According to the relentlessly depressive doom and gloom brigade, no decent manager will want the Liverpool job vacated by Rafa Benitez. Liverpool FC is (apparently) a ‘poisoned chalice’; a footballing ‘Chernobyl’ that has been irradiated by the nuclear impact of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Any fair-mined person can see it’s all baseless, overwrought misinformation, spread (mainly) by fans pushing the Anti-H+G agenda. Despite the ridiculous hyperbole, the Liverpool job remains one of the most cherished and attractive in football.
In my view, there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive. There is no evidence to back-up such a contention either. With their short-term outlook, a section of fans and the media are wrapped up in misguided tunnel vision when it comes to the state of the club.
What is needed here is a long-term outlook. Yes, the club is in debt, but as I’ve proved in previous articles, it’s nowhere near as bad as the anti-H+G cult make out. Focusing on the here and now is fine to an extent, but at some point, you have to try and see the path ahead, and look to the future in a rational manner.
The Hicks and Gillett era is a necessary evil. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity.
Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that.
This is what prospective managers see when they look at LFC. They see a club on the rocky road to recovery; they see a club with immense potential just waiting to be fulfilled; they see a sleeping giant stirring and ready to wake up.
Prospective managers are not hamstrung by the powerful emotions that cloud the judgment of many Liverpool fans. They can see how H+G are a necessary evil; they can see how the club is on the path to the Promised Land. They can also accept that it won’t all be plain sailing.
Frankly, it’s a gigantic insult to the club to suggest that no manager would want to come in and take the reins. In my view, the opposite is true. Guus Hiddink’s agent summed it up recently when he responded to speculation re the possibility of Hiddink taking the Liverpool job:
“He [Hiddink] respects Liverpool as a legendary club with a great future ahead”
The key phrase here is ‘Great future ahead’.
It is true: LFC *does* have a great future ahead, which is why the manager’s job is still hugely attractive to top managers across the globe. The likes of Hiddink and Rijkaard have turned down the job because they are already contracted to other clubs, not because of some trepidation over taking on the role.
I would urge fans to start taking a long-term view. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. Under Benitez, things did get worse, and the club’s debt problems have been exaggerated beyond all recognition as a result of misguided loyalty to the former manager, and irrational hatred towards certain members of the club’s hierarchy.
I personally have never felt this confident about the future of Liverpool FC. The club is currently nearing the end of a long process of rebuilding, a process that started with Gerard Houllier, NOT Rafa Benitez.
Both Houllier and Benitez played their part in moving the club forward, and as I mentioned earlier on, the same goes for Hicks and Gillett. The aforementioned all had/have their flaws - and there has been collateral damage along the way - however, when all is said and done, the club *has* moved forward in the last 12 years, and that is the most important thing.
Houllier
* Professionalised the club on and off the field after the ‘Spice Boys’ era.
* Restoeed discipline, pride and a sense of dignity.
* Put Liverpool back on the path to European respectability.
Benitez
* Built on Houllier’s work, and made Liverpool a European force once again
* Firmly restored Liverpool's European reputation.
* With the odd exception, established Liverpool as a top-4 team
Hicks + Gillett
* Improved the commercial side of the club.
* Brought Kenny Dalglish back to Anfield.
* Made shrewd senior appointments that have benefited/will continue to benefit the club.
* Laid the groundwork for the new stadium.
Houllier’s time passed. He did his job in moving the club forward and the time came for him to move on. The same happened with Benitez – he reached a point where he could no longer move things forward. He made his contribution, and the time came for him to move on too.
Under Moores, the business and commercial potential of the club was not being realised. Hicks and Gillett are, first and foremost, businessmen, something that jars with many fans, who demand that anyone associated with the club has an 'emotional connection'.
H+G have laid the groundwork for future commercial success, but they too must now move on, and with the club up for sale, that is precisely what they plan to do.
It’s now time for another manager to come in and make their contribution to moving the club forward. In the short-term, that contribution will be maximizing the potential of the current squad; re-establishing Liverpool in the top 4, and taking the club back into the CL.
I truly believe that this will only take one season. The impact of the right manager cannot be underestimated – just look at Harry Redknapp at Spurs. Before he arrived, Spurs were flirting with the relegation zone; a year later, they’ve taken Liverpool’s place in the Champions League.
There’s no point obsessing over the current financial situation. It will play itself out, and everything will resolve itself in time. Liverpool will not wither and die; the club will not end up like Leeds (!), and it will not enter administration/suffer a 9 point deduction.
I know it’s hard to see right now, but the future is bright. To see this, you just have to stop buying into the agenda-driven doomsday scenario, and ignore the sensationalized media reports. Stick to and demand facts; ignore emotive generalization; question everything; always look for the agenda in everything you read/hear about LFC.
Doom sells – stop being a consumer.
In my view, there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive. There is no evidence to back-up such a contention either. With their short-term outlook, a section of fans and the media are wrapped up in misguided tunnel vision when it comes to the state of the club.
What is needed here is a long-term outlook. Yes, the club is in debt, but as I’ve proved in previous articles, it’s nowhere near as bad as the anti-H+G cult make out. Focusing on the here and now is fine to an extent, but at some point, you have to try and see the path ahead, and look to the future in a rational manner.
The Hicks and Gillett era is a necessary evil. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity.
Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that.
This is what prospective managers see when they look at LFC. They see a club on the rocky road to recovery; they see a club with immense potential just waiting to be fulfilled; they see a sleeping giant stirring and ready to wake up.
Prospective managers are not hamstrung by the powerful emotions that cloud the judgment of many Liverpool fans. They can see how H+G are a necessary evil; they can see how the club is on the path to the Promised Land. They can also accept that it won’t all be plain sailing.
Frankly, it’s a gigantic insult to the club to suggest that no manager would want to come in and take the reins. In my view, the opposite is true. Guus Hiddink’s agent summed it up recently when he responded to speculation re the possibility of Hiddink taking the Liverpool job:
“He [Hiddink] respects Liverpool as a legendary club with a great future ahead”
The key phrase here is ‘Great future ahead’.
It is true: LFC *does* have a great future ahead, which is why the manager’s job is still hugely attractive to top managers across the globe. The likes of Hiddink and Rijkaard have turned down the job because they are already contracted to other clubs, not because of some trepidation over taking on the role.
I would urge fans to start taking a long-term view. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. Under Benitez, things did get worse, and the club’s debt problems have been exaggerated beyond all recognition as a result of misguided loyalty to the former manager, and irrational hatred towards certain members of the club’s hierarchy.
I personally have never felt this confident about the future of Liverpool FC. The club is currently nearing the end of a long process of rebuilding, a process that started with Gerard Houllier, NOT Rafa Benitez.
Both Houllier and Benitez played their part in moving the club forward, and as I mentioned earlier on, the same goes for Hicks and Gillett. The aforementioned all had/have their flaws - and there has been collateral damage along the way - however, when all is said and done, the club *has* moved forward in the last 12 years, and that is the most important thing.
Houllier
* Professionalised the club on and off the field after the ‘Spice Boys’ era.
* Restoeed discipline, pride and a sense of dignity.
* Put Liverpool back on the path to European respectability.
Benitez
* Built on Houllier’s work, and made Liverpool a European force once again
* Firmly restored Liverpool's European reputation.
* With the odd exception, established Liverpool as a top-4 team
Hicks + Gillett
* Improved the commercial side of the club.
* Brought Kenny Dalglish back to Anfield.
* Made shrewd senior appointments that have benefited/will continue to benefit the club.
* Laid the groundwork for the new stadium.
Houllier’s time passed. He did his job in moving the club forward and the time came for him to move on. The same happened with Benitez – he reached a point where he could no longer move things forward. He made his contribution, and the time came for him to move on too.
Under Moores, the business and commercial potential of the club was not being realised. Hicks and Gillett are, first and foremost, businessmen, something that jars with many fans, who demand that anyone associated with the club has an 'emotional connection'.
H+G have laid the groundwork for future commercial success, but they too must now move on, and with the club up for sale, that is precisely what they plan to do.
It’s now time for another manager to come in and make their contribution to moving the club forward. In the short-term, that contribution will be maximizing the potential of the current squad; re-establishing Liverpool in the top 4, and taking the club back into the CL.
I truly believe that this will only take one season. The impact of the right manager cannot be underestimated – just look at Harry Redknapp at Spurs. Before he arrived, Spurs were flirting with the relegation zone; a year later, they’ve taken Liverpool’s place in the Champions League.
There’s no point obsessing over the current financial situation. It will play itself out, and everything will resolve itself in time. Liverpool will not wither and die; the club will not end up like Leeds (!), and it will not enter administration/suffer a 9 point deduction.
I know it’s hard to see right now, but the future is bright. To see this, you just have to stop buying into the agenda-driven doomsday scenario, and ignore the sensationalized media reports. Stick to and demand facts; ignore emotive generalization; question everything; always look for the agenda in everything you read/hear about LFC.
Doom sells – stop being a consumer.
Yeah I was wondering what you were going to write about with Rafa gone....lol
ReplyDeleteBenitez was a bar to progress on the pitch. now that he's gone, footballing progress can now be resumed. as I said above, Benitez had his role to play in moving the club forward; once he'd played his part, it was time to step aside.
ReplyDeleteI love your optimism and you are perhaps you are the only blog who is giving us fans some hope or a glimmer of life to the what seems like doom and gloom (as verdicted by wannabe journalists and evil reporters/tabloids).
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right and I really do wish we make the right choices from now on. We are walking through the storm,and we will hold our heads up high. We will not be afraid of the dark. We are at the end of the storm and there'll a golden sky. We'll walk through the wind and rain.
Our dreams maybe tossed and blowed, we will continue to walk with hope in our hearts because YNWA.
Absolute rubbish.more nonsense from you.may i ask how long have you followed football and liverpool?has the game changed in that time?does LFC exist to 'win trophies' and 'make the people happy' or to pay off debt for 'businessmen' or cowboys to milk dry?
ReplyDeleteBright future...we wont have a future if current path continues.
Wise up.
Enlighten me as to which manager will now take the club forward?
ReplyDeleteBenitez has now moved to a club with ambition and money. Watch him win league titles and european cups while we go backwards.
Nice to hear a different opinion instead of the same negative veiws everywhere else. Whos your favourite for the job? For me its got to be Van Gaal just because he knows more about winning than most of the other managers, and wont take crap from all the uncommited players at the club.
ReplyDeleteyour sticking up for the owners is at times astounding, especially if you are indeed a liverpool fan as you claim. but youre right in saying actually the club does have a bright future. if H&G dont sell right away, it might take a few years - but the one good thing they have done as you say is build up the commercial side of the club, a side to often neglected in the past.
ReplyDeletei must say im looking forward to a new manager even though i appreciate all that benitez has done. the chance for a new style of football, a new pair of eyes to have a look at the youngsters at the club and hopefully renewed success. just hope the ownership change happens soon and the new manager gets a chance to spend some money on top quality reinforcements because the spine of the team is there
Load of shit.
ReplyDeleteIf you call bright future now i would hate to think what you think a bleak one is.
Club going nowhere.listen to players/pundits saying we have to adjust targets/expectations.
Shrewd senior appointments that will benefit the club? O you mean Purslow and Broughton who have both publicly lied and gone behind the manager's back on transfers; and criticised the football being played?
ReplyDeleteGroundwork for the stadium? "spade in the ground within 60 days" - 3 years on theres nothing. You really are full of it. Where's your pro Benitez article that you promised you would post?
People are so wrapped up in their hatred for H+G that they cannot consider things fairly or objectively. Fans have been whipped into a frenzy by other LFC forums/websites, and the press. Things are nowhere near as bad as people make out, and we will see that over the next year.
ReplyDeleteI will inevitably be slagged off for daring to be positive. The fact is, I am positive about the CLUB. it has nothing to do with H+G. As far as I'm concerned, they need to go - that view hasn't changed. Where I differe with many others is that the fallout from H+G is not as severe as is being made out.
People go on and on about the new stadium, but there were plans in place for that years before H+G even arrived. Now, years of failure to get it going is being placed on their shoulders, even thought there are several valid reasons why the stadium hasn't happened yet.
I know it's hard to be positive with all the misinformation flying about, and certain things may happen in the near future that will create even more doom and gloom (the probable sale of Torres, for example), but it will turn out okay. if we lose Torres, so be it. The club will go on.
Finally someone who looks at wider picture!
ReplyDeleterafa took us as far as he could thats why every other club wanted him to stay! now we have the chance to bring back a english way of football, regardless of debts there are players out there that are capable of performing for cheap. H+G are going no matter what so everyone can quit bashing on about them soon! the club will go forward and wont be brought down like leeds.
I cant believe you are this naive Jamie!! Really. The future is not bright at all:
ReplyDelete- Hiddink - NO
- Rjikard - NO
- New stadium - NO
- Owners asking for a ridiculous asking price - YES
- Best players leaving - YES
- "Substantial transfer budget" - NO
- Loads of debt YES
- Funny how Inter Milan, Italian and European champions want Rafa:
"After Mourinho, he is the only man capable of continuing Inter's winning run." Javier Mascherano
"Benitez had his role to play in moving the club forward; once he'd played his part, it was time to step aside" JK
Erm... Doesn't that depend on who replaces him? Will you say that if Sven gets the job? Or Mark Hughes (God forbid)??
MG - I am not sticking up for the owners. This is what I'm talking about fans having tunnel vision! I am sticking up for the CLUB. In my article, I reiterated again that i want H+G to leave. Despite their mistakes, H+G have contributed to the forward progression of the club, just like Houllier and Benitez. A new manager, then new owners will move the club forward even more.
ReplyDeleteYet more poisonous fan-led lies. Show me proof that Purslow and Broughton 'publicly lied' and went 'behind the manager's back on transfers'.
ReplyDeleteYou are just regurgitating LFC forum LIES. Aren't you ashamed to be so weak-minded? Don't you have the capacity to think for yourself and form your own opinions?
This is a prime example of short-term thinking. You can't see past the end of your own nose on the LFC issue. You need to start seeing things in context, and looking at the long-term picture.
ReplyDeletefair enough - i just dont like to see "spade in the ground in 60 days" tom and george get any credit. heres hoping for a bright future, this coming season cant be any worse than the last one can it?
ReplyDeleteWho cares where Benitez has gone? Pellegrini went to a club with ambition and money last season - did he win anything with Real Madrid? No. history is littered with examples of managers going to clubs with ambition and money; it doesn't always turn out successful.
ReplyDeleteI have complete trust in Kenny Dalglish to appoint the right manager. He KNOWS what it takes to win at LFC, and he will appoint someone with the qualities to move the club forward.
April 2010; Martin Broughton says he wants Rafa to stay: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8625899.stm
ReplyDeleteJune 3rd: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/liverpool-fc-statement-1
It was well publicised that a 'senior official' tried to get Van Der Vaart , and here is a 'senior official' criticising the tactics: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7143794.ece
Would Rafa have come out and said this otherwise? "“It is very clear. The chairman was clear, he doesn’t want to sell. The manager is clear, just in case you see any exclusive interviews with senior sources.”" Source- http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/05/09/rafa-benitez-set-for-further-talks-over-his-liverpool-fc-future-100252-26410945/
Steve - it is you being naive, not me. You are a victim of the negative media hype. You - like so many others - are seemingly incapable of thinking for yourself. One year from now, people like you who are caught up in the the doom-mongering will look pretty foolish. Mark my words.
