Liverpool thread

[doublecee]

I first stood on the Kop in '45. Now 60 odd years later, I'm dumfounded at the arrogance of Hicks. He appears to be a typical Texan. Big hat and mouth to match. The sooner D.I.C. comes in the better.

[Darren]

I agree with a lot of what Hicks said in his Sky interview yesterday Dunno if he should have done it though, but its been clear for a while he's going to publicly say a lot of what he thinks.

The running of Liverpool is a total joke atm, basicly a public spat. The sooner Gillett and Parry are gone the better. If Hicks goes as well and someone like DIC come in then so be it. Hopefully it will all be sorted out before the season ends. I doubt it will mind.

[Darren]

Whats your thoughts on Rick Parry guys? I don't doubt he loves Liverpool FC, but I think he is pretty weak at his job.

Hicks mentioned a lot of things like the stadium, commercial side of the team as well failing and that being down to Parry failing. Also had the Stevie Gerrard farce in 2005 which I think Parry was largely at fault for. We got away with that in the end but to me he's clearly not good enough at his job to carry on as Liverpool Chief Exec.

[davidmphill]

Hicks is a prize tosser. If he wants to air his views the doing it on Sky Sports is not the way to do it, maybe in the States but not in the UK and on the behalf of one of the greatest teams in Europe.

Rick Parry has LFC's best thoughts at mind, there's no doubt in that but he has come across as being weak in recent months. Not sure he's deserving of the bashing he got early in the week.

The mud flinging thats going at the club isn't what you'd expect of a Championship side let alone a team that has won the European Cup 5 times. Something has to happen one way or the other in the summer.

[aliando]

nothing short of embarressing tbh - complete clear out is the only way forward imo - gets the DICKS out and get the DIC in.

[AJ]

Sell him

The idea of Liverpool being forced to sell Fernando Torres, the club's star player this season, will be of grave concern to the fans making the long trip to London for this afternoon's game away to Fulham.
Although unlikely, this nightmare scenario is possible because of the club's mounting debts brought about by the squabbling of Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the controversial American owners.
This is no way to run a football club. You cannot refinance hopes and dreams. However, with football clubs now big business, they too are as vulnerable as our high street banks to global financial volatility. Yet there is a big difference, when a football club runs into financial difficulties - it's not just the shareholders who suffer, it is whole communities, towns and cities. The departure of a star centre forward is a much more bitter pill to swallow than when your run-of-the-mill company director moves on.
It must be emphasised that by no means are Liverpool staring into the financial abyss at the moment, and a forced sale of Torres is far from imminent.

• Torres future under threat as banks watchful

Should the club fail to refinance their debts and default on the loans, the banks will take control - but a buyer will always be found. There will always be another foreign billionaire keen to be a part of the magic of the Premier League and - particularly - Liverpool, one of the world's most valuable football brands.
In fact those in Dubai would quite happily take control tomorrow, if only Hicks and Gillett could decide what to do. The battle for control will rumble on for at least a few more weeks, with Dubai International Capital, the investment arm of the Arab state's government, unwilling to raise its £500million offer.
Liverpool will also benefit in the future from the proposed move to a new stadium in Stanley Park. Fans filling the new ground should still be able to enjoy Torres, Steven Gerrard and the rest.
However, spare a thought for the fans of Bournemouth, and others at the less glamorous end of the Football League, who have not slept easy this week. The South Coast side's debts have forced them into administration and a points deduction, although, thankfully for their supporters, a last-gasp deal appears to have been struck. Meanwhile, up in Scotland Gretna's meteoric rise no longer looks so heroic, with no certainty of any future finance.
With the money men being more selective with whom they lend to, and increasingly asking for more in return, football clubs and their supporters will feel the pinch. Over the course of the year it will be no surprise to see a number of clubs become casualties of the credit crunch.
Larger clubs should take heed of this warning for they are not untouchable and carry the burden of the most debt of all. However unlikely a worst-case scenario might be for Liverpool, it should never be a possibility for a football club.

