Date: 7th February 2011 at 7:05pm
Written by:

“Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.” – Shankly

This simple philosophy is much of what spread recognition of Liverpool FC around the world as not only a successful club, but as a proper footballing side.  It’s successful, it’s easy on the eye, and it’s really what the game is meant to be.

It’s what Barcelona mean whey recite their own simple motto.  In a piece for BBC sport Iniesta and Xavi mention it this way:

“Receive, pass, offer, receive, pass, offer,” is how Iniesta recalls his education. Xavi, meanwhile, talks as if his talent is a side issue: “I am a child of the system, a pupil at the Barcelona school of football.”

Barcelona teaches these ideas from as early an age as they can get their players in the door.  It’s equally important now for us to notice the keen interest King Kenny always has and continues to take in our youth teams.  Tweets about u-16 wins at Everton and U-9 through U-14 weekend results mixed with the success of Kelly and the appearances of Shelvey excites me for young talent coming through the system.  Having him at the helm hopefully will allow us to rebuild what we have lost in the time since he has been gone, name a set philosophy and way of carrying ourselves.  Circumstances did not allow him to leave on his own terms last time with a clear successor to carry on the Liverpool Way in the dugout, much less the Academy. Managers from Souness to Benitez offered much less attractive offerings with far less success to show for it. (Istanbul aside of course, but we were hardly playing people off the park)  Maybe this time he will be given that chance.

We’re not the only ones pleased with this return to normalcy, John Henry too has spoken out in America to Fox Soccer Channel about the change in styles from Hodgson to Dalglish:

“The philosophy we were playing under didn’t seem to suit the club and we knew we had to make a change,” said Henry in an interview with Fox Sports Soccer.

“We knew we wanted to change the type of football we were playing, we wanted to move to a much more positive pass-and-move philosophy.

He goes on to discuss the issue of permanent appointment as has been done on many outlets lately, though one endorsement I was happy to see came from Carra today:

“That’s up to the club owners. But for everyone, especially me and Stevie [Gerrard], he’s a hero to us. The results are obviously going very well. If you’re asking me, obviously I’d love him to be the manager.”

Assuming the owners don’t go completely off the tracks we could be in store for good times to come.  NESV knows how to build a winning organization, Kenny knows how to build a winning football team.  If the owners can once again institutionalize the things that make LFC great, then hopefully we truly can see the back of the past few years and kick on towards #’s 19 & 6

YNWA

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We’ll keep you up to date as we approach each and every fixture throughout the season.

<3

 

18 responses to “Dalglish & Barcelona Can’t Both Be Wrong”

  1. Buzz Killington says:

    What a load of nonsense. The author convienently overlooks the mind-numbing, defensive dross served up on a regular basis under Benitez, not to mention under Houllier. Is that the football Liverpool are so famous for?

    The truth is Liverpool have never been known for good football, Tottenham, Utd, Arsenal maybe, but Liverpool are famous for winning a lot of trophies, to suggest otherwise is insincere in the extreme.

    • Scouse Billy says:

      Your revisionist argumentum ad ignorantiam has no place here, dunce.

    • Zahid says:

      Liverpool FC invented pass and move football later copied by Holland with their Total football, which Barcelona applied around the time Cryuff came along and Arsenal when Wenger arrived.

      so buzz fuck what you see now take a look back in history, the internet n librarys are there for a reason you fag

    • thomas says:

      Maybe you should try reading the post a little more thoroughly?

      “Managers from Souness to Benitez offered much less attractive offerings with far less success to show for it.”

      Maybe you should also check your football history. The Liverpool teams of Dalglish were some of the best ball playing teams every to grace a pitch. To suggest otherwise is insincere in the extreme.

    • Bomber25 says:

      Past Liverpool sides of the 70s, 80s and 90s were reknown for playing attractive football.

      “The truth is Liverpool have never been known for good football,”

      How did you arrive at that conclusion?

