Saturday 28 November 2015
Steven Gerrard - One of a Kind.
Tuesday 22 September 2015
Brendan Rodgers is Liverpool Football Club’s all time biggest purchaser.
@clemente_carl for @anfieldeurope
Sunday 30 August 2015
Those were the days.
As I stared into my empty pint glass hours after Liverpool's defeat to West ham, disheartened and saddened by what I had witnessed only a few hours prior. Questions, fears and negativity started to run through my mind.
Obviously, we have to lose, that is football, but the way we lost, after putting in such a heroic display at the Emirates, filling the fans with hope and instilling belief that maybe we are back on the track is simply unacceptable. These hopes were all but shattered after Saturday's dismissal display.
Yet again, the same word always comes to mind; "consistency”, like it has done over and over again for many years. Is it bad management preparing your team so well for one game then relaxing for the next? Players should be mentally and physically prepared for each game in exactly the same way. These days, there are no easy games in the Premier League or in European competitions. Therefore, every encounter should be treated with the same amount of preparation in order to avoid two completely different performances within five days.
The truth hurts; we are nowhere near the level to be playing successful Champions League football. Pot 2 in the Europa league competing against teams most of us have never even heard of is where we are at present. Shankly & Paisley's hard work and legacies are finally dying. The Bootroom is now a part of the Anfield tour, on match days the ground is full of tourists, some even come in Fancy dress and worst still, corporate customers who don't even support Liverpool. Shanks famously described the Kop as a place "Where you've got thousands of friends all and about ya, and they're united and loyal" sadly that isn't the story now.
The fearful question which is always present at the back of Liverpool supporters’ minds is; will the Glory days ever return? Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of our famous FA Cup win against West Ham at the Millennium Stadium in Wales. Without wanting to neither forget nor disrespect our League Cup victory in 2012, Rafa's FA Cup triumph in Cardiff was the last major honour we won and that was nearly ten years ago now. Moreover, we reached the European Cup final either side of winning the FA Cup in 2006, winning one in 2005 & unfortunately finishing runners up in Athens in 2007. In addition, the five trophies we won in 2001 came just four years prior to winning in Istanbul. Therefore, from 2001 to 2007 Liverpool won seven major honours in total and reached a European Cup final, compared to recent years from 2007 to 2015 where the Reds have only just managed to win the League Cup.
Since Brendan Rodgers took control we have signed thirty-two players & spent around £289,680,000 million. Many of his signings, or before you correct me the committee's signings, in which Mr Rodgers is a fundamental member of and ultimately had the final say in, have been, let's just say not as successful as we would have liked. I have said many times Rodgers doesn't convince me. Why would he? What has he done in football to gain our trust and support?
Without wanting to jump the gun, it is going to be a long old season. Let's be honest, Benteke's goal should never have counted at home to Bournemouth and Aaron Ramsey's first half strike was wrongly ruled out at the Emirates. Furthermore, our initial praises for our newly improved defence have now gone out the window since conceding them three woeful goals against The Hammers. They also lacked confidence and composure throughout the entire game, especially Devan Lovren. I strongly believe, if we fail to add a world class centre-back to our squad we are not going to win a lot for a long time.
Anyway, fair play to West Ham for picking up away wins at Arsenal and Liverpool this soon into the new campaign and achieving their first victory at Anfield since 1963. It is frustrating how shocking we were on Saturday. I could not have felt more different in comparison to how I felt after the final whistle was blown at the Emirates last Monday night.
Memories of last season's semi-final against Aston Villa came flooding back to me & as well as games such as Crystal Palace, Stoke and defeat away to Basel in the Champions League. However, on the flip side we were capable of beating Man City; the Premier League Champions at Anfield, consistency again, see what I mean?
When I hear the word 'mediocre' been associated with Liverpool Football Club I feel a sense of anger and sadness. On the one hand, recent success would agree with this assessment of us. However, on the other, Liverpool are not only still the most successful football team in English football, but also one of world football's all-time top clubs.
