Bulld0gs Liverpool Thread

[mtv1]

[maca]

oopps sorry stig

[tshirtman]

Andre Villas-Boas was the perfect fit for Liverpool rather than Chelsea

Andre Villas-Boas has had to endure the indignity of fans chanting the name of his former mentor during the past few matches.
He is cutting an increasingly forlorn figure on the touchline, his crouching pose now looks more desperate than dynamic.

The spectre of Jose Mourinho will always loom large over the career of Villas-Boas, so to choose to manage Chelsea, where his former boss gave himself the label of the "Special One", was only going to serve to magnify the comparisons.

Yet there could have been an alternative stage for him to cut his 33-year-old teeth in the Premier League. In the north west of England there was a club prime for revitalisation and an opportunity for the young Portuguese manager to escape the shadow of his compatriot and forge a career in England.

Liverpool would have been a better fit and a more judicious choice for Villas-Boas. The move looked to be on the cards when reports from Italy said Villas-Boas had turned down a move to Roma because he had signed a pre-contract deal with the Anfield club.

It made perfect sense and the protracted nature of the subsequent full-time appointment of Kenny Dalglish suggests Fenway Sports Group were torn between the identity of their preferred candidate. John Henry, the owner, suggested as much in a subsequent interview in October 2011: "Initially our blueprint was for a younger manager".

He could have easily been talking about Villas-Boas. His appointment would have fallen in line with the philosophy of the Boston Red Sox, Henry's other sports team.

In 2002 Henry hired the 28-year-old Theo Epstein, making him the youngest general manager in the history of the Major League. Two years later he helped deliver the World Series to the city for the first time in 86 years. He added a second three years later.

Yet Dalglish, at the age of 60, was offered the Liverpool job full time and Villas-Boas was parachuted in at the deep end at Chelsea. Why did Villas-Boas not end up at Liverpool? Well, Liverpool probably did not want to match the ?13 million a year salary he was offered at Chelsea and probably because Henry wanted a popular appointment to help usher in his new era at Anfield.

Henry acknowledged he knew "virtually nothing about Liverpool Football Club nor EPL [English Premier League]" when he took ownership. So what better way to smooth the transition of the takeover of Liverpool than by employing the man etched so intrinsically into it's fabric.

Dalglish was a safe option, an appointment that would have received a ringing endorsement on the Kop. Villas-Boas would have been a risk.

You can hardly blame Dalglish for pushing his credentials and accepting the job to manage one of the most famous clubs in the world again, but he should really have put Liverpool's best intentions ahead of his own.

Instead he should have guided Henry in an ambassadorial role, sat alongside his former strike partner Ian Rush in the directors' box and led the search for a young, long-term manager he could have educated in the rich traditions of Liverpool.

With the endorsement of Dalglish, Villas-Boas would have been confident of launching his reign with the approval of the loyal fans who hang on Dalglish's every word.

The Portuguese would have inherited a team receptive to evolution, unlike the Chelsea squad where the players that need to be phased out are resistant and wield too much power.

He would have been reunited with Steve Clarke, the incumbent Liverpool first-team coach, who he worked with at Chelsea under Mourinho as part of the back-room staff when the club won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.

He would have had a greater say over transfers than he does at Chelsea - the lack of game time for Gary Cahill and Romelu Lukaku suggest they were not signings sanctioned by Villas-Boas - and, you suspect, put the vast amounts of money used to sign Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson to much greater use.

Disciples of Dalgish will, quite rightly, point to the fact that the Scot has navigated Liverpool to the quarter-final of the FA Cup and is on the brink of landing their first trophy in six years on Sunday.

Yet he also presided over the appalling handling of the Luis Suarez affair and shown little tactical acumen over how to convert nine home draws into wins. Every team has an off day but the anaemic performance in the 3-1 defeat at the Championship-bound Bolton Wanderers raised question marks over Dalglish's ability to motivate the players.

Villas-Boas has not made too many waves at Chelsea and appears to be battling against the tide, but they are two places above Liverpool in the table and look like being England's sole hope in the Champions League this season.

He is not afraid to evolve the squad - something needed at Liverpool as Jamie Carragher, in particular, and Steven Gerrard reach the autumn of their careers - and implement a new style of play. It is difficult sometimes to decipher how Dalglish is instructing Liverpool to play.

The hiring of Villas-Boas at Anfield in the summer of 2011 would have been the Boston Way. And, done right, it could also have been the Liverpool Way.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/sport-comment/andre-villas-boas-was-the-perfect-fit-for-liverpool-rather-than-chelsea#full

[Wolfpack]

I'm not saying Villas-Boas would have been a great fit and let say he was the manager this year with the results Liverpool has had this year the KOP would of demanded his head. If Kenny took a GM role with the club the Manager would of been just a figure head standing on the side line. The Americans should of went the other direction and most importantly Just stayed out of the way in stead of rubber stamping everything Kenny said to do.

