A Liverpool Thing

A Lot of Questions

2009-07-16T14:00:00.000+02:00

Far too often in recent years, Liverpool’s internal dramas have been played out in public. It was tasteless and unseemly but at least once Rafael Benitez was handed the new contract that he wanted, the stories seemed to die down.

Or that was the case until the summer began. Because suddenly Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano became daily features in the news: the first being rumoured to be on his way to Real Madrid and the second apparently wanted by (and wanting to go to?) Barcelona. Coming after a season that proved that the foundations were there to take the final step forward and win the league title, the threat of seeing such an effective midfield combination broken up is all the more frustrating.

Yet, away from those two stories, there has been a third player whose apparently unavoidable departure seems to have been forgotten: Alvaro Arbeloa.

Arbeloa’s willingness to leave Liverpool has been rumoured since last summer when it was said that his family hadn’t settled in. Eventually, that story went away but only temporarily. Come the summer and stories about his departure once again started to resurface.

Once Liverpool signed Glen Johnson then this became practically an inevitability and everyone accepted this without any fuss. Real Madrid then came along with their usual low-end bid, expecting Liverpool to roll-over and accept. Only that Benitez was that willing to act like a circus seal and the move has stalled.

At least temporarily since even Benitez has publicly accepted that Arbeloa will leave. Which leads to a whole series of questions and surprises.

First of all, there’s the lack of fuss around his departure. Arbeloa was practically ever-present last year and he had a pretty good season: why isn’t doesn’t anyone seem to care that he will leave? How come his contribution wasn’t appreciated?

There is of course the other side of the picture. Wanting to move back home is understandable if there’s a member of your family who hasn’t settled in. What is much less clear is his eagerness to move to Real Madrid. After all, this is the club that didn’t give him the opportunity to progress when he was younger, not to mention the side that contains Sergio Ramos who is the player that is keeping Arbeloa out of the Spanish national team.

This latter point does at least clear up one thing: the decision to leave is down to Johnson’s arrival because Arbeloa is indicating that he’s more than willing to be considered as the back up option because that is what he’ll be at Real.

It is somewhat disappointing. Liverpool put their fate in Arbeloa three years ago when he hadn’t even played a full season of top-flight football in Spain and helped him develop into a Spanish squad national. Would that have happened had he stayed in Spain? Possibly, but being at Liverpool certainly raised his profile and helped his cause.
Had he opted to go for another club – one where he would have been a regular starter – then it would have been completely different. As things stand, the acceptance of a move to Real seems like a huge waste of talent and frankly borders on the insulting for Liverpool.

A Look At: Wark On

2009-07-14T14:00:00.000+02:00

Book Review: Wark On by John Wark

It must be impossible for those who played top flight football in the era of pre-Premiership riches not to wonder how their lives would have panned out had they been born a couple of decades later. Take Glen Hysen: the Swedish central defender who played for Liverpool in the early nineties recently ended up on the dole after a Swedish broadcaster opted not to renew his contract.

John Wark might not have had similar problems, yet such thoughts will have surely crossed his mind. One of the most effective midfielders of his time, Wark combined the agression that was typical of English football with a technique that many assumed was missing. Best of all, he had a knack for scoring goals that often saw him finishing near the top in goal-scorer's tables.

Today, such a player would be able to command huge fees - just see what Paul Scholes or Steven Gerrard earn for an indication - yet during Wark's time all the power lay with the clubs. Therefore, whilst he earned enough money to live comfortably during his playing days, it certainly wasn't enough to set him up for the rest of his life.

That much is apparent when going through the final pages of his auto-biography Wark On where he goes through the contracts he signed, the signing-on fees, the wages and the bonuses he earned. It is eye-opening and easily the most entertaining part of the whole book. Well, that and the cover design that can alter between Wark during his Liverpool times or else from his time at Ipswich.

Which is not said to put the rest in a bad light. Wark chooses to adopt a calm tone, prefering not to enter needless controversies and instead opting to reminisce about how good the old times were. It is a style that sits comfortably with him and, frankly, is how it should be. Don't know whether it helps boost sales, though.

Despite the Liverpool evoking title to the book, there is little doubt that Wark's main love was Ipswich with whom he played on two seperate (and completely contrasting) occasions. He has nothing but positive things to say about Liverpool, even about the way that he left the club and, overall, portrays the club in a very good light.

All of which makes Wark On a nice, if not compulsive, read.

Spanish Move Reveals True Character

2009-07-13T14:00:00.000+02:00

It was always going to be tough for Jermaine Pennant to suceed at Liverpool. For one thing, there was his troublesome past that many were unwilling to forget no matter what he did or how he behaved. But, more than that, there was the feeling that Pennant had been a fallback option that Rafael Benitez had gone for because he either didn't have the money or the authority to buy the players that he really wanted.

All of which inevitably weighed Pennant down. Almost fearful of making mistakes, early on he stayed too much on the right often opting to put in crosses instead of the risker, but possibly more effective, option to try and beat the right back. Rather than do him any favours, this added even more pressure on him as it strengthened people's view that he was second rate. Adding to the chorus of criticism was his almost complete inability to score and soon the realisation hit home that, as many had so vociferously said, he wasn't good enough to be a regular player for Liverpool.

Then again, he wasn't as bad as some make out. Pennant's other main problem was his inconsistency. Occasionally he would put in a magnificent performance - none more so than in the 2007 Champions League Final - but then he would follow that with a series of completely mediocre ones. If a player manages to balance his bad games with his good ones then there isn't that much of an issue. Pennant, however, got the ratio horribly wrong. And the harder he tried, then the more he seemed to struggle.

Eventually, as is his habit, Benitez decided that he wanted to get rid of Pennant. To his merit the player tried to stay on as much as possible in a bid to earn a new contract but unfortunately for him Benitez isn't one to change his mind easily. Hardly surprising then, that after a season in which he was first shut out from the first team and then sent out on loan, Pennant has left the club.

