QUIFFING MUTHA FUCKA !
John Henry's open letter to fans
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QUIFFING MUTHA FUCKA !
*nods in agreement*
Herr Onceared - I gave you a 'Like' for this post - it was so good I would have given you a blowjob. I fail to see how anyone on this site can disagree with the points you have made. It is true that they have tried the fans way of running this club and it turned into a disaster in terms of financial dealings and league performance. I think Henry has clearly outlined his vision and its worth giving it a go regardless of the struggle we will face this season. In my view - perhaps the thing that they are at fault for most is actually worrying about what we the fans think and making too much of an effort to get us on board when they initially took over, but they are also learning. The model that they want to implment here at LFC is one that I think will work and I actually believe that 4th spot is still possible for us. Some really good supporter made the point on the radio today that we need to take into account that Sundays game was our 3rd game in 7 days - besides its the early season and like someone here has pointed out none of us probably expected many points by now anyway when the schedule was released.
Uuuuh .... **thinks a little bit** .... Uuuuuh .... Andy, you should feel honored I guess?
That's a very admirable attitude, but surely there ARE things the owners can do? And I think what we as fans need to do is transcend this either/or way of thinking about things - being cynics or cheerleaders. Neither response is deserved. We need to hold back and reserve judgement. That isn't to mean we boo or fall silent or resort to cyber terrorism or draft badly worded letters of complaint or threaten other unpleasant things. It just means we support the team, and give the manager time, but also resist the temptation to jump prematurely into chanting the manager and/or FSG's name, and resist the opposite. Deeds, not words, are the things for which we should wait.
gkmacca - are you trying to say that we should not be happy with the current situation ? - what is the message you are trying to convey ?
I'm waiting ? - if your saying we should be unhappy then the obvious answer to that is yes 'we are all pissed off' but what can we do ? In fact what can FSG do ? - probably nothing why ? because of the following:-
1) 6M or whoever you listen to - it could be that Fullham really did try and screw us over, and FSG after the last season did not want to be screwed over. However, having said that one needs to look at United who did pay 20M+ for RVP who is also the same age as Dempsey.
2) The strikers out there these days - the really good ones seem to be settled well at their clubs, and probably won't move unless we offerred crazy money + HUGE wages.
Whichever way you look at it we were screwed, and I don't think letting Andy Carroll go made much of a difference.
Yeah - I know but we should be use to it by now - new manager = new 5 year fucking plan. I have a feeling we won't have to wait too long now, don't ask me why - but I really believe that.
Someone should show them a video of Gary Mac.
Agree with every word
This.
They should add a letter of apology to their Manager to this open letter. Undermining a new Manager so obviously is not only undesirable it borders on negligent. Just as well they're owners and not employees or they could expect the sack.
At times like these, I feel its appropriate to quote Papa Lazarou...
"This is just a saga now...."
"This is just a saga now...."
Is that Lizard speak?
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/early-doors/open-letter-john-w-henry-080312159.html
Dear John,
Thanks for your letter of correspondence dated September 3. Early Doors originally thought it was a belated letter of acceptance to Pepe Reina's Goalkeeping Masterclass, two years after ED's application. (By the way, just bin that letter if you stumble across it in the Melwood post room).
Firstly, a hearty well done on actually being so forthcoming in your communication with supporters. People may scoff at the idea of an open letter but it was more enlightening regarding your long-term plans for a historic and vital social institution than anything Roman Abramovich has offered since taking over Chelsea in 2003, while in its responsiveness to the concerns of supporters it trumped anything attempted by the reclusive Glazers at Manchester United, or Silent Stan Kroenke at Arsenal.
The passage where you admit that problems have been "compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership" demonstrated a level of self-awareness and humility that is in short supply in this sport of ours, where some major club officials blame mystery hackers for sending offensive emails to cancer sufferers, while other owners erect monuments to Michael Jackson before telling lifelong fans to "go to Chelsea."
