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View from the Kop

FSG Deserve Benefit of the Doubt During This Rocky Road

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THREE league games in and the hysterical reactionists are circling the club with a taste for blood. A mediocre start yielding a solitary point from a possible 9, a thin squad minus a front man of prolific calibre and an owner who apparently let down the manager in his quest for a front man during the dying embers of the increasingly desperate final day of the transfer window.

I can understand the disappointment of my fellow Reds after Andy Carroll’s departure and the aftermath of failing to bag a replacement.

But lessons have had to be learned from previous expensive mistakes. I believe the owners are fed up with the value of our targets increasing massively when our interest comes apparent. The smell of desperation in boardrooms all over the country is potent on August 31st and this is why, although I don’t condone them leaving us a striker short, I admire their stance of not being held to ransom by Mohammed Al Fayed for Clint Dempsey (who despite being a quality footballer has little sell-on potential). We should not forget how perilous our financial position was when FSG bought the club some 22 months ago – doing a ‘Rangers’ wasn’t a fallacy, it was frighteningly close to a reality.

The impatience we have had over the last few years with managers has caused this great club to drift aimlessly, but the one thing we need is a vision; financial solvency is the backbone to achieving this vision which will take time. We need to adjust our sights for the time being, nobody ever said getting to where you want to will be is easy. The foundations are what John Henry is looking at right now. We have already been down the route of attempting to buy the cream of young British talent, with sell-on potential (according to Comolli). The key is to change the culture of the place – this took Alex Ferguson years to achieve but a dynasty was created.

The owner felt compelled to pen an open letter to the fans after our 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal, reiterating that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. There will be hard times ahead but we need to stay level headed and restrained in the face of perceived set-backs.

“We will never place this club in the precarious position that we found it in when we took over at Anfield. This club should never again run up debts that threaten its existence.

“Most of all, we want to win. That ambition drives every decision. It is the Liverpool way. We can and will generate the revenues to achieve that aim. There will be short-term setbacks from time to time, but we believe we have the right people in place to bring more glory to Anfield.”

It is becoming more apparent that the club is now being run in a more financially sound way which was of course a necessity after last year’s recklessness in the transfer market. This will probably mean we may have to wait a while longer before the real signal of progression is set in motion – a new stadium. Yes they will invest but it’s all well and good having a splurge, but there needs to be thought and structure behind it, we cannot underestimate how handicapped we are with the lack of Champions League football in regards to finance and attracting the type of player whom we crave.

What the owners need to realise is that we cannot keep bring in players of middling quality when long term proper investment is needed, this does not mean purchasing a galaxy of stars who’s wages alone would get them into Forbes magazine, no, a radical overhaul of our scouting system and our Academy which after a long barren spell is finally starting to churn out players worthy of the shirt, this needs to be built on and I am sure that this is part of their long term vision.

So let them build our great club upwards and let’s get behind them from top to bottom. It will be a rocky road but they are not working towards short-term, there’s is the long game.

As always your input is appreciated.
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I've been following the Reds ever since I set eyes on the majestic sight that is the Kop in full voice with flags aloft, albeit from the television with my dad as a 5 year old in my hometown of Dublin! He would tell me about the Irish contingent, the likes of Heighway, Whelan, Beglin and Houghton, he is a Leeds fan due to his hero Johnny Giles but I had to go against the grain on this one, his 3 year old grandson will not be afforded the same opportunity!
I completed a Higher National Diploma in Print Journalism back in Dublin where I briefly worked for the Irish Independent on a placement, covering Rugby, obituaries (including the great John Charles) and some sub editing. I then made the short journey to Liverpool, where I currently reside to undertake International Journalism at John Moores University. Some will say that over the years I have picked up a Jan Molbyesque native twang but I'm not so sure!
I was also lucky enough to have worked for the socialist publication "Morning Star" covering the Reds at Anfield which allowed me gain access to the press box and press conferences, I covered about 10 games and loved every minute of it!
I am excited to be joining the team at live4liverpool.com. From what I have seen so far the standard of articles have been first class, I hope to contribute to this by publishing pieces which create opinion and debate.

14 comments

  • erin says:

    I agree, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. I argued before that Liverpool does not need a sugar daddy to compete with anyone. This is a club with a 240 million pounds turnover and a wage bill that was over 135 million pounds. Only Chelsea, Man U and City paid more than we did.
    It is simply put, the worse club run in the top fight.
    Some reports put the estimate to 25 million pounds of wages saved this season. With Jo Cole’s 5 million a year that need to come off, you are looking at a saving of 30 million on wages alone.
    The owners have increased commercial revenues, PL revenues have gone up and by next season Liverpool will probably post a profit of 40 million pounds.
    All that needs to happen, is to invest that money carefully on two to 3 players and so on every year. Before long, we will get there.
    It simply had to be done. Remember, the club has spent millions on wages for Jo Cole and co. How many points did that add to the table?
    Mr Henry, please turn the club into a commercial machine and ignore the idiots who think money grow on trees.
    It is the only way we can go back to the top. Liverpool needs to be aggressive in the transfer market and not pay anything other clubs ask for….behave like Mr nice guy. 20 million for downing? Kenny,” a wee bit expensive but ok.” what a f@ck! How about, saying NO and moving on to the next target.
    We are seeing Shelvey stepping up to first team and Sterling as well. Lets build for the future.
    What we do in the next 3 months will shape up the club for years to come.
    patience people.
    YNWA