What is surprising, however, is his choice for the next club. Forget the rumours linking him to Valencia and AC Milan, he could easily have chosen to go for the one of many middling Premiership clubs like Portsmouth, Sunderland and Tottenham who were all apparently interested in him. The money there would have been quite good and he wouldn't have needed to work particularly hard to prove his worth at any one of those clubs.

Yet instead he has opted to join Real Zaragoza, a club that in Britain remains famous for having beaten Arsenal in the Cup Winners' Cup final thanks to Nayim's improbable lob. It is a bold move, one that should portray Pennant in a different light. Indeed, here is a player who, aware that for him things aren't going to get better than playing for Liverpool, has opted for a whole new challenge whilst displaying a desire to grow as a player by testing himself in a new league.

If anything is to make people forget his past, then hopefully this is it.

Spreading the Word: A Word on Tony Barrett

2009-07-09T11:00:00.000+02:00

It is not often that there's a thread about a journalist on an internet forum, much less one where positive things are said about the writer in question. Yet Tony Barrett now has that 'honour' to his name with threads praising him both on The Liverpool Way and Red and White Kop.

Originally both threads appeared because fans were wondering where he was seeing that he had been absent from the Liverpool Echo for some time. That was apparently down to a holiday and this week he was back with a couple of articles.

Yet the return won't last for long as, apparently, he has been offered a job at the Times. It is a massive achievement for him and a major step upwards for a truly talented writer who has written some of the best stuff about Liverpool in recent years. Over the past season I occasionally took a look at what was being said about Liverpool and his writings regularly featured.

This also means that the Times now becomes compulsive reading for Liverpool fans as Barrett will be joining fellow reds Tony Evans and Oliver Kay, both of whom are excellent writers as well.

Two years ago, the Echo lost a very good writer in Chris Bascombe (whatever your opinion of him since joining the NOTW, when it the Echo he wrote some really good stuff), and replaced him with a brilliant one. Can they do the same this time round? Let's hope so

Liverpool After Pirlo (Not Really)

2009-07-06T14:00:00.001+02:00

Let me see if I’ve got the hang of this. Liverpool might be losing Xabi Alonso so they would need a ball playing midfielder in order to replace him. That’s step one; step to is trying to see who this replacement could be. I rack my brains (or do a quick google search) to see which players might fit into a similar pattern and come up with a name. In this case it is Andrea Pirlo. Now all I’ve got to do is put everything together. So here goes:

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez promised one further signing this summer and could be about to do just that when this week they launch an audacious bid for Andrea Pirlo. With Xabi Alonso eager to leave for Real Madrid, the Anfield club knows that there is the need to find an adequate replacement and Benitez has identified Pirlo as the man to do that. AC Milan have made it known that they are listening to offers for their players in a bid to sort out their debt. Whether they would be willing to let a fans’ favourite like Pirlo go, however, remains to be seen.

And there it is: my first rumour. Because, looking at the rubbish stories that come out, that is definitely what is done. Of course, it all depends on how much you happen to like Liverpool or not. Pirlo, for instance, is a best case scenario whilst if you really have it in for Benitez you would put in the name of someone like Didier Zokora.

The worst part of the summer – much worse than the lack of football – is the number of made up stories that come out. Similarly, the most irritating aspect of this time of year is that so many people are willing to believe anything that is written. Regardless of the rubbish that is thrown their way, they keep gobbling it up.

The Worst Offenders
This was always the case with tabloids but the internet, and the hunger of sites to drive traffic their way in order to boost advertising hits, has raised the stakes much higher.

FansFC
Spurious rumours galore as they blatantly come up with stories such as those linking Obafemi Martins and Maxi Rodriguez.

The New Football Pools
Recent arrivals on the scene, they have taken things on to another level coming up with headlines that include up to three or four teams in order to draw in as many people as possible at the same go.

Goal.com
These guys adopt a slightly different tactic to the rest in that they see what the foreign media is saying and then translate everything if an English team is mentioned. To their credit, the authors’ names are published.

Tribal Football
The daddies of the current trend, having been around for five years, they don’t really make up stories but only regurgitate what everyone else is saying and disguising it under attractive headlines.

Gone and Quickly Forgotten

2009-07-01T14:00:00.000+02:00

History books will show that Liverpool's 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Olympique Marseilles in the Champions League of two years back ultimately didn't matter. After a shaky start, Liverpool managed to recover enough to make it through the group stages and, eventually, the semi-final.

For one player, however, that game proved to be pivotal. Sebastian Leto was included from the start as Rafael Benitez made a raft of changes that effectively led to an abject performance. Unfortunately for the Argentine winger, he was one of the worst of a bad bunch on the night and his reputation was sealed during those ninety minutes.

It mattered little that he set up two goals a couple of weeks later as Liverpool overcame Reading in the League Cup. Much less that he looked a class apart whenever he played for the reserves. The Marseilles game was what mattered and as a result, he was a bad player.

Not that he had the opportunity to prove anyone wrong. An apparently legitimate Italian passport turned out to be fake and, given Liverpool's success with work permits, inevitably he was denied permission to stay.

This was followed with a season long loan at Olympiakos, a move that was supposed to give him regular football and also an opportunity to prove his worth at the Champions League. Unfortunately for them, they were knocked out in the final qualifying round which meant a season in the UEFA Cup that was hardly of interest to anyone.

Even so, a season in Greece was enough to show what kind of player Leto really was. The basis for judging him was simple: if he took the league by storm and established himself as one of the best players then he was a worthy of a Liverpool return; otherwise get rid.

