A Liverpool Thing

January Not a Bad Month for Deals

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000+01:00

January, the start of a new year, is often seen as a month of hope. Resolutions made as the previous year came to an end are still fresh in the mind as is the belief that they will be maintained. That similar resolutions were made (but not kept) before doesn't matter. This time round will be different, this time round I will make it.

Football, however, is much more cynical and allows no space for such naive hope. So it is that January is seen as the month for the desperate, when those who are in trouble trash about in a made bid to change the flow of things. Only they look imploringly at the transfer window that January brings with it, praying that it will deliver that player which could save their season.

With choice not being on beggars' menu, so it is that they must make do with what is available. And pay exceedingly for it. They have to look for players that others don't want; those who are either playing badly or whose character has proven to be too difficult to handle. Or else take punts on young players who are on the fringes of others' squads in the hope that their talent makes up for their lack of maturity and experience.

That is how the January transfer window is seen. There is no value in it and you cannot get the players you really want unless you're willing to spend far more than they are worth. It is a sellers' market, and that's never a good thing for those on the other side of the bargaining table.

Such truth holds most of the time, but not always. The £23 million that Liverpool paid Ajax last January, when they exploited the Dutch club's financial worries, was a pretty good deal. It was the same when Maxi Rodriguez joined with Atletico Madrid unwilling to keep paying his wages. So too when Deportivo La Coruna opted to cash in on Alvaro Arbeloa so desperate were they to get their hands on the money.

Then there were those instances where January happens to be an off-season month. It was such a timing anomaly that brought Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel to Liverpool.

This does not mean that Liverpool will sign any players during this transfer window much less that they will be successes if so. But it does show that there can be exceptions to any theory, regardless of how firm the wide spread belief in it is.

And that should be enough to allow you to enjoy transfer rumours in hope, rather than look at them in cynicism.

Why Carroll Needs Patience and Time

2011-12-09T11:00:00.000+01:00

It only takes one bad touch for the criticism to start. You know that it's coming as soon as Andy Carroll misplaces a pass or fails to control a ball; the comments that he's not worth the money spent on him, how he's a big mistake, that he's too lazy to try and make it work.

You can even sense some wanting him to fail so that they can tell everyone that they told you so.

There is a lesson about not writing players off prematurely in Lucas Leiva's transformation from Liverpool's fall guy into one of the team's most important players. Yet, judging by the negative feeling towards Carroll, there are quite a few who seem unwilling to heed it.

It is undeniable that so far Carroll hasn't really delivered. Just as there's no arguing that he has struggled to make an impact. But there have also been enough glimpses of his potential to see that there is something quite interesting there. That game last season against Manchester City where Carroll scored twice by itself should be enough to convince just how good he could become.

That is hardly surprising. Carroll has all the characteristics that you could want in a striker: incredible strength, a tremendous shot, virtually unbeatable in the air, the willingness to sacrifice himself for the team and also a good technique.

Yet in his lack of experience he is missing one very important element. Barely eighteen months of first team football - most of which were in the Championship - aren't enough for a player to have developed fully. He still has to learn about his own game as much as anything else.

What has made Carroll's life particularly hard is the £35 million Liverpool paid to get him. Had he joined for even half of that amount, there would be far greater acceptance and willingness to allow him to grow. But instead people look at the size of the fee and decide that for that kind of money Liverpool should be getting a player who is at the peak of his ability.

Yet he isn't. The fee was simply a product of the circumstances that preceded the transfer and not really an evaluation of Carroll's value at that point in time. Liverpool were willing to pay such an inflated amount because they had the cash and wanted to send out a message of their ambition.

But they were also willing to pay it because they believed in Carroll's potential. The trick with potential, however, is that it can be difficult to coax especially when the player is under pressure. Young players will go through rough patches, they will make mistakes and they will struggle. It is all part of the learning process.

That's what's happening to Carroll who has to get used to a team playing in a different manner and with greater expectations then he's been accustomed to. The potential is definitely there but the pressure is eroding his confidence. As he doesn't yet have the maturity to deal with it so the problem keeps getting bigger with every game where he disappoints.

It is a vicious cycle that only Carroll himself can break. Just as Lucas found the inner strength to dig deep and eventually prove his critics wrong, so too must Andy Carroll. With time hopefully he'll manage to do just that so that Liverpool will finally get the player worthy of all that money they paid for him.

Time To Prove Worth for Spearing

2011-12-05T10:03:00.001+01:00

It is an unfortunate reality of the game of football, one which dictates that an injury to one player means an opportunity for another. So it will be for Jay Spearing who seems to be the player within Liverpool's squad who can best replicate the job that Lucas Leiva carried out and which someone else will now have to do in the Brazilian's injury forced absence.

Ironically, in certain aspects Spearing's career mirrors Lucas'. He too has been deemed as not being good enough by fans unwilling to look past first impressions. His is a presence that many look at skeptically with the belief being that he isn't big enough to play in such a central role that is normally the fighting ground of giants like Yaya Toure.

Like Lucas, no one would have blamed him had he asked to leave or if he'd accepted one of the opportunities to go out on loan placed before him. But instead he chose to stay at Liverpool to fight it out despite the apparent futility of such a decision.

Unfortunate or not in its origin, this then represent his make or break moment. Now is the time for him to show that he is fit for a starring role and not just a supporting one.

It won't be easy. Implausible as this might have seemed two years ago he will have to play in Lucas' shadow where his every game will be analysed using the standard set by the Brazilian as a measuring stick. Which, given how well Lucas has been playing, is a tough ask.

Yet such thoughts do a dis-service to Spearing who has been playing very well whenever opportunities have presented themselves. Perhaps his displays haven't been as eye-catching as Lucas' but they have been effective, confident and determined.

Not that this should be surprising. Pushed forward by Steve Heighway as being ready for the first team when he captained the FA Youth Cup winning team in 2007, Spearing eventually progressed as one of the better players at reserve level. There he rarely failed to impress, dominating most games and showing that he was on a different level to most of the other players on the pitch.

That, however, wasn't enough to get him into the first team. It was only when Kenny Dalglish took over as manager that he started being looked at as a squad member who could be relied on, rather than simply someone for the occasional meaningless cup game. Still, with the investment in central midfield during the summer, he was the one who ended up suffering the most.

Now he can show his true value. Now he has the opportunity to prove that there's no need for Liverpool to bring someone else in that role in January. Now he can prove that he's big enough for Liverpool.

Players Must Show That Liverpool Aren't a One Man Team

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000+01:00

Back in the nineties teams would travel to Anfield with one plan in mind: that of stopping Steve McManaman. The thinking was that if they managed this then they were well on their way to getting something out of the game. It wasn't a tactic that worked as much as its reputation suggested yet it worked often enough for it to continue being used.

That tactic seems to be back in fashion. It would be incorrect to say that the last three teams to have come to Anfield all did so with the aim of going away with a point but all three paid particular attention to Luis Suarez. The belief that by limiting him you limit Liverpool is growing.

Yet at its core it is a false belief. Last season Stewart Downing was often Aston Villa's match winner whilst Blackpool's valiant fight against relegation was largely down to Charlie Adam. These two players have the potential to turn a game in Liverpool's favour. Only they haven't been doing it.

Nor has anyone else.

Liverpool's problem isn't the over-reliance on Suarez but rather the deficiencies of other players. Just as players used to stand back and let Steve McManaman and, later, Steven Gerrard try to save games, so too it seems that the current batch are abdicating their responsibility and hoping that Suarez comes up with an invention that wins the game. But, as we've seen in recent weeks, it cannot work that way.

That this is happening is partly down to the number of new players that there are. These are still getting used to playing in a different environment that has new (and greater) pressures to what they were used to. They are also still trying to fit into a system the workings of which are still new to them with team-mates whom they don't know and who don't know them. And rather than letting their instincts take over they let fear rule. It is much safer to try to get the ball to Suarez then try something yourself.

This was increasingly apparent against Swansea when preying at the back of the minds of most players was the thought of dropping more points like they did against Norwich. As the game wore on and the fear grew, so did the misplaced passes which resulted in Liverpool ceeding control of the game.

Over the course of the season, only rarely have Liverpool's midfield players really taken control and been dangerous. Rarely has anyone other than Suarez really shown the mental strength and determination to push up a notch. When that happened - Henderson's cameo appearance against Manchester United springs to mind - then we saw midfielders really in with a chance to score.

Suarez, being Liverpool's best player, will inevitably always feature prominently in attacking moves; it would be foolish to structure the team otherwise. But he cannot and, with the talent that there is in the squad, he need not be the only focus.

Yet if the other players keep deferring to him then it is only natural that other teams start reacting to that. The problem, then, isn't that Liverpool's main threat is Luis Suarez it is that the other players are acting as if that they believe that he is the only one.

Reserves Let Down

2011-10-20T14:43:00.003+02:00

No games won and no points on the table, this has been a dismal start to the season for Liverpool's reserves team. Or, rather, that would be conclusion if you fail to look at the most significant column, that for games played, the one that shows that this week's defeat at Newcastle was only their second game of the season.

Ten weeks into the 2011/12 season and they've played only two games. It is a fact that is so astounding that it bears repeating.

If it weren't for the involvement in the NextGen series, these players would have spent virtually all of the past three months training. This at a crucial stage of their career when they need games in order to progress. It is a ridiculous and frustration situation, one that has been dragging on for a long number of years which would indicate a lack of desire to do anything to fix it.

Rather than fostered, players' development is being stunted.

The current bandwagon seems to dictates looking at Barcelona as the standard bearers for what is good about football. This, therefore, might easily seem like a lazy comparison but it has to be pointed out that Barcelona and Real Madrid's second teams have played eight games and this despite their leagues staring almost a month after the English does. Is there anyone willing to look and listen to this, though?

