An open letter to Rick Parry

[Rashid]

Rick Parry
Chief Executive Officer
Liverpool Football Club
Anfield Road
LIVERPOOL
L4 0TH


5 May 2005

Dear Mr Parry,

It is great sadness that I feel compelled to write for the first time to you and the board of Liverpool Football Club. I would like Gerard Houllier removed as manager and placed elsewhere within the club – here are my reasons.

We at Liverpool are not renowned for sacking managers and I too hold this dear to my heart, but what do we do? In the last 2 seasons GH has presided over:

1. Worst Run in 50 Years
2. Worst Home record in 50 years
3. Worst Style of Play ever at Liverpool.
4. Most excuses ever in one season (Referees, Injuries, Plateau etc)
5. Recent purchases that have been so poor it beggars’ belief. It can be argued that GH simply cannot get the best out of some excellent players. Would the same players perform this way for Arsene Wenger?
6. 35 odd points behind the leaders – an amazing statistic.
7. Closer in points to the bottom club than the top one.
8. Total lack of fight and passion on the pitch despite our plight.
9. After 6 years in charge we are going for a league position that was ‘not good enough’ for Roy Evans.
10. After 6 years in charge we are still chasing a Champions League ‘place’ as our holy grail.

Fact - The midfield that started on Sunday against Boro was the same one that stated the 2001 Cup Final the defence that started was only missing Babbel, which explains just how far we have come since then – not far at all.

Indeed some of what has been said by the manager has been nothing short of an embarrassment to the club of our size. As a member of G18 I am sure you appreciate what would have happened to GH if he were manager of any other club in that group? The answer is that he would not have survived last season let alone this one.

Many match goers home and away are torn between keeping the club’s good name and making it clear that they would like GH out. Indeed we are in a terrible position because we are finding it difficult to distinguish between supporting the manager and supporting the team. Cheering the manager after disgraceful graffiti and death threats does not mean we are backing him as the best man for the manager’s job. We are backing a decent man against some thugs who have nothing to do with most of us.

I appreciate what GH has done for us, he transformed us behind the scenes and bought us up to date and won trophies – he did the same at Clairefontaine and with the France youth teams but it wasn’t until he was removed as manager of France that the French team really began taking shape and winning the trophies that mattered. The same should be applied to Liverpool Football Club.

This summer will see many excellent managers come onto the market, the likes of Capello, Hitzfield, Mourinho, Deschamps, Lippi, and maybe even O’Neill. Never before have so many good ones been available.

We have great traditions at the club and we need a great manager, a title winning manager, a man who will not accept mediocrity and will not accept 4th place as “Massive Achievement”.

I am sure you know the merits of Jose Mourinho by now, he has stated numerous times that the thought of managing Liverpool would be a dream – a challenge that he could not turn down. We are a club in desperate need for a dynamic manager who wins things (He has won a Treble including the league, got to the CL final as we speak, and won another league) and is the most wanted manager around and we turn our noses up at him and continue with the mediocrity being served up at Anfield? Chelsea seem desperate for him, yet he seems desperate for us judging by his interviews – yet we seem desperate to not change – amazing. Most clubs would give their right arm for Mourinho to want to join them.

You have stated many times that 4th place isn’t good enough, but then nothing is until we get 1st or at least challenge, we have challenged once in GH’s 6 years here – is that good enough?

Like many fans we are so upset by it all we are losing touch with what Shankly gave us – spirit. We need our spirit back, we need our club back, we need to be back amongst the elite of Europe and at the moment we are also-rans in our own country.

In my opinion one man will help us do that, and like the many fellow reds, I urge you Mr Parry to not ignore the merits of Jose Mourinho as manager of Liverpool Football Club.

Please do not ignore the fans for we are the life blood of the club. This summer could be a new beginning or maybe the beginning of the end.

In my opinion Gerard Houllier has totally divided the fans, please don’t let the board go the same way. Be decisive this summer irrespective of where we finish.

Thank you very much for listening, I await your reply.

Yours in hope.

[Mark P]

Some good points, but are you Mourinho's agent?

[Rashid]

Originally Posted by Coats 4 goalposts Some good points, but are you Mourinho's agent?

No - I just think Mourinho and O'Neill are the only managers out there that are available that would be hungry and good enough for the job here. I think the board would be mad to ignore he or O'Neills credentials.

[Mark P]

Have you sent this letter?...did you get a standard response?

There's no doubting Mourinho's achievements in the last couple of years, but would he not also be seen as a bit of a gamble?...I know any new manager has a degree of risk, but I just have a nagging feeling of doubt about this guy. Probs cos I don't know that much about him, to be fair.