And, it is fair to say, that he didn't take the league by storm. His was a good season spiced with flashes of creative play that hinted as to why Liverpool had bought him. Yet, the memory of the season that really stuck was that of his fight with manager Ernesto Valverde that saw the player being suspended. Not the ideal way to get noticed.

All of which led to an inevitable situation. Liverpool applied for a work permit but without much conviction - the negative experience of Mark Gonzalez has taken the desire to fight such rulings out of Liverpool - so it was hardly surprising that the bid failed.

Throughout all this there was also little effort to hide that Liverpool now saw him as a saleable asset. Bought for £1.8 million, there was never any doubt that the club would turn out Panathinaikos' £3million bid that will generate a profit and also add to the funds available for Benitez.

So Leto will be sold leaving behind him no visible mark that he passed through and few regrets. Except, perhaps, the doubts of what might have happened had that Marseilles game gone differently.

A Guarded Welcome

2009-06-30T14:00:00.000+02:00

Right back wasn't exactly a position many thought Liverpool needed to look at this summer. Certainly not if it meant spending £17 on it. Yet, as so very often happens, Rafael Benitez thought differently.

In reality, he's been looking for a player of Glen Johnson's abilities - an attack minded right back - for quite some time. Three summers back he tried desperately hard to buy Daniel Alves from but ultimately failed because Liverpool didn't want to pay as much as Seville wanted. Then there was the fleeting interest shown in Rafinha and eventually the signing of Philip Degen for the Swiss, if he ever manages to get fit, is supposed to be quite dangerous going forward.

Johnson, therefore, is the end of a long search and, at the same time, the first opportunity where Benitez has had the ultimate say on which players to buy. Indeed it is, in many ways, an immediate test of the decision to give him the final say on how to spend whatever money he is given.

Typically, it is a choice that won't be shared universally. That Johnnson comes from an excellent season isn't in doubt and nor is anyone disputing that he has had some decent showings for the national side but not the same can be said of his ability to star for a side aiming to win the league.

That so much has been spent on a defender also seems like a luxury that you wouldn't think that a club in Liverpool's situation should be splashing on.

Obviously Benitez doesn't see it that way. Johnson will give him the width and push from the right that has been missing from his teams. He might have to sacrifice some defensive solidity but tha is, in his opinion, a risk worth taking. Just as signing Johnson is.

Spreading the Word: The Nicola Saric Story

2009-06-29T14:00:00.000+02:00

There's a lot of rubbish posted on internet fora, none more so during the transfer window when everybody has an opinion on who Liverpool should by and why the players that Benitez is going to bring in aren't good enough / the missing piece in the puzzle (delete as appropriate).

Occasionally, however, something worth reading sticks out.

The moving story of Liverpool reserve Nicola Saric is one such instance. The piece originally appeared on a Danish newspaper but a Liverpool fan has translated it for those who visit redandwhitekop.com and we highly recommend reading it.

Anderson Off To Forest

2009-06-29T07:58:00.002+02:00

There's been a lot of hype around Paul Anderson since he joined Liverpool, primarily because at the time the highly-rated John Welsh was sacrificed to get him. When he then played a key role in Liverpool's victory of the FA Youth Cup, the expectations balooned and they did so again when he went out on loan at Swansea where he was one of their best players as they won promotion to the Championship.

All of which has often led to calls to give him the opportunity to show his worth at Liverpool. But that doesn't look like it is going to happen as it seems that he is off to Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £750,000.

Not that this was unexpected. Towards the end of last season, we had spoken to a number of Forest fans to get their views on Anderson and most said that, whilst they thought that he was a good player, they didn't think that he was good enough for Liverpool. A view that apparently Rafael Benitez seems to share.

Spreading the Word: Yellow Fever

2009-06-27T09:36:00.002+02:00

Come now, admit it, we've all had a laugh at Newcastle every now and then. You can't fail to do so given just how many bad signings they make and how every minor squabble is played out in the open.

Which is why, perhaps, many did not want to see them relegated. That and the fact that they usually guarantee six easy points for Liverpool.

Yet, enough is enough. For, when you thought that they couldn't pile any more humiliation on them, Newcastle come out with this horrendous kit that is officially described as yellow and orange but to me looks like the colour of piss. Which is just what they're taking out of the Newcastle fans.

A Different Angle to George Gillett

2009-06-26T14:00:00.000+02:00

It is fair to say that George Gillett isn't among the most liked men on Merseyside. Indeed, he'd probably struggle in a 'try to contain yourself when you see him' contest. So to see what the fans - or at least the journalists - in Montreal think of him now that he's decided to sell the Montreal Canadiens is something of an interesting exercise.

In particular, it sounds strange to hear just how well liked he is.

Unlike Liverpool, when he took over the Canadiens there was a fair bit of suspicion about his motives and not many were happy about an American taking over a Canadian sporting institution. At the time, and this will sound familiar, Gillett replied to that criticism by promising that he would protect the club's history and that he viewed himself purely as a custodian.

And, it would seem, he has kept his word.

"Fear and loathing had long given way to respect, even affection for a man with a self-deprecating sense of humour who had proven not to be Godzilla with an American passport," wrote Dave Stubbs in the National Post http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=1719820 earlier this week. "Gillett had not, in fact, invaded Montreal to stomp the Canadiens flat or use the club's long thread of history as dental floss."

Stubbs goes on to recall a conversation with Gillett about the initial reaction to his takeover. "My reaction was not to get angry [about the early criticism], but ask that we be judged on our record [with the Canadiens], not the past," Gillett said on a flight to Toronto for the awards ceremony. "I made a mistake years ago. I can only live with that so long. At some point, you have to look at what I've done more recently. To the benefit of Quebec and particularly Montreal, they have turned the page and allowed my family's actions to speak louder than words."