Why Walking Alone Is Not A Good Idea

2011-10-13T11:00:00.000+02:00

A year after becoming the heroes who saved Liverpool from financial armageddon, Fenway Sports Group opted to to become the villains of the day. Not necessarily in the eyes of Liverpool fans but certainly in those of the rest of the football world. Sooner or later, one of the big clubs was going to start making noises about the splitting of television rights. That much has been inevitable ever since the Premier League's creation and the rapid commercialisation of the game that followed. The recent case where a pub landlady won the right to buy the sports service from another country's provider - and the possibility of a decrease in the overseas revenues that it threatens to bring about - simply accellerated this. Yet it is still disappointing that Liverpool were the ones to do so. There's no escaping that the club is being greedy, that it doesn't really care about the fate of the rest of English football and those are not the kind of principles you want your club to admit to. It is, undoubtedly, an egotistical stance. And inevitably there will be those who defend it. The belief that winning is the only thing that matters - regardless of how that win is achieved - is so prevalent that there will be those who will see this as a good team. Who cares if Bolton struggle as long as Liverpool get more money? What's most important is that there are the finances in place to buy more players because that is how you ensure that you're among the best. That is the sort of reaction that Ayre tried to encourage when mentioning the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid who have the power to negotiate their own deals and therefore the potential to earn more. Liverpool need to be in a position to make more money if it wants to compete with them. Of course, it is important to have a team that is capable of challenging. But this is not the way to go about it. Not least because Ayre's argument is actually flawed. His reasoning is that foreign fans only want to watch specific clubs. Well, as a foreign fan I don't agree. I want to see Liverpool on television every time they play, that much is obvious. But I also enjoy watching other teams play and in the model that Ayre is proposing the likelihood is that I won't be able to do that. What would happen is that the top six clubs would be able to negotiate their own deals whilst the rest negotiate a collective deal. So far, so good even if it will mean a smaller pot of revenue to be shared against the bulk of the teams making up the league. Yet what that would also mean is that in each country the rights to the Premiership would be split among two or more providers. Meaning that if I want to keep watching the number of games that I do today I would have to take out two or more subscriptions. Would that happen? Of course not: who would be willing to pay that much money? I'd either drop my interest or else look for cheaper alternatives like going to watch games at some pub or else turning to the internet. Eventually, the television channels will realise that there isn't enough money to be made out of such deals and back out of them. And the clubs pushing for such a model would find themselves with a dead goose and no golden eggs.

Sports Book Chat: Joe Fagan Biography Co-Author Mark Platt

2011-10-10T14:00:00.000+02:00

Despiteachieving an unprecedented treble in his first season in charge, Joe Faganremains something of a marginalised figure in Liverpool's history. For many his success was down to the team heinherited from Bob Paisley whereas his work in the backroom staff is oftenoverlooked.

A much moretruthful picture of Fagan's role both as a coach and as a manager is presentedby the recent biography titled Joe Fagan: A Reluctant Champion. We spoke toMark Platt, one of the book's co-authors,about the story behind this book andthe experience of writing it.

How was the idea to write this bookborn? And how did you get involved?

The ideastems from a show I produced for LFC TV (my full-time job) about Joe back in2007. It was called ‘No Ordinary Joe’ and during its production I got to knowtwo of Joe’s sons Stephen and Michael. We got talking about the fact he wassuch an unsung figure and that there’d never been a book written about him.With the family’s blessing I then pressed ahead with putting this right. Notlong afterwards I met Joe’s grandson Andrew, a journalist based in London. Hetoo was planning on writing a similar book so we decided to work together.

What was your role in the writing of thisbook?

Iprobably did more of the research but the workload was splitpretty evenly and together we carried out interviews with many of Joe’sex-colleagues and former Liverpool players, and then pieced everythingtogether.

What was the process like? How long did it take to write and was it adifficult book to write?

I’d be lyingif I said it was easy. With me based in Liverpool and Andrew in London it wasdifficult at times but we got together as often as we could and spoke regularlyover the phone and via email. Writing a biography of a person who is no longerwith us is always going to be a complex project, especially someone who beforehe became manager kept himself very much out of the public eye. Piecingtogether Joe’s early life was certainly a challenge because not much was knownabout him. His time at Liverpool was little easier as I like to think I havesufficient knowledge of this and there was no shortage of people who workedwith him and for him willing to cooperate.

Why did you feel that it was important thatthere was a book about Joe Fagan?

Like I saidearlier he was such an unsung figure but the role he played in Liverpool’ssuccess of the sixties, seventies and eighties can never be underestimated.Everyone knows about Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, there have been countlessbooks written about these – and rightly so – but Joe’s role was just asimportant.

Did you yourself ever get to meet Joe?

I didbriefly. It was at Melwood one day back in the mid-1990s. I was working for amagazine called XTRA Time and I was at the training ground to interview one ofthe players when I spotted Joe. At the time I was also working on a featureabout the treble-winning season, it must have been 1994 and the tenthanniversary, so I approached Joe and asked if I could interview him. He kindlydeclined the offer and typically said ‘thanks son but no-one will want to hearwhat I want to say, it’s the players you want to speak to, they were the oneswho deserve the credit.’ While disappointed not to have got an interview with Itotally respected his decision. He was such a private man and wanted to stayvery much in the background.

A lot of research has evidently gone intoit. How was that? Was it difficult to choose what to put in andwhat to leave out?

The researchwas extensive but it really was a labour of love and I enjoyed every minute ofit. When I set out on the project I feared that there might not be enoughmaterial but I couldn’t have been more wrong. To be honest there wasn’t muchstuff that had to be left out and I hope the readers agree that the end productis a very comprehensive overview of Joe’s life and career.

The diaries that Joe used to keep are atthe heart of this book. What did it feellike reading them? Was it tough tochoose what to leave out?

Yes, this iswhere we had to be a bit more selective about what to include and not toinclude. It was fascinating to flick through the diaries and it really gave yousense of what it must have been like to be in the bootroom all those years ago.The diaries provided Joe with a voice in the book and this helps us paint a muchclearer picture of what must have been going through his mind, which I feel wasvitally important to the book. The diaries aren’t reproduced in full as a lotof entries in them are quite repetitive when it come to training routines andtactics, but I’m sure his private thoughts on certain players, situations andmatches will be of great interest to the fans.

What amazes me from the snippets thatyou've included in the book is how simple those diary entries were yet, at thesame time, what depth of thought and analysis they contained. It was as if he could take a complex issueand strip away the frills until the basic concept remained. That for me is a true mark of genius. Don't know if I've explained myself wellenough and, at the same time, don't know whether you agree or not?

I totallyagree. Where Joe and his bootroom colleagues were concerned simplicity was thekey and this common sense approach to the day-to-day running of the footballclub was what made Liverpool so special.

Was there anything that surprised you asyou were writing this?

I alwaysknew Joe was a highly respected figure but from the interviews we carried outI’d say he was held in even greater esteem than I thought. Every person weapproached to be interviewed about the book was more than willing to co-operateand no-one had a bad word to say about him.

Do you think that Joe is appreciated enoughboth by Liverpool supporters and by the general footballing world?

I’d say he’sappreciated by the Liverpool fans, hopefully even more so after they’ve readthis book, but beyond the confines of Anfield I don’t think people know thatmuch about him. Yes he guided Liverpool to the treble in 1984 but his stint inmanagement was so short that football fans in general quickly forgot about him.

How gut wrenching was it to write theHeysel part?

I was onlytwelve in 1985 and watched it all unfold on TV. That was gut-wrenching at thetime and writing the chapter on it brought everything flooding back. In fact,it hit home even more so. It was a tragedy that so easily could have beenavoided. For the 39 people who lost their lives it was such a tragic andunnecessary waste of life and, of course, a sad, sad way for Joe to bow out ofthe game he loved.

What's next for you?

On aday-to-day basis I’ll carry on in my full-time job as a producer for LFC TV,the club’s television channel, but I’ve got plenty of ideas for future booksand in my spare time at the moment I’m working on one with the original‘Supersub’, Liverpool legend David Fairclough. It’s still early days on that sono news yet on when that will be published but hopefully it won’t be too long.

You can read our review of Joe Fagan: A Reluctant Champion here. Mark Platt can be followed on Twitter as can, obviously, A Liverpool Thing.

A Reluctant Champion

2011-09-23T10:44:00.001+02:00

Book Review: Joe Fagan - Reluctant Champion by Andrew Fagan and Mark Platt

There are two iconic images that seem to perfectly sum up Joe Fagan's time as Liverpool manager. The first has him lounging by a pool in front of two Italian carabinieri and the Champions Cup, won the night before, besides him. The second, taken a year later, shows him distraught to the point that he can barely walk as Liverpool arrive at Speke airport from Heysel.

For many that was Joe Fagan: winner of a magnificent treble - that included beating Roma on their back yard in the Champions Cup final - but also the unlucky man who was Liverpool's manager on one of their darkest and most tragic nights.

Even when he was achieving what no other British manager had managed at the time - the treble - his success was often downplayed. This was the team that Bob Paisley had built, one that knew how to play from memory: anyone could guide it to success.

It is this erroneous belief that has relegated Fagan to a mere footnote in the history of the English game when instead his should be a name mentioned alongside those of the greatest to ever manage the game.

Just how vital a role Fagan played in Liverpool's success over three decades emerges in his recently published biography written by LFC.tv writer Mark Platt and Joe's grandson Andrew. Pieced together thanks to interviews to more than thirty former players and people with whom Joe worked who help add depth to the story, this book helps reveal an honourable man who was thoroughly in love with the game of football and with a brilliant talent for improving players.

A particularly revealing story is the one about his decision to take over from Bob Paisley as Liverpool manager. What drove his wasn't the ambition to prove that he could to the job but rather the responsibility he felt towards the rest of the coaching staff. If someone from outside came in the in all probability he would bring his own people in meaning lost jobs for those already at Liverpool.

Fagan wouldn't have that and neither did he want to put at risk all the good work that had been done at the club. So he went for it.

Aiding him was his coaching diaries in which he jotted all that happened during games and training. In his diaries, along the technical notes he puts in personal thoughts.

These end up being the most revealing part of the book. Fagan's writings are simple yet profound, showcasing the genius of a man who could distill any situation to the core issue and which made solving that problem all the easier.

