17 May 2012

Ex-LFC Chief attacks FSG over 'bizarre' Dalglish decision. Crocodile tears?

Former Liverpool Managing Director Christian Purslow has slammed Fenway Sports Group's decision to sack club legend Kenny Dalglish.

Speaking to BBC Five Live earlier, Purslow - who was instrumental in ridding the club of former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett - admitted that he he was 'extremely surprised' and 'very disappointed' to see Dalglish sacked by Liverpool. Clearly irritated, the Reds fan and season ticket holder added:

"They [FSG] invested a lot of money in his team and they've [not] given him anywhere near enough time to make the investment work.

"It seems bizarre to me to have a situation where you appoint someone for three years and make significant investment and [then] lose faith in that.


Purslow then launched a passionate defence of Dalglish's reign at the club:

"Kenny stepped in at a terribly difficult time in the club's history. The previous manager had been starved of funds, and the squad desperately needed investment and he did that.Everybody would say he unified the club and made Liverpool a football story again. He made us an attractive team to watch again."

Purslow is right about Dalglish making LFC attractive to watch again, but his reaction today is a far cry from the more realistic appraisal he offered last week, when he dismissed the notion that Dalglish's emotional connection to the club would sway the Owners when it came to assessing the season:

"One thing I will say about American owners is the idea there is some emotional connection is obviously rubbish. It's an investment game. Liverpool is an investment and the value of that investment will hang largely on two key planks in the strategy. The first was to get back into regular Champions League football."

Purslow seems to acknowledge that Champions League qualification was/is a key part of FSG's strategy, so I find it hard to understand why he's so 'surprised' and 'disappointed' that Dalglish has now been sacked. The club finished outside the top four, so using his logic about the club being an 'investment', it was obvious FSG were not going to be happy.

Crocodile tears?

Jaimie Kanwar


67 comments:

  1. where is the scathing attack???  sensationalist reporting more like it...

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  2. jamie all you do is harm to our club your a joke

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  3. You posted up that Steve Clarke had left the club yesterday, you'll find that Ian Ayre said 

    "Steve's still at the club. There's no change there. Steve's on holiday. There's no plans to move that along unless it's a discussion that we have later on with Steve about how he feels about Kenny. But he's on holiday. So there's no change at all. " 

    But hey who cares, as long as you got those hits ;)

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  4. Totally agree kk should have had at least another season I just hope we do not hire and sack managers like Chelsea do look at wat happen at man utd when Alex was going to be sack and then well we allknow what happen over the last 20 years fans need to understand the importance of building a side Rome was not built in a day

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  5. Purslow is right, people with no knowledge of football panicked.
    With all the sackings there must be someone feeding the Owners with sacking amunition from within club, who could it be I wonder?.

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  6. Because its Dalglish, a LFC legend who got fired for being inept suddenly everyone wants to lambast FSG, everyone is being sentimental and forgeting its the results on the pitch that talk. FSG spent £300m buying the club and a further £120m on players thru KK. There has been nowhere close to any returns. KK had to go, simples, nothing new or surprising there. He should have gone by january actually, FSG kept him there because he was KK. I could make much more sense from a five year old speaking infront of the camera compared to KK. he seemed to think LFC were brilliant in just about all their matches. Thanks but no thanks KK, next manager please.

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  7. Interesting. I thought the very same thing.

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  8. I definitely felt before that KK should have given until December but if he went then, i guess that would leave the remainder of that season as bit of a waste, in some ways.

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  9. Thats the problem with these Yanks whether its Tom & Jerry or FSG they know nothing about football to them it is an Investment made to obtain profitable gain they have no love for the club and probably only the Venkys have been to less games this season.
    I would of kept KK on for another season as he was building the foundations of a team. 

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  10. Probably the tea lady

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  11. Sacking Dalglish doesn't show that FSG have no idea how football works. What shows they've got no clue is that they think Moneyball can be applied to football when it blatantly can't and nobody has ever pulled them up on this fact.

    At the end of the day, they put sentiment to one side and saw what was right in front of them - a poor league season, the least valuable cup won on penalties against an alright Championship side and a string of poor signings. If there was any hint that Adam, Downing etc could take their game to another level next season, they may have given him a chance. But who thinks that things would have been better next season?

