The Anfield Wrap

The latest podcast is out:

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/11/podcast-drifters/

I suggest a few of you doom mongers give it a listen. There's some good points in it.

Rafa would be my two here by far. Loved it when he came on.

http://xtra.liverpoolfc.com/listicles/who-are-the-10-best-ever-guests-to-appear-on-the-anfield-wrap-podcast

TIME TO CUT THE BULLSHIT AND FIGHT THE BATTLES ON THE PITCH

by Andy Heaton // 1 November 2014


“I am confident we will improve the team further and will be stronger for this coming season, when we will be competing on all fronts; domestically and in the greatest club competition in the world, the Champions League.”

Brendan Rodgers
11th July 2014
“We lost a world-class talent [Suarez] and the natural progress of the team was halted – we needed the squad rebuilt, I think where we are is what was expected. The players we brought in were not really established. That decision was made knowing they might struggle a bit initially but further in the future would be big players for the club. That is where we are right now.”

Brendan Rodgers
31st October 2014
________________
A TEAM in a slump failing to match the highs of a previous season after not adequately replacing a star player. A festering disconnect between American owners and a manager recently rewarded with a new contract. Both sides briefing to their own ends and fingers getting pointed in every direction.

Sounding eerily familiar?
As a Liverpool side devoid of quality and confidence trudged off at St James’ Park at the end of another spineless defeat to cap another miserable week, it’s time for the club to pull together to arrest what is becoming an alarming decline before it becomes terminal.

In a week of claim and counter claim from the club captain, manager and club hierarchy, we are yet again in a position of washing our dirty laundry in public.

For the situation to develop to the point that the club is briefing against itself to ‘sympathetic ears’ tells you everything you need to know about the unity — or lack of — at the club at the moment.

No one, not Rodgers, not Gerrard, nor the club come out of this ugly episode particularly well. And it raises some uncomfortable questions.

At what point did it become acceptable for the club captain, backed by his manager, to speak publicly about what should be the formality of a new deal?
When did players feel so entitled that they thought they could speak publicly about what should be a matter between themselves and the club?
Does the manager not realise that, new contract or not, his paymasters are hardly likely to be impressed with thinly-veiled briefings to the local press?
Not for the first time, the story provided a convenient distraction for a man who has been struggling to get his team performing to anything near their potential.

Rodgers is clearly a very talented coach with plenty of credit in the bank. But one that under pressure and cornered shows a level of insecurity beneath the buzz words and guru speak.
That, and a willingness to pass the buck and throw someone under a bus to distract from his own misgivings.

Maybe the manager would be best served on focusing on what he is clearly excellent at instead of spinning away bad news and wasting time on petty distractions?
Maybe he’d do well to take note of what happened to his predecessors when they became as concerned with what the papers were saying as they were with matters on the pitch.

And what of the man about town Ian Ayre? Of what point is he if he can’t sign off a roll of toilet paper let alone sanction a 12-month extension for the club’s greatest servant and manage the process in a way that it doesn’t end up in the press?

Quick to geg in on a photocall for a new signing but invisible in a crisis and evidently ineffective as a bridge to Boston, where does this leave Ayre?
Backing his mate Brendan and the captain up or standing shoulder to shoulder with Boston and their spreadsheets?


Abraham Lincoln is often quoted as saying: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”
But what is also true is that football is a very simple game and the narcissistic desire to fool out of ego is toxic, and almost always unnecessary.
The clue is in the name, LFC — it’s not the Hadron Collider, it’s not MI6: it’s a bloody football club.

At what point did the primary focus of everyone at the club change yet again from simply trying to be the best bloody football club in the f**king world?

Why the need for empire building, subterfuge and being too clever for your own good?

For all the positive steps over the last 18 months, a sense of rudderless inertia and uncertainty has returned and is being allowed to metastasize through a lack of conviction and consistent vision from the owners.
Seemingly jumping from one idea and philosophy to the next, from hands-off ownership to periodic intervention, from Moneyball to Andy Carroll, from young potential to Kolo Toure and back again, from keeping the academy separate to establish a long-term plan back to being run at the whim of the manager, from investing in the best youth talent to refocusing on local catchment.