While other club owners seek to brief behind the scenes, sneakily shifting blame onto others through their conduits in the press, it was genuinely an admirable move to communicate directly with supporters, so bravo for that.
Furthermore, the majority of what you outlined, in terms of sustainability and sensible approaches to spending, long-term goals usurping short-term gain, backing your new manager and adhering to UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations made eminent sense. Getting such a clear statement of intent from the maniacally grinning Tom Hicks and George Gillett may have proved more difficult.
The problem, though, is that all those good intentions ultimately count for little if the team struggles on the pitch, and to be honest the glimpse you gave supporters into events on transfer deadline day at Anfield left a little to be desired. Most notably, there wasn't a decent enough explanation of how the deadline was allowed to pass without a half-decent goalscorer joining the club, while Andy Carroll, arguably just about a half-decent goalscorer, was allowed to leave on loan.
First things first. John, reports in the papers on Tuesday morning suggest you and Brendan Rodgers have decided against signing Michael Owen. As a column that relies heavily on taking cheap shots at rubbish footballers and underperforming clubs, this is very bad news: it could have been ED's perfect storm.
It seems Rodgers listened to your explanation of how you didn't want to throw money after short-term fixes and subsequently decided not to recruit a Manchester United has-been whose arrival would further polarise an already frustrated and divided supporter base.
Still, if Luis Suarez gets injured or, you know, gets himself suspended for ages or something, you'll still be pretty much screwed. So with that in mind, and given the fact your current recruitment team appear to be struggling to actually get their dealings done in the transfer market, ED thought it would forward on a short list of alternative candidates.
Alessandro Del Piero: This suggestion is actually serious. The Juventus legend is on a free after divorcing the Old Lady in the summer and hasn't actually signed for Sydney FC yet, contrary to reports. Having stayed with Juve during their spell in Serie A he is used to dragging fallen giants through troubled times, plus he is one of the coolest footballers of the past 20 years. This one's a no-brainer, and the PR bump would be significant.
Didier Drogba: The current favourite of the press, who appear to have lost their copy of FIFA's rule book that states a free agent can only be signed if they are a free agent when the transfer window closes. Drogba, erm, wasn't, and indeed remains employed by Shanghai Shenhua. Though this deal is literally impossible, he still keeps getting linked in the papers, so who is ED to argue? Maybe if you ask Uncle Sepp nicely, he might help you out. Try not to wince at his £250,000 a week wages, though.
Robbie Fowler: This was genuinely proposed as a potential solution by one national journalist yesterday. It's quite frankly farcical, but let's go with it for now. He might be 37, with his most recent playing experience coming with Thai powerhouses Muangthong United, but there's no doubt he has passion for the club he loves. Plus, not even Jesus had a third coming. Imagine having a striker who is officially better than Jesus...
Emile Heskey: Another man who inspires religious fervour. There are global cults dedicated to this goalscoring colossus, a man who has reduced experienced defenders to quivering wrecks for near enough 15 years now. No mortal can resist him. No man can tame him. Well, apart from Alex McLeish, who tried to turn one of the finest strikers of this or any other generation into a midfielder. Seriously, please bring Heskey back to the club, just for the lols if nothing else.
Well, there are some ideas for you to be getting on with. Hopefully the next open letter you will be penning will be to welcome one of the above to the club. Fingers crossed it's big Emile.
All the best,
ED.
Dear John,
Thanks for your letter of correspondence dated September 3. Early Doors originally thought it was a belated letter of acceptance to Pepe Reina's Goalkeeping Masterclass, two years after ED's application. (By the way, just bin that letter if you stumble across it in the Melwood post room).
Firstly, a hearty well done on actually being so forthcoming in your communication with supporters. People may scoff at the idea of an open letter but it was more enlightening regarding your long-term plans for a historic and vital social institution than anything Roman Abramovich has offered since taking over Chelsea in 2003, while in its responsiveness to the concerns of supporters it trumped anything attempted by the reclusive Glazers at Manchester United, or Silent Stan Kroenke at Arsenal.