I am truly grateful for all the hard work past generations have contributed to making Liverpool 'great'. Nevertheless, I am worried about the current situation of our club on and off the pitch. Where are the next Steven Gerrards, Jamie Carraghers & Robbie Fowlers going to come from? We are lining up for the first time in many decades without a Scouser in our starting XI. Being a local lad is a unique attribute that players are only born with and cannot be taught.
I am envious of Liverpool supporters who lived following the club home and away during in 70s & 80s. From 1973-1991 The Reds only finished outside the top two on one occasion and in that year, 1981 we won the European Cup & the League Cup. All we seem to have now is their heart-warming memories & fascinating stories of which will probably be the most successful period of Liverpool Football Club.
As always thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions on Twitter.
@clemente_carl for @anfieldeurope
Sunday 16 August 2015
Listen to the fans, before it is too late.
We obviously can't bring back the standing Kop. However, what about the boys pen? It's a shame that an entire generation of kids will miss out on going the game. Therefore, why not leave 500 or so tickets spare for a friday after school sale, and sell them for a tenna? Under the right supervision from stewards and match officals, kids would then be able to attend games without their parents having to fork out ridiculous amounts of money in order to take them.
Monday 6 July 2015
Raheem Sterling Update
As Liverpool brace themselves for a third and probable final bid for Raheem Sterling. Reports have now emerged that his agent Aidy Ward has cut a deal with the player himself in order to lure him away from Anfield. It has been widely suggested that agent Ward has offered Sterling 50% of his own fee which is usually around 10% of any sale. The amount of money in question could see the 20-year old bank up to £4m of what would ultimately be Aidy Ward's own money.
It's Incredible and even to a certain extent sickening how Aidy Ward is using and manipulating Europe’s most promising young footballer. Without a shadow of a doubt, Aidy Ward sees Raheem Sterling as a once in a lifetime money making product. Wielding the sale of the England youngster would financially set him up for life.
How much does he actually care about Raheem's footballing career? How can this man take on Liverpool Football Club and publicly insult Liverpool Legend Jamie Carragher? Finally, how desperate is this unprofessional businessman? These are the questions running through my mind right now as this unpleasant transfer saga draws to its close.
Regarding how desperate Aidy Ward actually is; offering a 20-year old kid, who comes from a poverty stricken background financial incentives worth millions of pounds, ultimately setting up his own family financially for life, in theory should be a no brainier for Sterling. Raheem is not a Liverpool fan (he grew up supporting Manchester United) and has no emotional ties to the club. His mum lives in London and his daughter is not getting brought up in the city.
Aidy Ward is a selfish, greedy individual who has the sole interest of seeing heaps of “Sterlings" on his own table rather than assisting a potentially world class player to develop his career on the pitch. It doesn't take rocket science to work out what their game is. As a dedicated and passionate Liverpool fan, I'm saddened that my club has to deal with such distractions going into preseason.
I strongly believe, now that Fenway Sports Group " have dug deep into their pockets" as Stevie stated after his farewell game at Anfield and provide us with more than a sufficient transfer kitty, then in my opinion there is no need to cash in on Raheem Sterling.
The only way to stop this is by making a statement. This is Liverpool Football Club. Shankly's club. Yes, Raheem is good but he is not world class yet and certainly is not in the same league Luis Suárez was at the time of requesting and demanding ridiculous amounts of money and insisting everything is done on his terms.
As I've mentioned, his agent and advisors are clearly not working in his best interests as a player. Nonetheless, losing a talent, a potential world class talent that Liverpool have nurtured since he arrived from QPR as a 15-year-old kid would be giving out all the wrong messages with regards to where the club is at. Not only to our rivals but for potential signings who are mulling over joining Liverpool Football Club or not. Letting this type of player go isn't what Brendan Rodgers should be doing, not yet anyway.
It's obvious; Raheem is not looking for a move abroad and is keen to carry on playing in the Premier League, with London or Manchester being his preferred destinations. He would not want to be too far away from his mum, who now lives in the capital, nor his daughter, Melody Rose, who he already sees a lot less of than he would like.