And Stubbs isn't the only one to talk about Gillett this way. In a piece entitled 'A Debt of Gratitude for Gillett', Jeff Blair write in the Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/a-debt-of-gratitude-for-george-gillett/article1191330/ that "while Montreal gets ready to celebrate the return of the Molson family to ownership of the NHL franchise – saving it from the cheesy clutches of the likes of Pierre Karl Péladeau and René Angelil – it is wise to give Gillett his due."

"He accorded the Canadiens’ history an enormous amount of respect (it is to his credit, and that of club president Pierre Boivin, that Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy was repatriated) and always seemed to err on the side of tradition, which was necessary from the start to keep at bay the fear he was a carpetbagger."

Words of praise that jarr when compared to the criticism that his time at Liverpool has been levelled at him. Not that this is unjustified.

Of course, the most telling statistic of this whole story is that Gillett bought the Canadiens for $270 million and has sold them on seven years later for $550 million which makes it one of the biggest deals in NHL history. A handsome profit but also an indication into how he operates. For the basic fact is that he sold the Canadiens because he sees Liverpool FC as a vehicle for even higher returns.

What will be interesting is to see what Gillett does next. Will he pay back some of the debt that has been saddled on the club? And will he use some of the money to kick-start the building of the new ground? If he does that, then perhaps by the time he decides to sell up there will be those willing to write as many positive things about him as there have been in Canada.

Spreading the Word: Insight on Jesus Fernandez

2009-06-25T09:55:00.003+02:00

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of goal.com: they're far too interested in spreading (mostly unfounded) rumours to take them seriously.

Yet occasionally they do come up with something that is worth reading. This week's interview with Cadiz youth coach Quique Gonzalez is a case in point.

The piece is of interest because it focuses on recent Liverpool addition Jesus Fernandez. What makes it particularly noteworthy is that it provides some insight into the talent of this 16 year old boy.

There's no mention of the comparison with Cesc Fabregas, contrary to how he was portrayed by most papers but, don't worry, it does say that we will be getting one of the best talents in Spain.

What will be interesting about the deal is to see where Fernandez ends up playing. So far, any young player bought by Benitez went directly to the reserves team. But will that be the case now that Benite has full control over the academy? Or will he opt to keep him in the U18s to see how he develops?

Faith No More

2009-06-24T14:00:00.000+02:00

Strange as it might seem, for the past three years Liverpool fans have often had to defend Javier Mascherano.
First there were those who questioned the wisdom of buying a player who had failed to make an impact at West Ham. Then came those that saw him as being too much of a defensive minded player; good at winning the ball but not very good at doing anything with it. There were those who seriously questioned Benitez’s judgement when he chose to pay ₤18 million for what is generally described as a water carrier. And I can’t think of anyone who didn’t feel the compulsion to support him in the aftermath of the (avoidable and stupid) sending off at Old Trafford last season.

Now it is time for some payback. With Real Madrid and Barcelona sniffing around, the least that was expected of Mascherano was to reward those who have supported him throughout by claiming that he wasn’t interested.

Yet, far from hearing such words, fans have had to listen to claims by his agent that Mascherano would be honoured to join either one of the Spanish clubs. And, even worse, we get Mascherano himself who fans the flames of these rumours by suggesting that he wouldn’t mind moving.

Which is downright disgusting. What has to be done to remind Masherano how much he owes Liverpool? That his career was going nowhere before Rafel Benitez popped by to offer him the life-line of moving to Liverpool? If it hadn’t been for Liverpool, Mascherano would have probably returned home to Argentina, another player who had tried to prove his worth in Europe and failed

Such actions, apparently count for nothing for the indications are that Mascherano would gladly leave the club that has given him so much. Because, let’s not kid ourselves: this has been dragging for far too long for it to be simply speculation.

Cutting More Than The Dead Wood

2009-06-22T14:00:00.000+02:00

In ‘normal’ life, when a company gets taken over you expect there to be some changes at the top. Irrespective of how good the people were or whether they were doing their job well, most of the times the feeling is that they have to go in order to make a break from the past and show that things are about to change.

That is one way, I guess, how you can explain the departures in recent weeks of key academy staff like Dave Shannon and Hughie McAuley. They weren’t bad at their job – indeed Shannon is praised in the Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard’s and Robbie Fowler’s biographies – but they had been at the academy too long to really believe that Rafael Benitez could have put in place his vision for Liverpool’s youth set-up with them in place.

Malcolm Elias is completely different. His reputation at Southampton was nothing short of exceptional having spotted the likes of Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Eddie McGoldrick. Within the space of two years at Liverpool, he had proven that those were by no way lucky finds.

Lauri Della Valle, for instance, has been a great find and worthy of the promotion to the reserves squad that he’s just achieved. Same goes for Christopher Buchtmann who was one of the stars of the Germany team that recently won the European U17 trophy. Then there is Andre Wisdom, the sixteen year old central defender who already looks capable of handling himself at a much higher level. All of these players look safe bets at making the step up.

And if Elias had managed to attract such players with all the speculation and doubt that there was around the academy set-up, one can only imagine what he could have achieved when the new system was in place and with Benitez directly over-seeing things. His, I fear, will be a major loss.

What Benitez is doing at the academy makes sense: get all teams playing the same way, focus on their technical skills, put in a mixture of local and foreign coaches all of whom are highly qualified. Yet, as with all revolutions, sometimes you run the risk of overdoing things, cutting not only the dead-wood – for want of a better word – but the whole tree.

Let’s hope that’s not the case here.

Don’t Question Benitez’s Judgement

2009-06-17T14:11:00.000+02:00

It could be that I’m hyper-sensitive but there are a lot of people out there who are quick to remind us of the number of bad buys that Rafael Benitez has made in the five years that he has been in charge at Liverpool. Remember Morientes, they ask, and Josemi? And how can anyone forget about Robbie Keane?

