“I was being offered the chance to own one of the jewels, one of the diamonds of the Premier League. There was no hesitation” – Mike Ashley (May 2007).
The historical and proud club of Newcastle United go as far back as 1892. This Football Club wasn’t launched in day and has been the pride of the city in North. The Geordie calls this club ‘the Toon’ which is their way of pronouncing town.
The club have been based on St. James Park since 1895. They have won 4 titles as champions in First Division/Premier League and 6 FA Cup titles. We can state that three of First Division titles was taken early in century, as the titles was won in 1905, 1907 and 1908. That last title was in 1927. After that they won the FA Cup 3 times in the 1950s and the last golden era was in 1990s.
In the 1990s they we’re the runners up twice in the Premier League in 1996 and 1997. When the club got the all-time goal-scorer and striker Alan Shearer. So, its been a few years since they had a strike and been a top team in the league.
During Mike Ashley’s ownership the club haven’t amazed with great results. It had one top six position in 2011/12 season. Since then it has been mediocrity and some seasons in the Championship after relegations. They have been two seasons in the Championship in this period. Still, the owner haven’t invested or done anything significant with the squad. Neither, has he tried or had the ability to hire unique managers. The only lucky pick was Rafael Benitez who had won titles elsewhere, but delivered same mediocrity as everyone else. However, he got legend status doing so. While others like Steve Bruce has gotten a handful for doing the same. Not like the owner has given he funds or transfer-kitty to actually get well talented players to St. James Park.
Now, the Saudi Arabian investment fund is coming in and will own a huge portion of the club. The Kingdom will have associates and stakes directly involved. That is not with a coincidence. The Saudi Consortium led by Public Investment Fund (PIF) will give amass power to the King and his associates. They are buying goodwill and easy ways of getting good press. The King just needs to get a few major players and results. Everything will be golden from there.
The Toon might sound different and will act with swift action in the next transfer window. Not be shocked if a new Football Director and other high ranking officials will come from the Saudi Consortium. That usually comes with the deal. Not that the PIF only sits in the Board of Directors of the Club. No, they are owners and they will act upon it. Especially after spending a fortune for this diamond.
Mike Ashley paid £135m for the club in 2007 and in 2021 his selling for £300m. The former owner has earned a fortune selling it. A club he never really invested in, except for buying it. The club didn’t excel or make any significant titles. There were never really trying, except for the one season with Alan Pardew. The rest have been abysmal.
The Saudis might make changes to that. They might bring to the table what has happened in Chelsea or Manchester City. This is to bring money-ball to Newcastle. The supporters are already happy to get rid of Ashley, but now they have to deal with the Saudi’s. We have to see if that is happy marriage. If not with that sort of price. You can expect a bloody divorce. Peace.
I am worried not worried about the new Iphone 7 or its headphone features. That doesn’t get a fig of imagination as the reality is so much deeper than the American Tech Tax Evasion in Ireland as the Multi-Billion dollar profits of Europe doesn’t deserve to pay the Nations that they are trading their goods in. The Apple Company are greedy gutsy and expect me to care about features and design. They deserve discredit for their blatant Sports Direct ways of scrapping paying tax in Europe. Did they call Mike Ashley to get advice on how to solve issues of avoiding being honourable and actually paying tax like ordinary fellows? Than when they have to cough up money after being sued by the Irish Republic then they claim to stop having their business and sacking thousands of people for actually doing what they we’re supposed to do all along. Pay tax on the profits and now trying to scam their way to get rid of taxes. This proves that the Apple Corporation doesn’t have only have a headphone problem, but a heart problem and cynic dissolution dividing themselves from ordinary folk’s ears and minds. Their Apple Geniuses at the stores need to pay tax on their income; the same should the CEO and the Boards for their profits. Maybe time to frame the company to the pedestal of European scams of fraudulent behaviour for their fear of tax from European nations.
