With last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal marking Liverpool’s worst league start since 1962, I’m sure a number of Reds fans are quite relieved to see the international break.
It may only be our fourth Premier League game of the season, but with just one point from our first three league games, our fixture away to Sunderland next Saturday has a “must win” feel about it… especially since we’re due to play Manchester United the following weekend.
However, despite the club’s poor start to the season and a disappointing transfer window that left us all frustrated, we must not panic! Below are five reasons why.
We Still Have Our Best Players
I thought it was a mistake to loan Andy Carroll out to West Ham even before we failed to sign a replacement for the big man on transfer deadline day. I was also sad to see Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Craig Bellamy – three players I think highly of – leave the club. However Kuyt, Rodriguez and Bellamy were squad players and Brendan Rodgers made it clear that Carroll was his third-choice striker.
So while it is always sad to see players who are fan favourites depart, it is far more important that football clubs hold onto their best players and Liverpool did just that this summer. Luis Suarez signed a new long-term contract this summer, Steven Gerrard did the same in January and after speculation linked Daniel Agger with Manchester City, the great Dane made it clear that he wanted to stay at Liverpool.I would be far more concerned about our start to the season if we didn’t still have Gerrard, Suarez and Agger, but with those three at the heart of the team, I’m confident we can turn things around.
Promising Youth Prospects Suggest A Brighter Future
There have been a lot of negatives already this season, but undoubtedly the biggest positive so far has been the performances of Raheem Sterling. Though we should not expect too much of the 17-year-old too soon, it is good to see a talented youngster break into the first-team setup.
Jonjo Shelvey has also started the season well and with Liverpool competing in four different competitions this year, I’m sure a number of other promising young players will get their chance in the starting XI. The playing time youngsters such as Suso, Adam Morgan and Jack Robinson are likely to get will aid their development greatly and so even if our disappointing start to the season continues, at least we can be optimistic about the future.
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FSG Have Improved the Club’s Finances
Pointing out that the Fenway Sports Group have improved Liverpool’s finances is a bitter pill to swallow for Reds fans still angry about the club’s failure to sign Clint Dempsey on transfer deadline day. But given the mountain of debt the club was under when John W Henry and Tom Werner bought Liverpool from George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks, we should be grateful that our current owners are more conscious of ensuring the club is self-sustaining. As pointed out in John Henry’s open letter to the club’s fans, Liverpool FC is in a healthier position today than it was when FSG bought the club two years ago. Our wage bill has been reduced and our commercial revenue has increased – a combination Henry says “will give us greater spending power in the coming years”.
If we put our faith in FSG and remember that they sanctioned over £100m worth of player transfers in the 2011 January and summer transfer windows, we can be hopeful that we won’t see another transfer window where the squad appears to have been weakened rather than strengthened. If Liverpool FC was still owned by Gillett and Hicks, there is a good chance the club would have gone the way of Rangers or Portsmouth by now. Personally, I’d rather wait a little longer to see Champions League football at Anfield again than see the club come as close to going into administration as it was in October 2010.
The Season Is Far From Over
This one seems a little obvious, but we shouldn’t be panicking about the season when it’s only just begun! One point from three games is far from ideal, but we knew as soon as the fixture list was released that Liverpool would be in for a tough start to the Premier League campaign.
Playing the top three teams in the first five games of the season would be difficult for any team and we should only start to panic if performances and results like the 3-0 defeat to West Brom occur more regularly. In the 2-2 draw against Man City, Liverpool showed their potential, whereas in the defeat to Arsenal we showed how much we have to learn.
There are 35 Premier League games remaining and a lot can change between now and then. Right now, the only way is up; there is no reason to panic just yet.
The Team Needs Our Support
This is perhaps the most important reason why we shouldn’t panic – because the team needs our support. Both Rodgers and FSG have talked about a long-term plan and after the mistakes made by Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli last season, this may well turn out to be a season of transition for Liverpool. There are also the mistakes of previous regimes, which Henry noted in his open letter that FSG “are still in the process of reversing”.
So Rodgers, the team and the owners require a little patience on our part. They all believe we are making progress, but if the fans turn on the club, any progress we have made may come undone. So don’t panic – walk on!