The passage where you admit that problems have been "compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership" demonstrated a level of self-awareness and humility that is in short supply in this sport of ours, where some major club officials blame mystery hackers for sending offensive emails to cancer sufferers, while other owners erect monuments to Michael Jackson before telling lifelong fans to "go to Chelsea."
While other club owners seek to brief behind the scenes, sneakily shifting blame onto others through their conduits in the press, it was genuinely an admirable move to communicate directly with supporters, so bravo for that.
Furthermore, the majority of what you outlined, in terms of sustainability and sensible approaches to spending, long-term goals usurping short-term gain, backing your new manager and adhering to UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations made eminent sense. Getting such a clear statement of intent from the maniacally grinning Tom Hicks and George Gillett may have proved more difficult.
The problem, though, is that all those good intentions ultimately count for little if the team struggles on the pitch, and to be honest the glimpse you gave supporters into events on transfer deadline day at Anfield left a little to be desired. Most notably, there wasn't a decent enough explanation of how the deadline was allowed to pass without a half-decent goalscorer joining the club, while Andy Carroll, arguably just about a half-decent goalscorer, was allowed to leave on loan.
First things first. John, reports in the papers on Tuesday morning suggest you and Brendan Rodgers have decided against signing Michael Owen. As a column that relies heavily on taking cheap shots at rubbish footballers and underperforming clubs, this is very bad news: it could have been ED's perfect storm.
It seems Rodgers listened to your explanation of how you didn't want to throw money after short-term fixes and subsequently decided not to recruit a Manchester United has-been whose arrival would further polarise an already frustrated and divided supporter base.
Still, if Luis Suarez gets injured or, you know, gets himself suspended for ages or something, you'll still be pretty much screwed. So with that in mind, and given the fact your current recruitment team appear to be struggling to actually get their dealings done in the transfer market, ED thought it would forward on a short list of alternative candidates.
Alessandro Del Piero: This suggestion is actually serious. The Juventus legend is on a free after divorcing the Old Lady in the summer and hasn't actually signed for Sydney FC yet, contrary to reports. Having stayed with Juve during their spell in Serie A he is used to dragging fallen giants through troubled times, plus he is one of the coolest footballers of the past 20 years. This one's a no-brainer, and the PR bump would be significant.
Didier Drogba: The current favourite of the press, who appear to have lost their copy of FIFA's rule book that states a free agent can only be signed if they are a free agent when the transfer window closes. Drogba, erm, wasn't, and indeed remains employed by Shanghai Shenhua. Though this deal is literally impossible, he still keeps getting linked in the papers, so who is ED to argue? Maybe if you ask Uncle Sepp nicely, he might help you out. Try not to wince at his £250,000 a week wages, though.
Robbie Fowler: This was genuinely proposed as a potential solution by one national journalist yesterday. It's quite frankly farcical, but let's go with it for now. He might be 37, with his most recent playing experience coming with Thai powerhouses Muangthong United, but there's no doubt he has passion for the club he loves. Plus, not even Jesus had a third coming. Imagine having a striker who is officially better than Jesus...
Emile Heskey: Another man who inspires religious fervour. There are global cults dedicated to this goalscoring colossus, a man who has reduced experienced defenders to quivering wrecks for near enough 15 years now. No mortal can resist him. No man can tame him. Well, apart from Alex McLeish, who tried to turn one of the finest strikers of this or any other generation into a midfielder. Seriously, please bring Heskey back to the club, just for the lols if nothing else.
Well, there are some ideas for you to be getting on with. Hopefully the next open letter you will be penning will be to welcome one of the above to the club. Fingers crossed it's big Emile.
All the best,
ED.
Ha, that's actually quite amusing.
