The La

Most reassuring, Mr Henry. "I have provided for my chef a tinned of baked beans - I believe we have a strong chance of a roast beef dinner"

This is 100% spot on. If FSG are withholding funds then they need f***ing off. If the executive structure at Melwood is at fault for not sealing deals then FSG need f***ing off as they've had three years to put an executive structure in place. I can't work out if they're incompetent, negligent, too clever by half or just not arsed but, whatever the motivation, we once again are in the position of having a good manager handicapped by the ownership. They have been completely amateurish in almost everything they've done the last three years

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United did it with Silvestre and Vidic if I recall correctly

Hahaha. Ayre's been briefing Andy Hunter then. Big talk - let's see if we can back it up (bet we can't)

That's very good indeed, is that!

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I read through this four or five times this morning and found it to be one of the bizzarrest things I’ve ever come across. It’s utterly paranoid, vindictive and incompetently done. On RAWK, Graham Smith of SoS says the report was dated 26th June 2010. For my own sanity, as much as anything, I went back and had a look at what was going on on that date On the day before (25th)… All national media outlets running with Hodgson “closing in” on the Liverpool job but that Liverpool are still considering “one or two” other candidates (presume this was a brief from the club). L4 Lad publishes a rumour that Kenny has left his position at the club (which the club take the strange decision to issue a denial, given the implausibility of the source). This, presumably, was why Buxton was added to the rogue’s gallery and explains the quoted “Kenny story” Rafa gives interview with Radio City (presumably the one referenced in the report) , saying Peter Hooton posts on the rattle: On 26th itself … The papers are awash with stories that the club have approached Deschamps Sky float Rijkaard as a possibility Bascombe talks about how senior players would be happy with Hodgson Two weeks previously, Jim Boardman had quoted Broughton’s email response to a message entitled “Thank you for killing my club” had been “I’m sorry you think like that but you are entitled to your opinion. I note your opinion doesn’t seem to be shared by the media.” So this is the background to this report. Rafa had been sacked. National media had presumably been sounded out about this and were on the whole, enthusiastic. Hodgson was set to be offered the post but there was still the vague possibility of him being offered the England job based on results in Port Elizabeth, so presumably some other candidates were being marginally considered. Same national media contacts would doubtless have given their blessings to the Hodgson appointment. However, some people were questioning the wisdom of both the regicide and the impending coronation. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling at that time as it became inevitable that Hodgson was coming, the drip-drip-drip of information saying it was when, not if. Just waiting, days now, for the disaster to strike, like when Ribbentrop went to Moscow in 39. People were kicking off – it was f***ing insane The financial ruin of the club was clear and doom was at hand, but on the days concerned in this report most conversation was on the change of manager. Some interpretation of the document in that context: The Liverpool board were trying to sell the club (on the 26th, US media reported on a major default by Hicks). The decision had been made to rid themselves of a meddlesome manager and replace him with a media – friendly appointment who would ask no questions and rock no boats. They were losing control of the story, however, due to a “little local difficulty” The people listed are (mostly) those with a media outlet and were supportive of the previous manager. Some may have been given information the club was unhappy about, others were writing opinion that was annoying them. SoS had already embarrassed Purslow by printing the minutes of their meeting earlier that year without his permission The Board were very concerned about the opinion of the media as witnessed by Broughton’s email. The club may have floated the Deschamps and Rijkaard trial balloons to cover their arses and lend some legitimacy to the hiring process, rather than go ahead with the simple coronation of Hodgson. We already know they did this in other ways; witness the bringing in of Kenny for credibility and the hasty backtrack when he suggested himself. This paranoia over media opinion, leaks and briefs is, as Niemeyer says, the backdrop for the Chang situation The report was clearly commissioned by Purslow – the object of the report was, obviously, “who are these troublemakers, what do they want and where are they getting their info?” The report was written in a hurry – it’s f***ing awful for a start, but also references very recent events. This may give Ayre the chance to argue that it was an informal thing between Purslow and Tyrell. The contempt shown for the people of Liverpool with the “Khmer Rouge” nonsense, and the stuff about Thatcher is utterly disgusting. Paul Tyrell should never work in the city again and nobody involved in this should work for the club again. Apologies for the length of this and the plethora of "spidernneil" bullet points but I thought it might provide some context to this whole headf***

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This is all, of course, correct, but is surely more of an objection against Boston?

Everything is about context, but it's unfair to the manager to use what may have been poor decisions, made by others before he arrived, as a yardstick to measure him by I think if you concentrate solely on the job the Liverpool manager has done, and ignore the fact he's not Rafa Benitez or Kenny Dalglish, the verdict so far is encouraging, if not emphatic yet. I think people are being unfair to the man for reasons other than his own performance.

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This much is clearly true. They were all set on a DoF then made the mistake of hiring the manager first then giving him a veto on whether he was going to have a boss or not, then tried re-engineering a role that they couldn't.

That's the nutshell for me. I think he's done an admirable job in most respects, but he's been left horribly exposed at times by those clowns in Boston. The September debacle, that documentary, the lack of oversight, the ridiculous hiring process, the DoF / no DoF schizophrenia.

It was an odd game. You'd type in commands like a text adventure and then little stick figures would move. There would be a running commentary like "Odin leaves..." "Thor arrives..." "Loki arrives..." "Thor attacks Loki.." "Moyes doesn't need to win trophies to prove he is a winner but he is a winner..."

I'd advise giving it an hour, seeing if anything better crops up on the dancefloor then see how Chili's looking after another couple of drinks

Also goes by Jigger and RedPheasant, if they are easier to parse into a song

I reckon 10 at least How long did Cantona get for attacking that fan?

Is it? I suppose you can argue that for the manager but I don't think they ever wanted Kenny and would have gone for a young manager had Hodge Podge muddled along until summer (what I suspect was their original plan). I think the choosing Ian Ayre as acting MD while they scoured the globe for a CEO, leaving no stone unturned, until making Ian Ayre permanent MD, while still scouring the globe really, really, really thoroughly for a CEO is more their MO. I bet that global search is so deep and thorough that it's not left L4 yet

Oh aye - nothing really to see here either way. It's just in character for them I'm not fussed about the PR guy / gal, to be honest. I'm just at the point of confirmation bias with these, though. Everything they do suggests "un-arsedness"

I'm certain they were very well advised by some of the finest minds in the business