It wasn't precisely the Moneyball strategy but it wasn't far off, either. With Liverpool struggling to replace Graeme Souness, Fagan opted to buy Kevin McDonald who bore little resemblance in his style of play to the club's former captain, Yet Fagan had noticed the number of passes he delivered and saw that it was a talent from which it the whole team could benefit.

Ultimately McDonald never played that many games of Fagan who decided to retire at the end of his second season in charge. We're never told why that was but the feeling is that he felt the pressure from having to tell players that they weren't in the tam

Whatever the reason Fagan certainly didn't deserve to bow out of football on that dark night in Belgium and the scenes he witnessed that night clearly left their mark on him. What he does deserve is a book like this that helps minute the life of one of the game's greats.

Full Disclosure: a review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

A Degree of Progress Will Be Enough: Liverpool FC 2011/12 Preview

2011-08-10T11:24:00.000+02:00

When Paul Konchesky was sold to Leicester City earlier this summer, one of the strangest and most stressful periods of the past two decades in Liverpool’s history came to a close. Seen as the embodiment of the mediocrity that had somehow become the norm at the club, Konchesky’s departure was deemed as confirmation that the standards that had been allowed to drop were now being pushed upwards again.

For all the criticism that was directed his way – a lot of which, let’s be clear, were deserved – the dignity that the player himself displayed was laudable. He was man enough to admit that he hadn’t been good enough when Liverpool lost to a last minute goal at Tottenham, never reacted to the criticism (something that, sadly, his mother failed to emulate) and agreed to go down a division rather than stick around in Liverpool’s reserves for another season. Yet, likeable and honourable as he was, it is undeniable that Konchesky just wasn’t a good enough player for Liverpool – much like the man who had brought him there.

The basis that apparently underpinned Hodgson’s appointment – the nonsensical perceived need to go for an English manager – made him the best person for the job. Which is rather different than saying that he was the right man for it. Despite some exceptional achievements – taking Switzerland to the World Cup and leading Fulham to the Europa League final in particular – there was little in a career of over four decades to indicate that he could cope with a job which carries the expectations of the Liverpool job. His successes in Nordic countries were achieved thanks to the exploitation of those countries’ lack of tactical development whilst his time at Inter was seen significantly less favourably in Italy than it was in England. Most worrying was his failure at Blackburn, a club where he wasted a fortune and arguably set it on its way to relegation.

And, at times, that seemed to be Liverpool’s fate as well. Hodgson can point to a number of justifiable alibis for his failure: owners who were bleeding the club dry, players who wanted to leave and a botched transfer policy where the Managing Director seemed to have as much say (if not more) than the manager. Yet he was the man who set out his teams to play defensively at home, who bowed to Alex Ferguson when he criticised Torres, who considered anything more than a point away from home as ‘a bonus’ and who judged a defeat at Everton – when Liverpool were played off the park – as the best game his team had played.

As his team’s performances worsened and he became more defensive, Hodgson came out with a famous remark that whoever replaced him couldn’t do a better job and that there wasn’t a magic wand.

Only that it turned out that there was. Using largely the same squad, Kenny Dalglish managed to revive the club’s fortunes and produce some excellent football along the way. On his side he had not only the fans – who rightly revere the man – but also the club’s change of ownership that swept away much of the negativity around it. Still, to take the club from depressing talking of possible relegation to the verge of European qualification whilst trashing both Manchester sides and ruining Fernando Torres’ Chelsea debut along the way was nothing short of exceptional.

Inevitably, Dalglish was given the job on a permanent basis and now things could get trickier. Last season there was very little to lose and, consequently, almost no pressure. That will change this time round especially after having spent some £43 million on three players this summer.

There is also a degree of scepticism over the players on whom that money has been spent. Already, there was perplexity at the £35 million that Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll last January, especially given his off the pitch problems, but John W. Henry had already explained that fee as being down to Chelsea’s late bid to sign Fernando Torres. Yet Liverpool have followed it up by paying excessively for Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, which puts both players in the firing line for criticism should either one of them fail to settle in immediately.

The amounts spent on those players has somewhat ridiculed the notion that Liverpool would going predominantly for players who represented good value for money; that they would be adopting what has lazily been tagged as the Moneyball approach. Yet, whilst it has been quoted often enough, little is yet understood about how this works. Sure enough, not overpaying for a player is a tenet but so is paying what is needed to fill the gaps, which is what Liverpool have done with the left-footed Downing. Equally it isn’t merely coincidental that all of these players are British, something that ensures that Liverpool will recover a good part of the fees paid should any one of these fail to live up to the hype. And that too is a ‘Moneyball’ consideration.

What is more interesting than the money paid is how Dalglish decides to line up his players. With so many central midfielders available – excluding the departing Alberto Aquilani and the immobile Cristian Poulsen, Liverpool have five who can justifiably expect to play fairly regularly – it seems improbable that they will adopt the 4-4-2 that Dalglish has traditionally employed. Much more likely is the 4-2-3-1 that mirrors the system that Liverpool have been implementing at an academy level for the past two years and which Dalglish knows fully well due to his involvement in the academy before he got his promotion.

This system should allow him to play Lucas alongside Charlie Adam in a withdrawn midfield position with the first primarily looking to defend and the other to create. It would also see Downing, Gerrard and Suarez working behind Carroll who will be the focus of attack. With Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Jordan Henderson and Jay Spearing also available, Dalgish seems to have built a midfield in which every player has a good alternative.

If this is truly is the system to be adopted, then it will be an interesting experiment to watch. Even if it isn’t, however, Dalglish has the ability to innovate tactically so as to mould the team into playing as he wants it, something that he showed at times last year when Liverpool switched to three players at the back to deal with certain teams.

Part of that innovation could be down to Steve Clarke. Since he joined Dalglish last January, the profile of Mourinho’s former assistant has been steadily growing as has his influence. There’s nothing to indicate that he had anything to do with the removal of Sammy Lee from first team coach but it is telling that the man chosen to replace him was Kevin Keen, someone who Clarke clearly recommended, having played and worked with him at West Ham. With another of Mourinho’s former aides now in charge at Chelsea, it could be that Clarke is working his way into eventually being given the job at Anfield.

That, however, is something that at the moment seems to lie far ahead in the future. But, after a bleak couple of years, Liverpool’s future does indeed seem to be brightening up. Not least because the academy – which Rafa Benitez revolutionised in what could turn out to be his most important act as Liverpool manager – is suddenly churning out a number of talents. There were six Liverpool players in the England squad that took on the U17 World Cup in Mexico (plus another – Tom King – in the Australian team) and seven were called up for England’s U19 European Championship squad. More importantly, Dalglish has shown faith in Martin Kelly, John Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing with each one showing that they deserve it.

All of these positives raise expectations but, even so, going from sixth to fourth will require a significant effort. Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City should take three spots meaning that there’s one available for Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Even if Dalglish does manage to get the players that consolidate a defence which is lacking a left back and needs a commanding central defender, there still seems to be a work in progress feel about a squad that lacks the depth of quality of others. What could favour Liverpool is the absence of European football – that’s assuming that Tottenham pay any attention to the Europa League – whilst the Premier League experience of all of their major additions is another plus point.

Publicly, Dalglish has been very cautious not to put pressure on his players by setting any targets but this is not to mean that others won’t do so for him. Nor should it be read that he himself is lowering the standards because Dalglish knows more than anyone that the fans are aching for a league title and that is what, ultimately, he will be working towards. Not this season, though, where a degree of progress should be enough.

This article originally appeared as one of the Premier League previews on the excellent TwoHundredPercent football site.

You can follow A Liverpool Thing on twitter.

Setting the Philosophy

2011-08-09T11:16:00.000+02:00

He might not appreciate it much as he starts looking for a new job but Sergio Batista's dismal failure as Argentina coach at the Copa America delivered a very important message.

In the run up to the competition, Batista had expressed his intention to impose Barcelona's tactical approach on his side. And it seemed an understandable enough decision. Although, in Lionel Messi, Argentina have Barcelona's star player the forward has never managed to replicate his club form for his country.

The reason for that, Batista must have reasoned, was the way the team played and the best way to solve it was by getting that team to adopt the 4-3-3 system that Barcelona have used with so much success.

Batista might have argued that he wasn't expecting his central midfielders to perfectly mimic Xavi and Andres Iniesta but the way that Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso moved on the pitch hinted otherwise. Yet, although both are excellent players, they failed to shape the game in the same manner as the Barca duo.

And therein lies the lesson. Xavi and Iniesta have been playing in the same system, making the same sort of passes and looking for the same space to move into since they were eleven. They've got a level of expertise that you can't simply transplant into a team, regardless of how good the players are.

There is another lesson to be had here, one of a more philosophical nature. A club playing culture has to take that specific circumstances. An English team can play in the same manner as a Spanish team for the simple reason that the weather is so different. For the Spanish it makes sense to adopt a system where the ball does most of the running but for an English team, where the weather is much colder, running around is actually a way for players to warm up.

This is something that Pep Segura immediately understood when he was given the job of setting a strategic direction at Liverpool's academy. His long history at Barcelona meant that he had a natural inclination for their 4-3-3 system. Yet he realised that this would be hard to implement in England where the general style of play was much more physical than in Spain.

So instead he - along with the others at the academy - decided upon a 4-2-3-1 system that is a hybrid of Barcelona's but which also takes into consideration England's traditional favouring of the 4-4-2 and also the greater dynamism of English players.

In doing so he had confirmed what former Liverpool assistant manager Pako Ayesteran had said on Revista de La Liga earlier this year. “Every success story leaves clues behind, but as well as identifying them, you also have to be able to adapt them to your own philosophy and culture. So right now, English football needs to be faithful to its own culture, whilst being recognising htat there are different ways of playing football.”

“The great thing about La Masia - the concept that I’d like to try and bring to Liverpool - is this. Barcelona’s La Masia represents the club’s policy," Segura said on the same show. For him "it’s a symbol of the club’s philosophy. When your policies keep changing when one day you say black, the next day white, then there will always be a problem in trying to establish a clearly defined concept of player development.”