ReplyDeleteErikkson and Hughes will not get the job. With Kenny Dalglish in charge of appointing a manager, everything will be fine. Aor are yo imsulting Dallgish's ability to pick the right person? He knows what it takes to win the league with Liverpool, does he now?
So many holes...
ReplyDeleteOkay, first, you say "<span>there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive."</span>
Um... record debt, lack of transfer funds and key players wanting to leave are 3 reasons, although I do agree that it is still an attractive job.
"<span>What is needed here is a <span>long-term outlook</span>."</span>
Seeing as the debt is increasing year-on-year, long-term doesn't look so great. Until H&G lower the price, the situation will continue to get worse and there are no sugar daddies lining up to buy us now. Quite frankly, looking long-term is impossible. All we can do is speculate.
"<span>The Hicks and Gillett era is a <span>necessary evil</span>."</span>
Completely unnecessary. If we'd sold the club to decent owners in the first place, this whole mess could have been avoided.
"<span>Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that."</span>
At what cost to the club? Sure, we may be bringing in more money, but we're losing a whole lot more - which is 100% down to the owners. The money lost is greater than the money gained, so the bad here outweighs the good.
"<span>I personally have never felt this confident about the future of Liverpool FC"</span>
I personally, have never felt this helpless towards the future of LFC.
"<span>Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better."</span>
So you're finally agreeing that had Benitez stayed, we could have done much better this/next year :)
H&G "<span>* Laid the groundwork for the new stadium."</span>
Um... We did this under Moores and Parry. Then H&G came, spent a small fortune changing the plans and then did nothing.
Sorry to say Jamie, but while we'd all love to see roses, there are too many thorns to clear first. At the moment, we just don't know what the future will bring, but it's not looking positive from any angle.
Completely agree on the Dalglish point, completely disagree with the pellegrini point.
ReplyDeleteWasn't Benitez that brought Dalglish back to Anfield? That's impression I've been getting.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, KUTGW. I don't<span><span> always agree with what you're saying but it's good with a different take on a lot of the stuff that's going on.
</span></span>
Jamie
ReplyDeleteAt times you talk a lot of sense....but sometimes I think you set out to stir things more for the sake of this site than LFC. There are those waiting in the wings to take the bait...and by god do they take it, hook line and sinker...
Please. This is not proof of anything. Senior Sources?! Media code for 'I made it up. And look: who write The Times article? Tony Barrett - SOS's mouthpiece in the media.
ReplyDeleteBroughton did want Benitez to stay. he did not decide his fate, the Board VOTED for Benitez to go. You know, democracy and all that.
And re the selling of Torres: benitez said the Chairman is 'clear' that he doesn't want to sell Torres. What's wrong with that?
You're so desperate to add weight to your negative view of the club that you'll find anything you can to try and support it, no matter how tenuous.
<span>Quote: According to the relentlessly depressive doom and gloom brigade, no decent manager will want the Liverpool job vacated by Rafa Benitez. Liverpool FC is (apparently) a ‘poisoned chalice’; a footballing ‘Chernobyl’ that has been irradiated by the nuclear impact of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Any fair-mined person can see it’s all baseless, overwrought nonsense, spread (mainly) by fans pushing the Anti-H+G agenda. Despite the ridiculous hyperbole, the Liverpool job remains one of the most cherished and attractive in football.</span>
ReplyDeleteI consider myself fair minded and I can see that there is overwhelming evidence indicating that anyone taking the Liverpool job will be crippled by the lack of funds and support from the owners/directors/chelsea fans. This is before acknowledging that our tight debt ridden owners will not be offering that big a salary as to capture any top class manager. Just look at the names being discussed. Roy Hodgson, O'Neill (please God no), Hughes (Seriously?), Eriksson. These managers are not high on most top European most wanted lists. Benitez on the other hand, are being quickly snapped up by the current Champions League holders.
You, Jaimie, seems to be the one spouting baseless hyperbole on very loose assumptions.
<span><span>
In my view, there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive. There is no evidence to back-up such a contention either. With their short-term outlook, a section of fans and the media are wrapped up in misguided tunnel vision when it comes to the state of the club.
</span></span>
I see, so having all our best players consider their futures (MEANING THEY ARE CONSIDERING LEAVING LIVERPOOL) is a great thing eh? Ignoramuses may argue that no-one is bigger than the club and if they don't want to be here they shouldn't etc. While both those statements are true, they are a convenient distraction from the real topic at hand - which is that the club is so badly ran that it's leaving a bitter taste in their mouth. Benitez is just a useful scapegoat for people who want to vent their frustrations.
<span><span>
What is needed here is a <span>long-term outlook</span>. Yes, the club is in debt, but as I’ve proved in previous articles, it’s nowhere near as bad as the anti-H+G cult make out. Focusing on the here and now is fine to an extent, but at some point, you have to try and see the path ahead, and look to the future in a rational manner.</span></span>
Your articles are mostly opinions (that most Liverpool fans do NOT share) and there is not much factual basis for most of what you are saying - let alone PROOF. Perhaps someone needs to mention that a stating opinion does not prove anything - other than the fact that you either have some weird agenda or you just happen to be the minority of Liverpool fans. You are right that we have to look to the future... a future without Hicks and Gillett.
<span><span>The Hicks and Gillett era is a <span>necessary evil</span>. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity.
</span></span>
Yeah, last I checked, forcing out a popular manager and withholding support to make his life difficult and curb our domestic and European success is a fantastic commercial maneuver. That plus the debts and lies to anger the hardcore supporters into boycotting home games and merchandise. Fantastic stuff.
<span><span>
</span></span>
<p><span><span>Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that.</span></span>
ReplyDelete</p><p><span><span><span><span>I will agree with you there. H&G have made mistake after mistake after mistake. That's where our common ground ends. Perhaps someone should mention that net profit is more important than turnover.
</span></span>
This is what prospective managers see when they look at LFC. They see a club on the rocky road to recovery; they see a club with immense potential just waiting to be fulfilled; they see a <span>sleeping giant</span> stirring and ready to wake up.
</span></span>
</p><p>Yes we will be re-awakened when G&H leave and we get organized and focused once again with everyone pulling in the same direction. We need owners who care about the welfare of LFC NOT self gain.
</p><p>
</p><p><span><span>Prospective managers are not hamstrung by the powerful emotions that cloud the judgment of many Liverpool fans. They can see how H+G are a necessary evil; they can see how the club is on the path to the Promised Land. They can also accept that it won’t all be plain sailing.</span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span><span>Necessary evil? How so? Why is it necessary? On the contrary, it is a wholly unnecessary distraction that has derailed a team on the rise. Nobody expects plain sailing but we are far far from the promised land. No stadium, debts and lies, no manager. If anything we are taking the express train going the opposite direction of the promised land and the train has just caught fire. </span></span></span></span>
</p><p>
</p><p>I'd go on further but there's just too much bs to swat down. The drivel I read here is unbelievable.
</p>
How is being positive about the future of the club stirring things?! Do you realise how silly that sounds? I've outlined why I feel the future of the club is bright. So sue me!
ReplyDeleteQuote: According to the relentlessly depressive doom and gloom brigade, no decent manager will want the Liverpool job vacated by Rafa Benitez. Liverpool FC is (apparently) a ‘poisoned chalice’; a footballing ‘Chernobyl’ that has been irradiated by the nuclear impact of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Any fair-mined person can see it’s all baseless, overwrought nonsense, spread (mainly) by fans pushing the Anti-H+G agenda. Despite the ridiculous hyperbole, the Liverpool job remains one of the most cherished and attractive in football.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself fair minded and I can see that there is overwhelming evidence indicating that anyone taking the Liverpool job will be crippled by the lack of funds and support from the owners/directors/chelsea fans. This is before acknowledging that our tight debt ridden owners will not be offering that big a salary as to capture any top class manager. Just look at the names being discussed. Roy Hodgson, O'Neill (please God no), Hughes (Seriously?), Eriksson. These managers are not high on most top European most wanted lists. Benitez on the other hand, are being quickly snapped up by the current Champions League holders.
You, Jaimie, seems to be the one spouting baseless hyperbole on very loose assumptions.
In my view, there is absolutely no persuasive argument to suggest that the Liverpool manager’s job is no longer attractive. There is no evidence to back-up such a contention either. With their short-term outlook, a section of fans and the media are wrapped up in misguided tunnel vision when it comes to the state of the club.
I see, so having all our best players consider their futures (MEANING THEY ARE CONSIDERING LEAVING LIVERPOOL) is a great thing eh? Ignoramuses may argue that no-one is bigger than the club and if they don't want to be here they shouldn't etc. While both those statements are true, they are a convenient distraction from the real topic at hand - which is that the club is so badly ran that it's leaving a bitter taste in their mouth. Benitez is just a useful scapegoat for people who want to vent their frustrations.
What is needed here is a long-term outlook. Yes, the club is in debt, but as I’ve proved in previous articles, it’s nowhere near as bad as the anti-H+G cult make out. Focusing on the here and now is fine to an extent, but at some point, you have to try and see the path ahead, and look to the future in a rational manner.
Your articles are mostly opinions (that most Liverpool fans do NOT share) and there is not much factual basis for most of what you are saying - let alone PROOF. Perhaps someone needs to mention that a stating opinion does not prove anything - other than the fact that you either have some weird agenda or you just happen to be the minority of Liverpool fans. You are right that we have to look to the future... a future without Hicks and Gillett.
The Hicks and Gillett era is a necessary evil. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity.
Yeah, last I checked, forcing out a popular manager and withholding support to make his life difficult and curb our domestic and European success is a fantastic commercial maneuver. That plus the debts and lies to anger the hardcore supporters into boycotting home games and merchandise. Fantastic stuff.
Yes, H+G have made mistakes, but whether people like it or not, they have done good things for the club too. Amongst other things, record turnover for two years running is ample proof of that.
ReplyDeleteI will agree with you there. H&G have made mistake after mistake after mistake. That's where our common ground ends. Perhaps someone should mention that net profit is more important than turnover.
This is what prospective managers see when they look at LFC. They see a club on the rocky road to recovery; they see a club with immense potential just waiting to be fulfilled; they see a sleeping giant stirring and ready to wake up.
Yes we will be re-awakened when G&H leave and we get organized and focused once again with everyone pulling in the same direction. We need owners who care about the welfare of LFC NOT self gain.
Prospective managers are not hamstrung by the powerful emotions that cloud the judgment of many Liverpool fans. They can see how H+G are a necessary evil; they can see how the club is on the path to the Promised Land. They can also accept that it won’t all be plain sailing.
Necessary evil? How so? Why is it necessary? On the contrary, it is a wholly unnecessary distraction that has derailed a team on the rise. Nobody expects plain sailing but we are far far from the promised land. No stadium, debts and lies, no manager. If anything we are taking the express train going the opposite direction of the promised land and the train has just caught fire.
I'd go on further but there's just too much bs to swat down. The drivel I read here is unbelievable.
will a new manager accept to take on the managers post if he knows the clubs up for sale and not sure if new owners will want to retain him?
ReplyDeletePer; you're right it was Rafa who brought Kenny back:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/dalglish-takes-liverpool-academy-role
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/rafa-dalglish-is-a-fantastic-signing
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/reds-confirm-kenny-return
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/liverpool-announce-dalglish-appointment
Read more: http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2010/06/future-is-bright-for-liverpool-fc.html#ixzz0q5cFwP3x
Um... record debt, lack of transfer funds and key players wanting to leave are 3 reasons.
ReplyDeleteDebt? Big deal. It will be paid off when the club gets sold. It has not impact on the playing side of things, no matter how much fans try to make out it does. Benitez has had close to 300m to spend in 6 years, including over 120m in the last 3 years. He has not been given more money recently because the club does not trust him with it, which is one of the reasons why he had to go.
Key players wanted to leave because of Benitez, not the financial situation. Indeed, all of our key players were given payrises and extended deals in the last year.
Benitez was the problem. Now he is gone, things will be different. The new manager will have money to spend.
Seeing as the debt is increasing year-on-year, long-term doesn't look so great. Until H&G lower the price, the situation will continue to get worse and there are no sugar daddies lining up to buy us now. Quite frankly, looking long-term is impossible. All we can do is speculate.
Nonsense. The price of the club has nothing to do with anything. How do you know there is sale-delay because of the price H+G are asking? You don't. It's just more media speculation. The price is high for a reason: it's a common business tactic - start high so you can be knocked down to a level that's acceptable. This is blindlingly obvious! You don't start low, do you?
Prospective buyers know this, and they know it's a negotiation tactic. There are plenty of buyers interested in LFC - it's just a case of negotiating the right price.
The money lost is greater than the money gained, so the bad here outweighs the good.
No, this is false. That might be the case with the holding companies but it is not the case with LFC itself. With the odd exception, the club was making a yearly loss BEFORE H+G arrived. Here is evidence:
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/12/exclusive-liverpool-fc-10-year.html
Clubs always lose money. In 03-4, Liverpool made a loss of 18m. Didn't stop us winning the CL a year later, did it?
Um... We did this under Moores and Parry. Then H&G came, spent a small fortune changing the plans and then did nothing.
The first stadium plan had to be scrapped as it wasn't suitable. Why do you ignore the complexity involved with mounting a stadium project? Money has been spent on designs, feasibility studies, planning permission, environmental surveys and countless other things thant lay the groundwork for a new stadium. none of the money has been wasted; just because you think it has doesn't make it so.
What players have left ste.
ReplyDeleteDo you not think mascherano has been looking to move anyway,
because he didnt sign his contract with us. And another point mascherano didnt speak to benitez for months because we never
let him go to barcelona .fact.
Another fact i have been wanting to tell people on this site but
couldnt while rafa was still at the club.
the manager you idolised was trying to get the real madrid job
and had told senior players this fact ( february ). This might
have been one of many reasons that players didnt want to
play for him. If mourinho hadnt taken the job he probably
would of been there now ( remembar 6 weks ago when he
was in madrid telling everyone that jose wouldnt be any good
for them , why, it had nothing to do with him he was the
manager of liverpool ). So just get over it ,move on and we may
see good football next season and myself who goes week in week
out, could actually feel i got value for money and effort from
the players.
Well.. The future might not look as bleek as some claim. You're right about the commercial side being in a better shape than under Moores' regime, and you are also right that both Houllier and Benitez has moved the club forward. And maybe the club has a debt it can handle. Still, one can not claim that the club is in perfect shape financially. The debt is now there, it wasn't before. The stadium we were promised is not built. The squad is ageing and Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and Benayoun are all potentially leaving. The club has a price tag of 6-800 mill £ which is absurd when you look at the investments needed to be a force within Premier League and Europe. The new sponsorship deal will cover some of the loss of not reaching the champions league, but still, the other clubs involved in the fight for the top four positions in the league are in a better shape financially, and will all have the spending power to move forward in this transfeer window. Liverpool have used the majority of their money on sacking Benitez. So, Liverpool need a manager who can build a contending team with little or no money. The issues involving our top players need also be resolved. I'm sure there are solid managers who want the job, but the situation is not easily resolved, and the future seems far from absolutely bright.
ReplyDeleteName me someone who can take the club forward?
ReplyDeleteWhy not? You are making a negative assumption. Why not make a positive assumption: if the new manager comes in and does well, his job will be safe.
ReplyDeleteNo - it was not Benitez who brought Dalglish back. he was consulted on the appointment and gave his approval. The idea to bring Dalglish back came from the board, NOT Benitez.
