LIVERPOOL FC supporters of a certain age will always revere the word of ‘God’ anyway – but the bearer of that illustrious nickname, Robbie Fowler, is undoubtedly well-placed to comment on the club now.
Now 49, he burst onto the senior scene as an 18-year-old under a manager following on from a club icon who left that job unexpectedly early.
Back then, Graeme Souness struggled to succeed Kenny Dalglish, and Fowler is well aware that Arne Slot has a daunting task taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
Fowler’s elevated standing in the Reds’ pantheon of players was illustrated by the rapturous reception he received as the subject of sold-out Carlsberg 0.0 events in Belfast and Coleraine.
His own managerial career has taken him to Australia, Thailand, India, and Saudi Arabia; he remains open to opportunities around the world, even if his heart will always be in Liverpool.
As far as bosses go, Fowler places Klopp up there alongside Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and ‘King Kenny’:
“When you are a player, manager, or coach at a football club, if you go out and give everything that you’ve possibly got, in terms of working hard and bringing the know-how you’ve got, the fans will love you.
“What Jurgen has done, he will be forever remembered as an absolute legend at the football club. You go round Anfield and see the statues and the gates named after the great managers – Jurgen will have that in the future, absolutely no doubt about that.
“He’s been unbelievable. He’s a people person – he knows the right thing to say and that endeared him to the Liverpool people.”
The challenge for Dutchman Slot is a huge one, and Fowler also drew parallels with some of the troubled times experienced by rivals of the Reds:
“He’s following one of Liverpool’s greatest ever managers, so that causes a bit of a headache for him. But the club has confidence in him, they brought him in.
“We all know how incredibly tough it can be – you look at Manchester United and Arsenal when Sir Alex [Ferguson] and Arsene Wenger went, they had a little bit of a tough time.
“But the club will have done due diligence on who they feel is the right man. Time will tell but he will get 100 per cent backing. I know every Liverpool fan out there will be giving him the best possible support to make a success of it.”
Fowler has been impressed by Slot’s style of possession football: “OK, there’s not been a competitive game, but everyone’s aware of how good the performances and results have been in pre-season. We don’t get carried away… but all the good signs are there.
“I’m looking forward to seeing a Liverpool team dominate teams and try to dominate that Premier League – but it will be tough.”
In Klopp’s time Liverpool did not splash the cash to the extent of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea, but Fowler believes the men in charge of recruitment to Anfield can counter-balance that:
“I don’t think many clubs in the world have the resources to compete with them. What you’ve got to do is the players you buy have to be the right ones… Richard Hughes, Michael Edwards and their team are brilliant in what they do, they’re bringing the right players in.
“Michael before he went away, his spell of bringing players in was exceptional. There’s a little bit of time in the [transfer] window and I’ll be amazed if something doesn’t happen.”
At the Carlsberg Ireland event, Fowler revealed his pride at his ‘God’ moniker and knows that the young prospects at Anfield, including Northern Ireland star Conor Bradley, will receive similar backing from the supporters as he did:
“It definitely will help. It’s great when clubs sign players, and we all want to spend absolute fortunes – but it’s great when players come through. The fans love the young players coming through the academy system.
“Not everyone is going to make it into the team. Maybe one or two will come in and stand out. They have to grow and develop for a club the stature of Liverpool. But you look at the League Cup Final [when Liverpool beat Chelsea last season] with all the kids on the pitch and that does put the club in good stead for the future.
“They are all unbelievable players and will benefit Liverpool in the years coming, and we all want that. The job Alex Inglethorpe has done in his years as Academy manager has been brilliant, Liverpool have been great in that aspect.”
Despite a series of injuries Fowler remains eighth on the all-time Premier League goalscoring roll of honour. He concluded our conversation with some advice for all aspiring players: “I played against some great defenders – but I never feared anyone, I was never fazed about playing against anyone. I think if you go into a game and you’re worried about who you’re up against then that has an adverse effect on your own performance…
“I think that’s a conversation for a lot of young kids. Worrying can play on your mind – don’t fear anything, don’t fear anyone. I’m not saying that’s the right approach, but it certainly worked for me.”
# Fowler expressed his delight at marking 30 years of Carlsberg’s continuing partnership with Liverpool FC in the newly launched series of shows, ‘The B0.0t Room Presents…’.
“I always enjoy meeting the fans and sharing stories from my playing days. The support from Liverpool fans around the world, including here in Northern Ireland, has always been incredible. I’m excited to be part of this new series of events with Carlsberg 0.0 and look forward to taking part in more events like these.”
