Have Liverpool lost it?
Friday, 19 June 09, 05:50 AM · Comments(27)
By Michael Sinnerton
A great manager, a great first XI, a good squad which with two or three quality additions could be considered favourites for the Premier League. Terrible owners, massive debt, no transfer funds and a host of first team stars looking to leave. Which Liverpool do you see?
I'm moving more and more towards the latter with Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso all being heavily linked with moves away. Only one of these fills me with absolute dread though, but sadly it seems the one most likely to happen. I'm talking of Mascherano who I think is by far the best holding midfielder in the world. Reina is a wonderful, wonderful goalkeeper but there are enough decent goalkeepers out there to replace him, the same is true of Xabi Alonso in midfield and whilst I wouldn't sell any of the four players, I feel adequate replacements could be found for them all bar Mascherano.
If you didn't know the club is in financial trouble you probably shouldn't be reading this, but accountants stating that the club is a "going concern" is perhaps a bigger problem than it has been made out to be. The holding company, at least, is one step away from being liquidated with all the previously non-current assets becoming current assets (I.e. everything is up for sale) with the biggest creditors being paid off first.
At a time when everyone in football seems to have cash to flash I find it incredibly frustrating that Liverpool, who have progressed so far, seem set to crash and burn just before overcoming the final hurdle.
Former Liverpool Chairman David Moores resigned from the club's board yesterday. His reasons are unknown but has admitted feeling "heartbroken and let down" by Hicks and Gillett. Let's just hope it's not a case of rats abandoning a sinking ship.
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27 Comments · Add yours
Well, if you listen to what the footballers say: they'd like to play for Liverpool. This season really inspired the team and the close victory made them fight hard. It showed how well they can perform as a team.
However, if you look at Liverpool's problems - they are all coming from above, and nothing can be done, unless someone with an enormous wallet comes and saves us... buys, I mean.
It really is sad, that LFC don't have the means to enforce their squad. I think a strong addition to the defense could make a better performance in the future...
P.S. I'd check the post for typing mistakes :)
Its hard to feel sympathy for any of the top four who experience any sort of financial problems. They have been happy to inflate wages far beyond the reaches of other clubs in the league.
80% of english football clubs are in debt partly because of the reckless and selfish actions of the top 4.
Oh, and Alonso is a far superior player to Mascherano.
I think you're getting worried over nothing to be honest. As an Arsenal fan I have to say that having barca and madrid sniffing around your players at the end of the season is a customary irritation and nothing more. That's how they work and even with Ronaldo et al moving this summer, it's very rare that one of these stories actually turns out to be correct.
Benitez won't sell his best players and isn't he supposed to be spending £18m on Johnson in a day or two? Hardly an example of a cash-strapped club struggling to get by. The reality of the situation is that City, Utd and Chelsea are the only clubs in england that can simply spend money without having to take too long worrying over the balance sheet. We might even be able to take Utd off that list soon. Benitez has had to sell to buy every season since he arrived and this year is no different. So what? He's turned you from also-rans to a team that arguably heads into next season as favourites for the league title.
Hicks and Gillette are an issue but at the same time, they're experienced businessmen who have a track record of owning sports clubs. They will get their loan extension, you'll get through the summer and they'll look to sell the club next year. Again, not the end of the world.
Reply to greg:
i think you'll find that this only applies to three out of the top four and that there are plenty of teams outside the top 4 who pay more than Arsenal.
That's not true. Arsenal's wage bill is well over £100m, and just £2m less than Man United. All those promising young players in the reserves are on big money contracts. Arsenal's net debt has also grown significantly over the past year from £268.2 million to £318.1 million. But it's also worth mentioning that Arsenal's wages account for around 45 per cent of their turnover, which is relatively healthy.
Top wage bills (in 2007):
Chelsea - £114m
Manchester Utd - £85m
Arsenal - £83m
Liverpool - £69m
Newcastle Utd - £52m
well personally i think that chelsea are not a good team at all, especialy as frank lampard got killed in that glass factory last week. also as they are losing didier drogber and nicolas anelka to real madrid for only £2,500,000.