ReplyDeletePurslow was the architect of the idea - he suggested it to Benitez. They wanted Dalglish back for a reason. Can't you see that?
ReplyDeletePrecisely. Last season was a catastophe. Next season will be nowhere near as bad.
ReplyDeleteJamie its amazing that you quickly go on the defensive and state that
ReplyDelete"it has nothing to do with H+G". The problem is mate that this article was predictable to all us EDUCATED fans. The ones that can read between the lines of ALL good and bad journalism. You may not ne on the Yanks payroll but you certainly give the impression that you are part of their PR at times.
We EDUCATED fans do realise the problems with the club...and there are several of them now and MAY be several more in the future. You cite the agent of Hiddink regarding our "great future ahead" yet it is not good enough for Gus to take the job!
How can you say "if we lose Torres, so be it" Are you preparing us for his sale? If we have such a great future whywould Nando want to leave? Or Gerrard for that matter??
I have had the fortune of meeting Rafa and the misfortune of meeting Gillette and Hicks (seperately). Rafa is a WORLD CLASS manager who was LFC through and through. I do agree H+G have done some good for the club (not difficult following from Moores and Parry) but they have also heavily contributed to where we are today.
You cite misinformed journalists spreading gloom...true to an extent...but there have been some very good articles too. The Telegraph, Irish Independent and dare I say it the Mirror have printed some accurate stuff.
I like being positive about our club but the real stumbling block to our success are H+G. I will not go into the fact that Rafa should have remained as manager as he is now history but as someone who works for the royal family in Dubai I can tell you that they do want to buy (if H+G lower their price) and WANTED Rafa as manager. Benitez was sacked because the owners didnt want or like him and thats their right as owners.
Hodgson is a good manager no doubt but his CV doesnt compare to the previous managers.
The indication of where we go as a club will be who is appointed manager. As always...TIME WILL TELL!
WTF???
ReplyDeleteMe sound silly?... couldn't hold a candle to you mate....
ReplyDeleteThis site gives you the opportunity to present your opinion - which as I said at times has some justification. The trouble is how you present it. It is laid out to court controversy - to fan the fire - to - as I said - stir... provoke, aggravate, annoy.... are you sure you're not a member of SOS?...
Reply to this if you want...it's your site... but if you do, it shows your immaturity and lack of ability to accept another opinion....
Jamie. i agree with a lot of what you've said the commercial side of things have been brought into the modern era by H&G because thats the only side of the game they know how to run properly. I alos agree that LFC remaina a club the majority of managers would love to run. as you say we are a sleeping giant, the man who awakes us will be idolised for years and they will know that. this will appeal to their ego's and most managers have pretty big ones! i think if we had moved quicker it would have been perfect for Jose. we now need someone like him and big personality who can motivate our players. this club is big enough to ride any storm. YNWA
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see some optimism. I think it is ashamed that people are putting all the blame on H&G, but you've pointed out the good with the bad. And I also find it really disturbing that people call you a "so called fan" if you point out the good H&G has done. Aren't we entitled to our opinions? The media are shaming us into thinking what THEY want, and if you disagree, then you're branded as someone who is not a very good fan. LFC is suppose to have the greatest fans in the world, but really, there are so many bullies out there. Jaimie just pointed out no journalist I have seen has done yet - and that's be optimistic about the future! What will the 'doom and gloom' bring us?
ReplyDeleteJamie - in one month from now it will be you who looks foolish.
ReplyDeleteYou have absolutley no idea who will get the job? You provided me with a shortlist of targets a few days ago, and the only 2 managers who could do a decent job have ruled themselves out to stay with Turkey anf Galatasry - Does that suggest anything to you?
<span></span>
You are clutching at straws assuming because of our history a top manager will want the job. Meanwhile back in the real world... because of all the reasons I stated above, that IS NOT going to happen FFS
And you have the cheek to call anybody who doesn't agree with you on Rafa and our owners "the blind faith brigade" Erm.. Which is quite ironic considering it is you that is having the siding chairman of the blind faith brigade.
You say that we need to look long term? Well... In case you hadn't realised UEFA are about to change the rules, and that means we have 3 years to build a stadium and a team capable of challenging, which means we need a minimum of £1B investment to get out of this hole. We are SO INCREDIBLY FAR behind Utd, Chelsea, City, Arsenal. You might not see it - you might want to consider that we have to start again - from scratch
I hope to shitting criecky that I am wrong, really. Believe me if you are right nobody will be happier than me, and I will write you a letter begging forgiveness for not believing in you.
<span></span>
You can mark my words - LFC have made a terrible error letting Rafa go
with no decent funds and the same squad, all the lies from the owners
ReplyDeletemay god be with us.i try to be positive but i have nothing to hang onto
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteAll your points are very practical. H and G lack any love for the club. BUT, Moores would not haver paid 20M for Mash nor 20M for Torres. They are worth a total of atleast 80-90M today. Don't get me wrong, liek every liverpool fan I want them out. But is it their faults or that of Benitez that our youth system has collapsed. How many 1-2M pound players has rafa bought in 6 years? In fact Jamie just a list of those being compiled would make interesting reading. These 16-18 year olds bought from Hungary , south america and all over europe - only inusa made it. All that money blown away. Rafa has ruined our youth and senior player depth. I also believe that brighter days are ahead. Any investor will still see the value. In fact we are still one of the only top clubs that has not GONE PUBLIC on the equity markets yet (not 100% sure of this , please can anyone confirm this). It does not matter who stays or goes - just want it sorted out so the new manager can plan.
Hiddink just signed a contract with Turkey - Are you suggesting he should break his word (which is his bond) and just dump that job to come to Liverpool? Is that the dignified way to behave? Is that how we'd expect a Liverpool manager to behave?! No, so I don't know why you even use that example.
ReplyDeleteRe Torres - Yes, if he goes, so be it. The club's success, and future success, is not based on one player. No one person/player is bigger than the club, and history proves this. LFC's own history is littered with examples oif supposedly irreplaceable players leaving, but being replaced with others who helped take the club forward.
Torres is not exception - if playing for Liverpool is not good enough for him then let him go. The club will survive.
When you say H+G have contributed 'heavily to where we are today', what exactly do you mean? On the footballing side, last season is down to Benitez, not them. Similarly, the 2nd place finish was down to Benitez, not them.
The financial side of things has nothing to do with performance on the field, as the last two divergent seasons prove. How could we finish second in the league if the financial side had such a negative impact?
It's an easy excuse to use, but in reality it has no weight whatsoever.
There will be plenty of managers looking at the Liverpool job, looking at the resources/players available to Benitez over the years and thinking: 'I could've done much better than that'.
As I posted on the site's facebook page the other day. Here is my shortlist:
ReplyDeleteFelix Magath<span>
Laurent Blanc
Louis Van Gaal
Marco Van Basten
Roy Hodgson
Manuel Jiminez
Slaven Bilic
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Marcello Lippi (Free after the world-cup)
Frank Rijkaard
David Moyes (Yes, Moyes. He is a superb manager) </span>
Any of these managers would move the club forward in my view. or are you suggesting that none of them could achieve a higher than 7th plac finish in the league?
Fred - Rafa turned down the Real Madrid job 2 years running!! And how to the owners repay that loyalty?
ReplyDeleteAre we talking about the same Mascherano that is hoping to join Rafa at Inter Milan?
And when you renew your season ticket, you wont be getting value for money becuase you will be watching a team without Gerrard, Torres, Macherano. And they will be replaced with players not in the same class.
It's so going to happen
The future is bright if we get the right owners. You may be right Jaimie, but I still believe it wouldn't have killed us to have some stability (like Manu and Arsenal) and look after Rafa. He surely brought in a large number of backroom staff at youth, reserve and 1st team level, as well as many players with his type of playing style and mentality. Will most stay or do we go back to square one? If the right owners come in, would they not have backed Rafa? I haven't really understood the true reason Rafa and LFC parted ways, but I got the feeling it had to do with the inablity or refusal to back Rafa well in this tranfer window. If so, does this mean the next guy gets nothing to start with? Sell to buy? Goodbye Stevie and Nando? I worry that although we have potential - our huge fanbase being our biggest asset - other clubs around also have big plans and are willing to invest money. Spurs hasn't stopped spending, they're talking about a new stadium, need I say anything about City, the other "top3", even Villa is spending money. Will we be able to overtake and become self sufficient in a way to stay among the world's top ten and Englands top 4? Personally I'm not convinced and I AM worried.
ReplyDeletePaul - There are many reasons Benitez had to go, among them his utter neglgence in the transfer market over the last two years; his repeated public politicking and victim complex, and his deteriorating relationship with his players. He was not backed more in the transfer market last summer 9and in January) because the clud DID NOT TRUST HIM to spend the money wisely. And why should they? how can yo trust a manager who spends 18m on a defensively suspect right back and 18m on a perpetually injured midfielder?
ReplyDeleteRe stability - there was no stability with Benitez in charge, just repeated arguments, petulance and a Rafa vs EVERYONE' atmosphere.
The next manager will have money to spend. You'll see.
Ah Jamie, still a turd.....
ReplyDeleteAnd I noticed your shortlist is getting shorter - You may want to remove Rijkard as well as Hiddink
ReplyDeleteMoney to spend from where?
ReplyDeleteI hope to god it goes even more tits up for Liverpool so you are proved wrong; because you make out that you're the only one right in the whole fucking world when infact you're just an agenda driven bell end who acts as a mouthpiece for Hicks & Gillett, and you hate Rafa because he didn't stop to sign an autograph for you outside Melwood.
Excellent point about H+G, r0w4n. As you say, H=G only know one thing, and that is the business/commercial side of things. With other things, they're less successful. People will argue endlessly that the det is a problem but no one can actually highlight ONE negative thing that has happened to the club as a result of having the debt. That's the point.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the evidence that the debt has harmed the club? There is none. Since H+G arrived, Benitez had over 120m to spend; Big money signings were made (Torres, Keane etc). The money for Benitez started drying up because the board no longer trusted him to spend the money wisely. And who can blame them?
Honestly Jamie, your myopic view of all things rosey, is as deluded as your bias against Rafa. Nobody can look at the current situation and see that we're in good shape. Putting the debt aside (which you happily seem to do), this is a club that is at war with itself, the fans hate the owners, the owners want out, the decent players want out and there's very little cash available to restructure. Any fool can see that and Hiddink and Rijkaard are no fools. We're heading the way of Newcastle and Leeds.
ReplyDeletePaul - There are many reasons Benitez had to go, among them his utter neglgence in the transfer market over the last two years; his repeated public politicking and victim complex, and his deteriorating relationship with his players. He was not backed more in the transfer market last summer (and in January) because the clu DID NOT TRUST HIM to spend the money wisely. And why should they? how can you trust a manager who spends 18m on a defensively suspect right back and 18m on a perpetually injured midfielder, and dumps a 20m striker after 6 months?!
ReplyDeleteRe stability - there was no stability with Benitez in charge, just repeated arguments, petulance and a Rafa vs EVERYONE' atmosphere.
The next manager will have money to spend. You'll see.
Blanc is taking over France after the World Cup. And I think van Gaal has made it clear that he's staying at Bayern.
ReplyDeleteHi Jaimie
ReplyDeleteKeep up the positive attitude ! I first stood on the Kop when Phil Taylor was the manager,( to all those still wet behind the ears, he was in charge before Bill Shankly arrived), and I have to say that last year was the most boring, negative and uninspired performance that I have ever seen from a Liverpool team. It was totally depressing!! Yes, we are stuck with those two American cartoon characters but it could have been worse, we could have got the Glazier family. Tom and Gerry, sorry, Tom and George won't be around for much longer, LFC WILL. One of your correspondent accused you of being naive and inferred that the fact that Hiddink and Rjikard had turned down the opportunity to manage Liverpool indicated that the club was a poisoned chalice. Did it not occur to him that these two individuals were showing showing integrity and loyalty to their current employers, commodities that are sadly lacking in football today. The same person also stated that Liverpool's 'best players are leaving'. Would he like to name the players who have catergorically stated that they will not be at Liverpool next season ? The only bad-apple as far as I am concerned is Mascherano. He is over rated, unsettled and his comments are disruptive. Wish we had got Tevez instead of him. Jaimie, how about gettin RBS and Wachovia to reduce the loan term to three months instead of allowing those Yankee carpet-baggers to try and make on obscene profit on their initial out lay. Let's get this stupid competition in South Africa out of the way and then we can concentrate on making fools of all the merchants of despair who say it will take between three and seven years for LFC to be back in the big time. Utter garbage !!!
It doesn't say so anywhere that Purslow suggested it? Just that they talked about it during a meeting. How do you know it was Purslow?
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem: too many people looking at the current situation; not enough people looking at things in context, and in the long-term.
ReplyDeleteIt's tunnel vision.
If you examine the progression of the club over the last 15 years, it's easy to see the rebuilding process. Everything going on now is part of that process. It's not always going to be pretty, but as long as the club is moving forward, that is the main thing.
And the club IS moving forward.
And with all due respect, it is just complete ignorance to suggest we're going the way of Leed and Newcastle.
Money to spend from the club, of course. hicks and Gillett have given money to the club for player transfers in the past (how do you think Torres was funded?) - this is all clear in the last 3 years club accounts.
ReplyDeleteAfter witnessing Benitez wasting tens of millions of pounds in the last 3 years, H+G decided not to give him any more money. Would you give more money to someone who had a record of wasting most of it?!
There is money for transfers, but only to someone who is not going to waste it.
Jamie...everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home! Of course other managers would say they would have done better but really would they have?
ReplyDeleteIn todays world I do expect Hiddink to say to the Turks there is a bigger and better opportunity for me at LFC I am very sorry but I cannot turn it down. I am sure his bond would be broken if Real or Manchester United asked so please dnt talk about dignity of others when our own club has had none due to instability.
We needed investment in the squad which was not forthcoming and hindered us greatly last year. Why did Rafa have to sell to buy? Financial restrictions! Please do not make out that he had unlimited resources as that is simply not the case. We replaced Hyypia with a 1 million pound player! Finishing 2nd shows how Rafa held it together.
In order to win the league a team need a world class manager (RAFA), a stable board and owners (SADLY MISSING), and the ability to build a squad with plenty of world class players. Thats how Ferguson done it, then Dalglish done it with Blackburn, Wenger with Arsenal, and Jose with Chelsea. Indeed, you will see Man City do the same in next 3 years.
Of course the financial side is not the only reason nor is the stability of the club but also player fitness and form. Rafa made mistakes too no doubt but he was the most stabalizing force at LFC for over 3 years and last season he was simply exhausted with all the infighting.
I do want to look to the future and commend your positivity however we should not be dillusional either. We will not attract a world class manager even if Kenny is seeking him out and we will go very back if we lose Torres and Gerrard...but yes the club will go on...very easy to say!
Hicks did allude to LFC spending big this summer. If he did not want Rafa to spend that money then thats fine but they must get a reputable manager to appease the fans and help spread the positivity.
BTW it was Rafa who wanted Dalglish to play a role in LFC not the owners. Proof? Ask Kenny!
My friend we will see how far we have fallen when the next manager comes in. Sometimes you cannot appreciate what you had till its gone.
BTW what is LONG TERM in your view???
