Changes

Great OP Swab and very interesting topic, I don't know F**k all how things work but your assumptions do make sense, I too have been impressed with our dealings thus far and with the speed in which they happen,

It seems there has been a change in attitude from the TC and for the better and that bodes well for the future, this Gordon fella seems much more with it and it looks like he's adopted a more hands on approach, again much more improved than that of our previous dealings,

I also like the idea of the 'split' in which we will have someone this side of the pond a majority of the time and having constant contact with the day to day running of the club, I never liked the idea of distant owners, how can you have a infinity with the club when your thousands of miles away, just doesn't happen,


Anyhoo, it certainly looks like we are making strides in pre-season affairs and that can only be good for everyone.


YNWA

It makes a lot of sense to make our signings as early as possible, he who hesitates is lost when it comes to signing sought after players.

Indeed mate.

I, for one, am glad that the penny has finally dropped both with the owners and the usual suspects, those who would have been wailing and gnashing their teeth at us because we believed that you actually can get transfer business done early and it was something which made perfect sense from a football perspective.

Still... It's great to see that we are all signing from the same sheet and that must be welcomed. 

Indeed mate.

I, for one, am glad that the penny has finally dropped both with the owners and the usual suspects, those who would have been wailing and gnashing their teeth at us because we believed that you actually can get transfer business done early and it was something which made perfect sense from a football perspective.

Still... It's great to see that we are all signing from the same sheet and that must be welcomed. 

Yep.

We've talked before that it's a bit of a nonsense that you can't get deals done early and quickly and this window has proven that to be untrue.

What's your thoughts on why we are so pro active this summer Mouse?

Do you credit Mike Gordon with taking control and getting things done, which is what I think has happened, or do you have another theory?

I'm not sure that JWH was ever in or out of love with us mate.

Judging by the pics of them everytime they were over, I get the feeling it's Linda who got us more.

Judging by the pics of them everytime they were over, I get the feeling it's Linda who got us more.

Judging by who she's with I think she's good at putting on a convincing performance though 

We all know the issues we've faced and the problems we've had in the transfer market with drawn out negotiations etc which also have a detrimental effect on the team at the start of the season.
We've also heard BR complain (maybe that's too strong a word) about "training time" and it occurred to me that perhaps he meant training time in pre-season as well as during the season.
So far, this transfer window has been something I can't remember seeing before, because we are completing major signings before the window is open.
It's not just under FSG, we have been seeing this for years, and Parry was notorious for being very slow.
When we are slow, it also has a very negative impact on the integration of new players.

I've been having a think and a look back at conversations over the last week or so, and it appears to me that major changes are taking place behind the scenes.
A lot of this is going to be supposition and I am going to assume a couple of things as well, so bear with me, then tell me what you think.

Transfer "Committee
We know for a certainty that Ayre wasn't initially involved in negotiations in Chile until the final stages.
Rumour has it that Gordon and Fallows conducted the negotiations and did the deal.
If this was indeed the case, it raises 2 options for me.
The first option is that we are doing so much business that we have more than one negotiating team working. One in Europe and one in Chile.
The second option is that Ayre has been gently eased to one side (trying to be charitable here), and that Gordon (FSG board member, 2nd biggest FSG shareholder and FSG President) has taken over some or all of the negotiating to get things done quickly, making Ayre little more than a rubber stamp as LFC CEO.

Assuming the above is correct, and admittedly it's a bit of a leap based only on a rumour, there has been a significant change in our recruitment process.
If Gordon has stepped forwards with Fallows as an advisor, it means that there is a lot more leeway in the negotiating process simply because Gordon is so senior at FSG.
Gordon is (apparently) a follower of football and has been for years.
He increased his stake in FSG a couple of years ago or so, and this was roughly the time he was appointed to our board.

Again, I'm making some pretty big assumptions here, but it might be that JWH and Gordon have split their roles.
JWH has responsibility for the Red Sox, and Gordon has responsibility for Liverpool.
It may even be that we see Gordon become an even bigger FSG stakeholder at some point in the future and effectively become owner of Liverpool FC, albeit under the FSG umbrella.


