Who's In Control?

 There have been a few comments in the media in the last few weeks from a few different people that have maybe seemed a little odd at a second glance. This isn’t all Liverpool related but could well affect us in some ways so I’m going to have a quick look at the examples that stuck in my head.

Firstly what directly affects us is Dave Whelan’s seemingly constant and certainly contradictory public words about Roberto Martinez. It’s no secret we’ve had talks with him, and it’s no secret that FSG want to interview several people for the job. Martinez is a fairly well thought of young manager who has done a decent job at Wigan and if our owners are leaving no stone unturned in their search then he definitely merits an interview. Mr Whelan has suggested Martinez will only take over at Liverpool if he can have total control of the club, the first team, the youth set up, everything. While he has done an effective job at Wigan and made a habit of winning crucial late season games to keep them in the top division I hardly feel this qualifies him to have total control of all footballing matters at a club the size of Liverpool. If we do appoint him in my eyes the best option would be to appoint him as first team manager and allow him to concentrate on improving our league position before growing into a more all seeing role over a period of years. I think despite being Martinez’ main cheerleader Whelan is trying very hard to give his current manager reasons to not join Liverpool, rather than reasons to stay at Wigan.

The subject of a manager having total control is a very interesting one at another club who are also currently seeking a new boss. Roberto Di Matteo certainly did enough in his four months in charge at Chelsea to deserve at least a full season to see if he can improve their fortunes but the fact he hasn’t yet been appointed is a pretty clear signal that he is their last option, their fall back plan. Fernando Torres said after the champions league final that he was fed up of being on the bench and wanted clarification on his position for next season. He has since said he is staying at Chelsea after talks with the owner. Not the manager. Not waiting to see who the manager will be next season and finding out where he fits into the team. Talks with the owner. Similarly the sought after Eden Hazard said his decision on where he plays next season will depend on his role within the team and how much playing time he will get. And he has now seemingly said he will join Chelsea, a club without a manager and who’s player of the season was a talented young player who plays in a very similar position to Hazard in Juan Mata. I wonder who can have told Hazard how much he’ll play and whereabouts in the side he will fit in? I think it’s pretty clear who picks the team at Stamford Bridge and I don’t understand why Abramovich is spending all of this time searching for a new manager when he could just appoint himself and get it over with.

Our owners may be still learning the game and learning the culture of the club, and they certainly haven’t put in the kind of money that others have at other clubs recently, but they have realised the limits to their knowledge on the actual game itself. The manager search may be taking longer than we’d hoped but at least they seem to be searching for the ideal candidate who can fulfil their brief of improving the league position, rather than looking for a yes man who will play whichever players he is old in whichever position he is told. And in seeking to appoint Louie Van Gaal they are putting in place a man with vast football knowledge to support whoever the new manager is instead of feeling qualified to advise him themselves and search out their own transfer targets, even if it is their money funding the whole project.