And the transfer committee. What are the protocols? What is the process? Who has the final sign off?
If ever there was a pertinent indictment on how things are being run at the club, it is this mysterious group and the lack of transparency around it.
It clearly isn’t the manager who has final sign off. For the club to sign Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto for a combined cost of £14m and for them then to hardly feature is a clear example of the money being wasted with zero accountability for those involved.

This culture of opacity that runs right through the club is what is fuelling the disconnect that clearly exists between the ‘home’ and ‘away’ teams in Liverpool and Boston/London.

It’s a culture that allows the manager to take credit for a player he didn’t sign if he flourishes and yet easily distance himself from if he flops. This can only encourage paranoia and selfishness — hardly an ideal situation for any dressing room.

This isn’t to say that having a committee is a bad idea, it has been proven to work elsewhere, but like everything at the club, it would be far less complicated if it were more transparent, open and honest, because in its current guise it gives everyone involved an out and an excuse to point the finger.

Football, a simple game.

One easily complicated by layers and layers of anonymous and unaccountable administration, and when self preservation is human nature, it’s inevitable that absolving oneself of responsibility becomes a very real factor.

Liverpool Football Club and its administration are playing as many games off the pitch as they are on it.

And while people are wasting time and energy on pointing fingers, covering arses and watching their own back, they aren’t doing what they are paid to do.

To make Liverpool Football Club the best bloody club in the world.
“At a football club, there’s a holy trinity – the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”

Bill Shankly

http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2014/11/time-cut-bullshit-fight-battles-pitch/

Woah.

Missed this Shabs.

Powerful voodoo  and much truth in this.

Says it all.

a great read

I really hope things turn around soon

Woah.

Missed this Shabs.

Powerful voodoo  and much truth in this.

Says it all.

Yet another brilliant read from.Andy Heaton, thanks for sharing Shabs,

Yep, it's clear all is not well right now, for me so long as we have this f***in committee the more we're being held back, this not to say Brendan has carte blanche over how much is spent, but the shackles need loosening and at least let him bid for those player he REALLY wants,
No second or third choice appeasers,

It frustrates the F**k out of me that once again the club has sold it's best asset despite the fact that we came as close to the title last season and are now as far away from it before Suarez signed,
Is this what is called progress?

Yes, FSG have backed Brendan however it's simply not enough,  it's a bit like taking us to the verge, then stepping back, ffs take the f***in plunge,

Buy those higher quality players,  pay the desired wage, doing so could very well take us over that verge,  we all need to stick together and back each other during the tougher times, sometimes we need to go that bit further to reach certain goals, just wish FSG would be a tad more courageous bite the bullet let Brendan bring in who he wants.


YNWA

For the club to sign Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto for a combined cost of £14m and for them then to hardly feature is a clear example of the money being wasted with zero accountability for those involved.

It’s a culture that allows the manager to take credit for a player he didn’t sign if he flourishes and yet easily distance himself from if he flops.
This can only encourage paranoia and selfishness — hardly an ideal situation for any dressing room.

Two other paragraphs from the article that go in hard.

New podcast out yesterday...

It was F*cking excellent. The best non-match review/preview podcast they've ever done!!

A top listen….Well done lads!!

What's people's thoughts on their launching of TAW player?

I have to say I love their work and am made up for them that they have got to a stage they can launch more of a 'career' from the initiative idea they brought to is all those years ago

I'm still a bit foggy on how it will be downloaded but as long as it's straight forward I'm on board.

Been loving the free stuff under TAW player they have given us this past week

What's people's thoughts on their launching of TAW player?

I have to say I love their work and am made up for them that they have got to a stage they can launch more of a 'career' from the initiative idea they brought to is all those years ago

I'm still a bit foggy on how it will be downloaded but as long as it's straight forward I'm on board.

Been loving the free stuff under TAW player they have given us this past week

Some great stuff on there Jon.

I love thier stuff... been loads of great listens this past week... struggled to fit them all in TBH...

For me, its only the footy stuff Im intersted in... I never listen to The Rider and always skip the music inserts but only because its not my thing!

But saying that, Ive said for months I'd gladly pay for the these... seems like they've took me up on it

 

I love thier stuff... been loads of great listens this past week... struggled to fit them all in TBH...

For me, its only the footy stuff Im intersted in... I never listen to The Rider and always skip the music inserts but only because its not my thing!