Of course, it is true that Benitez has made some bad buy but these tend to be overwhelmed by the good ones. There’s Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel for instance. And who brought in Xabi Alonso? Even Fernando Torres, a signing that at the time was shrouded in doubt – remember those who claimed that he wouldn’t score enough goals for us – can be viewed as something of a bargain seeing what is being paid for strikers these days.

Indeed, perhaps the biggest compliment that can be made to Benitez is that he’s managed to build a team capable of challenging for both the Premiership and the Champions League with the budget that has been made available. This might seem like a strange statement given that Benitez has been given millions to spend. What he has never had, however, is the luxury to push that little bit harder and exceed the strict limitations of the budget imposed on him in order to get a player.

Three years ago, Liverpool tried to sign a promising full-back at Seville by the name of Daniel Alves. He was Benitez’s main target and every effort was made to get him. Yet, every time that an agreement seemed to be drawing near, Seville suddenly decided to up the price. And when this went over £12 million it was decided to give up.

Whether this was Benitez’s decision or Rick Parry’s – or both of them agreed – we will probably never know. What we do know is that a year on Alves moved to Barcelona for some £25 million and that Liverpool are now about to pay around £18 million in order to get someone who plays in the same manner as the Brazilian.

There are plenty of other examples. Benitez was interested in both Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey yet his priority was in getting players who were ready for the first team. He just couldn’t match what Arsenal were willing to spend in order to get players who had to wait a couple of years before they could really be considered as being ready enough to play in the Premiership.

Not that Benitez is the first manager to have to face up to these limitations. Roy Evans, for instance, wanted to bring in the experience of Teddy Sheringham yet was over-ruled by a board of directors who thought that the spending money on a 29 year-old didn’t make much sense. Of course, he then went to Manchester United and gave them that little bit extra that led to them winning the treble.

Who knows what would have happened had he joined Liverpool? Just as who knows what would have happened had Liverpool moved faster in order to get a young Portuguese kid by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead they waited a bit longer to think the deal over and suddenly found that Manchester United had agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon.

So, what does this all prove? That perhaps, sometimes, it is better to listen to a manager’s instincts and get the players that he wants even if it means paying a bit more. In the long term, it could prove to be the cheaper option.

Spreading the Word: Aly Cissokho's Rags to Ritches

2009-06-16T14:00:00.001+02:00

At a time when players are changing clubs for sums in excess of ₤50 and ₤80 million, it is hardly surprising that little notice is given to a transfer that amount to just ₤12 million. Even more so when there are no British club involved.

Yet there is plenty that is noteworthy in Aly Cissokho’s move to AC Milan.

Two years ago, Cissokho made his debut at Geugnon in what was a desperate season for them. Anchored at bottom practically from the first day, they were relegated to the French Third Division having won just five games all season.

Eager to avoid playing at such a lowly level, Cissokho moved to Portuguese side Vitoria de Setubal. It was a good move for him, but only just. True, they played in the Portugues Primera Liga but that was about the only positive thing about them. A squad of limited ability coupled with financial problems that saw the players going some two months without being paid, there was never any doubt that they were going to struggle.

So it proved to be yet Cissokho did well enough to attract Portuguese giants Porto to make a move fore him in January. Initially it looked like a stop-gap move, a player signed purely to bolster the squad in case of emergency. Yet that wasn’t the case.

A series of injuries meant that a chance quickly came his way and suddenly Cissokho found himself playing in the Champions League against Manchester United. It was the ultimate test and Cissokho played exceptionally well. As he did for the rest of the season where he helped the side to the Portugues League and Cup double.

That would have been enough to signify a fairytale ending, yet there was more to come. Both Marseilles and Lyon had expressed interest in signing him before, out of nowhere, Milan came in and tabled a ₤ bid

Now all that Cissokho has to do is replace the living legend that is Paolo Maldini. A next to impossible task for many defenders yet, for the man who has made it all the way from Guegnon to the top, not even that will be too much to ask.

I realise that this article has absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool yet it is too good a story to let pass by. Not to mention that it proves that there’s good talent everywhere if you’re willing to look hard enough.

A Look At:: The Rivals Game

2009-06-15T14:00:00.000+02:00

Book Review: The Rivals Game by Douglas Beattie

If you've ever read Four Four Two's regular feature More Than A Game, then there's no doubt that you'll love this book. For the premise behind it is similar: take two clubs where there's a derby and look at what makes games between them particularly fierce.

This isn't as easy a thing as one might think. Objectivity is essential as otherwise you might soon find yourself faced with angry fans of this or that club who feel that you've put them in a bad light.

It is, therefore, a major credit to Douglas Beattie that he pulls this off extremely well. The historical aspects that lead to the rivalry of each derby are looked - indeed this is historical basis is the strength of this book - yet it is interlaced with comments from those who have an attachment to either one of the teams as well as the author's personal experiences from watching the games.

The only criticism that I can lay on 'The Rivals Game' is on its cover design. For some reason they've gone for a shot of fans fighting in order to, I'm assuming here, portray the fierce nature of these games. Given that fighting is rarely mentioned in these books and certainly not glorified it is a strange and frankly offputting choice.

If I really wanted to be pedantic, - could say that he should have looked at relatively smaller derbies, the Bristol one for instance or else that between Blackburn and Burnley. That would have given the book a more rounded feel then simply a look at the major derbies.

Yet that's nitpicking because overall this is a good job and one that, who knows, might lead at a follow up book that takes in European derbies.

Looking for something to read during the summer? Why not take a look at our book reviews.

The Lad Can Play: Euro U21 Special

2009-06-12T14:00:00.001+02:00

With the supply of live football drying out, tournaments like the European U21 Championships take on added significance for those who are already feeling the first twinges of a withdrawal symptoms.

