The End of an Era

Well, it’s less melodramatic than the title connotes, but still a sign that the times, they are a changing.

Piet Hamberg named new Academy Technical Manager

Liverpool have confirmed Piet Hamberg as their new Academy Technical Manager, with the former Ajax player taking up the position in July.

Hamberg, who played professionally in both the Dutch and Swiss leagues, joins from Grasshoppers of Zurich where he has overseen the youth set-up.

He has previously coached in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Hamberg will be part of a new-look Academy management structure introduced by the club this summer. He will work alongside John Owens, who has moved from Under-18 Coach to become Academy Manager, and Malcolm Elias, who will head up all Academy recruitment.

Chief Executive Rick Parry said: "Following the departure of Steve Heighway, we took the opportunity to review the Academy structure and decided to separate the very distinct roles.

"Piet will come in with the specific brief to head up the coaching and development side, while Malcolm will be in charge of all recruitment. But continuity is also very important, which is why we are taking full advantage of John's many years of experience within the youth system by promoting him to Academy Manager."

Reds Manager Rafa Benitez said: "We have had some very good reports about Piet and he will bring great experience to the new role. Our youngsters can only benefit from working with someone with his background in youth development."

It’s a fairly big shift going from Steve Heighway, who was head of the Academy for 18 years after a long playing career with Liverpool, to Piet Hamberg, who has absolutely no ties to Liverpool, the Premier League, or English football in general.

And yes, it’s a sign of the times. Look at the majority of the youth players Benitez has brought in. Antwi (Ghana), Roque (Spain), Idrizaj (Austria), Ajdarevic (Sweden), Insua (Argentina), Duran (Spain), Huth (Panama), Nemeth and Simon (Hungary), among others. That’s about as cosmopolitan as it gets. Just as Hamberg’s professional history is about as cosmopolitan as it gets.

It’s a bit strange seeing someone like Hamberg come in after the job that Heighway’s done over the years, but it’s another clear step in Benitez’s plan to overhaul the academy and overall youth/reserve systems. And while I can’t speak to Hamberg’s qualifications, I’m certain that he’s been brought in with good cause. Benitez and Heighway rarely saw eye-to-eye, and I highly doubt that Liverpool would appoint someone contrary to Benitez’ philosophy of, like Arsenal, scouring the world for Academy players before their prices go well through the roof. And someone with Hamberg's history looks to be just the man for that job.

In other housekeeping news, and not the end of any eras, Liverpool has re-upped with Carlsberg as official sponsor for the next three seasons. There are no figures bandied about in the article on the official site, but I’m hopeful the new contract is far more than the old one, which saw Liverpool vastly underpaid for shirt sponsorships, especially in comparison to United, Chelsea, and even Spurs.

At least I will feel less required to buy a new kit.

Also, I’m more than hopeful (sadly, much more than hopeful, which doesn’t usually help my mental health), there will be even more news on the Torres front (see here, here, and here for today's "new news"), now that organizations like the BBC are reporting that talks have actually been opened. Not to preempt any future scribbling, nor get too far out in front, but there is only one striker I’d rather see join Liverpool this summer, and I’m certain that Liverpool would be well priced out of a move for him if he even leaves his club.

I hope this transfer is tied up soon. I'd actually be alright with Liverpool paying the £27m buyout, even though that's nearly double the record signing. We know Benitez wants the player, and when Benitez spends big money, it's usually with good cause (Cisse as Houiller's signing doesn't count, but Alonso, Agger, Crouch, Garcia, Kuyt, Mascherano, and Reina sure do), and we know the player wants to come. Okay then.

Heighway, Benitez, and the youth system

I didn’t really care to say anything on this, but the BBC’s headline “Heighway fumes at ‘crazy’ Benitez” is bothering me. Apologies both for centering on club drama, and for pushing the Fulham preview off the top.

I was more than happy to write “congrats and all the best” a couple of weeks back when Liverpool won the Youth Cup and Heighway publicly announced what had been rumored for 2 seasons and leave it at that.

