A few days ago, Steven Gerrard publicly disagreed with FSG's 'youth only transfer policy, and expressed dismay at the way clubs discard older players whilst they still have lots to offer. It seems, however, that this policy is nothing new at Anfield, as former Liverpool manager Roy Evans confirmed over the weekend.
Discussing the club's current transfer policy on LFC TV, Evans praised Gerrard for his views, and revealed that he suffered similar restrictions during his managerial tenure at Anfield. He said:
"For a little bit more experience, I tried to sign Teddy Sheringham at one stage, but the board said no. He was 28 at the time, and went on to play for another 10 years after that.
"That was their [the board's] policy at the time, but somewhere along the line, you just need a top class experienced player".
If Evans had signed Sheringham, he would've arrived at Liverpool in 1994, a full three years before he joined Manchester United.
Between 1995 and 1997, Liverpool were bona-fide contenders for the Premier League title, and with Sheringham in the squad alongside the likes of Fowler, Collymore, Redknapp, McManaman et al, it's conceivable that he could've been the missing piece of the puzzle.
Having said that, even with Sheringham in the team, the club's defensive frailty at the time may have still derailed the team's chances.
Sheringham went on to play in the Premier League until his early 40s (!), which just goes to show how misguided a decision it was to reject him at the age of 28.
Where would Sheringham have slotted into the mid-1990s team. A couple of possibilities:
-------------------- James
-------- Ruddock -- Scales -- Wright
McAteer --------------------------------- Harkness
--McManaman ------ Redknapp -------- Barnes
------------- Sheringham
------------------- Fowler
* This leaves out Collymore and Rush, two superb attacking options at the time. Another possibility:
-------------------- James
-------- Ruddock -- Scales -- Wright
Jones --------------------------------- McAteer
--McManaman -------- Barnes ------ Collymore
------------- Sheringham
------------------- Fowler
* Again, Rush misses out, but that's probably what would've happened anyway if Sheringham had signed. There's no way Fowler - who scored 30 goals a season for three years straight during that period - would miss out.
It's also possible that Evans may have decided not to sign Collymore (who arrived in 1995) if he'd got Sheringham in 1994, though that would've been a shame as he formed an amazing partnership with Fowler.
How would Sheringham have fitted in under Roy Evans, and who would've made way for him in the team? It's a tough one...
Jaimie Kanwar
Discussing the club's current transfer policy on LFC TV, Evans praised Gerrard for his views, and revealed that he suffered similar restrictions during his managerial tenure at Anfield. He said:
"For a little bit more experience, I tried to sign Teddy Sheringham at one stage, but the board said no. He was 28 at the time, and went on to play for another 10 years after that.
"That was their [the board's] policy at the time, but somewhere along the line, you just need a top class experienced player".
If Evans had signed Sheringham, he would've arrived at Liverpool in 1994, a full three years before he joined Manchester United.
Between 1995 and 1997, Liverpool were bona-fide contenders for the Premier League title, and with Sheringham in the squad alongside the likes of Fowler, Collymore, Redknapp, McManaman et al, it's conceivable that he could've been the missing piece of the puzzle.
Having said that, even with Sheringham in the team, the club's defensive frailty at the time may have still derailed the team's chances.
Sheringham went on to play in the Premier League until his early 40s (!), which just goes to show how misguided a decision it was to reject him at the age of 28.
Where would Sheringham have slotted into the mid-1990s team. A couple of possibilities:
-------------------- James
-------- Ruddock -- Scales -- Wright
McAteer --------------------------------- Harkness
--McManaman ------ Redknapp -------- Barnes
------------- Sheringham
------------------- Fowler
* This leaves out Collymore and Rush, two superb attacking options at the time. Another possibility:
-------------------- James
-------- Ruddock -- Scales -- Wright
Jones --------------------------------- McAteer
--McManaman -------- Barnes ------ Collymore
------------- Sheringham
------------------- Fowler
* Again, Rush misses out, but that's probably what would've happened anyway if Sheringham had signed. There's no way Fowler - who scored 30 goals a season for three years straight during that period - would miss out.
It's also possible that Evans may have decided not to sign Collymore (who arrived in 1995) if he'd got Sheringham in 1994, though that would've been a shame as he formed an amazing partnership with Fowler.
How would Sheringham have fitted in under Roy Evans, and who would've made way for him in the team? It's a tough one...
