Rafa shakes up the backroom staff

What about the scouts? They should be in the list as well. I could remember the all conquering years of the 70s and 80s, yearly 1 or 2 academy or reserve team players got into the 1st team and they blend in so well with the 1st team players that we hardly notice as if they have been there all along, playing with great confidence. Where did these academy or reserve players came from? I believe from the lower league and the Irish league which cost us next to nothing. Now, we are talking of having to spend 15 to 25 mil on a quality player, hey we don't have a bottomless pit of resources and we need to re-visit the cheaper and innovative ways of recruting new players. Besides that, by doing so it give us a better succession plan. Now, we target one quality player 10 big clubs compete with us and we end up loosing most of the time as we do yet  has the financial muscle to compete. Hmmmm... hope things will change for the better soon. Maybe King Kenny will show us how things are done successfully the Liverpool way.

pity he can't get rid of the two most usless, those bloody yanks.

SACKED BACKROOM STAFF:
Gary Ablett - Reserve team manager (2 years)
Piet Hamburg - Academy director (2 years)
Hugh McAuley - Under 18 coach (20 years)
Dave Shannon - Under-16 coach (20 years)
Paul Lever - Under-14 coach (18 years)
Billy Stewart - Academy goalkeeper coach (10 years)
Norman Gard - Players’ liaison officer (15 years)
Tim Divine - Education officer (15 years)
John Wright - Kit man (15 years)
Victor Salinas - Physio (4 years)
Gerard Nus - Sports scientist (2 years)
Angel Vales - Sports scientist (1 year)
Simon Farnworth - Academy physio (10 years)
John Coburn - Academy physio (8 years)
Jan de Koning - Assistant academy director (2 years)
Tim Dittmar - Academy goalkeeper coach (8 years)


To be fair the vast majority of the shake-up has come at the Academy.  Benitez intimated in his contract discussions he wanted a bigger say and you can't argue that he is having a big say.

The Academy hasn't produced the local talent it was supposed to so entirely understandable.

Some of the others have left me scratching my head. 

I think Rafa' did ok in this reshuffle. Sometimes its good to take out old wood but I was shocking to hear McAuley's name in the list.

Well we've got another man in now in the form of John Achterberg

Dutchman Seals Reds Move

Tranmere Rovers veteran John Achterberg today spoke of his delight after being appointed reserve team goalkeeping coach at Liverpool. 
The Dutchman, who turns 38 next month, will join Rafa Benitez's backroom team in pre-season after more than 10 years and 300 appearances at Rovers.
 
He will work primarily with the reserves and youth teams under Xavi Valero's stewardship.
 
Achterberg said: "This is a dream chance – I need to take it with both hands.
 
"It's a massive wrench for me to leave Tranmere after so many years - the fans there have always been so great to me and hopefully they always will be.
 
"I'd like to think the Tranmere fans will understand my move, however, as I'm joining one of the best clubs in the world.
 
"A chance like this doesn't come along too often.
 
"Coaching is the future for myself. I've been doing more and more of it at Tranmere in recent years and that's where I needed to progress.
 
"In the same way you want to play at the best club possible as a player, you want to do the same as a coach.
 
"When you hear a whisper that Liverpool might want you there's not much thinking needed in your decision – you need to do what is best for yourself."
 
Achterberg will be reunited at Melwood with former Tranmere colleague John McMahon, who has left his job as assistant manager at Shrewsbury Town to replace Gary Ablett as Liverpool's reserve team manager.
 
He added: "It will be nice to work with John. I've always got on really well with him and have a very positive work relationship.
 
"I can't wait to start. I've already met Rafa twice and I'll be speaking to Xavi soon to discuss our plans for training."
 
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N164696090610-1250.htm

Well he knows the Merseyside area well enough and was a decent keeper at Prenton Park but I've gotta be honest and say I'm quite surprised at this appointment. With Achterberg and McMahon now on our coaching staff, it's certainly looking like Benitez is aware of coaching talent down the leagues.

is it a good move /bold on rafas part
or is it going to cost lfc a lot of money in compo
just when we can ill afford scandal in mass sackings

 

Looks like Tranmere Rovers past may hold the key to our future success. 

REDS ANNOUNCE NEW COACH

Steve Hunter 18 June 2009
   
Liverpool have announced the appointment of Antonio Gomez Perez to their backroom staff as reserve team coach.
Gomez will work alongside the newly appointed reserve team manager John McMahon.
 
Not to be confused with the Antonio Gomez who was previously part of the coaching staff before moving to Sunderland, Gomez is a former Real Madrid player.
 
Born on August 1, 1973, in Madrid, Gomez spent 10 years with Real where he played for their youth team under the command of Rafa Benitez.
 
After making his senior debut in 1994, he subsequently played for Sevilla and later Albacete Balompie and Toledo before injury finished his career in 2004.
 
