Calm Water
Posted on July 19th, 2010 | by Tracey |
OK … lets get to the point of this blog, which is just based on my thoughts.
We have a new manager who is obviously a completely different character from Rafa (Benitez). For one, Hodgson is a coach, he gets involved with the players and he’s very much hands on in his role. He also knows about the domestic game, and he seems to be well respected by the players from his former clubs.
That’s all good in my book, and yes I have joked, and I have made comments, and I still think he has a lot to prove. But like most Reds, I will back him, because he is now our manager. Many people have said that they see Roy Hodgson as someone who will steady the ship. I do see their point, as he has that quiet manner which gives the impression he is studious. But our ship has a big hole in the hull, so it’s not a case of steadying the ship, it’s a case of saving it from sinking.
It’s a really strange situation to contemplate, because in years gone by, Liverpool have been able to attract the best talent. That’s simply because we have been successful, and in being so, we’ve been able to offer Champions League football. Now sadly, we have to get used to not being a successful club and that is going to be extremely hard.
Not finishing in the top four last season was a huge disaster, not only did it starve us of much needed cash, it also stopped us attracting top players. Both are linked. Mr Hodgson has not been brought in to get us back into the top four, he’s been brought in to manage the players. Over the last season, and maybe the one before, there has been a distancing between management and playing staff.
While I don’t think Rafa lost the dressing room completely, he did spend a lot of time fighting boardroom battles in a little self-indulgent service. He wanted control, and he wanted to have a bigger say in who was hired. That’s fine if your club is successful, but what Rafa did was to take his eye off the ball. He became too engrossed in the backstage wrangling and forgot his role of being in charge of the team. Hodgson however, will be a manager, and a coach in its most basic and more traditional form.
To those who wonder why we are linked with the likes of James Beattie, or wonder why Yossi has gone to Chelsea, the answer is simple, we have no money, and like other folks who have no money we may have to sell our assets, and we will have to go shopping at Lidl for the foreseeable future. That’s a simple fact of life. We sell players to serve our debts, and we buy inferior players who will accept lower wages.
Will this bring us success? No! … because we are no longer chasing success, we are chasing survival. If you think that is far too dramatic, I’ll remind you that we have had to assure the FA that we can fulfil our commitments this season. In other words, the FA are worried that we will become bankrupt. That folks, is serious state to contemplate. It’s as serious as it gets, but that is where we are.
To change the subject slightly. There has been a movement towards not buying official club merchandise. There are people who say we should all boycott the clubs official shops and refrain from buying the new kit, and especially the new shirts. There is also an alternative shirt which has been produced with the words “Standards Corrupted” a play on words as our new sponsors are “Standard Chartered”.
Firstly, our club crest and the “Liver Bird” are logos of our team. Also, the Liver Bird is a logo of the City of Liverpool and as such they are copyrighted. I really hope that you have permission to use them on your fake shirts. Otherwise you may find yourselves being sued for breach.
A friend of mine once took a photograph of Old Trafford and tried to sell it as a poster. He was sued by Manchester United for a ridiculous sum of money, far in excess of what he made from sales. So beware fakers, what you are doing may seem clever, but it’s illegal.
So should you boycott the clubs new strip? Well, that’s for you to decide. Personally I’m going to buy the third kit, the black one. Boycotting the sales is only going to add debt to the club. It’s not going to harm Hicks or Gillette, they will just pass the debt on to the club. If the club cannot sell shirts, the loan will grow.
We are in an ironic situation here. We have two owners who do not care what you do. They don’t care if you buy a shirt or not. They have put the club up for sale and all they are interested in is buying enough time to sell the club at a huge profit. Any further debts will be added to the loan, which means whoever buys the club will need to find more money. You are harming the club, not our two American friends.
I suggest that you think long and hard about the situation our club is in, the ship is taking on water, and will continue to do so until we have new owners. Until that time, we have to pull together. We have to trust that what is happening now, is a temporary measure and calmer waters lie ahead.