[Jonesy Knows]

A touch of the green eyed monster there AJ

[AJ]

About Torres ? Without a doubt he's a wonderful player, natural born goal scorer. Delight to watch. Would love to have him at United.

Not so green eyed about 4th place though

[Darren]

So your team has just been beaten heavily, League season now rests in a fight for 4th.

Not a bad reaction. Better than one I experienced at Villa fcuking park anyway!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKoPLt_coFI&NR=1

[Darren]

Rafa just completely baffles me now tbh. Gave up trying to second guess what he will do next a long time ago, but he still continues to amaze me.

The digs at Drogba went down well, he scored 2. Always think if you have a go at a player it could come back and haunt you. It did imo, his celebration to the first goal showed that bit.

Bringing off Benayoun when he looked like he had just really gotten into the game and setup the equaliser, for Pennant. Not really sure what the thinking was there. Timing was all wrong for me.

The thing I'll never understand (unless he was injured of course), Lampard puts Chelsea 2-1 up, Torres off and Babel on. WTF.

[WorkingForTheEnemy]

The thing I'll never understand (unless he was injured of course), Lampard puts Chelsea 2-1 up, Torres off and Babel on. WTF.

Same here. Babel on , yes. Torres off, No.

I think any Liverpool fan knew what needed doing at halftime. Give them 15 mins and if no joy then take off either Alonso or Mascherano and bring on Babel.

It hurts to say it but tbf they were the better team tonight and deserved to go through. We should have taken advantage of their poor show last week and walked away with a 2 goal lead. Instead we finished with a draw and were punished for it.

[AJ]

Wow that own goal looks pretty expensive now...

[Pot rice]

I was baffled by the substitution of Torres but aopparently he had a hamstring problem.

[mowgli77]

What's big and red and goes beep beep beep?
The liverpool open top bus reversing into the garage AGAIN.

[Darren]

O'Neill slams Reds' Barry bid

Villa boss left fuming at Liverpool tactics

By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 3rd May 2008


O'Neill: Not happy

It is certainly not the way the Liverpool of old would have conducted business.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool after it emerged they had made a bid for Gareth Barry.


Reports emerged on Merseyside early on Friday that a bid of around £14million, which included players - with Peter Crouch and Scott Carson mentioned - had been lodged with Villa for their captain.

O'Neill has now confirmed that a bid has been made by The Reds, but the Northern Irish coach was left seething with how it has come to light.

The news has come out just 24 hours ahead of their crucial Premier League clash with Wigan as Villa are locked in a battle with Everton for fifth place and the only Uefa Cup place available through the league.

"I think that what we had, was that I thought Gareth said he would prefer to wait until the end of the season before discussing things and I think that is right to do so," he told Sky Sports News.


Fury



"It is particularly disappointing to find out that Liverpool, I think, have carried the story in their local paper - it is certainly not the way the Liverpool of old would have conducted business and I prefer to do it in a bit of privacy with a bit of confidentiality and it is disappointing especially at this time with two games to go.

"But they have done their bit by qualifying for the Champions League, which is great, their interest this season has ended and therefore I would rather be waiting until the end of the season, but I suppose there is a point that if Liverpool happened to be listening - he has two years left on his contract and he is not one, in my experience with him, is not one who would break contracts lightly."


Player plus cash bid



O'Neill confirmed a bid had been launched and said it was a player plus cash offer.

"They haven't made a straight cash offer," he continued.

"They have made a mish-mash of nameless players in exchange.

"As I said I am particularly disappointed to find our business being conducted in public.

"I want to be clear, I want to build a club here, we are not a feeder club - we want to try to challenge, at some stage, we want to get to the position that this club once held [European champions] and this demands an awful lot of effort, a supreme effort, and that will take very good players and I don't want to be in the position of letting players, really good players go and Gareth Barry is a really good player who still has two years left on his contract."

O'Neill added that he is yet to talk over the situation with his captain.

"I haven't discussed these things with him - obviously I will do," he continued.

