Liverpool Fans Told Straight - 'you're Paying For Us To Own Your Club'

[Bluetrip]

We knew the liverpool buyout was on the back of a loan like the Mancs but unlike them, Liverpool aren't in the same bracket. If they screw up and don't get into the CL next year or the year after - it will fuck them right up and their new owners won't have the capital to bail them out. All hypothetical of course but it's not quite the rosey picture painted during the takeover.

 

Can't fault the honesty of the American owners, I wish our board were as transparent, not sure they've done them selves any favours though. Easy to say this now but when the results dont come in it may come back to haunt them.

 

 

 

 

"LIVERPOOL FANS TOLD STRAIGHT - 'YOU'RE PAYING FOR US TO OWN YOUR CLUB'

 

Tuesday 22nd May 2007

The only difference for us is the lack of honesty.

 

Liverpool's American owner Tom Hicks spelt out the absolute reality behind his takeover of the club to the Guardian. He and business partner George Gillett borrowed £178m to buy the club and there is no doubt in Hicks' mind about where the money will come from to fund this.

 

 

"Hopefully the club will have extra cash flow so they can pay us a dividend to do that. If they don't, then it will come from our pockets. But the club will have to have profits sufficient to pay those dividends.

 

"When I was in the leverage buy-out business we bought Weetabix and we leveraged it up to make our return. You could say that anyone who was eating Weetabix was paying for our purchase of Weetabix. It was just business. It is the same for Liverpool; revenues come in from whatever source and go out to whatever source and, if there is money left over, it is profit."

 

When the situation was compared to that at Old Trafford, Hicks said, "They were the first. There were fans who honestly believed that, if an American owner came in and borrowed some of the purchase price, it could be the end of the club's success. I think things changed when people saw that the Glazers didn't necessarily turn out to be the end of Manchester football."

 

Try telling that to the poor f*ckers struggling to find the extra money to keep their Season Tickets after another mammoth rise. Still at least these Americans are willing to be honest about what they're doing."

 

from: http://www.redissue.co.uk/news/loadnews.as...W&id=339220

Edited May 22, 2007 by Bluetrip

[aaron]

makes me smile. hope they do a "leeds" .

[Romey 1878]

Isn't this what they said hadn't happened when they first bought the club?

[Zed]

For all though BK haters and peple who keep moaning that I wish we would be bought out

 

You have been warned

 

Remember old money bags Johnson, unfortunately it wasnt his money

[Mac]

I WOULD JUST LOVE IT IF THEY FOLDED, JUST LOVE IT.

 

ATB

 

Mac

[Bluetrip]

They compared it to their Weetabix takeover....you can hear the alarm bells ringing. I'm wondering if they've bitten off more than they can chew.

 

Liverpool aren't even close to the Mancs & Chelsea in terms of the quality and consistency needed to win a league title. Not the CL but the long slog with grit to dig in away to the likes of portsmouth, fulham, west ham, blackburn and the other below standard teams who beat them this season. Over 38 games they are going to be found wanting and I don't see the new investors changing that without investing a hell of a lot of cash. They are in it purely for business - to make money on their investment and if Liverpool's valuation starts taking a nose dive I'm sure they'll drop it like a hot potato.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Bluetrip

[xavier]

Er..isnt that how every business works? The owners take a loan and some part of the loan is slowly payed off from the profits make by the company.

 

What you've not quoted is the number of times, Hicks and Gillet have said that they'll support Rafa in the transfer market. They havent put a number on the budget but have said that they'll support Rafa in the window, financially. Moores wouldnt have sold us to them if he didnt think that they'd support us in the market; he just wouldnt have. Hicks has pumped in millions into his Ice Hockey side and helped them win the Stanley Cup. Same as with their baseball sides.

 

And we're a top three side already. The only team i can see falling from the top four ladder is Arsenal, and that too only if they lose Henry (and dont sign eto'o or someone equivalent).

