05 Mar 2017 21:17:21
question for ed002 - genuinely interested in how you would build Liverpool up to be a competitive title contender?

If you have time that is! If I've read you correctly you're an advocate for spending wisely, developing strong financial stability and sustainability etc etc so keen to hear what your master plan would be!?
thanks in advance :)

{Ed002's Note - Easy. A simnple six point plan to get the entire club back on a good footing:

1. Corporate Business: Liverpool have done well financially out of the sponsorship and partnership agreements but in some cases have sold their soul to the devil and in others the deal is not as good as it could be for a club of the profile of Liverpool. Look to move away from Standard Chartered and bring in a higher profile and better paying sponsor as soon as is practical.

The deal with New Balance/Warrior was a major mistake and the club need to exit it as soon as possible – sadly the boat to get a deal with Adidas after Chelsea dumped them has probably sailed. Any deals with organisations that are socially questionable (e.g. Bet Victor), socially bankrupt or have caused the club embarrassment (e.g. Dunkin’ Donuts), nonsense (Nivea and the club’s official coconut water supplier TCC), are from a country with controversial human rights (flag carrier Malaysian Airlines – who replaced just as bad Indonesia’s Garuda) should be cancelled or run down as soon as possible. Being on morally better ground will make a club with Liverpool’s profile to get better profile sponsors.

2. Football Business: Liverpool has revamped in the past three years from top to bottom but yet Klopp is still getting an easy ride and the transfer windows are far from successful. Two things to do (a) get a Director of Football in (not taking the advice of anyone who suggests Damien Comolli would be a good idea), and (b) explain to Klopp that his inability to adapt is a large part of the problem and that he needs to do it (perhaps with help) or look to apply for the Barcelona job or take some time and wait for the job he really wants at Bayern Munich. There are better coaches out there and the likeable clown act is wearing thin.

3. Fan Considerations: Establish a point of liaison with fan representatives (Ed001 perhaps and the sad fat guy who runs the other site - I don't recall his name) but do not involve the Spirit of Shankly in any way – a bunch of morons in a pub who want the club handed over to them and are planning already to give the owners a hard time starting again this summer need to be brushed aside.

If they are interested in buying the club they need to be told to have their bankers call when they have a $1B Banker’s Draft in hand and the club will be sold to them. If they want to act responsibly and represent supporters they need to lose the aggressive and controntational approach.

4. Wrest Power Back from the Players: Players at high profile teams (in particular in the Premier League and a few other individual players dotted around Europe) are not fully focussed on doing what they are employed to do, and in many cases are paid well to do. I would get someone in (a really knowledgeable football guy who can advise the club) and have them speak to each of the players to really understand where their focus is and where they want to be.

I would also have a suitable advisor go right through all of the coaching staff and look at the methods of coaching. I would then get the players together and tell them that the club will be making addendums to their contracts requiring such things as responsible behaviour, not wearing flimsy designer football boots that offer little protection, wearing black boots only in games, responsible usage of social media, banning all at club visits by hairdressers and car salesmen, banning the use of all hair care products etc..

The players need to be controlled in any interviews and interviews, and any endorsements, should all be arranged through the club. Any players to which the club is making payments to third parties for such nonsense as image rights need to be moved on or the contracts amended at no penalty to the club. Then they need to be asked if they buy in to the club and these changes – if they don’t their agents can be told that the club is happy for them to find new employers for their charges.

5. Reserves and Loans: Firstly get some structure and planning for a career path and look to establish relationships with a couple of sides such that the loan system can work for the club. The liaison structure is critical as whilst managers may occasionally see players it is generally something undertaken by others dedicated to the task.

As an example, each loan player from Chelsea has a liaison officer assigned (some are ex-players) who regularly see them, deal with any issues and report progress back to the club. For instance there was a problem with a couple of players in the Netherlands and that resulted in the club having them get involved with spending some time with the local community (schools and charities). Chelsea has also helped clubs they have and are building relationships with - this may include providing training facilities, loaning coaching staff, having ex-players works with them in some capacity etc..

They have a structure in the Netherlands and Belgium in addition to relationships with South American and old Eastern Bloc countries. They are currently working a deal with a Champions League side as well. Similarly in Italy I know that the clubs with a significant number of players on loan have regular contact and bring them back as a group for training on a couple of occasions mid-season.

I am sure there will be someone at Liverpool keeping contact with the younger players on loan where there are legal responsibilities as some are still technically children but others on loan from Liverpool reported the occasional text message only – simply not good enough. Many clubs in Spain and Portugal have built relationships with other sides and it helps with brining in players from South America.

6. On Field: Whilst the fans want significant changes every year the club needs to get in to the position of making small changes to improve the team each season, not simply discarding the work done and starting again. It has not worked with the recent managers at the club and Damien Comolli was a massive mistake (which I did explain here the day he joined). Right now the side ids not too far away but like other managers it is a task Klopp struggles with – so the club need a good footballing guy as Director of Football to help out.

Financially the club need to be self-sufficient or making a profit – particularly given the additional media income. Give Klopp the marquee buy of Julian Brandt this summer and then fix the problem areas though sales.}

1.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 00:57:41
Brilliant Ed2, thanks for that. But I do have to say, bringing Chelsea into it, your slowly becoming a LFC supporter! Ha couldn't resist.

{Ed002's Note - They are a good example. Manchester United also supports a structure that makes the loan system work for them although it has dropped away a little recently. But Liverpool should look towards what others do and learn if they can.}

2.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 01:18:02
Great read that ed002 thanks, never knew we had an official coconut water supplier.
I really like your 6 point plan, I think you should come in and help advise the club officially and bring success back at LFC, I know it would probably be a big drop in income but I imagine the club would be grateful and let you have the occasional day off so you could continue your rodeo clown hobby, plus imagine how stress free your life would be as an ed on here when Liverpool are back on top and winning week in week out. Lol.