That faith in one central ideology of how to play the game is at the heart of Barcelona's success. It has taken years for that faith to prove to be worthwhile at Barcelona and, for all the upturn the immediate results, it will take a similar amount of time for it to be fully functional at Liverpool

Barca's New Kind of Loan

2011-08-03T14:00:00.001+02:00

Having talented players progress till they're good enough to play regular top level Premiership football is still an art that very few - if any - have perfected. The traditional route of letting them develop in the reserves no longer seems to apply given the dilution of quality in this league whilst the more recent solution of having the players go out on loan is a bit hit and miss.

As discussed recently a better solution would be that of having an agreement with a number of clubs with a matching football philosophy and that can be trusted to develop these players well.

But Barcelona seem to have come across a solution that is an improvement on this variation.

That comes from the transfer that took Bojan Krkic to Roma. Krkic has long been considered a great prospect but with the emergence of Pedro and the presence of David Villa chances for him at the Nou Camp were limited. And there would have been even less chance of him getting to play with the arrival of Alexis Sanchez.

Barcelona could have sent him out on a season's loan but that would have solved very little: within twelve months they would be facing the same problem. Or they could hsve sold him, knowing fully well that they would be letting go a player with the potential to be great.

So they opted for a middle road. Krkic has gone to Roma for €12million with an agreement that Barcelona will buy him back in two years' time for €13million.

This is quite an intelligent move. Barcelona are sending their player to a team with a coach - Luis Enrique - they know (and knows then) well. They know that he will get a lot of playing time in a tough league and with a side that will be pressing for the title. And they know that in two years they will get the player back at a time when presumably they would be looking to replace Villa. Even if Krkic doesn't develop, they will only be €1million out of pocket, a figure that they could easily recover by selling him. To boot, Barcelona are getting a decent amount of money that will go towards boosting their Financial Fair Play status.

There are few clubs who have such a reputation so as to be able to set up such a deal and fewer players of such high potential that clubs would be willing to agree to the deal as Roma have. Yet Barcelona have shown not only what is possible but also that you should be willing to redetermine the boundaries if you really want to develop a special talent.

Family Honouring Shankly’s Legacy

2011-07-20T11:00:00.000+02:00

When talks were first being held for the formation of the supporter's union that eventually came to be known as Spirit of Shankly, it was to Karen Gill that they turned. From her, the grand daughter of Bill Shankly, they wanted confirmation that they could refer to the great man in the name of this union that was being set up to help save the club that he himself had transformed in the sixties.

When the reply was delivered, it didn't simply contain the confirmation they were looking for but also an inspirational message that gave the Shankly family's wholehearted support to the union. "My grandad had a dream for Liverpool Football Club and you are all helping to keep that dream alive," she wrote. "It's the people with dreams who achieve things in the end because they have a vision which drives them on. We know Bill Shankly 'made the people happy' but I know that you would have all made him happy were he alive to see this legendary support today."

As Brian Reade noted in his book an Epic Swindle, "Karen is a marvelous woman who has inherited many of her grandad's traits, not least his fight and his passion."

Considering the relationship that Shankly had with the fans, Karen's reaction was always something of a foregone conclusion. "They literally meant everything to him," she says when the question of what the fans meant to her grandfather is put to her. "The club and the fans were his life. No exaggeration."

"He’d be shocked and appalled at football today in general and he would be devastated
at the terrible damage that Hicks and Gillette did to his beloved club," she continues, looking back at the past three years. Yet it is also reasonable to assume that he, given his Socialist ideology, would have been immensely proud to see the fans working so hard together to get rid of those who were destroying the club.

Typically, Karen's favourite memory of here grandfather in a football context includes the fans. "I like all the stories about him taking time out to visit sick children at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and I’ve had messages from adults who say they remember his kindness to them to this day."

As for Karen herself, what she remembers is a kindly and playful man. " I have many recollections of my grandfather. Firstly I spent most of my childhood with him. We would always eat together on a Sunday at his house or sometimes he would take us to a nice hotel in the centre of Liverpool for a special meal. My favourite times though were when he would take us to Anfield and we’d run around and sometimes get to sit on our favourite player’s knee!”
At the time, however, she didn't fully realise who he was and why he was so important."I always knew he was important as from an early age I saw that he was followed around by people wherever we would go. People were always coming up to him and talking football. Journalists were always on the phone to him etc. But it wasn’t until I came to Greece that I realised the extent to which he is admired, literally all over the world."

In time, this sparked off her desire to write a book about him with the result being the excellent The Real Bill Shankly that came out a couple of years back. "That was one of the best experiences of my life. I’d wanted to write a book about my granddad for a while but it was when I met the supporters from the official Liverpool Supporters Hellenic Branch that I realised that I should do it. I talked about the idea with Stephen Done (the curator of the Liverpool Museum) and he put me in touch with Ken Rogers from Trinity Mirror and he thought it was a great idea. I just wanted in some way to help keep my granddad’s memory alive"

If that was her aim, then she has done her job to perfection. Just as, with her determination and inspiration at the birth of SOS, she was more than honouring the legacy of her family's surname. Bill Shankly would most certainly have approved.

This article was originally published in Issue 8 of Well Red magazine.

The Delicate Next Step

2011-07-13T11:00:00.000+02:00

When Martin Kelly joined Huddersfield for a couple of months towards the end of the 2008–09 season, it was the perfect move. This was a team that played football the way that it should be played – ball on the ground and with a thoughtful passing game – and a manger who had confidence in the player he’d just gotten.

Unsurprisingly, it was a setting in which Kelly excelled. He played in all of Huddersfield’s games, scored a goal and proved that he more than had the talent to play at a higher level. When the call came for him to play for Liverpool he had that little bit of experience needed not to be overwhelmed by it all; the kind of experience that players don’t get playing sporadically for the sadly devalued reserves football.

Yet Kelly’s experience was an exceptional one. More common are the instances where a player is sent out on loan to gain experience but ends up spending his time on the bench, with the manager being more interested in having someone of good quality as back up. And, in truth, it is hard not to understand their lack of inclination to take any risks for someone else’s benefit.

Not that this makes it any less frustrating. The loan system provides a crucial bridge for players who aren’t getting anything from playing in the reserves but either aren’t ready for the first team or else have to compete with someone who is better than them to get there. In theory, a loan move should help them continue developing by playing at a higher standard, against tougher – at least physically – players in games in which the outcome is actually important.

In reality, far too often they end up frustrating and alienating players.

It is something that Damien Comolli admitted to recently. “I think that the step between the first team and the reserves is a challenge for every single club in Europe and the bigger the football club the more difficult it is,” he said in an interview with Leaders in Performance. “We haven’t found the right, or perfect path or the right balance and I still think we’ve still got a lot of improvements to make from 18 to 20, 21. Those 3 years are a bit touch and go in football at the moment.”

Benitez's View
His views are shared by Rafael Benítez. “It is clear that the reserve system doesn't work, the reserve league is nothing," he said back in March 2007. "You can see youngsters playing just 18 games a season, that is nothing. Certainly not enough for the development of these players. It is something that we can improve in this country. I do not want to see reserve teams with four or five senior men playing without passion. These games are for young players.”

“Between 18 and 21 years old in this country, the players do not know what to do. If they are good enough at 18 they are with the first team but they are sitting on the bench all the time.”

Benitez’s solution to this problem was a highly controversial one. “I used to be the manager of Castilla, Real Madrid's reserve side, and I had players who were 18, 19 years old playing in the Spanish Second Division. They were playing against men and we finished sixth and fourth.”

Given the attitude towards Benitez inevitably it was an opinion that was turned into a stick with which to beat him. Whilst the pride that comes from the continued existence of more than 100 professional clubs in the league and non-league system in England is understandable and it would be wrong to undermine the value of the lower leagues, the criticism focused on Benitez wanting to impose his nasty foreign views rather than on what he was saying.

No one really answered his criticism of reserve league football and how it was doing very little to help in the development of players. There was little appreciation of what he was arguing and a lot of focus on the possible solution that he was proposing.

Admittedly, as possible solutions go it wasn’t a particularly feasible one, but there are variants to it that very few clubs seem to have looked into, that of building partnerships with particular clubs.

The Value of Partnerships
There are clubs across England who share Liverpool’s ideology of playing a passing game. Some of these clubs also operate on budgets that limit their chances of development. Such clubs are the ones that should be looked at for they are a perfect fit for Liverpool who could help fill gaps in their squad safe in the knowledge that these players are going to be schooled properly.

The aim isn’t to turn them into feeder clubs but rather that of matching what both sides need; good players on one part and a place where to develop players on the other.

Encouragingly it is a solution that, perhaps, is already on Liverpool’s radar. “The loan system is managed by myself and the Academy Director. It’s crucial to the player’s development. It is managed properly and thoughtfully,” Comolli said in that same interview with Leaders in Sport. “We speak to the player after every game, the local scouts pay a visit to the player to ensure everything is fine and then we kind of have a list of clubs that we are keen to send the players to because we know the type of football they will play, the way they train, we know they will look after the player. We don’t want to be in a situation where a loan will be dictated to us, we prefer to be proactive.”

Those are heartening words that hint to an end of the haphazard nature and destination chosen for players in the past.

Increasing Value
One of the clubs on Comolli’s list could be the Belgian champions of Genk. Even though talks of setting up a link with them began before he joined the club, the channel of discussion has clearly remained as evidenced by the presence of Liverpool defender Chris Mavinga in their title winning squad.

And Mavinga is a perfect example of a kind of loaned player that is different to the ones discussed so far: those who are sent out purely so that their value can increase.

It is a system of which Manchester United are the masters. They send a player on loan, he does well, generates interest and is then sold on the back of that interest. Which in turn alerts other clubs – possibly ones higher up the league structure - that United is a great place to look for players to take on loan. And so the cycle continues.

Of course, there are players who are sent on loan because they need to be tested to see whether they can handle playing for United but the reality is that most won’t be good enough.

Liverpool have never managed to do this but reports of bids in the region of £1 million for Mavinga show just how much potential there is. In the grand scheme of things, these aren’t huge figures but if they are re-invested in the academy, they would help improve the flow of talent meaning a higher probability of players good enough for Liverpool FC coming through.