 

Liverpool aren't even close to the Mancs & Chelsea in terms of the quality and consistency needed to win a league title. Not the CL but the long slog with grit to dig in away to the likes of portsmouth, fulham, west ham, blackburn and the other below standard teams who beat them this season. Over 38 games they are going to be found wanting and I don't see the new investors changing that without investing a hell of a lot of cash. They are in it purely for business - to make money on their investment and if Liverpool's valuation starts taking a nose dive I'm sure they'll drop it like a hot potato.

 

We're not, no. But its looking good for us.

David Moores as much as we loved him (he forked out 9.5 million pounds from his own pocket to fund for Dirk Kuyt, LFC through and through) knew that we'd need real money if we were to push towards the next level.(we also had a stadium to fund for). We were never going to be able to challenge for the league under him as we were always going to be out priced for the bigger players by the richer clubs. He sold the club only with the clubs main interests in mind and hence it took so long for him to find suitors for us. I know that this is a business, but i also do know that they're going to pump some money in the market, hopefully which'll see us buy whichever players we want (as opposed to the sell to buy, state which occured last year).

 

I can see us challenging next year but not winning it, have had too many years of saying that but hopefully this time the belief will hold true. Maybe we'll win it the year after next. Lets wait and watch eh?

[Blue 250]

Looking at the Luckypool line up tonight,those yanks are going to have nightmeres!

They played what looked like a very average team in Milan,this with captain fantastic

pulling strings and they just didn't look up to it!

Rafas going to panic spend on over priced journey men after big wages,and who

are not up to fighting it out in rainy Bolton....and Carrigher and Gerrard are one year

older.........WEETABIX?.....There going to need four each!

[Pat]

Tim Cahill has 9 for breakfast.

 

On Topic: seems a logical Corporate raider type business plan 2 me.

[xavier]

Looking at the Luckypool line up tonight,those yanks are going to have nightmeres!

They played what looked like a very average team in Milan,this with captain fantastic

pulling strings and they just didn't look up to it!

Rafas going to panic spend on over priced journey men after big wages,and who

are not up to fighting it out in rainy Bolton....and Carrigher and Gerrard are one year

older.........WEETABIX?.....There going to need four each!

 

Are you still on that one man team thing? You're two years too late on that note.

[Bluetrip]

Er..isnt that how every business works? The owners take a loan and some part of the loan is slowly payed off from the profits make by the company.

 

What you've not quoted is the number of times, Hicks and Gillet have said that they'll support Rafa in the transfer market. They havent put a number on the budget but have said that they'll support Rafa in the window, financially. Moores wouldnt have sold us to them if he didnt think that they'd support us in the market; he just wouldnt have. Hicks has pumped in millions into his Ice Hockey side and helped them win the Stanley Cup. Same as with their baseball sides.

 

And we're a top three side already. The only team i can see falling from the top four ladder is Arsenal, and that too only if they lose Henry (and dont sign eto'o or someone equivalent).

We're not, no. But its looking good for us.

David Moores as much as we loved him (he forked out 9.5 million pounds from his own pocket to fund for Dirk Kuyt, LFC through and through) knew that we'd need real money if we were to push towards the next level.(we also had a stadium to fund for). We were never going to be able to challenge for the league under him as we were always going to be out priced for the bigger players by the richer clubs. He sold the club only with the clubs main interests in mind and hence it took so long for him to find suitors for us. I know that this is a business, but i also do know that they're going to pump some money in the market, hopefully which'll see us buy whichever players we want (as opposed to the sell to buy, state which occured last year).

 

I can see us challenging next year but not winning it, have had too many years of saying that but hopefully this time the belief will hold true. Maybe we'll win it the year after next. Lets wait and watch eh?

 

Well you said it. I dont think theres been a solitary time since the Premiership's conception 16 years ago when I havent heard a Liverpool supporter they'll be challenging for the title, especially the chuckle brother pundits on Match of the Day.

