Jobs for the boys (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

Liverpool welcomed back three old boys this week when Brendan Rodgers brought Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Rob Jones onto his staff to work with the youngsters at the club. The trio bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, having played a combined 976 games for the Reds and also represented England on numerous occasions.

Rodgers explained that their involvement is "about individual work with the players" and will be position based, meaning McManaman will spend time helping the wingers and attacking midfielders, whilst Jones is going to work with the full-backs. That's great, as long as he's kept well away from the strikers. Jones was a wonderful player, genuinely top class, but when it came to goalscoring he made Danny Welbeck look like Lionel Messi, racking up 243 games without finding the net even once. Letting Jones anywhere near the club's young forwards would be akin to bringing Barry Venison in to give the lads fashion tips, or having 'Big Jan' Molby provide dietary advice.

Thankfully that won't be necessary as Fowler is there to tutor the young forwards, although I'm not sure what he can actually teach them about the art of putting the ball in the net or of being in the right place at the right time. That was something he was born with and he's one of the most natural finishers the English game has ever seen. Is that coachable? I could see Fowler stepping onto the training pitch, pinging one into the top corner with his left foot, drilling one into the bottom corner with his right and then finishing it off with a diving header, before adding: "Ok lads, just do that and you'll be sound."

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