8ut clearly the mental side of the game is absolutely
%ital: you need confidence, belief and bra%ery in order to get the most out of your physical gifts#
!eters 'as a key part of the team that 'orked 'onders 'ith 8ritish cycling, and 7<m all for looking
to find incremental gains#
Things I)% not sure or $on7in$ed a;out
7<m not sure about Rodgers< Reds out of possession0defensi%ely# A lot of time is spent in training
on keep-ball sessions, and that helps the offensi%e side of the game# 8ut the pressing 'e e*pected
has been absent, and too many times "i%erpool ha%e been cut apart on the break, right through
the middle# The shape hasn<t looked =uite right, and things like that should be addressed on the
training ground#
He<%e yet to see 'hether Rodgers< methods can maintain stamina across a season& "i%erpool
being %ery different to +'ansea in the =uantity and intensity of games# @e doesn<t seem to rotate
too much, but in his fa%our, on top of the remodelled training, might be the 'ay the Reds< DCL
possession across ,D games enables resting during the A- minutes& particularly lately, 'ith four
occasions 'hen a three-goal lead has been run-up#
7 don<t like ho' Rodgers handled the Carroll situation# @e instantly de%alued the player 'ith
some early comments, and 'ent against the 'ishes of $+2 in pushing the striker out the door#
$+2 'ere then prepared to spend R.Dm on 4aniel +turridge, but Rodgers only 'ant a loan deal&
and that left him short of strikers# Thankfully, 'ith a transfer fee only a third of the one that
'eighed do'n Carroll, and 'ith more natural pace and ability, +turridge is suggesting that
"i%erpool, and Rodgers, got it right in the end# +turridge 'as sensational yesterday, 'ith hold-up
play as good as you<re likely to see from someone 'ho isn<t =uite built like 4idier 4rogba#
7<m 'ary of a lack of pragmatism from Rodgers# 7 can<t say that it<s definitely'rong as 7<m not a
tactical e*pert, but enough people 'ith tactical kno'ledge ha%e e*pressed concerns# To be a top
club these days, then unless you can perfect your methods to e*treme degrees, you need more
than one 'ay of playing# Jou need to spring surprises, out'it your opponent# 7<m not sure if
Rodgers has this in his locker, although for no' merely impro%ing "i%erpool<s passing game
should enable progress back into the top si*# There ha%e been signs of the manager altering things
early in games, but often after the same 'eekly game-plan has backfired#
To date, Rodgers hasn<t had a lot of success 'ith transfers# !art of the problem 'ith buying
younger players is that they<re not the finished article, although in the case of ?oe Allen, $abio
8orini and 2ylfi +igurXsson, they 'ere young players he 'as keen to sign, and 'ere not directly or
indirectly forced on him#
7 belie%e that Allen has enough about him to stand a good chance of being a "i%erpool regular one
day, and 8orini has great mo%ement and 'ork ethic, and can sniff out a goal ) but injury and
some close misses ha%e left him still on a league duck# 7f you 'ere going to be harsh, you<d say
that none of Rodgers< summer signings ha%e succeeded, and that none 'ere in the team that beat
Nor'ich a couple of 'eeks ago, and only +turridge from recent league games#
+o far, Rodgers has done 'hat many managers tend to do, and gone back to their old clubs for
players they<%e 'orked 'ith& but "i%erpool need to be looking beyond +'ansea City players and
Chelsea reser%es# F(ne of the bonuses of getting a top foreign managers from big clubs is that
their access to better players#G +till, Rodgers< buys are better, and younger, than 'hen @odgson
'ent back for his old charges# The current manager hasn<t been able to spend more than R.Dm on
a player, and it<s tough Fif not impossibleG to find the finished article at that price F7<d suggest
+purs managed it 'ith 4embeleG# $rom no' on, the technical committee should be able to help
Rodgers, but the manager appears to ha%e been pushing against them# That 'ill need to be