Well, there are other issues boggling my mind today as the continuation of oppressive behaviour in Ethiopia as Oromia and Amhara protest been silenced with the army aggressively cracking down and assaulting the population. As the country we’re supposed to celebrate New Year’s, still the internet is blocked in Amhara as the fear of knowledge and intelligence leaking to the world apparently. Still, the Government has blocked the phone lines in the area to. So with mercenaries and Agazi squad assembled in the area with heavy artillery and even bombings proves the extent the Ethiopian Government goes to silence their own population as the American Ally on the Horn of Africa is allowed to act as it please.
Just to give you a moment and to let it sink in: “Secretary of AEUP, Adane Tilahun, in hiding after imminent arrest threat for interviews he gave to VoA”. If an interview get you into such trouble that you have to hide from the authorities than there are showing their no-reason non-sense control of the citizens as they are bombing and assaulting their own. Also, doesn’t want the word the out!
I am worried that people forgetting the violence of Gabon after the rigged election for the second Generation and Second term President Ali Bongo Ondimba; who just “won” with 4000 ballots after the 3 day doctoring of the ballots that gave him 98% votes in his stronghold. I was expecting 100% and a few donkeys on the tally. Jean Ping the former AU man have been tarnished and been demoted, even if he won the election; the Bongo presidency still controls the Authorities and Institutions. That the world doesn’t react to men not stealing a chicken, but a nation; we can be so grand in our ignorance because it is more important that the Iphone 7 can use ordinary Audio Connection and not Apple’s own Headphone system.
What also worries me is the current state of CORD and Jubilee in Kenya; as the newly united party under the Jubilee Party and their structure together with the workings of the new board for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto can sell their story even if it fiction or reality to the people with their expensive PR campaign of Prado cortege through Nairobi and the Summit of setting the program. As the new pledges and fixing the cartels for Sugar and Coffee and all other industries; end corruption and fix the Mombasa port. But, if they do so doesn’t they recycle the pledges of past, will the Jubilee promise more stadiums and infrastructure projects, like making the grandest airport out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Wonder if that will happen?
What I worried about is the men and woman who will jump ships and what their values of parties really was; let say certain individuals who has been Flagbearers, Senators, Governors and MPs for a dozen of Jubilee parties as there we’re 12 of those bad-boys in the current administration. There will be less tickets as you slash 11 parties… that means that in some districts there will dozen of candidates, new and old who will do whatever to get their seat as there is not enough place in a new structure compete the places in a new National Executive Committee and others.
So if these MPs and whatever position in the Jubilee who shuttle over to the Cord, than what is the difference and what is the key aspect of the Cord if they take in everybody who isn’t “good” enough for Jubilee and their new tickets. An if so, they should already have older or new blood through the parties of Cord that doesn’t need the high-blooded and thinking of their own ticket than about the general clue to why there are politicians. To represent the constituencies an citizens where they need support. If MPs and such are opposition are easily leaving Cord for Jubilee, why we’re they in opposition was they there because they didn’t have credit or ability to be part of current government until now? We should just worry about the values of these politicians and their wish for making a difference and even create a better future for their children’s children. Not to talk about making clearance and making sure that the debt cycle of Kenya doesn’t go over hurdle of the future ability to pay the rates and bills instead of building projects and salaries.
I am worried about the state of affairs in Zimbabwe as the government doesn’t have cash, the banks are empty of Rands and Dollars. The bond notes are coming with future debt while the Zanu-PF elite are riding expensive SUVs through streets where people are begging to take out the savings from the banks. Zimbabwe and President Robert Mugabe are threating the demonstrations with “enough is enough” while the Courts are allowing it. The same Police and Anti-Riot Police commanders that have thrown tear-gas and brutality against citizens are still getting the same treatment as the other civil servants. The Police are now not getting a raise, not getting salary on time and also the same struggle as the nurses, soldiers and everybody else as the budget deficit is growing bigger and bigger. Since also the Finance Minister recently painted the grim picture and with the oppressive behavior from the Central Government has lost touch totally with their own citizens and their view of righteous and just actions from the ones that are facilitating businesses and safety.
