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Do FSG plan to turn LFC into a feeder club?

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Henry and Werner have been criticized heavily in the past 6 months for the way the club has recruited

Henry and Werner have been criticized heavily in the past 6 months for the way the club has recruited

Many Liverpool fans had a ‘comprehensive plan’ of their own. It involved sacking Rodgers, getting Rafael Benitez before Madrid pounced. Now it’s not happening and I, for one, have got 100% behind LFC & Mr Rodgers. Liverpool fan’s are hoping FSG ‘s ‘comprehensive plan’ involves buying players who are world class now, used in best positions this season to enable the team to win trophies this campaign. Fans have lost their patience on mass; they expect and demand to see Liverpool trying to win every game. It’s the ethos of the great club but seems to be lost when we look at transfer policy.

Fans keep hearing simple, logical statements about what kind of players teams who compete can attract and those who don’t compete attract. With no disrespect to Sunderland or Villa (or any other team who stayed up the skin of their teeth) they don’t expect to prise away players from Arsenal, Everton, Man Utd or Chelsea’s grasp. Teams who genuinely challenge for titles must be more attractive to players looking at a change during the transfer window. Teams playing in the Champions League must be more attractive.

We’ve all heard statements on the lure of living in London and how it must be more attractive to players from abroad who think England is the capital of London. Therefore, they say in demand players will not move to the grim north, the suggestion is you can forget about Europe’s sun soaked best being interested in grey raining days past the Watford gap.

I innocently, gullibly believed all this defeatist nonsense to be a universal truth. I believed challenging, competing in the Champions League would encourage better players to join or at least you’d lose them to other similarly or better placed clubs. I believed being in London would mean players are more likely to want to live and work there.

Last year LFC bought Super Mario Balotelli and Ricky Lambert to replace Suarez. I don’t have a degree in sports science and I am no football savant but I felt LFC hadn’t quite filled the chasm; the moon sized crater, the black dark depressing hole left in the squad. During the same time Manchester United (who, like Manchester City, are not based in London) bought Angel Di Maria and signed Radamel Falcao on a season long loan. Just looking at the signings, if you were asked which team was not playing in Europe and who was in the Champions League, you’re unlikely to get it right.

Manchester United had ambition and ‘splashed the cash’ on recognised talent. £57 million on Angel Di Maria and £16-28million on a loan for Falcao, amongst other large signings. Liverpool FC didn’t have real unbridled ambition and bought Ricky, Balotelli and some young relatively unknowns as well as Lovren and Lallana.

Fans were told about the age of the players, the potential, and were somehow convinced how sought after they were. They were pleased with rumours a young player had turned down being a Chelsea bench warmer (or like many young Chelsea players, being loaned out) to join us for £20million. Whoopee! (If there’s any risk someone misses the sarcasm… just to be clear, I’m being sarcastic.)

Neither Balotelli nor Ricky lived up to any potential and Lallana had too few moments of quality to make it count. (Lovren, I refuse to think about or comment on to avoid issues with blood pressure). It was too much to ask or expect the trio to actually make up for Suarez’s departure. In my opinion Mario Balotelli was not wanted by Rodgers and not given a chance, but like many fans at the time I celebrated his arrival as hope was in abundance. After all, LFC nearly won the league the season before last.

Fans wanted to be convinced that this policy of ‘buy young and improve’ was going to work; the idea we knew something the other clubs didn’t was and is fictional, looking back fans were silly to think it plausible. That wanting to, needing to, believe FSG were right, well it’s called ‘good will’ and there’s not much of that left.

As well a lack of goodwill there is also a lack of belief in FSG. It’s my understanding that fans do not completely trust them any more. Also, no longer in existence is LFC’s status as a top European team, it’s officially over – LFC are 2nd class citizens. Look at the seeding for the Europa league! Do FSG understand how important European Football is to LFC’s identity? If so, how could they allow this to happen?

When players move it’s not about last season. It’s not about: are you in Europe this season. It’s about ambition. It’s about money talking. It’s about what are you trying to do this season not over then next five years. It’s my view that players will play for LFC without Champions League football or London life, just as long as FSG pull their finger out and spend some money to get quality players (plural) into the squad.