There is, of course, the risk that Mavinga is sold and then turns out to be much better than anyone had realised; that Liverpool made a mistake in letting him go. That risk can never go away but it highlights the importance of having a well managed loan system, one that allows Liverpool to learn how that player is training and how he is reacting to his new environment. Such feedback provides a better way to gauge how a player is developing and determine how far he can develop making any eventual decision a more informed one.

And that is the crucial factor. Does a player have the potential in him to play for Liverpool FC? Does he have the character and desire to work hard to achieve this? Is he up to it physically? Is he improving and learning from his mistakes? They are all questions that a club hopes to be in a better position to answer when a player is sent out on loan.

And they are the kind of questions that make a system of partnerships the ideal one for the English game because it offers the best way for players to make that delicate step between youth and senior football.

A Guide to Twitter: Non-LFC Edition

2011-07-08T11:00:00.001+02:00

With everybody now seemingly on Twitter, it is difficult to know who is worth following especially if you're looking for decent football opinions. So it is that I've tried to compile a list of the best people out there who are well worth following. Be warned, however that as a rule I tend not to follow player - do they ever have anything really of interest to say? - nor do I have any of the major media outlets so you won't find anything like that on here. Also, if you're looking at Liverpool related Tweeters, there's another list that groups those together.

Jonathan Wilson
One of the finest football writers out there and the editor (as well as brains behind) of the fantastic magazine Blizzard, connecting to Wilson is useful because, if nothing, it ensures that you hear of his latest articles.

Gabriele Marcotti
There are few people as knowledgeable and as eloquent as Gabriele Marcotti, and that somehow manages to come through despite the 140 character restriction.

David Conn
A new addition to Twitter, Conn is the best writer on football finance out there.

Ian Macintosh
No one can take an off-beat topic and make it work as well as Macintosh. Funny but also geniunely insightful, follow him and enjoy.

Zach Slaton
There has been a gradual rise in the phenomenon of statistical analysis in football but few do it as well Zach Slaton.

In Bed With Maradona
When there are sites that offer content as good as In Bed With Maradona, it is difficult to justify paying for content. Following them on Twitter means that you'll never miss a new piece.

Tomasz Mortimer
One of the great beauties of Twitter is that you can come across people who are interested in football from all over the world. One of these is Tomasz Mortimer, whose particular focus is Hungarian football and the fortunes of Hungarian footballers all over Europe.

James Eastham
A freelance journalist who focuses on French football, he's always more than willing to answer any queries.

John Sinnott
A writer with the BBC, Sinnott revels in articles about the development of young athletes which also happens to be an area which fascinates me. So the interest in what he writes is obvious.

The Equaliser
This is a hidden gem of a blog, particularly the series focusing on specific decades over the past century, and the equaliser's thoughts are always worth reading.

John Chapman
The man to follow if you want to know how Standard Liege, Genk and co are doing, he'll answer any queries that you might have on Eden Hazard and Romana Lukaku.

Dan Roan
Really came to prominence during the Liverpool takeover when he was among the key people to follow if you wanted to know what was going on.

Ernst Bouwes
The main writer of Dutch football for Soccernet, Ernst is the man to follow if you want to keep informed about what's happening in Holland.

Christian Larrson
If transfers are your thing - and, let's face it, who doesn't like to know who you're going to sign? - then Christian is the man to follow. With the added benefit that most of what he says is reliable.

Michal Zachodny
Another of the foreign football brigade, Michal is the man to follow to see how Jerzy Dudek's compatriots are doing.

Rocco Cammisola
It would be easy to classify Rocco Cammisola as someone who follows and writes about Italian football. In reality, he does that and more; providing an interesting and insightful commentary about what's happening in the Serie A.

Daniel Richardson
Slovakia is Martin Skrtel's homeland, and also the country that Daniel Richardson likes to focus on.

Swiss Rambler
For all of David Conn's talents in looking at football finance, he does not have the freedom to write analysis as detailed and varied as the ones that Swiss Rambler prepares.

Zonal Marking
Michael Cox, the man behind Zonal Marking, is perhaps the author of the most significant developments in football blogging of the past twelve months and has almost singlehandedly made talking about tactics fashionable. It follows that his tweets are equally insightful.

Tom Williams
Tom Williams is the man who covers French football for Agence France-Presse (AFP) so it is easy to guess why he is worth following.

Ben Lyttleton
Another expert on French football, Lyttleton writes in a number of outlets and is always more than willing to answer any queries.

Radu Baicu
As with many others, Radu makes it onto this list because of his country specific focus which, in his case, is Romania.

James Horncastle
A great writer for a whole series of publications, Horncastle's main patch is Italian football.

Tor-Kristian Karlsen
One of the most famous football people on Twitter, certainly among those who aren't players, Tor-Kristian is a football scout who has an incredible knowledge on players across the globe and offers a genuine insight into the workings of football clubs.

Raphael Honigstein
Honigstein has built a strong reputation over his coverage of German football so should be on of the people you follow if you want to keep up to date with what's happening in the Bundesliga.

Andy Brassell
Regular contributor to what is probably the finest podcast around - the World Football Phone In - Brassell is an expert in all things concerning European football

James Appell
An expert on Russian football, but also a close follower of the English game, Appell is the man if you want to distinguish your Voronins from your Arshavins.

Sid Lowe
Sid Lowe has long been considered a fine writer on Spanish football and has recently enhanced his reputation with a series of excellent interviews with leading Spanish players. His Twitter timeline is filled with excellent observations on the Spanish game and, occasionally, a rant against those who are too prickly against alledged criticisms for their clubs.

Joel Richards & Sam Kelly
Argentine football is blessed with a number of excellent reporters two of which, Joel Richards and Sam Kelly, both are very active on Twitter.

Paolo Bandini
The Guardian's correspondent on Italian football (and American gridiron), he's another who's always good to follow to know what's happening in another part of Europe.

Remember our guide to Liverpool FC people to follow on Twitter can be found here.

Pep Segura Explains Strategy Behind Liverpool's Academy

2011-07-05T11:00:00.000+02:00

Much has been said about the excellent job that Pep Segura and Rodolfo Borrell have been doing at the Liverpool academy yet, at the same time, very little is known about the actual strategy behind their work. Everyone has been saying that they've brought over Barcelona's model without knowing what that model is about outside of vague concepts.

Yet there is now more clarity thanks largely to a presentation made by Pep Segura at a football conference organised by the Catalun INEF (a physical education programme) and RCD Espanyol.

What follows is a summary of Segura's talk, translated from the blog of well known Catalan writer Martin Perarnau and presented with his permission.

The 'target' of the Liverpool Academy is twofold: to implement a common style of play in teams through all categories, and to provide players for the first team. When Rafa Benitez hired Pep Segura as head of the academy, Liverpool FC had three areas that were working completely seperately from each other:

- Scouting
- Technical Staff
- Sports Science (doctors, physios, trainers)

The target was to implement an integrated model of the style that currently exists in many Spanish clubs, so that all departments work in the same direction.

The Liverpool training centre consists of four large age groups:

1) Year 1 > Playing games, technical skills
2) Year 2 + Children + Cadets > technical skills, tactical work starts, physical work starts
3) Youth + Amateur Year 1 > technical skills, tactical work, physical work, psychological work
4) Amateur + Reserves > technical skills, tactical work, physical work, psychological work

The second group participates in the Under-15 Championship, the third group includes the U-17s and U-18s, and the fourth group plays in the Under-20s tournament and the Reserves. This team has been included in Pep Segura's area of responsiblity during the season just ended. The Academy focuses on organising the boys' training, education, and family accommodation in Liverpool.

Pep Segura's Academy work is divided into five major areas:

1) Facilities
2) Selection of players
3) Coaches
4) Program (Syllabus)
5) Management of the player

For reasons of time, he could not detail each of these areas, but he did mention aspects of several of them.

Facilities
LFC have twelve training camps, ten on natural grass and two with artificial turf, plus one indoor for winter work. The facilities, according to Segura, are excellent, and not more physical infrastructure is needed.

Selection of players
Scouting is the responsibility of the department. Keep in mind that English law is very strict. Some examples:

- Players up to 14 years can't be signed beyond a radius of 150 kilometers from the club (Liverpool competing in the same environment as Manchester United, City, Everton, and so forth)
- The player is owned by the player’s home club /first club forever, this is the main reason why any price tag rises up.
- You can't sign players outside the community (150km) until they are 16 years old
- All games U-16 and U-18 are played on Saturdays at 11 am and from other categories, Sundays at 11 am This avoids the coaches come to watch opposing players of interest. Another peculiarity: the U-15 takes place on Wednesdays, which is almost unfeasible to train more than two days a week

Liverpool work the Academy for sporting and economic necessity and because "we want to work with our players, but do so with our style of play." Segura found, after some time, Liverpool was repeating a pattern that he had already lived in the Barcelona: "Most youth players came from a particular geographical area and, especially, of a particular school."

For scouting the club uses three essential parameters: selection from very young age, constant monitoring of all of them, and determining the precise moment of joining the club. The relevant department raises three questions: a) What is the player profile? B) Is player for Liverpool; c) will he make us grow as a team?

We analyze four factors:
- Technical: We appreciate the passing game (passing game)
- Tactical: Your ability to play without the ball
- Psychological: Your willingness to be professional
- Physical: We value speed, strength and size (English football)

Teams from different categories are structured in the form of a double pyramid

- Between 8 and 11: 3 teams per category
- Between 12 and 14 years: 2 teams per category
- After 15 years: 1 team per category

In the two years since Pep Segura as technical director, the Academy has doubled the number of players at his disposal. In the selection process, all are subject to a battery of physical and technical tests. These tests are also done to those at the Academy itself at sever instances each year to establish internal and external comparisons.