I am worried about the silence on the crisis in Burundi, as the CNDD-FD youth group ‘Imbonerakure’ has apparently raped over a 150 girls in the recent days. This is happening as after the start of the third term for Pierre Nkurunziza as the President. With that in mind the assassinations and killings of opposition, military leaders and police officers proves that the AU/EAC based dialogue is pointless as the parties are silenced by the regime and the ones aggressively retaliating makes the civilians in the cross firing fleeing to Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Well, I am also worried! Even Rwanda have been connected to groups violating the government and to a point of coup plot against the CNDD-FD regime; not strange as the High-Coltan exporter Rwanda are stealing Coltan from DRC and exporting better quality and levels of resources than their mines and mountains doesn’t have. Still, the world isn’t worried about the absence of justice in Beni, DRC and the RDC issues of thieving with guerrillas Nord (North) Kivu and the areas around. Paul Kagame likes to eat on stealing and killing as he has done all through his Presidency, still nobody questions him and let him by high quality weapons without any problems.
I am worried about the current instability of Juba, the PoC and United Nations actions in South Sudan. The Troika looks like three stooges who doesn’t cover their actions and expect warriors to be peace-loving drones as the riches get by the gun and not by dialogue. The Government of National Unity (TGoNU) that has installed Gen. Taban Deng Gai from the SPLM-IO and the SPLM-IG President Salva Kiir. The battles in Western Bahr El Ghazal State in the town of Wau; this proves the battles between the different fractions.
That the former Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar are back to heal in Khartoum where he was loyal before, while the SPLA where fighting Khartoum to get freedom from the Sudan Government under President Omar Al-Bashir. So the iconic leader of South Sudan seems lost, while Gen. Taban Deng Gai hasn’t had the control of the opposition even as the TGoNU have been able to get a battalion from SPLM-IO to Juba because of his appointment. The worrying is that both TGoNU and US spokesmen saying Machar doesn’t having any rights to get back to Power and be underling under President Kiir. That he giant level of fleeing citizens to Uganda and the little bound monies to camps in Northern Uganda proves the UNICEF and underfunding of the United Nation Refugee Agency that are running the refugee camps together with the NRM regime of Uganda. This show’s level of internal problems in South Sudan affects the Ugandan politics and funding.
This is just some of the things that go to through my mind. So I am not worried about the headphones of the Iphone7 and their technical changes from the last edition. There are bigger questions and more hard questions to ask about the world. Like why are the world still taking the so-called Presidential-Candidate Donald Trump serious when he recycling his lies to an extent that if you took the account of monies the Apple Corporation didn’t pay tax in Europe, the amount of lies that we’re not questioned by journalist towards Trump would be practically the same. Enough for now! Peace.
Well, it is about that time, I make mockery of two statues of civilization and ideas that rules the world while not hoping the blindly followers of either comes to attack my person, my thoughts or my widely allegation on the parts. Both of the political views and framework have made a difference and is the reason why we have societies like we have today.
The main parts of socialism is that there is policies and regulations that fit for social and bigger government who cares for the citizens, like subsidized health-care, schools, university, transport and local government. Through taxes and higher fees on produce as the socialism need funding for the ability to make the government organizations and government programs. The Government need more taxes to able to serve the public with what they expect through the socialistic view, while the taxes are set-up in a way that the ones with more income is generating more revenue is supposed to pay more tax; than the ones that are paid less.
So with the big-government and grander government policies comes the address of the public will and citizens loses power, but that for the price of cheaper health-care, schooling and other government institutions. That stops the higher prices and free-market pricing of health care that lets major parts of the society might even be able to pay for the needed operations. So the reasoning and hateful measurement against big-government is wrong in some parts as the people are stronger when we work together and divide the expenditure on the whole society; instead of billing the whole ordeals on the single individual.