Show ambition. Buy a few expensive, proven, great (really, really good will do) players who vastly improve the team now. The bargain basement experiments are not going to cut it any more. (In saying that, well done on the acquisition of Milner, not the icing on the cake but a key ingredient in the grand scheme if there is a good ‘comprehensive plan’.)

Rodgers has struggled to attract top players and has overseen Luis Suarez's departure already

Rodgers has struggled to attract top players and has overseen Luis Suarez’s departure already, whilst Sterling will probably be next

Liverpool Football Club – and FSG – had a net spend of around £30 million to get ready for a Champions League season. In my view that’s incredibly deficient and based on how last season went, it would seem that I’m right.

Quoting how much you spend and ignoring how much you get back in sales is, in my opinion, the height of stupidity. It’s just pathetic. It’s a cheap way to mask a cheap owner’s inability to put their money where their mouth once was. They’ve been far too quiet recently. Mr John W Henry hasn’t issued any statements of note. I hope it’s out of shame and embarrassment. Regardless, actions will always speak louder than words.

Liverpool FC fans bought into this buy young ‘Moneyball’ nonsense. Yes, I said ‘nonsense’ because, in my view, it completely ignores the here and now. I swallowed it hook, line and sinker. I’m not getting any younger. Mr Rodgers doesn’t have a decade of good will to live off. Let’s be honest, in my opinion, he’s got ’til Christmas. Klopp will be ready for work by then, Ancelotti’s tingling hands will be cured and his feet will be twitchy and itching to get back to what he does best. I would love to see him at Liverpool FC in a year, unless Mr Rodgers has actually won the league.

LFC are a great club, our fans stand by their team and managers. People are held dear to fans’ hearts forever (apart from Souness, as manager, and Woy but that’s more than fair). Mr Rodgers has done his reputation so much damage with the end of season collapse. So much of his good work is now tainted. Ancelotti (my first choice.. if Rafa’s busy) or Klopp will bask in the glow of appreciation of effort, in return for not playing and buying rubbish. Not winning the league 12 months ago made Rodgers a super star.. but then, maybe that’s the problem.

In my view ambitions are too low. It was LFC’s for the taking and a poor collapse during the key final games cost them dear; the inquest was due then. Mr Rodgers needs to have learned a lesson from Jose: play to win the league; the war, not the battle. Get some silverware. Please, Mr Rodgers, be intelligent and humble enough to learn from the best. I believe if Jose needed a draw last year then his team would have got a draw and gone on to win the league.
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An armchair fan who loves the stadium experience but likes the bread and butter of replays, moronic pundits, a drink in a pub atmosphere. LFC is my religion.

Common sense is missing from football but the situation is always complicated so I endeavour to give opinion and encourage discussion and thought about LFC.

20 comments

  • Bisrat says:

    I have been saying this all season, the worst thing happened to Liverpool is being owned by the previous and the current non ambitious money grabbing Americans!!

  • Lee says:

    Yes United spent millions on recognised players but both were shit.

    Unfortunately most of the people moaning about LFC not signing superstars are the same idiots who have never watched a game live and are basing their own transfer policy on Chsmp Manager or FIFA video games.

    The real fans stand by their team and support even in the trying of times

  • Bukunyi says:

    Heaven Bless you real big for this post….. I see players we are being linked to and it reeks of mediocrity, A Cech is available(an upgrade on Mignolet) and we are being linked to Bodgan( a bench warmer at Bolton)….. This is Liverpool not an Aston Villa or a Sunderland(with all due respect), IMO….. FSG are just after the money, the should just start thinking big, its time we start competing for trophies again(not Carling cups now) + I’m available for writing n this Blog…. I’d love nothing more than that if given the chance #YNWA#

  • Get FSG OUT !!! says:

    FSG will sell up once the stadium is complete,they will then get at least a £500 MILLION POUNDS profit.There not interested in making Liverpool compete as the signings show,and keeping that 2nd rate mediocre Rodgers at the club is disgraceful…
    FSG Ayre Rodgers Transfer committee and Scouting network ALL NEED TO GO NOW !!!

  • Jay Wright says:

    Most clubs are ‘feeder clubs’ to some extent. Liverpool just decided to have the worst of both worlds, whereby the club spent big but hasn’t brought in players ready to deliver.

