Livermore Interview in The Athletic
#1
It was shortly after lunchtime on February 16, 2018, and Jake Livermore’s West Bromwich Albion career looked doomed to end in embarrassment.
Livermore and three team-mates were about to leave a training ground abuzz with scandal after an ill-fated first-team trip to Barcelona when they were met by a member of the club’s media department, who confirmed they were in trouble.

The press had their names as the quartet responsible for stealing a taxi during a bizarre late-night misadventure and would shortly publish them as Alan Pardew’s calamitous reign reached its symbolic nadir.

For Livermore, there appeared no way back.
For the other members of the ‘Cab Four’, the longer-term consequences seemed less grave — even if the short-term shame was equally acute.
Jonny Evans had already spent two transfer windows flirting with a departure from The Hawthorns and seemed certain to escape the sinking ship at the season’s end. Gareth Barry was a veteran midfielder with a career of impeccable conduct, trophies and England caps in the bank — and his own Albion career looked like it too might end that summer. And Boaz Myhill was the second-choice goalkeeper, and also nearing the end of his contract.
Livermore, however, had over three years to run on his deal, had started England games against Germany and Brazil just three months earlier and was seen as a key pillar of West Brom’s future. With one ill-judged late-night taxi ride, that plan appeared to be in tatters.

Fast forward to the present day, and things are very different for the former Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City midfielder.
The smile is back on his face, Barcelona is barely ever mentioned and, by and large, the grumbles from supporters that his name sometimes brought, even as recently as the start of the season, have all-but disappeared.

Albion will be cautious about counting their chickens, but their career plan for Livermore might well be back on track. Last night he was the man with the armband, driving and cajoling Slaven Bilic’s side from 2-0 down to a 2-2 draw against Barnsley. This could easily have been two points dropped at home to a struggling side but instead the draw underlined the new positive spirit in the camp that is epitomised by Livermore’s career renaissance.

Opta data backs up the theory that Livermore’s output has improved this season.
He has spoken about a concerted summer effort to slim down, which has helped him adapt to the greater athletic demands of his role in a Slaven Bilic team.
With midfield partner Romaine Sawyers naturally disposed to dictating games from deep, Livermore’s job is to win possession, fill the gaps around his partner and get forward more regularly than under any of Pardew, Tony Pulis or Darren Moore.
Already this season, he has managed a goal and eight shots in 12 games, compared with just two and 16 respectively in 39 appearances last time. He has registered an assist already — having managed just two all last season — and, most tellingly, has touched the ball 18 times in opposing penalty areas this season compared to just 31 in the whole of the last campaign. His passing accuracy (83.75 per cent v 84.3 per cent) is almost identical and his tackle success rate (61.5 per cent v 60.9 per cent) has marginally improved, although his dribbling success rate (62.5 per cent v 77.8 per cent) is down.

Often, though, a player’s value to his team cannot be assessed statistically and the staff report a change in Livermore’s role in an evolving squad.
With club captain Chris Brunt yet to start a league game this season, new head coach Bilic has turned to the 29-year-old to be his chief on-field lieutenant. He has started all 13 Championship matches and, by all accounts, become an influential leader.

“I don’t think I’ve changed consciously, I think you just grow into it,” Livermore told The Athletic. “It’s been a change of manager, a change of squad and a bit of everything. This is my home now for a while and I want to make the best of it.
“We’ve got a good group of young boys and I want to see them do well, so I think you just adapt into that sort of role. I have got the utmost respect for Brunty and everyone else in that changing room, whether they be 15 or 38. We’re all in it together, whether it’s manager, staff, player or kitman.
“The armband means a great deal, but for me it’s about what you do with it. For me, there are 11 lads and whoever comes on could wear it. It’s a real honour to wear it but really it’s just about being out there together.”

The newly emerging leadership group that Livermore heads up and also includes Kyle Bartley, Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin, is showing the way and the rest of the side is following. So last night, when they were 2-0 down with time running out, they did not panic.
“The message at half-time was ‘don’t lose your head when they are wasting time’,” said Bilic. “When you are on the field you can influence that. It doesn’t matter if it’s 2-0 after 60 minutes, don’t rush things because that will not get you anywhere. Stay calm.

“We kept that stability in midfield with Jake and Romaine Sawyers. They are very experienced players and they play in those positions where they are responsible for keeping the shape the whole game, and to be fair it’s a fantastic point for us in the circumstances.”

Conor Townsend, the full-back whose introduction helped inspire the comeback, added: “To be 2-0 down and still be disappointed that you haven’t come away with the three points says a lot about the characters in the group.
“It’s an experienced team that we’ve got, with people who have played a lot of games, and you can call on that even when the chips are down. We always feel like we are still in the game and that’s credit to the lads.
“Last season we lost a couple of older lads with James Morrison and Boaz Myhill but Brunty is still in the dressing room. The older lads are big characters and the younger ones are responding too.”

With a quarter of the season gone, West Brom look certain to be in the promotion mix until the end of the season and, if Livermore can be the man to lead them back to the Premier League, a footballing rehabilitation that at one stage seemed impossible will be complete.
It will be one achieved with a level of enjoyment and pride.
“We’ve got that nice feeling of knowing what we’re doing,” Livermore said. “We’ve got some unbelievable flair but we’ve got that solid base and structure from the manager and the coaches. I’m not looking to tempt fate but at the moment it’s a great blend. As long as the performances are good and we get three points, I don’t care who scores or makes the goals. Collectively we’re a good team.
“I love every minute of it. I’m really enjoying life and enjoying football at the moment. I’m thankful every time I run out because we have a good changing room and a good bunch of players.
“I couldn’t wish anything but success for them because they’re fucking excellent.”
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#2
This Athletic seems like a good site. Thanks for sharing.
Clarnet v2.0
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#3
That last sentence is really odd. Has the Op just thrown that in for good measure Big Grin
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#4
(10-23-2019, 11:08 AM)albion_pigeon Wrote: That last sentence is really odd. Has the Op just thrown that in for good measure Big Grin

He actually said that.
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#5
A decent read, but like the one before, all a bit self congratulary. Fact is it’s still October.
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#6
(10-23-2019, 05:21 PM)Squid Wrote:
(10-23-2019, 11:08 AM)albion_pigeon Wrote: That last sentence is really odd. Has the Op just thrown that in for good measure Big Grin

He actually said that.

Fair play the mad bastid.
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#7
In a night of below par performances, I thought Livermore had a decent game. Interesting he points out he had slimmed down as that was the first thing most of us fans spotted as a part of his improvement.
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