Yet there is more to these championships as they provide the opportunity of taking a look at some players who could be genuine world stars in coming years. And, whilst most of those making the trip with England are already well known, this is definitely not the case for the other teams in the tournament.

So, if you’re looking to know of any players to keep an eye out for, here’s our list of five talents to look out for.

Javi Martinez (Spain - pictured)
The young midfielder first rose to prominence when Atletico Bilbao paid £5 million for the then 17 year-old. Within twelve months, however, he had justified such a fee with a series of inspiring displays at the heart of Bilbao midfield. An excellent passer of the ball and with great vision he is, unsurprisingly, seen as Xabi Alonso heir.

Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Werder Bremen may have lost Diego to Juventus this summer, but in Mesut Ozil they’ve already identified the player who is to take his place. Alongside the Brazilian midfielder, Ozil impressed in the latter stages of the UEFA Cup showing that he is a player who can handle the pressure that comes with high profile games, proving that he has the character to go with his flair.

Mario Balotelli (Italy)
The son of Ghanaian immigrants who was adopted by an Italian family, Balotelli has often been at the heart of controversy this season both because of the racism directed to him and also for his pig-headedness. Yet his talent is undoubted. A fast and strong striker, he can score exceptional goals. Not for nothing that he finished the season as a regular in Jose Mourinho’s Inter.

Gojko Kačar (Serbia)
One of the more experienced players in this tournament, Kacar was involved in the Serbian team that made it to the final two years back and has already made the step up to the senior national team. An extremely powerful player, he is nominally a midfielder yet can play both in the heart of defence as well as in the centre of attack.

Marcus Berg (Sweden)
There are always doubts about host nations’ abilities to make any inroads in such tournaments and such a sentiment has been expressed about Sweden this time round. There can be little doubts over Berg, however, after the young striker first helped Gotheborg win the 2007 Swedish title before making a move to Dutch side Groningen whom he has helped into the top half of the Dutch league.

In Defence of Andrea Dossena

2009-06-11T14:00:00.000+02:00

Think what you will of Andrea Dossena's qualities as a player - and I know that there are those out there who will think very bad things - yet you can hardly find a fault in his attitude.

Frank about his difficulties in adapting to the language and culture, he kept trying his utmost regardless of whether he was starting the game or being sent on for the final few minutes with the result already sealed.

Now that it has become clear that he is surplus to requirements, he has opted to ask for a transfer rather than keep on collecting his wages and wait for the club to make its move, something that would have put him in a better bargaining position.

The sad thing is that Dossena will simply be categorised as a bad (and extremely strange) buy by Benitez.

In reality, it is probably a bit more complicated than that. Althoguh, slowly, Benitez has managed to build a team that is very strong through the centre, he hasn’t been as successful when trying to improve those out wide. Some, like Mark Gonzalez, promised much but delivered very little whilst the limitations of others – Jermaine Pennant and, potentially, Albert Riera – meant that they could never hit the level of performance that he was looking for.

The financial restrictions imposed on the manager also meant that he couldn’t afford to chase the players that he really wanted. So he tried to go for the clever solution.

Which is what led to last summer’s arrival not only of Dossena but also of Philip Degen. The two share similar characteristics in that they are both better known for their offensive play rather than any defensive attribute. Benitez’s plan clearly was that of using his full-backs in order to open up play against teams determined to hold out for a point.

Unfortunately, although good on paper, that plan didn’t work out as expected. Degen proved to be made of glasss and spent the season out injured. For Dossena, the problem was a bit more complex.

True, he failed to settle. Yet what many fail to appreciate is that at Udinese he played largely as a wing-back in a 5-3-2 system. Primarily his job was that to support the strikers with one of the three central defenders covering up for him.

At Liverpool the tactics were completely different. Expected to play as a more conventional full-back, Dossena still pressed forward probably more than was healthy. All well and good except that his lack of pace made him particularly at risk whenever possession was lost. Teams quickly realised that when faced with a quick player, Dossena was in trouble and promptly set out exploiting that weakness.

The defining moment came in the home game against Hull where Bernard Mendy, normally only a reserve player, tore Dossena to pieces. He never recovered from that game and, tellingly, from that point on his appearances came on the left hand side of midfield.

Coupled with the emergence of Emiliano Insua, and he rapidly became surplus to requirements. That didn’t stop him from scoring two important goals that will long live in the collective memories, the fourth against Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Those goals hinted that he could have a future on the left hand side of midfield yet that would have been trying to patch out the problem. Sadly for Dossena, it is much easier to change and start afresh.

Making Liverpool Big in Asia

2009-06-10T14:00:00.000+02:00

Whilst Liverpool's tour to Asia this summer has been touted as an attempt to raise the club's profile the reality is that this is an exercise to, as the Americans call it, make a quick buck. Liverpool have already made such trips before, as have other English and European clubs, yet none have had any lasting impact: the only real profit that football clubs have been able to make from Asia has come from the appearance money earned for playing such games.

The issue is one of approach. It is true that there are many football fans in Asian country and it is equally true that Liverpool is a popular club. The problem is that so are Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona and any one of the big European giants. And it isn't uncommon for people to support three or four clubs at one go.

In other words, there is no affinity for any one club. It is like appreciating a particular actor or actress: you're likely to watch their movies but it doesn't mean that you won't watch anyone else's. And, if that actor suddently starts making bad choices when looking through scripts, then you'll stop watching his movies. Which, translated to football, means that you decide not follow a club when it starts performing badly.

The trick, therefore, is to try and build a relationship with these fans. Which is why the most profitable - in the long term - venture that Liverpool will be making in Asia won't be the team's tour but rather a football centre being set up in India.

Announced earlier this week, the promise is that the 'Abhijit Kadam Football Development Centre' where young footballers will combine their studies with football under the guidance of Liverpool FC coaches will "include, coaching, refereeing, Sports Science, Sports Turf technology and Football Industry Management. Most of the curriculum will be delivered in Pune but students will be offered the chance to complete some of their studies in the UK."