    Players very rarely deliver consistently until they hit 22/23. Players rarely want to spend +5 years at a club at which they held no affinity, and isn’t competing for trophies. LFC could have easily focused on 23 year olds, that could be sold for a profit after delivering on the pitch throughout their LFC contracts (a la Suarez, Torres, Alonso etc), rather than continued to speculate on players that are yet to prove their pedigree

  • SCOUSIA says:

    ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC ARTICLE!!! My sentiments exactly, i agree wholeheartedly! This guy knows his stuff, GOOD JOB SIR!!!

    • LFCVee says:

      Thanks fella. Really appreciate the support. I’m one of the most frustrated Liverpool fans on the planet. We’re being short changed, pure and simple.

  • Jag says:

    I agree with most of the comments made. Last summers signings stirred hope rather than high expectation. In a poor premiership Liverpool’s season was hugely disappointing and erased almost all hope created in the previous campaign. The loss of an icon, backroom dismissals and contract wrangling don’t provide confidence going forward. Yes please if there is a star available who can provide the encouragement and ability to compete at the top of the table.

  • Paul says:

    I fail to see how Man United got such a great return on the almost £80 million they paid for Falcao and Di Maria. Did they have 5 goals between them? Sorry I hope Liverpool and FSG do not spend like that….however keep it up Man U !

    • LFCVee says:

      It’s about ambition. They’ve done us in the league. May be its lifting the squad by buying big names. Rooney didn’t moan or try to scarper.

  • Girard says:

    I think the main problem is us the Liverpool fc fans,we’re too docile especially those in Liveool City,we’re not practical!why not protest?all we do is just discussion forums.Lets learn from the Man U fans and the David Moyes experience,Liverpool will never succeed under American ownership,we never seem to learn!Gillett and Hicks messed it up and now it’s the so called FSG!Lets kick them out guys!!!!it’s time for Henry and his cronies to go!!!!!

  • bukunyi says:

    Heaven Bless you real big for this post….. I see players we are being linked to and it reeks of mediocrity, A Cech is available(an upgrade on Mignolet) and we are being linked to Bodgan( a bench warmer at Bolton)….. This is Liverpool not an Aston Villa or a Sunderland(with all due respect)….. IMO,
    FSG are just after the money, the should just start thinking big, its time we start competing for trophies again(not Carling cup now) + I’m available for writing n this Blog…. I’d love nothing more than that if given the chance #YNWA#

  • elvis says:

    Liverpool is not a small team managed in F.S.G bedroom. Its a big team which reach out as far as the ghettos of Africa Asian & America. l have been supporting Liver for as long as I was 5yrs. F.S.G and Rogers out or as supporters true supporters of liverpool for true change we will withdraw out our liver account on Facebook and Twitter up to wen we see proper change we then normalise things.If they don’t want to make things change we wil make things change. Realize how can we understand stand 6-1lose after that the coach says if am fired I will understand. F.S.G then don’t understand to fire.

    • Chan says:

      I think for a bunch of geesers coming from a country where they play their “Football” with their hands, yes i think FSG have absolutely no idea about football, real football much less an institution such as LFC.

      I mean these guys do not even bother to show up for our Captain Marvel last home game, so why should they care ?

      FSG primarily reason is to profit from us, these guys have no love for our club. Apart from buying out their fellow American cowboys, what have they really done for us really ?

      And now they are keeping a conman in his job

  • Grant says:

    The rot started with Moores, whilst handing our club over to Tom and Jerry Dubai International could have bank rolled us into a new 70,000+ stadium and paid top dollar for top players. The uncertainty over the years have stagnated us into an also ran club. LFC need a complete clear out from the top downwards. Klopp in Rodgers and Ayre certainly out for the good and for the future of LFC.

  • Ian says:

    Totally agree with the entire piece and with the fans who want the Americans out. They may have saved the club from going under but almost 5 years on from that, the gratitude is waring pretty thin with most. They may have reinvested from player sales but we are in desperate need of quality and experience. Our net spend has been peanuts compared to how other clubs, not just in England but in Europe’s other top leagues have spent. We also know we are not a City or Chelsea plaything but didn’t Werner state in 2012 that Liverpool could compete with anyone? I believe the time has come for them to seriously consider selling the club before they end up doing something that will leave us with permanent mediocrity.

