Optics is a word that gets thrown about in sport on a frequent basis.
For Liverpool, of course, there’s often far more to the club’s dealings than supposedly meets the eye.
With that in mind, the Athletic’s Simon Hughes suggested the reportedly desperate scrambling for Michael Edwards’ services could be a smokescreen to hide their efforts at snapping up a separate sporting director.
“There is another possibility – that this is all a smokescreen and that FSG is sewing up a deal for another sporting director while allowing speculation over Edwards to run riot,” the journalist wrote.
“That cannot be entirely ruled out given that, in football, not everything is always as it seems.
“The same applies to the manager. If he has decided to take charge of Liverpool in the summer, it would be in Xabi Alonso’s interests for his future employers to be connected to all sorts of replacements over the next few months.”
The Merseysiders are hardly short of names to pursue, including the likes of West Ham’s Tim Steidten and, more recently, Ricky Massara and Florent Ghisolfi.
READ MORE: What David Ornstein has heard from Liverpool regarding Michael Edwards return
Liverpool fans must pray for a smokescreen
Generally speaking, John W Henry and Co.’s reign has far from been characterised by incompetence and inept decision-making.
On that basis, we feel inclined to trust in the process of finding a new sporting director, even if it seems to be taking a worrying amount of time. Particularly given that the clock is ticking on Xabi Alonso’s services amid Bayern Munich’s pursuit of the Spaniard.
We have to believe that FSG wouldn’t be so daft as to keep pushing for the return of a man who, quite clearly, does not wish a return to frontline football.
Fenway wouldn’t be so foolish as to keep fishing in the same fruitless spot of water, would they?