Away from the usual marketing talk, what this project means is that it ensures Liverpool direct involvement in the area. Sure, there is no hiding from the fact that they are in it to make money, but they are giving something in return as well as helping local football. That it is linked with education - a highly valued attribute in many Asian countries - also helps make it an attractive proposal.

On top of everything, however, it also means that all the students who pass through the centre will have a special reason to have a bond with Liverpool FC: they're more likely to become real fans rather than casual ones. Which is what clubs, albeit for their own reasons, are really interested in.

New Academy Head Looking to re-establish a Liverpool Way

2009-06-09T14:00:00.000+02:00

Re-hauling the overall philosophy at the academy. That is the task that Rafael Benitez has set for new academy head Pep Segura who will be looking to see that all teams in the set-up play in a specific manner and with a particular style.

Talking to the Spanish paper AS, Segura said that as the head of the technical areas at the academy, he will be the reference point for all coaching and training sessions. With a large number of staff at the academy being released last week, which included high profile figures like Hughie Macauley and John Owens, it looks like Segura has already set about his job in an area where, yet again, Liverpool seem to have fallen behind.

“Arsenal and Manchester United having been working well with young players for a number of years and Liverpool is now trying to do likewise,” he said.

“At Arsenal, Wenger has had total control [on the academy] for the past fourteen years. The same is now happening at Liverpool where Rafael Benitez is now involved in the day-to-day operations but also in the players’ contracts as well as the technical staff.”

Benitez newly gained power over the academy is evidenced by the fact that Segura was handpicked by him, contrary to what had happened two years back when Piet Hamberg had been appointed. “He (Benitez) asked me what I was doing and at the time I was at out of work. At that point he asked me to come over for a weekend where he told me that he had thought of me for this role. I thought about it for a couple of days and then accepted.”

Having led Olympiakos to a league and cup double, it might seem surprising that Segura has accepted to move back into youth football. Yet, that is where he seems to be most comfortable at.

“I have been in football coaching for the past twenty-six years but only for the past three years have I been working in the senior game. I was the link between Barcelona B and the first team in my final season at the Nou Camp and then spent two years in Greece.”

Given their success in the Champions League with a squad built around home grown players, it is fashionable to try and copy the Barcelona model. That seems to be what Liverpool have gone for and Segura, with eight years of experience at the Catalan giants, seems perfectly suited to do just that.
“One of the keys to success at an academy is to have a clear training and playing ideology throughout the different age-groups so that the players can learn about their positions. Once that’s in place you can leave them on their own.”

“Then there’s the ability to spot players: Messi, Bojan and Iniesta are there because they’re good. True, they came and liked what they saw so they decided to stay at Barcelona. That is also very important.”

“Yet, the secret to continuing with this production line is that everyone knows what their role is, which makes it all easier. Once you have set up the way you work, then year on year you can build on it and get results. I remember that there were some problems when the 4-3-3 style was imposed but they were overcome and the teams play well.”

Which is not to say that clubs with a distinct ideology between the youth and senior set-ups cannot work but, as Segura hints by using Real Madrid as an example, it is more difficult to integrate players into the senior side.

“It is curious because Madrid have a bigger pool from which to choose from than Barcelona and they always have great players. But that is precisely it: Madrid is a factory of individuals but you need to define the philosophy of the club.”
I recall that Angel Pedraza (a former Barcelona and Real Mallorca player) once told me that he wasn’t the best player of his [youth] side but made it to the first team because there was a gap in his role. The same applies to [Sergio] Busquets who is another example of a player who has been trained for a specific role.

It wasn’t a coincidence neither for Pedraza nor for Busquets. They were chosen because they had specific abilities that fitted into the characteristics of a particular position. Lately, I’ve talked a lot about this with Benitez: if you see what way you want to play and are clear about it then you can say that you need a player to play as a 2, 7 or 11 in this or that team. That way everything is better”

“Pedraza was casual about it or is about Busquets. Arrived with a clear profile is set to play and fit into that idea because his features were those of that position. I've commented a lot lately with Benitez: if you look you see a clear way of working what you need: a 2, 7, 11 in this or that team. And you're all the better.”

Original interview by Tomás Guasch for AS.

An End to the Barry Debate

2009-06-08T14:00:00.002+02:00

At long last, the Gareth Barry debate is over. No longer will we hear arguments between Reds who cannot agree whether he would add anything to the side or not. And there will be no further doubts about whether his arrival would force Xabi Alonso out.

Yet the manner in which all these arguments have been settled is undoubtedly surprising. For Barry has left Aston Villa to join not Liverpool or Arsenal, the two clubs that could have given him the Champions League football that he had claimed he was eager for, but rather Manchester City who haven't even qualified for the Europa League.

Inevitably, Barry has claimed that he believes that at Manchester City he has joined a club that is building to challenge, one with a serious project to build a side good enough to win top honours.

That, however, is some way off. Even if they pull off all the transfers that they're claiming, City will still be a top five side at best by next season. Meaning that Barry, at 29, will have wasted a further season.

If this risks sounding like sour grapes, then simply think of Lucas Neill. Two seasons ago he too opted to reject Liverpool in favour of a cash rich club with big ambitions. He too said that he had opted for that move not for the money but because of footballing ambitions.

Well, three seasons later he has just rejected West Ham's offer for a new contract and is looking for a new club. Only that, at 31, he is now past his peak and has certainly lost any opportunity that he had of playing for a big club.

In other words, he made his choice and is now reaping the rewards.

The same applies to Barry. Whether he admits it or not, the truth is that he has gone to Manchester City for the money. He was fully entitled to do that, of course, and good luck to him.

Yet, whilst his bank balance will be considerably better off, it is unlikely that his medal collection will be likewise.