Pre Season and integration
The effect on the team of getting our business done so early is that of much more training time in pre-season.
Yes, we'll be going on tours, but players still train more or less normally during tours, with the obvious exception of extra rest days due to travel.
However training is not always physical work, and during the extra rest days, they will be doing more "classroom" work, with the videos, chalkboards, tactics etc
We all know that integrating new players into a team is difficult and often a slow process, but any extra time that can be spent integrating them with more training time pre-season can only be beneficial.
In every single season under BR we have seen a slow start, and I believe that being slow to complete deals, and thus leading to less time to integrate new players has been a factor in this, as well as fitness levels at the start of a season.
Even when we placed second, we started the season by scraping a few games and didn't really hit our stride and start battering teams until we were approaching mid season, of course we then caught fire.
If getting our business done early leads to even a small percentage rise in performance in the early part of the season, we'll be in good shape.

As I said before, I'm basing this on rumours and supposition, but it seems logical to me.

Excellent discussion points mate.

Ian Ayre did always come across as a man more suited to working on commercial deals and running the club's corporate side rather than player deals. So if your logical assumption that he isn't so involved on it is true, I'd be happy with it.

That extra training time together pre-season is so vital to how a team starts, si I'm waiting eagerly to see the line up when the business starts. So frustrating about Studge because a fit Danny would have made our attacking one of the best in the country.

Enough people have mentioned the need for an out and out striker. I'm desparate for that to happen, and if we are (which is probably a done deal) to sell Sterling, and offload the Balo/Borini/Lambert trio, there is absolutely no reason for us not to bring in a marquee striker. I'm worried like some that we won't be ablt to get someone early and go for a panic buy, even bidding over the odds for Benteke in the last minute. Time will tell.

So far so good though.

What's your thoughts on why we are so pro active this summer Mouse?

I couldn't be any way sure Si but when Brendan, a while back, made it clear what he wanted he also stated (for the first time) that the owners also knew.
The fact that he stayed and the fact that we were told "a comprehensive plan had been agreed", indicated (to me anyhow) that some, if not all, of our transfer policy had to change. To be honest tho'; the need for change was hardly a secret mate and only a very select few remained in denial.

This, change in tack, is a manifestation of that realisation finally dawning... credit where due - I welcome it.

I couldn't be any way sure Si but when Brendan, a while back, made it clear what he wanted he also stated (for the first time) that the owners also knew.
The fact that he stayed and the fact that we were told "a comprehensive plan had been agreed", indicated (to me anyhow) that some, if not all, of our transfer policy had to change. To be honest tho'; the need for change was hardly a secret mate and only a very select few remained in denial.

This, change in tack, is a manifestation of that realisation finally dawning... credit where due - I welcome it.

Has there actually been any noticeable difference with the way we have pursued transfers this year? I never follow it to be honest, as I never get my hopes up and just wait to see what happens.

But on the surface of things, it seems to me there's less fannying around with negotiations. Or maybe the committee have just got lucky this time around? Having swifter negotiations is one thing, but I'm still wary of the ability of these scouts in addition to our strategy of constantly buying young players.

I couldn't be any way sure Si but when Brendan, a while back, made it clear what he wanted he also stated (for the first time) that the owners also knew.
The fact that he stayed and the fact that we were told "a comprehensive plan had been agreed", indicated (to me anyhow) that some, if not all, of our transfer policy had to change. To be honest tho'; the need for change was hardly a secret mate and only a very select few remained in denial.

This, change in tack, is a manifestation of that realisation finally dawning... credit where due - I welcome it.

Gordon came in last summer very quietly and started working behind the scenes.

I think after a year of watching and seeing what happened he basically stepped in and said "Yeah I go this". JWH is playing the Godfather role in all of FSG's operations with Werner being his consigliere.

Gordon really only answers to Henry (and I don't think it is answering like a boss/employee way).

I would say good stuff/bad stuff falls on Gordon's shoulders now and its where in the end the responsibility ends.

So far I like what he is doing; from what I read he is a no bullshit kind of guy that demands results.