Most supporters didn’t want Dempsey and agreed with the owners that he was too old for the price Fulham wanted, then they started accusing us of tapping up. No way FSG would deal after that.
its not that liverpool fans didnt want dempsey . its that liverpool fans want top class players not average ones like dempsey ,assaidi and borini .
but that would mean spending proper money which FSG are clearly not willing to do
The British press like to drum this ‘Crisis’ headline about Liverpool at every opportunity (whereas Spurs, who are only 1 point better of, played far far easier fixtures and played poorly in all three seem immune from criticism from the press) but, anyway, since when was outplaying the Champions, playing them off the park, resulting in their best player Yaya Toure stating it was the hardest game he’s played since joining City, followed by a defeat to last seasons 3rd place team who are the best passing team in the country and will rarley lose to a team who are trying to out pass them a crisis?? Even that West Brom game could’ve been won in that first half. End of the day, it will take our players time to adapt and become comfortable with Rodger’s style and philosophy, and mistakes will happen during these early ‘teething’ days (eg: Skrtel usually would have belted the ball up the pitch v City & West Brom, but has it in his mind ”we must keep posession” and makes a mistake….these will be ironed out in time) That team performance V City is a hint of how this LFC team and Rodgers can perform this season, and that perfomance will be achieved more consistant and be a regular occurance as the season progresses.
good one.
Well said!
FSG didn’t fund 100 million on players, we sold Torres for 50 million that money and the sale of Babel was used to buy Carrol and Suarez , people seem to forget that part.
what you tend to forget is that alot of owners would have kept most of the Torres/Babel money but they didnt.
true actually they only spent about 20 million
If we compare FSG to the Glazers, the Glazers seem like angels, don’t they?
A lot had been said about them piling on the debts at Manure but people seems to forget the psend when needed to and had been supportive of the manager (eg. RVP). They remain competitive despite the gloom and doom scenario, challenging for the title year in year out. Manure did not go the way of Rangers, as many had predicted. In fact they are going from strength to strength.
Compared that to us, yes FSG had cleared the debt but during this time, net spend had only been 20 mill, we have got no stadium, our team is actually weaker now, we are far, far away from even challenging 4th let alone the title like Manure, mid table teams had caught up with us. We have no debt but no success, no new stadium either.
Also do not forget that this is a owner who actuall said publicly that they had spend a lot and would continue to spend more on their baseball team. Clearly FSG does not have the resources and the focus to invest in LFC.
Which owners you would rather have?
I can’t take you seriously at all! You are actually suggesting that the Glazers are the kind of people we should have in charge?? Do me a favour! Whether we like it or not, United in the 90’s were extremely well run on and off the pitch and became a cash cow. The glazers came in and saddled it with an unbelievable amount of debt and use the club to secure loans to pay off other bad debts they have! They sold their best player for a world record fee and used the money to pay interest! Whether we like him or not Ferguson has proved to be a very successful manager who has gotten the best out of a squad of players that really have in recent years overachieved, had it not been for this and had their performances slipped and they dropped out of the champions league they would be in trouble!
I’m not suggesting for a second that FSG are perfect and without fault but I would rather be in the conference than have the club owned and run by the glazers thank you very much
Not many do take him seriously, Tim. He only shows up on here to moan and spout negativity. You won’t see Chan for dust after a good performance/result…
I have seen him comment on some I my articles too! You just have to hope he isn’t 100% serious! Haha
FSG should be given a fair opportunity to build success at Liverpool. Let’s face it, we could have been in administration by now. It ll take more than one over-hyped deadline day for me to turn on them. Hopefully they will get the results they deserve soon. Balancing the books is a vital part of the modern game, and a little bit of patience will bring the league title home
You need to spend serious money to win trophies. Look at every top club for proof of that. Fsg are not willing to do that despite what they say. They claim to be here not to make money. Are they serious or do they think we are stupid? Let’s face it Fgs are here to take advantage of huge potential revenue streams from tv etc. Good bye success hello American smoke and mirrors.
If its only about spending serious money wot is the point having a manager for? Just get the groundsman to pick the team…..
I clearly said you ” Only” need to spend serious money…oh wait..please respond to what is actually written rather than what suits your argument. Alternatively, learn to read.
Liverpool (FSG) got a lot of money for Torres and others,which they then gave straight to the then manager to spend, and got well and truly burnt… I guess you reckon they should keep doing the same until we nearly go bust again?
Why is everyone bleating on about the Arsenal defeat? Do u not remember that we were down to 10 men!!!
i do not know why is worrying about karoll,and other stupid stuff,i saw saidi in holland playing.a really good player better than torres twice.a winger that scores 20 goals average. it does not happen every day. you got to be lucky to have player like that.he will be good playing close to suarez.can increase suarez scoring by 40% more.
Guys,lets get behinds our Liverpool,lets encurage the lads and our boss,better days lie ahead,’Never Walk Alone’
Here! Here!
We sold Torres, Babel, this, that.. Fact is FSG could have pocked that money and they didnt, they backed Kenny who wasnt clearly their selection, KD was OUR selection.
I would give them time, they saved us from disaster and yet here you are slating them.
We have a much more stable club, that will sustain itself, a phrase that we have not seen related to our club for a looong time.
i m fun of liverpool since i was seven.the best time of my life.a great goal keeper from south africa.and great attack with rush the best for ever