I am sick of football players refusing to respect their contracts and along with their agents think they have the run of the green, showing little respect to their clubs, forcing them to give in and surrender to their greedy demands. Liverpool Football Club should always be pulling the strings no matter who you are. Especially, when dealing with a 20-year old kid and his half-wit agent wishing to take on the Club. It's ridiculous that it has even got this far!
My proposal to deal with this current situation would be; Ok, fair enough if Raheem doesn't want to renew his current contract at Liverpool then nobody's going to hold a gun to his head until he does so. However, let's not make it that easy for him either. At the moment, he's earning £35,000 a week and has already turned down a £100,000 a week contract which is a 186% wage increase. Ludicrous really isn't it?
Let's just say hypothetically that he did sign for that amount and played out the last two years of his current contract of £35,000 a week. Liverpool would be saving £65,000 a week for two years on wages which would be around £7 million.
This small amount does not sound that much if he eventually leaves on a free, but this way would also give Brendan Rodgers two more years to add, build and improve his squad which Raheem would play a major role in. If Brendan finally delivers success then Raheem could quite easily turn round and say, "Go on then", and sign a long term deal with Liverpool.
Realistically, Rodgers only has one more year to improve the club's current situation. Therefore, if the “Gaffa” does go at the end of next season, still with one year to go on Raheem's contract, then his replacement and new faces might be enough in itself to persuade Raheem to stay.
Let's not overlook, that we only paid £600,000 for Raheem five years ago. So, if we take the figure of £7 million mentioned before, again hypothetically speaking, which ever way you want to look at it, we would still have made or saved around £6 million. Of course, that's if we decide to keep him on a low wage contract which would be seen more as a punishment. However, a rightly deserved punishment after the lack of respect he has shown the club.
Additionally, as Raheem's contract will expire when he is still less than 23 years' of age, he won't be allowed to leave on a free. Similar to what Liverpool are going through with Danny Ings at the moment. Any club interested in acquiring his services when his current contract expires will be made to pay Liverpool compensation for developing him. A tribunal will decide how much Liverpool would be entitled to. This figure is constantly growing and maybe in a couple of years’ time, Liverpool could receive around £15-£20.
When it all boils down to it, Liverpool Football club should never be seen to be a feeder club nor sell players to their direct rivals who can get into their own starting XI. Especially, with the lads we have brought through our very own academy who have learnt the game "the Liverpool way".
Let's see how this one pans out as a cash deal wouldn't really interest Liverpool. 20% of any sale to an English club goes straight into QPR's bank account. That figure could also reach 25% if Raheem was sold abroad.
This situation epitomises modern football in a nutshell. Greed and wealth are finally taking over. The traditions of our once beautiful game are starting to become secondary and even lost amongst the desire to profit from its success. When and how will this all end?
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Now or Never, Mr. Rodgers
As the new season draws upon us, Brendan Rodgers' every move will be closely monitored by the footballing world, and rightly so......
Fenway Sports Group's refusal to replace the Northern Irishman with a top European manager last month was negligence in the first degree and is certainly on a par with their incompetence when they were faced with finding a suitable replacement for Luis Suárez. In football, you must replace quality with quality otherwise standards will drop. Mediocrity is not something I'm going to accept as my club declines.
I have written extensively about Brendan Rodgers' reign at Liverpool. However, the question I find asking myself now is:
Why would the owners employ a new manager and begin to implement new long term strategies, when in less than a year they are going to want out themselves?
Nevertheless, Rodgers remains their man. However, has anyone ever thought that FSG may even depart before Rodgers himself does?
It makes perfect sense to me. Any company pondering the sale of an asset would behave the same way. The months leading up to a sale would involve fewer financial commitments and as little investment as possible. My gut feeling this is on the cards has not only been proved financially with Liverpool's apparent transfer budget only coming from the sale of Raheem Sterling but also by their support for the team on the pitch.
Where were they last season supporting us from the stands throughout the difficult months? Where were they for Steven Gerrard's farewell game against Crystal Palace, showing their appreciation to a Liverpool Legend? Where were they when we took on Aston Villa at Wembley? The only time I have a recollection of seeing them last season was when they came over to see if the Main Stand expansion was making sufficient progress. Ultimately, it is another financial interest of theirs.