Gomez began working as a Coach in Toledo's Youth system in 2003, before moving to Albacete Balompie as Youth Coach in 2004.
 
His team won the Spanish National Youth Cup the 'Copa Del Rey' against Valencia in 2007. After this he moved to work as Reserve Team Coach, where he remained until the end of the 2008-09 season.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N164780090618-1405.htm

The news about Antonio Gomez Perez coming here as a coach is another place filled, and there is one more that I would like to know about.

Still no news about what roll if any, that Kenny will have, it would be good to know, my own belief is that KK will have a roving ambassadorial roll, (what ever that means).

I would like to see his knowledge as a coach used in some roll, be it with the youth academy or those in the second team, or maybe a roll in both. It's just Kenny has so much he can give to all parts of the football club, and I think we'll be missing out if we use him as an ambassador, when he has so much as a coach he could pass on.........

Just sussed this out today.

I just hope that these people were treated with the respect that they deserved for the work that they did at LFC, I wouldnt say Stevie G would be over the moon with McCauleys sacking, if it was a sacking even!

Not enough players coming through to the first team so changes had to be made I guess, hope to God its not gonna have a negative effect on the team for the new season.

Wouldnt say Ablett is too happy.

Wouldnt say Ablett is too happy.

I bet Rafa wasn't too happy when he saw were we finished in the reserve league.

I don't think Rafa has been happy with the reserve team staff for many years, which is why he pushed so hard to try to get more of a say in his contract.

I think it's good that Rafa is trying to get th club running his way. (Although you feel a bit sorry for the kit man, surely he can't have done too bad a job?)

Another one gone today. Academy Head of Recruitment, Malcolm Elias, has been let go now as well. Apparently he's the one who spotted Dalle Valle, Buchtmann and Wisdom. If thats the case he was doing a decent job surely?

Another one gone today. Academy Head of Recruitment, Malcolm Elias, has been let go now as well. Apparently he's the one who spotted Dalle Valle, Buchtmann and Wisdom. If thats the case he was doing a decent job surely?

Dalla Valle and Buchtmann are promising, but they are yet to perform on the big stage and that's what it's all about.

Dalla Valle and Buchtmann are promising, but they are yet to perform on the big stage and that's what it's all about.

In fairness Eem they are only 17 and Buchtmann was top man at the recent u17 Euros

not a good idea

This will bring more attention to the club. I'm suprised as to why the kit man is leaving, what could he have done wrong there?? not that I know him or anything but is someone else going to do a better job as kit man? Steven Gerrard is full of praise in his autobiography for Hugh McAuley and Dave Shannon so Rafa must be upset with the lack of youths coming into the first team. Although if the players aren't there you can't turn a bad player into a good one no matter who is coaching

yeah Gerrard seems to love hugh McAuley and Dave Shannon I think Liverpool will really miss them two, them two and steve heighway brought us micheal owen, stevie gerrard, jamie carragher, robbie fowler and steve mcmanaman  not bad that is it?

Another one gone today. Academy Head of Recruitment, Malcolm Elias, has been let go now as well. Apparently he's the one who spotted Dalle Valle, Buchtmann and Wisdom. If thats the case he was doing a decent job surely?

But how many years has he been there, and they are the only 3 to be found?

But how many years has he been there, and they are the only 3 to be found?

2 years. And if ye seen these 3 play you'd say thanks to Malcolm

Reds Reveal Two New Backroom Boys

Liverpool have today announced two new additions to their backroom team at Melwood. 
Eduardo Parra Garcia will join the technical staff as Fitness Coach with specific emphasis on rehabilitation work after deciding to leave his position with Celta Vigo to take up the offer of a new challenge at Anfield.
 
"It's a dream come true for me to come and work with Rafa Benitez and the backroom staff at Liverpool FC," he said.
 
"I know all about Liverpool, the history, the passion of its amazing fans and of course the quality of its great players. I am really excited about working here."
 
Joining Eduardo as a new face at the club for the coming campaign will be Ivan Ortega, who will take up a position within the medical team as a Sports Therapist.
 
Ivan's previous position was also with Celta Vigo, where he was responsible for physiotherapy at first team level for the past two seasons.
 
"I am thrilled to have been offered the opportunity to work in such a fantastic Club. Everyone knows Liverpool in Spain and around the world," he said.
 
"Although it's a new country and a new environment for me, I can't wait to get started." 

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N164929090702-0944.htm

Well Rafa defenetly gaining control of the club and trying to do things his way. Where did we finish in the reserve league last year or the under age leagues?

Well Rafa defenetly gaining control of the club and trying to do things his way. Where did we finish in the reserve league last year or the under age leagues?

Can't remember the specifics but it was poor.

Jesus, just looked it up we finished 7th out of 11 in the Northern League with 22 points from 20 games.
Looks like they were missing a striker as well as we sometimes seem to- 5 wins 7 draws 8 losses.
I can see how Rafa is upset considering we won it the year before