Jaimie Kanwar
Yes
ReplyDeleteDefinitely would have boosted squad, would have been a great sub or horses for courses player, spot on with your earlier article jamie, kompanys red card rescinded, ive no love for city but it was a joke red card
ReplyDeleteyes
ReplyDeleteSanity prevails for once. No doubt there will 10 more rubbish decisions for various teams this weekend.
ReplyDeleteHere we go again with the 'what ifs'. I sincerely hope FSG is a bit flexible with their policy. I don't want to wait wait wait!
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with 'what ifs'? Absolutely nothing. Not everything has to be about something that happened five minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteSo.... with the rescinding of the rediculous red card,what, if any, ramifications are there toward the incompetant official(s).
ReplyDeleteMike Dean should surely be demoted for a game or two? Just imagine if the sending-off had cost City the game, and - at the end of the season - the title (if they lost the league by, say, 2 points or something).
ReplyDeleteYep, lets hope we aint on the end of one of them!
ReplyDeletethe ref gets one chance to see it,not incompetant,just an honest mistake...get off your high horse.
ReplyDeleteThose back three...ah well.
ReplyDeleteHindsight, again, is a wonderful thing. We once nearly signed Michael Laudrup, we nearly signed the fake Ronaldo and many more. At least we've had the new Zidane and the new Henry at our club.
This story highlights the need to Sign Wesley Sneijder
ReplyDeleteHope not. He once was a good prospect, but didn't play much football in recent years. Maybe a return to Everton is on the cards.
ReplyDeleteThink his point was rather that it was about something that actually never happened.
ReplyDeleteshould howard webb get demoted for a game or two after his awful performance in the man utd v lpool game? he gave lpool everything,denied man utd a stonewall pen,and should have sent at least two lpool players off!! Putting to bed the nonsense about webb being a utd fan.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr Tochhawng is implying he can see the same mistakes potentially being made under the current regime with their youth only policy. If that is the case, then I agree, even if it is based on hindsight. That's the really good thing about hindsight, it allows you to look at the past and learn from mistakes, putting them right for the future. That future is upon us right now.......And a good cause for the need of 'what ifs' to be heeded.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe should have seen THE BLATENT OFFSIDE GOAL VIDIC SCORED,, Dawwwwww
ReplyDeleteBut of course Evra and Vidic owned up like the non cheating gentlemen they are.;
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, these mistakes can be ridiculously costly. Managers and players get a lot of stick for poor results, so who is the finger to be pointed at for poor mistakes by referees. If this issue is ever to be removed it can only be done with the introduction of technology. Bringing the game up to date with the world it serves. The referee does not deserve to be the one put in this decision where the sbuse can indeed be terrible, but until incompetences are rectified by those with the control, he will continue to be placed in the firing line.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Or at least someone this window for midfield who can make a serious creative impact; along with a little steel.
ReplyDeleteblatant offside???? priceless.....it took about 30 replays to show that vidics leg may have been offside,no linesman in the world would have seen that,and what this has to do with howard webbs perfornance i will never know.
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmm,a player handles the ball to enable him to score,and then a player heads the ball that takes a touch off another player who`s leg may have been offside....very similar
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke, howard webb has been your 12th man for years along with half the other bottleless refs in the epl, priceless, a man u fan moanin about a ref
ReplyDeleteI think while youth and building for the future is good, you still need experienced players. I can understand the logic in only signing young from a money side of things, but still think sometimes it is worth getting someone that bit older, just look at RVP, sure they paid a lot, but it looks like he will be the reason Man Utd will win the prem this year (if they win it). In which case it was worth the spend.
ReplyDeleteYou trying to say my horse does drugs?
ReplyDeleteyou really are an idiot kanawar
ReplyDeleteYoung talent when they are matured will be hijacked by rich clubs no point having such policy. Look at Steerling almost hijacked by other clubs even though he is still learning. Better to buy experienced players if Liverpool wants to win cups. Owners are trying to budget and save money but fans are not fools we can see what they are up to. Big club like Liverpool have to buy big players not some young footballer hoping he will turn out to be a star and even then he will go sooner or later. There a few loyal players like Carrager and Gerrard around the world a lot of players only last a few years and are gone.