Neo-Liberalism is not as straight forward as this is supposed to be measurement to weaken the state, make it liberal and little. Give more power to person instead of the government and give more choices to the citizens of the given country. The issue is that Neo-Liberalism has come with certain ideas and prospects.For instance the New Public Management (NPM)is a Neo-Liberalistic idea. NPM have given the societies and the government who added these policies more watchmen and ombudsmen then before. They have given the power away from the departments and created institutions under the departments with specialist and experts that sets the standard and gives advice to the department. While the departments still need manpower, so need also the lower-expert-institutions. So you have two fronts with specialist working the same field and advising each other. So before NPM most of the experts and brains where at the Department and Local Government that worked with a given subject or the project that needed a specialist; thanks to NPM they have become self-serving and not cut down the amount of bureaucracies have become fluent. As much as the wish for the NPM as parts of the Neo-Liberalism idea, it hasn’t created less government, but more and longer away from the decision making.
The Neo-Liberalism of free-market and starch corporate control have not given added freedom to the consumer. As the markets are controlled by less and less owners and stakeholders; the corporate power have become stronger, but more centralized in conglomerates that issues the policies and secure the profits. The riches of the corporations and the borderlines agreements are built for the corporations not for the welfare for the citizens. The original businesses we’re built for single projects or for fixed procurement that the state and citizens needed like building roads and bridges. Not gaining profits that sky-rocket and then moves away the tax-money into tax-havens. That is the Neo-liberalism ways of economies. In a way the movement of money should happen without government interference or taxation.
The Neo-Liberalism brought also an idea that was worse than the NPM. That was the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) under the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). SAP was made in the 1980s to liberate the subsidized agriculture, health-care and other public institutions as government got great loans through the funding of IMF and WB. So they released the governments and free-market ideas that killed the Co-Op’s in the countries that was already lots of them. They had commissions and centralized crop sales through Co-Ops that served the farmers, either they produces cocoa, coffee or tea. This was a standard of fixing training, production and prices to influx together a stronger unity. The ironies of this is that the IMF and WB gave this order through SAP to Low-Developed Countries while the countries that funded this had Co-Ops in agriculture themselves and still have to this day. So with the SAP they made the inside trading before the export more intricate and gave “supposed” more power to the farmer. Instead they became more reluctant and needed more to be careful to whom they offered their crops to. As the traders from capital who went up-country could fix prices and lie about the values to earn more on the trade to export. So the farmer would not get a given price on the world-market because there we’re less voices giving the farmer a hand in the trade of their cash-crops and their goods that they we’re not consuming themselves. So the SAP agreement stalled the government institutions and weakens them together with the trading experience on the ground. The structures we’re given big loans for building up trade-networks and export facilities while dismantling the structures that secured and fueled the industry and agriculture. As the Agriculture and Industry should not get subsidized, but get funding through free-market ideal and that killed the initial funding as the cheaper production came from abroad instead of making it locally. Therefore it is more normal to Chinese, Egypt and Brazilian products than own local products in the supermarkets of Uganda, for instance. Even meat, juice and toilet-paper are imported than produced in the country. That is because of the SAP and the Neo-Liberalism ideas.
Another important factor of the Neo-Liberalism idea is the abolishing ideas of Workers Unions and trying to ban them. As the Free-Market should fix the pay for the worker and the business it should fix it. That is why there been less strikes and less new Unions in our day. The reason why Unions in our time is important and the socialist idea of them is that the riches of the corporations; does not seem to trickle down to the citizens; it only left back to the stakeholders and owner, not to society or the workers that works for the rich corporations. Settling this is not easy. During the Reagan and Thatcher era tried to kill of the unions for their meddling and dissolve them so to actually centralize power. Instead this killing of mining-unions and other unions in the United Kingdom have weaken the industry and the ability of workers to fix pay while the corporations come with contracts that are good for business, but not good for steady income for proper work. The recent years of cover-ups in Sports Direct that is owned by Newcastle United Mike Ashley that offers their workforce lots of “Zero-Hour Contract”. Zero Hours Contracts work in the way that the employer has more people under their wings without paying extra for them. The Contract gives not benefits or sick-leave. As the Employee is paid by the hours and amount of time they work for the employer and nothing else. So all the benefits is added to the business and none for the worker, who has to fight and bend-over to add hours as the pool of willing workers are there. Even if the Zero-Contracts are bad, the non-Union and not-allowed to unionize work-force cannot go together and fight for their benefits and rights. As the Employer can continue to use and get new workers without having to stand-by them. Sports Direct is just an example of it, there are more business who uses this model and creates massive profits as they don’t have to offer needed benefits or health-care programs to the employees. As Wall-Mart have had low-hourly pay and no health-care benefit while letting their employees sign-up to government funded programs for health-care so that the Wall-Mart employees get little paid and at the same time uses food-stamps and Medicaid instead of Wall-Mart having health-Care benefits. So the business saves the money for salaries and also save the benefits of their employees; this is something you can thank the beautiful neo-liberal ideas.