But this “attack” in the press, even though it’s most certainly less than it’s made out to be, is uncalled for, and from afar, seems more than a little out of touch with what fans so lovingly refer to as ‘the Liverpool way.’ I know Heighway’s had a hand in Academy development for over 15 years, but really? Going to the press over disagreements and blasting the man who’s pretty much the figurehead of the entire club for what boils down to personal reasons?

Not only that, but there’s more than a bit of ego in Heighway’s quotes as well, despite his claims to the contrary, which rubs the wrong way even more and increases the whole “sour grapes” sense.

• "Rafa is a terrific manager, but I think I'm the best coach of 17 and 18-year-olds in this club.”

• "If they are not working with the best coach of young players, then what is this football club doing?”

• "It's not an ego thing, but one thing I am absolutely sure about is that the best thing for the players is to be with me.”

Obviously Spain is a bit different than England, but Heighway realizes that Rafa was a manager in various capacities for Real’s youth team, who are no slouches themselves, for almost 10 years?

It comes down to two men having two separate goals. And unfortunately for Heighway, Rafa’s is going to win out. Heighway wants to do exactly what he did this year: build a good youth team with mostly local lads and win the Youth Cup while still developing them as men off the pitch. Rafa is looking more long term; he wants to develop youth players that are able to come into the first team, full stop. Heighway’s done very well in producing a successful youth squad, but the line to the first team has dried up over the past few classes.

Since Owen, Carragher, and Gerrard, there haven’t been any youth players to make the leap. Maybe having those three, and Fowler and McManaman before them spoiled me a bit, but it has seemed the Academy should be producing more for the first team for a while now. And it’s not solely for lack of chances: Stephen Warnock, Neil Mellor (both of whom I liked, but weren’t good enough), John Welsh and Darren Potter spring immediately to mind, with Danny Guthrie and possibly Lee Peltier seemingly soon to follow in those footsteps. More need to be coming if the club is going to be competing for championships. If you groom these players from 16 on, you don’t have to spend £15m on them when they come of age. I hate to write the obvious, but it’s common sense.

Both men may agree on faults in the current reserve/youth system, but if it’s not working, something has to be done. And when Rafa and his staff run the first team, it makes sense that they’d want a hand in how their future players are going to be developed.

Unfortunately, what I think it comes down to is that Heighway has always resisted not only anyone encroaching on Academy affairs, but foreign youth as well. He’s truly tried to stick to the Academy being for local lads. And while it’s a noble sentiment, and you do have to strive for some locals in the youth setup, it’s also a thing of the past, especially for a team that considers itself among the best in the Premiership and in Europe. Maybe Welsh or Potter, just to name a couple, would have done better thrown into the first team and kept there, but it’s not going to come at Liverpool, not with the amount and importance of fixtures unless they are a 'sure thing.' Heighway says the only two sure things he’s ever had were Owen and Gerrard, but at a club of this stature, you need have a few more sure things in the pipeline. Sadly, it’s become a fact of life in the modern game.

I really was hoping Heighway would be kept on in some capacity, for all he’s done for Liverpool. He’s been a brilliant servant of the club. His name is still sung at every game, in Fields of Anfield Road, and rightfully so. But after this, I’m less certain; this is an awfully bitter way to leave one’s position. If it comes down to him or Rafa, Rafa wins every time, because of his importance at every level of the club. If Heighway can’t work within that frame, maybe it is for the best he leaves. Which makes me depressed that it’s come to this.

A nice precedent for next week?

Well done to the Under-18s, who won the FA Youth Cup for the second year running. They beat Manchester United, who held a 2-1 advantage after the first leg, at Old Trafford.

In solidarity with their first-team brethren, they took it to penalties to win the Cup, holding off United through the rest of the match and extra time following Robbie Threlfall’s lone goal in the 55th minute.

Keeper Dave Roberts, who was the starter last year but played today because of an injury to Martin Hansen, saved the first penalty. Liverpool made all four of their attempts, and United’s captain Sam Hewson missed on the 5th.

Congrats lads, hope to see a few training with the first team in the future.

Also, congrats to Steve Heighway, who’s retiring as director of the Academy, and announced it on air post-match. Nice way to go out. An absolute legend of the club.

Match report - Official site