The council have announced the chosen plan for the houses in the are behind the main stand, as seen on Option 3 of this link:
http://anfieldsrockfieldtriangle.weebly.com/rockfield-refurbishment-options.html
This was confirmed by Bascombe in a webchat yesterday, along with the news in the opening sentence below,
"The club spent £1 million on upgrading the interiors over the summer - the strongest hint yet of the intention to stay put. Some of the houses blocking expansion are being demolished. The 'right to light' issue is being resolved because commercial premises (a hotel) are likely to be built in the adjoining streets, overcoming another planning issue. The club has wisely said it will only comment when they have 100 per cent certainty they can do what they want. It's pretty obvious now which direction it is heading, but there are some obstacles which still need to be overcome before the statement is released and builders get to work."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...to-receive-help-from-technical-committee.html
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to receive help from 'technical committee’
Liverpool are to announce the creation of a “technical committee” of “football people” in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the transfer deadline day debacle that led to the club allowing Andy Carroll to go out on loan without a replacement striker being signed.
The committee will advise manager Brendan Rodgers but will also, interestingly, take on a much wider role as to how Liverpool is run, the type of football the club will play and all the 'technical’ aspects that are sometimes taken by a director
of football.
Although Rodgers, as part of his negotiations to take over at Anfield, insisted he would not work directly for a director of football, despite Liverpool sounding out several candidates, including former Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, the club has
not ruled out eventually making the appointment.
RELATED ARTICLES
Revealed: Rodgers' mantra 07 Sep 2012
Rodgers has no problem with 'honest' owners 07 Sep 2012
Gerrard eyes World Cup miracle 06 Sep 2012
Rodgers wins Sterling battle with FA 05 Sep 2012
Del Piero snubs Liverpool to join Sydney 05 Sep 2012
Families prepare for truth 05 Sep 2012
However, the likelihood is that it will soon reveal the identity of a number of people who will
form a committee of advisers, some of whom are already acting as sounding-boards, for Liverpool’s owners John W Henry and Tom Werner.
The Americans are fully committed to adopting a “European-style model” of running the club and do not want to follow the typical British approach of a manager having top-to-bottom control of the club believing it is unsustainable and costly. The owners admire the approach taken by West Bromwich Albion. The club’s sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth, who is now wanted by the Football Association, was linked to a move to Liverpool in the summer.
Liverpool also point out that the wealthiest club in the Premier League, Manchester City, do not allow manager Roberto Mancini full control of transfers with
Brian Marwood, the football administrator, playing a key role on behalf of the owners.
Liverpool’s owners will be careful not to cause tension with Rodgers who has made it clear that he will not tolerate interference in first-team matters although, crucially, the manager will be expected to discuss his targets with the technical committee who may also make their own recommendations
on which players are pursued. Such an approach may set alarm bells ringing, given the inherent possibility that the manager
might feel interference which could lead to conflict.
There were clear problems last week when Rodgers’ attempts to sign Clint Dempsey from Fulham were vetoed because Liverpool’s owners did not believe the deal – the American was valued at
£6m – was value for money for a 29-year-old with only one year left on his contract. Although Liverpool insist they offered more than the £3m that Fulham sources have indicated was bid, they did not match the asking price and Dempsey eventually left for Tottenham Hotspur instead.
Liverpool had also proposed a swap deal with Jordan Henderson moving to Craven Cottage in return for Dempsey and although Fulham were interested, the
22-year-old England midfielder, who was signed for £16m last summer in a spending spree which Liverpool are still paying a heavy price for, did not agree to the deal and it collapsed.
The failure to agree a deal for Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge – Liverpool and Rodgers only wanted to loan the striker while Chelsea wanted a permanent transfer – meant that with Carroll going to West Ham United on
loan on the Thursday night, Rodgers was left with just two senior strikers and one of those
is 21-year-old Fabio Borini who
is yet to score a goal in the Premier League.
There was also some discussion as to whether Liverpool could sign the Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao from Internacional but they could not reach an agreement and ran out of time for that deal.
Rodgers has already expressed his annoyance to the Liverpool hierarchy and spoke of how “operational issues” had to improve and is now casting around the 'free agent’ market to see if he can sign an emergency replacement until the January transfer window opens.