    Dalglish was given a fair go IMO but he made some pretty serious errors and had to pay the price. Some people say he was building the foundations of a good team but I'm sorry, if Henderson, Adam and Carroll are the foundations of the team then the top 4 place FSG want will remain a pipe dream.

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  12. Were it not for FSG we would have gone BUST - NEVER EVER FOPRGET THAT.In truth Kenny did o k but never learnt from previous mistakes - why were we so lethargic in the first half so many times - e g Cup final and then one week later at Swansea. If Kenny had stayed his health would have broken down - all the signs were there boys - and you know it. Glasgow Rangers would give anything to be LFC Tonight - NEVER FORGET THAT

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  13. All this from a guy who thought that it was good idea to replace LA LIGA WINNER TWICE, UEFA CUP WINNER, CHL WINNER , FA CUP WINNER with LMA mngr of the year. The owners r more important to the club than any mngr and if results r not good enough they have right to make decisions for the good of the club. It was the owners the club has now and their money that saved the club. We all entitled to an opinion but Purslows one don't matter at all.

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  14. and u fink that wigan manager cud do any better i dont fink so

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  15. Totally agree Deebo kenny made some serious errors in judgment, Henderson should have been pulled out of that first team by feb it was painfully obvious he was low on confidence, he reminded me of insua at left back in rafas last season he needed a break from the first team.

     The team was so well balenced at the back end of last season ie the fulham game with maxi on the wing and kuyt up front with suarez yet the new signings totally destroyed all that.

    Besides the suarez debacle every supporter knew that we needed a new striker in the jan transfer window and it never came and before anybody says there is no value for money at that time then just look at everton.

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  16. I believe kd was the long term solution and should have been given at least 5yrs and some real money like 100million per season and if after 5 seasons we were not in the champions league , then kd should been given the choice whether he wanted to continue or resign

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  17. Shiny Metallic3:24 pm, May 17, 2012

    Remember, you fools shouted not so long ago that Lucas And Skrtel were not good enough to play at Liverpool! How's that now a couple of years later?

    You should give players time to settle down And judge them only after that. The same goes With managers.

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  18. Funnily enough, Wigan got more league points in the 2012 calender year than we did. 

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  19. I think it's a real pity that KD, a LFC legend, was sacked. Somehow we have to understand FSG is a sports management group. They bought LFC for profit, not for a personal glory thing like what Man City and Chelsea owners do. Failure to qualify for Champions League is costing the club a lot of money. Looking at the league table at the end of the season, LFC is far away from it, further away from it than it ever had. Not forgetting FSG spent more than 100 mil pounds on new players during KD's reign as manager. KD screwed up big time with FSG's money, a lot of money in fact. Therefore, FSG made him pay for it. It's somehow justifiable to some extend. Anyway, this chapter of KD is now over so let's move on from here. Any particular news on the new manager? 

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  20. LFC will end up with more managers than chelsea

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  21. One season a fair go catch yourself on

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  22. no they did,nt net outlay on players twenty three million that what there accounts said

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  23. When evaluating success and progress, surely winning and competing for trophies, a united dressing room and fan base and playing attractive football are the barometers used to measure it?  Did FSG just look at the league table and dismiss everything else as immaterial?
    I'm not a fan of Purslow but he like the majority of commentators in the last 24 hours are correct in saying Kenny Dalglish deserved more time. It is absolute madness to invest so much time and money into a project then scrapping it after only 12 months, are FSG taking advice from our shambolic government?

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  24. How long would you have given him?

    It's easy for you to say give him more time - It's not your money he's p*ssing away.

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  25. Without the success, I'd say we are heading more towards NUFC.

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  26. He still spent over £100m for 8th position, it don't matter which way you look at the books from. He was absolutely shocking King or no King, so go he must, thank god for that, no one wanted Woy to be given more time, so why should KK be any different???

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  27. This is a non-article, Purslow's comments are entirely consistant.  He said last week that the owners would look at the managerial situation dispassionately in investment terms.  Then, in the quote today he criticises the decision in investment terms.

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  28. ehi, Kenny used in large parte money generated form Liverpool Footbal Club. Carl Henry spent only £25ml.