Hopefully a lot of these concerns will be addressed before the end of the world cup. The earlier the club is sold, the better idea we have as far as which direction we're all headed.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Brian. Totally agree with you about Mascherano. I've been calling for him to be sold for the last year. He wanted to go to Barcelona last year; Benitez admitted in public that Masch was 'disappointed' to be staying after the Barca approach. If he's disappointed to be playing for Liverpool then he needs to go.
ReplyDeleteAgree about Hiddink and Rijkaard - like you say, they're showing loyalty to their contracts, which is admirable.
I have no doubt it will take just one year for Liverpool to regain a foothold in the league/CL. At the end of the 2002-3 season, we failed to qualify for the CL. it was the same doom and gloom crap back then as well. What happened? We qualified for the CL again in Houllier's last season, and then won the CL the year after.
No I'd give it all to Martin O Neill after you have finished licking his arse crack to go and buy Emile Heskey, Nigel Reo Coker and Steve Sidwell to replace Torres, Gerrard and Mascherano.
ReplyDeleteWhich Are the Sources to prove this doomsday's scenario??
ReplyDeleteI'm so surprised that Some Fans, excatly as Media, They are ignoring the fact that a "disastrous Board", hold in stall by the mounting debts, according to the Media figure, this Board has just sacked the manager in 48 hrs, and They are ignoring the fact that this disastrous Board of a Club in mess, This Board has released the manager with a 6 ml of pounds pay-off.
I always see any facts: both positive or negative facts.
I always wish the best for the future: only a powerful Club can release an expensive manager as Rafa Benitez in 48 hrs.
Is it impossible to be optimistic for some Fans?
This is Liverpool Football Club: positivism is the deepest value of this Club..
Move on please, move on!
Rafa Benitez is gone, please.
Move on :(
"On the footballing side, last season is down to Benitez, not them..." Do you really believe any manager in his right mind would have bought Johnson, Soto and Aquilani last summer if they knew their budget beforehand? Do you not remember the rug was pulled from under him? Rafa was planning to buy a quality CB not a cheap 30yr old, and a quality striker, and Aquilani was a "cheap" replacement gamble for Alonso. For this reason I cannot put last season's 7th place finish entirely on Rafa's shoulders, and in my opinion had the rug not been pulled we may even have challenged, never mind attained 4th place. I do feel though it brought out a weakness in Rafa, that being his inability to lift his team when their confidence is broken.
ReplyDeleteSo top managers would relish the chance to take on the place of Rafa you say!! Are you in dream land??
ReplyDeleteSo lets think it a bit over. There is a big probability of no transfer funds since the club is for sale. There is a big probability that the new manager gets sacked when the new owners get in, since they will want their man. There is no champions league football to play. And some of the players will want to leave coz they came here because of benitez. (mainly Mascherano)
You say that both Rijkaard and Hiddink didnt come here because they have a contract. or at least your quoting their agents. But may I remind you that Hiddink had to release a contract with russia to take on Chelsea and in the modern game a contract is just there to determine the money nothing more. Proof of this is Mourinhio. So for me its a matter of they just dont want the job!! And if your honest Jaimie you know this since the manager you wish that takes the place of Benitez is contracted with Aston Villa but you still wouldnt take it in if he had to say some thing like that!!
btw all the managers being linked with us are contracted apart from Lippi. (Roy Hodgson , Harry Redknapp, Hiddink, Rijkaard)
Now you say Benitez did his part and it was time to move on. I still ask how did you determine that it was time?? Are you telling me you know the future?? How could it be that a manager that cannot take us any further be going to a club that is currently European champion, Italian champion and with his help could be world champion by december??
Now tell me Jaimie if you take the best 10 managers in the world in which Benitez is part. Who from them would take the job in the current situation??
Going on what you say H + G did for the club!!
* Improved the commercial side of the club. = True
* Brought Kenny Dalglish back to Anfield. = That was done by Benitez
* Made shrewd senior appointments that have benefited/will continue to benefit the club. = After just a couple of years can we be sure of this???
* Laid the groundwork for the new stadium. = I think you contradicted your self on this one in the same article (People go on and on about the new stadium, but there were plans in place for that years before H+G even arrived. Now, years of failure to get it going is being placed on their shoulders, even thought there are several valid reasons why the stadium hasn't happened yet.) Thats true Jaimie there where plans before they came here so why are you saying they did it??Could you possibly be so blind and dont see why we place it on their shoulders!!!! Because Moores sold the club to them for that specific reason my friend!! To get the stadium built. And thats why they came promissing a spade in the ground in 60days. Regarding the rest of the article I respect your optimism as at the moment its still 50 / 50.If we get lucky in some way and we manage to get a decent manager in (like Luciano spalletti or Marcello Lippi sorry but I think the Italians have the best coaches) and we get new owners before the transfer window is shut or at least the current owners give a small transfer budget to the new coach maybe it could still be a positive season the next one. But if we put in an interim coach until we get new owners and sell the top players to cut part of the debts on the club only god knows were we end up!! And even if we get new owners it is not certain that they will be better than the current owners!!
i will be interested to see how much money the new manager will be given. especially is the supposed exodus occurs. lets say just Torres (£70m), mascharano (£30m) and Gerrard (£30m) leave i.e worst case senario. the new manager will have about £130m to spend just with sales cash. who wouldnt want to spend that to rebuild a failing team. Gerrard is 30 yrs old, Torres is injury prone and Mascharano is replacable. like you say..plenty of reasons to still feel optomistic.
ReplyDeleteI think we'll all find out the state of the club's finances and new manager in due course. I actually think there is nothing at all wrong with being positive about our club. We've now got people in place at the club that will make sure the club does move in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteSo any future manager will be told:
ReplyDeleteThe club captain might want to leave for Madrid
If he does, or even if he doesn't the star player and one decent striker might want to leave
The decent holding midfielder hasn't yet signed a new contract and might want to follow Benitez
You have zero transfer funds to spend, unless you sell players and even then you are not guaranteed being given that money to spend
We are light years behind at least 5 if not 6 other Premiership clubs in terms of match day revenue, and there is no chance of this changing for at least 4 or 5, if not longer, years
You have 2 owners who don't like each other and can't get on
You have a Chairman, who is a massive Chelsea fan, and is only in his job to sell the club
You have Purslow, who is a wannabe celebrity and will undermine you and leak stories to the press for his own gain
You need to compete and better others teams who have better squads, more money to spend, and rock solid financial revenues. If you don;t do better than them then we will sack you
At any position the owners might interview other managers for your job, behind your back.
You have a gutter press who have an agenda against Liverpool and will take every opportunity to belittle yourself, the club, the fans and any achievements you make
Oh, and the club is up for sale, no one is interested in buying it, and when they do you're not guaranteed to remain it's manager
Come on board!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't have put it any better you make more sense there than in the whole article this <span>numpty</span> have written <span>lol</span>
ReplyDeleteOh, and you have smart arse alecs like you who run websites, purely for the reason of posting articles and then either agreeing with those who side with them, or using anyway possible of having a go at those who choose to oppose your thinking.
ReplyDeleteThis website is the Jamie Kanwar show and is a disgrace. Has nothing to do with LFC, its fans, or its football
We'll come back.
ReplyDeleteWe are Liverpool.
Who's to say Rafa wouldn't have taken us forward and achieved higher than 7th place next season?
ReplyDeleteThe club captain might want to leave for Madrid
ReplyDeleteNo evidence for this. Paper talk.
If he does, or even if he doesn't the star player and one decent striker might want to leave
If Torres leaves, so be it. The club will go on. Liverpool is bigger than any one player. Always has been, and always will be.
The decent holding midfielder hasn't yet signed a new contract and might want to follow Benitez
So what. Let him go. Mascherano is eminently replaceable. I've been calling for him to be sold for over a year. As soon as Benitez revealed 'publicly) that Mascherano was 'disappointed' to be staying at Liverpool, it was time for him to go.
You have zero transfer funds to spend, unless you sell players and even then you are not guaranteed being given that money to spend
Utter lies. Media/LFC forum misinformation. Prove it please.
We are light years behind at least 5 if not 6 other Premiership clubs in terms of match day revenue
Wrong again. Check the accounts - We are behind, but no 'light years' behind.
And there is no chance of this changing for at least 4 or 5, if not longer, years
Proof? Negative assumption yet again. Tell me, how did our lower revenue have any impact on finishing 2nd last year, or winning 5 trophies in one year with Houllier, or winning the CL?
You have 2 owners who don't like each other and can't get on
That is in the past. When was the last time there was something public re that? What difference does it make to *anything*. Proivide specific examples of how this has affected the club on the field.
You have a Chairman, who is a massive Chelsea fan, and is only in his job to sell the club
And your point is what, exactly?
You have Purslow, who is a wannabe celebrity and will undermine you and leak stories to the press for his own gain
Complete lies. Provide proof that Purslow leaked *anything*. You're just regurgitating Lame RAWk conspiracy theories.
You need to compete and better others teams who have better squads, more money to spend, and rock solid financial revenues. If you don;t do better than them then we will sack you
Doom mongering nonsense.
At any position the owners might interview other managers for your job, behind your back.
Standard practice. If the manager doesn't perform, or wants to leave, clubs will line up potential candidates. Thinking otherwise is naive.
You have a gutter press who have an agenda against Liverpool and will take every opportunity to belittle yourself, the club, the fans and any achievements you make
Benitez brought the press situation on himself with his repeated public politicking/Ferguson rant/Silly press conferences etc. He used the press to manipulate the fans, but it backfired.
Oh, and the club is up for sale, no one is interested in buying it, and when they do you're not guaranteed to remain it's manager
As Hicks, Purslow and Broughton have said, there are plenty of interested buyers. But they're all lying, right?
My Name is gonna turn to Joy for Liverpool. We need someone else to take up the Managerial Role at this Great Club.
ReplyDeleteH+G need to leave the Club too. Transition has never been easy but its in most cases for the better. I pray that we get a good Manager who has the Club at heart. We cannot detremine how long it will take for good to come but we need to start with the Transition. Best Example is Barcelona. They are enjoy success after a torrid time a few yeares ago.
The reason he was "petulant" is because he is a winner. He is a very intelligent, stubborn and maybe arrogant man who is willing to fight for his cause. His cause was LFC and winning on the pitch and he fought for the team and US the fans. It was all due to frustration and broken promises. You keep insisting the board didn't trust this manager - you are right and THAT was the problem. When you don't trust a walking football encyclopaedia and probably one of the best managers in the world then how the hell do you expect the team to move forward. Yes he made mistakes, but there were good reasons for them, and any manager could have made the same mistakes or different ones in his position. If we want a manager who makes no mistakes then well, we'll just keep firing managers and we'll never get anywhere.
ReplyDeletedid kenny khow what was right for Celtic when he appointed John Barnes? For me he's not the man to identify our manager
ReplyDeleteHave you fallen out of love with Martin O'neil alredy? it has only been 4-5 days. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, it is a long list. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tribune.ie/sport/soccer/article/2010/jun/06/tough-pitch-for-anfield/
ReplyDeleteRead the above article....it would be funny if it were not true.....
Arguably yes, Hicks and Gillete have improved the buisness side of the club but any owners would have done the same. That is not something Hicks and Gillette can claim only they would have done, it is not some spark of genius that they thought up. Its basic buisness. Moreover Hicks has basically screwed the Texas Rangers up with exactly the same strategy. We could lose alot because of them. I mean seriously, 50 million on blue prints... can you seriously say this club is so improved that its worth 4 times what they paid for it?
ReplyDeleteNo, Hicks and Gillette weren't a nessecary evil. Any new owners would have done what they did, without putting the club at risk.
With the new commercial benefits, restructured youth system and actually, a good team, Liverpool can go places and restore a Liverpool greater then we have seen for twenty years.
It could also crush the club into a whimpering shadow of itself. It could very easily be one or the other. Therefore, those at the club must make their next descisions very, very carefully.
ainjuriess and the form of top players was the main reason we finished 7th no reason to name names but id say 6 or seven of the previus seasons first team where below par or missed a lot of the season with injuries . add johnson and aqua to the list and tafs nearly a full 11 , dont try to deny this, it wont wash
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify your point. Benitez finishes 2nd in the 08/09 season then the owners decide they don't trust him so give him no money. I know what your going to say he bought Johnson and Aquilani. We both know that Aquailani cost roughly 1/2 the Alonso fee with only a small proportion being paid upfront and Johnson was bought because Portsmouth owed money which we had very little chance of seeing. I honestly believe that if h + G had backed Rafa in the last transfer window we could have won the league. I think your right in that Rafa does have his flaws but there are only 2-3 managers in the world who could do a better job none of which would touch LFC with a barge pole. I can't believe your views are so blinkered as to not agree that most of the blame of the last season lies with the owners with also Rafa and the senior players also taking some responsibility. You must be on the G+H payroll I cant believe such biase otherwise.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering Jamie, but as you like to talk in terms on gross rather than net spend, would you say that if the owners give the new manager £50m to invest in the squad, but Torres, Gerrard and Mascherano are sold for £100m, that they're sufficiently backing the new manager?
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be very apparent by the end of this transfer window whether our current owners have a real interest in the future of the football club. Unless the club invest more than is raised in sales, then the owners haven't invested anything.
How is being positive about the future of the club stirring things?!
ReplyDeleteBecause that is what you do and that is why you have this blog.You want to stir things up,that is really your whole agenda ;) You went against the "mainstream" when you wanted Rafa out,when you go against SOS and now when you go against the" doom & gloom".You know that this blog doesn't get hits if you just follow the rest.
Jaimie, in gloom and doom days like these, some optimism is certainly welcomed. I appreciate your putting things into perspective and trying to look at the bigger picture of how the club is moving forward.
ReplyDeleteStill, I really can't help but notice that you are constantly defensive against some responses which I feel are not without their merit (e.g. Anthony, The Lawyer)
Wouldn't you at least consider agreeing with some of these opinions:
H+G. yes they are businessmen. it is in their nature to put their own monetary interest above the feelings of the fans and the sanctity of the club. i don't have the exact figures but from the looks of how they bought the club for cheap (~200mil? please don't crucify me if i'm wrong) and their demanding an astronomical figure (800mil? again pardon the inaccuracy) for the sale of the club truly baffles me.
granted, they lost a lot of money in the crunch of the pound and invested heavily in the incomplete new stadium; they gave Rafa cash which Rafa was ill-advised to spend on some really crappy players (w/ the exceptions of Torres, Pepe, Masch, Alonso, Yossi). STILL, have they invested so much that they should demand such a ridiculous amount? please tell me they are not looking to sell the club for a sick profit? YES, there are no lack of buyers. HOWEVER, there is a serious lack of buyer willing to yield to their monstrous demands.
Consider this: The new owners need to fork out the cash to meet H+G valuation and clear the fecal load of debts they (and their predecessors) left behind? How appealing is that? If they compromised on a lower valuation given the debt situation, it would perhaps reflect better on what little dignity they seem to be holding on to.
Please bear with me, on Torres. Do you really think Torres leaving the club is part of the club moving forward? YES, no player is bigger than the club. YES, players come and go and Torres is just a part (albeit a game-changing one) of the cyclical process. Before he came, how dearly did we long for a 20+ goals per season striker? Given the instability of the club and the low morale of the team right now, how can we expect any new striker to step up to the plate and deliver what Torres has so generously given to us the last few years? This season: Torres was injured half the time and he racked up 18 goals? seriously?! Did N'gog come close to filling his shoes when he was injured? NO. Will Milan Jovanovic be able to fill the Grand Canyon left behind with his departure? I highly doubt so.