Liverpool FC have identified three types of targets in the catchment:
- Focus A: 14. Local Players
- Focus B: 16. The 2 best in England plus 2 best foreign
- Focus C: 18. Best English and / or foreign to compensate for the shortcomings identified in the Academy

Program
"The program is a great tool to implement and not just having a good criteria for selection of players. It's the idea and style that make an organization strong." Segura says an idea of strategic thinking is needed and from then on a basic understanding of principles of play and style, and an idea to work efficiently and consistent with the philosophy of the club.

Segura says in this regard that the success of Spanish football are based on working with the Academy, which has created an excellent selection pool of players and it has put Spain at the top of European youth football, followed by France. However, he also believes that there si something wrong with Spanish football since that success does not correspond with the actual number of youth players who are actually getting a chance at senior level.

The technical program of the Academy is based on a 4-2-3-1 system of play implemented by Rafa Benitez "although I would have preferred a 4-3-3, but England has historically used the 4-4-2 and we had to adapt." In the case of Liverpool, "using it as a key tool because our style is the passing game, where os our greatest impact".

Stratification of training is as follows:
- 8 to 12 years: 35 weeks of competition / weekly sessions 3
- 13 to 15 years: 35 weeks of competition / weekly sessions 4-5
- 16 to 18 years: 40 weeks of competition / weekly sessions 7-8
- 19 to 21 years: 42 weeks of competition / weekly sessions 7-8

The structure of a typical training session is as follows:
1) Warm up
2) Technical skills: especially in the passing game and to be offered before the pass
3) Tactical skills: Automating offensive and defensive work, possession, Gale Related (reduced situations: from 1 to 1-5 against 5)
4) Part games: Application of the stuff they've worked on
5) End section: Gym, pitch work and stretching

Automation: Work in all phases, from starting to move the ball in defense to the last pass, creating a meaning and order of play. "The small details are the ones that make them grow as players: body position, speed when striking the ball, the timing of his move at the right time ...." Games of position, with special incidence in the circulation at high speed, knowing the positions of the companions are defined and known.

Recordings: The Academy records every game and every practice session with a very interesting point added: they also record the coaches' voices giving advice during sessions. It was a research conducted by the Liverpool University who took up the oral communication, which has yielded great results: "We have seen the deficiencies of the coaches and have corrected the messages. Some always corrected the same concepts and not others more important, or were fixated with some players."

Finally, for Pep Segura the criteria to improve tactics are:
- Everyone must do the same work
- We must be inspired by street football
- Street football is gone and we have to work hard to make up for it
- We must use rectangular surfaces to work on depth and breadth
- We must always breathe offensive spirit
- Explain to children the meaning of 4-2-3-1 to understand it
- Develop the game from the defensive line
- Teaching the collective game based on our system
- Emphasize creativity: the English player is disciplined and easy to learn automation and order, but Spanish is more creative and we must move in this direction
- The Game Related is difficult to apply to players and coaches because they are awaiting orders. When they do receive it, they work hard, but they suffer when they have to bring own creativity

Although centered around Barcelona (and in Spanish), it is highly recommended that people follow Martin Perarnau's blog even if through Google Translate as it is a mine of thoughtful pieces about football. There is a good discussion about this topic going on over at the Red And White Kop forum or, alternatively, you can let me know of your thoughts both through the comments on this blog and on Twitter.

The Value of Buying British

2011-06-28T11:00:00.001+02:00

When Kenny Dalglish took over in January, there were many eager to portray him as a footballing dinosaur who had lost touch with the game after a decade out. This was a sentimental choice, we were told, and he would soon be found out.

As Liverpool improved beyond recognition in the following months, those who had been critical slunk away. Yet the doubts haven't died out but merely replaced by new ones.

The sad part of this is that whilst those initial doubts had largely emanated from those who had hailed Roy Hodgson's appointment and were now looking for a way to vent their frustration following the dismal failure of their man, the source for this new wave of doubt is closer to home: the club's fans.

Not that too many have been overly critical - and the presence of Damien Comolli does provide them with an easy alternative target - but you can still feel a growing undercurrent of discontent.

The reason is that Dalglish seems to favour English based players. Why go for Stewart Downing when Juan Mata is available? What's the attraction of Charlie Adam when Javi Martinez is available? And why Scott Dann when there's Simon Kjaer?

Those are questions that keep getting asked, usually in a rhetorical mode. Because the implied answer is that Dalglish is a footballing dinosaur still stuck in an era where you could only buy from other English teams.

What is being missed is that there are significant benefits in buying players who already know the league. Sure, you pay more for them but you also get players who don't need time to settle and get to know the style of play. And, for Liverpool, having the new players settle in quickly could play a crucial role in the coming season.

With competition for a top four place being tougher than ever before, Liverpool need to be on top from the start of the season. Which wouldn't be likely if there were one or two crucial players trying to get to grips with the speed and aggression of the English game. Because for haevery Luis Suarez that there is - players who quickly find their feet - you will find others like Edin Dzeko or Marouanne Chamakh who struggle to adapt despite their obvious talent.

There is no debating that a player like Stewart Downing isn't as exciting as Juan Mata. Yet Downing excelled at Villa last year and clearly is a player who will always do well in the Premiership, especially if supported by better player than the ones he has at Villa. Mata might be the kind of player Liverpool look at in a year or two when the team is more settled and, hopefully, more successful which always makes it easier for someone to settle in. At this point in time, however, Liverpool don't have that luxury.

Is this enough to justify Liverpool's apparent strategy of making most of their signings from the English game? That's difficult to determine - ultimately it depends on the success of the players signed - but it does at least show that there is a reason behind such moves.

Spreading the Word: Blasted French

2011-06-24T14:00:00.000+02:00

Perhaps it is because I was never any good at drawing but I'm always in awe of people who are capable to create visually stimulating pieces of art. There are a couple of excellent designers who combine such a talent with their passion for Liverpool FC, Kitster being one; the people at LoveConquerFollow others.

Recently a new name has popped up. Dan Leydon, who goes on Twitter with the handle Blasted French, has been putting his unique designs on-line. A Liverpool fan, most of these look at the club's icons like Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish. Dan also has a (understandable) fascination with Barcelona, who also feature in his designs.

A Liverpool Thing caught up with Dan as he spoke about his inspiration and future plans.

How did you start doing these pieces?

In a fairly routine move, I started my blog as a homage to Heat magazine. Football has basically turned into a soap opera and I thought that gossipy cheap way of examining it would provide a hefty wedge of funny material. If you look at the first blog posts on the site they are done in the form of a Heat magazine cover and feature outlandish stories such as Messi becoming player manger of QPR and Neil Warnock having a breakdown due to it. From there I began to think of more ways to comment on football and one day I did the Xavi poster that depicted him as a carnival show passing machine. From there I just started doing more and more.

Which is your favourite piece?
My favourite piece is probably not a poster itself but my character Chavi who is Xavi but with a burberry cap. He tours council estates getting ASBO's and playing long ball football. If I had to pick one poster I'd say the King Kenny one. It just seems the most balanced.

What has the feedback been like?

I've had the full range of feedback from in depth emails showing appreciation to comments on new posters that consist of nothing but 'POSTER FAIL'. It's fun hearing peoples opinions on them though. That's why I love designing football related art. So many people love football and people are visual creatures. To have football culture presented in a slightly different or thought provoking way is a great thing and there is so many profound and unique types of art out there on the net.

From where do you get inspirations? And what is the creative process like?

I get my inspirations from everything. I carry a notebook with me and write down whatever pops into my head. I also practice exercises from Edward de Bono books on how to exercise your creativity. They're great for generating piles of ideas. I buy and read a lot of football related books too. Usually I can pick up around 5 or 6 books second hand for the best part of 25 euro. I'll read anything though. And I pour through a lot of graphic design books to figure out how certain artists come up with different types of results. Luckily though graphic design is everywhere you look nowadays so you can learn wherever you are.

As for the design process it won't take long if I have a clear idea on what I want to do. For example the last poster I designed, the Liverbird European Cup, didn't take too long but arranging the liverbirds took up 99% of the design time. I'm happy with how it turned out though.

What next for you? What are you looking to achieve and what will you be doing with the designs?

Next for me? I'm clueless as to what I'll be doing next. A few months ago I didn't even have a website so in the next few months who knows. Ultimately I'd love a job in design with some connection to football. Nowadays I think if you want to be completely happy in your work life you have to go out and make a job for yourself. That's far more fun than looking for one that already exists. It's what I'm trying to do. I'm looking at setting up the website in a more professional way and getting posters and shirts for sale through it. I'd have to say my immediate ambition is to play right midfield for Liverpool though. That's what I'm aiming for.

Too Early for High Expectations

2011-06-22T12:50:00.001+02:00

As it always is whenever England take on an international tournament, there is bound to be a fair degree of hype over the Under 17 team taking part in the World Cup in Mexico. And with six Liverpool players in the English squad, expectations will inevitably rise especially if England do well.

Yet the reality of this tournament is that it doesn’t really provide a gauge for future success. You can look at a player like Cesc Fabregas, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player (and finished as top scorer) in 2003, and see this as justification for it’s predictive capacity. But then you look to two years earlier and see that Florent Sinama Pongolle won the same honour.

By that time, Sinama Pongolle was already (virtually) a Liverpool player and the ease with which he dominated the tournament – the nine goals that he scored remains a record total - was seen as confirmation of his world class potential. Eight years later, however, and he’s just spent a season on loan at a mid-table Spanish side where he scored just four goals. Sinama Pongolle has turned out to be a decent player but nothing more than that; certainly not the kind of player that so many had predicted he would become.

What happened to him was injuries and lack of playing time at a crucial stage in his career stunted his development. Also, nature happened as he failed to develop enough physically which that he wasn’t suited to play as a striker where he had initially impressed whilst he lacked the skill to really make a mark as a winger.

There have been as many players who have turned out like Sinama Pongolle (Sergio Santamaria from the 1999 edition) as there are those who have gone on to excel (Anderson from 2005). And that’s simply by looking at the Golden Ball winners. Dig deeper and many more such stories emerge.

