Extracts from an interview(by e-mail)that John Henry gave to a Telegraph reporter last August. What are your targets for this season? Is there a minimum requirement for Kenny Dalglish and his team? Manchester United has done an incredible job of building a young, talented, deep squad. I watched a number of their pre-season matches and they seemed in top form even then. We’ve just begun to build and are years behind them so we don’t expect this to be our year to win the Premier League. Manchester City seems to have unlimited spending restraint and are attempting to have all-star quality at each position - two deep. That will be hard to beat. This year our goal is to get back to Champions League. This is a club with a history in European competition and people throughout the world - at least our supporters - yearn for European nights. That’s our first goal. But it won’t be at all easy as there are 6 big clubs - among the best in Europe - fighting for 4 spots. So JH realised how difficult it would be to walk back into the top 4 in KD's first full season in charge. A large share of the money you have spent on recruitment has gone on British players (Henderson/Downing/Adam). Was this a determined strategy? If you compare the fees spent on any British, and specifically English, player with those spent on foreign counterparts there appears to be a market premium for buying British talent. Do you believe this is the case? And if so why were you prepared to pay those premiums? Everyone seemed to think that Liverpool was over-valuing British players this summer. But when the Premier League has the whole world to choose players from and there is a substantial homegrown rule, British players are going to be highly valued. Look at the prices paid this year for Conor Wickham and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. At Liverpool we have purchased each player for a different reason. It doesn’t mean we are going to solve all of our issues in one season, but we are headed in the right direction. So Kenny was directed to buy British by the owners? Could you describe your personal involvement in the recruitment process this summer? This first year I have tried to be as involved as I could so as to learn as much as possible in a short period of time. Tom and I are always questioning everything in Boston. Always. And that is done in a very positive way because we have very talented people in the key positions. It is now working the same way in Liverpool. I want to know why we are doing what we are doing on the pitch and with regard to player acquisition. I wouldn’t be doing my job in allocating resources if I wasn’t able to make sense of the individual steps we are taking within the context of our overall philosophy. Consequently there is no doubt that Kenny, Steve, Damian, Ian, Tom and I share a long-term, disciplined philosophy that encompasses all aspects of the operation. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this rebuilding effort. JH involved in the signing of players(not just putting the money up front)? To many chefs spoil the broth. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-the-club-before-his-overhaul-at-Anfield.html
Where are the mistakes? After all, on paper the purchases all looked pretty good. What you can't legislate for is form. Has he let talent leave the club for a song? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall the axe falling on some pretty rotten players (Konchesky, Poulsen, to name two dire members of the embarrassing club) and the only one who we might really miss - Aquilani - just doesn't want to play for the club. Have his purchases all been duds? So early in their Anfield careers, its too early to tell for most of them. His biggest signing is 'one for the future' even if the money spent was way beyond what it should have been. The only real disappointment has been Charlie Adam, who has looked (with the exception for a couple of months before Christmas) out of his depth and simply not been able to do anything he could do for Blackpool (Corners, Free Kicks, Penalties). Downing is just about getting into his stride, but again isn't showing the form that earned him his move to 'pool. Henderson has been decent, but has mostly played right mid, not centre mid. Enrique has been the only unqualified success for the team. No, the current team problem seems to be a reliance on key personnel - Agger and Lucas - without whom, defensive solidity and comfort on the ball at the back are not features of the team's game. Add to this the recent throwing away of a 2-0 lead and the players' collective confidence must be pretty shot through. We need an ugly win somewhere, so perhaps more pitch time for Carroll, who looked sharp immediately prior to Suarez' return from suspension, but who's subsequent chances to appear have been limited...
Be fair St signing Carroll for the ridiculous fee we paid was a mistake,and buying players 'for the future' isn't wise when your on a 2yr contract. I want Kenny to succeed and as i pointed out in my post on top of yours i think theres to much interference from above restricting him to do things his way.
Being fair, Page - Carroll's fee was ridiculous, but not playing him after paying said ridiculous fee is moreso (IMO). And I have no problem with a manager signalling his desire to manage FOR the club (by signing players who will mature potentially after they've gone), than manage the club for HIMSELF (by buying a bunch of 29-year-olds on big wages and fees, thereby saddling the club with a timebomb...) I expect you're right regards who's hands are on the tiller. I scent Comolli's influence, probably with an eye to the homegrown rules. Now that this is place (with Kelly, Flanno, Robinson, Spearing also in contention, and Shelvey and Sterling also counting) I'd expect recruitment to improve in other areas, a striker with top class finishing and another ball playing centre half, for example.
