John W. Henry is clearly a man who has no trouble with the ladies, as the picture above demonstrates. Hardly surprising, given that his personal fortune was once estimated as being a staggering $1.1 billion. Indeed, Henry represents the quintessential modern day success story, given the nature of his rags to riches life, in which he went from a farm boy upbringing to becoming one of the most successful men in contemporary America. However, all is not so rosy at one of Henry's primary assets, namely Liverpool F.C, and subsequently his reputation amongst English audiences finds itself in the most delicate of predicaments. After rescuing the club from the clutches of the deplorable Tom Hicks and George Gillet, Henry endeared himself to club supporters further by returning Kenny Dalglish to the club as manager, providing him with significant backing in the transfer market all the while. The role of knight in shining armour was being played with aplomb and yet the halo has slipped from Henry's head somewhat drastically in recent months, namely due to the ruthless sacking of Dalglish just 16 months after his popular re-reinstatement. The departure of King Kenny also co-incided with the removal of several key figures in the boardroom, meaning Liverpool's end to the 2011/2012 season was conducted in a more than frantic manner.
Since then, two of the disposed executives have been replaced in a hushed fashion, the news having been broke through short statements via the club's official website. The identification of Dalglish's replacement has proved less straightforward, though, with the club allegedly suffering the ignominy of two rebuffs from potential candidates (namely Brendan Rodgers of Swansea and Frank De Boer of Ajax). This has thus far left the club with only Roberto Martinez as a recognised candidate for the post, despite speculation regarding more left-field names such as Andre Villas Boas and Louis Van Gaal. This appears to be symbolic of the damage done to Liverpool's reputation over the past decade or so, something which FSG vowed to repair upon their purchase of the club. This much cherished English club has gone from being (along with Manchester United) the dominant force in the country to nothing more than a wounded giant, who picks itself up every now and then to enjoy a day in the sun, by which I mean the occasional cup triumph.
I am not for one minute disparaging Liverpool's achievements over the past decade; their 2005 miracle in the Champions League is one of the greatest cup finals of all time, and their 2006 FA Cup win over West Ham was similarly enthralling. Yet it is true that the Reds are no longer either a domestic force or a continental one, a truth which is supported by their 8th placed finish this year. Hell, some would even say that they are no longer even the best team on Merseyside anymore. This may all sound cynical, and to an extent it is, but it is all necessary when evaluating the recent history of a club that still holds the second most title wins in the country, as well as the most European triumphs of any English side. The reasons for this necessity bring us back to the subject of Henry and his Fenway Sports Group; what are their ambitions for Liverpool?
Upon their arrival in October 2010, the message delivered to the press was a simple one; 'We're here to win'. Though admittedly vague, this sentiment was one which would have struck a chord with the fan base as it is one that complies with the DNA of the club, that being an unnerving desire to triumph on all fronts. This perhaps explains the eagerness of the new board to dispose of then manager Roy Hodgson, who at that point had the team languishing in 12th place, having won only seven of his 20 league games at the helm. The choice of Dalglish, then, seemed symbolic given his remarkable haul of 8 league titles and 3 European Cups as both a player and a manager; FSG were intent on restoring the club to its presumed rightful place. The replacement of an ailing Fernando Torres, though controversial, with the younger pair of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez also seemed to signify this intention.
Yet, it soon became clear that the revival of Liverpool was not going to be a mere 'cut and paste job'. Despite a strong end to the 2010/2011 season, there remained reservations about Dalglish's suitability to the rigours of the modern game. Often, he seemed in a permanent state between stoicism and unrequited rage when dealing with accusations from the press. When things were good, they were very very good and when things were bad...well, you know the rest. Nonetheless, after further heavy investment in the summer of 2011 the Reds endured a largely drab start to the new campaign, with expensive new recruits such as Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson looking particularly out of sorts. The struggles of the Carroll/Suarez partnership also meant that serious questions were beginning to be asked of Dalglish and Director of Football Damien Comolli (who was to later pay for his shortcomings with his job).
The delivery of the Carling Cup, the first trophy won by the club since 2006, seemed to allay the pressure but an FA Cup Final defeat and the aforementioned final place in the table saw Dalglish removed in auspicious circumstances last week. Was this because the board felt he was not capable of achieving the level of success they desire? Or does it suggest a re-thinking of the previous strategy? The approach for Martinez, and indeed the mention of Villas Boas, suggest that Henry and co may have re-evaluated their plans for the club, having realised the lack of quality the team possesses when in comparison with some of the more potent forces in the Premier League. Perhaps they are now looking for somebody who can nurture the team over a long period than what would have been expected of the more senior Dalglish, who was seemingly given free reign to revamp the side overnight.
If this is the case, then FSG should be persevered with by Liverpool fans, as they are demonstrating a realisation that the name of the club does not necessarily constitute immediate success. Their major investment in the States (the Boston Red Sox) happened to end a long trophy drought shortly after FSG's purchase and, though speculative, this may explain the eagerness of Henry to plough money into his English acquisition early on into his reign. With a younger, more pragmatic coach at the helm, the Reds will be able to be steadily revamped over time, with the aim eventually being for them to re-enter the Champions League via a place in the top four, something which has recently been described as the board as being a 'necessity'. This would represent a more realistic approach from a club that has recently appeared to wear its reputation like a noose, allowing it to cripple their actual progress on the field.
However, if this is not Henry's aim and the removal of Dalglish was merely a result of dissatisfaction with a poor league placing, then one can only fear for the future of this famous old club. What Liverpool need is not emblematic of what they have once achieved, rather they are in drastic need of a structural and psychological makeover. Immediate success is no longer an option for them, and that has been demonstrated by their gradual descent from the upper echelons of the Premier League, as well as their struggles in Europe. If Henry recognises this, then there can be genuine hope of a brighter future for the Reds. If he doesn't, then he may find himself joining Gillet and Hicks in darker corners of the club's history sooner than he thinks. Let's hope for the former, eh?
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