Rafael Benitez secured his first back-to-back victories at Anfield on Tuesday night since October’s wins against Wigan and Portsmouth.
But Liverpool fans should only be cheering one of the wins. His defeat of Rick Parry is a clear sign that the mantra of no man being bigger than the club can be consigned – like classy Scottish centre-backs and midfielders with moustaches – to a bygone age.
It has been suggested that Benitez had wanted a bigger say in one or two budgetary matters at Anfield, and that his request was denied.
In this regard he is following Bill Shankly who once said: “At a football club, there’s a holy trinity – the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”
But times have changed. Chairmen are now businessmen not philanthropists. And the sums involved aren’t significant, they are monumental.
And that is why club managers should be given a budget. That is, a finite amount of money to spend on the acquisition of new players, the support staff they employ, the recruitment of junior players and all the other bits and pieces they need to prepare the team to play.
If they had a better grip on the quite incredible costs of maintaining a first class professional sports club – and I am talking only of the playing side – I think they would develop a much harder attitude towards the level of performance they require, on a weekly basis, from some extremely highly paid and very cosseted athletes.
On top of all that, if disastrous deals like the sale of Robbie Keane at a huge loss where then done, the manager would quickly see the effects of that in his budget.
He would have less money in the kitty, just like any other business budget holder, and he would have to exercise great care in his dealings in the transfer market in the future.
If that is the kind of budget control that Rafa, and other managers want, then I say to club bosses, let them have it without delay.
But if it is the other type of budget they want, the one common among teenagers who want their own money and then some more whenever they want to buy something they want but can’t afford, and for the money to be handed over without comment on how wisely it’s spent, then clubs should say no.
However, the manner of the Parry’s departure means the next chief executive is unlikely to feel able to exercise that level of cost control – and for that, the club will be poorer.
But Liverpool fans should only be cheering one of the wins. His defeat of Rick Parry is a clear sign that the mantra of no man being bigger than the club can be consigned – like classy Scottish centre-backs and midfielders with moustaches – to a bygone age.
It has been suggested that Benitez had wanted a bigger say in one or two budgetary matters at Anfield, and that his request was denied.
In this regard he is following Bill Shankly who once said: “At a football club, there’s a holy trinity – the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques.”
But times have changed. Chairmen are now businessmen not philanthropists. And the sums involved aren’t significant, they are monumental.
And that is why club managers should be given a budget. That is, a finite amount of money to spend on the acquisition of new players, the support staff they employ, the recruitment of junior players and all the other bits and pieces they need to prepare the team to play.
If they had a better grip on the quite incredible costs of maintaining a first class professional sports club – and I am talking only of the playing side – I think they would develop a much harder attitude towards the level of performance they require, on a weekly basis, from some extremely highly paid and very cosseted athletes.
On top of all that, if disastrous deals like the sale of Robbie Keane at a huge loss where then done, the manager would quickly see the effects of that in his budget.
He would have less money in the kitty, just like any other business budget holder, and he would have to exercise great care in his dealings in the transfer market in the future.
If that is the kind of budget control that Rafa, and other managers want, then I say to club bosses, let them have it without delay.
But if it is the other type of budget they want, the one common among teenagers who want their own money and then some more whenever they want to buy something they want but can’t afford, and for the money to be handed over without comment on how wisely it’s spent, then clubs should say no.
However, the manner of the Parry’s departure means the next chief executive is unlikely to feel able to exercise that level of cost control – and for that, the club will be poorer.
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