FSG Out - The Rise & Fall of our Controversial Owners
For the entirety of January, I was convinced my football club would recruit that midfielder which was desperately needed. My misguided faith in our owners (doing the right thing) has left me saddened, as I wanted to remember them for all the good they have done for this historical club. It can never be denied how they were able to modernise, restructure, grow, and bring this franchise to the very peak of modern-day football. Their success was built upon smart …
Opinon: United's Transfer Woes a Cautionary Tale (Downfall, Part 2)
Last week I penned a column about how Manchester United's current crisis reflects our own dark days before Jurgen Klopp took the helm. I outlined the struggle that comes with recognizing a "big club" isn't quite so big anymore. This week, for part two of this "Downfall" series on Manchester United, I'd like to look at how Liverpool used intelligent transfers to propel the club to the pinnacle of football, how United's transfer policies have contributed to their current crisis, …
Julian Ward: A Window Of Uncertainty
I would be surprised if any Liverpool player had ever been labeled as for sale whilst under the watch of Jürgen Klopp. Often times a player likely to leave will be lauded for their importance, just prior to their sale. With a strong start to this summer transfer window, there are now more questions than answers regarding the Reds' business.
Sadio Mané is gone, Divock Origi is gone, and Takumi Minamino has also departed. So far, Darwin Núñez and Fábio …
A Bastion Of Invincibility
To look at the current season so far, it’s had far more highs than lows. The quality of the team has often blown opposition sides away, yet still issues are apparent within the group. The Christmas period descended into league wide chaos, and the reds enter the new year with a variety of questions to answer.
As news filters of a potential bid for Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria, it could be that the much needed Gini Wijnaldum replacement is finally …
The New Sporting Director
Any new role undertaken at a sporting team (let alone a major club like Liverpool FC), brings a certain amount a risk, especially when the role was previously engineered with brilliance. FSG have made some high profile mistakes along the way, yet the overall structure of the club is now one to be admired.
As Michael Edwards gets ready to depart his role as Sporting Director, Julian Ward was immediately confirmed as his successor. As with the celebrated American TV …
A New Recruitment Strategy
As Liverpool close in on another painful transfer window, Michael Edwards must soon decide how he is to engage in what could be his final dealings as Liverpool’s Sporting Director. Since FSG installed Michael Edwards into his role, he has had a near faultless record in being able to recruit undervalued players, thus allowing Jürgen Klopp to turn such players into bonafide superstars. The ability to engineer certain deals was always based upon club sales, and given the market is …
The FSG Dilemma
With the window now shut, it’s a worrying and continuing issue that has seen Liverpool fall behind their immediate rivals in the summer's recruitment. With vast sums being spent by both Manchester clubs, Tottenham & Chelsea, it’s now becoming a worry to see a club at the level of Liverpool seemingly happy to sit on their hands. When Ibrahima Konate arrived early in the summer, it gave the fanbase false hope of what was to come. With other areas of …
Who Replaces The Irreplaceable?
All good things come to an end, it’s sad but true. There’s always that outstanding TV show you binged, that particular period of time that you loved, or even the sport you played, that eventually had to come to an end. Time catches up with everything & everyone, especially in football.
When you look at Roy Hodgson and his tenure as Liverpool manager, it was a sad, depressing and underwhelming period that couldn’t end quick enough, much like reality TV …
Fabinho - A World Class Extension
Extending contracts within a transfer window can be underwhelming for many fans. The need to see a marquee signing arrive can become obsessive, to the point of panic. The new shiny toy can be marvelled at, but we must never forget those who got Liverpool to where they are, and where they strive to be.
When world class teams achieve great things, the most important task is to ensure the squad is not torn down. In Liverpool’s case, they have …
Why Liverpool's buy-to-sell model needs looking at
Liverpool are, rightly, lauded for their transfer business. They’ve been near faultless with their incomings since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival in 2015. The Reds have mastered the whole finding undervalued assets and turning them into stars thing.
On the few occasions they’ve gone big on a player, the recruitment team have got it spot on with the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson having a transformative impact on the team.
They used to be just as effective at moving players …