resol%ed for the good of the club#
7t<s fair to say that 7<m not too keen on aspects of Rodgers< personality, particularly his need to say
too much at times, although this perception may ha%e been caused in part by the summer
documentary, 'hich 'as ob%iously fairly in%asi%e Fif insipidG#
!art of the issue 'ith unpro%en managers is they can feel the need to talk themsel%es up, and also
spend a lot of time trying to pro%e ho' cle%er they are Fbecause they can<t point to the trophy
cabinetG# Rodgers 'ouldn<t ha%e had to talk himself up anymore at +'ansea, ha%ing pro%ed
himself there, but once he stepped up to a big club, =uestions 'ould be asked# 4ear old Roy
@odgson remains a master of talking himself up, to the point 'here journalists began referring to
him as a top uropean manager& 'hen in essence he had only e%er been a reasonable
journeyman#
7<m a'are that this criticism of Rodgers is perhaps a little harsh, as it<s aboutimpressions Fand no,
7 don<t mean the one his critics say he does of 4a%id 8rentG# 7 felt uneasy 'hen he appeared to
hang out the young players to dry after the (ldham defeat, but 7 also accept that he may ha%e seen
problems 'ith their attitude# %en so, it looked like a case of shifting blame, and surely the
younger players could be balled out in pri%ate6 7n time 'e<ll get to kno' more about Rodgers, and
be able to judge if the 'alk matches the talk#
$inally, 7<m not keen on the 'ay Rodgers handled the 'hole 4irector of $ootball issue in the
summer, and ho' he<s handled the issue since# @e 'as brought in 'ith the idea to be a young
coach 'orking 'ith an e*perienced 4o$-type& a kind of re%erse of 4alglish and Comolli, 'ith the
e*perienced man no' being in the o%erseeing role Fas that<s in many 'ays seen as the key
positionG#
Rodgers 'as aggressi%ely pushing the 3older signings5 issue, and there has definitely been some
serious tension bet'een Rodgers, $+2 and the technical committee of late o%er the issue#
@opefully Rodgers means it 'hen he said that he has to earn the right to complete transfer
control, in the 'ay that Arsene Henger and Ale* $erguson ) arguably the only t'o to still be
3lucky5 enough ) ha%e earned it# 7t must be hard for any o'ners to pluck a manager in his /-s
and, 'ithout him e%er ha%ing spent more than a couple of million =uid at a time, hand him tens of
millions of pounds to spend# 7 appreciate that any manager 'orth his salt 'ants full control, but
those days are largely a thing of the past# As promising as Rodgers remains, it<s 'orth us Fand
himG bearing in mind that he<s not the only football manager out there capable of doing a good job
at "i%erpool, or instilling a passing-based game# Jou only ha%e to look at ho' his successor at
+'ansea has done#
(%erall, Rodgers is doing okay& better than a%erage, 7<d say, but not a lot more than that FyetG#
"i%erpool are back to pretty much 'here they ended last season, 'ith Eth only seeming =uite
heady after due to the time spent in the bottom half# 8ar encounters 'ith the top sides Fand
obdurate units like +tokeG, the o%erall form is impro%ing, and the goal difference has risen nicely#
7 hope that this recent impro%ement is part of a genuine up'ard trend, and that passing poor
teams off the pitch is a step to'ards being able to do it to better teams& 7<m just not sure that
it automatically follo's#
That said, 'hate%er approach a manager chooses should be able to be impro%ed 'ith time and
practice, particularly 'ith good young players for 'hom progress is to be e*pected as they gain
e*perience and 'isdom# 7t<s clear that Rodgers can get a team to pass the ball 'ell, but the ne*t
step is to pro%e that he<s a goodrounded manager, 'ith tricks up his slee%e#
7<m increasingly optimistic about Rodgers, but 'orking from that ambi%alent standpoint# Right
no' he<s edging into the positi%e, and hopefully by the summer most of the doubts 'ill be
gone# He<ll seeK#