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| Sean O'Driscoll was brought in to replace Colin Pascoe |
It is 8.30am and Sean O’Driscoll, Liverpool’s new assistant manager, appears right on cue.
He is clutching a mug of tea and proceeds to impart tales of photo-shoots on yachts, buying training kit from the local market and board meetings that descended into bun fights.
If he was recruited by Brendan Rodgers this summer to provide an alternative voice then he is doing just that, though it quickly becomes apparent that possessing a fresh pair of eyes may yet prove his most important asset.
“I was late into football, at 21/22, so didn’t come in with any ideas of what it was meant to be,” said O’Driscoll.
“My perceptions were different and have been the same ever since. I was always asking why we were doing certain things. Not trying to be arsey - just so I understood what they wanted from me.
“I view this Premier League bubble through a different lens. That could be a good or bad thing.
“You have to be careful coming into an environment like this, but I think he (Rodgers) wants me to challenge and say what I think about doing things and how we can maximise the talents we have.”
At the age of 58, O’Driscoll’s first ever job at a top flight club arrived after a wind of change blew through Anfield.
Out went Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh and, along with O’Driscoll, Pepijn Lijnders and Gary McAllister now form the manager’s inner circle.
His role necessitates he performs a balancing act by speaking his mind while at the same time respecting the fact Rodgers’ current methods have allowed him to forge a career in management.
If it means pricking the ‘bubble’, then, a desire to help Liverpool move forward means O’Driscoll is unlikely take a backward step.
“It's almost like the outside world doesn't exist,” said O’Driscoll, who provides engaging company in his first major interview since leaving his position with England U19s last month.
“Inside it, it's awash with money in certain aspects and there are a lot of things you can do which you can't do elsewhere.
“You attract arguably not some of the best characters, but some of the best players in the world.
“It's about managing that and trying to get people to understand. They are all talented individuals, if they weren't they wouldn't be here.
“The danger is that they will always do what they have always done. Why would they change? They are talented in this bubble which means they get paid an awful lot of money.
“When I walked in, I had a completely fresh view of things. I'd never worked at this level before.
“I had a pre-conception of what it was like in the Premier League but walking into it it's completely different.
“You do things and people will react, play the way they play and I'm trying to get them to look at why they do that.
“It's easy (to challenge opinions) but you still have to be careful how you do it. You have to show respect. I wouldn't like it if someone came into my club and suddenly went, ‘you should be doing this or that.’
“It's pointless doing it that way.”
O’Driscoll’s outlook was moulded and shaped by Liverpool’s opponents at Anfield tonight, Bournemouth, for whom he played for 11 years between 1984 and 1995 and also managed between 2000 and 2006.
O’Driscoll was not looking to leave the Football Association – Liverpool youngster Joe Gomez was one of the players in his age group - when the call came from Rodgers, who had lavished praise on him last year as one of the best coaches in country.
Rodgers said he wanted to take Liverpool in a different “technical direction” when explaining the departures of Pascoe and Marsh.
It is was noticeable that as soon as Philippe Coutinho scored against Stoke last weekend, the manager was in a huddle with O’Driscoll and his coaches to ensure the advantage was not surrendered with four minutes remaining.
Within football one of O’Driscoll’s qualities is regarded as being his ability to set-up teams and there is little doubt Liverpool can benefit in becoming harder to beat; knowing what to do, and where to be, when they don’t have possession.
Yet he remains low-key. There seems no real secret to his career: hard work and common sense underpin his efforts.
“I’ve always tried to do my best every day,” said O’Driscoll. “I've always had great expectations, rather than great goals.
“People say to me you need goals, but I meet a lot of people who say things but their behaviour doesn't match up to that.
“If I wanted to be Real Madrid manager, why aren't I learning Spanish?
“It's bullshit really. People say I want to be this, I want to be that, but then don't put in the work that needs to be done.
“Did I ever want to be a Premier League manager? It never really entered my head.
“I just wanted to do a good job wherever I was. That was my motivation and what kept me going. You try and keep things on an even keel.
“Am I doing the best I can? Yeah. Lose two on the spin, still doing the best I can, win four games on the trot, it's the same. That approach just keeps my feet on the ground.”
Liverpool will look to benefit.
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