A committee can work, but can this one? by Owen Morris

[tlw content]

A fresh start, a new chapter; and we're not starting exactly from ground zero like we did three-and-a-half seasons ago. Jurgen Klopp has the media, and to a wider extent supporters (myself included) eating out of his hand. His appointment has already united a very fractured fan base, with his passion and charisma exactly what we needed to kick-start the life back into supporters, and hopefully the players.

 

I have no doubt of his quality to improve most players here and bring us success. He is the perfect man to take the job on. The reality is that if the German hopes to have a title sitting in our trophy cabinet in 4 seasons, recruitment needs a major improvement. Every manager has duds, but it feels like we have an inability to scout the 'hidden gems' our hooded illuminati crave. So what changes can we make?

 

Well, clearly there needs to be a lot more harmony between manager and the rest of its members. Going off Klopp's press conference, this seems to be the case. He dealt with it fantastically, saying there "was no problem" that it was sorted in a jiffy. I like the fact he said he gets the first word and last, but recognised he doesn't know everything so he needs people to help. This is vital. A new man, with a proven track record of signing top players, needs full support. No more deals that a manager gets a player if the rest of the gang get theirs; no more threats to quit as the club don't want to match a player's valuation the manager is desperate for. If Klopp is getting the first and last say, then this a big step, and a big vote of confidence from FSG.

 

There is also the debate on the members. I feel a committee can work well; a lot of clubs have them, they just don't have daft PR members who give them a label. However, I'm sceptical if this one can work; in particular the holy trinity of Mike Edwards, Barry Hunter and Dave Fallows. Looking at some of our signings, we need to put the Football manager or whatever data system Edwards uses away. It hasn't worked.

 

Look at Assaidi, Borini, Alberto, Aspas, Moses, Manquillo, Balotelli, you could even argue Markovic but there may be some hope for him yet. Stats and data have a place, but they should not be the major driving force in conducting transfers. Good scouting has always been the way to go, and our experiment attempting to be evolutionary has not worked. With a focus on scouting then it may be wise to get better quality scouts, as Hunter and Fallows have not been up to scratch. In terms of Fallows; working at Blackburn, Norwich and Bolton is not the best track record, and with having Millions to spend at City in his last few seasons there it wouldn't necessarily need to do the type of scouting and analysing the likes of Michael Zorc had to do at Dortmund.

 

Although, you could argue that they do have an ability to scout some good players. Think back to Costa, Mkhitaryan, Willian to name a few. Add that to the fact Rodgers wanted some shockers like Joe Allen, Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana means it may not be all the committees fault.

 

The way I see it though is that we need an overhaul in the way we generate our transfer targets. Hopefully with Jurgen Klopp's appointment, his first and last word will account for a lot. I get the feeling the setup will keep the same personnel, but a shift in who has the majority of the power. Whether that is for best, time will tell. January will be interesting to see who we can sign, but for now let's get behind the team, and support them to the hilt come October 17th.

 

Owen Morris

@owenmorris_

 

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[G Richards]

If Klopp has the first and last word then the safeguards are in place for a healthy system. Players can be identified, stats assembled, videos reviewed, conversations had, etc. and then if Klopp signs it off, we go after the player.

 

I suspect Klopp will also have people who will enhance our scouting network. If they don't get a direct voice on the transfer committee, there will still be an avenue for input. For example, it would be hard to imagine that Klopp doesn't know a scout or two who knows the German market inside and out. If they are in Klopp's ear about the next great thing - not the likes of Subotic, Gundogan or Reus, who everyone knows about, but players who have every chance to get to that level but are relatively unknown at this point in time - then it is not difficult to imagine they would be talked about by the transfer committee.

[ZonkoVille77]

Add that to the fact Rodgers wanted some shockers like Joe Allen, Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana

 

Shocking indeed.

£50 mil on fees for that trio of donkey bollocks.

[navbasi]

Here are all the players brought during the Rodgers era... I may have got the odd player in the wrong bucket....

