Liverpool legend John Barnes has called for supporters to have a sense of perspective on the impact of Michael Edwards’ departure from club owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
The Reds’ much-celebrated former sporting director got on board with the Boston-based firm in 2024 as their CEO of Football, a role from which he stood down last week with 12 months remaining on his contract.
As explained by Paul Joyce, the 47-year-old had become frustrated at the lack of progress in acquring another European club, which had been his main overarching mission upon taking up the job two years ago before those plans were abandoned in March.
While some Liverpool supporters have lamented Edwards’ departure as a major blow to the club, Barnes downplayed the impact that it’s likely to have on the Reds’ fortunes on the pitch.
‘Digger’ told Betfred (via Liverpool Echo): “How many goals did he score for Liverpool last season? How many saves did he make? The manager and the players are the most important people. It’s them and the players who go out and win matches, not the CEOs and sporting directors.
“Are Liverpool not going to sign anybody now because Michael Edwards is leaving? Are Liverpool not going to be able to identify talent anymore because Michael Edwards is leaving? Are players not going to move to Liverpool anymore because Michael Edwards isn’t there? People need to wake up.”
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We very much get the point that Barnes is making – Edwards leaving doesn’t hit in the same way as Mo Salah’s exit did earlier this year, for example, or Jurgen Klopp’s farewell from Anfield in 2024.
The 47-year-old was rightly lauded for his exceptional work as Liverpool’s sporting director a few years ago, overseeing some of the greatest transfers in the club’s history, but his recent role with FSG wasn’t nearly as hands-on in terms of the team on the pitch.
That said, his departure wasn’t exactly welcome either, considering the upheaval at boardroom level at LFC in recent times. The club are already onto their third sporting director since he left in 2022, and incumbent Richard Hughes is expected to leave for Al-Hilal in the near future.
Ultimately, what fans care about the most is on-field success – so long as their team is winning, other factors become secondary. However, stability behind the scenes is often conducive towards better fortunes on the pitch, the inverse of how backroom chaos can go hand-in-hand with on-field struggles.
The timing of Edwards’ exit in the middle of a transfer window is far from ideal, but Liverpool have survived the departures of numerous iconic figures in the past (Klopp, Sir Kenny, Bill Shankly, etc) and will come through this latest development without being irrevocably blown off course.
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He left last time when he started to lose his influence in decision making, while Jurgen was doing work. I suspect that with Andoni having come in, he’s asked for more of a say in the ‘who’ in recruitment.
Barnsey is right, though. He’s not the be-all and end-all.
All i will say is, it’s now happened twice. There wont be a third time.
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