FSG Watch...
My points are more directed towards the need for calm heads and cool thinking towards FSG. Up until now the nature of heated debate has been to equate 'calm heads and cool thinking' with allaying concerns with FSG. I'm not so sure. I think it's an entirely appropriate time to be asking some key questions about the direction we are going in. It has become, worryingly, perceived wisdom, to explain or rationalise away a lot of things that hitherto were considered actually quite important.
There was a time when Champions league football was critical to our off field financial prowess. Upon failing to get into the CL Ayre tried to pretend that our financial model is not dependent on it, but obviously we would not want to be out of it for too long...
There was a time when getting in a genuine CEO was important, but then we very quickly reasoned (yes we did however much we want to think differently now), that Ayre had done well and deserved his promotion
There was a time when a new stadium was going to be critical to our medium and long term future... now it seems it's not as important as we once thought..
There was a time when a Director of Football was to be the pivotal role in the club, now it seems we have dispensed with the idea, as it's not needed because... (insert excuse or reason)
There was a time when appointing a top and proven manager was deemed important, but that's now not as important as a hungry and unproven manager because... (that's the way the Spanish clubs do it / it could be the start of something / insert excuse or reason here)
There was a time when other highly respected football people were coming into the club, but that's not as important now because....
Then there is the contestation over the signing of Gylfi. Hardly groundbreaking it would seem and it's not as if the guy is Messi, but when we want him, he's going to be a great part of Brendan's team, when he doesn't want us the tired old mantras come out (we only want players who want to play for the club etc etc... the truth is i want to play for the club but it doesn't mean you would want me). Xabi came because he believed in the manager and where the club was going. Masch was persuaded over a tactics talk with Rafa using a couple of pepper pots. What we want are players who are of genuine quality to improve us who are persuaded by the manager that this is the only club to play for...
We have become both kings of wishful thinking and masters of appeasement at the same time.
FSG said their approach was to under promise and over deliver. Well, they've met one half of their targets. Don't get me wrong on this. I like Brendan Rogers. The pre-season fan in me always lapses into optimistic mode when I think of how if only all the 'if onlys' come together this could be a great year. By March the hard cold facts have usually set in. For now though I believe in the guy, but the bottom line is that he has had one good season and communicates very well. It is the latter that currently differentiates him from other one-season premier league wonder managers in the mould of Holloway, Brown, etc etc. I want him to be oh so much better, I hope he is...but it is 'want' and 'hope' right now.
Many people have left the club. In fact, where they have over-delivered has been on culling. It would be churlish to ignore that they took some very expensive hits with the sums they paid last summer compared to the returns on the pitch. But right now the thought ruminating in my head is that they are putting this club into a holding pattern. We heard a lot about how they were speaking with some very important people in the game about who to appoint and what to do next. Who are these people? They may have been talking to them, yes - but the purpose of those conversations is another matter entirely. These are, I have no doubt, genuinely smart businessmen. what if their conversations have led them to believe that actually the financial risk is too great for substantial investment in the team or ground? What if they have calculated that they have purchased a global brand in a distressed sale, and if they can hold tight and have a financially viable and lean football club at their disposal then disposal is what they will do once the credit lines open up again or a benefactor steps in? What if they are holding us long enough to get us organised for moving us on? I'm not saying this would be a bad thing in itself. I am saying though that thus far everything about how our expectations have been managed has been to suggest that they want to get us justifying to ourselves why it is not all that important that our expectations are not met.
This summer will be a real test in my mind of whether FSG are going to back themselves to be owners of a competitive football club, or whether they simply want to have a very attractive and lean global brand on their hands to move on.
As for Gylfi - who knows, maybe he's just a manc who can't bring himself to play for Liverpool. Would you go to Old Toilet if you had the choice? Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe Rodgers has a price he thinks is worth paying and he thinks he can get better elsewhere for the money. Perhaps. Perhaps these are the things we tell ourselves to explain away why our very first target might end up playing elsewhere... and then we'll say - so what... not good enough anyway... we can get better elsewhere... we only want him playing for the shirt...
and on we will continue to natter... explaining away the previously and seemingly inexplicable, on the grounds that we shouldn't panic... FSG have a plan... now is the time for cool heads...
well, in my opinion its a time for very cool heads to be as objective as they possibly can be on whether this lot are setting us up for success or for benign globally marketable existence for at least the forseeable future...
FSG watch... get on it (and I hope Gylfi signs...)