To suggest Liverpool has gone all-in on Michael Edwards would be an understatement.
In an attempt to entice him back to Anfield, the club created a brand-new position for him, CEO of Football for FSG, thereby making him the kingmaker at one of Europe’s most powerful teams.
He quickly began employing, and in some cases rehiring, people that he trusted and appreciated.
Richard Hughes, whom he has known since his days as an analyst at Portsmouth, was appointed as the sporting director.
Julian Ward, Edwards’ original successor at Anfield, has returned as technical director for FSG, while Pedro Marques, formerly of Benfica, has joined as director of football development.
David Woodfine also returned to Liverpool, taking on the job of assistant sporting director.
Mark Burchill, another former Pompey player, is anticipated to accompany Hughes from Bournemouth, where he is Chief Scout, to Anfield, along with Craig McKee.
SLOT: HEAD COACH, NOT MANAGER.
This new Liverpool hierarchy includes folks Edwards is extremely familiar with. Marques is the lone outsider hire. He has surrounded himself with close allies while keeping the incoming head coach at a distance.
Arne Slot is not the new Liverpool manager. He is the new head coach. This has been a crucial element in all Slot-related content during the last few weeks.
The Athletic featured this remark in their analysis of how the Dutch tactician became the Reds’ top pick.
“Slot agreed terms on a three-year deal, having told Liverpool he was comfortable with the title of head coach rather than manager in new-look hierarchy at Anfield which sees him answer to Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards.”
In the prior arrangement, Jurgen Klopp was initially involved in final decision-making. According to reports, near the end of his tenure, he was the final decision-maker.
WILL SLOT ACCEPT A LACK OF POWER?
According to Paul Joyce of The Times, the Germans lobbied for Darwin Nunez while the recruitment team preferred Christopher Nkunku. There were also reports that sporting directors turned down the job due to Klopp’s increased influence off the field.
Edwards clearly did not want a recurrence of that. He didn’t want a manager becoming involved in the business side of things and wanted them to concentrate entirely on coaching.
Slot has already been deprived of power before he has even begun his career at Liverpool. For the time being, he is satisfied with his situation. But is this a sustainable model? At some point, the former Feyenoord manager will disagree with a decision, and he will feel powerless if his perspective is not respected.
Should there truly be such a separation between those in charge of the club’s finances and those in charge of ensuring success on the field? Because, like it or not, there is a division. For this paradigm to function, there must be.
Slot, like Klopp, has to extract that extra ten percent out of his players, and the only way he can do so is by developing a bond with them. This link makes it difficult to separate sentiment from decisions. That’s what the former Liverpool manager grappled with.
However, this methodology necessitates ruthlessness, and Edwards and Hughes will maintain a distance from the players to make difficult judgments. It won’t be personal; it’ll be business.
LIVERPOOL’S NEW EXTREME DESIGN
It’s an extreme design. But it must be in order to succeed. However, it is also a design that reveals how scorched Edwards was the last time out. One that has the potential to produce as many issues as the prior setup.
Many have hinted at a problem: a number of those associated at the club were loyal to Klopp. This is supported up by the high number of departures this summer.
The Reds are rebuilding behind the scenes, but a number of crucial jobs have been filled by individuals handpicked by Edwards.
They will be devoted to him, so if he quits, there may be another big exodus. And, while these may be the greatest persons for the jobs right now, the optics aren’t good when they’re all linked to the former sporting director.
To avoid a repeat of Klopp’s dilemma, Edwards has practically followed the German tactician’s strategy for becoming the club’s puppet master. It could go either way, but did it really have to be so extreme?