[zee24]

Would LFC have paid the big fee Chelsea paid to get him out of the contract with Porto?

Chelsea could afford to we couldn't as there would have been major calls from fans saying that money could have been best spent on players.

The fact of the matter KD should have been installed as manager once Rafa left and NOT Roy.

The Yanks coming in never wanted to sack Roy they wanted stability after the whole uncertainty over the club the previous owners had put on the club. But its a results business which Roy wasn't getting, he was never our choice but we still gave him a chance at the begining, however we soon realised how right we were.

There was no way AVB would have come half way through a season if at all, when Porto were unbeaten in the league and doing well in Europe.

[zee24]

Indonesian hotel named after Liverpool's Steven Gerrard

The Maja House Group opened 'Stevie G' in late 2011 in Badnung, with one particular room attracting a lot of attention, while club history decorates the walls in most rooms




Indonesian hotel named after Liverpool's Steven Gerrard - Goal.com

[Wolfpack]

The fact of the matter KD should have been installed as manager once Rafa left and NOT Roy.
But its a results business which Roy wasn't getting,
[/QUOTE]

What is Kenny really doing? How many ties did Kenny get at Anfield? Big Deal the Carling Cup. If the manager of Liverpool FC was anyone other than Kenny Dagalish he would of been fired just like Roy Hodgson was. Except for the Carling Cup and playing well in the FA cup Kenny is only a couple of games better that Roy but for the money Kenny spent that is not good enough in my opinion.

[wongers]

most of us don't really care for your opinion were 5 days away from playing in a cup final and your STILL moaning, ffs are you fergie in desguise

[zee24]