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  29. FSG didn't spend £100ml of pounds: according to cut wages & players' sell, the net spend was far far far lesser than £100ml

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  30. Henry unfollowing Daglish on twitter immediately after sacking Him says a lot about Him as did His demeanor at Wembley, I dont trust the man, ruthless is one thing spiteful is another, not to mention breaking His word.
    are all Americans ecconomical with the truth. He best be careful, He only owns the assets we own it's Heart and soul. I have watched Liverpool for 50 years and never have we been robbed of so many points we deserved starting with Sunderland and a blatant sending off offence not given. 2 points,bad luck in our case was not an excuse it was a fact.

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  31. That story is false - Henry wasn't following Dalglish in the first place.

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  32. spot on.

    I do think that the moneyball approach could get some results within football. But what Kenny did was hardly moneyball, Adam and Downing. And Oxlade-Chamberlain, rather than Henderson, would have been the signing that would have been more appropriate. Downing, in particular, just is a complete flop, based on results, based on his age and based on his sell on value. The idea that he might improve after a season has been put about, but, at his age, you need players, for that price, who will get going straight away.

    I doubt, very much, that we will ever see Henderson or Adam playing in a Liverpool team that has reached the knock out stages of the champions league.

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  33. He would have given him until we were in league one or until fsg were bankrupt. Or until he is plastered, one or the other. or both.

    And, of course, it is not his money, but he doesn't care about that. Spending millions to show relegation form for 6 months is ok.

    When people talk about the millions Man City spent, they conveniently ignore the fact that City were around 14th or 15th a lot of the time, then moved up to mid table, where we are, and then, eventually, started getting into the top 6. We were well ahead of that and there was no reason to believe that we were a million miles behind Arsenal once they sold three of their best players. Chelsea sacked their manager and have had a lot of problems as well, and left us in their wake. And, worst of all, Newcastle used the money we gave them and rebuilt their team and, also, left us in their wake. But, according to some, all of this meant that we needed to give more time for more of the same, which would have seen us even lower down the table. We ended up level on points with Fulham. Once that happens, the project at LFC has to be abandoned. 

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  34. Yes, and in doing so, he has reduced the value of the squad. The money he spent oon certain players will not be recouped and no accountant worth his salt would value Downing at 20 million, or Henderson. Maybe not even Carroll. So the squad has probably lost 25 million on the balance sheet already.

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  35. that's a start, they are well ahead of us.

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  36. with worse players and, like us, no european football.

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  37. 100 million a year is a lot of money.

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  38. So, did you say that Voronin, N'gog, Cheyrou, Josemi were good enough, or have you always been right? Did you call for them to get more time? Its pointless using hindsight with two players and ignoring all the flops. Patience can be a virtue and, in the case of some players, it can be a waste of time. Skrtel still has more to prove and Lucas is good but is hardly going to win us the league. Neither are anywhere near irreplaceable. Would sooner have Gary Cahill and, say, Scott Parker, for example. And neither of them are world beaters either.

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  39. When Benitez was taken out, what did he say then? He could be blamed for accelerating our decline.

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  40. I agree, the blanking business at Wembley was a bit much, if it is not just how the pictures looked.

    Be careful when you start to generalise about people, the image of a Liverpool supporter would not be that good, over the years, if everyone did the same.

    Try exchanging his assets for your heart and soul and see how far you get.

    Bad luck, that is what our relegation form was down to?

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  41. The decline here started when Moores chose the Hicks and Gillet offer over the Dubai offer. Total madness and to think that, last weekend, it could have been us celebrating a league title.

    Regardless of how much KD is loved as a legend, he is not a top class modern day manager and was looking out of his depth in the modern game. Anyone who cannot see that is simply hanging on to the past.

    I think that Kenny probably put too much value on the worth of his apologist support and people saying that 'we are the heart and soul' of the club, and less value on his own words of 'no one is bigger than the club'. The fact that he could not see that the season had been a disappointment, despite what the owners said at the beginning of the season, and was trying to portray people as 'needing their heads tested' if they were disappointed, probably would not have made him too popular with the people who were picking up the tab.

    Bringing back Benitez will surely not happen, because the club have to contend with one set of loyalists, i doubt the owners will want another club legend holding them to ransom. it may seem like an easier option but i really hope that they don't go down that road.

    They've shown the apologist supporter that they mean business and they want results. I just hope they are prepared to back that up with a proper plan to compensate for the poor signings last summer. Once Gerrard starts to slow down further, we are in trouble if we haven't sorted out the team by then.

