Larry Lucchino
It’s been a great week. Capped off with an awful Sunday afternoon; there’ll be Blues calling in sick tomorrow, that’s for sure. No doubt Reds too, just for entirely different reasons. It doesn’t all have to be so dark and gloomy though, there are reasons to be cheerful. Honest..
NESV followed through on Friday, with something we were all probably beginning to imagine would never happen: they bought LFC, and they simultaneously managed to screw over the other Americans in the process. You couldn’t have asked for more! However, given the wide and varied make-up of the New England grouping, we may well have a set of new owners here that invests for the long-term, and has a genuine desire for the club to succeed in the future, rather than just the ‘right now’. And while it may sound typically optimistic (or typically, pathetically hopeful, depending on your viewpoint) of a long-suffering Liverpool fan to say these days: we may actually have some genuine business-oriented men on our hands, rather than a couple of short-term cowboys.
The most notable of these is the man who has been in the press all week long: John W Henry. His net worth is estimated at around $3.4 billion dollars by Forbes, or around £2.2 billion. And while a lot of this is obviously swallowed up as assets and investments, he is not short of a bit of loose change. In that sense, he automatically seems a bit more promising than the previous two ‘owners’. Not only this though, Henry is a self-made man; not born into money, so the value of money and making investments will not be lost on him. Nor will the concept – seemingly alien to a lot of sports ‘franchise’ owners these days – of investing for the future, or investing with a view to increasing profit margins in the future, as he has made the majority of his fortune in predicting market trends and financial ‘futures’. In a lot of ways, this is not a man that is averse to making bold decisions and taking risks. But perhaps most importantly, he is a sports man, as evidence by the fact that NESV is a group of partners created to invest in and improve (and ultimately, profit from) sports teams and assets.
Henry aside, there are 15 other partners in NESV. One of the more interesting of these being the New York Times Company, who have total assets to the sum of $3.09 billion, or around £2 billion. NYT owns around 24 newspapers across the United States, and while it is one of the minority shareholders in the Red Sox (and you can assume, also in LFC), they are certainly one of the more financially ‘endowed’. But being one of the most respected national newspapers in the world (with a powerful reputation stretching back to 1851), with over 11,000 employees and an annual revenue of around £1.5 billion, it is reassuring that they are a leading partner in the New England group and that there are more ‘partners’ than just Henry with a great deal of financial clout.
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The difference between EPL and American sports is that there is no relegation in America. Even in the MLS, the team who coems bottom doesnt go anywhere.
Thats why they can nurture young talent and get away with it, because if they lose it doesnt really matter.
Another difference is not one of these guys knows anything about football (Soccer in their case).
What they should do is get Football people involved in the club. If it means talking to guys like King Kenny etc then so be it.
I think what they need to do is rebuild the team entirely. There is a lot of disillusionment at the moment. Not a lot of players are fulfilling their potential.
Its easier to sack the manager and as the squad is demoralised, then a new coach might bring fresh impetus into a season which is close to burning out and its not even November yet.
Out goes – Konchesky, Kyri, Poulsen, Lucas, Gerrard and Torres (did he really say those two??)
In comes – Warnock, Taylor (newc), Parker, Kaka, Podolski and Klose.
Im pretty sure we could convince Jose to swap Gerrard. And then Use the money for Torres we get to fund the rest of that deal plus buying Podolski and Klose.
Konchesky for Warnock is a straight swap, the money we get for Poulsen and Lucas could be used to get Parker.
@Karim – Your’re right these guys no nothing about football but the way I feel at the moment, the current manager and coaching staff no nothing about football either. Warnock and Parker – oh please! I’m still getting over the shock of Konchesky.
Great research, but I’d like to think that your assumption that Lucchino may consider taking up the CEO post at Liverpool is far fetched. As you point out yourself, he is the CEO in Boston and heavily involved. I simply don’t get your conclusion there.
@Karim – this is not Football manager, this is real football we are talking about. Signing has beens like Podolski and Klose won’t get us anywhere. Kaka won’t play for Liverpool in the foreseeable future, I can guarantee you that.
karim you are dillusional, warnock wouldnt come back nor would we want him hes awful, and parker is with the hammers for life. kaka???? wise up..
anteater – as the writer said Lucchino was part of the deal submitted by NESV and passed by the Premier League so one would presume he will play some active role.
Joe, and give up his post at the Red Sox? No wonder some of their fans didn’t welcome NESV buying us. Anyway, I don’t think that will happen. They’ll rather find some football people and put them in place.
And the other 14 stakeholders of NESV weren’t put forward, Joe? Is there any chance to have a look at those papers put forward to the PL?
anteater – as it says here “according to Forbes’ website”. I’ve just read it mate – says “could restoring Anfield be Larry Lucchino’s next project”
Have heard Keith Edelman is to be appointed as CEO to oversee the construction/(hopefully)redevelopment of the stadium.
As some you say they may know little about football but they will get the brightest they can get around them, and a smart business brain will succeed in any sport.
daboy – let’s hope that’s the case and they sack Roy tomorrow!
i think a new stadium is a must!!! we could get at least 100m for naming rights.. over 10-15 years.. and we need to improve transport links to the ground!! so it holds over 70,000 people.. a new kop is a must of 17-20,000 people.. they need to come in and spend big but not just pay over the odds for a player.. but we have a very weak team and manger at the min.. back to the stadium it can pay for its self over the years.. and new ground a new start.. we live on the past!! forget the past!! new owners a new start!! lets back the new people who own us!! and show them what L.F.C is all about.. we all know what we want to win the P.L !! it takes money to do that and a ground that holds 45,000-60,000 dont do that..
Thick Scousers, get a grip, you were great now your not and never will be again, DEAL WITH IT!
FIRST CLASS PRAT
Knob!!!
and one other thing 30m only buys one or two players.. we need a few good players sick of us buying 10-15m pound players who are all the same and dont take us forward.. as a huge L.F.C fan.. a message to the owners PLEASE TAKE THIS CLUB BACK TO THE VERY TOP..
also on forbes website was this story…. which is kinda worrying no? imagine if they build a new stadium having a pitch with a track around it…. pitch would be too far to generate atmosphere!! “NASCAR’s one success in the land of F1: a short track banked oval at Warneton Speedway in Belgium near the French border. NESV owns half of NASCAR racing team Roush Fenway Racing and Liverpool’s home, Anfield stadium, is a perfect setting for a short oval track. NESV’s boss, John Henry, also controls the New England Sports Network, which could make some extra coin televising the races. More important for NASCAR, if Henry is successful with stock car racing at Anfield, other soccer clubs would follow suit.”
JASON… we will always be a great club!! worry about your own club and not L.F.C!! i would like a VOTE WHO WANTS A NEW GROUND OVER 70,000 PEOPLE SO ALL THEM PEOPLE ON THE SEASON TICKET WAITTING LIST CAN GET TO THE GAME!!
NEW GROUND WOULD OFFER SO MUCH MORE…
YES
OR
NO?