Hendo, Jones and Johnson

Who’d have thought being born on this here island can be worth so much.

Nigh-on £40million was spent on two (that’s two) players, neither of whom can even drink alcohol in America. Neither of whom would cost a combined £10million if they had been born anywhere but here.

But, if you can afford it, why not.

Obviously Liverpool and Manyoo have paid for more than just their abilities now. Buying a 19/20 year-old is a long-term investment, especially if they’re obviously talented like messrs Jones and Henderson. But if you look at the players on the continent going for similar prices, the value for money certainly ain’t here.

Luck Can Have It

Don’t believe the press. Or anyone else who’s spouting this rumour. In fact or me as I’ve definitely helped spread it.

The Play-offs are not, have never been, nor will they ever become, a lottery.

Nor, if you read some of the newspaper boards around the fine city is promotion a ‘lottery’. I can’t affect my chances of winning the lottery, footballers most definitely can change, or at least impact, the results of the play-offs. And definitely can have a big, big say in who gets promotion.

Never Thought This Would Happen…

It’s been a pretty strange few weeks of sport these last, erm, well, few weeks, topped off with Gary Neville giving everyone a little lift by announcing his retirement from football.

He’s been labeled the best right back in Premier League history (are we forgetting Thomas Helveg had a brief stint in the Prem at Fortress Carra??), been ridiculed for his ‘admiration’ for David Beckham and irritated everyone, I would say outside of the red half of Manchester but that wouldn’t work… and been, in my opinion, possibly one of the most cynical players to play football, up there with Muscat (Maybe that’s a bit harsh, even on the GNev).

He may not be very close to my Favourite Footballers XI- in fact he’s not even on the bench of my Players-Whose-Existence-In-Football-I-Acknowledge-Let-Alone-Appreciate reserve team- but I’ve developed, today, a begrudging respect for him.

Yep, that’s right.

He was one of the very, very few one-club players left in the modern game and I know that if he had donned the yella’n'green for the entirety of his career I would have the same affection for him as those United fans do. He’s one of those (cliche alert) love him if he’s on your side/hate him if he’s not. Not only that he was one of the best at it, Robbie Savage and Lee Bowyer pale in comparison. His heart takes up his whole sleeve, he’ll give you every drop for his side and there aren’t too many of them about nowadays.

So there it is. I won’t miss him, though.

No way.

His announcement was almost the antithesis to the chaotic events of Monday night.

Owned

*Listening to Shout Out Louds – Normandie*

This whole Liverpool ownership debacle has got me a-thinking. The sight of the bemused new owners sat in the directors box at Goodison asking Martin Broughton to explain what is actually going on got me thinking a bit more.

They know nothing about football apart from the fact that it’s not the same as their football. But is that a good thing for an owner? They’re not exactly going to abuse their power and start meddling in their manager’s plans.

They’re going to run the club, and allow their manager to do the work on the field and buy they players he would want by merely providing the funds. Not going out and providing the manager with a batch of players they wanted and expect him to make them into a functioning squad somehow. Sacking him when he can’t.

Then we have the likes of Milan Mandaric. A man who believes football began for him.

Then there’s Delia. An owner who cares almost too much. Her decisions are done not by her head but with emotion. This can/has result(ed) in managers being given too much time and the ruthlessness required to be truly successful being left at the door.