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Liverpool hero Barnes fires warning to United: Beware of the 'Souness effect'
Barnes said: ‘In modern football, managers bear the brunt of anything negative. Players have got into the habit of thinking, “If we don’t win, it won’t be our fault” and it means they don’t perform.
‘It happens everywhere, not just at Liverpool. When new managers come in, they’re not bad managers.
‘When Sir Alex Ferguson picks a so-called weaker team, players still perform. Why? Because they know that if they don’t perform, who are the fans going to boo? Are they going to boo Sir Alex? No, the answer is that the fans are going to boo them. It happens the other way at other clubs. I went through this when we recognised that Graeme Souness might not be popular with the fans.’
Souness was a legendary player at Liverpool, but inherited ageing stars from Dalglish and his new signings did not settle well.
Barnes, speaking at this week’s launch of the Royal Mail’s stamps featuring 11 legends of football, added: ‘I think it’s a testing time.
‘If the United players don’t do as well as they have done in previous years, it will be no reflection on the new manager, it will be a reflection on them. You have to then question the players, if they have done what they have done because of the manager or because of themselves.’
The handover of power from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes at Manchester United will give title rivals a glimmer of hope, and John Barnes warns that United could fall into the same trap as Liverpool if the players lose their focus.
Barnes played through the end of the Boot Room era at Anfield, when Kenny Dalglish quit in February 1991, nine months after the last of the club’s 18 title wins.
They have not been the same force since and, according to Barnes, the key difference was the shift in attitude among players who realised new manager Graeme Souness would take the flak if things went wrong — not them.
Barnes played through the end of the Boot Room era at Anfield, when Kenny Dalglish quit in February 1991, nine months after the last of the club’s 18 title wins.
They have not been the same force since and, according to Barnes, the key difference was the shift in attitude among players who realised new manager Graeme Souness would take the flak if things went wrong — not them.
Warning: John Barnes says Sir Alex Ferguson's departure could be similar to when Graeme Souness took over at Liverpool
Barnes said: ‘In modern football, managers bear the brunt of anything negative. Players have got into the habit of thinking, “If we don’t win, it won’t be our fault” and it means they don’t perform.
‘It happens everywhere, not just at Liverpool. When new managers come in, they’re not bad managers.
Warning: John Barnes thinks it will be tough for David Moyes
‘When Sir Alex Ferguson picks a so-called weaker team, players still perform. Why? Because they know that if they don’t perform, who are the fans going to boo? Are they going to boo Sir Alex? No, the answer is that the fans are going to boo them. It happens the other way at other clubs. I went through this when we recognised that Graeme Souness might not be popular with the fans.’
Tough time: Souness was a legend as a player at Liverpool but had a tough time as manager
Souness was a legendary player at Liverpool, but inherited ageing stars from Dalglish and his new signings did not settle well.
Barnes, speaking at this week’s launch of the Royal Mail’s stamps featuring 11 legends of football, added: ‘I think it’s a testing time.
‘If the United players don’t do as well as they have done in previous years, it will be no reflection on the new manager, it will be a reflection on them. You have to then question the players, if they have done what they have done because of the manager or because of themselves.’
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