 

Around Christmas the excuses start wheeling out and by May, without a challenge in sight, the drum starts banging along with Liverpool will be in with a shout next season. Every year the same prediction, every year the same result, no one outside of the club takes it seriously.

[Blue 250]

Are you still on that one man team thing? You're two years too late on that note.

 

Well I guess I am kinda!.........Two years late?Why has Gerrard stopped being probably

(on his day)the best player in the world!......Perhaps it hits a raw nerve?The fact that

without him in your team you wouldn't have even made the final and you would have

finished about 7th in the league....right from day one at Sheffield utd when he dived

in the box,have you relied on the power house that he is!

surely it's a compliment from a BLUE to a red when we admit you have the best player!

He won you the champions league two years ago(though you needed pens) and he won

you the FA Cup last year against the mighty hammers(though you needed pens again)!

 

So two years too late?.....NO! If he'd stopped being captain fantastic,main stay of your

team and god like creature two years ago......you would have won nothing in those

respective years!

 

Relax you've still got the best player in the world(on his day)...come to that Carrighers

not bad either......both of those would probably get into the Everton team....as for the rest?

well I like Crouch,but he like most of the rs team will be shipped out by the yanks,making

way for some fine talent!

 

Who ever you buy,they wont be as good as Gerrard.....Thats all I'm getting at,the mans

the tops!He's the reason I will watch rs games.You and me and all rs know that without

him you would struggle!.......

 

Sorry if I caused offence

[xavier]

Gerrard is our main player, yes. Are we built around him? Nope. If we were he'd have played in his centre mid position all season.

 

And has he been pulling us through all season? Ha! He's not even been our best player this season. One out of Carra, Reina or Finnan have been.

 

We wont 'struggle' without him, no chance. But what do i know eh..

[Dunny the Blue]

surely you must admit they look a different outfit without him Xav??

[xavier]

Weaker, yes.

But struggling?

[Blue 250]

Weaker, yes.

But struggling?

 

Well you have a point!......I guess I didn't mean struggling as in mid table!I meant

more struggling to maintain your usuall position of around about 4th spot.Being your

best player has nothing about playing in the middle of the pitch....most teams best

players could be playing in any position.....Southall....Owen....Henry...this season for

us maybe Lescott!

 

We thought without Cahill we would struggle....maybe we were better without him!

I just think with out Gerrards drive and great shooting power luckypool would be

less of a team!

 

Us Blues must lament at losing a boyhood Blue to our rivals....and one so good...but

then remember Mcmanerman,Fowler,owen,Carrigher and so on!

 

If I were a rs fan.....I would rather have Gerrard and Carrigher fit and healthy for

the next 5 years and an average $ input than lose those two and have mega $'s.

Your going to move to a super stadium....but it WONT be anfield!lose your local lads

and gain glory hunters,and with Rafa in charge you can kiss goodbye to the league

title for another 19 years.

 

Good luck to you!.....but without Gerrard and that whopping slice of luck your not really

any better than your "little"neighbour!

[MikeO]

Rafa trying to make it a two man team apparently...

 

Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, is willing to gamble all the transfer funds made available to him by the club's new American owners on a bid for Samuel Eto'o that could reach as much as £35m. The summer scramble for the Barcelona forward's signature is likely to include Manchester United as well but Benitez wants to strike early to get his target.

 

 

...from todays Independent.

 

In the same article...one of the by products of big non-footballing business based investment..

 

Something of a novelty at English football clubs, a spending review by the American owners to scrutinise Benitez's transfer record at Liverpool, is to be carried out by an independent body, most likely an accountancy firm. The results are sure to have some bearing on the funds made available to him.

[fcssl]

Something of a novelty at English football clubs, a spending review by the American owners to scrutinise Benitez's transfer record at Liverpool, is to be carried out by an independent body, most likely an accountancy firm. The results are sure to have some bearing on the funds made available to him.

 

This is particulary interesting IMHO.