The man is completely clueless, you may aswell have let an ape loose with the 100+ million transfer kitty. He has no idea what a world class player is
If Kenny walks at the end of the season he wont divulge what actually went on behind the scenes with regards to 'the homegrown rules' etc etc so we'll have to wait until sombody else does(probably Comolli when the prospective new manager requests full control of scouting/tranfers and he gets his P45),your spot on with your point about our homegrown youngsters that have come through the ranks leaving room for proven players at the top level to be 'bought in'.
I think your problem is that Kenny bought players in the image of Liverpool past. The likes of Downing, Adam and Henderson seem to resemble the types of midfield signings Liverpool made in the 70s and 80s, but for a lot more money. You can see the thinking but it was never going to work in the modern age. The more subtle and scientific aspects of the modern game seem to have passed your manager by.
your biased view of the situation is preventing you from realising your spouting bovine droppings. We have state of the art training facilities and dieticians etc etc,we even have electricity and gas and use decimal coins these days.
Having the facilities and dieticians is not the same as understanding why they're important. And I doubt you use coins.
You'd be very surprised at just how modern and high tech Liverpool Football Club is. Dont believe the sterotypical hype,its a sign of weakness and of not being able to think for yourself.
Obviously your technology isn't advanced enough to be able to polish a turd yet. Shame, seems you insist on buying **** by the bucket full.
Agree some of his buys ain't been good but Suarez and Coates and Enrique are class players. Carroll has had no service! Let's bring in the academy players, suso sterling, Morgan etc
I think the Kenny should be given at least another season, it is very early to judge him. Clearly the results in the league have been far too inconsistent, but Kenny is no fool and is an absolute winner, he will be aware that we need to improve, I believe at the end of next season, if we have not made a significant improvement, then would be the time to ask Kenny to move upstairs. You can't sack the King, he is a Liverpool legend. At the end of the day, he is not damaging the club, even if we finish seventh, he has given the club back it's identity, doing things the Liverpool way. He deserves one more season for who he is, and if he can't improve, then yes, fair play, time to move on. But it would be a shame and I really hope he can get it right. Hopefully we can address the clear problems in the summer, goalscorer, wingers, stop hitting the post. Remember it took Fergie six years to win the league, united fans where calling for his head at one point too. As we have seen with Chelsea, choping and changing the manager is no guareentee for sucess, lets just have a little patience.
I feel for Andy Carroll I think he is a top class striker, who's getting about as much service as a nun!! He thrives on crosses into the box, aside from Gerrard we have no one who can deliver decent service to him. Henderson is up there with Djema Djema in the waste of money stakes, £20 million for decidedly average. And Charlie Adam had half a decent season at Blackpool till teams worked out close him down quickly because he's too slow. As for Stewart Downing he's a championship player at best, you want wingers to attack the fullbacks and deliver crosses, Downing has never done this.
Ivor your a plastic glory hunting manc twat so you wouldn't know that our technology was advanced enough to polish a domestic cup very recently.
Hit a nerve did I? Must be depressing to see yourself sliding even further behind us after "the King" spent 100 mil. Funny to see you all defending that senile old git to the hilt when you couldn't stab poor Roy in the back fast enough. The famous Liverpool way only applies to some managers it seems. Shoulda kept Woy. He's a far better manager, doesn't embarrass himself and knows about football in this millennium. That and the fact he's a champ at managing lower table teams, would have come in handy seems that's where half your players belong and where LFC is inexorable sliding.
The Fergie argument: it is undoubtly true but it keeps bring trotted out by those to support someone they wish to remain. For Roy or Rafa it didn't wash because the counterargument is that no matter how long we give them they would never do it. For many of us Kenny should have a job upstairs as a grandee.
Fair enough, but I sincerly hope the one's that want him moved on are proved wrong. It's not above the realms of imagination that Kenny could turn it around. Who knows, perhaps he won't get the time, if he feels he is losing the fans, he will walk. I see it written here, but don't see it at the games. The fans in general still believe.
