McAllister: We’ve got to give pundits a reason to cheer
LIVERPOOL legend and current first-team coach Gary McAllister has argued the club can’t expect their former players to gloss over poor results and performances when they work in the media.
Manager Brendan Rodgers’ job is regarded as one of the most difficult in football due to the number of ex-Reds publicly expressing their views, particularly during difficult times.
Former European Cup-winning stars Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher criticised what they regarded as the manager’s tactical inflexibility during last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester United, while Michael Owen, Steve Gerrard, Danny Murphy, John Aldridge, Dietmar Hamann, Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson and Robbie Fowler all work on television, radio or in newspapers.
But with the pressure building on Rodgers following two consecutive league defeats which saw them ship six goals, McAllister — who worked as a part-time television pundit himself before rejoining the Anfield coaching staff this summer — says nobody at Anfield should feel paranoid because of criticism.
‘The guys on the TV who have been here have been great for this club. They’ve got to call it as they see it,’ said McAllister.
‘The last couple of games have not been great, and they can’t be there to defend Liverpool. They’ve got a job to do. But make no mistake: they want Liverpool to do well.
‘When things aren’t going well and there’s a little bit of criticism flying around, that’s when I see the brave people in the squad.’
Souness, regarded as one of the club’s greatest players, said Rodgers had played ‘square pegs in round holes’ at Old Trafford. Carragher, a favourite on Sky Sports, questioned why he played 4-3-3 when he had more strikers than wingers to choose from.
Jordan Henderson may be out for six weeks with a broken bone in his foot, but the good news for Liverpool is that Daniel Sturridge may return today at home to Norwich while Brazilian Philippe Coutinho is available again following suspension. And McAllister insists the long-term aim is to return Liverpool to former glories.
‘I associate Liverpool with winning,’ he said. ‘When I first played against them, they played a brand of football nobody else was. I would love to try to do that again and repeat it.
‘We’re only five games in. There’s no panic. I can only say what I see on the training ground, and there are people bursting to get a game. We can’t let a couple of poor results affect that.’