The difference with the neo-liberalistic ideal of work is that the employee would give sufficient pay and have a contract that benefits the company and the workers. As they would have social responsibility for their workers as they have health benefits through the standard with standard payments of salaries together with state fueled community health care. The Neo-Liberal is that personal pay of the health-care instead of tax-payers money. So the health-care will be opened to the once who can have insurance or ability to pay for it. Instead of funded through the tax-payers pockets as solidarity between all citizens as in the socialist idea. That cannot be seen as a problem for a liberal person, to bring solidarity and also a structured health-care that everybody pays their fees into and when needed pay a small personal fee to get access, instead of footing the whole bill on their own.
Let me finish this up with the ideals that are ironic on the matter.
Smaller Government under NPM has actually made more Ombudsmen and Expert Organizations. Meaning that the Government didn’t become smaller, just longer away from the Department to the Experts and the Ombudsmen that the Government want to control
The SAP in Neo-Liberalistic method didn’t bring wealth to the countries it was applied to. The Farmers, the government institutions got weaken, while the loans got higher and less development as the Free-Market got the resources, but without control of the Co-Ops or other ways of maintaining support of citizens. The economies became more fragile as a result of the Neo-Liberal SAP then under the Co-Ops with the control of selling cash-crops and so on.
The Free-Market idea of Neo-Liberalism while destroying Labor-Unions to secure more government control of the market. While deteriorating the labors ability and therefore opening for the “Zero-Hour” Contracts that gives all the advantages to the corporations and none to the employee who only get security for the hourly work and nothing else for the employee. That would not happen with stronger unions and government who could enforce the rules for corporations.
All of these is ideals against each other I myself is not a clear socialist, even if I am raised on socialist country in a social-economic balance system. I myself is a clear Keyenist in the way that I believe in free-market and free-society to an extent. That extent is that the governments automatically bails out the necessary institutions and have a hand into the banks and other needed businesses of a society. That the workers are secured and fixed through strong barriers so that the market is made sure that the governments, and also facilitate the marker for the corporations. So that the market will have input from the government as the eruptions is inevitable and needs a structure to control it.
This three main components are basic:
Aggregate demand is influenced by many economic decisions—public and private.
Prices, and especially wages, respond slowly to changes in supply and demand, resulting in periodic shortages and surpluses, especially of labor.
Changes in aggregate demand, whether anticipated or unanticipated, have their greatest short-run effect on real output and employment, not on prices. Keynesians believe that, because prices are somewhat rigid, fluctuations in any component of spending—consumption, investment, or government expenditures—cause output to change. If government spending increases, for example, and all other spending components remain constant, then output will increase.
So with that in mind you understand why I am in between of the socialist and the free-market neo-liberalism as the Keynesian ideas that are more subtle and securing society as the mixed of government control and free-market gives sustainable societies. Not only full freedom without security for other than the corporations which is the main mantra of the Neo-Liberalism as the individual freedom usually get used by the legal person the corporations and not coined will by the persons themselves as the belief is under the ideology of liberal ideas. Instead of having total control of the state in the Communism, and strong big-government with socialism; but the Keynesian sees it in middle of that and have a free-market with control of the wages and workers by the government. That gives a steady economy and also a greater stability in the values of inflation and stronger value of the person instead of being a commodity as resources in the free-market thinking of the neo-liberalism that have deteriorated the markets and only winner is the corporations; not the fellow human beings. Peace.