But saying that, Ive said for months I'd gladly pay for the these... seems like they've took me up on it

 

The Rider is one of my favourites. Get to hear some great new music buly listening to that Pod.

The Rider is one of my favourites. Get to hear some great new music buly listening to that Pod.

Im not that into music especially new music so its not my cup of tea! I bet its presented well though!!

I want more Gutmann and Heaton... really enjoyed the Unwrapped podcast on friday!!

Off on another important drive in the van now... so its time for "The Coach home!!" .... Fooking loving this!!!

Personally I'm not sure about this.

It's quite easy to have too much analysis from one group of people - at some point the level of quality declines the more is being pushed out.

I'm going to see what is produced on TAW player over the next couple of weeks but a fiver a month is steep compared to the BBC licence fee which is about £12.50 for 24 hour output on TV, radio and internet.

I've listened to every one they have done since they first came out and they seem a good bunch of lads and it's good to see them doing well but i've got some reservations about that pricepoint. At that money, different expectations come into play.

Personally I'm not sure about this.

It's quite easy to have too much analysis from one group of people - at some point the level of quality declines the more is being pushed out.

I'm going to see what is produced on TAW player over the next couple of weeks but a fiver a month is steep compared to the BBC licence fee which is about £12.50 for 24 hour output on TV, radio and internet.

I've listened to every one they have done since they first came out and they seem a good bunch of lads and it's good to see them doing well but i've got some reservations about that pricepoint. At that money, different expectations come into play.

Very good point Hollywood.

Personally I'm not sure I will pay a fiver to hear the extra content as I'm not sure it will be enough value for me to subscribe.

A fiver a month?

I'd give a tenner a month when I think what I've had out of these lads for free over the last few years. A show without Neil Atkinson sounds mad I will admit but we still get the regular Monday and City Talk pod for free but the very impressive Sean Rogers getting on more is a big thing.

He is exceptional.

And when I think about the fiver a month?

When in situations like that I trick myself. One of those mad bacon, sausage and egg on toast things with a fizzy Lucozade AND a coffee over the course of a month I do a lot?

F**k one of them off.

See the lads have just been having a debate with our old mate Corballyred on Twitter.

Anybody subscribed to TAW Player?

See the lads have just been having a debate with our old mate Corballyred on Twitter.

Anybody subscribed to TAW Player?

Yeah I have Dave... Can't get enough Red stuff and they deliver top quality interesting angles.

Once I'd worked out how to download it to my iPhone I was ok

What was bring said to Corbs?

What was bring said to Corbs?

Whatever it was you can bet Corbs repeated the same answer at least a hundred times.

Yeah I have Dave... Can't get enough Red stuff and they deliver top quality interesting angles.

Once I'd worked out how to download it to my iPhone I was ok

What was bring said to Corbs?

You know him, wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't scared to say what he thinks even if it does rub people the wrong way. He basically saying they're all pro Rodgers and they took exception to it.

I agree with what they said in response in that they are all free to say or write what they want and that there is no stand.

You know him, wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't scared to say what he thinks even if it does rub people the wrong way. He basically saying they're all pro Rodgers and they took exception to it.

I agree with what they said in response in that they are all free to say or write what they want and that there is no stand.

Did you listen to the unwrapped show yesterday mate? Or the one from last week? The pink after Hull?

They aren't pro Rodgers mate.. Very level views on it but a split of who wants him to stay and who wants him to go..

Atko saying he thinks he's gone for a bit now

Did you listen to the unwrapped show yesterday mate? Or the one from last week? The pink after Hull?

They aren't pro Rodgers mate.. Very level views on it but a split of who wants him to stay and who wants him to go..

Atko saying he thinks he's gone for a bit now

I don't think they are pro Rodgers at all. Well some are, some aren't. Pretty much the same as any bunch of Liverpool supporters to be fair.

Not listened to anything since the Pink as I've been experiencing 'add TAW player to podcast hell' since I subscribed. That's down to me though.

What you mean about Atko saying he gone for a bit?

Did you listen to the unwrapped show yesterday mate? Or the one from last week? The pink after Hull?

They aren't pro Rodgers mate.. Very level views on it but a split of who wants him to stay and who wants him to go..

Atko saying he thinks he's gone for a bit now

I heard the Pink Jon but haven't subscribed hyet so missed the rest.

I think on the whole they are pro Brendan and at times a bit slow to criticise.