ReplyDeleteI think Webb was pretty fair during that game. Man Utd got a lot of free kicks which were pretty soft, so I wouldn`t say he gave us everything. The offside goal stuff from fellow Liverpool fans is a non issue for me, as it`s the linesmans job not the refs to spot off sides, and in any case it was to close/fast to have been spotted really. So hopefully this will show you I`m not looking at it through Liverpool tinted glasses. I`m not sure when the stonewall pen happened tho? I haven`t even seen any pundits bring that up, so I`m guessing either we all missed it, or it didn`t happen. Same for the sending off of two players? From watching the game I thought Webb got most things right.
ReplyDeletethe age of rvp and look what he has done for example. sheringham would of been a great signing he was awesome at forest then spurs.
ReplyDeletegreat composure.
when men where men still lol
The guy is shot to bits m8, wouldnt make tranmeres reserves
ReplyDeleteThis is why I think Sniejder would be a great signing!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the only person who has actually been demoted is the linesman who told the City players to go and thank their fans after having to fork out £62.
ReplyDeleteThe reasons for his demotion? The "pressure of media interest in him".
Stop the world please. I'd really like to get off.
what amazes me about the game at the weekend was the lack of controversy about Ashley Young's challenge on Agger. Watch it again, his feet left the ground, he missed the ball and connected with Agger's shins, he was never in control of the tackle and seriously endangered his opponent, in fact such was the force of the collision he injured himself. It was more of a red card than either Kompany's or Shelvey's in the first Utd game of the season at Anfield because he is small and English the incident was perceived and interpreted far differently than if the roles had been reversed. Plain wrong.
ReplyDeleteGlen Johnson should also clearly have seen a second yellow late in the game. The final corner count was 3-1 to Utd however the linesman missed two obvious Liverpool corners in each half. Sometimes referees don't have to make absoloute howlers to influence the outcome of the game. Simply by giving 10-15% of minor decisions to one side over another the momentum and focus of the game is skewed to one team's advantage but no direct connection is made. That is why players surround the referee. I'd like to see some statistical analysis on the percentage of 50/50 decisions that a team like Utd or Chelsea receive.
That's the idea.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a very wise man (or woman) to learn from the mistakes that others made, though.
ReplyDeleteAs things stand we will be the fourth year in a row out of the Champions League next season. That hardly gives us a strong bargaining position when it comes to signing big players.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, I think our midfield is lacking in top quality experience at the moment, and if Gerrard gets injured then we pretty much have no one.
ReplyDeleteDont get me wrong we have some good players in midfield, just not that champions league quality.
we have more chance of signing wesley snipes
ReplyDeleteOh yeh, I forgot,theres a massive conspiracy to keep utd on top and liverpool down.Evil lord fergie has the refs,the fa and the media in his pocket.Also included must be the likes of king kenny,brenden rogers and fsg for buying a load of s*** players....pmsl
ReplyDeleteOh yeh,i forgot about it all being a massive conspiracy where evil lord fergie has the refs,the fa and the media in his pocket.....its gone that far now even king kenny,brendan rogers and fsg are in on it,spending millions on poor players.
ReplyDeleteI do understand what you're saying, but history is littered with wise men and these people in particular, of whom we are talking, get paid substantial amounts to make sure mistakes do not get repeated. Ian Ayre has said, "the issue in August came down to a particular deal and a particular price and structure for that deal. It wasn't right to do it. Sometimes you have to be strong for the greater good. People may want to criticise the fact we didn't have an additional striker, but at what price would you sacrifice spending for something that is not in the long term interests of the club, versus what we just did, which was getting a great price for a great player in Daniel Sturridge. If we had spent that money in the summer then we wouldn't have done that trade recently. It may have left us short.".......Really? Come on! The Dempsey deal (glad it didn't happen as he was not the answer) was not that expensive, 6 mill ish. That would have then left them short to fund the Sturridge deal? And they talk of, if there is the right player for the right price then funds are available..... Make your minds up....! Sounds like mistakes again to me. And no, Mr Ayre is obviously NOT a wise man...
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that there aren't many wise people in football. Clever yes, but not wise.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if Ayre even is a clever man. But he is a fine commercial director to be honest. They shouldn't have promoted him further.
Agreed. Seems we are lacking experience not just on the field but off it also. If I'm correct, most of the senior positions right through to the owners, have less than two years of experience in the premier league; alas, this includes a certain Mr Rodgers.......My optimism for this season, is unfortunately beginning to fade.
ReplyDelete