 

Rodgers vs Committee 

 

Rodgers:

 

Fabio Borini £10,500,000

Joe Allen £15,000,000

Simon Mignolet £9,000,000

Kolo Toure Free

Adam Lallana £25,000,000

Dejan Lovren £20,000,000

James Milner Free

Danny Ings Free

Adam Bogdan Free

Nathaniel Clyne £12,500,000

Christian Benteke £32,500,000

Total - £124.5m

 

 

Committee:

 

Oussama Assaidi £2,400,000

Samed Yesil £1,000,000

Daniel Sturridge £12,000,000

Philippe Coutinho £8,500,000

Luis Alberto £6,800,000

Iago Aspas £7,200,000

Joao Teixeira Free

Tiago Ilori £7,000,000

Mamadou Sakho £18,000,000

Rickie Lambert £4,000,000

Emre Can £10,000,000

Lazar Markovic £20,000,000

Divock Origi £10,000,000

Alberto Moreno Perez £12,000,000

Mario Balotelli £16,000,000

Joe Gomez £3,500,000

Roberto Firmino £29,000,000

Total: - £167.4m

 

If anything the committee has more of a success rate than Rodgers. Clearly shows that Rodgers didn't have a clue when it came to scouting for players..

[Cardie]

By some does he mean every?

 

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

 

[Tyler Durden]

Id say Ings was a committee

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I've laid into the committee, but the more I hear of how the horse trading between them worked, the more I think the committee was trying to make up for the manager's inexperience, but they were doing so for someone who wouldn't accept that. It's fair enough for a manager to want to be judged by how he performs with his preferred players, but I don't think Rodgers would have lasted past his first season if that were the case.

 

In the end, the set-up masked any accountability, and ended up satisfying no one. Well, expect those who wanted Sakho kept.

 

The ironic thing is, Rodgers was so paranoid about being dictated to by a DoF, he'd have been better off with a relationship with a single footballing figure, rather than a group who could collectively bargain against his ideas.

 

Klopp should hopefully be more assured in his bargaining power, and like Rodgers he'll have the final say. I have more confidence he won't be pressured.

[Original202]

You could swap Ings for Lambert really.

 

It's not just about the quality of players though, it's about how they fit into a long term plan and how they fit with the youth players coming through.

 

Take Ibe for example, a highly rated young player who could develop into a key first team player. Yet last summer we went and spent £20m on Markovic, again he could develop into a first team player as well though the jury is very much out, but either way by having both of them it doesn't allow them both to flourish. 

 

We also need to sign players who are either versatile enough to change positions or who suit a style that we're going to play. Moreno and Clyne for example are different types of full backs where one probably suits being a wing back more and one looks better in a flat back four.

[Russ Atmosphere]

The team at the top struggles to finish in the top half of the table.

[Dr Nowt]

I've laid into the committee, but the more I hear of how the horse trading between them worked, the more I think the committee was trying to make up for the manager's inexperience, but they were doing so for someone who wouldn't accept that. It's fair enough for a manager to want to be judged by how he performs with his preferred players, but I don't think Rodgers would have lasted past his first season if that were the case.

 

In the end, the set-up masked any accountability, and ended up satisfying no one. Well, expect those who wanted Sakho kept.

 

The ironic thing is, Rodgers was so paranoid about being dictated to by a DoF, he'd have been better off with a relationship with a single footballing figure, rather than a group who could collectively bargain against his ideas.

 

Klopp should hopefully be more assured in his bargaining power, and like Rodgers he'll have the final say. I have more confidence he won't be pressured.

Been thinking exactly the same as this mate.

 

The ultimate act of hubris from Rodgers was rejecting a DoF.

 

We'll soon find out if the rest of them are fit for any purpose, as Klopp will have them fucked off if not, one way or another.

[Grinch]

It'll work fine now under Klopp.  A manager who knows a good player.  Someone who won't ostracise our better players cause it wasn't him who spotted him initially.

 

Most clubs work with 'committes' this will be nothing new to Klopp.  I can never understand the need we have to name it committee and shout about it.

[Frank Dacey]

I suspect there was a committee back in the day; it was called the Boot Room. The difference in football nous between them and now doesn't need spelling out.

I'm sure the key is to have a clear idea of how we're trying to play and work from there. That way you don't end up with 4 central strikers, 4 no10s, a right back who can't play in a 3 and a left back who can't play in a 4. I'm sure this is nothing new. Houllier was always committed to playing 4-4-2 but persisted in buying players who didn't fit the system well; Barmby, Smicer, Diouf, Cheyrou, Ziege to name just a few. Even the Boot Room got things wrong, Tony Hateley being a high profile example.

[stringvest]

I'm struggling to take this article seriously when my boys are getting called shockers.

[sir roger]

I keep hearing that Klopp said he would win the league within 4 years ( I heard Schmeichel criticising him for it ) but to my ears he said that if he hadn't won it within 4 years he wouldn't be sitting at a cosy press conference , he would be looking for a job in Switzerland.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Been thinking exactly the same as this mate.

 

The ultimate act of hubris from Rodgers was rejecting a DoF.