Liverpool will be able to recall Carroll then but do not want to do so with Rodgers having made it evident that the £35m striker, who is out for six weeks with a hamstring tear suffered on his West Ham debut, does not figure in his plans.
There is irritation at Liverpool that so much attention - and criticism - has focused on their failure to replace Carroll with the club insisting that disagreements over the valuation of a player between executives and a manager - such as happened with Dempsey - are commonplace.
The focus on Liverpool’s failure to sign a striker fell on the club’s managing director Ian Ayre whose role has been under scrutiny for some time. There have been suggestions that Liverpool’s owners were considering returning Ayre to his former post of commercial director, where he successfully revamped the club’s activities, and bring in a more high-powered chief executive.
Although the rumours, from informed sources, persist that Ayre will be replaced - he also came under scrutiny during
the summer when the owners sacked manager Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli – Liverpool insist
there are no plans for a change
to be made.
However, the club have confirmed that the technical committee is close to being formed with, intriguingly, some of its members already in place and others working their notice. At least one prospective member is thought to work for another club.
Liverpool, at present, are keeping the identities a closely guarded secret amid suggestions – again denied – that Henry has used the likes of former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff to canvas opinion.
The expected structure is along the lines of proposals divulged when Rodgers was appointed in the summer by Ayre. Then he said that Liverpool were still keen to develop along the “more continental director of football-type structure, a collaborative group working around the football area”.
A key component will be the appointed of a chief scout, with more responsibility than that
role usually suggests, and an experienced football administrator who can negotiate transfers
and contracts.
Interestingly there will also be a senior figure – likely to be a former player or manager although not one necessarily previously connected with Liverpool – who will act as a figurehead for the type of
football Liverpool want to play and the philosophy the club want to follow.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to receive help from 'technical committee’
Liverpool are to announce the creation of a “technical committee” of “football people” in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the transfer deadline day debacle that led to the club allowing Andy Carroll to go out on loan without a replacement striker being signed.
The committee will advise manager Brendan Rodgers but will also, interestingly, take on a much wider role as to how Liverpool is run, the type of football the club will play and all the 'technical’ aspects that are sometimes taken by a director
of football.
Although Rodgers, as part of his negotiations to take over at Anfield, insisted he would not work directly for a director of football, despite Liverpool sounding out several candidates, including former Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, the club has
not ruled out eventually making the appointment.
RELATED ARTICLES
Revealed: Rodgers' mantra 07 Sep 2012
Rodgers has no problem with 'honest' owners 07 Sep 2012
Gerrard eyes World Cup miracle 06 Sep 2012
Rodgers wins Sterling battle with FA 05 Sep 2012
Del Piero snubs Liverpool to join Sydney 05 Sep 2012
Families prepare for truth 05 Sep 2012
However, the likelihood is that it will soon reveal the identity of a number of people who will
form a committee of advisers, some of whom are already acting as sounding-boards, for Liverpool’s owners John W Henry and Tom Werner.
The Americans are fully committed to adopting a “European-style model” of running the club and do not want to follow the typical British approach of a manager having top-to-bottom control of the club believing it is unsustainable and costly. The owners admire the approach taken by West Bromwich Albion. The club’s sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth, who is now wanted by the Football Association, was linked to a move to Liverpool in the summer.
Liverpool also point out that the wealthiest club in the Premier League, Manchester City, do not allow manager Roberto Mancini full control of transfers with
Brian Marwood, the football administrator, playing a key role on behalf of the owners.
Liverpool’s owners will be careful not to cause tension with Rodgers who has made it clear that he will not tolerate interference in first-team matters although, crucially, the manager will be expected to discuss his targets with the technical committee who may also make their own recommendations
on which players are pursued. Such an approach may set alarm bells ringing, given the inherent possibility that the manager
might feel interference which could lead to conflict.
There were clear problems last week when Rodgers’ attempts to sign Clint Dempsey from Fulham were vetoed because Liverpool’s owners did not believe the deal – the American was valued at
£6m – was value for money for a 29-year-old with only one year left on his contract. Although Liverpool insist they offered more than the £3m that Fulham sources have indicated was bid, they did not match the asking price and Dempsey eventually left for Tottenham Hotspur instead.