In 2003, the Spanish team containing Cesc Fabregas lost in the final to Brazil. Apart from Fabregas, out of the twenty-two who began the final only Brazilian midfielder Sandro has really made much of an impact. Move forward to the next final and only Anderson has emerged as a top class player and he was on the losing side. Carlos Vela and Giovanni dos Santos, on the other hand, were outstanding as Mexico won yet neither one has delivered on that promise.

All of this has to be kept in mind this summer. Regardless of whatever England do, other than added experience that helps in their development, it means very little for the players’ futures.

The (Transfer) Judgement Days

2011-06-15T11:00:00.001+02:00

There's nothing as brutal as a football forum during the summer.

Sign Brad Friedel as a back-up to Pepe Reina? Well, why bother, he was "garbage the first time round"? A promising midfielder like Jordan Henderson? "£13M ++ for a youngster who can 'do a job' sounds a bit steep.." Or someone like Connor Wickham? "Seen him play twice. Did f**k all in both games." Scott Dann? "FFS. What is it about managers trying to show us how clever they are in the transfer market. Is he better than Agger or Kelly?" As for Stewart Downing,well he's "average, one paced, very little ability to beat a full back". Yes, those are actual quotes picked off a couple of fora. And, no, they weren't the most viscous.

It goes on and on. Invariably there are those for whom nothing bar players of established repute are good enough. Anything else is immediately criticized and hacked to pieces. As are those who express diverging views, particularly anyone trying to inject a dose of realism.

Whilst the underlying sentiment might be reasonable enough - far too often in recent seasons Liverpool fans have tried to reassure themselves that the players being bought were good enough (Paul Konchesky was portrayed as being a good option) - it is the vehemency and absoluteness with which the verdicts are delivered that amuses. Players of whom, realistically, only occasional games have been seen are nevertheless criticised because they failed to win the game singlehandedly. Or because they weren't as involved as anticipated. Or because, quite simply, they failed to control a pass or two.

Factors like the level of opposition faced, the atmosphere round the game or whether the player was fully fit don't even register.

Strangely, foreign players seem to be excluded by this viscous criticism. Juan Mata or Mahmadou Sakho are praised and deemed as being potentially excellent buys which is reasonable enough because both are exceptional prospects. But then you add in someone like Roma goalkeeper Alexandre Doni, who is far less reliable than Friedel, and barely a peep.

Regardless of nationality issues, this is a mentality that is partly a by-product of Football Manager and other management simulation games. There the qualities of a player are nicely laid out with numbers that determine whether he is good or not. Easy as that. So why should real life be any different? A player is either good or crap; no in-betweens or exceptions.

Of course that isn't the case. You have to see where each player fits in and not just what his play is like. Is he going to accept being a squad player, what sort of impact will his wages make, is there potential for him to develop, how does he fit in with the style of play that the club wants to develop, does he bring to the side an element of play that others haven't?

These are all questions that have to be asked before a player is bought. They are all points that those close to the deal will have reflected on. The real objective for them is to build a squad that has the right blend of talent, tactical intelligence, patience and determination. And they try to do this by working within certain parameters such as which players actually want to join the club, whether their club is willing to sell and how much money is available.

It is nice for fans to fantasize a bit about which players they'd like to see. Yet there is a big difference between dreaming of players you'd like to see and presenting them as the only acceptable option.

You can now follow A Liverpool Thing on Twitter.

The Twisted Logic of Bad Support

2011-04-21T11:00:00.002+02:00

Some of the qualities that mark a great player are rather obvious and are largely centred on how he uses the ball when it is in his feet. Other qualities, however, are not that apparent. Strength of character, for instance, falls into this category. With the first, one can achieve some success but that won’t be lasting if there isn’t also the latter.

It might be too much – or perhaps too early – to call Lucas Leiva a great player but, even so, he is perhaps the ideal player to put forward as an example that proves such a claim. No player can be voted as being the best in Brazilian football if there isn’t some obvious talent but for two years Lucas struggled to show that at Liverpool.

It was hardly surprising. This was a young player who had not only moved from a completely different culture but was playing a style of football that was alien to him. The speed with which the ball got moved around along with the little time afforded to anyone having possession of the ball was a shock to his system. What he went through was understandable.

Yet not everyone understood. Shamefully, there were many who constantly picked on Lucas. Good games would be pushed aside whilst bad ones – or even bad spells in otherwise decent performances – would be used as a stick with which to beat him.

Others would have given up and pushed so that one of the many offers that came in for him from across Europe would be accepted. Most would have hidden behind the criticism to claim that any lack of progress was down to the unnecessary pressure being put on him. But, rather than take the easy option Lucas stuck it out, worked hard and has emerged as a fine midfielder; perhaps even more than that.

That much is recognised by the fact that the criticism has stopped. Although, in truth, that’s not the case: it has merely been shifted on to others.

Last summer, Liverpool signed Danny Wilson. A central defender who had impressed hugely at Rangers, he had won the league playing fairly regularly despite being just eighteen years old. There was an acceptance that he would need some time to develop but little doubt about his potential.

Yet, at least there seemed to be that acceptance because patience with him seems to be running low. Little does it matter that when he has been called to play for Liverpool this has been out of position at left back. Much less that, defensively, he has shown that he can play at this level. What matters is his apparent inability to offer anything going forward.

That is where the attention has focused and that is what has led to criticism. So far they haven’t been too audible but the groans that used to welcome Lucas every time he got on to the pitch are now being heard when Wilson gets near the ball.

Not that he’s alone to get this treatment. Up till a couple of months back, there were plenty willing to write off Jay Spearing. This despite him excelling in the reserves and doing reasonably well when given a chance in the first team. No one complained as vociferously as they did with Lucas but that was because he didn’t play anywhere as near much as the Brazilian and also because he was a local player which obviously granted him added leeway.

Now Spearing is proving that what he needed was games to show what he could do. He, like Lucas, had the mental fortitude to keep on working hard to improve despite the criticism that was coming his way. The hope is that Wilson is made of similar stuff.

Yet it shouldn’t be like that. This apparent need to classify a player as good or bad within a handful of games is not only illogical; it is harmful. Some players just aren’t good enough to play for certain clubs but that’s not what’s in play here but rather a perverse desire to find villains to blame. And once they’re identified, there’s hardly anything that they can do to get out of it. From then on they become a very comfortable commodity for those who can then condense every defeat or bad performance to that player’s perceived failing.

Such a failure to recognise that players need time to settle and, much worse, that they are working hard to improve is a myopic attitude that makes a mockery of the phrase supporters, people who’s sole purpose should be that of giving encouragement to their own players and not sucking it out.

Spreading the Word: Blizzard

2011-04-04T11:00:00.001+02:00

I was around twelve the first time I saw a copy of When Saturday Comes. I still remember the front cover – it included a jubilant Stig Inge Bjornebye after Norway had beaten England – but what really impressed me were the articles that it featured. This was no Match or Shoot but something more grown up.

From that day on, I kept on buying the magazine fairly regularly until I received the latest notification a few weeks ago that my subscription was about to expire*. It was at that point that I realized: I haven’t read any of it for quite some months. In fact, apart from the book reviews, I rarely bother with anything else.

The reason is the internet. Whereas the articles featured in it used to represent a point of view or a story that I never knew of, now you can find articles that are equally as good if you know where to look for. It no longer contained anything special enough to get me reading it from cover to cover.

It has been the same for many other publications. World Soccer stopped being of interest years ago** and my FourFourTwo subscription could easily go the next time it is due. And, going by the constant reports of the challenges faced by the publishing industry, I’m guessing that I’m not the only one.

So what is it that gives Blizzard, the recently launched football publication, anything of a chance? Well, for one thing, it isn’t a magazine. In the editorial, it is described as neither a book nor a magazine. Indeed, the best possible description is that it is an anthology of football writing (or, as Swiss Ramble put it to me on Twitter, an anthology of mighty fine football writing).

But, before we go any further, perhaps it best to give a little bit of background to Blizzard. This is effectively the brainchild of Jonathan Wilson – author of Behind the Curtain and Inverting the Pyramid – who felt that writers were being stymied in what they write by the inherent limitations of the publication they work for.

His feelings were shared by many others so he decided to provide a solution in the form of a publication that would give writers practically a free hand in what (and to what length) they write.

The end result is a collection of stories by some of the best writers around all of whom are clearly writing about subjects they enjoy and reveling in the freedom to write as much as they want. Inevitably some are better than others – and I’m not going to name which (although the St. Pauli one by Uli Hesse is a favourite) – but the quality never drops below great.

With Issue Zero adopting the pay as much as you want model, there’s really nothing to stop anyone from downloading a copy. Subsequent issues will be more expensive - €10 excluding postage seems to be the set price – but if they’re of the same quality of this, they’re well worth it.

Indeed, in my mind they’re so worth it that I’ve subscribed for a full year. And you can’t be more complimentary than that.

More information on Blizzard can be found on their website or by following them on Twitter. If you like this review, or would like to share an opinion about it, you can do so by leaving a comment below or else by following A Liverpool Thing on Twitter.

* In fairness, the quality of articles on When Saturday Comes is quite good (although it is just as good – and free – on sites like Two Hundred Percent and In Bed With Maradona). My problems with them are others: it isn’t distributed where I live (Malta), shipping costs are high and there’s no Kindle version meaning that if I have to read the electronic format I have to watch it on my computer which doesn’t fit my lifestyle. I suspect that if they were to produce it in Kindle format, I would re-subscribe.

**I’ve still to recheck World Soccer after their recent re-design which could possibly make me change my mind.

Anfield Forever

2011-03-15T11:02:00.000+01:00

It was the fear that did it. When it was first mentioned that Liverpool were looking to move away from Anfield a group called Anfield 4 Ever (A4E) set about presenting the opposing view, one that argued that Anfield should be redeveloped rather than demolished.

Yet theirs was a lost battle. Not because of any forceful argument that highlighted the unfeasibility of their position but simply because of fear. What did it for Anfield was the fear of being left behind and financially edged out without a home that could seat more people. Those who said otherwise were labelled as antiquated sentimentalists who still hankered for an era that had long gone. Their views were pushed aside - not only by the owners but also but the vast majority of fans - and, eventually, forgotten. Not even the website that presented their case remains: www.anfield4ever.co.uk is now a rumour site (and one that hasn't been updated for years).

