365 Days of Change

"That was as good as we have played all season, and I have no qualms with the performance whatsoever. I only hope fair-minded people will see it the same way.  It's just unfortunate that such a good game of football, a real credit to the Premier League, will revolve round the fact that Liverpool did not win."

A year ago this week, Liverpool had just succumbed to their fourth defeat out of the opening eight games under Roy Hodgson's management, only goal difference separated them from being bottom of the table.  It was already painfully clear that Hodgson was not up to scratch - both in terms of managing a club with aspirations a top four finish at the very minimum, and in terms of what we, the fans, expect from the manager.  He simply wasn't made for Liverpool.  His football philosophy, culture and expectations were at polar opposites to that of the club, and the 34 years of experience he so often relied upon as justification for his appointment, was the very reason he should never have been considered for the job.

Hodgson, his experience and methods "translated from Halmstad to Malmo to Orebo to Neuchatel Xamax to the Swiss national team" did nothing to warrant his appointment, merely being the safe option, a yes man after that awful Rafael Benitez and his constant politics and "rants."  This was what Liverpool needed, in the opinion of Christian Purslow (the Fernando Torres of finance, no less), to steady the ship in the face of loan repayment deadlines, and make the club more attractive to possible investors.

However, the logic behind that decision quickly unraveled as Liverpool had their worst start to a season in 82 years.  Liverpool were playing awful, unimaginative football despite Hodgson's claims that he liked a "high tempo passing game," had a manager who refused to consider the Liverpool Way and whose expectations meant a 1-0 victory at Bolton was referred to as a "famous victory." It was not, but it was another nail in the coffin as Liverpool, its players and fans endured some of its darkest days on the pitch.

Fans, already heavily worn down by the ownership situation and the club bleeding money, were beginning to fall out of love with the club.  With the game.  I no longer looked forward to our next game, each loss felt less and less significant, and I was tired.  It wasn't our club anymore.  I vividly remember being sat high in the Main Stand on cold night in December when we lost to Wolves.  There was an air of inevitability of what was occurring in front of us. We were playing rubbish football, no creativity, no spark, and were completely outplayed by bottom of the table Wolves.  It was the night where the ironic chants of "Hodgson for England!" and "Dalglish!" became louder and louder.  Both in terms of sound, and meaning.

Hodgson didn't last much longer fortunately, yet I dread to think the state we would have found ourselves in had that gone on for a few months longer.

But Hodgson was just the support act of those dark days, the ownership situation had reached its head.  Martin Broughton, brought to the club by George Gillett and Tom Hicks to sell the club, had finally found an organisation who met the criterion set to buy the club.  On the 5th October, one of the most surreal statements I've ever read set the ball rolling in the most tumultuous few weeks in Liverpool's history.  Hicks and Gillett, unhappy with the prospect of making such a loss on the club they had bled try for 3 and a half years, attempted to remove Purslow and Ian Ayre from the board.  What followed was something I never thought I'd see, nor want to experience ever again - the future existence of the club being decided in a court.

It was a horrible period of time, but a year ago today, FSG completed the purchase of Liverpool Football Club.

"It's a real indication of how far we've come when we come into the dressing room and the boys are disappointed that they've drawn 1-1 with Manchester United."

This quote from Kenny Dalglish speaks volumes for the changes that the club has been through over the last 12 months.  No longer do we have a manager who so painfully and obviously didn't fit, nor are we bleeding £110,000 in interest payments every day.  The club is being professionally and effectively ran, making the most of our brand and strengthening our off the pitch performance ten fold.  The team is still in its infancy in terms of meeting its ultimate goals, but the potential and determination to do so is clear.

It is incredible to think how far we have come in the last 365 days, certainly further than my own expectations.  It was simply a relief to be free from Gillett and Hicks, yet there was massive caution associated with the new owners, and rightly so.  However, from the outset, John Henry and his colleagues have been willing to learn and to understand what needed to be done, from both the club perspective but also from the fans.  The ambition and honesty shown by FSG is in stark contrast from the depths of distrust, infighting and public embarrassment that overwhelmed everyone associated with the club, and seemed never ending only just over a year ago. 

The reds are coming up the hill.