Nonetheless, in all fairness, at the end of the day, they are not only businessmen but also avid baseball fans and have little to no interest in the sport of football itself. They bought Liverpool Football Club as a business venture. If the tables were turned and Liverpool businessmen owned the Boston Red Sox, it is pretty safe to say they wouldn't be hopping over the Atlantic week in week out to watch a sport they have no special interest in apart from the money it generates their company.
I strongly believe, Liverpool Football Club deserves not to play second best to anyone. Shankly built this club from nothing and I'm not going to sit around and witness the club get pulled down by incompetent greedy people. Joint ownership of two of world sports most successful teams is sure to cause issues with prioritising.
John Henry since taking control of Liverpool in 2010 immediately set out to mirror how he achieved success with the Red Sox. Buying and developing young home grown talent, setting specific wage structures and instilling strict transfer policies. However, it bamboozles me how this can happen. Liverpool and The Red Sox are miles apart and not just in distance. They also represent completely adverse sports, operating in different leagues in different parts of the world. The way Premiership Football Clubs operate isn't the same way Major League Baseball teams work. Importing a business model from one sport to another and assuming that the outcome will be the same is simply absurd.
As Liverpool fans, Champions League qualification is the absolute minimum requirement we must demand from any manager. I'm not saying that we have to win the league or trophies every season. However, converting Liverpool Football Club into an established top four club is the least we should have expected from Brendan Rodgers. Unfortunately, he hasn't been unable to achieve this and lacks the capabilities and skills in order to do so. Therefore, Mr Henry had no other option, than to move him on. He failed.
The way Liverpool gave away the FA Cup by not turning up against Villa, and then consequently threw away Champions League qualification by failing to beat West Brom and Hull City is more than enough to prove that Rodgers can't produce when it matters. Furthermore, the defeat against Crystal Palace and that shambles we saw away to Stoke City, capped off a dismal season for the Reds. My feelings after the Stoke game weren't ones of anger or frustration, but ones of sadness.
It seems as if FSG have made a calculated risk in sticking with Rodgers. Not only due to the financial implications involved in removing him, but also if provided with the right resources, in the short term he is probably considered to deliver success faster than starting from scratch again.
FSG appointed Brendan Rodgers in 2012 with bundles of confidence that he was capable of bringing them success. Therefore, in their eyes letting him go now, this late in the game, would suggest that FSG have failed. The extensive investment they put into Rodgers' Liverpool would now mean nothing. There isn't anything more that businessmen want to avoid then 'failure'. It is a sign of weakness within the business world, a sign that a company the size of FSG will not want to be associated with. It would put a huge dent in their reputation.
Rodgers' Liverpool only won three out of their last eleven games. One being against championship side Blackburn Rovers and the other two were against Newcastle and QPR, who both sat in the bottom 4 of the Premier League. Failing to have the ability to attract big names must be frustrating. It's clearly visible that Rodgers doesn't have sufficient pulling power to attract these sorts of players.
Having a top class European manager at the helm doesn’t guarantee marquee signings. However, it certainly helps. Players who are going to play for a manager, who has already enjoyed many years of success, some in different leagues, winning various titles, know that they are going to play for someone who knows exactly what they are doing. Sadly, Rodgers doesn't have much experience, with only seven years as a top flight manager and winning no trophies along the way. The words of new signing Joe Gomez last Saturday after signing for the club epitomises this. Joe said Rodgers ability to develop & provide young players with opportunities played a major part in his decision to join Liverpool. Therefore, does this mean Brendan Rodgers can only attract young players and not world class ones? which we are in desperate need of right now.
Moreover, wantaway Raheem Sterling also stated that Liverpool is the best place to develop your career. Players talking about Liverpool Football Club in this way, to say the least, is upsetting & frustrating to any Liverpool fan.
Let's not forget, Brendan Rodgers is the only Liverpool manager to spend over a £100 million in a single summer. An amount, which FSG would have thought to be more than enough for Liverpool to compete not only in the Premiership League but also in the Champions League too.
If you were John Henry would you trust Brendan Rodgers with another 100 million?