I'm not pro Rafa insofar as I think it was criminal to let him go. True, he does not spend wisely. He has poor man management skills. He got what he did unto Xabi. He manipulates the media to ruffle the feathers of fans like us so we would get behind the team (and HIM of course). STILL, he is a tactical master who has taken us to places in Europe no one would've thought we were capable of (this season notwithstanding). He improves players and develops their potential (not the young ones I must admit). Will the new manager be of the same pedigree? We can only trust King Kenny on that.
I would really appreciate your refreshing take. Thanks.
Same old aggresive Jaimie I see.
ReplyDeleteYour ultra confrontational approach helps doesn't help anybody. People come on here and disagree with you in a perfectly civil way & you reply in a petulant, rude, childish & boorish manner.
You're asking Anthony for proof of things which neither he nor you can prove. However, the balance of evidence suggests that we don't have any fresh cash to spend in the forthcoming transfer window, we've had no fresh cash to spend in the last 3 so what is your proof that this one will be any different?
I also think you're completely out of line besmirching the reputation of Tony Barrett. From what I've read of him in 'Gathering Cups In May', the Echo & The Times its obvious that he's a passionate & informed red, and one who clearly has genuine contacts within the club. Do you honestly think The Times has a role on its staff for 'Official SOS Mouthpiece'?
Slaven Bilić?? Are you taking the piss Jamie mate? The man is an idiot and a SHITE manager.I know cause I've watched him a lot and some good results of our national team(which plays a couple of games per year(!!)) you don't want to see him managing games week in week out cause he's shite. He tried it with Hajduk Split and turned it in a loughing stock so they got rid of him pretty soon. And also,he played for the blueshite. ;)
ReplyDeleteheard some one put a shed load of money on alex mcleish the birmingham manager! any one else heard this?
ReplyDeletejaimie i hope to god ur right but i seriously doubt it and think wer are up shit creek. the long term outlook is hard and i agree that at least till the new season starts and the club is sold everything is extremely speculative. we desperately need a good manager and need to keep SG and FT. After that the club needs to be sold to good owners. till at least 2 out of these 3 things happen, we are i repeat up shit creek!!
ReplyDeleteoh yes, silly me, i should wait for ten years while we go down and then "rebuild", sorry mate I'm 42, I want my club to go forward. Managerless, a laughing stock, losing our best players, being owned by folk who are clueless money launderers, isn't progress.
ReplyDeleteWhat are we supposed to do - hang around for the club to be sold to some fictional saudi prince? A club that is sinking, at war with itself and not qualifying for the champions league and unrealistically overpriced by it's desperate to sell owners IS NOT A GOOD POSITION.
Hello Jamie,
ReplyDeleteNot a bad article and I do believe that Tom and Jerry have done some good things for the club...... In amongst all the crap things that they have done to the club.... Rafa must feel a bit aggrieved at not being able to spend money(apart from replacements) for 3 yrs and then when the owners "claim" to have money this summer not being given the chance to spend it... I think this was the least he deserved.
As for next season we cannot get any worse(touch wood) and so it will be interesting to see how the club responds to this situation.
Do you think that the real reason for getting rid of Rafa was because potential new owners wanted him out... The only reason I ask is because it would seem strange if someone like Hodgson took the job on a short term basis.... Just wanted your opinion.... And finally....what beef have you got with my mate Tony Barrett.... Not everyone who is a member/friend of SOS is evil!! I for one am glad that the fans of liverpool are not content with the current situation and are taking action to try and change it... I am not a sheep following blindly... I am an LFC fan who knows the score.... Peace out!!
My short list of candidate:
ReplyDelete1) MARTIN O'NEILL
2) MARTIN O'NEILL
3) MARTIN O'NEILL
However, Roy Hodgson could be a good alternative option :)
We Are Liverpool
We'll comeback.
We replaced Kevin Keegan, ian Rush, Steve Macmanaman (Best Liverpool plyrs of all times), Michael Owen at the end of the day, We will find a good man in charge after Rafa Benitez..
King Kenny puts the things in a right way.
Keep The Faith.
We are Liverpool: it's a Club based on faith,.
I can't see Liverpool Fans so negative & boring.
I've always had mixed feeling about Rafa, but sincerely, although many times Rafa has done a serious of X-Files, I've never lost the faith, the positivity, I've never dismissed my manager and obviously, I will back the next man in charge.
Why? "Because He's the man in charge" - King Kenny Dalglish.
Too many Liverpool fans maybe They are forgetting what means to support this Club...
Come on Guys, Liverpool get out from the storm.
My short list of candidates:
ReplyDelete1) MARTIN O'NEILL
2) MARTIN O'NEILL
3) MARTIN O'NEILL
However, Roy Hodgson could be a good alternative option :)
We Are Liverpool
We'll comeback.
We replaced Kevin Keegan, ian Rush, Steve Macmanaman (Best Liverpool plyrs of all times), Michael Owen and at the end of the day, We will find a good man in charge after Rafa Benitez..
King Kenny puts the things in a right way.
Keep The Faith.
We are Liverpool: it's a Club based on faith,.
I can't see Liverpool Fans so negative & boring.
I've always had mixed feeling about Rafa, but sincerely, although many times in my view Rafa collected a series of X-Files, I've never lost the faith, the positivity, I've never dismissed my manager and obviously, I will back the next man in charge.
Why? "Because He's the man in charge" - King Kenny Dalglish.
Too many Liverpool fans maybe They are forgetting what means to support this Club...
Come on Guys, Liverpool get out from the storm.
Evidence of debt harming the club? We have not been competitive in the transfer market...Rafa had to sell to buy! Debt can only harm if it cannot be repaid from earnings!
ReplyDeleteyou cite £120 million as Rafas spending...ok I will indulge that and still say that £20mill a season is not ENOUGH when you are rebuliding a side to compete for 1st position. It may be an acceptable budget to finish in top 4...which Rafa failed to do last year...but no way is it enough to win the league!
I have to add with the revenue raised by Rafa and the team from winning champions league, coming runners up and being semi or quater finalists most of the time, Rafa must have raised nearly that anyway!
We have never been able to really splash out like Chelsea or Man utd.
Anyway, the main point Id like to make is that this was the 1st year Rafa was in charge of the academy and it seemed to be bearing fruit. The sacking of Rafa in my humble opinion will set us back another 5 years at least...I do hope I am wrong and I am aware this could change if we get financially sound owners unlike H+G.
Football is mainly about money Jamie, sure you need a top manager (we had one!) and a stable enviroment (we didnt have one) but if you pay peanuts you buy monkeys.
Our main rivals could buy £20 mill players to sit on the bench, £12-15 mill players go out on loan.
Debt, if cannot be repaid by earnings DOES do great harm.
Typical accusations against me, I see. Aggressive? No, I am just forthright with my views. Why is that okay for everyone else on this site but me?
ReplyDeleteI responded to Anthony's points - he makes unfounded assertions about a variety of things - such misinformation is dangerous, and it's exactly thjis that is being spread about all over the place.
And please explain how I've 'besmirched' the reputation of Tony barrett. I have not insulted him; I have not lied about him. I have not focused on anything personal about him. I have focused *only* on his apprach to LFC through what he writes. I have highlighted how he has pushed the anti-H+G agenda by sensationlising Liverpool's financial situation.
Whether you like it or not, that's true. If I'm wrong, please illustrate how I'm wrong.
it won't take 10 years; it will take one year. Just like when we failed to qualify for the CL under Houllier in 2003. Everyone back then was saying the same. We qualified for the CL the very next season.
ReplyDeleteJamie, I have a small admiration with the way you adopt contrarian views to drive your page views, but this is utter nonsense.
ReplyDeleteLFC is in an acutely precarious position financially and this together with the widely demonstrated incompetence and lack of integrity demonstrated by owners and senior executives will ensure that Rafa's successor is not the proven world-class manager LFC merits by virtue of its scale and world-standing - rather he will be a 2nd tier chancer.
Until H&G drive their wagons out of town the club is stuck in a nose-dive. When the new manager turns out to be the 2nd tier chancer on a rolling contract I fear, key players will leave and the revenues will be used to pay interest (not debt). When this happens it's going to be tough to maintain 7th position let alone overhaul Spurs, Villa and City. Needless to say Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea are already over the horizon pissing themselves at our self-inflicted demise.
You're entitled to your opinion, Paul, but after time has passed, perhaps you will able to look at the Benitez era with a little more objectivity.
ReplyDeleteOK Jamie you sound like H+Gs pet now. I do value and respect your opinion and this website for the debate is brings but vicious lies are not on my friend!
ReplyDeleteAsk Stevie or Nando or Pepe or Mach if their relationship with Rafa was deteriorating? If you are talking about fringe player Riera then you are of course right! Even Babel started to do well toward the back end of last season after a chat with Rafa.
I know the players are very unhappy about the press saying that they had some part in getting rid of Rafa. The same press that you say we dillusional press believeing Rafa supporting fans listen to. Do u listen to the phoney press too??
Rafa was the only stabalizing force at the club while the owners were busy bickering. The man has been sacked and we move forward but please do not blatantly lie,
We HAVE been competitive in the transfer market! Since H+G arrived, we have signed:
ReplyDeleteKeane - 20m
Torres - 20-24m
Mascherano - 18.6m
Aquilani - 18m
Johnson - 18m
Babel 11.5m
Dossena - 8m
Riera 7m
and that's just the bigger fees.
How can you credibly argue that we've not been competitive? Look at that list: the problem is HOW the money has been spent.
Over 80m of that money has been WASTED. That is the problem. Imagine if that money had spent properly on players who could've made a difference.
The sell-to-buy thing is also a myth. Who did we sell to buy Torres? Keane? Mascherano? No one is the answer. Hicks and Gillett provided the money for those purchaseds (and others), and the accounts clearly illustrate this. All football clubs buy and sell players; it doesn't mean they're selling to buy.
And the gross spend under H+G is not 20m a season, it's approximately 40m, which is more than enough.
You say the academy is bearing fruit. How? Which players have come through the academy and made it as regulars in the first team?
When it comes to Liverpool moving backwards, how do you arrive at the figure of 5 years? Sounds like an arbitrary figure pulled out of the air to me. Is there any historical precedent you can point that backs up that assertion?
The debt has not had any negative impact on the football side of the team. What HAS had an impact is the repeated wasting of tens of millions of pounds by Benitez.
Sorry - I copied + pasted, and forgot to inclide O'Neill. he is, of course, my no 1 choice.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a shortlist of managers to look at - I don't think Bilic would get the job.
ReplyDeleteEveyrone makes mistakes; I'd rather Dalglish was involved than not, wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteGreat post my friend! Jamie does not like responding to people who can make sensible arguement!
ReplyDeleteJaimie, it's obvious to me that you're very intelligent, but it seems you are sometimes too stubborn to see things in a way which doesn't suit your point of view. The club may be safe financially, but is it acceptable that we paid 15+mill interest to the holding companies? "That might be the case with the holding companies but it is not the case with LFC itself" surely it's not a good thing if the holding companies are paying huge sums of interest when the only asset on which the debt is placed is LFC itself. I know this becomes irrelevant when the club is sold, but it just proves that was the intention of the owners from day 1 - to sell the club. The debt structure was never sustainable, and since they were in it for that 1 reason, all their decisions would have been financially motivated and hence why Rafa's net spend since their arrival was so low and hence why Rafa was the scapegoat for their financially motivated failures. The club was destined to go nowhere under H+G, only Rafa's overachievements made it look otherwise, and probably bought them more time.
ReplyDeleteThat's a load of rubbish. I'm in this for this hits? Why? I have no advertising on the site, so what do I have to gain? If I was in it for the hits then I wouln've have taken 6 months off from December to May this year, would I?
ReplyDeleteThat argument doesn't wash. My views are consistent, and always have been.
I wanted Rafa out for well documented reasons. I'm against SOS for legitimate, oft-explained reasons, and I have always been against the doom and gloom brigade.
I support the club above all eslse; I am against anything that places the club in a bad light. I don't have any allegiance to individuals; only to a philosphy; an idea of what LFC should be.
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ReplyDeleteYou refer here that some people paint a bad picture on the clubs plight due to H&G
‘baseless, overwrought nonsense’ is one way u describe it
.
Now we know these people are touted as financialy savvy.! However
Please don’t try smoke and mirrors by saying H&G are just businessmen doing fantastic things with the commercial side, of course they have thats what any one wud do so they can squeeze more profit, More likely we shud be asking what type as they are not well respected just as their record which is heavily blotted with bad moves shows.
As we know One of these businessmen told his Texas Rangers supporters...'there'll be plenty of dollars dropping out of Liverpool Football Club'.
With that kind of attitude rearing its head its no wonder the banks called a meeting!
Anyone knows how business is a dirty world, no one is naive to believe any darn word they say these days, unscrupulous tactics have been used to manipulate deals for years.
Where the ‘bottom line’ is at stake people stop at nothing and that’s the problem here.
Yes they don’t give a hoot about us they never had , the selling of this club to these people will be by any means necessary , the original nature of sale by us was a monumental mistake
..FFS...
You dont get called into expalin yurself to banks and the league if its all going swiminglly
I am very worried by this and look forward to new owners more so than a new manager that will be far easier to secure.
As soon as we opened ourselves up to outsider involvement t it was out of our hands.
Dealings deviating ,leveraged loans , financial manipulation , and now more wool pulling
Im dizzy with it all and annoyed with the clouded colouring by people who are looked upto by who I will call respectfully‘more easily guided fans’
Im sorry but again the writers compulsion here belies any credibility this forum creates.
you cant help but shake your head when seeing the hypocritical comments getting fired at LFC supporters with passion and hearts on their sleeves.
Yes LFC has a few idiots football has suffered idiots for decades.but sweeping generalization just alienates and creates more problems.
You say ‘H+G have actually brought extra revenue to the club’ that is nonsense when looking at what we need - the transfer cash to secure more players of the calibre of torress .
Increasing the turnover yes that’s great however whers it all going ? These leeches bring a whole new meaning to a diminishing balance!
The figures are bad and whats worse is its been from happening virtually from their 1<sup>st</sup> year ,
what LFC needs is what was promised, ok the stadium has hit a bad time (point lesss arguing on that just now) it’s the players that’s been a massive let down and its not been enough.
No matter how the figures are massaged in this day and age the squad investment hasent been enough form BOTH the coaching staff AND the bill payers - SIMMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR LFC.
One of our owners Hicks has screwed up so bad Texas Rangers has filled for bankruptcy a & the Dallas Stars is also in a percarurious position, is this how you measure their success ?
They ignore industry advisors, experts predicted they should cut losses in many areas they ignored it and made a worse situation.
Now we are in a very unstable position I pray we can come through it.
However we should be very concerned - a another reecent observation from a respected financial organisation in the States quipped-
‘I still can't believe how much he leveraged the Liverpool franchise. It's one thing to leverage a company and then sell it off piece by piece, but to do that to a sports franchise is lunacy....just what are you going to sell off??? ‘
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I value your opinion too, but whether you choose to accept it or not, senior players at the club were sick of Benitez. Jamei Carragher and Steven Gerrard in particular. I know that for a fact, and I'm sure there are other Reds fans who also know that to be a fact.
ReplyDeleteDo you really believe Gerrard, Torres et al wanted to go through another season of Benitez's anti-football?
If either of them leave it will be because of him and his tactics, not the owners.
I don't adopt contrarian views for hits. That would be insincere. Every opinion I have is exactly what I feel. And my views have remained consistent over the years.