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  42. Yes it is but its kd who we are talking about....he is a legend and 100million is not too much....he deserves it...he should have been given the job for a least 5 yrs...

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  43. My friend, this term 'net spending' should only be used for stats compiling purposes. Individual player transaction should be judged on a case-by-case basis. Alonso: bought 10.5 mil pounds and sold between 30 mil pounds equals to good profit. SD: bought 20 mil pounds, contributed 0 goal and assist the whole season equals to bad investment, unless someone else is willing to spend 30 mil pounds to buy him from LFC, then this transaction will be deemed as having a good profit. However, it is highly unlikely since price of a player is determined by stats and performance on pitch. This is absolutely true in every business aspect of a football club, in fact it's the same for all businesses in the world. As for any expensive flop, either the manager is unable to bring out the best of the player or he simply overspent on a player with limited ability, then he must be deemed responsible. Cutting wages and players not needed by the club is the responsibility of every manager in football clubs. This should be done at the end of every season, not only when one is newly appointed. It is an outright fact that KD underachieved despite a huge investment in the last season so it's a 50-50 thing for FSG to terminate his service. I think it is purely based on performance point of view and nothing personal.

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  44. Shiny Metallic6:02 pm, May 17, 2012

    I didn't refer to N'gog, Josemi or Voronin. To of these were already old and either tiered or otherwise crab.

    I referred to Hendo, Andy And Downing. They will all come good, of given a bit more time And trust. Mini you, if Parker won't get ok, all three will play at The Euro '12 finals!

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  45. Game  over 
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18110974

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  46. This is so funny coming from you mate - all season long I've been looking at your comments calling for Dalglish to be sacked - now you're claiming you wanted him to be given til December? Last night we had Kanwar (who's engaged in a bile filled hate campaign against Dalglish all season) claiming he didn't want Dalglish to be sacked, he wanted him to 'resign'. Total muppetry. At least have the balls to stand by your position.

    I hope armchair supporters like you and Kanwar are happy now we're a rudderless ship and it looks like we'll be getting AVB (if reports on Talksport are to be believed). AVB the fantastic manager who within 3 months managed to create a players revolt at Chelsea and made the club a laughing stock. I doubt however that it will matter who we get -  by the middle of October people like you will be calling for his head.

    I fear we are now in a Blackburn situation with a bunch of chancers running the club with not the faintest clue about the game or our heritage. Notice also how Henry and Werner have gone completely quiet about the stadium rebuild? The reason why - it's never going to happen because they haven't got the money. We've got ourselves another Gillette and Hicks.

    Relegation in 2013 anyone?

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  47. Yes I agree there Mali mate, KD should of been given 5 years and 100m each year, then when he has spent 500m in 5 years and still not got in the Champions League then he should be sacked, sounds good business sense to me indeed

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  48. yes legends should get 100m a year

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  49. all 3 will be on the first plane home too

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  50. you cant blame everything on bad luck

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  51. Its not game over, its just the first of what will probably be a few meetings with a few candidates....

    Re the Purslow comments, i think Purslow will definitely be dissapointed with FSG's decision, i agree that it does seem a tad odd to back a man with a view to allowing him to rebuild the squad etc...and then when said manager tries to implement his vision based on a having a few years to do it....he gets sacked.

    IF there is a lack of consistency then it appears to be on the side of our owners tbh.

    Maybe Purslow also suspects that they might also be considering rafa....which if thats the case then he would naturally be pissed...

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  52. I think owners should have given Kenny another season, they must never have really wanted him to succeed one feels. How was he allowed to deal with Suarez issue alone? Disgrace

    I remember this feeling, when Fowler left......

    The match going fans worship Kenny, they hadn't the bottle to do this when a real protest could have happened during the season

    Not sure who we'll get...... Klopp seems good on paper, Rogers would be my favoured option at the moment from the realistic ones out there

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  53. Is that you taking the piss out of his accent because you're American or are you saying he never gave a clear answer? 


    Face it, we did play well a lot of the time. He brought back pass and move (although the concept of pass was lost on players like Spearing) and was in a position to take the club forward. 

    Unfortunately that door has now closed, and whoever comes in next, be in Rafa, Martinez or fucking Tony Blair, I'll fully support them... And I hope other fans do to.