The original, un-imaginative, design for the new Anfield

Never mind that the first plans were for the construction of a soul-less bowl that showed no vision and had nothing to set it apart or show that it was to be the home of a special club. The most important thing was that it could contain more people and, therefore, make the club more money which would result in success on the pitch. That is all that mattered.

The rationale of this argument is easy to follow but that does not mean that it is right, at least not completely. What was not being said at the time was that building a new stadium would result in onerous loans that would take years to be repaid. Perhaps it was because that there was still the hope and belief that new owners, ones rich enough to undertake such a project from their own finances, would be found. Again, a simplistic line of thought but not one as ingenious as had been made out to be. Indeed, it is a plan that nearly killed the club.

Yet, despite so many promises going unfulfilled, strangely, the wisdom of leaving Anfield was never been debated. It was considered a given truth, one that no liar's words could taint. Largely fuelled by the desire to match Manchester United and Arsenal on game day revenues, the decision was made and wasn't about to change.

But it can (and should) change, at least enough to look at possible alternatives to increase capacity. And these plans have to be bold and imaginative as they to try and offer a solution, because surely there have to be ways to increase revenue without leaving everything behind.

The memories of great days and nights at Anfield
are part of what makes Liverpool special

Indeed, what is most surprising in this whole story, is how easily a departure from Anfield has been accepted. What makes Liverpool FC great is, in part, down to Anfield and the memories that it holds. There is a special feeling about this place, as if the collective shouts from great moments at this stadium still resonate. Teams come and buckle under the pressure of playing in front of this crowd, they fear Anfield, its history and what it represents. Opposing fans, especially continental ones on European nights, leave the ground happy even in defeat because they can boast to having experienced the Anfield atmosphere. That is what would be lost, that is what the fear would lead to.

But that would be wrong. Anfield is Liverpool's home and everyone should be working to keep it this way, not casually throwing.

Any views can be shared with A Liverpool Thing on Twitter

Positives From A Youth Cup Defeat

2011-03-14T11:00:00.002+01:00

It is said that true winners are seen not in victory but in how they react to defeat. By that truism, it will be interesting to see what happens next after Liverpool’s defeat in the quarter final of the FA Youth Cup.

This was a disappointing game for Liverpool; disappointing not because of the nature of the defeat or the name of the opponents but because of the way that the team played. There were too many long balls, too many wayward passes and too many players making wrong decisions for anyone to be happy with how it progressed. After all this is a side that in previous games had dominated through its ability to move the ball around with accuracy and speed.

Not on this occasion, however. Merit, of course, goes to Manchester United who showed the kind of strength, pressing and tactical intelligence that Liverpool hadn’t faced in any of the earlier rounds. It forced the Liverpool players to have to think harder about what they did and, often, the solutions they came up with were lacking. Punting the ball towards Raheem Sterling in the hope of him creating something far too often became the default option as did giving the ball to Suso without other players moving to support him.

This is why it is so difficult to judge players of this age. Or, rather, why it is always wise not to rush into judgements. Many were disappointed when Raheem Sterling wasn’t given some playing time in the Europa League after he had helped tear Southend apart in the previous round of this competition. Others would have picked the Spanish midfielder Suso for the first team within the first month of his joining the club, so impressive was he whenever he played for the reserves.

The reality is that there is a huge gap between the level of football they are used to playing and that which they would be facing in the first team. The strength of players they would be playing against, their experience and the speed with which they would punish any mistake or hesitation is far greater than what they’ve ever come against.

That is why ensuring that these talented teenagers make the progression from youth team to senior football is the biggest challenge out there. It is why the Spanish model of having a second team playing in the lower leagues – giving young players the opportunity to come up against older, more experienced ones – is favoured by some.

In some respects, the Youth Cup defeat can even be a positive thing. There was so much hype around some of these players that they were bound to start thinking ahead of themselves, that they were good enough. This shows them that they’ve still got a way to go and it will make them listen closer to what their coaches have to say. Learn from it and they will improve; dismiss it as bad luck or bad refereeing and the next time a similar occasion comes around the same mistakes will be made.

Any views can be shared with A Liverpool Thing on Twitter.

The Right Attitude

2011-03-09T11:00:00.002+01:00

There have been few, if any, managers in the history of the British game who could match Bob Paisley’s genius in spotting players. The man who built three Champions’ Cup winning teams did so not by outspending others but by identifying before anyone else players with the talent to play in his sides.

Few instances illustrate this better then what happened when Ray Clemence decided to move to Tottenham in 1981. The act of replacing arguably Europe’s finest goalkeeper with Bruce Grobbelaar, someone who had only fleetingly played league football, seemed utter folly to most yet Paisley felt that it was the right move.

Grobbelaar’s success in a Liverpool shirt over the next decade proved the wisdom of Paisley’s judgement. As did Ian Rush, Steve Nicol, Alan Hansen and Ronnie Whelan; all of whom came to Liverpool when they were complete unknowns.

Yet there was more to their success than just talent. Each of those players spent months playing for the reserves, a period that is often described as being fundamental in their development. Those months helped determine not only whether they were good enough to play for Liverpool but also whether they had the character to do so.

Rush’s case was typical. He had become English football’s most expensive teenager when he joined Liverpool so probably expected to be involved in the first team from the off. Instead he found himself in the reserves and famously went to ask for a transfer after a number of months so disillusioned was he with his lack of progress.

It was at this point that Paisley suggested that Rush be a more selfish finisher. More than anything, this was a subtle test, a way to see how the striker would react. Petulance on his part would have certainly seen his wish for a transfer being granted. Instead, however, it got the reaction that was required and soon Rush started getting the opportunities he wanted.

To Paisley, Rush had proven that not only did he handle criticism but could react positively to it. And it was at that point that there really was the conviction that he could do it, that not only did he have skill to play for Liverpool but also the temperament.

Further proof of the important role a player’s character had in the determining a player’s ability to play for Liverpool comes from Alan Kennedy. “Paisley knew my family as he was from the same village as my mother,” Kennedy says of what led t his transfer to the club. “He knew what he was getting; he knew that I was a hard worker.”

As he would go on to show, there was more to Kennedy than that yet that insight into his character provided added comfort to Paisley.

In time, the importance of such attributes seemed to diminish. At least, they did in the minds of those charged with making the decisions. Graeme Souness felt that a player with as questionable a disciplinary record as Julian Dicks was Liverpool material whilst Roy Evans allowed players to dictate when they were willing to attend training.

There cannot be a better example of the laxity in this regard then El Hadj Diouf. Blessed as he is with talent and skill, Diouf should have gone on to become one of the finest players in his generation but instead he’s spent most of his career bouncing between middling clubs. He’s also managed a feat that no one in living memory has: become a hated figure among Liverpool fans.

Not that it should have been difficult to predict. His reputation in France was as an egotistical player more interested in his own personal position rather than of his team. Liverpool were concerned about this – Houllier apparently enquired with former assistant Patrice Bergues who by then had become sporting director at Lens – but still pressed ahead.

It was a huge mistake, the biggest in a disastrous summer (Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou were also signed that year) that ultimately killed off Gerard Houllier. Jamie Carragher would, much to Diouf’s apparent irritation, later comment that he’d never come across a player as disinterested in winning as the Senegal striker.

Sadly, Diouf is far too typical in modern day Liverpool. The club has struggled because there have been too many average players in the side. Yet that doesn’t completely explain it: there have also been far too many who didn’t have the right attitude. How can any player justify playing pass the pound during games? Or the ‘win or lose first to the booze’ mentality of the nineties?

Character isn’t something that a scout can easily pick up on. Then again, far too often warning signs have been ignored. Players have been bought despite the blemishes in the personal history with the vain hope that they will change. Others have been brought in and been overwhelmed by what was expected of them. And Liverpool continue to struggle as they will until this negative circle of not looking beyond a player’s technical abilities is broken.

This article initially appeared in Well Red magazine. Any views can be shared with A Liverpool Thing on Twitter.

The Lad Can Play: John Flanagan

2011-01-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

The talent of some players is easy to spot. They have the passing ability or the fancy tricks that catch the eye and stand in memory. For them, everything seems to come easily; perhaps too easily considering how many ultimately fail to progress when it starts getting difficult.

Other players know that there they have limitations but that knowledge helps make them better. They realise that they must train harder and give everything during games because otherwise they'll have nothing to behind which to take cover; they can't point to some amazing goal scored as their contribution. These players tend to be overlooked with their impact on a game being considered as irrelevant. Yet players with such a character are as important to teams as those who can put through a match winning pass. For these are the players who can pull a team through when others are struggling and they are the ones who really shine in difficult moments.

It is such determination that marks out John Flanagan. Nothing that he does gets anything other than his full commitment. He throws himself in every tackle, every pass, every run he makes. Comparisons can be ruinous for those of his age but it is impossible not to see similarities between him and Jamie Carragher. It is hardly surprising to learn that it is on the Champions' League winning defender that he tries to model his game.

Those who have been following Carragher for some time, however, know that there is more to him than commitment. And so too with Flanagan. His tackles might be hard but his awareness of what is happening around him allows Flanagan to anticpate passes most of the time rather than having to dive in to get the ball. When he does have to tackle, there is an impressive maturity to him because very rarely does he concede what can be considered as silly fouls, the kind which senselessly result in free kicks from dangerous areas. As with some of his most illustrious predecessors, his tackles might be hard but they're also fair.

A defender's role today, however, isn't simply limited to stopping play but also being able to play the ball and support attack, a need that is even more pressing for full-backs. It is an aspect of his game that needs improvement and, typically, he has been working hard to do just that. The progress he has made since stepping up to the reserves has been astounding. Few knew of Flanagan when he first joined up that set-up but since then he has consistently been one of the best players. From an unknown he has become someone being spoken about as having a chance of making a further step up.

For that to come about there is still some time ago - and perhaps a loan period elsewhere to gain experience - but if he keeps improving as he has that is a gap that should be bridged.