[Steve]

I think you'll get a pre drafted reply to be honest, if he bothers at all. Parry will seize on your ignorance that although there are 18 clubs in it, its still called the G14. The points are quite valid but surely history has told you by now the board are clueless and living in the past so nothing its going to happen.

[Rashid]

Originally Posted by Steve horton I think you'll get a pre drafted reply to be honest, if he bothers at all. Parry will seize on your ignorance that although there are 18 clubs in it, its still called the G14. The points are quite valid but surely history has told you by now the board are clueless and living in the past so nothing its going to happen.

It is worth a go mate, even if it raises an eye brow.

[Mark P]

Like you say, "Worth a go". If the club have received a substantial quantity of well reasoned and coherent letters, like this one, it can't do any harm.

[cochcaer]

A fair few have sent letters but seem to get the standard "blah blah understand your frustrations" (now sod off) reply.

[Uncle Travelling Matt]

You really think that'll raise an eyebrow? You think you are telling them anything they don't already know? Rick Parry won't be reading the letter saying to himself "Why hasn't anyone told me we are 35 odd points behind the top!". The letter is pointless Rashid........be patient, wait till the end of the season, you say the club is amazingly backing Houllier, they are doing the best for the club in backing him till the end of the season. If they back him any longer than that then they will be going against what is best for the club but at the moment I think their actions are protecting the good reputation of the club and are giving GH he respect he undoubtedly deserves.........he will go in the summer!

[aws]

Rashid - I admire your persistence but I think you should reluctantly accept the fact that Mourinho has already decided to accept the Roman rouble.

Anyway his name ends with an "o" ;-)

[Rashid]

Originally Posted by Uncle Travelling Matt You really think that'll raise an eyebrow? You think you are telling them anything they don't already know? Rick Parry won't be reading the letter saying to himself "Why hasn't anyone told me we are 35 odd points behind the top!". The letter is pointless Rashid........be patient, wait till the end of the season, you say the club is amazingly backing Houllier, they are doing the best for the club in backing him till the end of the season. If they back him any longer than that then they will be going against what is best for the club but at the moment I think their actions are protecting the good reputation of the club and are giving GH he respect he undoubtedly deserves.........he will go in the summer!

I don't think that without fan pressure GH will go in the summer. I honestly think the board and the manager both want things to stay the same.

IF he does go, then atleast I have made a case for Mourinho.

[aws]

Originally Posted by Uncle Travelling Matt You really think that'll raise an eyebrow? You think you are telling them anything they don't already know? Rick Parry won't be reading the letter saying to himself "Why hasn't anyone told me we are 35 odd points behind the top!". The letter is pointless Rashid........be patient, wait till the end of the season, you say the club is amazingly backing Houllier, they are doing the best for the club in backing him till the end of the season. If they back him any longer than that then they will be going against what is best for the club but at the moment I think their actions are protecting the good reputation of the club and are giving GH he respect he undoubtedly deserves.........he will go in the summer!

Sorry UTM but GH aint going anywhere in the summer.

[Truered]

Yeah he is he'll be going on his summer holidays!!

Happy Birthday UTM!!

[Uncle Travelling Matt]

Aws, don't apologise, you know as much as I do. Personally I think he will go, I don't know he will as you don't know he is staying........only David Moores knows the real answer.

Rashid, of course the manager wants things to stay the same, he doesn't want to lose his job, as for the Chairman, noone knows exactly what he wants. I think the fans have more than made their feelings felt already. As for Mourinho, I rate him, so thank you for putting his case forward to Rick Parry, I'm sure he hadn't heard of him.......

[Mark P]

If GH is to stay, will the board come out at the end of the season and confirm this? What justifications will they offer?

[Uncle Travelling Matt]

Originally Posted by Truered Yeah he is he'll be going on his summer holidays!! Happy Birthday UTM!!

Cheers Truered, I have an excuse for being extra grumpy and argumentative today.......turning 30! ;-)

[Barry Wom]

Originally Posted by Coats 4 goalposts If GH is to stay, will the board come out at the end of the season and confirm this? What justifications will they offer?

Although I want GH to leave in the summer, I don't think the board would or should need to come out and say anything. They don't need to justify their actions imo - and they will be judged on results, but it still makes no odds as one man is in control of the club.

The only justification David Moores will feel he needs anyway is the fact he gave GH a contract that still has 12 months to run.

[Nunavut Patrick]

30 eh, UTM. The Viagara is in the mail.