I understand not all fans will agree with me on my opinions about Rodgers. I've spoke to a lot of people over the last few months and I've found there is a mixed response regarding his abilities. I do agree, the Liverpool manager position shouldn't be a revolving door, manager in, manager out. Nonetheless 3 years in football is more than enough to prove your worth.
Now that the 2014/2015 season has been deemed an unsuccessful and disappointing one, not only for finishing outside the top four but also for falling at the first hurdle in both European competitions we took part in. Everything we competed in this season seemed to drift slowly away from us, The League, The Champions League, The Europa League, The League Cup and finally Top 4 & the FA Cup.
Delivering silverware and securing Champions League qualification would have been enough to keep the fans faith in Rodgers. Whereas, finishing outside of the lucrative European spots and ending another season without picking up any honours is now going to really test our patience leading into next season. Not only our progression as a football club has been halted, but also the financial side of the club has suffered greatly.
Moreover, to be the best, you have to beat the best. Rodgers' record against top four opposition in the three seasons he has been at Liverpool (As you can see from the graphics below) has been abysmal.
Rodgers himself would argue that he needs more time. His team at the start of last season had just lost one of Liverpool's greatest ever players in Luis Suarez and his strike partner Daniel Sturridge was injured before the Champions League had even started. In addition, adding a string of new recruits which have needed time to be moulded into his new system reinforces the fact that Rodgers' team weren't the best prepared entering into the Champions League or competing at the highest level this campaign.
Liverpool Football Club need to be playing Champions League football year in, year out. As a Liverpool fan, those fixtures home and away in Europe are what we thrive on and with Brendan's European win percentage at 35% (7/20) after three seasons simply isn't acceptable. It would be unthinkable finishing outside the top 4 again.
If the owners are starting to lose heart, where does it leave us?
Undoubtedly, Fenway Sports Group will want to sell the club with Champions League Football, as together with a newly developed stadium, the value of the club will be increased and be more lucrative for potential buyers. On the other hand, failing to qualify for Europe's elite competition will make the club less appealing for a successful takeover to be put in place.
Furthermore, another season without Champions League football would put the futures' of our top players such as, Philippe Coutinho in doubt. Players of this calibre will start to question if they are able to achieve greatness at Liverpool Football Club.
Let's just hope we bring in the correct personnel on and off the field to ensure us of a successful season. Let's just hope we get off to a strong start and make sure the headlines after our opening fixture at the Britannia read something like:
"Rodgers puts to bed last season's Stoke defeat with an empathic start to the season"
At the moment Reds, we can only hope!
As always, thank you for reading, and please voice your opinions in the comments box on the Twitter below.
Carl Clemente
for Anfield Europe
@clemente_carl
@anfieldeurope
Wednesday 17 June 2015
Complete 2015-2016 Fixture List
August
8 - Stoke City (A)
15 - Bournemouth (H)
22 - Arsenal (A)
29 - West Ham United (H)
September
12 - Manchester United (A)
19 - Norwich City (H)
26 - Aston Villa (H)
October
3 - Everton (A)
17 - Tottenham Hotspur (A)
24 - Southampton (H)
31 - Chelsea (A)
November
7 - Crystal Palace (H)
21 - Manchester City (A)
28 - Swansea City (H)
December
5 - Newcastle United (A)
12 - West Bromwich Albion (H)
19 - Watford (A)
26 - Leicester City (H)
28 - Sunderland (A)
January
2 - West Ham United (A)
12 - Arsenal (H)
16 - Manchester United (H)
23 - Norwich City (A)
February
2 - Leicester City (A)
6 - Sunderland (H)
13 - Aston Villa (A)
27 - Everton (H)
March
1 - Manchester City (H)
5 - Crystal Palace (A)
12 - Chelsea (H)
19 - Southampton (A)
April
2 - Tottenham Hotspur (H)
9 - Stoke City (H)
16 - Bournemouth (A)
23 - Newcastle United (H)
30 - Swansea City (A)
May
7 - Watford (H)
15 - West Bromwich Albion (A)
(Source: Offical LFC.TV site)