3.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 03:21:08
Hi ed002

Why was the deal with Warrior a mistake? It seemed to be a very large deal at the time.

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool's shirt deal is with a small company who don't pay close to what others do.}

4.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 03:30:16
Also ed, can you elaborate on the black boots policy? I agree with it and wanna hear your reasons behind it.

{Ed002's Note - The players need to be dragged down a peg or two.}

5.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 03:58:23
Thanks Ed002. I'm a cynic by nature and have wondered in the past just how "in the know" some of the Ed's are. Over the past few years you have occasionally gone into depth to explain the behind the scenes machinations of various aspects of the footballing world and have proven quite clearly your qualifications for educating idiots like me. Ta :)

6.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 04:28:19
Awesome ed002 thank you :)
I wonder about the DOF point, it seems like a definite need for any club. Particularly thinking about the club's identity and structure moving forward, surely that decision makings needs to be rubber stamped at a level higher or removed from the manager role aye? I always felt that you establish what you want as a club and then recruit the right people to deliver it.

Is michael edwards and the sporting director role the solution there?

7.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 05:56:55
Ed. A good read with what you have put above, Can I ask please do you think Everton are looking to get towards this structor with there new planned set up/ ownership. Where do you see them in five years?

{Ed002's Note - MIchael Edwards role is a little different in that he assesses the data of players from leagues around the world and determines whether a player would be a suitable fit for Liverpool in terms of playing and economics. Worked previously at Portsmouth and Tottenham where he performed similar roles - but he is not an out and out football person who understands pure talent nor is he a person tied in with the footballing network in the way others are.}

8.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 07:33:08
Very good post 002.

9.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 07:58:21
Brilliant post ed 002.

10.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 09:25:27
Do you think somebody like Les Reed would be a good pick for LFC as Director Of Football? Although, i would expect he is very happy at Southampton.

{Ed002's Note - I am sure that there are plenty of folks out there who would be suitable.}

11.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 10:14:11
Point three will interest Waro. Brace yourself for the impact boss, he is coming for you 😎.

12.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 10:39:18
Rarely log in to reply, but read the site on a daily basis. Always hoping for real knowledge and educated opinions like this. Thank you!

13.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 10:10:14
Excellent response ed, really enjoyed reading that. Would you say the club are beginning to recognise that change is needed to take them forward or are the people in charge blind to their ways?

{Ed002's Note - The club has done a great deal in terms of the stadium, restructuring the scouting staff, commercially and, now, restructuring the management. They are are in reasonable place but not where they want to be - but it has been a money pit that now has the saving grace of the new media money.}

14.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 11:44:12
That's interesting to hear ed. When the deal was announced the media was calling it the most lucrative shirt deal in the EPL. Did the media not read the fine print?

{Ed002's Note - When Liverpool signed the contract with New Balance it was not a bad deal but others have negotiated sliding scale deals which put them in a far better position.}

15.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 12:16:08
Stats are an absolute load of bull and i can't stand them. Scouting is an in depth study of a player and finding hidden gems. Stats won't tell you why a player is performing well at their current club and whether they will perform well, and whether they can be improved.

Its all about perception and insight into a players personality and qualities and how they can fit into the jigsaw puzzle of your team, not facts and manipulated figures. If our club is truly being run on a mostly stats based scouting method its no wonder our transfers don't work.

16.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 12:36:19
Waro won't like that post but I love it eds. Well put and totally spot on. Spirit of shankley group are an unwanted blight on the club we all love. YNWA.

{Ed002's Note - Waro like many of the Spirit of Shankly want the owners out and will continue to harrass and harangue them in an abusive and confrontational manner. Obviously this doesn't help the players or the club and two players have already made it clear that they have been affected by the fans and what appears on web sites and social media etc.. The Spirit of Shankly has a naive view that one day the club will be handed over to the supporters - that is simply never going to happen. If the club is sold it will go to another investor group like FSG, will go in to the hands of a Far Eastern partnership or will go (via floatation) in to the hands of institutional ownership. None of these will be good for the club - although many like the idea of wealthy Arab or Chinese owners - caveat emptor.

But very importantly Waro is open and honest about his opinion and views - and that I really do respect. It is a pity his mother didn't drop him on his head more often as a child and knock some sense in to him.}

17.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 18:09:38
When you can you start ed002?

Crooky.

18.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 18:22:27
"a simple 6 point plan" 😄.

Thanks ed002, good read, but perhaps not that simple to implement.

{Ed002's Note - Everything can be done within 2 years Ron.}

19.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 19:34:07
Cheers for the reply eds. I just don't get the spirit of shankley group at all. If u support the club and players how can you be so destructive towards it? Which player's have been affected eds? Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - Karius and Can - at least. But it is not just the Spirit of Shankley that trashes the staff and the players, and the owners.}

20.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 21:48:32
We'd better be careful what we wish for. Look at Arsenal right now. Their fans are literally eating each other alive due to the Wenger in/ Wenger out warring factions.

21.) 07 Mar 2017
07 Mar 2017 01:00:05
Ed002

Do you think with what Billy Hogan has worked on since being appointed his previous position to his new role, that he has the qualities and guile to show the leadership and major decision making that would be needed to carry out your .
6 point plan?

In other words can he do
(or would he do) what needs to be done in your opinion within a 2-3 yr time frame?

{Ed002's Note - I don't want to get involved in stoking any fires about the management team. They have some good people but you need to remember these are business people not football people. They need someone senior who knows what shape the ball is.}