I think the comedy act that was last Summer along with the ensuing results of the season propelled him out of the shadows to take charge of Ayre, the committee and the club. I believe other than for publicity sake (Gordon does not do interviews) Ian Ayre's role at the club has been relegated to mouthpiece and lackey. I would not be surprised if did not report directly to Gordon now and bypass Ayre all together.

It's like Downtown Abbey "The footballing years"

Has there actually been any noticeable difference with the way we have pursued transfers this year?...

But on the surface of things, it seems to me there's less fannying around with negotiations.

I reckon you've answered your own question mate.

Gordon really only answers to Henry (and I don't think it is answering like a boss/employee way).

I would say good stuff/bad stuff falls on Gordon's shoulders now and its where in the end the responsibility ends.

The 'comprehensive plan agreed' meeting was between Brendan & Gordon so maybe we are seeing the seeds of a good working relationship A-Zed.

My take on it... "Tell me what you need. I'll get you it. You F**k things up, you're sacked."

I reckon you've answered your own question mate.

If that's the only change then, then what difference will it really make? It may be more efficient but if they think that is enough, then they will continue to prop up previous years failings.

Sure, they might be getting deals done quicker, but how sure can we be that there won't be any more wasted time, money and squad space on the likes of non-entities like Luis Alberto, and Manquillo.

That's our biggest failing so far - taking in players who aren't quality but the club hope they could sell on for profit. I hope to god that awful putrid strategy has been ditched.

The 'comprehensive plan agreed' meeting was between Brendan & Gordon so maybe we are seeing the seeds of a good working relationship A-Zed.

My take on it... "Tell me what you need. I'll get you it. You F**k things up, you're sacked."

Pretty much how I see it as well.

As AZ said Gordon has come in kind of under the radar and seems to have taken stock of what needs done and we are seeing the fruits of that labour.

but how sure can we be that there won't be any more wasted time, money and squad space on the likes of non-entities like Luis Alberto, and Manquillo.

No matter the club what is the % of successful transfer and failures?

Read that number is less than 50%.

You can mitigate risk, you can spread out risk; you cannot avoid risk.

My take on it... "Tell me what you need. I'll get you it. You f**k things up, you're sacked."

The way it should be BBB.

If that's the only change then, then what difference will it really make? It may be more efficient but if they think that is enough, then they will continue to prop up previous years failings.

Sure, they might be getting deals done quicker, but how sure can we be that there won't be any more wasted time, money and squad space

Hmm... Wouldn't getting deals done quicker indicate that we are getting our primary targets rather than F***ing about only to end up panic buying later? It does to my mind anyhow mate.

As for us being sure "that there won't be any more wasted time, money and squad space..." - we can't be sure... Just as we can't be sure there will be. 

The way it should be BBB.

Yip.

Gordon came in last summer very quietly and started working behind the scenes.

I think after a year of watching and seeing what happened he basically stepped in and said "Yeah I go this". JWH is playing the Godfather role in all of FSG's operations with Werner being his consigliere.

Gordon really only answers to Henry (and I don't think it is answering like a boss/employee way).

I would say good stuff/bad stuff falls on Gordon's shoulders now and its where in the end the responsibility ends.

So far I like what he is doing; from what I read he is a no bullshit kind of guy that demands results.

I think the comedy act that was last Summer along with the ensuing results of the season propelled him out of the shadows to take charge of Ayre, the committee and the club. I believe other than for publicity sake (Gordon does not do interviews) Ian Ayre's role at the club has been relegated to mouthpiece and lackey. I would not be surprised if did not report directly to Gordon now and bypass Ayre all together.

It's like Downtown Abbey "The footballing years"

Gordon came onto the board in 2012 mate, after increasing his stake in FSG to 12%, he was also given the title of President (of FSG) at around the same time.
He is still involved with the Redsox, and apparently it is a collegiate effort amongst senior FSG people (Werner, Henry and Gordon are the only real "senior" figures, and get involved in the day to day running).
I haven't looked to see if he is involved with the Racing team or NESN.

It appears to me that Gordon is now the decision maker, that he has spent the last couple of years learning, and now wants to step up and take a more active role.
Obviously, Henry and Werner are kept in the loop, and Werner probably advises as well in some capacity with finances.