ReplyDeleteIf the club is on a nosedive under H+G, how did we finish 2nd in 2008-9? That was during the H+G era, was it not? The impact of the manager is all important, and in LFC's case, the manager is responbsible for the nosedive, not H+G. Are they responsible for 19 defeats? Countless dodgy decisions? Buying the wrong players?
Good article. If you can just drop the Martin O'Neill love affair you woulc be almost there. Now that you recognise the work done by Houllier and Benitez in bringing the club into the modern age and the work done by current board in commercialising us in ways that the gobshites Parry and Moores never recognised, dont keep shiting on about about a gobshite like O'Neill who would drag us back to the dark ages..football wise etc. Recognise the modernisation of liverpool and dont shite on about a manager who in footballing terms is an illiterate. We need a manager from the Rinus Michels school of football.
ReplyDeleteAs you've said, Jamie lets look to the future.
ReplyDeleteThe immediate future is this transfer window. H&G are responsible for ensuring the new manager has the means to buy the players he needs to ensure Liverpool remain competetive.
So, would you expect money to be made available for investment in the squad above any monies raised by sales?
Of course the debt has had a negative impact. We can't borrow for the stadium, instead we have to rely on cash investment to fund it. Unlike Arsenal who borrowed the money for the stadium, because the *Group* of Liverpool companies are in total so massively in debt (and as you know I've read all your previous articles about the debt being in the Holding companies etc), that debt does impact on our ability to borrow again, we are unable to borrow that sort of money again to fund the stadium. That is clear.
ReplyDeleteJamie, when others challenge you with sweeping unbacked up statements, you, quite within your rights ask them to prove it. You have made a massive assumption that Gerrard & JC were sick of Benitez. In your own words, what is your source? Please provide proof. Sounds to me like you been taking in the bits of press you like and ignoring the bits you dont. Or did you hear a whisper from a friend of a friend who heard it in the pub? Seems only fair that you provide the same level of proof you so frequently expect others to provide..
ReplyDeleteI would opine that the rot at the club started with the hooligans in the 80"s. Then the club had gone through benign neglect with the previous owners. Instead of constantly attacking the "yanks" the producers of the venom would be better served by looking at the past 20 years and realize that this is a long term problem and it will take some time to move forward. Under Moores, there was no new stadium built, under Moores, the academy only produced a handful of players. Under Moores, there was no Shankly or Paisley leading the club.
ReplyDeleteOkay Jamie, you're right there is a lot of doom and gloom around however we remain a big name. We disagreed on Rafa Benitez but nice to see you give him some credit, same goes with Ged although his time had certainly passed when he moved on. I accept your point about more competent buisnessmen being brought in by H&G, that wasn't hard as Parry was a disaster. However you argue that H&G brought Kenny back yet later claim it was Purslow, which one was it owners or CEO? Then you claim the yanks have laid the groundwork for the new stadium, REALLY? We're now exactly 40 months since they bought the club, where's the ground? How near completition is it? Fact remains it's not even started so I'm afraid there's no credit I'll be giving out there. Furthermore you're arguement about debt seems to be O well we'll be free of it when new owners come. So where are they? No one is willing to buy for the price these two shysters want, otherwise the club would have been sold at least a year ago. I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic I'm a history gradute and history has proven big clubs can fail, I just hope and pray we will not become one of them.
ReplyDeleteYou responded in your usual dismissive & superior manner. You often accuse those who have a different point of view of lacking intelligence. Do oyu have some sort of God complex?
ReplyDeletePlease can you prove that Liverpool have fresh money to spend this summer (over and above money raised by sales)? You challenged Anthony to prove that we didn't so I'd like you to conclusively prove we do.
Please can you also prove how Tony Barrett is SOS's 'mouthpiece'?
Riccardo are you serious? Martin O'Neill?? Seriously I've watched the teams O'Neill put out since he went to Celtic. At Celtic, contary to the myth, he did not play free flowing football, it was dour, he was lucky he had a genius and a true legend in Henrik Larsson who was brilliant. Bar him he spent big money on sutton and Hartson and big by Celtic terms on Valgaren but the football was dour. Strachan's sides played more football. At Aston Villa he's done what, spend big money and mke them top 6 he doesn't play attractive football, he's never won anything of significance in England, come on the League Cup is 4th on our priorities for next seson, if we win it great but it's not I should be LFC manger stuff. He's simply a funny guy who's good with words well so is Strachan and nobody is sying he should get it
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points. We didn't even have a commercial department in the club before H + G came in. But their time is done. Why make promises if you cannot deliver? At the end of the day, we are LIVERPOOL FC!!! If players want to leave, they should go. The club is bigger than any individual. I hope King Kenny brings in the right man. He probably had a chat with Harry after the game tonight.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear critical realism isn't on the agenda when it comes to the owners.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell, start the excuses.
just like mark hughes was at city
ReplyDeleteAs much as I want to remain positive about the future of the club, I would be lying to myself if I did. As some one who had first hand access to the club's books, and I won't disclose much since I signed an NDA, the future of the club is very much in the red. Unless the current owners drop their unrealistic valuation, there simply will not be any new owners. Just in case you're wondering how i was privileged to such information its because i was approached by a consortium back in Jan who were serious about buying the club to advise them on the valuation process given by background in finance. The discussions didn't last more than a week!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify one point on who brought Dalglish it was actually Ian ayre who pushed for him to come on board. Do you actually think the owners knew who he was?
It is very comforting that king Kenny is involved but let me ask you a question: are you comfortable with Martin broughton's role at this crucial stage?
As much as I want to remain positive about the future of the club, I would be lying to myself if I did. As some one who had first hand access to the club's books, and I won't disclose much since I signed an NDA, the future of the club is very much in the red. Unless the current owners drop their unrealistic valuation, there simply will not be any new owners. Just in case you're wondering how i was privileged to such information its because i was approached by a consortium back in Jan who were serious about buying the club to advise them on the valuation process given by background in finance. The discussions didn't last more than a week!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify one point on who brought Dalglish it was actually Ian ayre who pushed for him to come on board. Do you actually think the owners knew who he was?
It is very comforting that king Kenny is involved but let me ask you a question: are you comfortable with Martin broughton's role at this crucial stage?
As much as I want to remain positive about the future of the club, I would be lying to myself if I did. As some one who had first hand access to the club's books, and I won't disclose much since I signed an NDA, the future of the club is very much in the red. Unless the current owners drop their unrealistic valuation, there simply will not be any new owners. Just in case you're wondering how i was privileged to such information its because i was approached by a consortium back in Jan who were serious about buying the club to advise them on the valuation process given by background in finance. The discussions didn't last more than a week!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify one point on who brought Dalglish it was actually Ian ayre who pushed for him to come on board. Do you actually think the owners knew who he was?
It is very comforting that king Kenny is involved but let me ask you a question: are you comfortable with Martin broughton's role at this crucial stage?
The Hicks and Gillett era is a <span>necessary evil</span>. By the time they leave, the club will have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. Crucially, it will be on a superb commercial footing, which is an essential part of the club’s future growth and prosperity ARE YOU SURE? Lets be realistic now please by this time next summer comes along LFC will either be in admin or worse for god sake wake up. For proof just look at all sports teams owned by these parasites. There actions since taking control of the club has sent LFC back years
ReplyDeleteAs much as I want to remain positive about the future of the club, I would be lying to myself if I did. As some one who had first hand access to the club's books, and I won't disclose much since I signed an NDA, the future of the club is very much in the red. Unless the current owners drop their unrealistic valuation, there simply will not be any new owners. Just in case you're wondering how i was privileged to such information its because i was approached by a consortium back in Jan who were serious about buying the club to advise them on the valuation process given by background in finance. The discussions didn't last more than a week!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify one point on who brought Dalglish it was actually Ian ayre who pushed for him to come on board. Do you actually think the owners knew who he was?
It is very comforting that king Kenny is involved but let me ask you a question: are you comfortable with Martin broughton's role at this crucial stage?
apologies for the repetitive replies; first time I post from my mobile and kept on getting the msg that it wasn't going through when it obviously was :)
ReplyDeleteNext you will saying that Hicks' ownership of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars are positive examples of what he brings to teams. Or that his son's foul mouthed comments to a fan is an example of constructive communications. Hicks and Gillett do not own sports'franchises' for pleasure. They wish to make money out of them. They have no interest in the club itself. They bought Liverpool to sell at some stage. If they improved the commercial side of things it was only for their own benefit - not that it was hard to improve the commercial side of things following the do-nothing Moores era.
ReplyDeleteHoullier'a time at Liverpool produced dull football. If it had not been for SG and Michael Owen it would have been worse. He wasted a lot of money buying poorly in his final period at the club. His expensive youth academy has produced virtually nothing.
If you honestly feel positively about the clubs future I would suggest that the near future will prove you wrong or right. If Torres, SG and Mascherano go and the manager gets limited funds to replace them, then you will have been proven wrong.
BUt Why You are so cruel against Martin O'Neill Yogi?
ReplyDeleteMartin O'Neill reached the impossible in his career: A carling Cup Trophy in charge of Leicester is not enough?
Oh MY god is a fantastic achievement for a small Club like Leicester.
And what about the last european final of Celtic? I can't remember how long Celtic fans were awaiting to get Uefa CUp Final..
If You look at Martin O'Neill's record in charge of Aston Villa You will notice that Club progressed every season in a substantial way under Martin O'Neill.
He's a fantastic motivator, an inspirational manager Who works well with youngsters & plays a traditional football, british football.
O'Neill is the only manager WHo practices a football style based on wings and counter-attack: a superb traditional style.
I do not Konw why some fans are so brutally obsessed against Martin O'Neill.
We HAVE been competitive in the transfer market! Since H+G arrived, we have signed:
ReplyDeleteKeane - 20m - sold back for £16m
Torres - 20-24m - bought before H&G came in and now worth £70m +
Mascherano - 18.6m - now worth £40m
Aquilani - 18m - bought in installments and will prove to be worth every penny!
Johnson - 18m £6m + money owed through profit generated by from crouch deal
Babel 11.5m bogles the mind why hes so crap
Dossena - 8m misadvised!
Riera 7m - good player, bad mouth
and that's just the bigger fees
Torres was signed before your boyfriends H&G came in!!
That awful fat spanish waiter who finished 7th and couldn't even win the europa league has been snapped up by the european champions. I can't believe it.
ReplyDeleteIf this is a fact, please enlighten us by showing your references.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteJust like the way you were so wrapped up in Benitez you couldnt see things objectively.
ReplyDeleteSo this is your new slant on things, Rafa is gone so you are going after fans who take issue with Hicks and Gillett.
Kanwar you may try to be different in your articles and you may try to ram the alternative opinion down peoples throats but as far as this clubs financial state is concerned you couldnt tell your arse from your elbow and you wouldnt know a club on the verge of financial meltdown if it slapped you in the face.
LFC doesnt need yes men like you, its needs people to tell it like it is and that means telling it as us being in debt of 351 million no matter what way you like to dress it up.
You claim people are blinded by a section of the media but did you ever stop and think "maybe the masses are right, maybe all the the financial experts are right, maybe Jamie Kanwar is wrong". Didnt think so. You just look for an angle that is different and puts you out there. Argue for the sake of having a fight.
The truth is no matter how many articles you write, no matter how many so called facts you attempt to shove down peoples throats YOU ARE WRONG. This club is f*cked in its current state and the sooner you start seeing the wood from the trees the sooner you stop distorting what is actually going on. Then again that may be your overall objective
Do you really believe any manager in his right mind would have bought Johnson, Soto and Aquilani last summer if they knew their budget beforehand?
ReplyDeleteThis is just making more excuses for Benitez. He wanted those players; he bought them.
Do you not remember the rug was pulled from under him?
How? To what are you referring?
Rafa was planning to buy a quality CB not a cheap 30yr old, and a quality striker, and Aquilani was a "cheap" replacement gamble for Alonso.
Excuses. How was Aquilani a 'cheap' gamble? He cost 18m. Benitez knew that Alonso was leaving months before he left. His failure to find a *fit* replacement was negligence.
I know because I have a reliable source that confirmed this. If I say something emphatically and argue it forthrightly it usually means I've heard it from the horse's mouth.
ReplyDeletein one breath you complain about the debt; in the next you moan that the club can't borrow more money to fund the stadium?! So you want MORE debt, is that it?
ReplyDeleteArsenal took over 7 years to build their stadium; it's been only 3 years since H+G took over. Plus, the credit crunch played a huge part in derailing the stadium.
No - I have sources at the club. Whether you believe it or not makes no difference whatsoever to me. I've proved time and time again that my information is accurate.
ReplyDeleteKem Lyn - if you don't like my manner, don't visit this site; go elsewhere. if you want to debate football, then please do. if you can't handle a no-BS, straight down the line approach then that's not my problem. Just because I don't use smilys every second line doesn't mean I'm being rude.
ReplyDeleteRe money to spend this summer: Hicks has said this publicly; that is good enough for me. If you and others choose to distrust those connected with the club, that's up to you.
Re Tony Barrett - that he supports SOS's agenda in the press is my *opinion* - I never suggested otherwise.
Change the record. Are you on Benitez's payroll for supporting him? I doubt it. Just because I present a different POV doesn't mean I'm on their payroll.
ReplyDeleteThat's not really a creidble example as it's never going to happen.
ReplyDeleteWhat matters is *how* the money proved is spent. Benitez wasted money with alarming regularity. Let's hope the next manager does not.
That's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteBenitez was not given more money because he couldn't be trsuted with it. He wasted so much money over the last two years, and the club went backwards, not forwards.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything re Benitez going being a pre-condition for new Owners. I personally do not think that's the case. Benitez was a trouble-maker; constantly biting the hand that fed him, and constantly alienating players. That is not an effective MO for a manager.
I have no problem with Tony Barrett - it's not personal. I have a problem with the way he has sensationalised LFC's debt situation. I also have a problem with the way he paints such a needlesssly bleak pictire of LFC. It's not that bad, and he knows it.
Your arguments will fall on deaf ears, Riccardo. Too many fans have this silly idea that the only person good enough to take the Liverpool job must be some kind of worldwide superstar manager. Every single argument I've heard levelled against O'Neill is basless and without merit. Just a series of half-baked generalisations and inaccuracies.
ReplyDeleteOf course. Having said that, the team does not need tens of millions thrown at it. The priority of the new manager (and this is the feeling within the club too) is maximising the potential of the current squad. Liverpool has lots of quality in the squad, it's just been wasted by Benitez in various ways. We need a few astute additions; they don't need to be 20m signings; they just need to be the right players to complement the team.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Jerry. Moores hs a hell of a lot to answer for.
ReplyDeleteHi Yogi
ReplyDelete1. Purslow was the brains behind bringing Dalgish back to the club. he discussed it with H+G, who approved the idea. They ultimately pay Dalglish's salary, so they are ultimately responsible for brining him back.
2. Lots of time and money has been spent planning the stadium over the last 3 years. Gillett's 'spade in the ground' comment was based upon the original stadium design. When they arrived, they believe that it was ready to go, which is why he said that. The first plan had to be scrapped though as it wasn't suitable or financially viable. Gillett was guilty of nothing more than misplaced optimism. The way supporters cling onto that line is really quite pathetic.
