As Liverpool approach their sixth summer signing in a window that hasn’t officially opened yet, Liverpool fans – including myself – sit bemused at the apparent transformation happening before our eyes.
Nathaniel Clyne will be Brendan Rodgers’ next man through the door, lean expected as well, but where is Liverpool’s manager?
Indeed, where is Liverpool’s hierarchy in its entirety?
Since the season’s end, we’ve barely seen nor heard from John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, Brendan Rodgers – the whole upper echelon of the club.
Rodgers had his future in doubt, as we know, but the review to review has been and gone, and a word on the outcome or inner discussions of that have been non-existent.
This may be protocol of course, they’re not likely to shout around what did materialise, but no public statement has been made at all.
Technically, but for the media reports, we don’t know if Rodgers is still safe as Liverpool manager.
He is, the sheer quantity of early signings clearly suggests that, but you see my point.
Of these signings, where are the manager’s comments on them? What are his publicly acceptable opinions on the six players Liverpool will have brought through the door? We don’t know. Silence.
So what has changed?
Well it appears the club is learning. It appears that rather than be an all communication being, we’re doing the talking by way of splashing the cash.
And it appears we have a plan too: start with a few freebies early on, get those nailed down whilst other clubs are high on alert. Then sign up a youngster – a future first teamer by all accounts. Then smoothly wander into the Firmino conversation, knock in a bid and box it off within days.
Everything starts to make some sense now.
The Sterling talk has gone quiet also. No word from anyone at the club on that. The media, again, keep us informed, but officially we are none the wiser. Silence.
Raheem will leave – that much is obvious. But the panic should he leave isn’t the same as it was with Suarez. He IS replaceable, and the club know it. Arguably, in Firmino, you now have a player as good, if not better, than Sterling, for less than half the fee the club can expect when the Englishman departs. Different positions, to an extent, but again you see my point. Planning.
Is this a new Liverpool?
Structural changes internally have allowed for things to progress. It’s fair to assume a change in mentality has also occurred. Strangely, the players targetable this window are of a higher caliber without Champions League football than they were last summer with it.
The club’s also losing some big earners this window. Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard’s salaries alone could prop up any mid-table club – so we have some more flexibility in that area.
Rumours have suggested FSG want to sell the club, but the more gung-ho, early action approach could argue the opposite. Perhaps they do, but their fierce competitiveness won’t allow them to start losing. Perhaps – this is the cynic in me – they need to achieve top four with the club before a buyer is interested – and therefore need to invest.
Whatever it is, the silence is golden. It’s welcomed. It’s refreshing. It suggests there is a plan.
It’s boss to feel a sense of being again. I’ve written this shit, jumbled article to really highlight how things feel like they’re a corner turned. We’ve been told on numerous occasions that our club is still one of the biggest. It’s good to have the fans feeling like it is again.
If John, Tom, Mike, or Brendan even, are reading this – keep the silence going. More (good) signings, more silence. Golden signings, golden silence.