Leaders, managers or coaches deals with issues every day and follows the goals of the clubs that employ them. The different structures depend on the owners and how they perceive the handling of the club. Structures are either set for more power for the owner or more of a coach that has little authority in a club. That goes from Transfers Committee that together with owner picks their targets and aims to build the clubs. Secondly you have the managers who decide the targets on his own.
There is also the difference that shows how much the actual manager will do. Not only picking the tactics and fresh players on match day. They have issues with the contracts and the basic running and progression of the club in general. Because the Manager has a genuine role as the person who is known figure for the club as a president is the leader of a country. Though the powers have a reach for a Manager, but has more pivotal role in a club then a coach or trainer. Like Carver was in Newcastle in the end of the season last year he had less of a reach, then say Mourinho in Chelsea who has put his stamp on the team. I know Carver was a temporary fix before hiring the new manager who has gotten certain freedoms though for many it doesn’t look like it has done the trick for the Northern Club.
I will not talk about Newcastle today, though their spirals of negatives are running high. It’s been like that ever since they sold Cabaye to PSG. The owner Ashley hasn’t run the club well for other things then earning money for the coffers of him the owner and not building a powerful squad. Therefore they are in the role of Aston Villa and are yet another year of fighting relegation and will be amazing if they ever in this campaign get-a-back-to-back VICTORY! We all know that. But I will talk about the club who has showed loosen and digging deeper and deeper on the bottom of the Premier League, that is Sunderland and the ‘Stadium of Lights’.
Sunderland and the sad tale of Dick Advocaat:
Yesterday the experienced and well-founded manager Dick Advocaat resigned his position in Sunderland after short stint at the club, like so many other of his peers. He was the third savoir in three seasons for the club. First it was Paolo Di Canio who took over and was sacked in second campaign. Then came Gus Poyet in and did an amazing save of the club with big scalps, before continuing another campaign which all the power and flow of the team was in shambles and then they hired Dick Advocaat. Advocaat saved them by a thread last campaign and took on another campaign with promise of getting fresh players to strengthen the squad, because it was needed. There been over time picked cheap options and certain quick fixes instead of building a strong team at ‘Stadium of Lights’.
Ellis Short the owner can defend himself with saying that he hasn’t earned a penny from the club because of the wage paradigm that is in the club. The way the big signing this season was in some way Borini who was one of the first players brought into Liverpool by Brendan Rogders and never fitted the bill. Had one good campaign in Sunderland even if has a loose shot and misses on golden opportunities often. Kaboul went from Tottenham who was to unstable in the defense for them and the same with Coates also from Liverpool. Because the older Brown and O’Shea has not the standard and speed for the league anymore, even if they back in the day was futures under Ferguson in Manchester United. They have gotten this season on loan the striker Lens who showed a magnificent goal that made 2-0 and got Advocaat in tears of joy. This shows for me maybe the best moment of the 8th Round for the simple reason to show how great of a heart as a leader Advocaat has!
Even if Sunderland has Lens, Defoe the misfiring Borini and Fletcher can’t cut it in the long-run. The management from Short and transfers prove that there hasn’t been getting the quality and fitting players to a certain style of play. It has been more patching up and quick-fixes the same as leadership. Under Di Canio the club signed 14 players before he got sacked. Under Poyet he got certain players that had been under his leadership as Buckley and others, but did the significant signing in Jermaine Defoe. Even this stars return from Toronto didn’t spark his team and save his position. Therefore Advocaat had to save them as he did. The signings and ways of progression after Poyet and Di Canio haven’t led to anywhere good. Recent matches has been looking as sad at it has done. The loyalty and continuity doesn’t exist right now. Only thing that is static in the teams play is Lee Cattermole who gets a card both now and then.
