Well, I didn't want you all to think I was jumping on some kind of bandwagon last season, with "one swallow makes a summer" big talk and heaping praise on the man who could've gone to any top club but chose us. Gifted us his services, really. He refused a DoF and to even interview for a job which was, let's be honest, beneath him after that woeful Dalglish season, when we had the ignominy of winning a stupid Mickey Mouse trophy and scraping to the final of that other meaningless silver thing, while being pathetic in that most glorious of comps, the Europa. Beating the top teams was a fluke we didn't seem able to replicate in Eastern Europe. Kenny even had them all aiming for the woodwork and they lucked out in hitting it over 30 times that season. Maybe if he'd told them to aim for the net instead, eh? Did we need another two seasons of aiming for the woodwork? No, we did not. But that's what would've happened.
So it's to Brendan's immense credit that he was able to get that squad overhauled with some shrewd purchases after one season, then make another shrewd move in getting out of the Disney tournaments and even sacrificing the Europa to concentrate on the league, keeping Sturridge fit wth one game a week. He only needed 13 players most of the season, which is so 70s it was almost like Paisley was in the dugout. Happy days. We'd have won it, too, if that muppet Gerrard had the tactical nous to realise as last man you don't slip. You've got to control that pass and look for the centre backs out wide. It's in the philosophy, FFS!
It's not like any mid-table manager would've had the foresight to know reducing the number of games is the path to success, much less have the chops to make it happen, even with Suarez firing on all six. That is why Brendan's win % has gone from a measly, Sub-Hodgson 44% when he took the job, for which I judged him so harshly, to a historic 45.1%. And in only three seasons, mind, including this, the transition season. Because losing Suarez took six replacements and year three is always the one where you build the first XI, who will obviously need time to gel. Unless they're bad buys like Downing. (How **** is he at WHU, bytheway?) Luckily the Rodgers name and his unique pass-and-move philosophy attracted what we needed to go forward. Lambert + Balotelli = the Future.
It sucks that next year will have to be another transition season now Gerrard's left but Sterling will obviously appreciate the blame Rodgers has placed on his agent to get the lad back onside with the fans. How dare this greedy bastard turn down £100,000. What does he want, medals? If it walks like a greedy duck and it talks like a greedy duck, it's probably a wantaway player. C'mon, lad, take the money and stop this greed nonsense.You know from Suarez's experience that you won't get away until next season, not with two years left to run on your contract. And we can afford transition seasons right up to year seven so you won't be missed, eventually.
So yeah, I stayed off the bandwagon and appreciated in silence but hooboy, my opinion changed like a dog that became a cat. I read the media and I learned my lesson, a lesson which, I have to remind you guys, was given to us when Roy was here and we didn't listen: nice guys make great managers. England's success proves we were wrong about Roy. As wrong as I was about Brendan.
Sorry about that.