    • Stevie G says:

      Buzz, how old are you??
      Liverpool’s legacy of pass and move football is there for all to see, in the archives! Remember all the REALLY GREAT finals have included Liverpool. The best ever European Cup Final, UEFA Cup Final, FA Cup Final and last game of the season versus Arsenal. Yes, United and Arsenal have played attractive “brands” of football. Although under Graham, Arsenal were one of the most boring sides ever!! Let’s be honest Tottenham have NEVER really been regarded as an attractive footballing side. OK maybe for a season or two when Hoddle was in their midfield or in the early 1960s under the management of Bill Nicholson. Let’s not get carried away though! It is funny that you seem to think that only Arsenal, Man Utd and Tottenham play exciting football because since the early 60s (NEARLY 50 YEARS NOW), there has only EVER been one team who has consistently finished in the top 6 in England and that is LIVERPOOL.

  2. Benjamin says:

    You actually just described my point. We’ve been away from it for 20 years, ala Souness, Evans, Houllier, Benitez etc. Our football has been shitty, we’re trying to change that now to the way it was and the way it should be. Thanks for reading =)

    • Jay Wright says:

      Evans’ teams did play pass and move football. We just had a crap defence and weren’t rewarded for mediocrity with entrance into the “Champions League” as were his successors…

  3. akan b says:

    Are you suggesting they never played good football? C’mon be real..Tottenham only ever got it right under Harry Redknapp. What of Chelsea under Mourinho? And Man U under Fergie in the last two seasons? Let’s be honest, the only way to win games & trophies is by defendinding very well & scoring even better. That translates into trophies. Point & clear.

  4. Boo Kirby says:

    buzz killington – another skyfan who thinks that football begain in 1992

    do your homework, do some research and you will find that LIverpool FC practically invented the pass-and-move game in England

    do try and keep up

  5. dee says:

    Buzz you retard you have just made the same point as the author.

    Pass and move football left Liverpool when Kenny left.

    Shanks brought it to Liverpool and it was carried right through to King Kenny

  6. anj2099 says:

    Pass and move the LIVERPOOL groove……. rest of you can F**k Off.

  7. Jamie B says:

    The truth is, Buzz hasn’t
    got a clue!

  8. albey says:

    Buzz probably the best left back ever maldini once told of how when he was a youngster at Milan after training the coaches would sit all the youth players down and show them videos of liverpool fc matches Maldini said that this was the blue print for AC milan’s football and how the players were taught to pass and move so before you make a complete idiot of your self again buzz research the facts about liverpool football club And also Arsenal were known for many years as one nil to the Arsenal because as soon as they scored they shut up shop and spurs they played great football in the 60’s but not in the 70’s 80’s 90’s up untill harry came to spurs so your argument is not very viable buzz

  9. der says:

    oh my god the buzz guy, his comments are hilarious. pool were not famous for good football???! he can only be about 15 years old. I know some mates who hate Liverpool but they will always say that the standard they played at was just untouchable. in the 80s for example the ball moved so quickly and precisely. I respect barca but like , that ticky tacky football wouldn’t have been a match for that pool team back then. to the buzz lad I’ll just say as a united fan in his 40s said to me(just to be balanced) . Liverpool could knock the ball around for ten mins without giving it away and finish of teams in a second. players like hanson was so gifted he could play as a striker. any of the old games will show you that everytime they went forward they created a chance. glory was a word used about them, games were won and trophys collected with such undoubtable confidence. older REAL united fans hate pool because of, not just the winning, but the fashion It was done. its them that will show you a period in uniteds history where glory followed them too. where you just knew it was just hopeless to even try to win against them. everywhere it was united that people talked about. they were so good titles were won by Christmas.

    now when I read buzz comments I feel old. that its two decades since we destroyed teams with our sub bench. well I think if this manager kenny stays we will reach those levels again and maybe surpass them, but I doubt it

  10. Anderson says:

    Are you mad! We were 1 of the best, if not THE best footballing team of the 70’s and 80’s (which is why we want it all back.We over 30’s are used to success. *then*) Our football at its best was breath taking. Watch some dvds man and get your facts ironed out. YNWA