    The new stand development is only a loan as some fans seem to forget and defend them by saying they are giving us a new stand. Liverpool Football Club via us as fans will be making the repayments on that. They are profiting on the name of our proud club and the sooner we take back what means so much to us, the better it will be before it is too late. I feel we are becoming the sequel to the Newcastle United saga.

    I will back the team with everything that I am, but will not be backing the actions of some naive, absent and muted so called custodians of our great institute.

    YNWA.

  • Ebrahim says:

    Brilliant article, I have to totally agree with every word. Truth be told is that FSG is only in it for the money and profits and as I said before LFC and American owners just don’t gel well together, we the fans deserve trophies and better than this. We support this club through the high and lows and lets be honest mostly lows in the season that passed. We need to show more ambition and drive and start getting the big name players we even missed out on Ayew that we were linked with as he is now gone to Swansea, we need a new recruitment policy or we will be a mid tam table for years to come.

  • Erin says:

    In short , no! The evidence so far is that they sold Suarez, who wanted to leave, and every club in England is a feeder club for Barca and madrid, especially Latin players. Look at De gea now at Man U. Feeder club? Not really. Just reality.

    They made a big mistake appointing brendan and they have realised it. Sacking the first team coach and his assistant was designed to provoke a response . Any manager in the country won’t stand for that and resign…except BR! A miscalculation. The man wants his compensation.
    The mistakes have been in the transfer market. People don’t want to live in Liv? How about Bony at swansea? And countless others going in small clubs?

    FSG spent 120 million pounds. Author, stop this “net spend ” nonsense. There were 120 million to spend and replace Suarez. More than enough. Mr BR chose to give 50 million to southampton for 3 players and waste the rest.

    Not all is lost. The team is underperformaning. Can played out of position , and defensively, can’t defend as a unit. You can buy another 5 top defenders but by the time brendan has brendanised them, they won’t know whether they are coming or going. That’s a fact. Can’t tell me Moreno who was superb for Sevilla has become an amateour? Same can be said for others.

    FSG don’t know what they are doing, granted but feeder club, we are not.

    Final say goes on Rahim Stirling. Another easily replaced player. Get rid asap for a good price and invest carefully.
    Juventus sold Zidane and won the league the following season. Atl madrid replaced aguero, Torres , Costa, they aren’t suffering. Same goes for napoli replacing Cavani with Higuain.
    Lazy article

    • Chan says:

      I can’t really agree with you on the feeder club part Erin, but your part on BR is nail on. Having coned FSG into giving him a job was his biggest achievement in his career and this is as far as he would go, so no BR would not give this up easily not even the sacking of his trusted former lieutenants would do the trick. BR is too spineless to respond and his non reaction tells us the kind of person we are dealing with here. Absolutely disgusting. FSG has to admit their mistake and deal with it.

      On Raheem, yes please sell him for a good price and let the S*** Bag and his agent rot in the reserves of MC, RM or whatever club for all i care. Just make sure we get 50 mill for this D*** bag.

  • Ger says:

    Good article , I agree totally and glad to see fans speak the truth . I posted a similar comment on the offical website and got blasted by ” so called fans ” I got called a plastic fan and told to f##k off and support Chelsea or the manc’s for merely stating that the club / owners lack ambition with the signings we’ve made under their reign . Andy Carroll signing was a knee jerk reaction in the last day of that transfer window after losing Torres on dead line day . Suarez who was possibly if not the best signing in the last 20 years was a master stroke . Coutinho and Sturridge were also great signings but I seriously think they were flukes that panned out. We came agonisingly close to winning the league and look at the shambolic transfer window . It was an embarrassment to the club going after 3 Southhampton players and barely finishing above them in the league . I’m hate to say it but there’s big problems at lfc at the moment and there needs to be big changes. If we don’t make any marquee signings this year for example replacing Suarez , Gerrard , sterling with quality signings it’s going to be yet another disaster and predict a huge backlash from the fans at fsg and rightly so .
    I’m sick of hearing all the dross that we can’t compete with the top 4 anymore ! Again total bs .
    We’re still one of the most followed clubs around the world so why can’t we compete ? Simple the owners won’t properly back us to sign big players but are happy to sell our best and then replace them with bargain basement type players that struggle with the expectations of playing for a big club. Bit of a rant from a lifelong fan ( p****d off fan)

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