Detailed List of Tommy Smith's auctioned memorabilia


Sale 19880 Lot 61
1962/63 F.A. Youth Challenge cup runners up trophy
Sold for ?125 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 62
1962/63 U.E.F.A Junior International tournament medals awarded to Tommy Smith
Estimate: ?1,000 - 2,000
Sale 19880 Lot 63
1964/65 F.A. Cup winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?15,000 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 64
1965 F.A. Cup winners Liverpool hand signed picture
Sold for ?725 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 65
1965 F.A. Cup final Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?9,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 66
1965 F.A. Cup watch presented to Tommy Smith by Liverpool F.C.
Sold for ?625 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 67
1965 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,625 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 68
1965/66 Division 1 Champions medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?9,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 69
1965/66 European Cup Winners Cup runners up medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?4,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 70
1966 Football League representative medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?350 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 71
1966 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 72
1971 F.A. Cup final Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?4,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 73
1971 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?475 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 74
1971 F.A. Cup runners up medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?3,500 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 75
1972/73 Liverpool Champions Division 1 trophy presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?563 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 76
1973 U.E.F.A. Cup winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?8,750 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 77
1974 F.A. Cup final Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?7,500 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 78
1974 F.A. Cup winners medal presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?9,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 79
1974 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?688 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 80
1975-76 Dynamo Dresden match worn shirt
Sold for ?438 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 81
1975/76 Liverpool Champions Division 1 trophy presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?600 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 82
1976 U.E.F.A. Cup Barcelona match worn shirt
Sold for ?1,625 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 83
1976 Rowdies player of week bowls presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?238 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 84
1976 European Interclubs winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Estimate: ?1,000 - 1,500
Sale 19880 Lot 85
1976 U.E.F.A Cup winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?3,500 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 86
1976 U.S.A. Bi-Centennial Cup U.S.A. v England Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Estimate: ?1,000 - 1,200
Sale 19880 Lot 87
1976 U.S.A. Bi-Centennial Cup Brazil match worn shirt
Estimate: ?800 - 1,000
Sale 19880 Lot 88
1976/77 Liverpool Champions of Europe silver salver presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,500 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 89
1976/77 Liverpool Champions Division 1 trophy presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?600 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 90
1977 European Cup final souvenir mirror presented to Tommy Smith, signatures to reverse
Sold for ?200 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 91
1977 F.A. Cup runners up medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?4,750 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 92
1977 European Cup winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?14,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 93
1977 Bobby Charlton world tournament - Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?350 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 94
1977 F.A. Cup final Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?3,500 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 95
1977 European Cup final Rainer Bonhof match worn shirt
Sold for ?5,000 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 96
1977 European Cup St Etienne Dominic Rocheteau match worn shirt
Sold for ?1,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Please note there is an amendment to this lot
See full description for details
Sale 19880 Lot 97
1977 Super Cup winners medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?4,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 98
1977 European Inter clubs third place medal awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?938 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 99
1977 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,750 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 100
1977/78 League Cup finalists tankard
Sold for ?1,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 101
1978 League Cup final Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?2,250 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 102
1978 League Cup final jacket worn by Tommy Smith
Sold for ?2,250 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 103
1978 Aztecs Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Sold for ?350 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 104
1978/79 Swansea City promotion salver, 1997 Liverpool Echo salver presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?150 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 105
Rowdies match worn shirt
Sold for ?350 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 106
'The Anfield Iron' montage hand signed by Tommy Smith
Sold for ?50 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 107
Last Kop game ephemera, shirt, players handbooks
Sold for ?125 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 108
'Legends of Anfield' hand signed print
Sold for ?688 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 109
Football League '100 Legends' medal and diary presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 110
European tankards/trophies presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?475 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 111
Domestic tankards/trophies presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?325 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 112
1998 trophy presented to Tommy Smith
Estimate: ?300 - 400
Sale 19880 Lot 113
Bill Shankly/Tommy Smith clock
Sold for ?48 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 114
Various ceramics presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?175 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 115
A collection of pictures - Tommy Smith
Sold for ?75 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 116
1977/78 canteen of cutlery presented to Tommy Smith
Estimate: ?400 - 600
Sale 19880 Lot 117
Various Liverpool items - Anfield model, plaques, records
Estimate: ?100 - 200
Sale 19880 Lot 118
'Team of the Millenium' medallion presented to Tommy Smith and paperweights
Sold for ?75 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 119
2006 trophy presented to Tommy Smith
Estimate: ?300 - 400
Sale 19880 Lot 120
Bill Shankly statue presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?188 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 121
Ian Callaghan/Tommy Smith cut glass decanters
Estimate: ?300 - 400
Sale 19880 Lot 122
A collection of glassware presented to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?75 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 123
A collection of pictures of Tommy Smith, 3 hand signed
Sold for ?250 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 124
1963 Liverpool v Birmingham programme montage - Tommy Smith debut
Sold for ?25 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 125
Ray Clemence match issued Liverpool shirt
Estimate: ?400 - 600
Please note there is an amendment to this lot
See full description for details
Sale 19880 Lot 126
1968 Scotland U23 International match worn shirt
Sold for ?250 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 127
England U23 International cap awarded to Tommy Smith v Scotland
Sold for ?375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 128
England U23 International cap awarded to Tommy Smith v Italy
Sold for ?375 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 129
England U23 International cap awarded to Tommy Smith v Austria
Sold for ?400 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 130
England Youth International cap awarded to Tommy Smith v Northern Ireland
Sold for ?350 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sales 198800 Lot 131
1965 England U23 International Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Estimate: ?600 - 800
Sale 19880 Lot 132
1965 U23 England International Tommy Smith match worn shirt v West Germany
Sold for ?438 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
Sale 19880 Lot 133
1971 England International substitute shirt Tommy Smith v Malta
Estimate: ?1,000 - 1,200
Sale 19880 Lot 134
1971 England International Tommy Smith match worn shirt
Estimate: ?2,500 - 3,000
Sale 19880 Lot 135
1970/71 England full international cap awarded to Tommy Smith
Sold for ?1,125 inclusive of Buyer's Premium

in total ?137,272

[zee24]

The Steven Gerrard Foundation has brought out a wristband (?2). Money raised will go to help sick kids.

Gerrard - LFC Official Online Store

[cleanrite]

looking forward to sunday,will be a great day out for both sets of supporters

[zee24]

It will be will be good to see the team back at Wembley.

The cup was already in Liverpool today building up to Sundays final the Liverpool public got a chance to hold it and give they're predictions.

Just hope we don't see suits like these again

[john1509]

keep fingers cross for me guys a mate has just tex me to see if i wanted his 2 wembley tickets for sunday. him and his lad might not make it. will let me no on fri. feel sorry for him if he cant go but hay ho i get to go. yes get in

[zee24]

I envy uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu bast1d

[Wolfpack]

most of us don't really care for your opinion were 5 days away from playing in a cup final and your STILL moaning, ffs are you fergie in desguise

I'm not moaning just pointing out the truth. Just because i criticize the manager doesn't mean i criticize the team. Did you read what i said? Did you understand what i said or you just stupid? I want Liverpool to win on Sunday just like any other Liverpool FC fan. The only difference between me and you is i don't feel the Carling Cup is a major accomplishment. Its nice to have but would it matter if we didn't? not that much.