I don't think the article [Rory Smith's breafast eulogy] no matter how well written - confirms anything? It's an opinion piece, and quite articulate, but an opinion piece all the same.
But it does encapsulate the way many people are thinking on here and manages to express it without the bile that often accompanies it, so that's helpful 
Fwiw I personally don't think the swings have been towards new and different fads. I will agree however that I've been disappointed that they haven't stuck to their guns more and imposed the plans that they were working towards. It does feel a little like they put their trust in the wrong people sometimes (any British is Best or Premiership Proven strategy feels so far off their plans it's ridiculous) but I actually think that's because of all the bile that's thrown their way - e.g. "don't get a DoF just do it the old school British way" or "unless the manager has ultimate responsibility we're just being trendy dipshits" - which causes them to second guess things.
And tbf a lot of people's complaints are that they have a strategy at all - other than the school of Harry Redknapp which is "just give the gaffa more than the club can afford and live and die by his success". As FSG have rightfully noted though - in more cases than not - that Harry Redknapp death is catastrophic, and seems so backward, that there must be a better way!
I think they're close to finding the right formula - under their watch we've brought in Suarez and Coutinho for relative peanuts - who will both be top top players for the rest of the decade - so they do something right, they just need to figure out what the magic in that formula is and focus as much on that as possible.
Well said Kcbw.
As it is I'd turn the whole fucking thing on it's head.
If we'd not entirely fucked up the forward outlet aspect last season after losing Suarez and Sturridge does anybody think we'd not have been actually challenging for the top spot?
I have never in all my time as a Red seen so many people - including all the journos - get the core issue so wrong when assessing a Liverpool season or, more specifically, a Liverpool situation.
There is one pivotal reason and one reason alone why we fell short last season and that was because - as myself and Red Mongoose have repeatedly said seemingly to an array of deaf fucking ears - we went for an entire season without a real forward outlet.
Not one game. Not a run of games. Not half a season. But an entire fucking season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How in god's name can any judgement of any sort retain even an ounce of credibility when viewed in such context?!?
And yet every deluded fucker seems to be trying to make such judgements, including smart arse journos like Rory who believe they have unearthed the Dead Sea Breakfast scrolls.
The fact is had Chelsea, City or Arsenal or indeed Man U attempted to do the same as us devoid of a bona fide attacking outlet then like us they too would have struggled to make the top four.
It does not mean that other mistakes were not made. Not least by the manager. It just means that the essence of why our season was such a frustrating failure has fuck all to do with convoluting hypotheses such John Henry and Co's penchant for varying their breakfast menus but everything to do with the fact that the structure which they implemented failed so lamentably to ensure the team on the pitch had the armoury to succeed and thus the one thing every football team requires for that success - namely balance.
And in our particular case that imbalance was due to the ridiculous failure to bring in an attacking outlet/outlets that would have provided it.
And so to the coming season.
As I look at the signings that have already arrived along with Origi and the prospect of a full season Ibe I breathe a huge sigh of relief as they represent exactly the sort of playing strength in exactly the right sort of places in which we were last season crying out for it. There may not be a - god do I despise the term - marquee signing amongst them but by god the four of them represent exactly at this moment the sort of solid and balanced additions we so desperately need.
A further few signings of corresponding solidity and balance plus perhaps a marquee to placate the nouveaus and a top four challenge is a given.