The resigning proves the dire situation in the club of Sunderland. And the manager that comes to Sunderland will be in rat-hole even if it’s a club with massive potential. It has 40-50.000 on the stadium on match day. Have high potential pay and possibility to pay for players wages to reach for bigger players. But the leadership and the structure is insufficient. The reigns of such amount of managers at the same time as quick decline after grace periods tells of systematic decline in the team-building and also in man-management. The strength that has been defense has lost it. Because it’s been a while since the attack and mid-field has been exciting, even when Jack Colback was running like crazy for the team, and Rodwell haven’t taken over his presence in the squad. That is very visible!
The way that the managers has gone in and out:First saviors and then sacked in the start or into the next campaign.It doesn’t give the club any stability and quality. The club starts to lack vision and tactical plan to prove what they want. That is also visible in the squad that is fragmented by the buys of different managers who went on the faith of the former ones and their plans. Together with the direct patch-ups and quick-fixes that has become the norm. The manager that comes in has a mountain to climb and has to rebuild the trust with the fans that cover the ‘Stadium of Lights’. Not only with steady results, but get the players to play with their hearts out of their Jersey. Give their blood and sweet and tears into any match. As a neutral it’s been a sad sight to see the steady decline and weakness of Sunderland. Do they want to play in the Championship or still be a proud club in the North who has a place in the Premier League? There is time that Ellis Short tries to build continuity on the leadership side of the club and the strategy they have. Not quick fixes in the end that will hurt the club and the players who try to follow every new idea the new manager has. Something that will be hard to implement and make sufficient to sustain a honorable place in the league.
Brendan Rodgers slowly falling apart at Merseyside:
Now let me go on another manager who didn’t resign, but got sacked. I have mentioned him in a by-the-way earlier today. Brendan Rodgers the man who has made himself a giant name over the past years. A prospect for managerial roles and future trophy hunter; Brendan Rodgers made a name by getting Swansea up from Championship and then playing high intensity football while delivering results there. From there without any big caps or trophies got hired after FSG sacked club-legend Kenny Daglish.
He started and has been in the way of looking after Character and progress in his teams. For those who has followed him. It’s been his mantra. Looking for the characters and building up players from prospects to finish products or stars to be specific. During the spell of Rodgers they has sold and lost their biggest stars like Gerrard, Sterling and Suarez. The last one to go now is Sturridge and then you would soon see flies come from the pockets.
There was the year that Rodgers leading them to the second position in the league. The campaign that always will be remembered because of the dynamic play and fascinating attacking played of the trio of Sturridge, Sterling and Suarez. They were magnificent even if they got dozen goals the other way as well. Some of us even called it Playstation football by the way it going back and forth with the intensity and flair. Something that Rodgers always wished to see in his players to have a certain quality, character and flair. If you find a after-match interview under the Rodgers in Liverpool where he isn’t using those words and describing the match outcome usually boils down to that.
Brendan Rodgers has now had three campaigns. First was what people call mediocre, but showed some progress. Second season was a magnificent run and was close. Because of that he couldn’t continue to build. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) let the gold go away after that and the trades done after weren’t of the same quality. When the spiral went lower and lowers, so low that after the third campaign in charge on Merseyside, FSG changed leadership and under-coaches under Rodgers! That was in general to disfranchise his power at the club. Brendan Rodgers must have felt that already before his fourth campaign for the club. With departing his own coaches and being alone from the original crew that he with from Swansea.
FSG has also put into the system a Transfer Committee so the Manager is not sole-responsible for the trades done by the club. Even though the manager will be responsible for the results delivered by the squad all season. Even with a seat on the committee he has still not the powers that the ones who can pick and choose over set budget. There will always be a Sports Director or Owner who might shut down wishes for certain players, and even likes of Roman Abramovich who just wanted Shevchenko and then Chelsea bought him, even when they didn’t even need his services.
FSG has then in recent choices partly crossed the powers of Rodgers with the Transfer Committee and also with clipping out his colleagues and his team apart hiring new coaches under him. So then still giving him the “second” chance of success with the club by buying Benteke, Ings, Milner and so on during the summer.