Youth Cup Final Highlights Wrong Mentality

2009-05-26T14:00:00.001+02:00

Men against boys. A strange way to describe the FA Youth Cup final but that is how it seemed as Liverpool's U18 were outplayed by Arsenal in the 4-1 first leg defeat.

The relative ease with which Arsenal racked up that victory leaves very little hope for today's second leg. And it seems to have killed off much of the hype surrounding Liverpool's current batch of hopefuls.

Indeed, if you look around any one of the major forums you will come across a thread discussing this game. Only that by discussing I mean trashing the players.

Joe Kennedy and Daniel Ayala are both crap, apparently. Dean Bouzanis is mediocre and Adam Wisdom can't pass the ball. That, at least, is some of the wisdom you would get by reading these threads.

Given, Liverpool didn't play well enough on the night. Yet they were up against what is undoubtedly the finest youth side in the country and they were doing so without a vital player like Adam Pepper. Good enough reasons, in my opinion, to cut them some slack.

Yet not many seems to think the same way, given the criticism. The irony is that some of those criticisng the quality of the players are also among those critical o Benitez's lack of faith in young players.

One can only imagine the pressure that there would be on any young player given a chance and what sort of criticism he would come under should not everything go his way.

In reality, there's no need to imagine: you only have to look at how a misplaced pass by Lucas is treated or how the introduction of David N'Gog was met earlier in the season

No Celebrations for Finishing Second

2009-05-22T14:00:00.000+02:00

The highest ever Premier league points total, a sustained title challenge that lasted till mid-May, significant wins at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge: as this season comes to a close there seems to be much to celebrate.

Only that's not the case.

Barring any convoluted results Liverpool should finish second next Sunday which, for all the undoubted improvement, still isn't good enough for this club. As Bill Shankly once famously said, "first is first, second is nothing."

Which is not to say that there's a need to feel downcast. Clearly this has been a positive year that has witnessed just five defeats across all competitions, one where the team finally matured and started expressing the kind of football that Benitez has been aiming for all along.

Yet that by itself isn't enough to make it a successful season. In a few years' time people will look at the record books and see that Liverpool won nothing. And that is the real marker for success.

So no, when the league season comes to a close on Sunday I don't want to celebrate and much less do I wish to see any of the players looking satisfied with their achievements.

Indeed, I want them to spend the summer months agonising over what went wrong, mulling over the awful feeling that they could have won the league this time round.

That way they'll return to Anfield eager to kick-off the new season and, more pertinently, determined avoid having to spend such a depressing few weeks. Something that they'll only achieve by going out and winning the league.

For the only way that the current season will ever be considered as having been a truly positive one is if everyone - players and coaching staff - learn to avoid the mistakes that have been made and build on the good that has come out of these past ten months.

Anderson Not Good Enough for Liverpool

2009-05-19T14:00:00.000+02:00

As rumours of Paul Anderson's possible departure - this time on a permanent basis - continue to increase, so too has the disapprovoal at such a move. A fantastic season at Swansea and solid, if injury hampered, one at Nottingham Forest have seen Anderson being identified by some as a potential Liverpoo squad player for next season.

"Anderson has been fantastic for us this season,he's been a little unlucky with injuries, but when played has made a significant difference to the side," says Pete Blackburn, of Nottingham Forest site Lost That Loving Feeling. "Fan opinion will vary on him, but unlike most players, you will find very few that don't rate his contribution to the team whatsoever, and most are desperate for him to sign for us permanently." So far, so expected. As with Swansea last season, Forest are eager to see Anderson join them again and preferably on a permanent basis. Yet the belief that this can actually happen is fuelled by the opinion that he isn't good enough

"Whilst he looks a very good player, and one who could one day play in the Premiership, he's not ready for that yet. At the moment he looks a good quality championship player, and in my opinion, he'll never be good enough for your first team."

Given the expectations around him, it is a somewhat shocking statement. In what way won't he be good enough for Liverpool?

"Attributes wise, Anderson's most impressive attributes are his dribbling, ability to stretch the opposition with his pace, and his excellent work rate. [Yet] his final product in terms of crossing and shooting is still leaves alot to be desired, but there's plenty of time to hone these skills, and even if his crossing never becomes particularly good, as long as he learns to cut in, or to drive the ball accross the box more accurately, he'll be fine, and a very good player."

"Even so I just don't think he's got enough ability to ever be a top class right winger. I think he could be a good player for a lower, or potentially mid table premiership team, but theres much improvement to be done for that. He's not displayed the sort of gift that you would expect from a top 4 winger!"

Without wanting to raise any doubts about Pete's integrity, could it be that he's saying so in the hope that Liverpool do sell? Well, it could be, so we asked Rahoul Baruah, of another Forest site eighteensixtyfive.co.uk, for his opinion. Worryingly, his views echo Pete Blackburn's.

"I really like "Ando". He is pacey, can play both wings, fights for the cause and puts in 100% effort."

"I'm not sure that he's got a future at Liverpool though - in fact without a fair improvement I don't think he'll make it as a Premier League player (of course he's still young so he's got time on that front)."

"But his major issue is that he puts in a lot of work for no real end product. He scares defenders but doesn't put in the cross. He gets in good positions without the killer pass or shot."

"As I say, I really like him and would be very happy if we signed him over the summer (rumours suggest both us and Swansea are making bids) - but he's nowhere near the finished article and topping the Premiership is a _long_ way away for him. If he stays with you I can see him just being loaned out for the next two years at least."

So there you have it. Two independent views that seem to mirror each other, with both saying that Paul Anderson isn't good enough for Liverpool. Views that will shatter the myth around the player and, even though he is still young enough to improve, if Liverpool do decide to sell it wouldn't be the inexplicable decision that some are painting it to be.