Who would have thought that signing quality players would produce significant results, like the one on Wednesday night against a very decent opponent?
This time last year we were facing a daunting, and gruelling trip to Kazakhstan with our Champions League aspirations very much on the line.
Having flopped at home against minnows Kairat Almaty, we made the long journey, and were ultimately made to pay as the Kazakh side beat us on spot kicks to kill off our Champions League aspirations, and confine us to the Europa League.
The only ‘new’ additions to Brendan Rodgers pool of players for those two games were the returning Kieran Tierney (who had signed a pre-contract months earlier) with Shin Yamada, loan signing Jahmai Simpson Pusey, and Callum Osmand the other new recruits, but were very much seen as bench players at the most.
That failure to add any real quality to our side was the biggest factor for our failure not just in Europe, but the following few months to follow. Something that resulted in Brendan Rodgers deciding enough was enough, which culminated in the Irishman handing in his notice.
Fast forward a full year, and the picture looks completely different.
Our opponents in the first leg of the Champions League play offs LASK, are a much more formidable side than Kairat, that’s for sure.
We beat them comfortably, and have a more than decent chance of qualifying come the second leg on Tuesday night.
The reason? Well it’s simple enough. We invested heavily in our playing squad, and not just with squad fillers, but with players of proven quality.
£11 million man Kasper Hogh, and £6 million Camilo Duran both started the game, as did £6 million signing Miko Baur.
Colombian Duran proved to be the catalyst with two superbly taking goals, and put in a terrific all round performance as we disposed of the Austrian Champions to put one foot in the Champions League group stages.
If we are successful in finishing the task come Tuesday evening, it will guarantee the club a bumper £40 million payday.
Who’d have thought that signing quality would churn out such success?
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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1 Comment
What you don’t mention is that the player trading model still pays for the incoming players?
That’s still going to be the case for a number of summers in the making, going forward?
So it’s the decision making of a manager, that should be the biggest focus moreso imo?
Nicholson, Tisdale and Rodgers couldn’t form a proper working relationship, and no longer care as to why?
MoN has a totally different agenda, with forming a squad, that gives his replacement plenty to work with, along with restored unity within our club?
Might not suit some within our support, where placing so much attention upon the boardroom?
Personally have no interest within them whatsoever?
It’s what is getting produced upon the pitch that really counts?
As we don’t and won’t know what goes on in the background, regarding the decision making of incoming and outgoing players?
There’s to much made up nonsense in operation, without knowing the full truth, about the decision making process involved, especially with NDA in place?
All we do know now, that a potential list of players who are available, is given to MoN to decide upon?
Doesn’t mean we will actually get them, all the same?
But no complaints about who we have bought in so far?
The budgets we were working under, seems to have been tidied up, which allows for better quality to be added, with higher and better contracts available to the likes imo?
There’s no denying that behind the scenes, the whole process involved was mismanaged, and huge mistakes made?
No longer care as to who is to blame within an unworkable situation, that got introduced? Even if I still believe that all 3 involved, didn’t crown themselves with to many glory with the process of the decision making took imo?
Some ghosts are better off being locked away, for the good of our club imo?