Planning and building a stadium takes a hell of alot of time, especially if you want to get it right. And why do you ignore the worldwide credit crunch? Why does that not matter? is it not a fact that the world sufffered a major economic downturn? If the stadium had started, the club would've lost even more money.
H+G have only been at the club for a little over 3 years. Do you really expect a stadium to be done in that time. Arsenal took 7 years to build the Emirates, and they missed their original deadline by about 3 years.
The club has been on sale for a few months. Why the impatience? Do you expect a multi-million pound deal to go through in 5 minutes?! It took Moores years to find a buyer, yet H+G are supposed to find one after a couple of months? Do you think you're really being fair here?
The sale process takes time; negotiations will be ongoing, and the Owners want to find the right buyers, not just sell to anyone.
No he wasn't. Hicks and Gillett bought the club in february 2007. Torres was signed in July 2007.
ReplyDeleteive had to post this time cos the utter drivel you post jamie is unreal ,, you seam to love g&h and think rafa was a bad manger ,, so you think martin oneil is a world class manger GET A GRIP LAD what has he won ,,,, fook all yes and the same for hogson not good enough and i most probs get you dont like the spirit of shakly ,, well there trying to save our club so why dont you follow villa as you love oneil that much
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big probability of no transfer funds since the club is for sale. There is a big probability that the new manager gets sacked when the new owners get in, since they will want their man.
Says who? Probability based on what? This is just your opinion. No transfer funds? Show me one year in the last 30 years when there have been no transfer fund available to a Liverpool manager. It's never happened, yet all of sudden it's going to happen? No it won't, and history backs up my point on that score.
The fact that the club is for sale has no bearing on transfer funds. You seem to foregt that it is H+G's best interests for the club to be successful. The better we do on the pitch, the more attractive the club is to buyers. If H+G want to sell, why would they risk making the club look less attractive? People just do not think about these things as they're too obsesssed with denigrating H+G.
benitez was doing the club no favours with his anti-football, and the failure of last season. Why do you think the club wanted him out? He is not conducive to attractive new owners.
There is no champions league football to play. And some of the players will want to leave coz they came here because of benitez. (mainly Mascherano)
No CL football is Benitez's fault. And if players want to leave, let them leave. mascherano has been flirting with leaving for well over a year. The club does not need him. He is replaceable.
Reliable source? Don't you know that articles that don't give names are just made up?
ReplyDeleteQuote from you: <span><span>Jaimie Kanwar</span> replies:</span>
<span>Today, 00:56:02"Please. This is not proof of anything. Senior Sources?! Media code for 'I made it up"</span>
Riccardo, I won't knock MON's achievements at Leicester, he achieved things there which rightly got him the Celtic job. As for Celtic getting to Uefa Cup final, it ws brilliant, I was in uni in Derry at the time and I got to a couple of games the atmosphere at Parkhead was worth a goal on it's own. MON certainly tapped into that but without Larsson they would have been no chance. I ask you this how many times did he get Celtic into the last 16 of the CL? None, Strachan who had to build a new team on little money did it twice and without Larsson. As far as Villa progressing every season, no they regressed last season they dropped from 5th to 6th. Up until 18 months ago the pressure wasn't on Villa but they blew 4th in 09 and never looked like getting 4th for me this season. As for working well with youngsters, yeah the ones he buys, go ask Shaun Maloney about being a home grown kid under MON.Promising kid at Celtic played a bit but dumped back into the ressies as soon as Hartson or Larsson was fit (Sutton played midfield for Celtic once Hartson made himself 1st choice). The kid was about to chuck it at Celtic when Strachan gave him a chance and for a season he was brilliant, far better than McGeady. The next season he got hurt early on then went to Villa under MON and hardly got a look in. Craig Gardner and Gary Cahill also got sold, it's like Rafa flog the youngsters and buy your own. I can't comment on MON's Villa as I don't watch them week in week out, I was at Villa Park last Christmas and they were woeful (his post match comments were a sick joke). I won't judge by watching MOTD highlights could make Diao look good so I can only judge by his Celtic days (I got to about 10 games a season and it was direct, and defensive. Fine but I'd like an attack minded coach we've had 14 years of defensive football, Evans went on the defensive for 96 Cup Final and continued in that vein. Furthermore I want a manager who'll be young enough to carry on for five years, therefore MON at 58 is doubtful, as is Hodgson the best of the realistic Brit managers. I guess Puel at Lyon should be watched as a darkhorse but he's a defensive coach.
ReplyDeleteWould you give money to a manager who just achieved a record point haul in the Premiership years? That was the situation when Benitez had no transfer funds last year. The same with the year before - net profits for 2 seasons running.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows that H&G have screwed up the club. Why don't you just admit it.
There's a difference between failing to get into the Champions League and replacing a great manager / trying to hold on to key players who want to leave because Benitez was sacked / getting rid of our viral-like owners / removing our huge debts.
ReplyDeleteI agree that if a billionaire appears and wipes the slate clean, the future will look rosy. But don't you see? That's what H&G have done to our once proud club. Our only hope for the future is to become a rich man's play thing. Even if it happens, it's not a very bright future at all.
Jaimie,
ReplyDeleteAdmire your optimism, but don't share it.
This article sums up my feelings exactly. Excuse the kop out of using a newspaper article as an argument, but I could put it any better.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/liverpool-dancing-in-the-dark-without-guidance-of-benitez-220
I did criticise many decisions Benitez made on the pitch and his man management style, or lack of. These may well improve with the appointment of a new manager.
The danger is if that same manager give the board carte blanche to sell off the clubs big assets ( read 'best players' ). To service their debt commitments to our creditors. What happens to the team then?
Add to that, after the physical, verbal and now patriotic abuse ( the impact of which shouldn't be underestimated ) H&G have received. Do you really feel that, they think they have a duty to do the right thing by our club and it's fans??
So No, the future doesn't look so bright.
Yes, Hicks has said publicly that there's money to spend. It's also been announced that there's £5million to spend. While these statements match, £5million is nothing by todays standards. If there's lots of money to spend, why couldn't we afford £2.5mill for Danny Wilson straight up?
ReplyDeleteYou mean a manager like Benitez...
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie
ReplyDeleteThanks for clearing up the old who brought King Kenny back. Thank you Mr Purslow for that one.
As regards the sale of the club, I for one was embarrassed by the way we were being hocked around the world for years as Moores and Parry looked more like Laurel and Hardy with each failed sale, "That's another fine mess you've got me in". RE H&G The sale isn't just happening now, back in March 2008 Hicks blocked Gillett selling the vast majority of his shares to DIC. That's over 2 years ago, they've been refinacing loans for the past two summers and were openly looking for people to invest and got no offers bar the venture capitialist lot. Hicks has been quoted on 800 million (talking the price up) but he needs to get real, I can't see them accepting less than 450 million (351 million is debt so that's the absolute mininum). I don't see who's coming in at that price in the current economic enviroment.
As for the 'new ground' you can't compare the Emirates with this, the Emirates was always happening, our new ground is mothballed. Yes economic problems have not helped but it would have been easy to loan the money against the club had KOP Holdings not loaded debt up when it's only viable asset is the club. This is another 'misquote' from H&G saying the club wasn't bought on debt unlike the Glazers. That's like you buying a house and saying I never borrowed money to buy the house, the house was bought by a company owned by you which borrowed money to buy the house. Most people would accept you own the house, money was borrowed to buy the house therefore you borrowed the money. That's the case with H&G. Re the original plans, if they were unworkable it's more evidence of how this club has been mismanaged over the past two decades, H&G have got rid of some of those responsible nd I applaud them fot that. As far as a stadium is concerned right now, I honestly feel we have far more pressing worries, we need to rebuild now. Personally I'm happy with the spine, Mascherno will need replacing, as will Gerrard if he goes. We need at least one more striker as well as Jovanvic. We need at least one wide midfielder probably two and at lesat one left back, if we're going to challenge. That's at least 20 million pounds, where will the money come from? I pray I'm wrong mate but I don't see it
Regards Yogi
Not going to address dave h's points then Jamie?
ReplyDeleteJust a thought, who would you have bought last season if you were the manager? Bearing in mind that Arbeloa and Alonso were going to be sold regardless.
ReplyDelete:-D Make your mind up. Either Benitez bought quality players or he wasted the money - it can't be both. If the squad is full of quality, as you say, then you're saying Benitez used the little money he had wisely.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason Moores sold the club was because he couldn't afford to finance a new stadium himself. He wanted to find a new owner who could, but screwed up by appointing H&G. Contrary to what Jamie said in his article, H&G are a completely unnecessary evil that have blighted our club. Benitez is the first casualty and unfortunately, there will be many more to follow.
ReplyDeleteCheers Jaimie.Nice to see a little optimism after the year of hell from the media vultures.I agree with pretty much all of your points especially the move to bring Kenny back.These guys maybe a lot of things but stupid certainly isn't one of them.They have provided funds,we are improving.I think that we over-achieved the season before last and after losing only 2 league matches all season, to lose our first match was always going to smart.Add battle injuries/bad business/beach accessories/boardroom bulls*it,stand well back and light at arms length.
ReplyDeleteSomething had to give and unfortunately sh*t rolls downhill.
We've needed investment,we'll get investment.We've needed luck,we'll get luck.
More than anything though, we need to bring the fighting spirit and the pride and unity back to our great club both on and off the pitch.
It's time for patient, positive planning and not knee-jerk cynicism.
The club needs to become sustainable in order to fall in line with new regulations regarding income/expenditure.That's just the way it is.
Real supporters SUPPORT.The media have been both feeding off and fuelling negative rubbish surrounding the club all year.
Let's give them something positive to write about.Rebuild and get some silverware back in the trophy room.
YNWA
Cheers Jaimie.Nice to see a little optimism after the year of hell from the media vultures.I agree with pretty much all of your points especially the move to bring Kenny back.These guys maybe a lot of things but stupid certainly isn't one of them.They have provided funds,we are improving.I think that we over-achieved the season before last and after losing only 2 league matches all season, to lose our first match was always going to smart.Add battle injuries/bad business/beach accessories/boardroom bulls*it,stand well back and light at arms length.
ReplyDeleteSomething had to give and unfortunately sh*t rolls downhill.
We've needed investment,we'll get investment.We've needed luck,we'll get luck.
More than anything though, we need to bring the fighting spirit and the pride and unity back to our great club both on and off the pitch.
It's time for patient, positive planning and not knee-jerk cynicism.
The club needs to become sustainable in order to fall in line with new regulations regarding income/expenditure.That's just the way it is.
Real supporters SUPPORT.The media have been both feeding off and fuelling negative rubbish surrounding the club all year.
Let's give them something positive to write about.Rebuild and get some silverware back in the trophy room.
YNWA
Cheers Jaimie.Nice to see a little optimism after the year of hell from the media vultures.I agree with pretty much all of your points especially the move to bring Kenny back.These guys maybe a lot of things but stupid certainly isn't one of them.They have provided funds,we are improving.I think that we over-achieved the season before last and after losing only 2 league matches all season, to lose our first match was always going to smart.Add battle injuries/bad business/beach accessories/boardroom bulls*it,stand well back and light at arms length.
ReplyDeleteSomething had to give and unfortunately sh*t rolls downhill.
We've needed investment,we'll get investment.We've needed luck,we'll get luck.
More than anything though, we need to bring the fighting spirit and the pride and unity back to our great club both on and off the pitch.
It's time for patient, positive planning and not knee-jerk cynicism.
The club needs to become sustainable in order to fall in line with new regulations regarding income/expenditure.That's just the way it is.
Real supporters SUPPORT.The media have been both feeding off and fuelling negative rubbish surrounding the club all year.
Let's give them something positive to write about.Rebuild and get some silverware back in the trophy room.
YNWA
Id have to agree with Davor on this, Bilic should not be anywhere near this list. He has no real Managerial clout, and to appoint him as the manager of one of the worlds greatest football clubs would indeed secure the nail in the coffin. Van Basten, Hodgson or Van Gaal are my pick, although i think Van Gaal has already stated he is staying at bayern, but if he were to jump ship, he might be able to swing Robben across as well, now that would be something to look forward to....
ReplyDeleteThe main reason we finished 7th is that we have no depth and when our main players were injured we fell apart. And the merry go round keeps turning as you can point the finger at Benetiz who brought in incompetent players, or you can blame H&G for not providing Benetiz with enough funds to establish depth in the team. Either way Benetiz did not have the ability to get the most out of what he had, he simply stuck to his tired old ways with a very thin squad and that proved his downfall. A great manager should have the ability to lift his team from whatever depths they have fallen, and benetiz proved he was unable to do that. We still had some great talent playing for us all season, world class players who represent their respeceted countries. His worst mistake was taking torres off in the 60 minute against birmingham. That is when i had given up all hope for our season. He was thinking about EL, not the EPL or CL the following year, and that killed us. I feel it is time to say farewell, thanks for the memories. Now time for a new king......
ReplyDeleteIm sorry but Masch should not be classed in the same league as Torres and Gerrard. He is easily repacable. He is not what i am worried about. Please sell him, get the 20 - 30 m they are asking for and buy 1-2 quality players to make Torres and Gerrad stay. With him Babel, Kuyt, Lucas, Reira that would make at least 40 -50 mil, thats not a bad kitty, as long as we get to spend it..
ReplyDelete<span>"Debt? Big deal. It will be paid off when the club gets sold."</span>
ReplyDeleteYes, debt is a big deal. It's killing our club. Sure, it will be paid off if the club gets sold. Although that's not going to happen until the price is lowered by G&H. The longer they wait, the closer we come to extinction.
"<span>It has not impact on the playing side of things, no matter how much fans try to make out it does. Benitez has had close to 300m to spend in 6 years, including over 120m in the last 3 years. He has not been given more money recently because the club does not trust him with it, which is one of the reasons why he had to go. "</span>
Actually, it's directly impacted on the playing side of things. You said in another post that our squad is full of quality and only needs a few signings to be competitive. If that's the case, then you're saying Rafa has spent the money he had wisely.
Furthermore, in this case, there would be no reason for G&H not to back Rafa in the market last season - especially as we'd just achieved a record points haul with no net spending the season before that. (note, that's two seasons running with a sell to buy policy)
Clearly, a manager who achieves such a good season deserves backing. As G&H didn't back Benitez, and the accounts show how much we're in the creek, it's easy to put 2 and 2 together to see that Benitez wasn't given a budget, because there's no money to give.
Also note that the monetary figures you've used are gross and fail to take into account money received from sales of players. We all know that net, he's only spent around £86 mill. That is, only £86 million of transfer backing has been given by the board to Benitez in the 6 years he was in charge. £0 for the last two seasons.
<span>"Key players wanted to leave because of Benitez, not the financial situation."</span>
While Benitez was still manager, there was no chance of Torres or Gerrard leaving (THE key players). Now he's gone, there's a good chance at least one of them will leave. Maybe you should change your sentence to: "<span>Key players wanted to leave because of Benitez sacking, not the financial situation."</span>
<span>"</span><span>Indeed, all of our key players were given payrises and extended deals in the last year.</span><span>"</span>
Yes, that's right. The key players signed extended deals to work with Benitez longer.
(continued)
ReplyDelete<p>"<span>The new manager will have money to spend"</span>
</p><p>
</p><p>Zero evidence for this.
