Heya, not looking to get into any sort of dispute here, opinions will always differ, but I do want to come back on a few bits and pieces that you highlighted if I may
Sorry mate I can't agree with any of this.
In your first point you clearly understand the frustration most fans underwent in January yet on the other hand you criticise the fan base that question why this happened and the owners involvement in all of this? The same fan base who are sick of player deals falling through the wayside, not just this window, but the window before that and the window before that one as well. You see a problem like this should be resolved by the people running the club and we shouldn't expect them to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches.
I'd agree to some extent here, but I don't view the previous couple of windows as total failures. Rarely do you hear Brendan talking about absolute must gets, he seems to use terms such as 'useful addition' or 'strengthener' for most. My suspicion is this is how he has categorised the ones that got away and these have led to a limited fee placed on their head and a lack of willingness to go beyond that...simple and basic negotiation tactics, you have to be prepared to walk away. Clearly over the last few windows we have walked away from several and have shown we won't be held to ransom. It is viewed by some on here as being made a laughing stock, but it could also have us taken seriously in the future, bear in mind Newcastle got 35 mil out of us for Carroll knowing full well we were a soft touch. Depends on how you look at these things.
I offer this opinion as I have seen us go directly for the targets we needed...Sturridge is a good example and the effort to retain Suarez in the summer and the subsequent contract renewal point to going after what we need. If we had seen Suarez walk, I'd be more inclined to your way of thinking.
I like how you tried to pull the old chestnut (and trust me it's way past its use-by-date that it stinks the place out) of the wonderful things the owners have done. They came in like shining "white knights" and bought us at a time our club was about to self-implode and the world was going to end!
They got rid of the debt (by getting money from an undisclosed source)! Hurrah! As I have said time and time again all things that we would have EXPECTED from any reasonable owners to do in this situation. But when it comes to having the stomach and balls to continue running one of the world's biggest football clubs they have talked the talk but not walked the walk. In fact the only thing they have done right in the last 2 years is increasing the length of Suarez's contract and speaking at the Hillsborough memorial otherwise its been pretty poor.
I'm not sure that I pulled out the old chestnut you highlight to be honest, I wasn't going overboard, I was merely highlighting that they have done a lot to turn us around and certainly a lot more than the previous owners did. Yes that is what any reasonable owners would do, but let's be honest, there weren't too many reasonable owners queuing up at the time to dig us out were there? We weren't a particularly attractive option for many and beggars can't really be choosers. considering we had no hand to play, my personal opinion is that it could have been a lot worse and our current standing in the league has to be attributed to the owners and the manager (who incidentally they chose).
Lastly your point on how you imagine the owners had no intention in hanging Brendan out to dry, yet they did whether it was intentional or not. I hardly doubt Brendan would have come to the owners or people responsible for bringing players in and been ambiguous in his "opinion" of preferably wanting a player or two. I'm pretty sure he would have CLEARLY identified the positions that needed cover and maybe even asked what players could fill these positions. It was then up to Ayre and a group of people (who the club pays handsomely) to make this happen. They failed miserably AGAIN and yet they are still at the club. With the owners yet AGAIN nowhere to been seen
This is where we'll disagree indefinitely on how business is done and works. I've no idea of your background and experience and don't paint myself out to be an expert of any real sorts, but what I can say based on my experience of 20 yrs in the private sector is that things are rarely as black and white as you paint them and as I have mentioned above, I think he's been clear on the targets he needed and got them. To look with some hindisight at the Dempsey situation, that was made out to be just as serious and shocking as this last transfer window, but Brendan didn't seem that bothered and responded similarly to the way he has now. He got Sturridge instead, kept Suarez and stuck 2 fingers up to Arsenal at the same time, then got an extended contract. He seemed confident at the time that he was supported at the time and he says the same thing now. Until there's clear reason to doubt the situation and I would point to the fallout and tension between H&G and Benitez for a great example of when things really didn't feel like they were going well, I think we have to keep the faith. Does it mean that I think the world is perfect there, of course not, there has to be an element of rough with the smooth especially as Brendan and the owners become more familiar with each other and the trust relationship grows, that's the same in any workplace or relationship. Win some/lose some appears to be the mentality...so long as we are winning big and losing small, we stand a good chance of driving forward
Fans are allowed to feel aggrieved with this kind of rubbish happening. Put it this way if we miss out on CL next season and we lose one of the top player's in the world, it won't be Rodgers or him at fault. We will all clearly know what has led to this and who the people responsible for this are and THERE WILL BE NOWHERE the apologists and spin doctors will be able to hide.
I'll agree that fans can feel whatever they like, makes no odds to me, but I don't think there's justification for calling anything rubbish at the moment.If we do miss out on CL next season, it will only be conjecture that it was down to a lack of signings, much the same as it is conjecture that anyone signed in will bed in in time to make a difference, we'll never know. It's conjecture that Suarez will leave if we don't get CL, we don't know....but most thought he was gone at the end of last season and he's doing well for us now, so all we can do is wait and see.
As mentioned, nothing was intended to provoke or irritate above, but I've a feeling the following will and it's genuinely not intended to. So with that disclaimer in place, I find myself asking the same question again around your comment about apologists and spin doctors etc. Why is there a feeling amongst some fans that any club owes them an explanation? Why do we have a right to understand the funding model, or demand that they spend an amount of money on a player. It's a business and nothing more...always was.
if not my suggestion to you