"But the day before our most important game is not the time to be discussing it. I would prefer they would go back to their practice of old when they did business in the proper fashion."

[AJ]

Why would Barry go to Liverpool ?

He's playing for a good side, reestablishing himself in the england team. Why throw it all away ?

[davidmphill]

Originally Posted by AJ

Why would Barry go to Liverpool ?

He's playing for a good side, reestablishing himself in the england team. Why throw it all away ?

Are you implying that a move to Liverpool wouldn't be a step forward for him?
It's no secret that he's good mates with Gerrard and he'll be taking his career to the next level and thats CL football and hopefully a side that can show more consistency in the league. Too many drawn games this season has hurt the side more than anything else.

[AJ]

I'm not implying anything, I'm stating it as a firm opinion. A move to Liverpool is a sideways step. Also I don't think he's that much better than what Liverpool already have. Pointless for both sides.

CL football, well next year perhaps, but with the rule changes after that who knows. Liverpool have made zero progress in closing the gap towards the title, in fact for all the money they've spent, they've gone backwards.

If Barry wants to advance his career, he should go overseas, if he wants to make money, he shoudl go to Chelsea.

Let's look at the case for the prosecution shall we ?

Worse league position than last year.
Earlier exit from the champions league
Eariler exit from the Fa cup

Not what you'd call a great return from their vast expenditure recently

Torres 26m
Voronin Free (i think)
Babel 12m
Benayoun 5m
Mascherano 18.6m
Škrtel 6.5m

Just over 66 milion pounds this season and the team has gone backwards. In fact when you look at the other signings since the 2005 CL win Aurelio, Kuyt, et al Rafa has spent 100 milion pounds on players without any returns in terms of silverware. (Have Liverpool outspent Utd and Chelsea ? must be close )

Is this post blatent Liverpool bashing ? Sure it is, but why not ? That's what you do to your rivals

[Darren]

Originally Posted by AJ

I'm not implying anything, I'm stating it as a firm opinion. A move to Liverpool is a sideways step. Also I don't think he's that much better than what Liverpool already have. Pointless for both sides.

CL football, well next year perhaps, but with the rule changes after that who knows. Liverpool have made zero progress in closing the gap towards the title, in fact for all the money they've spent, they've gone backwards.

If Barry wants to advance his career, he should go overseas, if he wants to make money, he shoudl go to Chelsea.

Let's look at the case for the prosecution shall we ?

Worse league position than last year.
Earlier exit from the champions league
Eariler exit from the Fa cup

Not what you'd call a great return from their vast expenditure recently

Torres 26m
Voronin Free (i think)
Babel 12m
Benayoun 5m
Mascherano 18.6m
Škrtel 6.5m

Just over 66 milion pounds this season and the team has gone backwards. In fact when you look at the other signings since the 2005 CL win Aurelio, Kuyt, et al Rafa has spent 100 milion pounds on players without any returns in terms of silverware. (Have Liverpool outspent Utd and Chelsea ? must be close )

Is this post blatent Liverpool bashing ? Sure it is, but why not ? That's what you do to your rivals

Just a shame you get some facts wrong really. Prices are press opinion, Torres was certainly not a 26M buy, much nearer 20M And we lasted longer this season in FA Cup Think someone seen us coming when we took Voronin on a free though. What a lump of shite.

Have Liverpool outspent Utd and Chelsea in how long? This season might be close after Mascherano signing, but we have long since been playing cathup. Also had our season spend higher than 66M, we'll need to compare notes

[Darren]

I'd assume Kewell is gone end of season. Quite where Barey fits in (if bought) I don't know. CM is fine already, a bit over crowded really. He aint played wide for Villa, although his delivery last weekend against Everton suggests he can.

Don't think he is a 10M+ player though. If we buy him to play central we need to sell, Alonso would be the one there really. If he is bought to polay wide he lacks pace, which imo is a worry.

We have to sign him yet, but sfter O'Neills hissy fit I don't doubt we have bid. Just don't see quite where he fits in though.