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  54. This net outlay business does not make sense because judging from many protestations, its like Kenny was given £23mln to go and spend when the reality was the club signed cheques to the tune of over £100mln.

    Most of the incoming that gets fans talking about the low net spend was mainly due to the Torres £50mln bounty but when you consider Torres cost Liverpool £22mln so there may have been a profit of £28mln booked but it is conveniently forgotten Babel cost £11 but was sold for £5mln at the same time.

    Fans talk about net spend as if our book-keeping started when Kenny took over when in fact costs associated with his sales may already have been booked or will be booked after he has left hence would not be attributable in the period Kenny was manager.
    These are aspects such as Liverpool under Kenny was looking to offload Aquilani bought for £17mln at only £5mln and would this £12mln write down in value negatively affect Kenny's net spend figure?

    Under Kenny only Ngog and Torres went for a profit while Meireles broke even which means many fans are sorely mistaken that any figure that comes in should be regarded as profit when the club may already have been depreciating the player value in their books well before they are sold.

    Kenny was not in the job long enough to make the net figure his own work but no one can ague he got players he asked for costing the club over £100mln. 
    There can be no hiding the fact he got the club to spend over £100mln on players that can barely be worth over £90mln combined right now unless they look to offload someone like Suarez at an inflated figure that compensates for the other losses.
    This could also be a reason why Kenny at one point wanted to claim playing a role in sponsorship deals so it could help his net spend figure even though he took over when Standard Chartered was already on board and the Warriors deal had already been agreed and  was common knowledge among the fans.

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  55. kopitefromkali8:22 pm, May 17, 2012

    @Istanbulwin. Finally! Someone with sense! Our owners only care about the investment, not the condition of the club we all love! Once again if you don't love this sport, THANKS BUT NO YANKS running our club!

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  56. Wilson Michaelpaul9:02 pm, May 17, 2012

    a bit heavy on the sarcasm there mate - still though some here seem to think your serious , the scary thing is that over on RAWK theres fans who actually believe KD would of had us challenging for the league next season if given the money and the time.

    100 mill per year for 5 years is beyond delusional even by thier standards though .

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  57. on what grounds have you refused to print my comment earlier?

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  58. Not sure he was on about 'net spend', more like 'player expenditure'

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  59. about time i hear a supporter ACTUALLY support the club for what it is... I hope you also support the team and owners, no matter how good or bad things go... thats what true support, and brings in unity from divided groups... thats what KK did after the crap with the previous owners and after Roy's tenure... if only all the nay sayers and haters could see that... well said D...

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  60. dont know, but i would like to know the same with my comment??? now i want to know what happened to the heading and the scathing attack???

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  61. Well bloody said mate spot on Deebo.

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  62. Tarwikmakamure7:56 am, May 18, 2012

    wat is bizzare abt sucking some1 who has produced the waste league results of all for the past 20yrs or so.

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  63. doesnt he play for Wolves

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  64. There seem to be 2 different conversations going on when people talk about this.

    If you are talking about what the manager spent on buying players then you are right, he spent what he spent regardless of any net considerations and I'll agree with you up to there. But then when someone wants to talk about what the owners have invested its a different topic. When someone says something like: "FSG spent 300m on the club and 120m on players..." then its simply not accurate.

    The whole debate which somehow still continues to rage on is based on flawed logic.

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  65. You got my point exactly as I intended by probably making it clearer than I did that Its folly to look at £100million+ spent as working out to be something a little more than £23million.
    As you said, Kenny was supported to the tune of over £100million on players he desired and the owners facilitated this by having books balanced.
     
    The balancing of books was done by selling Torres and Meireles who wanted to go and also Babel , Ngog and Konchesky who were considered surplus to requirements by Kenny.
    If Kenny cited this net spend and that he was also forced from above to sell players or denied players he wanted it becomes a totally different issue.

    As it stands, there was harmony on both sides in getting what they wanted though it ultimately did not work out.

    Kenny went on to show class by foregoing his severance package which means there is a lot of dignity within the club but 24 hour news and the internet seems to want to twist everything into a negative.
    For example FSG rightly wants to interview many managers to find the suitable one who they have chemistry with but the media paints this as shambolic and not knowing what they want.

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  66. Daniel Warwick1:26 pm, May 20, 2012

    Did you support LFC when Roy was in charge?

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