Rodgers wasn’t taken early out of his job and had time to do what he needed. But after the first taste the FSG choices made his tenure worse by the minute. The selling of the starts and losing of pivotal players also hurt him. The choices of buying certain kind of players like Aspas and Balotelli didn’t help his impression, though he wanted to prove that he could turn any player into stars again or bring it out of them.
So after the “second” chance after the success would be hard. Sterling left for Manchester City. The former Southampton players should kick off this season in Liverpool. They are Clyne, Lovren and Lallana. But none of them has played as they did in Southampton. Emre Can hasn’t been up to speed. Courthino has been a spark, but alone in it. Firmino who was bought this summer has talent and skills, but hasn’t bloomed yet. Henderson has taken over for Gerrard, but hasn’t had the same flair or capacity. Ibe has showed progress, but is not a finished “product” yet. What happen to Kolo Toure? What happen to the presence of Skrtel in the defense? Even if he is local boy who deserves credit for catching up with quality of the league, why haven’t we seen Joe Flanagan this campaign?
With all of that and others we can see that there are many issues with the Liverpool squad and the reactions to the team. The progress stopped and the shopping of additions this summer didn’t change the results or drive for the team. Rodgers are right! There need rebuilding in Liverpool. With or without him, and certainly with the decision of sacking him it’s with somebody else.
And for me personally the man, who comes in Liverpool, will have a hard task. The locals and fans expect the team to be a top four team and be in the Champions League (CL). Even though it’s been while since last time the club was there. You have to go back to 2008/09 campaign. So that was a three year hiatus between being a part of the European Competition. The Euro League is the sad stepchild that is a misfit for most teams if they’re not Sevilla or Napoli. Tottenham has struggled with juggling Euro League matches and Premier League in the weekends. The same has been seen by Liverpool. And I am sure whichever team who comes from Premier League to the Euro League will struggle as it seems in league.
The leadership that FSG has proven with Brendan Rodgers isn’t a strong token and longevity in the club. It’s easy to give a new long-time contract after some piece of success. That they did because they wanted to show faith. Just like Newcastle did with Alan Pardew back in the day. Carver was put into temp when Pardew went to Crystal Palace. The same even Aston Villa did with Paul Lambert after back-to-back victories in start of last campaign. That led to hiring of Tim Sherwood to save the club in the Premier League. That is different from the leadership that puts trust into their managers like Bournemouth with Eddie Howe, Burnley with Sean Dyche, and Hull City with Steve Bruce and so on. There are leaderships that prove loyalty and longevity can bring certainty to teams and squads. Not that all leaders should stay for-ever that is not my point.
My point with Todays topic is clear: the way Sunderland and Liverpool has dealt with the managers has not been well. It has been charades and weak. Liverpool done short-cuts and sold their giants; While expecting dead-wood to turn gold before starting to dig after it, and the cost of it all gets the head of Rodgers instead of those who has done their homework. Suarez, Sterling and Gerrard don’t pop-up like Daisies. It is strange seeing that FSG had the same faith that Lallana and Milner be the same as Suarez and Sterling. And also changing the backroom staff and giving strong signals that it wasn’t that well with Rodgers leadership.
We can all understand Advocaat’s situation in Sunderland. He must have been torn especially seeing the trials of doom returning and not much joy insight. Also with the issues of how weak the strategy of the club has been its easy to see why he decided now to leave. The next man will be in tussle like all three former managers we’re with men coming in that was there in stints for others or because the club needed a fix. Not for a strategic long plan and vision of one leader and his tactical ways. So that the next man has to use what is there and prove his capabilities in the club. Sunderland and Liverpool got massive work in front of them. Sunderland got to fight for their place in the league and build stability in the leadership structure. Not only patch it up and quick fixes. Get a man to actually build a team and also build something with the fans that keeps the club alive. Liverpool has a squad and a backroom staff, that has been built by Rodgers who is now gone. The talent and faith in these players will be left to the next manager. Even the transfer committee has decided on certain players, it’s been three season with Rodgers and that leaves certainly some of his vision and characters there. And the staff that FSG has now put in place, since Rodgers lost his team before this campaign. Peace.
MinBane 