Liverpool had also proposed a swap deal with Jordan Henderson moving to Craven Cottage in return for Dempsey and although Fulham were interested, the
22-year-old England midfielder, who was signed for £16m last summer in a spending spree which Liverpool are still paying a heavy price for, did not agree to the deal and it collapsed.
The failure to agree a deal for Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge – Liverpool and Rodgers only wanted to loan the striker while Chelsea wanted a permanent transfer – meant that with Carroll going to West Ham United on
loan on the Thursday night, Rodgers was left with just two senior strikers and one of those
is 21-year-old Fabio Borini who
is yet to score a goal in the Premier League.
There was also some discussion as to whether Liverpool could sign the Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao from Internacional but they could not reach an agreement and ran out of time for that deal.
Rodgers has already expressed his annoyance to the Liverpool hierarchy and spoke of how “operational issues” had to improve and is now casting around the 'free agent’ market to see if he can sign an emergency replacement until the January transfer window opens.
Liverpool will be able to recall Carroll then but do not want to do so with Rodgers having made it evident that the £35m striker, who is out for six weeks with a hamstring tear suffered on his West Ham debut, does not figure in his plans.
There is irritation at Liverpool that so much attention - and criticism - has focused on their failure to replace Carroll with the club insisting that disagreements over the valuation of a player between executives and a manager - such as happened with Dempsey - are commonplace.
The focus on Liverpool’s failure to sign a striker fell on the club’s managing director Ian Ayre whose role has been under scrutiny for some time. There have been suggestions that Liverpool’s owners were considering returning Ayre to his former post of commercial director, where he successfully revamped the club’s activities, and bring in a more high-powered chief executive.
Although the rumours, from informed sources, persist that Ayre will be replaced - he also came under scrutiny during
the summer when the owners sacked manager Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli – Liverpool insist
there are no plans for a change
to be made.
However, the club have confirmed that the technical committee is close to being formed with, intriguingly, some of its members already in place and others working their notice. At least one prospective member is thought to work for another club.
Liverpool, at present, are keeping the identities a closely guarded secret amid suggestions – again denied – that Henry has used the likes of former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff to canvas opinion.
The expected structure is along the lines of proposals divulged when Rodgers was appointed in the summer by Ayre. Then he said that Liverpool were still keen to develop along the “more continental director of football-type structure, a collaborative group working around the football area”.
A key component will be the appointed of a chief scout, with more responsibility than that
role usually suggests, and an experienced football administrator who can negotiate transfers
and contracts.
Interestingly there will also be a senior figure – likely to be a former player or manager although not one necessarily previously connected with Liverpool – who will act as a figurehead for the type of
football Liverpool want to play and the philosophy the club want to follow.
I thought they claimed after appointing Rodgers that this 'committee' would already be working with him? So far from responding to the transfer debacle with a new idea, they're only just getting round to setting up their old solution? How ridiculous. And if they've been impressed with the set-up at City, which has reduced Mancini this summer to a small coiled ball of fury and frustration, they need their heads examining.
Every manager needs somebody to bounce ideas off, and to whisper in his ear when he is going off the rails. Benitez couldn't do a thing right after he fell out with
Paco Ayestarán. However a committee would be like a pub football discussion - mostly shite.
why are you bringing one of lfc's best ever players into this ?
I've come round to thinking that the owners have a Club they don't understand, make as little personal effort with as possible, and are trying to farm it out to a' football person' after listening to people they believe to be 'football people'.
They must realise clarity is needed above all else at this juncture, and what do they do? It's suggested they might get up a committee to either agree with or thwart their team Manager on player and tactical matters!
I'm not even surprised anymore.
They must realise clarity is needed above all else at this juncture, and what do they do? It's suggested they might get up a committee to either agree with or thwart their team Manager on player and tactical matters!
I'm not even surprised anymore.
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