A lot of blame has been laid at the door of the Fenway Sports Group for Liverpool’s recent plight; but are they simply trying to recreate a change in thinking that worked so well with their Boston Red Sox franchise.
Now this article may risk the wrath of many a Liverpool patron but to preface the continuum this article will not be the typical shooting down of these ‘Yanks who aint got a clue’ that seems to be the common denominator currently doing the rounds in criticism.
Firstly acknowledgement has to be made that FSG have made mistakes, the appointment of Kenny Dalglish was one of those; a panicked appointment made in the midst of a fan furore. With Kenny came Comolli and poor signings including, of course Andy Carroll. The financial outlay that went into said deals is also well known; astronomical just about sums it up.
So when the season came to its end, despite good cup runs, Liverpool’s consistency was ultimately flawed. A poor league finish and the poor form of expensive goods saw the end of King Kenny and Damien Commoli’s respective tenures.
At this point FSG had already created enough issue, and enough enemies amongst the Liverpool faithful to do what anyone else does when they find themselves sinking in trouble. Go back to what they know works.
Which brings me to Baseball.
FSG also own the Boston Red Sox, an American institution when it comes to the National Game. The parallels between the two clubs and even cities are highly intriguing. Port cities both with intrinsic links to the Irish community with brash, unassuming and to some charming accents and behaviours the teams therefore bare the fruit of such a link.
Both play at historically significant and iconic stadiums in the form of Boston’s Fenway Park and one of the last remaining charms of the English game, Anfield. The two teams adorn red and have celebrated passionate rivalries with great teams from nearby cities. Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees play out one of the fiercest rivalries in all of world sport whilst the historic mutual loathing in the North West between Liverpool and Manchester United is highly comparable.
The two clubs also have one other familiarity, and one which is far less envious or steeped in prestige; underachievement.
The infamous ‘Curse of the Bambino’ relating to the 86 year wait for a World Series win by The BoSox is Baseball folklore and Liverpool are developing their own tale of cursed fortune, losing their title as the most decorated side in domestic club football to old nemesis United during an on-going 22 year wait for the league title.
When John Henry and his various investors took over at The Red Sox they were intent on ending ‘the curse’ and leading Boston back to their former glory. The premise of such a return to glory was an embracing of a new philosophy and culture in the management of the team.
Sabermetrics or Moneyball; the utilising of stats and figures over gut feeling and opinion in order to create highly successful and consistent winning teams, with factors such as getting on base and slugging ability high commodities opposed to stealing plates and other ‘unnecessary’ traits.
Now immortalised in the book by Michael Lewis and film starring Brad Pitt; FSG amorously coveted the general management skills of Billy Beane to the tune of $12.5 million a year, an offer he declined in order to chase his dream of winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics. But his system, devised with the help of many, none more so than Paul DePodesta, of sabermetrics was by now fair game.
It worked after all; Oakland went on a record 20 game win streak in 2002 and sabermetrics was born into recognition. With a considerably larger budget at their disposal the Boston Red Sox implemented a sophisticated system of data analysis when concerning player trades, development and scouting.
Two years into FSG ownership and the Boston Red Sox completed a 0-3 seven series come back against the Yankees to reach the World Series, which they won, sweeping the Kansas City Royals on their way to disengaging Babe Ruth’s cursing grip.
Whilst not technically sabermetrics Brendan Rodgers embodies a lot of what Billy Beane and the many other pioneers of baseball stood for but in a footballing context. Realising the game is changing and one must ‘adapt or die’ or in this case ‘adapt to win’. They approached Roberto Martinez, a manager of similar ilk, perhaps their Billy Beane in this example who stayed at a Wigan side he has come to love and feel revered at.
FSG may not know much about football, or ‘soccer’ to borrow our cross Atlantic translation but they know about shaking up dynasties. It takes time for an entirely new system and pattern of management, coaching and philosophy instalment to take hold.
Sabermetrics was outcasted at one point in MLB with the views of a certain Bill James discarded as mathematical hogwash, a double edged phrase if I ever heard one. Now he works as Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations at the Red Sox, who, incidentally won the World Series again in 2007.
FSG may just be trying to recreate such a change at Liverpool; break the dominance of Manchester United by completely restructuring the way the team plays, buys players and develops talent.
After being stung by the Dalglish-Comolli transfers they are not openly eager to get the chequebooks out so frivolously on this occasion. The plan is now set, to use the theory of ‘adapting to die’ with the appointment of Rodgers ‘new’ philosophy on football, based on the ‘tika-taka’ styles that have won so many fans and awards in the last 10 years.
FSG may be trying to recreate the Moneyball factor that worked for them at The Red Sox with Liverpool and if they are, and it works, then Liverpool may one day be shouting the names of John Henry, Tom Werner and co from the Kop in a completely different tone.
What do you think about FSG? Are they simply using a Moneyball approach at Liverpool? Employing the latest overachieving philosophy on a grander scale to achieve success?
Check back tomorrow at 5.30pm for a follow-up article – ‘Why Moneyball can’t work in football’
image: © joncandy
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