  • Oms says:

    Agree 100%, however we must keep Rodgers for atleast 5 years, if its still not working out then maybe let him go

    • erin says:

      not keen on those 5 year plans. Got to evaluate him pretty much every season. If he starts spending on average, overpriced PL players….alarm bells should ring.
      I give him the benefit of the doubt.

    • Chan says:

      5 years, hmm, that is if we are still in the Prem and not relegated.

  • howard says:

    If Rodgers thinks he only has to keep the owners happy like Hodgson he will go the same way.
    Liverpool suporters have forotten more about the passing game that Brendon will ever know, goals win games and trophies, Rafa came with a weak squad loads of injuries etc never moaned worked wonders – 3 games in and it’s dont panic, well they better take it seriously were in trouble now, a fit on form Suarez is our only chance.

  • howard says:

    5 years if they had given kenny two we would have been in the champions league even with his stupid over priced buys, I was full of confidence now I am full of intrepidation, panicked know nothing owners making footballing decisions and a clockwork mouse manager – goals goals goals we need not ten midfielders.

  • James says:

    To much concern with sell on value!If a player is 28 plus can help bring success he shouldn’t be passed over just because of his age but of cause we shouldn’t pay over the odds and £6 million for a play that could give us 3 to 4 years isn’t over the top especially with Gerrard being 32. Dempsey was wanted because of the loss of Kuyt,Maxi and Bellamy players with experience which Rodgers wanted to replace.

    • Scottypool says:

      Yes…I am a fan of Rodgers and never really wanted Kenny to come back in the first place. I love Kenny, but I felt his tactics were too outdated. The Dempsey scenario left me scratching my head. If they’d paid the price for him, they would have made that money back in a week from Dempsey’s shirt sales in America. He’s the biggest football star over here. Buying Dempsey should have been a no-brainer.

  • LFC_Fan says:

    The way team played against gunners, despite the loss, me actually was quite happy. It’s a new forming team, without Lucas played really well. They were beaten by the scoring skill of opposition. Yes it’s the goal that matters all, but had we managed to convert one of ours or could have scored first, it would have been a different game.

    After both sexagenarians failed, I was looking for a young & hungry Manager like BR (Though I would have loved someone from mainland Europe, but Rogers’ football philosophy is more Iberian or Mediterranean than English).

    Regarding transfers, BR goofed up in his words, rather in action – regardless of a new striker or not, donkey Carroll was must to go & agree. It would have been better, had we got a new striker to replace AC, but even then, I am happy that someone unworthy is not licking 85K/week. I don’t think that 35mn donkey would have out performed Yasil, Suso, Morgan or even Pacheco – utter wastage of bench space when you are looking to play the ball.

    What FSG is doing now is the result of KD howlers. The soccer ignorant Yanks trusted KD & he blew 100mn (LFC valued Dempsey around 4-5mn & offered Henderson+cash for him & KD paid 16mn for that garbage). Apart from the transfer losses, they had to pay around 50mn for an imaginary stadium, compensation for 2 out going & 1 incoming Managers & huge agent commission to off-load some unworthily paid players; in total another 75-80mn I guess.

    BR is going in right direction – hasn’t sold any of his marque players but hasn’t overpaid desperately. He is trying to make the academy meaningful & after over a decade, we have starters coming from academy (last 4 managers hardly tried). He reminds me of a certain Scotsman, who went to Salford at similar age & took 7 years to win his first trophy.

    It ‘ll take at least a season for any magician to transform the playing style. KD knew the same ugly sky-hoof style of Woy & yet after spending so much, we finished at 8th. I am ready to give BR 2 seasons, come 2014-15, we should be financially sound, a very good & young team playing attractive brand of proper football – we can add 2/3 top class players & for the next decade can dominate the game. BR can stay with us for long, long, really long time.

  • Scouseroo says:

    Bring back rafa !

  • Chan says:

    Is this the same owners who after refusing to pay 6 million for Clint “29 years old with no sell on value but scored 23 times in the league last season” Dempsey and went on to issue a statement that they are one of the biggest spenders in the baseball league and would continue to spend big on their baseball club but not 6 mill on a proven goal scorer?

    As for BR, lets face it, he is only here because he is meek and not question the owners after he was back stabed by them and put our club in such positiobn. The only consolation is BR is much much better when compared to the hopeless clown that is KD (20 mill for a non goal scoring and non assist winger anyone?)

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