Reply to Adam Gowen:
DUDE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT???? ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE RETARDED COMMENTS THAT ARE DESTROYING THE WORLD. INFACT I COULD BLAME PEOPLE LIKE YOU FOR THE CURRENT RECESSION. UR THE REASON WHY MY FRIEND KILLED HIMSELF THE OTHERDAY, HE SAID HE COULDNT STAND LIFE ON THE INTERNET ANY LONGER BECAUSE OF STUPID COMMENTS. x
what the fuck are you on about yes the yanks are in debt and yes rafa dose not have the biggest transfer bugget but rafa as said we have the money for two top players one of these being johnson dont know who the other one is i hope its silva and with rafa gerrard torres agger and kuyt signing new deals for more money than they were on its not all bad and the way that gerrard and torres are talking about world class players comeing to the club i trhink we will be all right torres and gerrard would have been told what rafas plane were before they signed they new deals iys just the papers talking shit and i find it hard to beleave that the rags know more that rafa and as some papers put the liverpool have no money in the rags the day after rafa as said we have money and with retards beleaveing what the papers say everone is ever laughing at us or saying we will be another leeds when they just like the papers have no idear what they are on about the papers are calling rafa a lier and since when have the rags been liverpools accountant
Yeah, fuck punctuation
Reply to brett hooper:
Dude Benitez is one of the biggest liars in history, he promised that lampard wasn't going to die, and he also promised that he would bring chelsea silverware. btw he is now selling 5 more 1st tem players to raise money for a holiday.
Like some of the above comments, players have already signed new deals at Liverpool and that is because they know they are good enough to win the premier league.All this speculation about players leaving is bullshit. Why would Torres go to Chelsea for 60m just to receive a runners up medal.This current team is now coming together with stability. They gave the title away last season,it will not happen this year.
LINK
Reply to Joel87:
WHAT U FUCKIN SAYIN ABOUT MY MUM PRICK
Reply to LFCMANIC 4 LYF:
u want a fight about it?????? i liv in chester, ill meet u in the park tomorrow. bring a gun cos ur gner needd it
Reply to Joel87:
YOU FUCKIN CHEEKY BASTARD, U THINK I DONT KNOW WHERE U LIVE U LITTLE PRICK, I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU "ADAM GOWEN" ILL SEE U IN THE LACHE TOMORROW. xxx
Reply to LFCMANIC 4 LYF:
ok then if u think ur so hard meet me in wezzy park, ill be on my bike.
Reply to Adam Gowen:
OK THEN ILL KILL U AT WESTMINSTER PARK. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reply to LFCMANIC 4 LYF:
I'll meet you at the gates at 8:30, dont be late. faggot
Reply to Adam Gowen:
HOW THE FUCK AM I A FAGGOT???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? AN DON'T WORRY U FUCKIN PRICK, ILL BE THERE ALLRIGHT. ILL SEE YOUR BLOOD ON MY HANDS. I CANT WAIT! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reply to LFCMANIC 4 LYF:
Right this is the real Adam Gowen, the truth is that me and my mate have lots of arguements about who is better out of chelsea and liverpool and he tried to set me up on this blog.
DO I LOOK LIKE A PERSON WHO GIVES A FUCK???? MORON. AN HOW LIVERPOOL ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE WHOLE OF FUCKIN THE UNIVERSE AN EVERYTHIN LIKE THAT. UR JUST GIVIN ME MORE REASON TO KILL YOU. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I never said liverpool are the best in universe! liar
Reply to Adam Gowen:
HOW DARE U BE SO FUKIN CHEEKY U FUCKIN PRICK. IM GNER GO OUT AN FOUND U NOW U LITTLE BASTARD. xxxxxxx
do you know where Vicars cross is?? well you'll find me there, anyway
Have U2 finished now!
No, I think they've got a "Joshua Tree" tour coming up (sorry)
Reply to anfieldroad:
WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK U ARE U LITTLE CHEEKY BASTARD. xxxx