</p><p>
</p><p>"<span>The price of the club has nothing to do with anything. How do you know there is sale-delay because of the price H+G are asking? You don't. It's just more media speculation. The price is high for a reason: it's a common business tactic - start high so you can be knocked down to a level that's acceptable. This is blindlingly obvious! You don't start low, do you? </span>
</p><p><span>
Prospective buyers know this, and they know it's a negotiation tactic. There are plenty of buyers interested in LFC - it's just a case of negotiating the right price. "</span>
</p><p>
</p><p>While this is true, it's doing nothing to help LFC and everything to just line the pockets of G&H more. Either way, no one is going to buy until the price is lowered.
</p><p>
</p><p><span><span><span><span><span>" '</span></span></span>The money lost is greater than the money gained, so the bad here outweighs the good.' </span> </span>
</p><p><span>
No, this is false. That might be the case with the holding companies but it is not the case with LFC itself."</span>
</p><p>
</p><p>Regardless of where the debt exists, it's all a part of LFC. Year on year, we're making a substantial loss, purely due to the debt incurred from G&H.
</p><p>
</p><p>"<span>The first stadium plan had to be scrapped as it wasn't suitable. Why do you ignore the complexity involved with mounting a stadium project?"</span>
</p><p>
</p><p>Why did G&H ignore the complexity involved with mounting a stadium project when they said the shovel would be in the ground within 60 days?
</p>
Totally agree with the Mascherano comment. I for one will not be sad to see him go. The money we get for him, we could easily replace him and buy a top quality striker or midfielder as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd i don't understand how Hiddink and Rijkaard refusal statemants keep coming up? Turn the clock back 2 months priot to Hiddinks appaointment at Tuerkey, had Benetiz been fired then, we may have had the Maestro managing the last part of our camapaign. But as we waited till now to fire Benetiz, Hiddink was not going to sit and wait for us to make up our minds on where our managerial future lay. he signed a contract, and being a man of obligation and loyalty will see his contract through...
So all this oh Hiddink wouldn't touch us blah blah, is just BS.. The man loves a challenge. Look at what he has achieved with South Korea and Australia, Uphill challenges to say the least.
i am reserved as to how long it will take for us to once again become "competetive". We are now at a major crossroads. With the new UEFA ruling, we should be spending big now as we will not have the oppurtunity to do it in 3 years time. Buying some of the worlds top young talent such as Di-Maria, Hazaard, Silva, would be a capaital start to ensure our longevity.
And it will be very interesting to see just how much of an impact a new manager will present. I agree that last year was some of the most boring football we have played in the 30 years i have been following liverpool. Yes there were injuries, and yes we had a very thin squad, i can point the finger as to who is to blame for that but i don't feel it necassary, but what makes a great manager stand out form the rest is the ability to shine through adversity. Something our new manager may have to prove he is able to do!!
HAHAHA..Im sorry, but i have to laugh at this comment. I for one am glad to see the back of Benetiz. He is not the right man for Liverpool. He has proved that his number one goal is not bringing the Premiership title to Anfireld. He cares only about CL, and even that is out of his grasp. He has proved publically with rants about "liverpool fans demand that we win the premeirship every year" well Rafa, how about at least one in the six years of your reign. Not going to happen. He could be here for a hundred years and it wouldn't make a lick of difference. He does not understand the English game. Ill admit, he will do well in italy and/or spain, but that is a different game, and one to which he is akin to. But the EPL is out of his grasp, he does't understand it's subtelties, he cant keep up and that he is why he is no good for us. And you will rant a rave about CL in 2003 and FA cup and blah blah, but 38 weeks in a campaign he has proven that his methods fall apart, especially towards the end, where his methods are at best predicatble and friggin boring as bat shit. He proved this last year when it was an almost a shoe in to win the title, only to NEEDLESSLY draw to middle of the table teams with his ultra defensive, non creative apprach to football. Im sorry, but i for one would like to see us utilising the fact the we have one of, if not the best striker in the wolrd , by playing creative attacking football. Yes we score quite a number of goals with Benetiz approach, but we are being held back scoring even more by him
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA..Im sorry, but i have to laugh at this comment. I for one am glad to see the back of Benetiz. He is not the right man for Liverpool. He has proved that his number one goal is not bringing the Premiership title to Anfield. He cares only about CL, and even that is out of his grasp. He has proved publically with rants about "liverpool fans demand that we win the premeirship every year" well Rafa, how about at least one in the six years of your reign. Not going to happen. He could be here for a hundred years and it wouldn't make a lick of difference. He does not understand the English game. Ill admit, he will do well in italy and/or spain, but that is a different game, and one to which he is akin to. But the EPL is out of his grasp, he does't understand it's subtelties, he cant keep up and that he is why he is no good for us. And you will rant a rave about CL in 2003 and FA cup and blah blah, but 38 weeks in a campaign he has proven that his methods fall apart, especially towards the end, where his methods are at best predicatble and friggin boring as bat shit. He proved this last year when it was an almost a shoe in to win the title, only to NEEDLESSLY draw to middle of the table teams with his ultra defensive, non creative apprach to football. Im sorry, but i for one would like to see us utilising the fact the we have one of, if not the best striker in the wolrd , by playing creative attacking football. Yes we score quite a number of goals with Benetiz approach, but we are being held back scoring even more by him
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2010/06/future-is-bright-for-liverpool-fc.html#ixzz0q8vW7gNq
Why does everyone keep saying that Purslow was a Hicks and Gillett appointment and pawn?
ReplyDeletePurslow was recommended to the club by Dalglish and they are widely known to be long time friends.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/5600713/Liverpool-appoint-Christian-Purslow-as-their-new-managing-director.html
Likewise Purslow played a bit part in bringing Dalglish back.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7143782.ece
It is unbelievable how people are just pointing fingers? Is Purslow more to blame for the club's performance and situation than Rafa?
If Purslow is part of the "Dark Side," is Dalglish as well? You can't expect me to believe that Dalgish was not consulted about Rafa's firing especially since he is tasked with finding a replacement.
Jamie....although i disagreed with your opinion of Benitez...i did read your articles as i like to look at the different thinking of different fans. I do actually believe, unlike you, that other people could have a point. But in your case, its like your breaching the bible. Anything anyone says is wrong....
ReplyDeleteThe big thing about you and your "financial statement analysis" was that you were writing about cash flows whilst looking at the balance sheet. I assume you have a good financial background, or else you would not be writing about financial statements......or else?
the word PROVED...you have proved nothing. You stated your opinion and thats all about it..an opinion. I have seen the financial statements myself. The going concern qualification is not as simple as you may think it is either....
"it won't take 10 years; it will take one year. Just like when we failed to qualify for the CL under Houllier in 2003. Everyone back then was saying the same. We qualified for the CL the very next season"
ReplyDeleteJamie i see where you're coming from with this article, and it's great that you're being positive. But how can you campare 2003 to the situation we're in now 2110.
First of all in 2003 where was Man City compare to where they are now and look at who manage Spurs back then to what Rednapp doing for the clubs NOW.Not to mention Aston Villa
My point is our closest rivalries to reach top 4 have improved considerably since, especially Man City and look at us....as long the two Americans in charge we will continue to go backwards.
Do you honestly believe our current situation is going to improve IN ONE YEAR???
We'll be lucky if we make to 5th place next year.
First and last visit - this is simply misinformed utter nonsense...
ReplyDeleteJaimie,
ReplyDeleteIt's a well known fact in Liverpool (The City) and between match goers that Purslow is a good friend of Henry Winter who was the writer behind the "leaks" regarding meetings between Benitez and the Board, Purslow was the leak at the Club, he's got his own agenda to push.
You can say whatever you like to defend Purslow, but the fact is you don't know him, you don't live in Liverpool and you're not privy to what goes on at the Club.
Purslow is H&G's puppet, he's on THEIR payroll regardless of what noises he makes when the cameras and taprecorders are rolling. He fed negative information to Winter on the sly which Winter then published in his columns or feed to another contact.
ONE season to turn us back into ECL contenders? Get a grip Jaimie you're living in fantasy land!
This article is just another piece of PRO H&G propaganda, you're a joke of an LFC fan.
Jaimie,
ReplyDeleteIt's a well known fact in Liverpool (The City) and between match goers that Purslow is a good friend of Henry Winter who was the writer behind the "leaks" regarding meetings between Benitez and the Board, Purslow was the leak at the Club, he's got his own agenda to push.
You can say whatever you like to defend Purslow, but the fact is you don't know him, you don't live in Liverpool and you're not privy to what goes on at the Club.
Purslow is H&G's puppet, he's on THEIR payroll regardless of what noises he makes when the cameras and taprecorders are rolling. He fed negative information to Winter on the sly which Winter then published in his columns or feed to another contact.
ONE season to turn us back into ECL contenders? Get a grip Jaimie you're living in fantasy land!
This article is just another piece of PRO H&G propaganda, you're a joke of an LFC fan.
Jaimie,
ReplyDeleteIt's a well known fact in Liverpool (The City) and between match goers that Purslow is a good friend of Henry Winter who was the writer behind the "leaks" regarding meetings between Benitez and the Board, Purslow was the leak at the Club, he's got his own agenda to push.
You can say whatever you like to defend Purslow, but the fact is you don't know him, you don't live in Liverpool and you're not privy to what goes on at the Club.
Purslow is H&G's puppet, he's on THEIR payroll regardless of what noises he makes when the cameras and taprecorders are rolling. He fed negative information to Winter on the sly which Winter then published in his columns or feed to another contact.
ONE season to turn us back into ECL contenders? Get a grip Jaimie you're living in fantasy land!
This article is just another piece of PRO H&G propaganda, you're a joke of an LFC fan.
We can't attract a top-class manager Jaimie which is why we're looking at Hodgson! Even Alex McLeish ruled himself out of the job!
ReplyDeleteYour continued support of H&G is frankly, sickening.
"Ground-work laid for a new stadium" Not even a "spade in the ground" and it's already cost US close to £50m. What an absolute farce.
We're being raped by these two and you're holding us down whilst they do it - LFC fan my arse!
Jamie
ReplyDeleteJust had a message from Tom & George and they're delighted with your work.
So, many of the contributors to your site are gullible idiots.
Keep it up.
Chris
You do say a lot of sensible stuff, and I do believe a lot of people have at go at you because they believe many of the stories in media, but I think you're being a bit to positive, Jaimie. You're making a comparison with Redknapp at Spurs, he's done a fantastic job at Spurs, but the difference between him and the new Liverpool manager is that he's had more money available. Tottenham was fighting relegation, but the club was so much better than that and team and had the quality for at least a top 8 finish. The negativity that Ramos brought was something I had never seen, I used to admire him at Sevilla, but the way he acted at Spurs was shocking.
ReplyDeleteMany Liverpool fans have accused me of not being a proper fan, I mean how dare I say that H&G are doing something good and that Rafa has done something not so good? Rafa is perfect and H&G is the evil of evils. Yes I want H&G out, and yes I was sad to see Rafa go, but H&G has commercialised the club and that is a huge boost for the future, H&G might be bad, but they're not all bad. Rafa had a very poor season and I could sense the club was about to stagnate and a change was needed. Like I said I was sad to see Rafa go, but I also felt it was the right thing.
Before people start blasting me for not being a Liverpool fan, let me just clarify what I think being a Liverpool fan is all about. Being a Liverpool fan is to always exhibit the appreciation for the contribution that someone has made for the club and wish them the best when they move on. We are entitled to criticise or talk between us and even voice our discontent, but we must also strive to push and encourage our players and staff to perform at their best level regardless of our thoughts. Being a Liverpool fan is NOT to support the manager or anyone else blindly, this is not supporting Liverpool Football Club, this is supporting an individual. We are supposed to one of the most knowledgeable group of fans, how is blind support anything to do with knowledge? Sheep follow blindly, not intelligent individuals, the kind we're supposed to be.
gerard going nowhere now rafa gone. therefore torres stays, well
ReplyDeleteat least for a season. I would rather keep masch but if he doesnt
want to stay sell him ( 2 years on his contract ).
The football we played could not be any worse but i know one
thing for sure lucas wont get 50 odd games next season and will
be used as a squad player that will make a big difference.
The reason i say this centre mid is so important for a team
and you cannot afford to groom a player in the epl in this
position.
Jaimie you saying MON would be no1 choice says all about your ambition for this club, you want us to become a glorified wimbledon, class mate class
ReplyDeleteSo how are we going to get your first choice manager Jaimie?? You know he is contracted with Aston Villa!! Isnt he going to break that bond?? Is this the way you want the manager of liverpool to behaive Jaimie?? you show such double face in your comments!!
ReplyDeleteBenetiz has never managed Liverpool mate, his name is Rafael Benitez. That is BenItEz and now BenEtIz. I can appreciate one mispelling, but a constant mispelling of his name shows how little you take notice of this great club. One bad season last year, essentially the same squad that finished second with the best attack in the country. You say his worst mistake was taking Torres off after 60 minutes against Birmingham, but what you fail to realise is that Torres was injured, proved by the fact the he had surgery that same week. And as for Jaimie, you mention among other things that signing Aquilani injured was negligable from Rafa. I tend to disagree, yes Rafa knew Xabi was leaving well before the end of the season, but you do really think Rafa bought Aquilani on a whim? This is a manager who is known for being a highly strategic man almost obsessing on statistics. He knew Aquilani was the man to "replace" Xabi long before the season ended, he would have been scouting him for at least 12 months. Aquilani is an Italy international, known at Roma as Piccolo Principe, translates to Little Prince. The Romans thought so highly of him that he was second only to Francesco Totti is popularity and esteem in Rome. He has also shown signs of his brilliance in the Liverpool shirt as well, and will continue to do so and make you eat your words.
ReplyDeleteIf you say so.
ReplyDeleteThat's all well and good but where's my money? First of the month, remember. Tell H+G to sort it out: I want my money today ;)
ReplyDeleteWe will finish in the top 4.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links. It's Purslow's turn to be the victim of an LFC-fan/media smear campaign. All kinds of lies are being told about him, with no evidence at all that any of it is true. It's par for the course. Next month, I'm sure it will Dalglish in the firing line - he'll be accused of undermining the god that is Benitez, and/or leaking stories to the press etc.
ReplyDeleteHold up did you not condemn Rafa during the season for saying exactly what you have just said above "We will finish in the top 4".
ReplyDeleteYour reasoning, foresight, hindsight, perception of and analysis of the club is so out of sync with what is actually going on but whats really funny in that little world of yours you actually do believe you are right and everyone else is wong. Poor poor you
O'Neill has a one year rolling contract, which is up for renewal in August. it's not like he's tied down for years and years.
ReplyDeleteIt's a well known fact in Liverpool (The City) and between match goers that Purslow is a good friend of Henry Winter who was the writer behind the "leaks" regarding meetings between Benitez and the Board, Purslow was the leak at the Club, he's got his own agenda to push.
ReplyDeleteAh, I see. It's 'well known in the city' that Purslow is a good friend of Henry Winter. I have to admit, that's one of the more compelling pieces of evidence I've heard that Purslow was the leake...
It's this kind of rumour-driven misinformation that's so damaging. It's worse when fans believe it.
Why do you persist with such falsity?! You ndesperately cling onto net spend but it is not relevant. Benitez has spent over 100m in the last 2 years. That is actual money that has gone from the club to other clubs. or are you trying to suggest that Aquilani, Johnson, Keane at al cost nothing?
ReplyDeleteThe club can afford - the money was not sactioned because BENITEZ WAS LEAVING. Don't you get that?
ReplyDeleteI've already answered those points countless times on other threads, and in this thread. I'm not going to repeat myself again.
ReplyDelete