 

We'll soon find out if the rest of them are fit for any purpose, as Klopp will have them fucked off if not, one way or another.

 

Yep. It's a pity that things turned adversarial, but perhaps it's one clue as to why so many British managers are finding it hard to get decent jobs. There's only so long they can cling to the "back me or sack me" mantra when it comes to the purse strings; particularly in light of decent continental managers who're used to putting coaching above recruitment.

 

My guess would be we'll hear a lot less about the committee as what they'll offer (if anything) will have some kind of direction with Klopp. He has no problem backing young players and doesn't put an emphasis on those already with experience of the league, the latter being a key difference to Rodgers.

 

I'm not sure any body set up with value as a possible concern could work well with a manager who preferred PL proven players. There's almost no way to build a top side from this league at a reasonable price.

[VladimirIlyich]

I keep hearing that Klopp said he would win the league within 4 years ( I heard Schmeichel criticising him for it ) but to my ears he said that if he hadn't won it within 4 years he wouldn't be sitting at a cosy press conference , he would be looking for a job in Switzerland.

Why let the truth get in the way of a good story!

[G Richards]

I also took Klopp's use of the word "title" to be a more generic "trophy", which is not to say that his goals are modest, just that that's what most continentals mean when they use the word "title" in that context. 

[bonesman]

Here are all the players brought during the Rodgers era... I may have got the odd player in the wrong bucket....

 

Rodgers vs Committee 

 

Rodgers:

 

Fabio Borini £10,500,000

Joe Allen £15,000,000

Simon Mignolet £9,000,000

Kolo Toure Free

Adam Lallana £25,000,000

Dejan Lovren £20,000,000

James Milner Free

Danny Ings Free

Adam Bogdan Free

Nathaniel Clyne £12,500,000

Christian Benteke £32,500,000

Total - £124.5m

 

 

Committee:

 

Oussama Assaidi £2,400,000

Samed Yesil £1,000,000

Daniel Sturridge £12,000,000

Philippe Coutinho £8,500,000

Luis Alberto £6,800,000

Iago Aspas £7,200,000

Joao Teixeira Free

Tiago Ilori £7,000,000

Mamadou Sakho £18,000,000

Rickie Lambert £4,000,000

Emre Can £10,000,000

Lazar Markovic £20,000,000

Divock Origi £10,000,000

Alberto Moreno Perez £12,000,000

Mario Balotelli £16,000,000

Joe Gomez £3,500,000

Roberto Firmino £29,000,000

Total: - £167.4m

 

If anything the committee has more of a success rate than Rodgers. Clearly shows that Rodgers didn't have a clue when it came to scouting for players..

I read somewhere yesterday that Ings's fee may end up being 10 mill plus

[billypilgrimnz]

Lambert would definitely be on Rodgers, you'd think. But the true take away from this is that they are/were both fucking shit at the role of improving the team via transfers.

[magicrat]

I keep hearing that Klopp said he would win the league within 4 years ( I heard Schmeichel criticising him for it ) but to my ears he said that if he hadn't won it within 4 years he wouldn't be sitting at a cosy press conference , he would be looking for a job in Switzerland.

 

Bit worrying as he only signed a 3 year contract !

[Rotpeter]

I've laid into the committee, but the more I hear of how the horse trading between them worked, the more I think the committee was trying to make up for the manager's inexperience, but they were doing so for someone who wouldn't accept that. It's fair enough for a manager to want to be judged by how he performs with his preferred players, but I don't think Rodgers would have lasted past his first season if that were the case.

 

In the end, the set-up masked any accountability, and ended up satisfying no one. Well, expect those who wanted Sakho kept.

 

The ironic thing is, Rodgers was so paranoid about being dictated to by a DoF, he'd have been better off with a relationship with a single footballing figure, rather than a group who could collectively bargain against his ideas.

 

Klopp should hopefully be more assured in his bargaining power, and like Rodgers he'll have the final say. I have more confidence he won't be pressured.

That a bunch of blokes earning 6 and 7 figures a year with a couple of hundred million to spend couldn't come to a common understanding says it all.  A plague on both their houses.

[bonesman]

Jurgen Klopp could be about to make one big change that Liverpool fans will love

[Bobby Hundreds]

 

Jurgen Klopp could be about to make one big change that Liverpool fans will love

 

 

The second picture in that article is like a shite look alike convention, Steve Irwin, David Brent and Dave Grohl.

[Kevin D]

Fuck the transfer committee.

[navbasi]

Fuck the cunt that gave it the name! Knobhead should be sacked for that!