We have 4 options
1) Have absolute faith in the current staff to turn it around
2) Have valid concerns, back the current staff to turn it around
3) Have valid concerns, don't back the current staff to turn it around
4) Have invalid concerns, don't back the current staff to turn it around
A few are in Category 1. Most people fall into Category 2. A few people fall into Category 3. A mercifully small number fall into Category 4.
Even those in Category 3 will hopefully support the team, and I hope that they wish to be proved wrong. Category 4 people are most often trolls, and can sometimes be made aware of the invalidity of their criticisms if they're not. Category 2 people are fine as long as they put some thought into it. Category 1 people are generally a pain in the arse and make it as difficult to have a reasonable debate as much as the trolls in 4.
Which group would you put yourself in if this was a Liverpool fan census?
Unfortunately I'm in category 3 at the moment. I feel a lot of mistakes have been made in the last 18 months, and I'm afraid the blame has to lie on the manager. I think for me the most worrying thing over Kenny's reign has been the lack of a clear direction. At the end of last season we were all pretty sure we were going into the realms of quick pass and move football, a high intensity game, with players with great technical ability who could play intricate through balls but also a team who press the ball when the opposition are in possession. And although we've seen glimpses of this over the course of this season, I just feel like we've signed completely the wrong type of players to put this game plan into full effect.
I mean, you look at the way we played last season, and then look at who we got rid of in the summer, and it's clear we sold players who would've been well suited to it.
Meireles- Suited his game to a T, could spot a pass well, made effective runs into the box, and was pretty clinical on his day.
Aquilani- Great passer of the ball, similar to Raul in many ways although I think he's probably a more intelligent footballer, very good at finding the simple pass, and right pass. Atleast one of the two above should've stayed at the club atleast. Both preferably, with Adam not joining. But that's me using the power of hindsight I suppose.
Dani Pacheco- Never really cut it at a high level, but after some decent performances for Norwich at the back end of last season I would've liked to have seen him in the squad this year. Again, the style of football from Kenny's reds last season would've been right up his street. Playing just behind Luis would've been interesting to see.
Maxi Rodriguez- This bloke wasn't sold, but he might aswell have been. He's hardly featured this year, and after such a brilliant end to last season, it is a disgrace that he wasn't in the first 11 for the opening game against Sunderland, he'd earnt his place and it seemed Kenny was way too eager to usher in the new generation of LFC players, when perhaps easing them in individually would've been a much better and more effective plan.
I'm not going to bother explaining my views on the players we signed. Not only are they not good enough, but they don't fit in with the blueprint that had been set out by Kenny months before. Downing- a direct winger.... Andy Carroll- the battering ram up top.... Adam- the 40 yard passer....
To me these players just were not needed. We bought Downing for Carroll this much is clear. The signing of Downing was a knock on effect from signing Carroll, we needed someone who could whip a ball in, because we just signed a 6ft headering machine.
We signed Andy Carroll, not with the idea that he'll slot directly into this team, but with the idea that we're gonna have to sign a bunch of other players to get the best from him. That's not right.
So, with the combined money of Adam, Downing and Carroll we could of easily signed someone the calibre of Juan Mata, and maybe even a striker in the mould of a Llorente, or maybe not even gone for a number 9 at all. Instead have 2 world class attacking midfielders in behind Suarez making runs, passes etc etc. Still with enough money to buy Enrique and even Henderson with a view to him being a valuable squad addition, with the hope of him being a major player in later years. So the team on the opening day could've possibly been:
Reina
Flanno Skrtel Agger Enrique
Lucas Aquilani
Mata Meireles Maxi
Suarez
I dunno, I'm certainly not a tactical genius, but to me that team looks pretty good! A hell of a lot better than it does right now. And the best thing is, it would've probably cost less if you took back the Carroll money, Downing money, and Adam money. And this is the team without Gerrard, and even Johnson and Kelly who were both injured at the time if I recall. I dunno, maybe the team is missing a bit of British grit, ehem. But I think it's got enough flair in it to make up for that.
And I know what I'm gonna get back from most of you. "Oh it's alright saying that now!" and "Well done you, maybe we should've appointed you manager instead
"
But the fact is, the manager is meant to have the foresight, and the ability to look into the future, and to determine what will work and what won't work, so that around this time we're not sat in 7th, possibly 13 points off top four. I would love nothing more than Kenny to be successful as our manager, nothing would give me more joy than to see him lift more trophies, and take us back to the very top. I just feel on the evidence of the last 18 months, this will not be the case.
